Culinary discovery of the day - it's is possible to make raw tofu more than palatable. Served as thinly sliced sashimi with a dipping sauce of virgin olive oil and good double fermented soy sauce, it is surprisingly tasty, as the utter blandness complements the amazing umami of the soy.
Add garnishes to taste.
It's a decent carrier for Szechuan pepper or other spicy things, too.
That looks way too thick to me. Thinner slices make the tofu texture, which puts off a lot of people, disappear.
Have you tried harder drier tofu, rather than the smooth "silken" type? It tastes of something, plus the texture is better.
My guess is the right unites in 2029/30 post the next GE - the Tories and Reform need to figure out who will be top and who will be bottom before a pact/merger can be worth agreeing, whereas at the moment Reform still think they'll win it all and the Tories have too many MPs over Reform to justify bending over as Reform (and Jacob Rees-Mogg) wish.
That will depend entirely on the next general election result. If Reform win more seats than the Tories and that remains the same at the general election after as well, Reform would likely take over the Tories within a decade unless we get PR. If however the Tories win more seats than Reform still at the next general election, then most likely the Tories would reabsorb most of Reform, perhaps if Labour are re elected under Jacob Rees Mogg after Kemi and Farage resignations with some Reform hardliners going Restore
"...if Labour are re elected under Jacob Rees Mogg..."
And people thought Wes Streeting was too far to the right to lead Labour!
(And it should be Labour is, BTW.)
JRM obviously being referred to as a potential Tory leader to reabsorb most of Reform in the event of a Burnham Labour win at the next general election.
If the reference is to Labour as a collective movement and party then it would be Labour are
"He needed a lot of persuading to apply because he felt that as a working-class boy, going off to Cambridge wasn't for him. He didn't believe in himself, but he did it, and the rest is history."
These are the words of former English teacher Stephen Harrington on the advice he gave to a 16-year-old Andy Burnham in 1986 at St Aelred's Catholic High School in Newton-Le-Willows, Merseyside.
The man, now widely tipped to win any Labour leadership contest and become prime minister, has credited his former teacher with boosting his confidence at that pivotal time in his life.' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2eymr3xrewo
I felt that as a working-class boy, going off to Cambridge wasn't for me. The use of the word "tripos" in the description of the Chem Eng course convinced me not to apply.
My guess is the right unites in 2029/30 post the next GE - the Tories and Reform need to figure out who will be top and who will be bottom before a pact/merger can be worth agreeing, whereas at the moment Reform still think they'll win it all and the Tories have too many MPs over Reform to justify bending over as Reform (and Jacob Rees-Mogg) wish.
That will depend entirely on the next general election result. If Reform win more seats than the Tories and that remains the same at the general election after as well, Reform would likely take over the Tories within a decade unless we get PR. If however the Tories win more seats than Reform still at the next general election, then most likely the Tories would reabsorb most of Reform, perhaps if Labour are re elected under Jacob Rees Mogg after Kemi and Farage resignations with some Reform hardliners going Restore
"...if Labour are re elected under Jacob Rees Mogg..."
And people thought Wes Streeting was too far to the right to lead Labour!
(And it should be Labour is, BTW.)
JRM obviously being referred to as a potential Tory leader to reabsorb most of Reform in the event of a Burnham Labour win at the next general election.
If the reference is to Labour as a collective movement and party then it would be Labour are
Culinary discovery of the day - it's is possible to make raw tofu more than palatable. Served as thinly sliced sashimi with a dipping sauce of virgin olive oil and good double fermented soy sauce, it is surprisingly tasty, as the utter blandness complements the amazing umami of the soy.
Add garnishes to taste.
It's a decent carrier for Szechuan pepper or other spicy things, too.
That looks way too thick to me. Thinner slices make the tofu texture, which puts off a lot of people, disappear.
Have you tried harder drier tofu, rather than the smooth "silken" type? It tastes of something, plus the texture is better.
If one does insist on masochistically chomping through tofu, the best types are things like tempeh and miso, fermented with beneficial bacteria, which has the following effects (ai).
Breaks down proteins into smaller, more digestible peptides and amino acids. Reduces antinutrients like phytates, which normally block the absorption of minerals like iron and zinc. Converts isoflavones (plant compounds) into their "free" forms, which the body absorbs up to five times more efficiently. Synthesises new nutrients, such as Vitamin K2 (especially in natto) and sometimes Vitamin B12 (in tempeh).
Most of the belief that a large quotient of soy is an acceptable dietary staple comes from the Far East, and Far Eastern diets have always included fermented soy, not the other kind.
Culinary discovery of the day - it's is possible to make raw tofu more than palatable. Served as thinly sliced sashimi with a dipping sauce of virgin olive oil and good double fermented soy sauce, it is surprisingly tasty, as the utter blandness complements the amazing umami of the soy.
Add garnishes to taste.
Why would you want to make it palatable? Just don't eat it.
Because it's an excellent dietary staple.
No it isn't. It's doubtful it's even food.
We can safely disregard you on diet.
