We have a better fiscal position than France, our economy is growing faster than Germany, we are less indebted than Greece and yet we are having to pay a premium of around 1% on our borrowing. Why is this? It is because the markets have weighed our political class and found them short. They are not responsible, they are not reliable, they fail to plan, they are reluctant to address our real problems in case that should prove unpopular.
There is a price for electing people who are not up to the task. Right now it’s 1%. Let’s hope it doesn’t get higher.
Looks at our current political class
I’m surprised it’s only 1%…
How many years was Merkel head of the EU's largest economy?
Of all the North Sea Licences granted under last Tory Government 2010 to 2024,the total amount of usable product would last the UK needs for under 40 days.
A quick calculation suggests that if new licences were granted today, by 2040 we could have obtained enough to last us until the 8th May 2026???
Locking it under the seabed is a crass thing to do.
But it represents a tiny amount of the energy that we could unlock from our tides. These oil fields will be producing nothing in 100 years. The tidal power will still be producing exactly the same in a million years. (More, because the turbines will get increasingly efficient over time.)
I am a strong supporter of tidal and of course there are plans for a huge tidal scheme here in Llandudno
As is the case, it is not either or but we need everything and over the next 20 years our own oil and gas
Badenoch announced this policy in September 2025 and it is now very much main stream politics not least because of the Iran war
I'm an uninformed enthusiast for tidal power. I am quite excited by the potential for Morecambe Bay - a scheme there could supply in the order of 2% of British electricity needs amd enable a new and more direct road and rail link from mainland Lancashire to Barrow and West Cumbria. Electricity generation AND transport planning. Giddying. But as I say, I am pretty uninformed on this so don't attach any weight to this.
It seems cost is the main factor but tidal will be with us long after oil and gas
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
20% of the worlds oil supply is currently no longer available.
The world can’t cut demand by 20% quickly enough for this to not be very, very, very painful
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
No-one is going to "run out".
I know revelling in hyberbole and drama is more fun, but it doesn't make it true.
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
No-one is going to "run out".
I know revelling in hyberbole and drama is more fun, but it doesn't make it true.
Third world countries reliant on Gulf imports that can't afford higher prices might.
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
No-one is going to "run out".
I know revelling in hyberbole and drama is more fun, but it doesn't make it true.
The gap in cargos is there.
It means even if they start sailing *now* they will run out.
Agree with the header, safest side of this bet is to stake money on 'NO'
Nobel Prizes are specifically reserved for those Ayrshire people who have contributed significant benefits to society, like John Boyd Orr and Alexander Fleming
The more I hear it, the more I think Sabrina Carpenters song 'Manchild' was written for the Whitehouse incumbent
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
No-one is going to "run out".
I know revelling in hyberbole and drama is more fun, but it doesn't make it true.
The gap in cargos is there.
It means even if they start sailing *now* they will run out.
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
No-one is going to "run out".
I know revelling in hyberbole and drama is more fun, but it doesn't make it true.
Third world countries reliant on Gulf imports that can't afford higher prices might.
We won't.
Demand and supply will recalibrate again at a new price, and the supply chain will react.
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
No-one is going to "run out".
I know revelling in hyberbole and drama is more fun, but it doesn't make it true.
The gap in cargos is there.
It means even if they start sailing *now* they will run out.
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
A lot of profiteering
A lot of garages have Monday and Friday deliveries in SW price goes up those mornings
That petrol has been sat in distribution tanks for weeks or months.
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
A lot of profiteering
A lot of garages have Monday and Friday deliveries in SW price goes up those mornings
That petrol has been sat in distribution tanks for weeks or months.
And as I explained a long time ago - charging the replacement price of goods to your customer makes perfect rational sense.
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
A lot of profiteering
A lot of garages have Monday and Friday deliveries in SW price goes up those mornings
That petrol has been sat in distribution tanks for weeks or months.
Oh, a Stock Profit Idiot.
They have to keep buying product all the way up the supply chain - which is why prices rise *now*.
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
A lot of profiteering
A lot of garages have Monday and Friday deliveries in SW price goes up those mornings
That petrol has been sat in distribution tanks for weeks or months.
That is not profiteering, if the replacement stock price is higher, then they need to charge more to afford replacement stock.
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
No-one is going to "run out".
I know revelling in hyberbole and drama is more fun, but it doesn't make it true.
The gap in cargos is there.
It means even if they start sailing *now* they will run out.
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
A lot of profiteering
A lot of garages have Monday and Friday deliveries in SW price goes up those mornings
That petrol has been sat in distribution tanks for weeks or months.
Provide a link and evidence for your debunked claim of profiteering
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
No-one is going to "run out".
I know revelling in hyberbole and drama is more fun, but it doesn't make it true.
That’s not good enough - firing ofsted into the sun is the minimum @ydoethur would accept. Even then I don’t think it’s enough
I don't want OFSTED fired into the sun, I've got several friends who work in it.
I want it abolished because its credibility is more comprehensively fucked than a blonde that's been in Boris Johnson's presence for more than 30 seconds, and I honestly can't see how it recovers. At least with Woodhead the mad shit was embarrassing but ultimately mostly futile. Under Spielman it's had catastrophic real-world consequences that have impacted really negatively on the education of children and the performance of the sector.
