I know it's a stupid question with a bajillion moving parts, but where is the likely tipping point between Reform narrowly winning everywhere to them narrowly losing everywhere?
Not a stupid question at all. I don't know but my guess is along lines like these. FPTP elections are not about votes but about seats, about local conditions, loyalties, campaigns, and about people acting tactically to maximise the power of their vote both negatively and positively (who they want and who they don't.)
In two party politics with hundreds of safe seats this corresponds fairly well to votes, so we start to think its about votes and how many millions and UNS and all that. This no longer applies.
But even though there are multiple parties, in every seat someone will be first and second. In every seat the game will be on identify 'Who are the top two'. In most English seats (S and W are different and complex) one of the top two is Left of Centre. The Other will be Right of Centre.
Between now and 2029 the game is on to establish yourself in each seat as one of those top two; to unify your vote (Left or Right), and split the other side (Left or Right).
IMO we are already at the tipping point for Reform for 2029. The Right of Centre vote is persistently a bit lower than the Left of Centre vote (about 45/48). Reform can't win because not enough Tories will lend their votes. Left of Centre alliance will win because they will organise better tactically. As a result, Reform droop, Labour recover. But DYOR! I am almost certainly wrong.
BREAKING: The US and Israel are preparing for a significant expansion of the war with Iran as Trump intends to take control of the Strait of Hormuz in a weeks-long operation, according to Israeli sources - Kann
If this happens my forecast of a modest recession is going to need to be upgraded.
I think we're about four weeks away from a depression.
At work we've already made contingencies for a full scale WFH within weeks, like March 2020.
Fill your tanks lads and lasses. Present prices are extortionate but they may well get a hell of a lot worse.
You say that, but...
Part of the reason we are so vulnerable to this crisis is that our incentives for the switch to EVs have been so distorted. Norway registered seven petrol cars last year. Seven.
That chart is quite compatible with fuel prices being extortionate.
Our price is mostly tax, which does not go on the roads. It is extortionate.
There's a simple choice, get an EV.
I charge our EVs at 6p per kWh.
While my local petrol station offers to charge EVs at 75p per kWh.
We need a solution for those who don't have private driveways, not an "I'm alrite Jack" attitude.
@TSE - how are you getting electricity at 6p/ kwh? I'm on the Octopus flexible tarriff which since the Iran war seldom goes uch below 20, even at night. It used to go down to practically 0 overnight, but alas no more.
I am on a 12 month fixed EV tariff that started in January.
With which supplier?
Eon
Currently is 8p per kWh but thankfully I fixed it for 6p.
Thanks. I reckon I'm about 4 months off getting an EV so starting to consider that sort of detail.
We've been on an EV tariff for years, what you'll find is that you'll shift your non EV usage to the off peak period thanks to smart appliances and smart plugs.
Doesn't working from home (or being retired in my case) mean that you still use a significant amount of daytime electricity? And even with an EV, if you don't do a lot of miles it probably isn't worth getting an EV tariff
Buy a battery, charge it overnight. Even without solar or an EV they are starting to look like a decent investment. If we had nodal pricing every house in Scotland would have one.
A friend got a battery, he has had all sorts of problems having it fitted and getting it working.
In any case, my combined gas and electric bill has just gone down to £46 per month so it would take a while to get a reasonable return on the investment. I'm working on just not using very much. With gas central heating I don't use much electricity anyway, and I'm away much of the time and it is all switched off.
If Trump choked on a cheeseburger I wonder whether Starmer or any other European leader would be able to keep a straight face as they sent condolences to the American people !
And what would the priest say ?
The media have sanewashed him and the public seem to have become desensitised . He’s an abomination, true evil.
2016-20 it would have been a blessing.
Now we have Vance a heartbeat away, not so sure.
I’m starting to think Vance could be an upgrade. I’m going to go full-on Leon and suggest he might surprise on the upside. The fact he seems to be quiet on Iran and maybe sidelined is a positive. Still an absolute whopper but not insane which has to be good?
If Trump choked on a cheeseburger I wonder whether Starmer or any other European leader would be able to keep a straight face as they sent condolences to the American people !
And what would the priest say ?
The media have sanewashed him and the public seem to have become desensitised . He’s an abomination, true evil.
If Trump was choking on a cheeseburger would his wife even step in to help him?
She might shove some chips down his throat just to make sure.
If Trump choked on a cheeseburger I wonder whether Starmer or any other European leader would be able to keep a straight face as they sent condolences to the American people !
And what would the priest say ?
The media have sanewashed him and the public seem to have become desensitised . He’s an abomination, true evil.
2016-20 it would have been a blessing.
Now we have Vance a heartbeat away, not so sure.
I’m starting to think Vance could be an upgrade. I’m going to go full-on Leon and suggest he might surprise on the upside. The fact he seems to be quiet on Iran and maybe sidelined is a positive. Still an absolute whopper but not insane which has to be good?
Another positive about JD Vance is that he's a lawyer.
There are positives from this war, even if we do see energy prices go gaga.
We could be pretty self-sufficient as a nation. And have made huge strides forward in recent years. Reform fuckheads smashed the Milliband / Cameron / May / Boris / Sunak consensus on renewables. But "lets get rid of wind and solar and use more oil and gas" looks not just really stupid but practically traitorous.
Whilst I wholly agree with the voices saying lets drill more oil / gas, those same voices also lean towards "instead of renewables". It should be "in addition to renewables"
Plenty of voices here say in addition to ...
Here? Sure. In politics? Less so. It seems to be either / or, with voices on both sides trying to exclude the "opposition"
There are positives from this war, even if we do see energy prices go gaga.
We could be pretty self-sufficient as a nation. And have made huge strides forward in recent years. Reform fuckheads smashed the Milliband / Cameron / May / Boris / Sunak consensus on renewables. But "lets get rid of wind and solar and use more oil and gas" looks not just really stupid but practically traitorous.
Whilst I wholly agree with the voices saying lets drill more oil / gas, those same voices also lean towards "instead of renewables". It should be "in addition to renewables"
I have always favoured both and support the transition
It is economic vandalism not to take advantage of the north sea
The nation with the strongest interest in reopening the strait, and with the military power to be able to try, is of course China.
If the US were to wash its hands of the disaster it has precipitated, then that leaves a vacuum which they might fill. And the "nations don't have allies, just interests" crowd might just start thinking about making common cause with them.
The Chinese leadership is evil, but rational. You can deal with them. The US leadership is evil, and insane.
I don't think the Chinese or Iranian leadership are comparable to the US leadership in the evil stakes.
Trump is breaching boundaries and taboos he never should have in a Western country, which shocks us to the core, but his regime isn't totalitarian.
We believed that the community of interests based on the Atlantic Charter was an alliance of principles, and that our common values mattered. Trump has rejected those common values in favour of a narrow, purely American self interest. From the European point of view, if you had a choice of two offers, one from the USA and one from China, our community of values would have always chosen America. Now, given the United States refuses to accept that community, the alliance is effectively over. Worse, many of the decisions that Trump has taken have not only been taken with no reference to the NATO alliance, several of them have in fact been directly hostile to the interests of the Europeans. In fact Trump has made comments, such as his wish to destroy the Lloyds of London insurance market that are directly contrary to our own national interests. His insults to our PM are simply not acceptable in any forum, while his despicable hostility to Ukraine and his pro Moscow, pro Orban stance is a direct challenge to the interests of the EU.
The abject incompetence of the attack on Iran gives us a chance to haul in the USA in the short term but if we fail to put some restraint on Trump, then the USA not only ceases to be any kind of ally, but becomes instead a direct strategic competitor. Under such circumstances, we start to make deals that no longer reference a community of interests which no longer holds, but instead we will start to aim to do deals that weaken the American threat. In fact, whatever happens in Iran now, the Europeans have no choice- we can no longer rely on American weapons or political support. We will need to rearm and face the challenge not just of China, but the USA too and that is the irrevocable change that Trump's treachery has caused. When Putin goes, there will be a scramble to get Russia onside- and while that could still be a while off, we already see a conflict of interests- the US wants to keep Russia strong enough to challenge China, even if Putinism is still in the saddle, Europe could only work with Russia after Putin and his system have gone.
Trump will be remembered with horror, but his poisonous legacy will probably remain.
Incidentally, re the Trump-Mandelson-Epstein connection: two of the children accusing Trump of abuse in the files have boys names. The full files are, of course, not yet released, but the accusations against Trump in the materials that have been released show a man of almost limitless depravity, especially since it appears that several of the victims seem to have met mysterious deaths.
Too long and too pompous. Didn't read it.
Sorry.
I bow to your expertise on pomposity but how do you know the piece was pompous if you didn't read it?
Fairly safe assumption.
I've found Cicero's posts informative over years, what, exactly do you think was "pompous" in the comment we sew discussing?
Well, what did you find informative in it?
