I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
BREAKING: Sam Altman told OpenAI employees at an all-hands meeting on Friday afternoon that a potential agreement is emerging with the Department of War to use the startup’s AI models and tools, according to a source present at the meeting and a summary of the meeting seen by Fortune. The contract has not yet been signed.
The Leftwing nut jobs at Anthropic have made a DISASTROUS MISTAKE trying to STRONG-ARM the Department of War, and force them to obey their Terms of Service instead of our Constitution. Their selfishness is putting AMERICAN LIVES at risk, our Troops in danger, and our National Security in JEOPARDY.
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
The problem is not the right-wing of Labour: it has a long history in the party and includes luminaries such as Denis Healey. The problem is that it and the left are splintered. Look at the factions
Streeting/Blair Labour. Only knows one trick: privatising and shredding the left. It doesn't work any more and they keep pushing on string
Mahmood/Blue Labour. Only knows one trick: bashing and whining. Badenoch can do that better and get more votes
Rayner/Old Labour. Only knows one trick: tax and spend. You need a competent state to do that and we haven't got one.
In the 1990s this was a coherent whole, but in the 2020s it isn't and even if it was it still wouldn't work.
Badenoch got the lowest Tory vote in history last night.
If the public had any trust, interest or faith in her, why did she perform so badly.
Real votes Obliterated
Because the only right of centre party that could win was Reform, hence the Tories ran a half hearted campaign a la Labour when they let the Lib Dems win a couple of By Elections in the last parliament
The fact is that VI/votes ebb and flow over the course of a parliament. why should it be any more silly to say that there is a pathway for the Tories to recover than it was to say the Greens could be 6/1 to win most seats when they were 50/1 three months ago, or that Reform would be Even money to win most seats for a long while, having only less than 20% of the vote in 2024?
LOTO Starmer was 7/1 to get a majority at this stage of the last parliament, and almost resigned after Labour lost a By Election in tone of their strongest seats, yet he won a huge majority.
Kemi actually has some underlying metrics that play well; her leader ratings are good, and improving, and she beats every other leader in a head to head as best PM. Leading the Tories after 2024 GE was a thankless task, especially with the emergence of Refrm, and she is doing ok ,with some signs of better times ahead. A bad result in an unwinnable seat is neither here nor there
I actually think what people are missing from last night is that Reform probably picked up close to three quarters of white voters last night. Obviously it's an odd mix of demographics but it does show that Reform do seem able to capture a majority of white working class voters. If they manage to do the same in 2029 there's far more constituencies that have a large majority of white people than are like last night where around half are some kind of minority and a third Muslim.
Reform are still winning the demographic that will push them into winning most seats, it's just that last night the by election didn't have enough of them to get them over the line.
75% of white voters? If we assume that turnout was consistent across ethnicities, there were 26,000 white voters, which would mean 19,000 for Reform. But they only got 11,000 in total, which translates to about 40% of those voters. assuming that only white people voted for them.
That in itself is a very impressive figure, so there's no need to make nonsense up like "75%". But it does mean 60% of white people went for the left-wing parties. And FWIW, turnout among white people is usually about 10-20ppt higher - it would stretch credulity to suggest the difference was inverted to such an extent that 40% turns into 75%.
This is a bit like your claim that Khan only wins because of the Muslim vote in London - which is only 15% of the population.
Are you sure? Gorton & Denton voters = 77,501 Turnout 47.62% = 36,906 57% Ethnic 43% White
36906 x 43% = 15,870 Multiply by 75% = 11,902
Reform got 10,578 so obtained 66.6% of White votes. That assumes no ethnics voted for Reform.
Sxxx sorry wrong way round - thought it tied in nicely!!! - will rework
Are you sure? Gorton & Denton voters = 77,501 Turnout 47.62% = 36,906 57% White 43% Ethnic
36906 x 57% = 21,036 Multiply by 75% = 15,777
Reform got 10,578 so obtained 50.30% of White votes. That assumes no ethnics voted for Reform.
Yep, agree with that, and I was using the wrong ethnicity data. And you also make my assumption that turnout was consistent across ethnicities, which is unlikely to be the case. I think there is evidence Muslims are even less likely to vote too - which is the central charge - though I don't think that is controlled for age and socio-economic. 50% is an absolute maximum.
Knowing where Hannah comes from in Bolton, what her house was like growing up and having met her mum a couple of times, if she's working class in today's Britain than I must be a Victorian street urchin.
Is a plumber and chippy not working class nowadays?
There's me thinking PB would applaud her forgoing University in favour of a trade.
I am merely reposting what a Labour activist from Bolton said on X.
Being a plumber or a plasterer is usually a working class job, although she is the owner of the company rather than an employee, and class is usually derived from up upbringing rather than career. If Angela Rayner was working class when a high ranking member of the govt, a someone who runs their own plumbing business can be middle class I’d say
Does Spencer do the plumbing and plastering herself?
Certainly more working class than a posho southern public school boy academic turned TV presenter!
Anyway, now she is an MP she is now a white collar professional. Don't you favour social mobility?
She comes from a distinctly middle class part of Bolton with middle class parents. I'd say that makes her middle class.
It would be nice not to care where people come from, but if you make it part of your campaign then you have to expect questions.
[The misogyny is totally out of order, though]
Our right wing populists really are the biggest bunch of sore losers. Do they not get that that is not a good look in Britain?
Spencer won by the cunning strategy of getting people to turn out and vote for her, partly by being a relatable local person and partially by listening to their concerns.
Beaten fair and square and they really don't like it up 'em.
The claims of vote-rigging have not gone down well at all either - though, ironically, I actually think they aren't without merit (though entirely immaterial to the result). A toxic mix of bad losership and emulating Trump.
This constituency was always going to be difficult for Reform. Their biggest flaw - and Goodwin's in particularly - is being so ridiculously touchy and humourless about things like this.
BREAKING: Sam Altman told OpenAI employees at an all-hands meeting on Friday afternoon that a potential agreement is emerging with the Department of War to use the startup’s AI models and tools, according to a source present at the meeting and a summary of the meeting seen by Fortune. The contract has not yet been signed.
We aren’t saying that other companies are ahead of us but we’ve also run out of companies willing to invest in us so we are running to the US Government to continue the money flow
Well, I slept like shit. Cramp in my foot at 2.30am and my shoulder/neck have decided that pain is fun too. Must've slept in some weird position.
On the plus side, a week and seven minutes until we see who tops qualifying.
My guess at the moment would be Russell, but that he will struggle to win the race itself and Leclerc will be stronger on the day.
That’s more or less gut feel though. There’s very little data to go on.
Big unanswered questions about various major teams: Will the Mercedes engine be more powerful than shown, decisively so? Will Ferrari's strong start and reliability put them in the best position to win? Will red Bull's possible electric advantage mean that on a track like Australia (tougher for harvesting) they've got an edge in the race? How big was the McLaren deficit in the final test due to not having the latest Mercedes engine, and will they end up faster than many assume?