What is it about a congealed lump of chemically coagulated soy that you think is so worthwhile in your diet that you're prepared to jump through hoops to convince your tastebuds that it's worth eating?
Have you ever had tofu in black bean sauce? It's delicious.
Culinary discovery of the day - it's is possible to make raw tofu more than palatable. Served as thinly sliced sashimi with a dipping sauce of virgin olive oil and good double fermented soy sauce, it is surprisingly tasty, as the utter blandness complements the amazing umami of the soy.
Add garnishes to taste.
It's a decent carrier for Szechuan pepper or other spicy things, too.
That looks way too thick to me. Thinner slices make the tofu texture, which puts off a lot of people, disappear.
Have you tried harder drier tofu, rather than the smooth "silken" type? It tastes of something, plus the texture is better.
If one does insist on masochistically chomping through tofu, the best types are things like tempeh and miso, fermented with beneficial bacteria, which has the following effects (ai).
Breaks down proteins into smaller, more digestible peptides and amino acids. Reduces antinutrients like phytates, which normally block the absorption of minerals like iron and zinc. Converts isoflavones (plant compounds) into their "free" forms, which the body absorbs up to five times more efficiently. Synthesises new nutrients, such as Vitamin K2 (especially in natto) and sometimes Vitamin B12 (in tempeh).
Most of the belief that a large quotient of soy is an acceptable dietary staple comes from the Far East, and Far Eastern diets have always included fermented soy, not the other kind.
Ukrainians on social media are having fun with videos that upset Russians are sharing, distraught about the fuel crisis. In one recent video a woman is crying as she recounts how she spent two hours in a queue for fuel, only to find that the queue was moving because cars were driving off when they found there was no fuel at the fuel station.
This does not strike me as a country ready to accept full mobilisation and sustained wartime hardship for the sake of Putin's war. It is not the Russia of WWII fighting a war of survival.
I love the idea of a hard left coalition including the LibDems.
To the left they are hated for facilitating hard right Cameron, to the right they are hated for being hard left Labour bootlickers.
Not that they are perfectly in the centre, but they have that 10% niche of not wanting to be either Tory or Labour that Tories and Labour cannot understand.
The LibDems are a coalition of liberals (centre right emphasis on freedom of individuals and markets) and social democrats (emphasis on social justice and mutual responsibility).
The LibDems, (formerly Social and Liberal Democrats) are a merger of two parties, Liberals and SDP.
The liberals, often called orange bookers after an orange book financed by Paul Marshall, were totally dominant under Clegg in the coalition government of 2010. But not any more. I think it is now fairly balanced.
There are plenty of Red Libdems (I'm one) and Blue LibDems. But neither are fighting internally for dominance, unlike within the Tory or Labour parties. Our two sets of values are complementary and focused on getting good outcomes for local people.
We should be popular ....
I was LD member and stood for a local election. Even then, I was tactical in my vote. I would say that's a good thing for the country but maybe not so good for party diehards.
Culinary discovery of the day - it's is possible to make raw tofu more than palatable. Served as thinly sliced sashimi with a dipping sauce of virgin olive oil and good double fermented soy sauce, it is surprisingly tasty, as the utter blandness complements the amazing umami of the soy.
Add garnishes to taste.
It's a decent carrier for Szechuan pepper or other spicy things, too.
That looks way too thick to me. Thinner slices make the tofu texture, which puts off a lot of people, disappear.
Have you tried harder drier tofu, rather than the smooth "silken" type? It tastes of something, plus the texture is better.
If one does insist on masochistically chomping through tofu, the best types are things like tempeh and miso, fermented with beneficial bacteria, which has the following effects (ai).
Breaks down proteins into smaller, more digestible peptides and amino acids. Reduces antinutrients like phytates, which normally block the absorption of minerals like iron and zinc. Converts isoflavones (plant compounds) into their "free" forms, which the body absorbs up to five times more efficiently. Synthesises new nutrients, such as Vitamin K2 (especially in natto) and sometimes Vitamin B12 (in tempeh).
Most of the belief that a large quotient of soy is an acceptable dietary staple comes from the Far East, and Far Eastern diets have always included fermented soy, not the other kind.
As I said, we can disregard you on diet.
Yes, you did say that. However, one always has the forlorn hope that you'll take a day off from being a narrow minded pillock.
Culinary discovery of the day - it's is possible to make raw tofu more than palatable. Served as thinly sliced sashimi with a dipping sauce of virgin olive oil and good double fermented soy sauce, it is surprisingly tasty, as the utter blandness complements the amazing umami of the soy.
Add garnishes to taste.
Why would you want to make it palatable? Just don't eat it.
Because it's an excellent dietary staple.
No it isn't. It's doubtful it's even food.
We can safely disregard you on diet.
What is it about a congealed lump of chemically coagulated soy that you think is so worthwhile in your diet that you're prepared to jump through hoops to convince your tastebuds that it's worth eating?
Have you ever had tofu in black bean sauce? It's delicious.
The black bean sauce is delicious. The tofu is lumpy goo carrying the sauce.