Although this comment wasn't about the Baltics in particular I find Cicero's comments on what is going on there informative, particularly with Putin posing the threat he is. To simply dismiss it as "pompous" without even bothering to read it is crass.
As you have agreed believe that it's a "fairly safe assumption" that Cicero's comments are pompous, I ask again, what makes you say this? I just don't see it
Well, he's managed to write three paragraphs, into which he has failed to add anything informative, as you acknowledge by omission. That seems to tell its own story.
I think he has a better war than might have been anticipated despite the negative press for his anti-Trump treason. His opponents have also been all over the place. Farage has been in hiding, Badenoch has been even more inconsistent than Starmer, Davey has been unusually less surefooted than normal and Zack is downright dangerous on the World stage.
It all goes South for Starmer of course when the lights go out, and if Kemi can persuade the voter that it is entirely Starmer's fault because of (she can just make stuff up) KICIPM.
When Kenny Macaskill was justice secretary, and the Lockerbie bomber (Megrahi) was released, Mueller was so incensed by the decision the US authorities sent a letter across to be delivered to Macaskill. The FBI contacted the Scottish police and asked for it to be delivered to the Justice Secretary's house, in the middle of the night.
If Trump choked on a cheeseburger I wonder whether Starmer or any other European leader would be able to keep a straight face as they sent condolences to the American people !
And what would the priest say ?
The media have sanewashed him and the public seem to have become desensitised . He’s an abomination, true evil.
2016-20 it would have been a blessing.
Now we have Vance a heartbeat away, not so sure.
I’m starting to think Vance could be an upgrade. I’m going to go full-on Leon and suggest he might surprise on the upside. The fact he seems to be quiet on Iran and maybe sidelined is a positive. Still an absolute whopper but not insane which has to be good?
Another positive about JD Vance is that he's a lawyer.
I can tell by how much he respects the constitution and international law.
I think he's has a better war than might have been anticipated despite the negative press for his anti-Trump treason. His opponents have also been all over the place. Farage has been in hiding, Badenoch has been even more inconsistent than Starmer, Davey has been unusually less surefooted than normal and Zack is downright dangerous on the World stage.
It all goes South for Starmer of course when the lights go out, and if Kemi can persuade the voter that it is entirely Starmer's fault because of (she can just make stuff up).
Badenoch accusing Starmer of a U-turn was hilarious.
She took an extremely bad decision. Up until then she’d been doing a solid job.
She could still redeem. Some decent policy ideas in there.
BREAKING: The US and Israel are preparing for a significant expansion of the war with Iran as Trump intends to take control of the Strait of Hormuz in a weeks-long operation, according to Israeli sources - Kann
If this happens my forecast of a modest recession is going to need to be upgraded.
I think we're about four weeks away from a depression.
At work we've already made contingencies for a full scale WFH within weeks, like March 2020.
Fill your tanks lads and lasses. Present prices are extortionate but they may well get a hell of a lot worse.
You say that, but...
Part of the reason we are so vulnerable to this crisis is that our incentives for the switch to EVs have been so distorted. Norway registered seven petrol cars last year. Seven.
Perhaps that's because they're not thick enough to stop exploiting their own hydrocarbons, therefore they have plenty of money to make the switch.
1️⃣ No missile program for 5 years. 2️⃣ Zero uranium enrichment. 3️⃣ Decommissioning of nuclear reactors. 4️⃣ Arms control treaties with regional countries. 5️⃣ No financing for regional proxies. 6️⃣ Strict outside observation protocols around the creation and use of centrifuges.
When Kenny Macaskill was justice secretary, and the Lockerbie bomber (Megrahi) was released, Mueller was so incensed by the decision the US authorities sent a letter across to be delivered to Macaskill. The FBI contacted the Scottish police and asked for it to be delivered to the Justice Secretary's house, in the middle of the night.
I think he's has a better war than might have been anticipated despite the negative press for his anti-Trump treason. His opponents have also been all over the place. Farage has been in hiding, Badenoch has been even more inconsistent than Starmer, Davey has been unusually less surefooted than normal and Zack is downright dangerous on the World stage.
It all goes South for Starmer of course when the lights go out, and if Kemi can persuade the voter that it is entirely Starmer's fault because of (she can just make stuff up).
Badenoch accusing Starmer of a U-turn was hilarious.
She took an extremely bad decision. Up until then she’d been doing a solid job.
She could still redeem. Some decent policy ideas in there.
Badenoch is a poor politician and completely without empathy. I would be more than happy if she remains in post. The BBC aren't impressed with Starmer and Laura says neither are the Labour Party.
When Kenny Macaskill was justice secretary, and the Lockerbie bomber (Megrahi) was released, Mueller was so incensed by the decision the US authorities sent a letter across to be delivered to Macaskill. The FBI contacted the Scottish police and asked for it to be delivered to the Justice Secretary's house, in the middle of the night.
I'm not sure why they couldn't have sent it by airmail in the usual way, but surely many people would agree with the sentiment: at the time I thought Megrahii should have died in prison. This is what a life sentence means.
1️⃣ No missile program for 5 years. 2️⃣ Zero uranium enrichment. 3️⃣ Decommissioning of nuclear reactors. 4️⃣ Arms control treaties with regional countries. 5️⃣ No financing for regional proxies. 6️⃣ Strict outside observation protocols around the creation and use of centrifuges.
1️⃣ No missile program for 5 years. 2️⃣ Zero uranium enrichment. 3️⃣ Decommissioning of nuclear reactors. 4️⃣ Arms control treaties with regional countries. 5️⃣ No financing for regional proxies. 6️⃣ Strict outside observation protocols around the creation and use of centrifuges.
If Trump choked on a cheeseburger I wonder whether Starmer or any other European leader would be able to keep a straight face as they sent condolences to the American people !
And what would the priest say ?
The media have sanewashed him and the public seem to have become desensitised . He’s an abomination, true evil.
2016-20 it would have been a blessing.
Now we have Vance a heartbeat away, not so sure.
I’m starting to think Vance could be an upgrade. I’m going to go full-on Leon and suggest he might surprise on the upside. The fact he seems to be quiet on Iran and maybe sidelined is a positive. Still an absolute whopper but not insane which has to be good?
Evil but not insane is looking like a step up at the moment.
1️⃣ No missile program for 5 years. 2️⃣ Zero uranium enrichment. 3️⃣ Decommissioning of nuclear reactors. 4️⃣ Arms control treaties with regional countries. 5️⃣ No financing for regional proxies. 6️⃣ Strict outside observation protocols around the creation and use of centrifuges.
What a complete waste of time
But, Trump or not, those are sensible demands.
May well have been achievable in the negotiations that were underway before Trump attacked.
If Trump choked on a cheeseburger I wonder whether Starmer or any other European leader would be able to keep a straight face as they sent condolences to the American people !
And what would the priest say ?
The media have sanewashed him and the public seem to have become desensitised . He’s an abomination, true evil.
If Trump was choking on a cheeseburger would his wife even step in to help him?
She might shove some chips down his throat just to make sure.
I’ve fixed until January 2027 but there’s an option to fix until March 2028. What does the PB brains trust think?
What rate you been offered? Is it a domestic meter?
Unit rate 30.07p per kWh
Standing charge 44.83p per day
Domestic yes. Electricity only as I don’t have gas.
Maybe a little high on the unit rate, I would shop around and try a comparison site for quote, though longer term rates will be creeping up now. Remember there is this £150 off bills to come starting next month (I think)
If Trump choked on a cheeseburger I wonder whether Starmer or any other European leader would be able to keep a straight face as they sent condolences to the American people !
And what would the priest say ?
The media have sanewashed him and the public seem to have become desensitised . He’s an abomination, true evil.
2016-20 it would have been a blessing.
Now we have Vance a heartbeat away, not so sure.
I’m starting to think Vance could be an upgrade. I’m going to go full-on Leon and suggest he might surprise on the upside. The fact he seems to be quiet on Iran and maybe sidelined is a positive. Still an absolute whopper but not insane which has to be good?
He’s a calculating, ambitious little shit, there’s a chance if Vance sees MAGA tanking in the polls and he still retains a vestigial attachment to democracy that he pivots again. This attachment may involve him realising that MAGA are too fucking useless to successfully fix an election.
1️⃣ No missile program for 5 years. 2️⃣ Zero uranium enrichment. 3️⃣ Decommissioning of nuclear reactors. 4️⃣ Arms control treaties with regional countries. 5️⃣ No financing for regional proxies. 6️⃣ Strict outside observation protocols around the creation and use of centrifuges.
What a complete waste of time
But, Trump or not, those are sensible demands.
How do they compare with the Obama deal that Trump didn't like?
BREAKING: The US and Israel are preparing for a significant expansion of the war with Iran as Trump intends to take control of the Strait of Hormuz in a weeks-long operation, according to Israeli sources - Kann
If this happens my forecast of a modest recession is going to need to be upgraded.