And, of course, will the overly complex regulations around energy lead to a huge mess?
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
Don't forget this absolutely crackers MTD (Making Tax Digital) nonsense inflicted on the self-employed (I think landlords as well). A pointless waste of time for the sake of bureaucracy and enriching the third party private sector firms necessary, because for some bloody reason it's not possible to submit the pointless quarterly information to HMRC directly.
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
Don't forget this absolutely crackers MTD (Making Tax Digital) nonsense inflicted on the self-employed (I think landlords as well). A pointless waste of time for the sake of bureaucracy and enriching the third party private sector firms necessary, because for some bloody reason it's not possible to submit the pointless quarterly information to HMRC directly.
It includes anyone who has income not from employment above the relevant threshold.
It can be got round to some extent by registering a limited company.
Well, I slept like shit. Cramp in my foot at 2.30am and my shoulder/neck have decided that pain is fun too. Must've slept in some weird position.
On the plus side, a week and seven minutes until we see who tops qualifying.
My guess at the moment would be Russell, but that he will struggle to win the race itself and Leclerc will be stronger on the day.
That’s more or less gut feel though. There’s very little data to go on.
Big unanswered questions about various major teams: Will the Mercedes engine be more powerful than shown, decisively so? Will Ferrari's strong start and reliability put them in the best position to win? Will red Bull's possible electric advantage mean that on a track like Australia (tougher for harvesting) they've got an edge in the race? How big was the McLaren deficit in the final test due to not having the latest Mercedes engine, and will they end up faster than many assume?
And, of course, will the overly complex regulations around energy lead to a huge mess?
Well, the answer to the last question is of course ‘yes,’ but that may not be a bad thing. It will lead to unpredictability which is always interesting in sport compared to the processions of some recent seasons.
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
Don't forget this absolutely crackers MTD (Making Tax Digital) nonsense inflicted on the self-employed (I think landlords as well). A pointless waste of time for the sake of bureaucracy and enriching the third party private sector firms necessary, because for some bloody reason it's not possible to submit the pointless quarterly information to HMRC directly.
It includes anyone who has income not from employment above the relevant threshold.
It can be got round to some extent by registering a limited company.
'Got around' by founding a company is not indicative of a sensible approach to tax and form-filling, I'd suggest. It's dumb as hell, and serves only to aggravate people who work for a living and commit the sin (as Labour see it) of doing so on their own account.
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
Don't forget this absolutely crackers MTD (Making Tax Digital) nonsense inflicted on the self-employed (I think landlords as well). A pointless waste of time for the sake of bureaucracy and enriching the third party private sector firms necessary, because for some bloody reason it's not possible to submit the pointless quarterly information to HMRC directly.
It includes anyone who has income not from employment above the relevant threshold.
It can be got round to some extent by registering a limited company.
'Got around' by founding a company is not indicative of a sensible approach to tax and form-filling, I'd suggest. It's dumb as hell, and serves only to aggravate people who work for a living and commit the sin (as Labour see it) of doing so on their own account.
He'd be a great choice, since even if he leads the party to a recovery he's losing his seat next time anyway, so you don't have to worry about him overstaying his welcome.
Probably last chance saloon for the right of Labour. If not Wes we have 3 years of comedy socialism ahead
The problem is not the right-wing of Labour: it has a long history in the party and includes luminaries such as Denis Healey. The problem is that it and the left are splintered. Look at the factions
Streeting/Blair Labour. Only knows one trick: privatising and shredding the left. It doesn't work any more and they keep pushing on string
Mahmood/Blue Labour. Only knows one trick: bashing and whining. Badenoch can do that better and get more votes
Rayner/Old Labour. Only knows one trick: tax and spend. You need a competent state to do that and we haven't got one.
In the 1990s this was a coherent whole, but in the 2020s it isn't and even if it was it still wouldn't work.
Badenoch got the lowest Tory vote in history last night.
If the public had any trust, interest or faith in her, why did she perform so badly.
Real votes Obliterated
Because the only right of centre party that could win was Reform, hence the Tories ran a half hearted campaign a la Labour when they let the Lib Dems win a couple of By Elections in the last parliament
The fact is that VI/votes ebb and flow over the course of a parliament. why should it be any more silly to say that there is a pathway for the Tories to recover than it was to say the Greens could be 6/1 to win most seats when they were 50/1 three months ago, or that Reform would be Even money to win most seats for a long while, having only less than 20% of the vote in 2024?
LOTO Starmer was 7/1 to get a majority at this stage of the last parliament, and almost resigned after Labour lost a By Election in tone of their strongest seats, yet he won a huge majority.
Kemi actually has some underlying metrics that play well; her leader ratings are good, and improving, and she beats every other leader in a head to head as best PM. Leading the Tories after 2024 GE was a thankless task, especially with the emergence of Refrm, and she is doing ok ,with some signs of better times ahead. A bad result in an unwinnable seat is neither here nor there
I actually think what people are missing from last night is that Reform probably picked up close to three quarters of white voters last night. Obviously it's an odd mix of demographics but it does show that Reform do seem able to capture a majority of white working class voters. If they manage to do the same in 2029 there's far more constituencies that have a large majority of white people than are like last night where around half are some kind of minority and a third Muslim.
Reform are still winning the demographic that will push them into winning most seats, it's just that last night the by election didn't have enough of them to get them over the line.
75% of white voters? If we assume that turnout was consistent across ethnicities, there were 26,000 white voters, which would mean 19,000 for Reform. But they only got 11,000 in total, which translates to about 40% of those voters. assuming that only white people voted for them.
That in itself is a very impressive figure, so there's no need to make nonsense up like "75%". But it does mean 60% of white people went for the left-wing parties. And FWIW, turnout among white people is usually about 10-20ppt higher - it would stretch credulity to suggest the difference was inverted to such an extent that 40% turns into 75%.
This is a bit like your claim that Khan only wins because of the Muslim vote in London - which is only 15% of the population.
Are you sure? Gorton & Denton voters = 77,501 Turnout 47.62% = 36,906 57% Ethnic 43% White
36906 x 43% = 15,870 Multiply by 75% = 11,902
Reform got 10,578 so obtained 66.6% of White votes. That assumes no ethnics voted for Reform.
Sxxx sorry wrong way round - thought it tied in nicely!!! - will rework
Are you sure? Gorton & Denton voters = 77,501 Turnout 47.62% = 36,906 57% White 43% Ethnic
36906 x 57% = 21,036 Multiply by 75% = 15,777
Reform got 10,578 so obtained 50.30% of White votes. That assumes no ethnics voted for Reform.
Yep, agree with that, and I was using the wrong ethnicity data. And you also make my assumption that turnout was consistent across ethnicities, which is unlikely to be the case. I think there is evidence Muslims are even less likely to vote too - which is the central charge - though I don't think that is controlled for age and socio-economic. 50% is an absolute maximum.
I do not think that you can assume that no ethnic people voted Reform either. Not many Muslims I expect but there are some that do, Zia Yousef is Muslim and observes Ramadan for example, and I know some Faragist Hindus. Only 26% of the Constituency are Muslim.