She should be fired into the heart of the sun, along with Nicky Morgan for appointing her and Christopher Wormald, Gavin Williamson, Gillian Keegan and Susan Acland-Hood for playing along with her insanity for their own reasons. But not OFSTED as a whole. Abolishing it and replacing it with several properly constituted inspection boards for its different functions led by experienced practitioners rather than arrogant and not very bright political hacks would be adequate.
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
A lot of profiteering
A lot of garages have Monday and Friday deliveries in SW price goes up those mornings
That petrol has been sat in distribution tanks for weeks or months.
Provide a link and evidence for your debunked claim of profiteering
Another fake news story
I can't provide proof of profiteering. However, it's a pretty safe bet that when the current crisis is over, prices don't come down as quickly as they went up. 'Twas ever thus.
What will he replace it with? How will schools and teachers performance be assessed instead?
How about a national board of school inspectors that is (a) genuinely independent of the DfE (which OFSTED isn't any longer) and (b) staffed by people who know what thye're talking about rather than failed investment fund managers?
Plus separate inspectorates for social care, nurseries, possibly even separating primary and secondary.
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
A lot of profiteering
A lot of garages have Monday and Friday deliveries in SW price goes up those mornings
That petrol has been sat in distribution tanks for weeks or months.
Provide a link and evidence for your debunked claim of profiteering
Another fake news story
I can't provide proof of proiteering. However, it's a pretty safe bet that when the current crisis is over, prices don't come down as quickly as they went up. 'Twas ever thus.
It used to be that after every price shock, MPs would demand a report on Stock Profits. Each time, it came back with
1) Stock profits don't exist 2) Prices went up and down with the market prices, pretty much in step.
They'd read the report, then file it as Not Politically Useful.
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
A lot of profiteering
A lot of garages have Monday and Friday deliveries in SW price goes up those mornings
That petrol has been sat in distribution tanks for weeks or months.
Provide a link and evidence for your debunked claim of profiteering
Another fake news story
I can't provide proof of profiteering. However, it's a pretty safe bet that when the current crisis is over, prices don't come down as quickly as they went up. 'Twas ever thus.
The slight drawback of the price comparison website (which is a great idea in theory) is it allows petrol stations to monitor and match prices in the local area, rather than undercutting them.
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
A lot of profiteering
A lot of garages have Monday and Friday deliveries in SW price goes up those mornings
That petrol has been sat in distribution tanks for weeks or months.
Provide a link and evidence for your debunked claim of profiteering
Another fake news story
I can't provide proof of profiteering. However, it's a pretty safe bet that when the current crisis is over, prices don't come down as quickly as they went up. 'Twas ever thus.
Then do not make false allegations
These allegations have consquences not least for those working in the filling stations who face unfair abuse
What will he replace it with? How will schools and teachers performance be assessed instead?
How about a national board of school inspectors that is (a) genuinely independent of the DfE (which OFSTED isn't any longer) and (b) staffed by people who know what thye're talking about rather than failed investment fund managers?
Plus separate inspectorates for social care, nurseries, possibly even separating primary and secondary.
That's crazy talk. You can't ave things done be people who know what they are doing. Only Properly Generalist people can run things Properly.
What will he replace it with? How will schools and teachers performance be assessed instead?
How about a national board of school inspectors that is (a) genuinely independent of the DfE (which OFSTED isn't any longer) and (b) staffed by people who know what thye're talking about rather than failed investment fund managers?
Plus separate inspectorates for social care, nurseries, possibly even separating primary and secondary.
Highlights the key feature of Polanski. I've got zero reason to think that his thoughts on Ofsted go any further than "teachers will like me if I promise to abolish Ofsted". That's the echo of Nigel, and the distant echo of Boris.
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
No-one is going to "run out".
I know revelling in hyberbole and drama is more fun, but it doesn't make it true.
That’s not good enough - firing ofsted into the sun is the minimum @ydoethur would accept. Even then I don’t think it’s enough
I don't want OFSTED fired into the sun, I've got several friends who work in it.
I want it abolished because its credibility is more comprehensively fucked than a blonde that's been in Boris Johnson's presence for more than 30 seconds, and I honestly can't see how it recovers. At least with Woodhead the mad shit was embarrassing but ultimately mostly futile. Under Spielman it's had catastrophic real-world consequences that have impacted really negatively on the education of children and the performance of the sector.
She should be fired into the heart of the sun, along with Nicky Morgan for appointing her and Christopher Wormald, Gavin Williamson, Gillian Keegan and Susan Acland-Hood for playing along with her insanity for their own reasons. But not OFSTED as a whole. Abolishing it and replacing it with several properly constituted inspection boards for its different functions led by experienced practitioners rather than arrogant and not very bright political hacks would be adequate.
What do you think of the current Chief Inspector? I'm a bit out of the loop now, but rumour has it he's not well-regarded internally. He's been in post over two years now, and I'll bet most people haven't a clue who he is (Martyn Oliver). Not sure whether having such a low profile is good or bad.
Of all the North Sea Licences granted under last Tory Government 2010 to 2024,the total amount of usable product would last the UK needs for under 40 days.
A quick calculation suggests that if new licences were granted today, by 2040 we could have obtained enough to last us until the 8th May 2026???