My guess is the right unites in 2029/30 post the next GE - the Tories and Reform need to figure out who will be top and who will be bottom before a pact/merger can be worth agreeing, whereas at the moment Reform still think they'll win it all and the Tories have too many MPs over Reform to justify bending over as Reform (and Jacob Rees-Mogg) wish.
That will depend entirely on the next general election result. If Reform win more seats than the Tories and that remains the same at the general election after as well, Reform would likely take over the Tories within a decade unless we get PR. If however the Tories win more seats than Reform still at the next general election, then most likely the Tories would reabsorb most of Reform, perhaps if Labour are re elected under Jacob Rees Mogg after Kemi and Farage resignations with some Reform hardliners going Restore
"...if Labour are re elected under Jacob Rees Mogg..."
And people thought Wes Streeting was too far to the right to lead Labour!
(And it should be Labour is, BTW.)
JRM obviously being referred to as a potential Tory leader to reabsorb most of Reform in the event of a Burnham Labour win at the next general election.
If the reference is to Labour as a collective movement and party then it would be Labour are
Is.
Is, is, is, is.
The Labour Party is a singular entity.
Labour is.
It is a party made up of members, MPs and union affiliates and in this case it would be a collective group of Labour MPs re elected not one single Labour party
Given that John Healey and Al Carns resigned because they felt Starmer had not delivered with the Defence Investment Plan it's hard to see Sir Keir's application getting very far. In fact, Healey would be a more plausible candidate if a Brit was in line for the gig.
Culinary discovery of the day - it's is possible to make raw tofu more than palatable. Served as thinly sliced sashimi with a dipping sauce of virgin olive oil and good double fermented soy sauce, it is surprisingly tasty, as the utter blandness complements the amazing umami of the soy.
Add garnishes to taste.
It's a decent carrier for Szechuan pepper or other spicy things, too.
That looks way too thick to me. Thinner slices make the tofu texture, which puts off a lot of people, disappear.
Have you tried harder drier tofu, rather than the smooth "silken" type? It tastes of something, plus the texture is better.
If one does insist on masochistically chomping through tofu, the best types are things like tempeh and miso, fermented with beneficial bacteria, which has the following effects (ai).
Breaks down proteins into smaller, more digestible peptides and amino acids. Reduces antinutrients like phytates, which normally block the absorption of minerals like iron and zinc. Converts isoflavones (plant compounds) into their "free" forms, which the body absorbs up to five times more efficiently. Synthesises new nutrients, such as Vitamin K2 (especially in natto) and sometimes Vitamin B12 (in tempeh).
Most of the belief that a large quotient of soy is an acceptable dietary staple comes from the Far East, and Far Eastern diets have always included fermented soy, not the other kind.
As I said, we can disregard you on diet.
Yes, you did say that. However, one always has the forlorn hope that you'll take a day off from being a narrow minded pillock.
If you're going to pontificate, at least do some research. All you're doing is displaying your ignorance - here regarding phytates in tofu.
My guess is the right unites in 2029/30 post the next GE - the Tories and Reform need to figure out who will be top and who will be bottom before a pact/merger can be worth agreeing, whereas at the moment Reform still think they'll win it all and the Tories have too many MPs over Reform to justify bending over as Reform (and Jacob Rees-Mogg) wish.
That will depend entirely on the next general election result. If Reform win more seats than the Tories and that remains the same at the general election after as well, Reform would likely take over the Tories within a decade unless we get PR. If however the Tories win more seats than Reform still at the next general election, then most likely the Tories would reabsorb most of Reform, perhaps if Labour are re elected under Jacob Rees Mogg after Kemi and Farage resignations with some Reform hardliners going Restore
"...if Labour are re elected under Jacob Rees Mogg..."
And people thought Wes Streeting was too far to the right to lead Labour!
(And it should be Labour is, BTW.)
JRM obviously being referred to as a potential Tory leader to reabsorb most of Reform in the event of a Burnham Labour win at the next general election.
If the reference is to Labour as a collective movement and party then it would be Labour are
Is.
Is, is, is, is.
The Labour Party is a singular entity.
Labour is.
It is a party made up of members, MPs and union affiliates and in this case it would be a collective group of Labour MPs re elected not one single Labour party
"He needed a lot of persuading to apply because he felt that as a working-class boy, going off to Cambridge wasn't for him. He didn't believe in himself, but he did it, and the rest is history."
These are the words of former English teacher Stephen Harrington on the advice he gave to a 16-year-old Andy Burnham in 1986 at St Aelred's Catholic High School in Newton-Le-Willows, Merseyside.
The man, now widely tipped to win any Labour leadership contest and become prime minister, has credited his former teacher with boosting his confidence at that pivotal time in his life.' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2eymr3xrewo
I felt that as a working-class boy, going off to Cambridge wasn't for me. The use of the word "tripos" in the description of the Chem Eng course convinced me not to apply.
Quite right! If the stupid academics of Cambridge can’t even spell tripods correctly, their institution isn’t worth your support.