That Muslim women were instructrd by their husbands/fathers etc to vote Green rather than Reform as part of "family voting" seems rather far fetched though.
So if 10% or so of the non-white population voted Reform then the high end of estimates for the white population voting Reform in G and D would be around 40-45% IMO.
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
Don't forget this absolutely crackers MTD (Making Tax Digital) nonsense inflicted on the self-employed (I think landlords as well). A pointless waste of time for the sake of bureaucracy and enriching the third party private sector firms necessary, because for some bloody reason it's not possible to submit the pointless quarterly information to HMRC directly.
It includes anyone who has income not from employment above the relevant threshold.
It can be got round to some extent by registering a limited company.
'Got around' by founding a company is not indicative of a sensible approach to tax and form-filling, I'd suggest. It's dumb as hell, and serves only to aggravate people who work for a living and commit the sin (as Labour see it) of doing so on their own account.
A tax policy that is as dumb as hell?
I’m shocked. Shocked, I tell you.
At least I had the foresight to not make enough to be caught by it, yet. Ahem.
Looking forward to Labour's even more 'efficient' monthly tax returns. *sighs*
Anyway, F1 in a week. Huzzah! No idea how it's going to go.
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
Don't forget this absolutely crackers MTD (Making Tax Digital) nonsense inflicted on the self-employed (I think landlords as well). A pointless waste of time for the sake of bureaucracy and enriching the third party private sector firms necessary, because for some bloody reason it's not possible to submit the pointless quarterly information to HMRC directly.
It includes anyone who has income not from employment above the relevant threshold.
It can be got round to some extent by registering a limited company.
'Got around' by founding a company is not indicative of a sensible approach to tax and form-filling, I'd suggest. It's dumb as hell, and serves only to aggravate people who work for a living and commit the sin (as Labour see it) of doing so on their own account.
A tax policy that is as dumb as hell?
I’m shocked. Shocked, I tell you.
Hardly it’s designed to go alongside a VAT registration level of £25,000 not £100,000
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
If only that were certain. Unfortunately tax and spend creates a huge class of welfare junkies, while businesses don't actually vote, which is why Labour (and, in fairness, the last government too) has been careful to load most of its tax increases onto them.
Of course it stops economic growth, but the worst effects are in the medium to long term and most people aren't economically literate enough to realise this, and often cast their vote partially on other issues too.
That interplay of politics and economics, together with a national obsession for regulation, is why we've declined relative to other countries, in fact since the Second World War, with a brief exception in the 80s and 90s.
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
Don't forget this absolutely crackers MTD (Making Tax Digital) nonsense inflicted on the self-employed (I think landlords as well). A pointless waste of time for the sake of bureaucracy and enriching the third party private sector firms necessary, because for some bloody reason it's not possible to submit the pointless quarterly information to HMRC directly.
Perhaps we need more small business owners in Parliament with direct experience of such matters. For example an entrepenuerial self employed plumber/plasterer.
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
Don't forget this absolutely crackers MTD (Making Tax Digital) nonsense inflicted on the self-employed (I think landlords as well). A pointless waste of time for the sake of bureaucracy and enriching the third party private sector firms necessary, because for some bloody reason it's not possible to submit the pointless quarterly information to HMRC directly.
It includes anyone who has income not from employment above the relevant threshold.
It can be got round to some extent by registering a limited company.
'Got around' by founding a company is not indicative of a sensible approach to tax and form-filling, I'd suggest. It's dumb as hell, and serves only to aggravate people who work for a living and commit the sin (as Labour see it) of doing so on their own account.
MTD was introduced by the Conservatives, not Labour.
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
Don't forget this absolutely crackers MTD (Making Tax Digital) nonsense inflicted on the self-employed (I think landlords as well). A pointless waste of time for the sake of bureaucracy and enriching the third party private sector firms necessary, because for some bloody reason it's not possible to submit the pointless quarterly information to HMRC directly.
If you are getting cramp you are probably missing electrolytes and are dehydrated a bit...google cramp!
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
Don't forget this absolutely crackers MTD (Making Tax Digital) nonsense inflicted on the self-employed (I think landlords as well). A pointless waste of time for the sake of bureaucracy and enriching the third party private sector firms necessary, because for some bloody reason it's not possible to submit the pointless quarterly information to HMRC directly.
It includes anyone who has income not from employment above the relevant threshold.
It can be got round to some extent by registering a limited company.
'Got around' by founding a company is not indicative of a sensible approach to tax and form-filling, I'd suggest. It's dumb as hell, and serves only to aggravate people who work for a living and commit the sin (as Labour see it) of doing so on their own account.
A tax policy that is as dumb as hell?
I’m shocked. Shocked, I tell you.
Hardly it’s designed to go alongside a VAT registration level of £25,000 not £100,000
Tbf, compared to VAT as constituted MTD seems an almost sensible idea.
The recent Decision of the United States Supreme Court concerning TARIFFS could allow for Hundreds of Billions of Dollars to be returned to Countries and Companies that have been “ripping off” the United States of America for many years, and now, according to this Decision, could actually continue to do so, at an even increased level. I am sure that the Supreme Court did not have this in mind! It doesn’t make sense that Countries and Companies that took advantage of us for decades, receiving Billions and Billions of Dollars that they should not have been allowed to receive, would now be entitled to an undeserved “windfall,” the likes of which the World has never seen before, as a result of this highly disappointing, to say the least, ruling. Is a Rehearing or Readjudication of this case possible??? PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116144649664906576
The raving idiot still doesn't seem to understand that foreign countries do not pay his illegal tariffs, but US companies do, and pass it on as costs to the US Consumer.
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
Don't forget this absolutely crackers MTD (Making Tax Digital) nonsense inflicted on the self-employed (I think landlords as well). A pointless waste of time for the sake of bureaucracy and enriching the third party private sector firms necessary, because for some bloody reason it's not possible to submit the pointless quarterly information to HMRC directly.
If you are getting cramp you are probably missing electrolytes and are dehydrated a bit...google cramp!
A quick shot of tonic water works wonders on night cramps. Whether one wishes to stick a gin in it is entirely optional.
Think about the power Hegseth is asserting here. He is claiming that the DoD can force all contractors to stop doing business of any kind with arbitrary other companies.
In other words, every operating system vendor, every manufacturer of hardware, every hyperscaler, every type of firm the DoD contracts with—all their services and products can be denied to any economic actor at will by the Secretary of War.
This is obviously a psychotic power grab. It is almost surely illegal, but the message it sends is that the United States Government is a completely unreliable partner for any kind of business. The damage done to our business environment is profound. No amount of deregulatory vibes sent by this administration matters compared to this arson. https://x.com/deanwball/status/2027521251263000765
That is one place I've always wanted to visit, mainly because of its colonial history. I'd be interested to hear what you make of it.
I'm only here one more night!