Explain why not only Kemi, but the SNP, the Unions, and upto 40 labour mps want our own North Sea fields developed
@Richard_Tyndall made a post earlier that was very measured and generally critical of both Conservatives and Labour for his take on North Sea oil policy.
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
A lot of profiteering
A lot of garages have Monday and Friday deliveries in SW price goes up those mornings
That petrol has been sat in distribution tanks for weeks or months.
Provide a link and evidence for your debunked claim of profiteering
Another fake news story
I can't provide proof of profiteering. However, it's a pretty safe bet that when the current crisis is over, prices don't come down as quickly as they went up. 'Twas ever thus.
Then do not make false allegations
These allegations have consquences not least for those working in the filling stations who face unfair abuse
Excuse me? I didn't make any allegations, false or otherwise.
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
A lot of profiteering
A lot of garages have Monday and Friday deliveries in SW price goes up those mornings
That petrol has been sat in distribution tanks for weeks or months.
Provide a link and evidence for your debunked claim of profiteering
Another fake news story
I can't provide proof of profiteering. However, it's a pretty safe bet that when the current crisis is over, prices don't come down as quickly as they went up. 'Twas ever thus.
Then do not make false allegations
These allegations have consquences not least for those working in the filling stations who face unfair abuse
Excuse me? I didn't make any allegations, false or otherwise.
My apologies
You replied to my post to @Brixian59 and I misread it as his response
Of all the North Sea Licences granted under last Tory Government 2010 to 2024,the total amount of usable product would last the UK needs for under 40 days.
A quick calculation suggests that if new licences were granted today, by 2040 we could have obtained enough to last us until the 8th May 2026???
Explain why not only Kemi, but the SNP, the Unions, and upto 40 labour mps want our own North Sea fields developed
@Richard_Tyndall made a post earlier that was very measured and generally critical of both Conservatives and Labour for his take on North Sea oil policy.
"The market always clears" is true in the abstract, and in the long-term, but a large, sustained supply shock necessitates demand destruction in the short-term given the lead time for new sources of supply.
You can also have genuine local supply shortages where there is no price. If i want to buy an original Picasso, there is always a price for it. But there's not a price for it if I want to buy and receive it on a Monday evening in Coventry.
If the war drags on I think we'll start to see rationing of fuel in certain countries or industry. Airlines cancelling flights being an obvious example that's more likely to happen here.
That’s not good enough - firing ofsted into the sun is the minimum @ydoethur would accept. Even then I don’t think it’s enough
I don't want OFSTED fired into the sun, I've got several friends who work in it.
I want it abolished because its credibility is more comprehensively fucked than a blonde that's been in Boris Johnson's presence for more than 30 seconds, and I honestly can't see how it recovers. At least with Woodhead the mad shit was embarrassing but ultimately mostly futile. Under Spielman it's had catastrophic real-world consequences that have impacted really negatively on the education of children and the performance of the sector.
She should be fired into the heart of the sun, along with Nicky Morgan for appointing her and Christopher Wormald, Gavin Williamson, Gillian Keegan and Susan Acland-Hood for playing along with her insanity for their own reasons. But not OFSTED as a whole. Abolishing it and replacing it with several properly constituted inspection boards for its different functions led by experienced practitioners rather than arrogant and not very bright political hacks would be adequate.
What do you think of the current Chief Inspector? I'm a bit out of the loop now, but rumour has it he's not well-regarded internally. He's been in post over two years now, and I'll bet most people haven't a clue who he is (Martyn Oliver). Not sure whether having such a low profile is good or bad.
First of all, I feel sorry for him. He has been doubly lumbered, first by following Spielman who has trashed the whole place, then by having to take over the new framework which is essentially political (as the old one was, but in the opposite way) and thirdly by the changes to inspection reports which to put it mildly have been a fiasco.
None of those are really his fault, but he comes across as a bit complacent about the scale of the challenge he faces, and I think that is partly because he has no experience of inspections except as a subject. The irony is that as a new broom from the outside he could have been an inspired appointment, especially since by all accounts he does not suffer fools gladly and was one of Spielman's fiercest critics. And I can imagine that would make him unpopular with the existing staff.
But he is facing a very tough situation and I think he's not going to be able to deal with it. That should not necessarily be a reflection on him because as I said I don't think anyone could have salvaged the utter disaster Spielman wrought, particularly with her still shooting her stupid fat mouth off in the Lords. But inevitably it will.
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
A lot of profiteering
A lot of garages have Monday and Friday deliveries in SW price goes up those mornings
That petrol has been sat in distribution tanks for weeks or months.
Provide a link and evidence for your debunked claim of profiteering
Another fake news story
I can't provide proof of profiteering. However, it's a pretty safe bet that when the current crisis is over, prices don't come down as quickly as they went up. 'Twas ever thus.
Then do not make false allegations
These allegations have consquences not least for those working in the filling stations who face unfair abuse
Excuse me? I didn't make any allegations, false or otherwise.
I have apologised to you as I was replying to @Brixian59
Iran is far from the world's only source of oil and, as @rcs1000 says, the market will always clear.
Price may go up a bit though.
A large chunk of the Middle East can't export.
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
A lot of profiteering
A lot of garages have Monday and Friday deliveries in SW price goes up those mornings
That petrol has been sat in distribution tanks for weeks or months.