Culinary discovery of the day - it's is possible to make raw tofu more than palatable. Served as thinly sliced sashimi with a dipping sauce of virgin olive oil and good double fermented soy sauce, it is surprisingly tasty, as the utter blandness complements the amazing umami of the soy.
Add garnishes to taste.
It's a decent carrier for Szechuan pepper or other spicy things, too.
That looks way too thick to me. Thinner slices make the tofu texture, which puts off a lot of people, disappear.
Have you tried harder drier tofu, rather than the smooth "silken" type? It tastes of something, plus the texture is better.
Culinary discovery of the day - it's is possible to make raw tofu more than palatable. Served as thinly sliced sashimi with a dipping sauce of virgin olive oil and good double fermented soy sauce, it is surprisingly tasty, as the utter blandness complements the amazing umami of the soy.
Add garnishes to taste.
It's a decent carrier for Szechuan pepper or other spicy things, too.
That looks way too thick to me. Thinner slices make the tofu texture, which puts off a lot of people, disappear.
Have you tried harder drier tofu, rather than the smooth "silken" type? It tastes of something, plus the texture is better.
If one does insist on masochistically chomping through tofu, the best types are things like tempeh and miso, fermented with beneficial bacteria, which has the following effects (ai).
Breaks down proteins into smaller, more digestible peptides and amino acids. Reduces antinutrients like phytates, which normally block the absorption of minerals like iron and zinc. Converts isoflavones (plant compounds) into their "free" forms, which the body absorbs up to five times more efficiently. Synthesises new nutrients, such as Vitamin K2 (especially in natto) and sometimes Vitamin B12 (in tempeh).
Most of the belief that a large quotient of soy is an acceptable dietary staple comes from the Far East, and Far Eastern diets have always included fermented soy, not the other kind.
As I said, we can disregard you on diet.
Yes, you did say that. However, one always has the forlorn hope that you'll take a day off from being a narrow minded pillock.
If you're going to pontificate, at least do some research. All you're doing is displaying your ignorance - here regarding phytates in tofu.
Some people live to eat. Others eat to live. Nobody lives to eat tofu.
Culinary discovery of the day - it's is possible to make raw tofu more than palatable. Served as thinly sliced sashimi with a dipping sauce of virgin olive oil and good double fermented soy sauce, it is surprisingly tasty, as the utter blandness complements the amazing umami of the soy.
Add garnishes to taste.
It's a decent carrier for Szechuan pepper or other spicy things, too.
That looks way too thick to me. Thinner slices make the tofu texture, which puts off a lot of people, disappear.
Have you tried harder drier tofu, rather than the smooth "silken" type? It tastes of something, plus the texture is better.
If one does insist on masochistically chomping through tofu, the best types are things like tempeh and miso, fermented with beneficial bacteria, which has the following effects (ai).
Breaks down proteins into smaller, more digestible peptides and amino acids. Reduces antinutrients like phytates, which normally block the absorption of minerals like iron and zinc. Converts isoflavones (plant compounds) into their "free" forms, which the body absorbs up to five times more efficiently. Synthesises new nutrients, such as Vitamin K2 (especially in natto) and sometimes Vitamin B12 (in tempeh).
Most of the belief that a large quotient of soy is an acceptable dietary staple comes from the Far East, and Far Eastern diets have always included fermented soy, not the other kind.
As I said, we can disregard you on diet.
Yes, you did say that. However, one always has the forlorn hope that you'll take a day off from being a narrow minded pillock.
If you're going to pontificate, at least do some research. All you're doing is displaying your ignorance - here regarding phytates in tofu.
Raw numbers are meaningless anyway. The relevant metric is the teacher/pupil ratio, and that might be being maintained given the dwindling numbers.
However, she’s hardly putting anything into teacher training. In fact, her plans are to restrict it further (although she may not realise it).
Edit - it is worth pointing out (much though I hate to defend Phillipson) that she is talking about teachers in secondary schools whereas the community note is for teachers in all settings, which would include a contraction in the primary sector.
So she could have massively improved the pupil/teacher ratio, but instead decided to bring 100,000 pupils from the private sector into the public sector in a disorganised manner, as so many private schools closed due to the VAT charge on fees.
Don't know where you've got 100,000 from, do you? Even the Independent Schools Council put it at around 30,000, while the DfE put it at 22,000. And, of course, we can't be at all sure that all of those are because of VAT.
So far, I don't think any private schools have closed solely because of VAT. It gave the final push to some already on very shaky ground - Malvern St James, for example, seems to have suffered from it. As did that one up in Bangor.
But it wasn't, for example, responsible for the collapse of Abbotsholme, where I understand investigations are now beginning (rather belatedly and far too late to save the school or the teachers' jobs, although it's conceivable they might get the money they're owed). And there are some very funny rumours circulating about the reasons for the implosion of Rendcomb.
The true litmus test will be about two years from now as changes in key stage start feeding through the system. If we start to see a big contraction in numbers then, we'll have reason to think that VAT on school fees is having a negative effect.