But I've been before several times. It's a great city, probably my favourite in China, even including Hong Kong
It has sass, spice and that splendid new skyline. The food can be great, the people are noisy and pushy - but easygoing. Live and let live. It is exceptionally safe and clean, almost like Tokyo, and the colonial architecture gives it a Victorian grandeur absent elsewhere in east Asia
The French concession and the old British side streets are often exquisitely charming - European urbanism given Chinese vibes
Downsides: it's numbingly big, can be rainy and humid, there's not much DEEP history - unlike Beijing or Xian etc
Everyone should come once in a lifetime, and right now is pretty much perfect. As I mentioned last night, for a variety of confluent reasons China is insanely cheap right now. My SUITE at the Radisson Blu 5 star - in a perfect location - is costing me £70. Less than a Premier Inn near Newent. And this is true right across China. Come now!
Think about the power Hegseth is asserting here. He is claiming that the DoD can force all contractors to stop doing business of any kind with arbitrary other companies.
In other words, every operating system vendor, every manufacturer of hardware, every hyperscaler, every type of firm the DoD contracts with—all their services and products can be denied to any economic actor at will by the Secretary of War.
This is obviously a psychotic power grab. It is almost surely illegal, but the message it sends is that the United States Government is a completely unreliable partner for any kind of business. The damage done to our business environment is profound. No amount of deregulatory vibes sent by this administration matters compared to this arson. https://x.com/deanwball/status/2027521251263000765
That is one place I've always wanted to visit, mainly because of its colonial history. I'd be interested to hear what you make of it.
I'm only here one more night!
But I've been before several times. It's a great city, probably my favourite in China, even including Hong Kong
It has sass, spice and that splendid new skyline. The food can be great, the people are noisy and pushy - but easygoing. Live and let live. It is exceptionally safe and clean, almost like Tokyo, and the colonial architecture gives it a Victorian grandeur absent elsewhere in east Asia
The French concession and the old British side streets are often exquisitely charming - European urbanism given Chinese vibes
Downsides: it's numbingly big, can be rainy and humid, there's not much DEEP history - unlike Beijing or Xian etc
Everyone should come once in a lifetime, and right now is pretty much perfect. As I mentioned last night, for a variety of confluent reasons China is insanely cheap right now. My SUITE at the Radisson Blu 5 star - in a perfect location - is costing me £70. Less than a Premier Inn near Newent. And this is true right across China. Come now!
Thanks. My wife wants to do a China trip in September. You've helped persuade me.
Think about the power Hegseth is asserting here. He is claiming that the DoD can force all contractors to stop doing business of any kind with arbitrary other companies.
In other words, every operating system vendor, every manufacturer of hardware, every hyperscaler, every type of firm the DoD contracts with—all their services and products can be denied to any economic actor at will by the Secretary of War.
This is obviously a psychotic power grab. It is almost surely illegal, but the message it sends is that the United States Government is a completely unreliable partner for any kind of business. The damage done to our business environment is profound. No amount of deregulatory vibes sent by this administration matters compared to this arson. https://x.com/deanwball/status/2027521251263000765
'gone?'
"Completely".
This is the nub of the dispute, and the argument is if great importance for all our futures.
Everyone’s saying OpenAI got the “same deal” Anthropic was banned for. Read the fine print. They’re not the same:
On weapons: Anthropic asked for “no fully autonomous weapons without human oversight” = a human involved in the decision.
OpenAI’s deal says “human responsibility for the use of force” = someone accountable, which can happen after the fact.
Oversight ≠ Responsibility. One requires a human before the trigger. The other requires a name on the paperwork after.
On surveillance: Dario said explicitly: current law hasn’t caught up with AI. The government can already buy your movement data, browsing history, etc without a warrant. AI can assemble that into a complete picture of your life, at scale. That’s mass surveillance without breaking a single law.
Anthropic wanted protections beyond current law.
OpenAI’s deal says the Pentagon “reflects them in law and policy.” That’s existing law as the safeguard, the exact law Anthropic said is insufficient.
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
Don't forget this absolutely crackers MTD (Making Tax Digital) nonsense inflicted on the self-employed (I think landlords as well). A pointless waste of time for the sake of bureaucracy and enriching the third party private sector firms necessary, because for some bloody reason it's not possible to submit the pointless quarterly information to HMRC directly.
It includes anyone who has income not from employment above the relevant threshold.
It can be got round to some extent by registering a limited company.
'Got around' by founding a company is not indicative of a sensible approach to tax and form-filling, I'd suggest. It's dumb as hell, and serves only to aggravate people who work for a living and commit the sin (as Labour see it) of doing so on their own account.
That's what I'm doing. Turning myself into a Limited Company. Not so as to avoid tax, just to avoid this insanely onerous quarterly return crap. How do they expect me to do that as I travel the world. Simply stop every 2 - 3 months and take a day off to file three trillion receipts and estimated income from two billion different sources
The present system is a pain, it means two days of arse-ache in December, but we have all learned to live with it. And it can be fitted into a very mobile lifestyle, as it is only once a year
They just don't understand the self emploiyed, small businesses, sole traders. They have absolutely no concept of how such lives work, they've all been in cushy public sector PAYE jobs all their stupid fucking tiny lives with their idiotically fat pensions. I loathe them
if you believe in any form of free enterprise at all, the idea that the Pentagon can not only cut off your contract but designate you a supply chain risk and prevent other companies from buying from you just because you won't build killbots for the government should be terrifying https://x.com/JosephPolitano/status/2027522319791358010
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
Don't forget this absolutely crackers MTD (Making Tax Digital) nonsense inflicted on the self-employed (I think landlords as well). A pointless waste of time for the sake of bureaucracy and enriching the third party private sector firms necessary, because for some bloody reason it's not possible to submit the pointless quarterly information to HMRC directly.
It includes anyone who has income not from employment above the relevant threshold.
It can be got round to some extent by registering a limited company.
'Got around' by founding a company is not indicative of a sensible approach to tax and form-filling, I'd suggest. It's dumb as hell, and serves only to aggravate people who work for a living and commit the sin (as Labour see it) of doing so on their own account.
That's what I'm doing. Turning myself into a Limited Company. Not so as to avoid tax, just to avoid this insanely onerous quarterly return crap. How do they expect me to do that as I travel the world. Simply stop every 2 - 3 months and take a day off to file three trillion receipts and estimated income from two billion different sources
The present system is a pain, it means two days of arse-ache in December, but we have all learned to live with it. And it can be fitted into a very mobile lifestyle, as it is only once a year
They just don't understand the self emploiyed, small businesses, sole traders. They have absolutely no concept of how such lives work, they've all been in cushy public sector PAYE jobs all their stupid fucking tiny lives with their idiotically fat pensions. I loathe them
Are you under the VAT threshold? I think you may be signing up for at least as much paperwork.
That is one place I've always wanted to visit, mainly because of its colonial history. I'd be interested to hear what you make of it.
I'm only here one more night!