I think we're about four weeks away from a depression.
At work we've already made contingencies for a full scale WFH within weeks, like March 2020.
Fill your tanks lads and lasses. Present prices are extortionate but they may well get a hell of a lot worse.
You say that, but...
Part of the reason we are so vulnerable to this crisis is that our incentives for the switch to EVs have been so distorted. Norway registered seven petrol cars last year. Seven.
Perhaps that's because they're not thick enough to stop exploiting their own hydrocarbons, therefore they have plenty of money to make the switch.
Compare and contrast how Norway invested North Sea oil revenues from the 1980s onwards compared to Thatch, Maj, Blair and Brown who to quote another genius "spaffed it up the wall".
If Trump choked on a cheeseburger I wonder whether Starmer or any other European leader would be able to keep a straight face as they sent condolences to the American people !
And what would the priest say ?
The media have sanewashed him and the public seem to have become desensitised . He’s an abomination, true evil.
2016-20 it would have been a blessing.
Now we have Vance a heartbeat away, not so sure.
I’m starting to think Vance could be an upgrade. I’m going to go full-on Leon and suggest he might surprise on the upside. The fact he seems to be quiet on Iran and maybe sidelined is a positive. Still an absolute whopper but not insane which has to be good?
Another negative about JD Vance is that he's a lawyer.
When Kenny Macaskill was justice secretary, and the Lockerbie bomber (Megrahi) was released, Mueller was so incensed by the decision the US authorities sent a letter across to be delivered to Macaskill. The FBI contacted the Scottish police and asked for it to be delivered to the Justice Secretary's house, in the middle of the night.
I'm not sure why they couldn't have sent it by airmail in the usual way, but surely many people would agree with the sentiment: at the time I thought Megrahii should have died in prison. This is what a life sentence means.
If Trump choked on a cheeseburger I wonder whether Starmer or any other European leader would be able to keep a straight face as they sent condolences to the American people !
And what would the priest say ?
The media have sanewashed him and the public seem to have become desensitised . He’s an abomination, true evil.
2016-20 it would have been a blessing.
Now we have Vance a heartbeat away, not so sure.
I’m starting to think Vance could be an upgrade. I’m going to go full-on Leon and suggest he might surprise on the upside. The fact he seems to be quiet on Iran and maybe sidelined is a positive. Still an absolute whopper but not insane which has to be good?
Evil but not insane is looking like a step up at the moment.
If Trump choked on a cheeseburger I wonder whether Starmer or any other European leader would be able to keep a straight face as they sent condolences to the American people !
And what would the priest say ?
The media have sanewashed him and the public seem to have become desensitised . He’s an abomination, true evil.
If Trump was choking on a cheeseburger would his wife even step in to help him?
She might shove some chips down his throat just to make sure.
There are positives from this war, even if we do see energy prices go gaga.
We could be pretty self-sufficient as a nation. And have made huge strides forward in recent years. Reform fuckheads smashed the Milliband / Cameron / May / Boris / Sunak consensus on renewables. But "lets get rid of wind and solar and use more oil and gas" looks not just really stupid but practically traitorous.
Whilst I wholly agree with the voices saying lets drill more oil / gas, those same voices also lean towards "instead of renewables". It should be "in addition to renewables"
Not sure I have seen many people on here say Iintead of renewables.
Most of the commentary has been instead of importing oil and gas. Something with which I think you agree.
The fuckhead - to use your rather florid term - is Miliband who somehow thinks importing hydrocarbons is more climate friendly than using our own.
When Kenny Macaskill was justice secretary, and the Lockerbie bomber (Megrahi) was released, Mueller was so incensed by the decision the US authorities sent a letter across to be delivered to Macaskill. The FBI contacted the Scottish police and asked for it to be delivered to the Justice Secretary's house, in the middle of the night.
I'm not sure why they couldn't have sent it by airmail in the usual way, but surely many people would agree with the sentiment: at the time I thought Megrahii should have died in prison. This is what a life sentence means.
Dr Swire whose daughter died in the Lockerbie bombing didn’t agree and still doesn’t.
There are positives from this war, even if we do see energy prices go gaga.
We could be pretty self-sufficient as a nation. And have made huge strides forward in recent years. Reform fuckheads smashed the Milliband / Cameron / May / Boris / Sunak consensus on renewables. But "lets get rid of wind and solar and use more oil and gas" looks not just really stupid but practically traitorous.
Whilst I wholly agree with the voices saying lets drill more oil / gas, those same voices also lean towards "instead of renewables". It should be "in addition to renewables"
Yes.
I’d be more willing to listen if the people saying drill didn’t also recently say climate change isn’t real.
Its getting toasty warm in the USA. A super El Nino it seems:
If Trump choked on a cheeseburger I wonder whether Starmer or any other European leader would be able to keep a straight face as they sent condolences to the American people !
And what would the priest say ?
The media have sanewashed him and the public seem to have become desensitised . He’s an abomination, true evil.
2016-20 it would have been a blessing.
Now we have Vance a heartbeat away, not so sure.
I’m starting to think Vance could be an upgrade. I’m going to go full-on Leon and suggest he might surprise on the upside. The fact he seems to be quiet on Iran and maybe sidelined is a positive. Still an absolute whopper but not insane which has to be good?
Evil but not insane is looking like a step up at the moment.
The bigger question is whether Vance would have the same hypnotic hold over the people who are meant to be providing checks and balances. If Congress and the courts were to do their blooming job, it would be much harder for a bad President to enact their bad instincts.
If Trump choked on a cheeseburger I wonder whether Starmer or any other European leader would be able to keep a straight face as they sent condolences to the American people !
And what would the priest say ?
The media have sanewashed him and the public seem to have become desensitised . He’s an abomination, true evil.
2016-20 it would have been a blessing.
Now we have Vance a heartbeat away, not so sure.
I’m starting to think Vance could be an upgrade. I’m going to go full-on Leon and suggest he might surprise on the upside. The fact he seems to be quiet on Iran and maybe sidelined is a positive. Still an absolute whopper but not insane which has to be good?
Evil but not insane is looking like a step up at the moment.
The bigger question is whether Vance would have the same hypnotic hold over the people who are meant to be providing checks and balances. If Congress and the courts were to do their blooming job, it would be much harder for a bad President to enact their bad instincts.
It would definitely be better for the world if the POTUS didn’t have a hypnotic hold over a large swathe of the population and had to focus on doing things right rather than mad gut decisions. And if Vance can’t then let’s hoe the Dems remove theor heads from their arses and put forward someone sensible and same.
When Kenny Macaskill was justice secretary, and the Lockerbie bomber (Megrahi) was released, Mueller was so incensed by the decision the US authorities sent a letter across to be delivered to Macaskill. The FBI contacted the Scottish police and asked for it to be delivered to the Justice Secretary's house, in the middle of the night.
I'm not sure why they couldn't have sent it by airmail in the usual way, but surely many people would agree with the sentiment: at the time I thought Megrahii should have died in prison. This is what a life sentence means.
Dr Swire whose daughter died in the Lockerbie bombing didn’t agree and still doesn’t.
Well, that's his prerogative but different opinions exist.
(In any case I have always felt that a parent of a murdered person is not the victim and shouldn't be treated as one)
I think the real subtext was that he was let out early on a pretext because the conviction was believed to be unsafe and it was thought he might win his appeal.
BREAKING: The US and Israel are preparing for a significant expansion of the war with Iran as Trump intends to take control of the Strait of Hormuz in a weeks-long operation, according to Israeli sources - Kann
If this happens my forecast of a modest recession is going to need to be upgraded.
I think we're about four weeks away from a depression.
At work we've already made contingencies for a full scale WFH within weeks, like March 2020.
Fill your tanks lads and lasses. Present prices are extortionate but they may well get a hell of a lot worse.
You say that, but...
Part of the reason we are so vulnerable to this crisis is that our incentives for the switch to EVs have been so distorted. Norway registered seven petrol cars last year. Seven.
That chart is quite compatible with fuel prices being extortionate.
Our price is mostly tax, which does not go on the roads. It is extortionate.
There's a simple choice, get an EV.
I charge our EVs at 6p per kWh.
And sit in some non descript service station being ripped off whilst waiting an hr for a charge or worse till queuing.... I think not.
I charge at home mostly.
Last time i didn't was last summer on a trip to London.
BREAKING: The US and Israel are preparing for a significant expansion of the war with Iran as Trump intends to take control of the Strait of Hormuz in a weeks-long operation, according to Israeli sources - Kann
If this happens my forecast of a modest recession is going to need to be upgraded.
I think we're about four weeks away from a depression.
At work we've already made contingencies for a full scale WFH within weeks, like March 2020.
Fill your tanks lads and lasses. Present prices are extortionate but they may well get a hell of a lot worse.
You say that, but...