But I agree with @DecrepiterJohnL about keeping smaller schools open and cutting class sizes, although as funding is per head it wouldn't be quite as simple as 'we're spending the same to educate fewer children.'
Trouble is, that would mean unpicking the whole "open admission until the school is physically full" model we've had for decades. It might be sensible government, but the politics are impossible.
But on th substantive point, yes. Shlonky private schools go under every year. VAT is a convenient excuse, but that doesn't make it true.
"Earlier in his life, Burnham spent the majority of his childhood living on Common Lane in Culcheth. The street is made up of big, detached, roomy properties with plenty of garden space and several houses are listed for sale with asking prices in excess of £1million."
I couldn't really care less whether AB is "working class" or not. But such a big deal is made of it, I wonder how it can reconciled with the BBC report. Anyone know?
Raw numbers are meaningless anyway. The relevant metric is the teacher/pupil ratio, and that might be being maintained given the dwindling numbers.
However, she’s hardly putting anything into teacher training. In fact, her plans are to restrict it further (although she may not realise it).
Edit - it is worth pointing out (much though I hate to defend Phillipson) that she is talking about teachers in secondary schools whereas the community note is for teachers in all settings, which would include a contraction in the primary sector.
So she could have massively improved the pupil/teacher ratio, but instead decided to bring 100,000 pupils from the private sector into the public sector in a disorganised manner, as so many private schools closed due to the VAT charge on fees.
Don't know where you've got 100,000 from, do you? Even the Independent Schools Council put it at around 30,000, while the DfE put it at 22,000. And, of course, we can't be at all sure that all of those are because of VAT.
So far, I don't think any private schools have closed solely because of VAT. It gave the final push to some already on very shaky ground - Malvern St James, for example, seems to have suffered from it. As did that one up in Bangor.
But it wasn't, for example, responsible for the collapse of Abbotsholme, where I understand investigations are now beginning (rather belatedly and far too late to save the school or the teachers' jobs, although it's conceivable they might get the money they're owed). And there are some very funny rumours circulating about the reasons for the implosion of Rendcomb.
The true litmus test will be about two years from now as changes in key stage start feeding through the system. If we start to see a big contraction in numbers then, we'll have reason to think that VAT on school fees is having a negative effect.
But I agree with @DecrepiterJohnL about keeping smaller schools open and cutting class sizes, although as funding is per head it wouldn't be quite as simple as 'we're spending the same to educate fewer children.'
Trouble is, that would mean unpicking the whole "open admission until the school is physically full" model we've had for decades. It might be sensible government, but the politics are impossible.
But on th substantive point, yes. Shlonky private schools go under every year. VAT is a convenient excuse, but that doesn't make it true.
Smaller private schools are the ones worst hit by it, not elite ones, some of whom will have been forced to close by this whereas before they could have just about stayed open. So the next effect will be to reduce parental choice and with the reduction of scholarships offered by top private schools too with the lost income from VAT on fees the end result will be an even more elitist private school system
"He needed a lot of persuading to apply because he felt that as a working-class boy, going off to Cambridge wasn't for him. He didn't believe in himself, but he did it, and the rest is history."
These are the words of former English teacher Stephen Harrington on the advice he gave to a 16-year-old Andy Burnham in 1986 at St Aelred's Catholic High School in Newton-Le-Willows, Merseyside.
The man, now widely tipped to win any Labour leadership contest and become prime minister, has credited his former teacher with boosting his confidence at that pivotal time in his life.' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2eymr3xrewo
I felt that as a working-class boy, going off to Cambridge wasn't for me. The use of the word "tripos" in the description of the Chem Eng course convinced me not to apply.
Quite right! If the stupid academics of Cambridge can’t even spell tripods correctly, their institution isn’t worth your support.
"Earlier in his life, Burnham spent the majority of his childhood living on Common Lane in Culcheth. The street is made up of big, detached, roomy properties with plenty of garden space and several houses are listed for sale with asking prices in excess of £1million."
I couldn't really care less whether AB is "working class" or not. But such a big deal is made of it, I wonder how it can reconciled with the BBC report. Anyone know?
Burnham was born in 1970. House prices have since gone through an enormous boom relative to anything else.
Using today's house prices to judge the class of the inhabitants of those houses 50 years ago is the height of folly.
"Earlier in his life, Burnham spent the majority of his childhood living on Common Lane in Culcheth. The street is made up of big, detached, roomy properties with plenty of garden space and several houses are listed for sale with asking prices in excess of £1million."
I couldn't really care less whether AB is "working class" or not. But such a big deal is made of it, I wonder how it can reconciled with the BBC report. Anyone know?
Burnham was born in 1970. House prices have since gone through an enormous boom relative to anything else.
Using today's house prices to judge the class of the inhabitants of those houses 50 years ago is the height of folly.
Nah. If the properties on the road were now worth £270k, the UK average, it would tell us one thing. If £150k, another. If £1m, another.