But I've been before several times. It's a great city, probably my favourite in China, even including Hong Kong
It has sass, spice and that splendid new skyline. The food can be great, the people are noisy and pushy - but easygoing. Live and let live. It is exceptionally safe and clean, almost like Tokyo, and the colonial architecture gives it a Victorian grandeur absent elsewhere in east Asia
The French concession and the old British side streets are often exquisitely charming - European urbanism given Chinese vibes
Downsides: it's numbingly big, can be rainy and humid, there's not much DEEP history - unlike Beijing or Xian etc
Everyone should come once in a lifetime, and right now is pretty much perfect. As I mentioned last night, for a variety of confluent reasons China is insanely cheap right now. My SUITE at the Radisson Blu 5 star - in a perfect location - is costing me £70. Less than a Premier Inn near Newent. And this is true right across China. Come now!
Thanks. My wife wants to do a China trip in September. You've helped persuade me.
Do Beijing as well, and get the amazing high speed trains between! The history in Beijing is stupendous, the summer and winter palaces, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall nearby. It's just not as livable and charming as Shanghai. The streets are tediously wide, it's built for parades and tanks
If you want an interior city Chengdu is fab, alternatively Yunnan is a wild subtropical region with Tibetan mountains and proper jungles. Shenzen is futuristic and from theere you can go to Guangdong and Hong Kong. You will have an amazing holiday, and the fast trains make it super easy and cheap
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
Don't forget this absolutely crackers MTD (Making Tax Digital) nonsense inflicted on the self-employed (I think landlords as well). A pointless waste of time for the sake of bureaucracy and enriching the third party private sector firms necessary, because for some bloody reason it's not possible to submit the pointless quarterly information to HMRC directly.
It includes anyone who has income not from employment above the relevant threshold.
It can be got round to some extent by registering a limited company.
'Got around' by founding a company is not indicative of a sensible approach to tax and form-filling, I'd suggest. It's dumb as hell, and serves only to aggravate people who work for a living and commit the sin (as Labour see it) of doing so on their own account.
That's what I'm doing. Turning myself into a Limited Company. Not so as to avoid tax, just to avoid this insanely onerous quarterly return crap. How do they expect me to do that as I travel the world. Simply stop every 2 - 3 months and take a day off to file three trillion receipts and estimated income from two billion different sources
The present system is a pain, it means two days of arse-ache in December, but we have all learned to live with it. And it can be fitted into a very mobile lifestyle, as it is only once a year
They just don't understand the self emploiyed, small businesses, sole traders. They have absolutely no concept of how such lives work, they've all been in cushy public sector PAYE jobs all their stupid fucking tiny lives with their idiotically fat pensions. I loathe them
Are you under the VAT threshold? I think you may be signing up for at least as much paperwork.
The MTD threshold is set to fall, I think down to £20k per year. It's crazy.
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
Don't forget this absolutely crackers MTD (Making Tax Digital) nonsense inflicted on the self-employed (I think landlords as well). A pointless waste of time for the sake of bureaucracy and enriching the third party private sector firms necessary, because for some bloody reason it's not possible to submit the pointless quarterly information to HMRC directly.
It includes anyone who has income not from employment above the relevant threshold.
It can be got round to some extent by registering a limited company.
'Got around' by founding a company is not indicative of a sensible approach to tax and form-filling, I'd suggest. It's dumb as hell, and serves only to aggravate people who work for a living and commit the sin (as Labour see it) of doing so on their own account.
That's what I'm doing. Turning myself into a Limited Company. Not so as to avoid tax, just to avoid this insanely onerous quarterly return crap. How do they expect me to do that as I travel the world. Simply stop every 2 - 3 months and take a day off to file three trillion receipts and estimated income from two billion different sources
The present system is a pain, it means two days of arse-ache in December, but we have all learned to live with it. And it can be fitted into a very mobile lifestyle, as it is only once a year
They just don't understand the self emploiyed, small businesses, sole traders. They have absolutely no concept of how such lives work, they've all been in cushy public sector PAYE jobs all their stupid fucking tiny lives with their idiotically fat pensions. I loathe them
Are you under the VAT threshold? I think you may be signing up for at least as much paperwork.
Under the threshold - I think - as they don't count foreign income (the bulk of my earnings)
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
Don't forget this absolutely crackers MTD (Making Tax Digital) nonsense inflicted on the self-employed (I think landlords as well). A pointless waste of time for the sake of bureaucracy and enriching the third party private sector firms necessary, because for some bloody reason it's not possible to submit the pointless quarterly information to HMRC directly.
It includes anyone who has income not from employment above the relevant threshold.
It can be got round to some extent by registering a limited company.
'Got around' by founding a company is not indicative of a sensible approach to tax and form-filling, I'd suggest. It's dumb as hell, and serves only to aggravate people who work for a living and commit the sin (as Labour see it) of doing so on their own account.
That's what I'm doing. Turning myself into a Limited Company. Not so as to avoid tax, just to avoid this insanely onerous quarterly return crap. How do they expect me to do that as I travel the world. Simply stop every 2 - 3 months and take a day off to file three trillion receipts and estimated income from two billion different sources
The present system is a pain, it means two days of arse-ache in December, but we have all learned to live with it. And it can be fitted into a very mobile lifestyle, as it is only once a year
They just don't understand the self emploiyed, small businesses, sole traders. They have absolutely no concept of how such lives work, they've all been in cushy public sector PAYE jobs all their stupid fucking tiny lives with their idiotically fat pensions. I loathe them
Are you under the VAT threshold? I think you may be signing up for at least as much paperwork.
The MTD threshold is set to fall, I think down to £20k per year. It's crazy.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if HMRC actually lose money, and shrink the economy, with this madness
Lionel Shriver has written a piece in the Spec saying that it was MTD that finally persuaded her to emigrate. She's getting a lot of pushback but I totally believe her. If you hate paperwork - or just aren't very good at it, finding it numbingly dull - then MTD is a massively offputting exercise. Enough, indeed, to make you eff off somewhere else
Trump likes to do crazy stuff when the markets are closed apparently. Maduro was abducted also on a Saturday.
Hitler liked to do mad things in the 30s on weekends too. Apparently he knew that British politicians would be in the country for the weekend and so would be less likely to respond.
You know, I'm old enough to remember when Trump promised not to invade random foreign countries...
The issue is not that taking out the Ayatollahs is a bad idea. If they were eliminated the world could conceivably become a better place if the transition were carefully managed and involved the setting up of a decent government that commanded mass support in Iran.
Snag is, America's track record in this regard is the polar opposite, even when it had capable governments (which at the moment it hasn't - quite the opposite).
And the risks if Iran becoming a failed state run by gangsters even worse than the Ayatollahs are extremely bad ones.
If Trump had taken them out during the riots in support of a revolution, I'd be more optimistic, but he didn't, and with the crushing of opposition where's the replacement government to come from? Clearly, especially given his character (and Netanyahu's, for the matter of that - both are convicted criminals) from whoever pays the biggest bribe to Trump.