Provide a link and evidence for your debunked claim of profiteering
Another fake news story
I can't provide proof of profiteering. However, it's a pretty safe bet that when the current crisis is over, prices don't come down as quickly as they went up. 'Twas ever thus.
Clearly some are at it. Here's my straw poll from today's 150 mile trip.
Motorway services normally charge prices that are way off the scale compared to anywhere else. But what shocked me today was that the 190p per litre for diesel I saw on the M5 was only 5p to 7p more than I saw at a slew of other stand alone service stations on main roads. The fact that the likes of Shell and BP have hiked prices so close to those on the motorway does point them not holding back. Meanwhile the local supermarkets are keeping a lid on things (a bit), but running out of diesel as a consequence. Managed to fill up at 169p diesel at Sainsburys here but half the pumps were out.
That’s not good enough - firing ofsted into the sun is the minimum @ydoethur would accept. Even then I don’t think it’s enough
I don't want OFSTED fired into the sun, I've got several friends who work in it.
I want it abolished because its credibility is more comprehensively fucked than a blonde that's been in Boris Johnson's presence for more than 30 seconds, and I honestly can't see how it recovers. At least with Woodhead the mad shit was embarrassing but ultimately mostly futile. Under Spielman it's had catastrophic real-world consequences that have impacted really negatively on the education of children and the performance of the sector.
She should be fired into the heart of the sun, along with Nicky Morgan for appointing her and Christopher Wormald, Gavin Williamson, Gillian Keegan and Susan Acland-Hood for playing along with her insanity for their own reasons. But not OFSTED as a whole. Abolishing it and replacing it with several properly constituted inspection boards for its different functions led by experienced practitioners rather than arrogant and not very bright political hacks would be adequate.
Wasn't Dame Amanda rewarded with a Conservative peerage for her services to education?
That’s not good enough - firing ofsted into the sun is the minimum @ydoethur would accept. Even then I don’t think it’s enough
I don't want OFSTED fired into the sun, I've got several friends who work in it.
I want it abolished because its credibility is more comprehensively fucked than a blonde that's been in Boris Johnson's presence for more than 30 seconds, and I honestly can't see how it recovers. At least with Woodhead the mad shit was embarrassing but ultimately mostly futile. Under Spielman it's had catastrophic real-world consequences that have impacted really negatively on the education of children and the performance of the sector.
She should be fired into the heart of the sun, along with Nicky Morgan for appointing her and Christopher Wormald, Gavin Williamson, Gillian Keegan and Susan Acland-Hood for playing along with her insanity for their own reasons. But not OFSTED as a whole. Abolishing it and replacing it with several properly constituted inspection boards for its different functions led by experienced practitioners rather than arrogant and not very bright political hacks would be adequate.
Wasn't Dame Amanda rewarded with a Conservative peerage for her services to education?
For her services to forced academisation in line with Conservative policy.
I'm not altogether sure this has been a service to education.
That’s not good enough - firing ofsted into the sun is the minimum @ydoethur would accept. Even then I don’t think it’s enough
I don't want OFSTED fired into the sun, I've got several friends who work in it.
I want it abolished because its credibility is more comprehensively fucked than a blonde that's been in Boris Johnson's presence for more than 30 seconds, and I honestly can't see how it recovers. At least with Woodhead the mad shit was embarrassing but ultimately mostly futile. Under Spielman it's had catastrophic real-world consequences that have impacted really negatively on the education of children and the performance of the sector.
She should be fired into the heart of the sun, along with Nicky Morgan for appointing her and Christopher Wormald, Gavin Williamson, Gillian Keegan and Susan Acland-Hood for playing along with her insanity for their own reasons. But not OFSTED as a whole. Abolishing it and replacing it with several properly constituted inspection boards for its different functions led by experienced practitioners rather than arrogant and not very bright political hacks would be adequate.
What do you think of the current Chief Inspector? I'm a bit out of the loop now, but rumour has it he's not well-regarded internally. He's been in post over two years now, and I'll bet most people haven't a clue who he is (Martyn Oliver). Not sure whether having such a low profile is good or bad.
First of all, I feel sorry for him. He has been doubly lumbered, first by following Spielman who has trashed the whole place, then by having to take over the new framework which is essentially political (as the old one was, but in the opposite way) and thirdly by the changes to inspection reports which to put it mildly have been a fiasco.
None of those are really his fault, but he comes across as a bit complacent about the scale of the challenge he faces, and I think that is partly because he has no experience of inspections except as a subject. The irony is that as a new broom from the outside he could have been an inspired appointment, especially since by all accounts he does not suffer fools gladly and was one of Spielman's fiercest critics. And I can imagine that would make him unpopular with the existing staff.
But he is facing a very tough situation and I think he's not going to be able to deal with it. That should not necessarily be a reflection on him because as I said I don't think anyone could have salvaged the utter disaster Spielman wrought, particularly with her still shooting her stupid fat mouth off in the Lords. But inevitably it will.
Thanks. Just one quibble - staff (HMI) were glad Spielman went, so Oliver being a critic of hers was more likely to make him popular with them rather than unpopular. But I agree with the rest - in particular, the 'new' inspection reports are shockingly bad. I didn't think they could get much worse than the previous iteration, but somehow they've managed it.