'The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has said it is commissioning an independent review into a "number of issues arising following the conviction of Jeffrey Donaldson".'...The DUP said it acted swiftly when he was first charged in 2024 and that its current leadership are deeply concerned by allegations that have surfaced in recent days.
"As a party we believe in the rule of law and that criminal proceedings must take their full course. Justice has been served with the guilty verdicts against him," a spokesperson said.
"The party leader Gavin Robinson, deputy leader Michelle McIlveen and party chairman are deeply concerned by allegations that have surfaced in recent days relating to inappropriate behaviour on behalf of Jeffrey Donaldson, and the indication that some may have had knowledge of inappropriate behaviour but which was never reported to the party officers."
They added further details about the independent review "will be announced shortly".'
'The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has said it is commissioning an independent review into a "number of issues arising following the conviction of Jeffrey Donaldson".'...The DUP said it acted swiftly when he was first charged in 2024 and that its current leadership are deeply concerned by allegations that have surfaced in recent days.
"As a party we believe in the rule of law and that criminal proceedings must take their full course. Justice has been served with the guilty verdicts against him," a spokesperson said.
"The party leader Gavin Robinson, deputy leader Michelle McIlveen and party chairman are deeply concerned by allegations that have surfaced in recent days relating to inappropriate behaviour on behalf of Jeffrey Donaldson, and the indication that some may have had knowledge of inappropriate behaviour but which was never reported to the party officers."
They added further details about the independent review "will be announced shortly".'
All institutions ultimately end up protecting themselves above any considerations of morality or law. A lot of people very deliberately do not know things as part of that.
"Earlier in his life, Burnham spent the majority of his childhood living on Common Lane in Culcheth. The street is made up of big, detached, roomy properties with plenty of garden space and several houses are listed for sale with asking prices in excess of £1million."
I couldn't really care less whether AB is "working class" or not. But such a big deal is made of it, I wonder how it can reconciled with the BBC report. Anyone know?
Burnham was born in 1970. House prices have since gone through an enormous boom relative to anything else.
Using today's house prices to judge the class of the inhabitants of those houses 50 years ago is the height of folly.
Nah. If the properties on the road were now worth £270k, the UK average, it would tell us one thing. If £150k, another. If £1m, another.
It might but as the dear, departed Leon pointed out, the house the Cratchits lived is now worth seven figures. In what are now posh parts of London, people pay millions for what were built as labourers' cottages. What used to be poor areas have been gentrified. Whether that is true of Burnham Towers, dunno. Or care very much either after ‘my dad was a toolmaker’ and ‘my mum ran a chemist's shop’.
No. Just no. He couldn't handle the defence needs of one nation, let alone 32. Whoever is floating this, tell him to go away.
Even so, he'd be an improvement on Rutte.
I take your point, but I'm just annoyed at SKS's presumption. The only things he is demonstrably good at are lying his way to success and being a lawyer. None of those things qualify him for a political career post-PM. He should go off and do something politically irrelevant, like advising a human rights org or being Foreign Secretary. The fact that he will probably get a cushy highly-paid sinecure just goes to demonstrate the intractable problem with Malmesbury's Nu10K: they never fail downwards.
No. Just no. He couldn't handle the defence needs of one nation, let alone 32. Whoever is floating this, tell him to go away.
Even so, he'd be an improvement on Rutte.
I take your point, but I'm just annoyed at SKS's presumption. The only things he is demonstrably good at are lying his way to success and being a lawyer. None of those things qualify him for a political career post-PM. He should go off and do something politically irrelevant, like advising a human rights org or being Foreign Secretary. The fact that he will probably get a cushy highly-paid sinecure just goes to demonstrate the intractable problem with Malmesbury's Nu10K: they never fail downwards.
I don't really disagree; it's more a comment on how bad Rutte is.
My guess is the right unites in 2029/30 post the next GE - the Tories and Reform need to figure out who will be top and who will be bottom before a pact/merger can be worth agreeing, whereas at the moment Reform still think they'll win it all and the Tories have too many MPs over Reform to justify bending over as Reform (and Jacob Rees-Mogg) wish.
That will depend entirely on the next general election result. If Reform win more seats than the Tories and that remains the same at the general election after as well, Reform would likely take over the Tories within a decade unless we get PR. If however the Tories win more seats than Reform still at the next general election, then most likely the Tories would reabsorb most of Reform, perhaps if Labour are re elected under Jacob Rees Mogg after Kemi and Farage resignations with some Reform hardliners going Restore
"...if Labour are re elected under Jacob Rees Mogg..."
And people thought Wes Streeting was too far to the right to lead Labour!
(And it should be Labour is, BTW.)
JRM obviously being referred to as a potential Tory leader to reabsorb most of Reform in the event of a Burnham Labour win at the next general election.
If the reference is to Labour as a collective movement and party then it would be Labour are
Reform leaders have made very clear they do not respect JRM's efforts to suck up to them, would he really be the best person to bring back the Reform switchers in that scenario? Seems like they'd need someone who has not been overly hostile to Reform, but who has also retained a bit of dignity in why they are remaining a Tory so that people also considering switching back from Reform to Tory feel that it is because the Tories never really hated them but also stayed firm in their beliefs, rather than constantly begged for a pact which, in this scenario, was no longer seen as desirable anyway.