Part of the reason we are so vulnerable to this crisis is that our incentives for the switch to EVs have been so distorted. Norway registered seven petrol cars last year. Seven.
That chart is quite compatible with fuel prices being extortionate.
Our price is mostly tax, which does not go on the roads. It is extortionate.
There's a simple choice, get an EV.
I charge our EVs at 6p per kWh.
And sit in some non descript service station being ripped off whilst waiting an hr for a charge or worse till queuing.... I think not.
I charge at home mostly.
Last time i didn't was last summer on a trip to London.
There are positives from this war, even if we do see energy prices go gaga.
We could be pretty self-sufficient as a nation. And have made huge strides forward in recent years. Reform fuckheads smashed the Milliband / Cameron / May / Boris / Sunak consensus on renewables. But "lets get rid of wind and solar and use more oil and gas" looks not just really stupid but practically traitorous.
Whilst I wholly agree with the voices saying lets drill more oil / gas, those same voices also lean towards "instead of renewables". It should be "in addition to renewables"
Not sure I have seen many people on here say Iintead of renewables.
Most of the commentary has been instead of importing oil and gas. Something with which I think you agree.
The fuckhead - to use your rather florid term - is Miliband who somehow thinks importing hydrocarbons is more climate friendly than using our own.
I didn't say on here. But out there in politics world Reform fuckheads - and they are fuckheads - have filled people's head with all kinds of guff about renewables.
Milliband is a dick, but he is less wrong than Tice et al who want us to turn our energy security over to Putin.
If Trump choked on a cheeseburger I wonder whether Starmer or any other European leader would be able to keep a straight face as they sent condolences to the American people !
And what would the priest say ?
The media have sanewashed him and the public seem to have become desensitised . He’s an abomination, true evil.
2016-20 it would have been a blessing.
Now we have Vance a heartbeat away, not so sure.
I’m starting to think Vance could be an upgrade. I’m going to go full-on Leon and suggest he might surprise on the upside. The fact he seems to be quiet on Iran and maybe sidelined is a positive. Still an absolute whopper but not insane which has to be good?
Evil but not insane is looking like a step up at the moment.
The bigger question is whether Vance would have the same hypnotic hold over the people who are meant to be providing checks and balances. If Congress and the courts were to do their blooming job, it would be much harder for a bad President to enact their bad instincts.
It would definitely be better for the world if the POTUS didn’t have a hypnotic hold over a large swathe of the population and had to focus on doing things right rather than mad gut decisions. And if Vance can’t then let’s hoe the Dems remove theor heads from their arses and put forward someone sensible and same.
Jon Osoff the senator from Georgia provided he holds his seat in November or Andy Beshear the Governor of Kentucky would I think be good candidates.
When Kenny Macaskill was justice secretary, and the Lockerbie bomber (Megrahi) was released, Mueller was so incensed by the decision the US authorities sent a letter across to be delivered to Macaskill. The FBI contacted the Scottish police and asked for it to be delivered to the Justice Secretary's house, in the middle of the night.
I'm not sure why they couldn't have sent it by airmail in the usual way, but surely many people would agree with the sentiment: at the time I thought Megrahii should have died in prison. This is what a life sentence means.
Dr Swire whose daughter died in the Lockerbie bombing didn’t agree and still doesn’t.
Well, that's his prerogative but different opinions exist.
(In any case I have always felt that a parent of a murdered person is not the victim and shouldn't be treated as one)
I think the real subtext was that he was let out early on a pretext because the conviction was believed to be unsafe and it was thought he might win his appeal.
It never had any realistic prospect of success because the case turned, as most criminal cases do, on the facts and an appellate court was not in a position to disturb them.
He was released because he was supposed to have weeks (at the most) to live but he didn't die until May 2012, nearly 3 years after the shameful decision taken by Macaskill.
There are positives from this war, even if we do see energy prices go gaga.
We could be pretty self-sufficient as a nation. And have made huge strides forward in recent years. Reform fuckheads smashed the Milliband / Cameron / May / Boris / Sunak consensus on renewables. But "lets get rid of wind and solar and use more oil and gas" looks not just really stupid but practically traitorous.
Whilst I wholly agree with the voices saying lets drill more oil / gas, those same voices also lean towards "instead of renewables". It should be "in addition to renewables"
Not sure I have seen many people on here say Iintead of renewables.
Most of the commentary has been instead of importing oil and gas. Something with which I think you agree.
The fuckhead - to use your rather florid term - is Miliband who somehow thinks importing hydrocarbons is more climate friendly than using our own.
Danny (Dennis) Citrinowicz ,داني سيترينوفيتش @citrinowicz · 28m
The Islamic Republic of Iran 2.0
...
And therefore, anyone who believes it is possible to negotiate deep concessions with the current regime — such as dismantling Iran’s nuclear program or its missile project — is missing the point. These ideas are no longer relevant in any practical sense.
If Trump choked on a cheeseburger I wonder whether Starmer or any other European leader would be able to keep a straight face as they sent condolences to the American people !
And what would the priest say ?
The media have sanewashed him and the public seem to have become desensitised . He’s an abomination, true evil.
If Trump was choking on a cheeseburger would his wife even step in to help him?
She might shove some chips down his throat just to make sure.
But... they're in love, right?
She's not "nose blind"!
It's just a silly phase they're going through.
Meanwhile it's Tristan and Isolde live from the Met and everyone's on the edge of their seats wondering what the latter is going to do next.
I think he's has a better war than might have been anticipated despite the negative press for his anti-Trump treason. His opponents have also been all over the place. Farage has been in hiding, Badenoch has been even more inconsistent than Starmer, Davey has been unusually less surefooted than normal and Zack is downright dangerous on the World stage.
It all goes South for Starmer of course when the lights go out, and if Kemi can persuade the voter that it is entirely Starmer's fault because of (she can just make stuff up).
Badenoch accusing Starmer of a U-turn was hilarious.
She took an extremely bad decision. Up until then she’d been doing a solid job.
She could still redeem. Some decent policy ideas in there.
Badenoch is a poor politician and completely without empathy. I would be more than happy if she remains in post. The BBC aren't impressed with Starmer and Laura says neither are the Labour Party.
The basic storyline of Alysa Liu’s recent Olympic triumph was plenty inspiring: Young Chinese American figure-skating phenom quits the sport at age 16, citing burnout, returns at 18, and with carefree charm at 20 secures gold for America for the first time in a generation. But that doesn’t begin to capture the astonishing backstory of the events that ultimately led to her celebration in Milan, wrapped in an American flag.
The most amazing part of the Liu tale may be how her father got to America in the first place, thanks to a perilous undertaking called Operation Yellowbird. It involves student democracy protesters, a brutal crackdown, clandestine networks, secret escapes, speedboats racing on dark waters, and an unlikely alliance of church leaders and smugglers — literally Baptists and bootleggers — united in a rescue mission.
If Trump choked on a cheeseburger I wonder whether Starmer or any other European leader would be able to keep a straight face as they sent condolences to the American people !
And what would the priest say ?
The media have sanewashed him and the public seem to have become desensitised . He’s an abomination, true evil.
2016-20 it would have been a blessing.
Now we have Vance a heartbeat away, not so sure.
I’m starting to think Vance could be an upgrade. I’m going to go full-on Leon and suggest he might surprise on the upside. The fact he seems to be quiet on Iran and maybe sidelined is a positive. Still an absolute whopper but not insane which has to be good?
Another negative about JD Vance is that he's a lawyer.
I think he's has a better war than might have been anticipated despite the negative press for his anti-Trump treason. His opponents have also been all over the place. Farage has been in hiding, Badenoch has been even more inconsistent than Starmer, Davey has been unusually less surefooted than normal and Zack is downright dangerous on the World stage.
It all goes South for Starmer of course when the lights go out, and if Kemi can persuade the voter that it is entirely Starmer's fault because of (she can just make stuff up).
Badenoch accusing Starmer of a U-turn was hilarious.
She took an extremely bad decision. Up until then she’d been doing a solid job.
She could still redeem. Some decent policy ideas in there.
Badenoch is a poor politician and completely without empathy. I would be more than happy if she remains in post. The BBC aren't impressed with Starmer and Laura says neither are the Labour Party.
A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera that Iran was not behind the missile attacks on Diego Garcia and denies any involvement.
Why not? Are they frit?
But it does shed some light on the Iranian ship the Yanks sank off Sri Lanka. Otherwise it might well have been within missile-firing range of Diego Garcia by now.
There are positives from this war, even if we do see energy prices go gaga.
We could be pretty self-sufficient as a nation. And have made huge strides forward in recent years. Reform fuckheads smashed the Milliband / Cameron / May / Boris / Sunak consensus on renewables. But "lets get rid of wind and solar and use more oil and gas" looks not just really stupid but practically traitorous.
Whilst I wholly agree with the voices saying lets drill more oil / gas, those same voices also lean towards "instead of renewables". It should be "in addition to renewables"
Not sure I have seen many people on here say Iintead of renewables.