Of all the North Sea Licences granted under last Tory Government 2010 to 2024,the total amount of usable product would last the UK needs for under 40 days.
A quick calculation suggests that if new licences were granted today, by 2040 we could have obtained enough to last us until the 8th May 2026???
Explain why not only Kemi, but the SNP, the Unions, and upto 40 labour mps want our own North Sea fields developed
@Richard_Tyndall made a post earlier that was very measured and generally critical of both Conservatives and Labour for his take on North Sea oil policy.
But not on Kemi's call to open the north sea now
But he did make the point that any affirmative action now would be for five years in the future and not now, which is not what disingenuous chancers are claiming.
Of all the North Sea Licences granted under last Tory Government 2010 to 2024,the total amount of usable product would last the UK needs for under 40 days.
A quick calculation suggests that if new licences were granted today, by 2040 we could have obtained enough to last us until the 8th May 2026???
Explain why not only Kemi, but the SNP, the Unions, and upto 40 labour mps want our own North Sea fields developed
@Richard_Tyndall made a post earlier that was very measured and generally critical of both Conservatives and Labour for his take on North Sea oil policy.
But not on Kemi's call to open the north sea now
But he did make the point that any affirmative action now would be for five years in the future and not now, which is not what disingenuous chancers are claiming.
Did they ask if Trump is managing the US relationship with Starmer badly?
What would be the point of asking UK voters that?
It would be interesting to see how many have Trump Denial Syndrome.
As with the almost as damaging fact of climate change it's tempting to just pretend the Trump presidency doesn't exist. But you have to resist that. It's weak.
Former British PM Liz Truss joins me to announce the dates of CPAC Great Britain! 🇬🇧
On the basis one would presumably have to pay to listen to the former Prime Minister, I was musing on which former Prime Minister(s) I would pay to hear and how much I would pay:
Major; Yes (£10) Blair: No Brown: Yes (50p) Cameron: Yes (£2) May: Yes (I'm most interested in hearing her thoughts) (£20) Johnson: No Truss: No Sunak: Yes (£5)
I suspect this will not be a universally-held view.
Funny how Kemi Badenoch turns up on an oil rig whose owner donated a quarter of million pounds to the Conservatives since she became the leader .
Given the crisis in the Gulf we need to drill for more oil, good on Kemi
The disingenuous opportunism of various Conservative figures in Parliament and on here is off the scale.
Except, they have been saying for many months that Miliband was completely wrong on this policy.
The opportunists are in Labour.
They are selling the notion that licencing new fields for the future would resolve the lack of fuel at the pumps.
One could also remind Kemi that she was foursquare behind Trump's disastrous adventure in the Gulf. Without Trump's disastrous adventure in the Gulf there would be fuel at the pumps.
Funny how Kemi Badenoch turns up on an oil rig whose owner donated a quarter of million pounds to the Conservatives since she became the leader .
Given the crisis in the Gulf we need to drill for more oil, good on Kemi
It does probably make sense to make some adjustments to the permit and tax system to get production back up and running.
But the illogical, binary nature of the arguments is just as bad on the drill baby drill side as it is from Just Stop Oil. The idea that the long term solution to our dependence on volatile fossil fuel supply is to cut investment in renewables, which is not just a Reform policy but now seemingly a Tory one too, is downright bizarre.
You might as well tell someone who’s being bankrupted by their heroin addiction that the solution is to grow their own poppies, and stop wasting money on all that expensive rehab.
Funny how Kemi Badenoch turns up on an oil rig whose owner donated a quarter of million pounds to the Conservatives since she became the leader .
Given the crisis in the Gulf we need to drill for more oil, good on Kemi
Lead time for drilling for oil 3+ years Time it would take to build pipelines to divert away from the Straits - 2 years
Again we probably need to drill for oil but don't use the Gulf as an excuse...
It has zero bearing on our energy security now or in the future, and represents tax revenues of less than 1% of our total over the next 10 years.
Depressing that such a spurious diversion could be effective. Happily it hasn’t really worked - except for a very odd fringe, the main lesson taken from this crisis has been the right one - we need to accelerate our transition on consumption.
Former British PM Liz Truss joins me to announce the dates of CPAC Great Britain! 🇬🇧
On the basis one would presumably have to pay to listen to the former Prime Minister, I was musing on which former Prime Minister(s) I would pay to hear and how much I would pay:
Major; Yes (£10) Blair: No Brown: Yes (50p) Cameron: Yes (£2) May: Yes (I'm most interested in hearing her thoughts) (£20) Johnson: No Truss: No Sunak: Yes (£5)
I suspect this will not be a universally-held view.
Oh come on. Truss is worth a tenner. Comedy gold like that doesn't come around too often.
I'd increase it to £20 if I could thrash her with a wet lettuce at some point in the performance.
I don't like the chocolate ones, especially as they melt in the toaster.
The Co-op apple crumble ones are nice.
After the success of our office mince pie blind taste-off before Christmas, we have a hot cross bun version next week. Strictly traditional, no funny flavours.
Funny how Kemi Badenoch turns up on an oil rig whose owner donated a quarter of million pounds to the Conservatives since she became the leader .
Given the crisis in the Gulf we need to drill for more oil, good on Kemi
The disingenuous opportunism of various Conservative figures in Parliament and on here is off the scale.