And yes, I agree if Reform win the most seats at the next GE they will take over the Tories.
No. Just no. He couldn't handle the defence needs of one nation, let alone 32. Whoever is floating this, tell him to go away.
Even so, he'd be an improvement on Rutte.
I take your point, but I'm just annoyed at SKS's presumption. The only things he is demonstrably good at are lying his way to success and being a lawyer. None of those things qualify him for a political career post-PM. He should go off and do something politically irrelevant, like advising a human rights org or being Foreign Secretary. The fact that he will probably get a cushy highly-paid sinecure just goes to demonstrate the intractable problem with Malmesbury's Nu10K: they never fail downwards.
Starmer would be an ideal candidate for Chair of the Post Office. Sorry, your compensation must have been lost in the post.
Raw numbers are meaningless anyway. The relevant metric is the teacher/pupil ratio, and that might be being maintained given the dwindling numbers.
However, she’s hardly putting anything into teacher training. In fact, her plans are to restrict it further (although she may not realise it).
Edit - it is worth pointing out (much though I hate to defend Phillipson) that she is talking about teachers in secondary schools whereas the community note is for teachers in all settings, which would include a contraction in the primary sector.
So she could have massively improved the pupil/teacher ratio, but instead decided to bring 100,000 pupils from the private sector into the public sector in a disorganised manner, as so many private schools closed due to the VAT charge on fees.
Don't know where you've got 100,000 from, do you? Even the Independent Schools Council put it at around 30,000, while the DfE put it at 22,000. And, of course, we can't be at all sure that all of those are because of VAT.
So far, I don't think any private schools have closed solely because of VAT. It gave the final push to some already on very shaky ground - Malvern St James, for example, seems to have suffered from it. As did that one up in Bangor.
But it wasn't, for example, responsible for the collapse of Abbotsholme, where I understand investigations are now beginning (rather belatedly and far too late to save the school or the teachers' jobs, although it's conceivable they might get the money they're owed). And there are some very funny rumours circulating about the reasons for the implosion of Rendcomb.
The true litmus test will be about two years from now as changes in key stage start feeding through the system. If we start to see a big contraction in numbers then, we'll have reason to think that VAT on school fees is having a negative effect.
But I agree with @DecrepiterJohnL about keeping smaller schools open and cutting class sizes, although as funding is per head it wouldn't be quite as simple as 'we're spending the same to educate fewer children.'
Trouble is, that would mean unpicking the whole "open admission until the school is physically full" model we've had for decades. It might be sensible government, but the politics are impossible.
But on th substantive point, yes. Shlonky private schools go under every year. VAT is a convenient excuse, but that doesn't make it true.
This is silly. It delivers a 20% price shock, at least, to parents paying the fees and pushes a minority out as a consequence which, given most independent schools operate at close to break even, is more than enough to send the smaller ones into crisis. It also depresses future rolls. And on top of that you have all these schools now liable for business rates.
Expect many more closures over the years to come and more pressure on the State sector.
The cognitive dissonance here is purely down to the defenders of the policy who don't want to admit it has any negative effects, which it very much does.
"Earlier in his life, Burnham spent the majority of his childhood living on Common Lane in Culcheth. The street is made up of big, detached, roomy properties with plenty of garden space and several houses are listed for sale with asking prices in excess of £1million."
I couldn't really care less whether AB is "working class" or not. But such a big deal is made of it, I wonder how it can reconciled with the BBC report. Anyone know?
Burnham's father was a telephone engineer and his mother a medical secretary, he was lower middle class not working class
'The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has said it is commissioning an independent review into a "number of issues arising following the conviction of Jeffrey Donaldson".'...The DUP said it acted swiftly when he was first charged in 2024 and that its current leadership are deeply concerned by allegations that have surfaced in recent days.
"As a party we believe in the rule of law and that criminal proceedings must take their full course. Justice has been served with the guilty verdicts against him," a spokesperson said.
"The party leader Gavin Robinson, deputy leader Michelle McIlveen and party chairman are deeply concerned by allegations that have surfaced in recent days relating to inappropriate behaviour on behalf of Jeffrey Donaldson, and the indication that some may have had knowledge of inappropriate behaviour but which was never reported to the party officers."
They added further details about the independent review "will be announced shortly".'
All institutions ultimately end up protecting themselves above any considerations of morality or law. A lot of people very deliberately do not know things as part of that.
Nonetheless good to see the DUP leader announcing this review of who knew what when and if actions should have been taken by them
Raw numbers are meaningless anyway. The relevant metric is the teacher/pupil ratio, and that might be being maintained given the dwindling numbers.
However, she’s hardly putting anything into teacher training. In fact, her plans are to restrict it further (although she may not realise it).
Edit - it is worth pointing out (much though I hate to defend Phillipson) that she is talking about teachers in secondary schools whereas the community note is for teachers in all settings, which would include a contraction in the primary sector.