Most of the commentary has been instead of importing oil and gas. Something with which I think you agree.
The fuckhead - to use your rather florid term - is Miliband who somehow thinks importing hydrocarbons is more climate friendly than using our own.
I didn't say on here. But out there in politics world Reform fuckheads - and they are fuckheads - have filled people's head with all kinds of guff about renewables.
Milliband is a dick, but he is less wrong than Tice et al who want us to turn our energy security over to Putin.
There is a lot of guff spoken about renewables - the biggest piece of guff about them being that they are cheaper than gas. This is a provable untruth, but it is still repeated with the same enthusiasm as a North Korean ovation for Kim Jong Un.
The current gas price has shot through the roof - AI has it currently at £126 per megawatt hour. That makes it still cheaper than any renewable bar solar on CFD.
A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera that Iran was not behind the missile attacks on Diego Garcia and denies any involvement.
Why not? Are they frit?
But it does shed some light on the Iranian ship the Yanks sank off Sri Lanka. Otherwise it might well have been within missile-firing range of Diego Garcia by now.
Which would be fine except it was unarmed as part of the gig of being at the naval meet it was at. And if it had been heading at ramming speed to DG then fair enough, but it wasn’t.
BREAKING: The US and Israel are preparing for a significant expansion of the war with Iran as Trump intends to take control of the Strait of Hormuz in a weeks-long operation, according to Israeli sources - Kann
If this happens my forecast of a modest recession is going to need to be upgraded.
I think we're about four weeks away from a depression.
At work we've already made contingencies for a full scale WFH within weeks, like March 2020.
Fill your tanks lads and lasses. Present prices are extortionate but they may well get a hell of a lot worse.
You say that, but...
Part of the reason we are so vulnerable to this crisis is that our incentives for the switch to EVs have been so distorted. Norway registered seven petrol cars last year. Seven.
Perhaps that's because they're not thick enough to stop exploiting their own hydrocarbons, therefore they have plenty of money to make the switch.
More that Norway has savage taxes on ICE - always did.
When the Model S Tesla came out, since EVs were exempt from the tax, it was cheaper than a small hatchback.
So right from the start, EVs were the cheapest option, by far.
EXCL: Morgan McSweeney's mobile phone with texts to Peter Mandelson was stolen.
These messages may be lost forever - meaning there there will be gaps in The Mandelson files published by No10.
Being stolen doesn't mean you can't get the messages. For most people, using most apps, on most phones, they'd be restored when signing into your accounts again.
There are positives from this war, even if we do see energy prices go gaga.
We could be pretty self-sufficient as a nation. And have made huge strides forward in recent years. Reform fuckheads smashed the Milliband / Cameron / May / Boris / Sunak consensus on renewables. But "lets get rid of wind and solar and use more oil and gas" looks not just really stupid but practically traitorous.
Whilst I wholly agree with the voices saying lets drill more oil / gas, those same voices also lean towards "instead of renewables". It should be "in addition to renewables"
Not sure I have seen many people on here say Iintead of renewables.
Most of the commentary has been instead of importing oil and gas. Something with which I think you agree.
The fuckhead - to use your rather florid term - is Miliband who somehow thinks importing hydrocarbons is more climate friendly than using our own.
I didn't say on here. But out there in politics world Reform fuckheads - and they are fuckheads - have filled people's head with all kinds of guff about renewables.
Milliband is a dick, but he is less wrong than Tice et al who want us to turn our energy security over to Putin.
There is a lot of guff spoken about renewables - the biggest piece of guff about them being that they are cheaper than gas. This is a provable untruth, but it is still repeated with the same enthusiasm as a North Korean ovation for Kim Jong Un.
The current gas price has shot through the roof - AI has it currently at £126 per megawatt hour. That makes it still cheaper than any renewable bar solar on CFD.
Okay. So how do we remove our reliance entirely on imported oil?
There are positives from this war, even if we do see energy prices go gaga.
We could be pretty self-sufficient as a nation. And have made huge strides forward in recent years. Reform fuckheads smashed the Milliband / Cameron / May / Boris / Sunak consensus on renewables. But "lets get rid of wind and solar and use more oil and gas" looks not just really stupid but practically traitorous.
Whilst I wholly agree with the voices saying lets drill more oil / gas, those same voices also lean towards "instead of renewables". It should be "in addition to renewables"
Not sure I have seen many people on here say Iintead of renewables.
Most of the commentary has been instead of importing oil and gas. Something with which I think you agree.
The fuckhead - to use your rather florid term - is Miliband who somehow thinks importing hydrocarbons is more climate friendly than using our own.
I didn't say on here. But out there in politics world Reform fuckheads - and they are fuckheads - have filled people's head with all kinds of guff about renewables.
Milliband is a dick, but he is less wrong than Tice et al who want us to turn our energy security over to Putin.
There is a lot of guff spoken about renewables - the biggest piece of guff about them being that they are cheaper than gas. This is a provable untruth, but it is still repeated with the same enthusiasm as a North Korean ovation for Kim Jong Un.
The current gas price has shot through the roof - AI has it currently at £126 per megawatt hour. That makes it still cheaper than any renewable bar solar on CFD.
Is Gas cheaper to produce? No, renewable energy is consistently cheaper to produce than gas-fired power. Why is Electricity expensive? Because the price is set by expensive gas-fired generation, not the cheaper renewables.
Generation Costs: Renewables are Cheaper Cost of Production: New onshore wind and solar projects are among the cheapest forms of electricity generation in the UK. Once built, the fuel (wind/sun) is free. Gas Expense: Gas-fired power plants have high and volatile running costs because they must purchase fuel, often setting the highest price in the market. Contracted Prices: New offshore wind projects have seen costs drop significantly, often delivering power at prices below new gas plants.
Despite renewable generation being cheaper, gas often makes electricity more expensive due to the UK's market structure: The Marginal Price Mechanism: The UK electricity market operates on a "marginal pricing" system. This means the price of all electricity is set by the last and most expensive source needed to meet demand, which is frequently gas. Gas Sets the Price: According to recent data, gas sets the wholesale price of electricity around 98% of the time. Even if the majority of electricity comes from wind, the final, expensive unit of gas determines the price for everything. Green Levies: A significant portion of electricity bills (roughly 23% in some estimates) includes "green levies" to fund renewable projects, adding to the cost compared to direct gas, which has much lower levies.
Hope these facts help you get the big picture right, Lucky 🙂
A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera that Iran was not behind the missile attacks on Diego Garcia and denies any involvement.
Why not? Are they frit?
But it does shed some light on the Iranian ship the Yanks sank off Sri Lanka. Otherwise it might well have been within missile-firing range of Diego Garcia by now.
Which would be fine except it was unarmed as part of the gig of being at the naval meet it was at. And if it had been heading at ramming speed to DG then fair enough, but it wasn’t.
Whether it was armed or unarmed seems up in the air. Different sources are saying different things. It may have been armed, albeit lightly armed. It took part in some live fire exercises, implying some ammunition was on board.
There are positives from this war, even if we do see energy prices go gaga.
We could be pretty self-sufficient as a nation. And have made huge strides forward in recent years. Reform fuckheads smashed the Milliband / Cameron / May / Boris / Sunak consensus on renewables. But "lets get rid of wind and solar and use more oil and gas" looks not just really stupid but practically traitorous.
Whilst I wholly agree with the voices saying lets drill more oil / gas, those same voices also lean towards "instead of renewables". It should be "in addition to renewables"
Not sure I have seen many people on here say Iintead of renewables.
Most of the commentary has been instead of importing oil and gas. Something with which I think you agree.
The fuckhead - to use your rather florid term - is Miliband who somehow thinks importing hydrocarbons is more climate friendly than using our own.
I didn't say on here. But out there in politics world Reform fuckheads - and they are fuckheads - have filled people's head with all kinds of guff about renewables.
Milliband is a dick, but he is less wrong than Tice et al who want us to turn our energy security over to Putin.
There is a lot of guff spoken about renewables - the biggest piece of guff about them being that they are cheaper than gas. This is a provable untruth, but it is still repeated with the same enthusiasm as a North Korean ovation for Kim Jong Un.
The current gas price has shot through the roof - AI has it currently at £126 per megawatt hour. That makes it still cheaper than any renewable bar solar on CFD.
Okay. So how do we remove our reliance entirely on imported oil?
What is your solution?
I think we should fill all decomissioning nuclear power plants with SMRs.
I think we should massively put a rocket up North Sea Oil.
I think we should remove the moratorium on fracking and combine it with sensible rules on seismic events - even before we banned it the rules were a farce.
I think we should aim to have 100% of the eligible refuse being turned into energy at EFW plants - incinerators.
I am sympathetic to the idea of tidal lagoons. It is old, reliable technology, likely to last forever and be cheap. We have abundant, powerful and reliable tides.