Except, they have been saying for many months that Miliband was completely wrong on this policy.
The opportunists are in Labour.
Some of us on the Labour side have been consistently slagging off Miliband's incoherent policy combo of blocking new gas production while simultaneously funding new build CCGT and Blue Hydrogen, to burn gas for the next 30 years.
Funny how Kemi Badenoch turns up on an oil rig whose owner donated a quarter of million pounds to the Conservatives since she became the leader .
Given the crisis in the Gulf we need to drill for more oil, good on Kemi
The disingenuous opportunism of various Conservative figures in Parliament and on here is off the scale.
Except, they have been saying for many months that Miliband was completely wrong on this policy.
The opportunists are in Labour.
They are selling the notion that licencing new fields for the future would resolve the lack of fuel at the pumps.
One could also remind Kemi that she was foursquare behind Trump's disastrous adventure in the Gulf. Without Trump's disastrous adventure in the Gulf there would be fuel at the pumps.
Kemi’s oil rig campaign will have succeeded on its own terms if it takes attention away from her enthusiastic embrace of Trump’s war in the early days.
One senses it probably has. Any mud from this seems to be sticking more to Farage.
Former British PM Liz Truss joins me to announce the dates of CPAC Great Britain! 🇬🇧
On the basis one would presumably have to pay to listen to the former Prime Minister, I was musing on which former Prime Minister(s) I would pay to hear and how much I would pay:
Major; Yes (£10) Blair: No Brown: Yes (50p) Cameron: Yes (£2) May: Yes (I'm most interested in hearing her thoughts) (£20) Johnson: No Truss: No Sunak: Yes (£5)
I suspect this will not be a universally-held view.
Why are you most interested in hearing Mrs May's thoughts?
The interviews with CPAC attendees a bit after that time point are bizarre. They are not connected to reality. It remains startling how much these MAGA faithful are not connected to reality. And yet some UK politicians (Farage, Truss) want to join them.
I thought they were quite frighteningly mad and Truss is either a deliberate liar or she's lost her mind
Former British PM Liz Truss joins me to announce the dates of CPAC Great Britain! 🇬🇧
On the basis one would presumably have to pay to listen to the former Prime Minister, I was musing on which former Prime Minister(s) I would pay to hear and how much I would pay:
Major; Yes (£10) Blair: No Brown: Yes (50p) Cameron: Yes (£2) May: Yes (I'm most interested in hearing her thoughts) (£20) Johnson: No Truss: No Sunak: Yes (£5)
I suspect this will not be a universally-held view.
Boris gets over £250,000 per speech, here and abroad.
Even May and Cameron got thousands, Truss now charges £16,000 an hour and Brown got over £60,000 per speech and Major $50-75,000 per speaking engagement on the US lecture circuit. The Sunaks are worth over half a billion pounds anyway so don't need to bother, hence he focuses on tech projects and things he is interested in rather than speeches per say
Funny how Kemi Badenoch turns up on an oil rig whose owner donated a quarter of million pounds to the Conservatives since she became the leader .
Given the crisis in the Gulf we need to drill for more oil, good on Kemi
The disingenuous opportunism of various Conservative figures in Parliament and on here is off the scale.
Nothing disingenuous to adapting policy for the good of the nation by increasing tax receipts by 25 billion over10 years
And what about the 40 labour mps backing the proposals
Even the O&G lobby don’t think it would be that much. You need to net it off against the reduction in receipts (particularly in the short term, as you cut current windfall taxes) , and then pray that the economic activity develops later on and generates taxes through other paths (eg income and corporation tax).
Funny how Kemi Badenoch turns up on an oil rig whose owner donated a quarter of million pounds to the Conservatives since she became the leader .
Given the crisis in the Gulf we need to drill for more oil, good on Kemi
The disingenuous opportunism of various Conservative figures in Parliament and on here is off the scale.
Except, they have been saying for many months that Miliband was completely wrong on this policy.
The opportunists are in Labour.
They are selling the notion that licencing new fields for the future would resolve the lack of fuel at the pumps.
One could also remind Kemi that she was foursquare behind Trump's disastrous adventure in the Gulf. Without Trump's disastrous adventure in the Gulf there would be fuel at the pumps.
Kemi’s oil rig campaign will have succeeded on its own terms if it takes attention away from her enthusiastic embrace of Trump’s war in the early days.
One senses it probably has. Any mud from this seems to be sticking more to Farage.
I desperately hope that those selling Badenoch as the future win the short game.
If she leads the Conservatives into the next GE, they will not do well.
So he wants them to pay for all the economic damage done to their countries because of his stupid war .
What’s Arabic for Trump go fxck yourself !
Khaleeji Arabic is not really my thing as I specialise in the classical austerity of Hejazi but approximately: نيك نفسك
Approximate pronunciation is 'niq nafsaq'. Extra pejorative heft may be added by directing the interlocutor to direct his fucking efforts toward his sister's or mother's generative organ.
Funny how Kemi Badenoch turns up on an oil rig whose owner donated a quarter of million pounds to the Conservatives since she became the leader .
Given the crisis in the Gulf we need to drill for more oil, good on Kemi
The disingenuous opportunism of various Conservative figures in Parliament and on here is off the scale.