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
Don't forget this absolutely crackers MTD (Making Tax Digital) nonsense inflicted on the self-employed (I think landlords as well). A pointless waste of time for the sake of bureaucracy and enriching the third party private sector firms necessary, because for some bloody reason it's not possible to submit the pointless quarterly information to HMRC directly.
It includes anyone who has income not from employment above the relevant threshold.
It can be got round to some extent by registering a limited company.
'Got around' by founding a company is not indicative of a sensible approach to tax and form-filling, I'd suggest. It's dumb as hell, and serves only to aggravate people who work for a living and commit the sin (as Labour see it) of doing so on their own account.
That's what I'm doing. Turning myself into a Limited Company. Not so as to avoid tax, just to avoid this insanely onerous quarterly return crap. How do they expect me to do that as I travel the world. Simply stop every 2 - 3 months and take a day off to file three trillion receipts and estimated income from two billion different sources
The present system is a pain, it means two days of arse-ache in December, but we have all learned to live with it. And it can be fitted into a very mobile lifestyle, as it is only once a year
They just don't understand the self emploiyed, small businesses, sole traders. They have absolutely no concept of how such lives work, they've all been in cushy public sector PAYE jobs all their stupid fucking tiny lives with their idiotically fat pensions. I loathe them
Are you under the VAT threshold? I think you may be signing up for at least as much paperwork.
The MTD threshold is set to fall, I think down to £20k per year. It's crazy.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if HMRC actually lose money, and shrink the economy, with this madness
Lionel Shriver has written a piece in the Spec saying that it was MTD that finally persuaded her to emigrate. She's getting a lot of pushback but I totally believe her. If you hate paperwork - or just aren't very good at it, finding it numbingly dull - then MTD is a massively offputting exercise. Enough, indeed, to make you eff off somewhere else
If I had the choice of dipping under the threshold and would otherwise be over it, I'd seriously consider decreasing income to avoid the burden. If I were tossing up whether to retire, this would push me into doing it.
The thing that's so infuriating is that it's a pointless change. It achieves one thing: it increases the time required and stress of people who work for a living. It doesn't cut down on not reporting income because that takes zero time whether annual or quarterly, and it doesn't alter the way tax is paid because that's still annual.
It's the ultimate example of bureaucratic bullshit. Paperwork for the sake of paperwork. It only enriches third party firms who are essential (because directly submitting the info to HMRC is somehow impossible).
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
Don't forget this absolutely crackers MTD (Making Tax Digital) nonsense inflicted on the self-employed (I think landlords as well). A pointless waste of time for the sake of bureaucracy and enriching the third party private sector firms necessary, because for some bloody reason it's not possible to submit the pointless quarterly information to HMRC directly.
It includes anyone who has income not from employment above the relevant threshold.
It can be got round to some extent by registering a limited company.
'Got around' by founding a company is not indicative of a sensible approach to tax and form-filling, I'd suggest. It's dumb as hell, and serves only to aggravate people who work for a living and commit the sin (as Labour see it) of doing so on their own account.
That's what I'm doing. Turning myself into a Limited Company. Not so as to avoid tax, just to avoid this insanely onerous quarterly return crap. How do they expect me to do that as I travel the world. Simply stop every 2 - 3 months and take a day off to file three trillion receipts and estimated income from two billion different sources
The present system is a pain, it means two days of arse-ache in December, but we have all learned to live with it. And it can be fitted into a very mobile lifestyle, as it is only once a year
They just don't understand the self emploiyed, small businesses, sole traders. They have absolutely no concept of how such lives work, they've all been in cushy public sector PAYE jobs all their stupid fucking tiny lives with their idiotically fat pensions. I loathe them
Are you under the VAT threshold? I think you may be signing up for at least as much paperwork.
The MTD threshold is set to fall, I think down to £20k per year. It's crazy.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if HMRC actually lose money, and shrink the economy, with this madness
Lionel Shriver has written a piece in the Spec saying that it was MTD that finally persuaded her to emigrate. She's getting a lot of pushback but I totally believe her. If you hate paperwork - or just aren't very good at it, finding it numbingly dull - then MTD is a massively offputting exercise. Enough, indeed, to make you eff off somewhere else
It's claimed that it will provide 'more and better information' for companies by forcing them to keep up to date records.
Speaking as somebody who has managed several companies, charities, self-employment and employment, that is nonsense. Below a certain level it's not the information, it's about the amount of raw cash available at any moment.
It's likely that it will actually lead to considerably worse information as the returns will be rushed and quite possbily botched.
I think Labour’s fundamental policy platform (aside from their total disinterest in planning) is fine it’s just been poorly communicated.
A better leader might be able to sell the policies better. But I’d not want a fundamental change in approach.
Very very true.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
Labours policy is to tax people and business to unsustainable levels. We may have to.pay but Labour will be screwed come the election Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
Don't forget this absolutely crackers MTD (Making Tax Digital) nonsense inflicted on the self-employed (I think landlords as well). A pointless waste of time for the sake of bureaucracy and enriching the third party private sector firms necessary, because for some bloody reason it's not possible to submit the pointless quarterly information to HMRC directly.
It includes anyone who has income not from employment above the relevant threshold.
It can be got round to some extent by registering a limited company.
'Got around' by founding a company is not indicative of a sensible approach to tax and form-filling, I'd suggest. It's dumb as hell, and serves only to aggravate people who work for a living and commit the sin (as Labour see it) of doing so on their own account.
That's what I'm doing. Turning myself into a Limited Company. Not so as to avoid tax, just to avoid this insanely onerous quarterly return crap. How do they expect me to do that as I travel the world. Simply stop every 2 - 3 months and take a day off to file three trillion receipts and estimated income from two billion different sources
The present system is a pain, it means two days of arse-ache in December, but we have all learned to live with it. And it can be fitted into a very mobile lifestyle, as it is only once a year
They just don't understand the self emploiyed, small businesses, sole traders. They have absolutely no concept of how such lives work, they've all been in cushy public sector PAYE jobs all their stupid fucking tiny lives with their idiotically fat pensions. I loathe them
Are you under the VAT threshold? I think you may be signing up for at least as much paperwork.
The MTD threshold is set to fall, I think down to £20k per year. It's crazy.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if HMRC actually lose money, and shrink the economy, with this madness
Lionel Shriver has written a piece in the Spec saying that it was MTD that finally persuaded her to emigrate. She's getting a lot of pushback but I totally believe her. If you hate paperwork - or just aren't very good at it, finding it numbingly dull - then MTD is a massively offputting exercise. Enough, indeed, to make you eff off somewhere else
If I had the choice of dipping under the threshold and would otherwise be over it, I'd seriously consider decreasing income to avoid the burden. If I were tossing up whether to retire, this would push me into doing it.
The thing that's so infuriating is that it's a pointless change. It achieves one thing: it increases the time required and stress of people who work for a living. It doesn't cut down on not reporting income because that takes zero time whether annual or quarterly, and it doesn't alter the way tax is paid because that's still annual.