A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera that Iran was not behind the missile attacks on Diego Garcia and denies any involvement.
Why not? Are they frit?
But it does shed some light on the Iranian ship the Yanks sank off Sri Lanka. Otherwise it might well have been within missile-firing range of Diego Garcia by now.
Which would be fine except it was unarmed as part of the gig of being at the naval meet it was at. And if it had been heading at ramming speed to DG then fair enough, but it wasn’t.
It's 1000 NM. Barely a week at a leisurely 6 knots. I guess they'd have been frisked for small arms by the Sri Lankan navy.
Sarah Ferguson explored a TV project to clone the late Queen’s corgis, with replicas sold worldwide. Talks with Hollywood producers framed it as a way to raise funds. Critics cite welfare and ethics concerns, noting pet cloning is costly, uncertain and controversial.
The Sunday Telegraph
Israeli government explains to Starmer that Iranian missiles can now hit UK, and encourage UK to join with them in the National Interest of UK Security. Starmer and his government doing their best to cover this up, and hide the facts behind: security concerns restricts what can be discussed.
There are positives from this war, even if we do see energy prices go gaga.
We could be pretty self-sufficient as a nation. And have made huge strides forward in recent years. Reform fuckheads smashed the Milliband / Cameron / May / Boris / Sunak consensus on renewables. But "lets get rid of wind and solar and use more oil and gas" looks not just really stupid but practically traitorous.
Whilst I wholly agree with the voices saying lets drill more oil / gas, those same voices also lean towards "instead of renewables". It should be "in addition to renewables"
Not sure I have seen many people on here say Iintead of renewables.
Most of the commentary has been instead of importing oil and gas. Something with which I think you agree.
The fuckhead - to use your rather florid term - is Miliband who somehow thinks importing hydrocarbons is more climate friendly than using our own.
I didn't say on here. But out there in politics world Reform fuckheads - and they are fuckheads - have filled people's head with all kinds of guff about renewables.
Milliband is a dick, but he is less wrong than Tice et al who want us to turn our energy security over to Putin.
There is a lot of guff spoken about renewables - the biggest piece of guff about them being that they are cheaper than gas. This is a provable untruth, but it is still repeated with the same enthusiasm as a North Korean ovation for Kim Jong Un.
The current gas price has shot through the roof - AI has it currently at £126 per megawatt hour. That makes it still cheaper than any renewable bar solar on CFD.
Is Gas cheaper to produce? No, renewable energy is consistently cheaper to produce than gas-fired power. Why is Electricity expensive? Because the price is set by expensive gas-fired generation, not the cheaper renewables.
Generation Costs: Renewables are Cheaper Cost of Production: New onshore wind and solar projects are among the cheapest forms of electricity generation in the UK. Once built, the fuel (wind/sun) is free. Gas Expense: Gas-fired power plants have high and volatile running costs because they must purchase fuel, often setting the highest price in the market. Contracted Prices: New offshore wind projects have seen costs drop significantly, often delivering power at prices below new gas plants.
Despite renewable generation being cheaper, gas often makes electricity more expensive due to the UK's market structure: The Marginal Price Mechanism: The UK electricity market operates on a "marginal pricing" system. This means the price of all electricity is set by the last and most expensive source needed to meet demand, which is frequently gas. Gas Sets the Price: According to recent data, gas sets the wholesale price of electricity around 98% of the time. Even if the majority of electricity comes from wind, the final, expensive unit of gas determines the price for everything. Green Levies: A significant portion of electricity bills (roughly 23% in some estimates) includes "green levies" to fund renewable projects, adding to the cost compared to direct gas, which has much lower levies.
Hope these facts help you get the big picture right, Lucky 🙂
They're not facts dear. They're the shite that you get when you ask an LLM questions and don't bother yourself to query the results. It hasn't even given you numbers!
The facts are quite clearly laid out in the Substack I helpfully linked to.
There are positives from this war, even if we do see energy prices go gaga.
We could be pretty self-sufficient as a nation. And have made huge strides forward in recent years. Reform fuckheads smashed the Milliband / Cameron / May / Boris / Sunak consensus on renewables. But "lets get rid of wind and solar and use more oil and gas" looks not just really stupid but practically traitorous.
Whilst I wholly agree with the voices saying lets drill more oil / gas, those same voices also lean towards "instead of renewables". It should be "in addition to renewables"
Not sure I have seen many people on here say Iintead of renewables.
Most of the commentary has been instead of importing oil and gas. Something with which I think you agree.
The fuckhead - to use your rather florid term - is Miliband who somehow thinks importing hydrocarbons is more climate friendly than using our own.
I didn't say on here. But out there in politics world Reform fuckheads - and they are fuckheads - have filled people's head with all kinds of guff about renewables.
Milliband is a dick, but he is less wrong than Tice et al who want us to turn our energy security over to Putin.
There is a lot of guff spoken about renewables - the biggest piece of guff about them being that they are cheaper than gas. This is a provable untruth, but it is still repeated with the same enthusiasm as a North Korean ovation for Kim Jong Un.
The current gas price has shot through the roof - AI has it currently at £126 per megawatt hour. That makes it still cheaper than any renewable bar solar on CFD.
Okay. So how do we remove our reliance entirely on imported oil?
What is your solution?
I think we should fill all decomissioning nuclear power plants with SMRs.
I think we should massively put a rocket up North Sea Oil.
I think we should remove the moratorium on fracking and combine it with sensible rules on seismic events - even before we banned it the rules were a farce.
I think we should aim to have 100% of the eligible refuse being turned into energy at EFW plants - incinerators.
I am sympathetic to the idea of tidal lagoons. It is old, reliable technology, likely to last forever and be cheap. We have abundant, powerful and reliable tides.
I think that would about do it.
I should also say, I am also sympathetic to building one or two large clean coal plants, and burning British-mined coal for to balance generation.
We have a lot of renewables that we cannot get rid of - we have to make them work, and that requires reliable backup generation.
Sarah Ferguson explored a TV project to clone the late Queen’s corgis, with replicas sold worldwide. Talks with Hollywood producers framed it as a way to raise funds. Critics cite welfare and ethics concerns, noting pet cloning is costly, uncertain and controversial.
The Sunday Telegraph
Israeli government explains to Starmer that Iranian missiles can now hit UK, and encourage UK to join with them in the National Interest of UK Security. Starmer and his government doing their best to cover this up, and hide the facts behind: security concerns restricts what can be discussed.
Daily Express
Arms Manufacturers shunning UK over government dithering.
The Independent
Kemi Badenoch tells the PM to immediately come clean about the details on the attack on British Troops on Chagos.
There are positives from this war, even if we do see energy prices go gaga.
We could be pretty self-sufficient as a nation. And have made huge strides forward in recent years. Reform fuckheads smashed the Milliband / Cameron / May / Boris / Sunak consensus on renewables. But "lets get rid of wind and solar and use more oil and gas" looks not just really stupid but practically traitorous.
Whilst I wholly agree with the voices saying lets drill more oil / gas, those same voices also lean towards "instead of renewables". It should be "in addition to renewables"
Not sure I have seen many people on here say Iintead of renewables.
Most of the commentary has been instead of importing oil and gas. Something with which I think you agree.
The fuckhead - to use your rather florid term - is Miliband who somehow thinks importing hydrocarbons is more climate friendly than using our own.
I didn't say on here. But out there in politics world Reform fuckheads - and they are fuckheads - have filled people's head with all kinds of guff about renewables.
Milliband is a dick, but he is less wrong than Tice et al who want us to turn our energy security over to Putin.
There is a lot of guff spoken about renewables - the biggest piece of guff about them being that they are cheaper than gas. This is a provable untruth, but it is still repeated with the same enthusiasm as a North Korean ovation for Kim Jong Un.
The current gas price has shot through the roof - AI has it currently at £126 per megawatt hour. That makes it still cheaper than any renewable bar solar on CFD.
Is Gas cheaper to produce? No, renewable energy is consistently cheaper to produce than gas-fired power. Why is Electricity expensive? Because the price is set by expensive gas-fired generation, not the cheaper renewables.
Generation Costs: Renewables are Cheaper Cost of Production: New onshore wind and solar projects are among the cheapest forms of electricity generation in the UK. Once built, the fuel (wind/sun) is free. Gas Expense: Gas-fired power plants have high and volatile running costs because they must purchase fuel, often setting the highest price in the market. Contracted Prices: New offshore wind projects have seen costs drop significantly, often delivering power at prices below new gas plants.
Despite renewable generation being cheaper, gas often makes electricity more expensive due to the UK's market structure: The Marginal Price Mechanism: The UK electricity market operates on a "marginal pricing" system. This means the price of all electricity is set by the last and most expensive source needed to meet demand, which is frequently gas. Gas Sets the Price: According to recent data, gas sets the wholesale price of electricity around 98% of the time. Even if the majority of electricity comes from wind, the final, expensive unit of gas determines the price for everything. Green Levies: A significant portion of electricity bills (roughly 23% in some estimates) includes "green levies" to fund renewable projects, adding to the cost compared to direct gas, which has much lower levies.