Except, they have been saying for many months that Miliband was completely wrong on this policy.
The opportunists are in Labour.
Some of us on the Labour side have been consistently slagging off Miliband's incoherent policy combo of blocking new gas production while simultaneously funding new build CCGT and Blue Hydrogen, to burn gas for the next 30 years.
Building new CCGT is a sensible policy, unless you want to see the lights go out in the winter? We’re going to be burning gas for decades to come.
Funny how Kemi Badenoch turns up on an oil rig whose owner donated a quarter of million pounds to the Conservatives since she became the leader .
Given the crisis in the Gulf we need to drill for more oil, good on Kemi
The disingenuous opportunism of various Conservative figures in Parliament and on here is off the scale.
Except, they have been saying for many months that Miliband was completely wrong on this policy.
The opportunists are in Labour.
They are selling the notion that licencing new fields for the future would resolve the lack of fuel at the pumps.
One could also remind Kemi that she was foursquare behind Trump's disastrous adventure in the Gulf. Without Trump's disastrous adventure in the Gulf there would be fuel at the pumps.
Kemi was not in the loop on the initial decision to attack Iran.
Neither was Starmer.
There is no problem with picking up the pieces in defending the Gulf states as a consequence of Trump/Netanyahu's actions. For either Starmer or Badenoch. After all, Starner is supposedly having a "great war"...
Former British PM Liz Truss joins me to announce the dates of CPAC Great Britain! 🇬🇧
On the basis one would presumably have to pay to listen to the former Prime Minister, I was musing on which former Prime Minister(s) I would pay to hear and how much I would pay:
Major; Yes (£10) Blair: No Brown: Yes (50p) Cameron: Yes (£2) May: Yes (I'm most interested in hearing her thoughts) (£20) Johnson: No Truss: No Sunak: Yes (£5)
I suspect this will not be a universally-held view.
Boris gets over £250,000 per speech, here and abroad.
Even May and Cameron got thousands, Truss now charges £16,000 an hour and Brown got over £60,000 per speech. The Sunaks are worth over half a billion pounds anyway so don't need to bother, hence he focuses on tech projects and things he is interested in rather than speeches per say
Comments
That is considerably more than 'a bit.'
The disruption means that there is already a supply chain breakdown for several countries. After they receive the cargos at sea already - there is no more coming.
Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines will run out in 3 weeks.
Market will still clear though. Fundamentally, there isn't an oil shortage.
The world can’t cut demand by 20% quickly enough for this to not be very, very, very painful
I know revelling in hyberbole and drama is more fun, but it doesn't make it true.
We won't.
It means even if they start sailing *now* they will run out.
Nobel Prizes are specifically reserved for those Ayrshire people who have contributed significant benefits to society, like John Boyd Orr and Alexander Fleming
The more I hear it, the more I think Sabrina Carpenters song 'Manchild' was written for the Whitehouse incumbent
The market will still clear.
https://x.com/ZackPolanski/status/2038652876117983649
Abolish Ofsted.
https://substack.com/@snarkygherkin/note/c-234844710
These ships are not fast - the last ship left 28 days ago and still has a few more days left on the journey.
So if it takes 28 days for a ship to travel and you have 21 days of supply you’ve got at least 1 week without oil possibly more
A lot of garages have Monday and Friday deliveries in SW price goes up those mornings
That petrol has been sat in distribution tanks for weeks or months.
They have to keep buying product all the way up the supply chain - which is why prices rise *now*.
And no, you can't just get someone to magic up 250Kt ofoil in tanker overnight.
There is more demand than supply right now. And the rate of change of supply is sloooooooow - compared to the size of the dip in delivered product.
Another fake news story
The plan is for the entire DfE to participate in the UK human landing on the Sun, as part of the expanded UK space program.
I want it abolished because its credibility is more comprehensively fucked than a blonde that's been in Boris Johnson's presence for more than 30 seconds, and I honestly can't see how it recovers. At least with Woodhead the mad shit was embarrassing but ultimately mostly futile. Under Spielman it's had catastrophic real-world consequences that have impacted really negatively on the education of children and the performance of the sector.
She should be fired into the heart of the sun, along with Nicky Morgan for appointing her and Christopher Wormald, Gavin Williamson, Gillian Keegan and Susan Acland-Hood for playing along with her insanity for their own reasons. But not OFSTED as a whole. Abolishing it and replacing it with several properly constituted inspection boards for its different functions led by experienced practitioners rather than arrogant and not very bright political hacks would be adequate.
However, it's a pretty safe bet that when the current crisis is over, prices don't come down as quickly as they went up. 'Twas ever thus.
Plus separate inspectorates for social care, nurseries, possibly even separating primary and secondary.
1) Stock profits don't exist
2) Prices went up and down with the market prices, pretty much in step.
They'd read the report, then file it as Not Politically Useful.
At my local Tesco's, petrol up a further 2p and diesel up 3p to 172.9p per litre.
All pumps stocked and no queuing.
These allegations have consquences not least for those working in the filling stations who face unfair abuse
Prefer traditional buns: 45%
Prefer non-traditional buns: 8%
Not bothered either way: 28%
Do not like hot cross buns: 15%
https://x.com/YouGov/status/2038649564090057174?s=20
35% think he is handling it well, including 59% of Labour voters
https://x.com/YouGov/status/2038642541365457119?s=20
The Co-op apple crumble ones are nice.