It's the ultimate example of bureaucratic bullshit. Paperwork for the sake of paperwork. It only enriches third party firms who are essential (because directly submitting the info to HMRC is somehow impossible).
I totally agree, 500%
It's monumentally stupid. It will shrink the self employed economy as people decide Fuck that, in various different ways
Apropos of nothing, I read that the original Jaba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi was a one ton puppet operated by several puppeteers.
He is 80 in a couple of months. Sad to say, not many men look great at 80. So I'm not sure he's particularly or uniquely unaesthetic. He's just old
Istr a poster on here fangirling about how great he was looking. Thing is, Trump genuinely thinks he looks fabulous. Such a level of self delusion isn’t great in the leader of the increasingly less free world.
Apropos of nothing, I read that the original Jaba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi was a one ton puppet operated by several puppeteers.
He is 80 in a couple of months. Sad to say, not many men look great at 80. So I'm not sure he's particularly or uniquely unaesthetic. He's just old
Istr a poster on here fangirling about how great he was looking. Thing is, Trump genuinely thinks he looks fabulous. Such a level of self delusion isn’t great in the leader of the increasingly less free world.
He is a massive narcissist but he's made comments recently - "I'll be dead soon anyway" - which suggest he is aware time has finally caught up
There are a billion good reasons to loathe Trump, but the fact he is a bit sad and weird looking at the age of 80 isn't really one of them
Trump likes to do crazy stuff when the markets are closed apparently. Maduro was abducted also on a Saturday.
Hitler liked to do mad things in the 30s on weekends too. Apparently he knew that British politicians would be in the country for the weekend and so would be less likely to respond.
Yes, but Israel's launched the attack, and its Saturday
if you believe in any form of free enterprise at all, the idea that the Pentagon can not only cut off your contract but designate you a supply chain risk and prevent other companies from buying from you just because you won't build killbots for the government should be terrifying https://x.com/JosephPolitano/status/2027522319791358010
Watching AI tech bros think that they can dictate terms to the US DOD, is rather amusing.
Sky reporting air space closed across mid eastern countries
The PB neocon hawks will be dancing in the streets
i will open a fucking Jeroboam of champagne if the US/Israel manage to topple the Islamic regine in Tehran. It is a just and noble cause. They are absolutely evil. Recently slaughtering thousands of their own and finest young people, let us not forget
Also, it would be a tremendous reversal for Islamism and Islamic terror, everywhere. It's an outcome anyone sane must desire
Sadly, it is quite unlikely. It's very hard to do and the Iranians have a lot of bunkers. I imagine there willl be a bombing frenzy, the Iranian nuke programme will be pushed back another year or two, and then life will carry on as before
if you believe in any form of free enterprise at all, the idea that the Pentagon can not only cut off your contract but designate you a supply chain risk and prevent other companies from buying from you just because you won't build killbots for the government should be terrifying https://x.com/JosephPolitano/status/2027522319791358010
Watching AI tech bros think that they can dictate terms to the US DOD, is rather amusing.
Whereas the idea that a nation state can say to a commercial business "do what we want or we will arbitrarily destroy other parts of your business" is not at all amusing.
Not sure how this will bring about regime change ?
Most people would celebrate if that did happen but it’s not just one branch that needs to pull the plug for the regime to fall.
Well Trump has warned about likely US casualties so maybe they will do limited boots on ground to assassinate key figures
I can’t see boots on the ground . And Iran has several branches of hideousness, not just the army but revolutionary guard who won’t be into regime change .
Not sure how this will bring about regime change ?
Most people would celebrate if that did happen but it’s not just one branch that needs to pull the plug for the regime to fall.
Well Trump has warned about likely US casualties so maybe they will do limited boots on ground to assassinate key figures
I was thinking this: Trump's objectives are so maximalist (destruction missiles, nuclear capabilities and regime change) that I struggle to see how it can be achieved through air attacks alone. They tried that a few months ago for the first two objectives and clearly not satisfied with the results.
I agree with the above that removing the Iranian regime and replacement with any kind of stable alternative government would be a good thing for Iran and the world. But wars of this scale come fraught with risks and could end up making things worse.
They plan to destroy the Iranian navy. There was a Russian warship conducting joint exercises last week I think. Maybe not a good idea to sink that one.
Comments
Well, I slept like shit. Cramp in my foot at 2.30am and my shoulder/neck have decided that pain is fun too. Must've slept in some weird position.
On the plus side, a week and seven minutes until we see who tops qualifying.
The time when communicating it proerly has slipped by but what we will now start to see is many plans, projects begin th have REAL impact and then it starts to become self communicating.
A slight 20 degree shift to the left as i proposed yesterday would optimise the benefits and bring about speedier and more relevant change, not a knee jerk left turm, more a gentle bend in the road.
The benefit of being in Government and being the only Party able to make change really can start to pay off now.
The Greens to out left are too extreme in many policy issues, Labour really need to tap in to the Social Care concerns of Davey, to the right Reform and various derivatives are also too extreme and Tories have very little new Policy to offer, what they offer is ill conceived and not budgeted and invariably it is Reform like and dangerously similar.
Leadership change when it comes (not if) has to optimise the opportunity. My guess is that it may now by in June / July as opposed to the Autumn. The Tories though I suspect will be first to blink.
That’s more or less gut feel though. There’s very little data to go on.
Getting more money on benefits that working is unsustainable . Taxing business is increasing costs and results in price increases and loss of jobs.
This constituency was always going to be difficult for Reform. Their biggest flaw - and Goodwin's in particularly - is being so ridiculously touchy and humourless about things like this.
Will the Mercedes engine be more powerful than shown, decisively so?
Will Ferrari's strong start and reliability put them in the best position to win?
Will red Bull's possible electric advantage mean that on a track like Australia (tougher for harvesting) they've got an edge in the race?
How big was the McLaren deficit in the final test due to not having the latest Mercedes engine, and will they end up faster than many assume?
And, of course, will the overly complex regulations around energy lead to a huge mess?
It can be got round to some extent by registering a limited company.
I’m shocked. Shocked, I tell you.
That Muslim women were instructrd by their husbands/fathers etc to vote Green rather than Reform as part of "family voting" seems rather far fetched though.
So if 10% or so of the non-white population voted Reform then the high end of estimates for the white population voting Reform in G and D would be around 40-45% IMO.
Looking forward to Labour's even more 'efficient' monthly tax returns. *sighs*
Anyway, F1 in a week. Huzzah! No idea how it's going to go.
Of course it stops economic growth, but the worst effects are in the medium to long term and most people aren't economically literate enough to realise this, and often cast their vote partially on other issues too.
That interplay of politics and economics, together with a national obsession for regulation, is why we've declined relative to other countries, in fact since the Second World War, with a brief exception in the 80s and 90s.
Researchers praise ‘stunning’ results of new prostate cancer treatment
Early trials of the drug VIR-5500 showed it shrinking tumours in some patients
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/feb/28/researchers-praise-stunning-results-of-new-prostate-cancer-treatment
It's a phase 1 trial in very ill patients whose cancers are late stage and have had several other treatments.