Hope these facts help you get the big picture right, Lucky 🙂
They're not facts dear. They're the shite that you get when you ask an LLM questions and don't bother yourself to query the results. It hasn't even given you numbers!
The facts are quite clearly laid out in the Substack I helpfully linked to.
An issue, as I understand it, is partly that Gas in UK is effectively on standby as the fuel of last resort all the time for the renewables. It costs to start and then shut down a gas turbine compared to just running it 24/7.
If only we had followed the French and built 20 nuke stations in the 1970s/80s
There are positives from this war, even if we do see energy prices go gaga.
We could be pretty self-sufficient as a nation. And have made huge strides forward in recent years. Reform fuckheads smashed the Milliband / Cameron / May / Boris / Sunak consensus on renewables. But "lets get rid of wind and solar and use more oil and gas" looks not just really stupid but practically traitorous.
Whilst I wholly agree with the voices saying lets drill more oil / gas, those same voices also lean towards "instead of renewables". It should be "in addition to renewables"
Not sure I have seen many people on here say Iintead of renewables.
Most of the commentary has been instead of importing oil and gas. Something with which I think you agree.
The fuckhead - to use your rather florid term - is Miliband who somehow thinks importing hydrocarbons is more climate friendly than using our own.
I didn't say on here. But out there in politics world Reform fuckheads - and they are fuckheads - have filled people's head with all kinds of guff about renewables.
Milliband is a dick, but he is less wrong than Tice et al who want us to turn our energy security over to Putin.
There is a lot of guff spoken about renewables - the biggest piece of guff about them being that they are cheaper than gas. This is a provable untruth, but it is still repeated with the same enthusiasm as a North Korean ovation for Kim Jong Un.
The current gas price has shot through the roof - AI has it currently at £126 per megawatt hour. That makes it still cheaper than any renewable bar solar on CFD.
So, I'm a little confused by his analysis.
For natural gas he has the cost as #75 per MW/h, which is #61 fuel, and #15 carbon credits.
Which raises a little bit of a question: like how are you capturing operating and capital costs? #75 might be the marginal cost of production for an existing gas plant (i.e. the point at which the value of electricity exceeds the cost of fuel and carbon credits).
But it's not a fully loaded price. Nobody would build a CCGT if you only got the price of fuel plus the price of carbon credits. You need to get your capital and operational costs covered too.
So, it seems he's comparing the cost of energy from existing plants (excluding operating costs), agains the fully loaded cost of a KwH from other sources. He also doesn't seem to capture capacity payments in there, which is a little lazy.
There are positives from this war, even if we do see energy prices go gaga.
We could be pretty self-sufficient as a nation. And have made huge strides forward in recent years. Reform fuckheads smashed the Milliband / Cameron / May / Boris / Sunak consensus on renewables. But "lets get rid of wind and solar and use more oil and gas" looks not just really stupid but practically traitorous.
Whilst I wholly agree with the voices saying lets drill more oil / gas, those same voices also lean towards "instead of renewables". It should be "in addition to renewables"
Not sure I have seen many people on here say Iintead of renewables.
Most of the commentary has been instead of importing oil and gas. Something with which I think you agree.
The fuckhead - to use your rather florid term - is Miliband who somehow thinks importing hydrocarbons is more climate friendly than using our own.
I didn't say on here. But out there in politics world Reform fuckheads - and they are fuckheads - have filled people's head with all kinds of guff about renewables.
Milliband is a dick, but he is less wrong than Tice et al who want us to turn our energy security over to Putin.
There is a lot of guff spoken about renewables - the biggest piece of guff about them being that they are cheaper than gas. This is a provable untruth, but it is still repeated with the same enthusiasm as a North Korean ovation for Kim Jong Un.
The current gas price has shot through the roof - AI has it currently at £126 per megawatt hour. That makes it still cheaper than any renewable bar solar on CFD.
Is Gas cheaper to produce? No, renewable energy is consistently cheaper to produce than gas-fired power. Why is Electricity expensive? Because the price is set by expensive gas-fired generation, not the cheaper renewables.
Generation Costs: Renewables are Cheaper Cost of Production: New onshore wind and solar projects are among the cheapest forms of electricity generation in the UK. Once built, the fuel (wind/sun) is free. Gas Expense: Gas-fired power plants have high and volatile running costs because they must purchase fuel, often setting the highest price in the market. Contracted Prices: New offshore wind projects have seen costs drop significantly, often delivering power at prices below new gas plants.
Despite renewable generation being cheaper, gas often makes electricity more expensive due to the UK's market structure: The Marginal Price Mechanism: The UK electricity market operates on a "marginal pricing" system. This means the price of all electricity is set by the last and most expensive source needed to meet demand, which is frequently gas. Gas Sets the Price: According to recent data, gas sets the wholesale price of electricity around 98% of the time. Even if the majority of electricity comes from wind, the final, expensive unit of gas determines the price for everything. Green Levies: A significant portion of electricity bills (roughly 23% in some estimates) includes "green levies" to fund renewable projects, adding to the cost compared to direct gas, which has much lower levies.
Hope these facts help you get the big picture right, Lucky 🙂
They're not facts dear. They're the shite that you get when you ask an LLM questions and don't bother yourself to query the results. It hasn't even given you numbers!
The facts are quite clearly laid out in the Substack I helpfully linked to.
An issue, as I understand it, is partly that Gas in UK is effectively on standby as the fuel of last resort all the time for the renewables. It costs to start and then shut down a gas turbine compared to just running it 24/7.
If only we had followed the French and built 20 nuke stations in the 1970s/80s
Yes, though their nuclear power stations have their own issues by all accounts. I am also not filled with confidence about the Chinese building us a nuclear power station, I mean, um, really? When even their robotic hoovers are spying on us? I think I'd find a way out of that contract sharpish. Again, continue building the building but fill with SMRs.
Sarah Ferguson explored a TV project to clone the late Queen’s corgis, with replicas sold worldwide. Talks with Hollywood producers framed it as a way to raise funds. Critics cite welfare and ethics concerns, noting pet cloning is costly, uncertain and controversial.
The Sunday Telegraph
Israeli government explains to Starmer that Iranian missiles can now hit UK, and encourage UK to join with them in the National Interest of UK Security. Starmer and his government doing their best to cover this up, and hide the facts behind: security concerns restricts what can be discussed.
I'd say it's more Israel and its government doing their best to drag the UK into a conflict they started for exclusively their own purposes.
There are positives from this war, even if we do see energy prices go gaga.
We could be pretty self-sufficient as a nation. And have made huge strides forward in recent years. Reform fuckheads smashed the Milliband / Cameron / May / Boris / Sunak consensus on renewables. But "lets get rid of wind and solar and use more oil and gas" looks not just really stupid but practically traitorous.
Whilst I wholly agree with the voices saying lets drill more oil / gas, those same voices also lean towards "instead of renewables". It should be "in addition to renewables"
Not sure I have seen many people on here say Iintead of renewables.
Most of the commentary has been instead of importing oil and gas. Something with which I think you agree.
The fuckhead - to use your rather florid term - is Miliband who somehow thinks importing hydrocarbons is more climate friendly than using our own.
I didn't say on here. But out there in politics world Reform fuckheads - and they are fuckheads - have filled people's head with all kinds of guff about renewables.
Milliband is a dick, but he is less wrong than Tice et al who want us to turn our energy security over to Putin.
There is a lot of guff spoken about renewables - the biggest piece of guff about them being that they are cheaper than gas. This is a provable untruth, but it is still repeated with the same enthusiasm as a North Korean ovation for Kim Jong Un.
The current gas price has shot through the roof - AI has it currently at £126 per megawatt hour. That makes it still cheaper than any renewable bar solar on CFD.
So, I'm a little confused by his analysis.
For natural gas he has the cost as #75 per MW/h, which is #61 fuel, and #15 carbon credits.
Which raises a little bit of a question: like how are you capturing operating and capital costs? #75 might be the marginal cost of production for an existing gas plant (i.e. the point at which the value of electricity exceeds the cost of fuel and carbon credits).
But it's not a fully loaded price. Nobody would build a CCGT if you only got the price of fuel plus the price of carbon credits. You need to get your capital and operational costs covered too.
So, it seems he's comparing the cost of energy from existing plants (excluding operating costs), agains the fully loaded cost of a KwH from other sources. He also doesn't seem to capture capacity payments in there, which is a little lazy.
I have costs, but if you don't like them I have other costs.
Sarah Ferguson explored a TV project to clone the late Queen’s corgis, with replicas sold worldwide. Talks with Hollywood producers framed it as a way to raise funds. Critics cite welfare and ethics concerns, noting pet cloning is costly, uncertain and controversial.