Trump posts a 1987 interview segment in which he called for the US to seize Iranian oil infrastructure.
You replied to my post to @Brixian59 and I misread it as his response
Some people want Starmer to tell Trump to get stuffed !
Some want Starmer to have been more involved .
You can also have genuine local supply shortages where there is no price. If i want to buy an original Picasso, there is always a price for it. But there's not a price for it if I want to buy and receive it on a Monday evening in Coventry.
If the war drags on I think we'll start to see rationing of fuel in certain countries or industry. Airlines cancelling flights being an obvious example that's more likely to happen here.
None of those are really his fault, but he comes across as a bit complacent about the scale of the challenge he faces, and I think that is partly because he has no experience of inspections except as a subject. The irony is that as a new broom from the outside he could have been an inspired appointment, especially since by all accounts he does not suffer fools gladly and was one of Spielman's fiercest critics. And I can imagine that would make him unpopular with the existing staff.
But he is facing a very tough situation and I think he's not going to be able to deal with it. That should not necessarily be a reflection on him because as I said I don't think anyone could have salvaged the utter disaster Spielman wrought, particularly with her still shooting her stupid fat mouth off in the Lords. But inevitably it will.
Motorway services normally charge prices that are way off the scale compared to anywhere else. But what shocked me today was that the 190p per litre for diesel I saw on the M5 was only 5p to 7p more than I saw at a slew of other stand alone service stations on main roads. The fact that the likes of Shell and BP have hiked prices so close to those on the motorway does point them not holding back. Meanwhile the local supermarkets are keeping a lid on things (a bit), but running out of diesel as a consequence. Managed to fill up at 169p diesel at Sainsburys here but half the pumps were out.
https://x.com/mschlapp/status/2038637384129024317
Former British PM Liz Truss joins me to announce the dates of CPAC Great Britain! 🇬🇧
I'm not altogether sure this has been a service to education.
‘ BREAKING: President Trump is interested in calling on Arab countries to "pay for the cost of the Iran War," per White House officials.
President Trump will soon have more to say on the topic, according to the White House.’
https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/2038686830631981284?s=61
A bunch of nut jobs with the deranged Truss as the headline act !
What’s Arabic for Trump go fxck yourself !
The opportunists are in Labour.
Time it would take to build pipelines to divert away from the Straits - 2 years
Again we probably need to drill for oil but don't use the Gulf as an excuse...
"American president, go fuck yourself!"
Major; Yes (£10)
Blair: No
Brown: Yes (50p)
Cameron: Yes (£2)
May: Yes (I'm most interested in hearing her thoughts) (£20)
Johnson: No
Truss: No
Sunak: Yes (£5)
I suspect this will not be a universally-held view.
One could also remind Kemi that she was foursquare behind Trump's disastrous adventure in the Gulf. Without Trump's disastrous adventure in the Gulf there would be fuel at the pumps.
And what about the 40 labour mps backing the proposals
But the illogical, binary nature of the arguments is just as bad on the drill baby drill side as it is from Just Stop Oil. The idea that the long term solution to our dependence on volatile fossil fuel supply is to cut investment in renewables, which is not just a Reform policy but now seemingly a Tory one too, is downright bizarre.
You might as well tell someone who’s being bankrupted by their heroin addiction that the solution is to grow their own poppies, and stop wasting money on all that expensive rehab.
And indeed, if he'd only fucked himself we'd not have had this lunatic war given his real reasons for launching it...
May aswell get stoned until things improve if they ever do !
Depressing that such a spurious diversion could be effective. Happily it hasn’t really worked - except for a very odd fringe, the main lesson taken from this crisis has been the right one - we need to accelerate our transition on consumption.
I'd increase it to £20 if I could thrash her with a wet lettuce at some point in the performance.
One senses it probably has. Any mud from this seems to be sticking more to Farage.
(
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/sep/09/boris-johnson-paid-speeches-putin-queen-birthday-bash#:~:text=Some of the speeches may,two events were entirely unconnected.
Tony Blair got £1 million per month for speech engagements, especially in the USA
https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/tony-blair-makes-ps1m-a-month-from-private-speeches-as-offers-flood-in-for-the-former-pm-6654938.html/
Even May and Cameron got thousands, Truss now charges £16,000 an hour and Brown got over £60,000 per speech and Major $50-75,000 per speaking engagement on the US lecture circuit. The Sunaks are worth over half a billion pounds anyway so don't need to bother, hence he focuses on tech projects and things he is interested in rather than speeches per say
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17072715
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/ex-pm-theresa-gets-2m-28591304
https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/liz-truss-rakes-in-250k-in-speaking-fees-DWzgFX_2/
https://gothamartists.com/john-major/
If she leads the Conservatives into the next GE, they will not do well.
Approximate pronunciation is 'niq nafsaq'. Extra pejorative heft may be added by directing the interlocutor to direct his fucking efforts toward his sister's or mother's generative organ.
Handle with care...
Neither was Starmer.
There is no problem with picking up the pieces in defending the Gulf states as a consequence of Trump/Netanyahu's actions. For either Starmer or Badenoch. After all, Starner is supposedly having a "great war"...
It also explains why I never hear any of them speak live.