Very, very promising.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cn5ge95q6y7t
One of them might shoot the other.
Or they might shoot each other.
No downside at all.
Except that Trump would still survive.
Edit: Ratters got there first.
https://x.com/SecWar/status/2027507717469049070
Think about the power Hegseth is asserting here. He is claiming that the DoD can force all contractors to stop doing business of any kind with arbitrary other companies.
In other words, every operating system vendor, every manufacturer of hardware, every hyperscaler, every type of firm the DoD contracts with—all their services and products can be denied to any economic actor at will by the Secretary of War.
This is obviously a psychotic power grab. It is almost surely illegal, but the message it sends is that the United States Government is a completely unreliable partner for any kind of business. The damage done to our business environment is profound. No amount of deregulatory vibes sent by this administration matters compared to this arson.
https://x.com/deanwball/status/2027521251263000765
But I've been before several times. It's a great city, probably my favourite in China, even including Hong Kong
It has sass, spice and that splendid new skyline. The food can be great, the people are noisy and pushy - but easygoing. Live and let live. It is exceptionally safe and clean, almost like Tokyo, and the colonial architecture gives it a Victorian grandeur absent elsewhere in east Asia
The French concession and the old British side streets are often exquisitely charming - European urbanism given Chinese vibes
Downsides: it's numbingly big, can be rainy and humid, there's not much DEEP history - unlike Beijing or Xian etc
Everyone should come once in a lifetime, and right now is pretty much perfect. As I mentioned last night, for a variety of confluent reasons China is insanely cheap right now. My SUITE at the Radisson Blu 5 star - in a perfect location - is costing me £70. Less than a Premier Inn near Newent. And this is true right across China. Come now!
This is the nub of the dispute, and the argument is if great importance for all our futures.
Everyone’s saying OpenAI got the “same deal” Anthropic was banned for.
Read the fine print. They’re not the same:
On weapons:
Anthropic asked for “no fully autonomous weapons without human oversight” = a human involved in the decision.
OpenAI’s deal says “human responsibility for the use of force” = someone accountable, which can happen after the fact.
Oversight ≠ Responsibility. One requires a human before the trigger. The other requires a name on the paperwork after.
On surveillance:
Dario said explicitly: current law hasn’t caught up with AI. The government can already buy your movement data, browsing history, etc without a warrant. AI can assemble that into a complete picture of your life, at scale. That’s mass surveillance without breaking a single law.
Anthropic wanted protections beyond current law.
OpenAI’s deal says the Pentagon “reflects them in law and policy.” That’s existing law as the safeguard, the exact law Anthropic said is insufficient.
Same words. Different agreements. Read them carefully
https://x.com/JoshKale/status/2027611148913344540
Anthropic deserves huge credit for taking this stand.
The present system is a pain, it means two days of arse-ache in December, but we have all learned to live with it. And it can be fitted into a very mobile lifestyle, as it is only once a year
They just don't understand the self emploiyed, small businesses, sole traders. They have absolutely no concept of how such lives work, they've all been in cushy public sector PAYE jobs all their stupid fucking tiny lives with their idiotically fat pensions. I loathe them
Unusual that they chose a Saturday?
https://x.com/JosephPolitano/status/2027522319791358010
To be fair, it's the first time in a while I've had this happen.
Already confirmed by multiple sources. No way Israel would do this alone
Let us pray to Allah they overthrow the Tehran regime, perhaps the most evil on earth
Another day another war
Trump
US begins major combat operations in Iran
We are going to destroy Iran's missiles
If you want an interior city Chengdu is fab, alternatively Yunnan is a wild subtropical region with Tibetan mountains and proper jungles. Shenzen is futuristic and from theere you can go to Guangdong and Hong Kong. You will have an amazing holiday, and the fast trains make it super easy and cheap
Lionel Shriver has written a piece in the Spec saying that it was MTD that finally persuaded her to emigrate. She's getting a lot of pushback but I totally believe her. If you hate paperwork - or just aren't very good at it, finding it numbingly dull - then MTD is a massively offputting exercise. Enough, indeed, to make you eff off somewhere else
Apropos of nothing, I read that the original Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi was a one ton puppet operated by several puppeteers.
Hitler liked to do mad things in the 30s on weekends too. Apparently he knew that British politicians would be in the country for the weekend and so would be less likely to respond.
The issue is not that taking out the Ayatollahs is a bad idea. If they were eliminated the world could conceivably become a better place if the transition were carefully managed and involved the setting up of a decent government that commanded mass support in Iran.
Snag is, America's track record in this regard is the polar opposite, even when it had capable governments (which at the moment it hasn't - quite the opposite).
And the risks if Iran becoming a failed state run by gangsters even worse than the Ayatollahs are extremely bad ones.
If Trump had taken them out during the riots in support of a revolution, I'd be more optimistic, but he didn't, and with the crushing of opposition where's the replacement government to come from? Clearly, especially given his character (and Netanyahu's, for the matter of that - both are convicted criminals) from whoever pays the biggest bribe to Trump.
The thing that's so infuriating is that it's a pointless change. It achieves one thing: it increases the time required and stress of people who work for a living. It doesn't cut down on not reporting income because that takes zero time whether annual or quarterly, and it doesn't alter the way tax is paid because that's still annual.
It's the ultimate example of bureaucratic bullshit. Paperwork for the sake of paperwork. It only enriches third party firms who are essential (because directly submitting the info to HMRC is somehow impossible).
Speaking as somebody who has managed several companies, charities, self-employment and employment, that is nonsense. Below a certain level it's not the information, it's about the amount of raw cash available at any moment.
It's likely that it will actually lead to considerably worse information as the returns will be rushed and quite possbily botched.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cn5ge95q6y7t
But then, he always did.
It's monumentally stupid. It will shrink the self employed economy as people decide Fuck that, in various different ways
Thing is, Trump genuinely thinks he looks fabulous. Such a level of self delusion isn’t great in the leader of the increasingly less free world.
There are a billion good reasons to loathe Trump, but the fact he is a bit sad and weird looking at the age of 80 isn't really one of them
Many Happy Returns anyway!
Also, it would be a tremendous reversal for Islamism and Islamic terror, everywhere. It's an outcome anyone sane must desire
Sadly, it is quite unlikely. It's very hard to do and the Iranians have a lot of bunkers. I imagine there willl be a bombing frenzy, the Iranian nuke programme will be pushed back another year or two, and then life will carry on as before
Most people would celebrate if that did happen but it’s not just one branch that needs to pull the plug for the regime to fall.
Terrifying is a much better word.
Iran attacks Israel so Iran = good
Of course this wouldn’t have got a veto proof majority but symbolically it would have made life more complicated for him .
I agree with the above that removing the Iranian regime and replacement with any kind of stable alternative government would be a good thing for Iran and the world. But wars of this scale come fraught with risks and could end up making things worse.
We can only wait and see now. It's not our war.
Russia invaded a democratic country whose only crime was to try and move away from Russia towards the EU