Comments
EXCL: Morgan McSweeney's mobile phone with texts to Peter Mandelson was stolen.
These messages may be lost forever - meaning there there will be gaps in The Mandelson files published by No10.
In two party politics with hundreds of safe seats this corresponds fairly well to votes, so we start to think its about votes and how many millions and UNS and all that. This no longer applies.
But even though there are multiple parties, in every seat someone will be first and second. In every seat the game will be on identify 'Who are the top two'. In most English seats (S and W are different and complex) one of the top two is Left of Centre. The Other will be Right of Centre.
Between now and 2029 the game is on to establish yourself in each seat as one of those top two; to unify your vote (Left or Right), and split the other side (Left or Right).
IMO we are already at the tipping point for Reform for 2029. The Right of Centre vote is persistently a bit lower than the Left of Centre vote (about 45/48). Reform can't win because not enough Tories will lend their votes. Left of Centre alliance will win because they will organise better tactically. As a result, Reform droop, Labour recover. But DYOR! I am almost certainly wrong.
In any case, my combined gas and electric bill has just gone down to £46 per month so it would take a while to get a reasonable return on the investment. I'm working on just not using very much. With gas central heating I don't use much electricity anyway, and I'm away much of the time and it is all switched off.
An Iranian ballistic missile has hit Arad in southern Israel. Multiple casualties reported.
Six dead and a hundred injured in the Iranian strike on Arad.
It is economic vandalism not to take advantage of the north sea
It all goes South for Starmer of course when the lights go out, and if Kemi can persuade the voter that it is entirely Starmer's fault because of (she can just make stuff up) KICIPM.
The police refused. This is what was sent
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8216107.stm
She took an extremely bad decision. Up until then she’d been doing a solid job.
She could still redeem. Some decent policy ideas in there.
30.07p per kWh
Standing charge
44.83p per day
Domestic yes. Electricity only as I don’t have gas.
The U.S. wants Iran to make 6 commitments:
1️⃣ No missile program for 5 years.
2️⃣ Zero uranium enrichment.
3️⃣ Decommissioning of nuclear reactors.
4️⃣ Arms control treaties with regional countries.
5️⃣ No financing for regional proxies.
6️⃣ Strict outside observation protocols around the creation and use of centrifuges.
What a complete waste of time
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyxy54pv9po
As a country, we are an unappreciative lot.
Or we have a habit of picking shit PMs.
Or both.
My inclination initially was no.
Most of the commentary has been instead of importing oil and gas. Something with which I think you agree.
The fuckhead - to use your rather florid term - is Miliband who somehow thinks importing hydrocarbons is more climate friendly than using our own.
https://bsky.app/profile/extremetemps.bsky.social/post/3mhkxrrchvs2b
(In any case I have always felt that a parent of a murdered person is not the victim and shouldn't be treated as one)
I think the real subtext was that he was let out early on a pretext because the conviction was believed to be unsafe and it was thought he might win his appeal.
Any Tory complaining should be reminded about Boris Johnson and his missing WhatsApps.
#InHouse
Milliband is a dick, but he is less wrong than Tice et al who want us to turn our energy security over to Putin.
Today we imported from the grid 0.13kWh and exported 45.1kWh). Solar panels, battery, ASHP and good levels of insulation is the way to go.
It never had any realistic prospect of success because the case turned, as most criminal cases do, on the facts and an appellate court was not in a position to disturb them.
He was released because he was supposed to have weeks (at the most) to live but he didn't die until May 2012, nearly 3 years after the shameful decision taken by Macaskill.
Danny (Dennis) Citrinowicz ,داني سيترينوفيتش
@citrinowicz
·
28m
The Islamic Republic of Iran 2.0
...
And therefore, anyone who believes it is possible to negotiate deep concessions with the current regime — such as dismantling Iran’s nuclear program or its missile project — is missing the point. These ideas are no longer relevant in any practical sense.
https://x.com/citrinowicz/status/2035463568309604578
Meanwhile it's Tristan and Isolde live from the Met and everyone's on the edge of their seats wondering what the latter is going to do next.
PMSL
Will they find it with the 4 Boris lost?
She's god awful in every respect.
And the British government deserves more than a little credit for those successes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alysa_Liu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Yellowbird
A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera that Iran was not behind the missile attacks on Diego Garcia and denies any involvement.
But it does shed some light on the Iranian ship the Yanks sank off Sri Lanka. Otherwise it might well have been within missile-firing range of Diego Garcia by now.
A 2025 Substack by David Turver has this useful table (you may have to blow it up if PB does a micropic):
https://davidturver.substack.com/p/renewables-are-more-expensive-than-gas
Now, granted, this was in May 2025.
The current gas price has shot through the roof - AI has it currently at £126 per megawatt hour. That makes it still cheaper than any renewable bar solar on CFD.
When the Model S Tesla came out, since EVs were exempt from the tax, it was cheaper than a small hatchback.
So right from the start, EVs were the cheapest option, by far.
What is your solution?
Why is Electricity expensive? Because the price is set by expensive gas-fired generation, not the cheaper renewables.
Generation Costs: Renewables are Cheaper
Cost of Production: New onshore wind and solar projects are among the cheapest forms of electricity generation in the UK. Once built, the fuel (wind/sun) is free.
Gas Expense: Gas-fired power plants have high and volatile running costs because they must purchase fuel, often setting the highest price in the market.
Contracted Prices: New offshore wind projects have seen costs drop significantly, often delivering power at prices below new gas plants.
Despite renewable generation being cheaper, gas often makes electricity more expensive due to the UK's market structure:
The Marginal Price Mechanism: The UK electricity market operates on a "marginal pricing" system. This means the price of all electricity is set by the last and most expensive source needed to meet demand, which is frequently gas.
Gas Sets the Price: According to recent data, gas sets the wholesale price of electricity around 98% of the time. Even if the majority of electricity comes from wind, the final, expensive unit of gas determines the price for everything.
Green Levies: A significant portion of electricity bills (roughly 23% in some estimates) includes "green levies" to fund renewable projects, adding to the cost compared to direct gas, which has much lower levies.
Hope these facts help you get the big picture right, Lucky 🙂
Max Verstappen and team win by 59 seconds at the Nordschleife but are later disqualified for using an extra set of tires
https://bsky.app/profile/cjzero.bsky.social/post/3mhm2bxcin724
"King Harold’s forced march to Battle of Hastings ‘implausible’"
https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2026-03-21/king-harolds-forced-march-to-battle-of-hastings-implausible
I think we should massively put a rocket up North Sea Oil.
I think we should remove the moratorium on fracking and combine it with sensible rules on seismic events - even before we banned it the rules were a farce.
I think we should aim to have 100% of the eligible refuse being turned into energy at EFW plants - incinerators.
I am sympathetic to the idea of tidal lagoons. It is old, reliable technology, likely to last forever and be cheap. We have abundant, powerful and reliable tides.
I think that would about do it.
Or the transexuals.
Sarah Ferguson explored a TV project to clone the late Queen’s corgis, with replicas sold worldwide. Talks with Hollywood producers framed it as a way to raise funds. Critics cite welfare and ethics concerns, noting pet cloning is costly, uncertain and controversial.
The Sunday Telegraph
Israeli government explains to Starmer that Iranian missiles can now hit UK, and encourage UK to join with them in the National Interest of UK Security. Starmer and his government doing their best to cover this up, and hide the facts behind: security concerns restricts what can be discussed.
The facts are quite clearly laid out in the Substack I helpfully linked to.
We have a lot of renewables that we cannot get rid of - we have to make them work, and that requires reliable backup generation.
Arms Manufacturers shunning UK over government dithering.
The Independent
Kemi Badenoch tells the PM to immediately come clean about the details on the attack on British Troops on Chagos.
The Daily Star Sunday
Iran Goes Ballistic.
If only we had followed the French and built 20 nuke stations in the 1970s/80s
For natural gas he has the cost as #75 per MW/h, which is #61 fuel, and #15 carbon credits.
Which raises a little bit of a question: like how are you capturing operating and capital costs? #75 might be the marginal cost of production for an existing gas plant (i.e. the point at which the value of electricity exceeds the cost of fuel and carbon credits).
But it's not a fully loaded price. Nobody would build a CCGT if you only got the price of fuel plus the price of carbon credits. You need to get your capital and operational costs covered too.
So, it seems he's comparing the cost of energy from existing plants (excluding operating costs), agains the fully loaded cost of a KwH from other sources. He also doesn't seem to capture capacity payments in there, which is a little lazy.
Getting there...
Run a full on primary. Find someone else.
How many indies are going to choke on this?
Talerico?
Josh Barro
@jbarro
"First Partner" is such an annoying title choice from Gavin Newsom's wife. Pretentious and clinical at the same time.
https://x.com/jbarro/status/2035056428621189622