So she could have massively improved the pupil/teacher ratio, but instead decided to bring 100,000 pupils from the private sector into the public sector in a disorganised manner, as so many private schools closed due to the VAT charge on fees.
Don't know where you've got 100,000 from, do you? Even the Independent Schools Council put it at around 30,000, while the DfE put it at 22,000. And, of course, we can't be at all sure that all of those are because of VAT.
So far, I don't think any private schools have closed solely because of VAT. It gave the final push to some already on very shaky ground - Malvern St James, for example, seems to have suffered from it. As did that one up in Bangor.
But it wasn't, for example, responsible for the collapse of Abbotsholme, where I understand investigations are now beginning (rather belatedly and far too late to save the school or the teachers' jobs, although it's conceivable they might get the money they're owed). And there are some very funny rumours circulating about the reasons for the implosion of Rendcomb.
The true litmus test will be about two years from now as changes in key stage start feeding through the system. If we start to see a big contraction in numbers then, we'll have reason to think that VAT on school fees is having a negative effect.
But I agree with @DecrepiterJohnL about keeping smaller schools open and cutting class sizes, although as funding is per head it wouldn't be quite as simple as 'we're spending the same to educate fewer children.'
Trouble is, that would mean unpicking the whole "open admission until the school is physically full" model we've had for decades. It might be sensible government, but the politics are impossible.
But on th substantive point, yes. Shlonky private schools go under every year. VAT is a convenient excuse, but that doesn't make it true.
This is silly. It delivers a 20% price shock, at least, to parents paying the fees and pushes a minority out as a consequence which, given most independent schools operate at close to break even, is more than enough to send the smaller ones into crisis. It also depresses future rolls. And on top of that you have all these schools now liable for business rates.
Expect many more closures over the years to come and more pressure on the State sector.
The cognitive dissonance here is purely down to the defenders of the policy who don't want to admit it has any negative effects, which it very much does.
I see no problem with VAT being levied on discretionary purchases, which includes private schools, as well as cars, televisions, computers and holidays. It should not be levied on essentials such as food or rent.
I love the idea of a hard left coalition including the LibDems.
To the left they are hated for facilitating hard right Cameron, to the right they are hated for being hard left Labour bootlickers.
Not that they are perfectly in the centre, but they have that 10% niche of not wanting to be either Tory or Labour that Tories and Labour cannot understand.
The LibDems are a coalition of liberals (centre right emphasis on freedom of individuals and markets) and social democrats (emphasis on social justice and mutual responsibility).
The LibDems, (formerly Social and Liberal Democrats) are a merger of two parties, Liberals and SDP.
The liberals, often called orange bookers after an orange book financed by Paul Marshall, were totally dominant under Clegg in the coalition government of 2010. But not any more. I think it is now fairly balanced.
There are plenty of Red Libdems (I'm one) and Blue LibDems. But neither are fighting internally for dominance, unlike within the Tory or Labour parties. Our two sets of values are complementary and focused on getting good outcomes for local people.
We should be popular ....
I was LD member and stood for a local election. Even then, I was tactical in my vote. I would say that's a good thing for the country but maybe not so good for party diehards.
Having watched LibDems from an SNP perspective I think there skill is being able to morph as needed to be the least worst option as needed; All inoffensive things to all men they need to vote for them.
Credit where it’s due, there’s a skill in weaponising Anaemia!
They also excel at targeting weakness; when the Tories are on top the shift left to pick up disillusioned Labour voters, people who didn’t like Foot or Corbyn and when Blair was on top we got the Orange Book that appealed to the soft part of the Tory vote.
Working with LibDems as a Councillor in Highland most were either Tories who couldn’t get elected as Tories or Independents who well know locally who the LibDems courted as candidates, because they couldn’t get elected get elected.
Over two terms and a decade I think only two or three out of about two dozen were actually politically what I would call a Liberal Democrat ideologically.
Comments
I can’t see anything positive he would bring to NATO.
If the reference is to Labour as a collective movement and party then it would be Labour are
Is, is, is, is.
The Labour Party is a singular entity.
Labour is.
Reduces antinutrients like phytates, which normally block the absorption of minerals like iron and zinc.
Converts isoflavones (plant compounds) into their "free" forms, which the body absorbs up to five times more efficiently.
Synthesises new nutrients, such as Vitamin K2 (especially in natto) and sometimes Vitamin B12 (in tempeh).
This does not strike me as a country ready to accept full mobilisation and sustained wartime hardship for the sake of Putin's war. It is not the Russia of WWII fighting a war of survival.
So we agree then. I like it when that happens.
But on th substantive point, yes. Shlonky private schools go under every year. VAT is a convenient excuse, but that doesn't make it true.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2eymr3xrewo
But, I can't help wondering about this:
"Earlier in his life, Burnham spent the majority of his childhood living on Common Lane in Culcheth. The street is made up of big, detached, roomy properties with plenty of garden space and several houses are listed for sale with asking prices in excess of £1million."
I couldn't really care less whether AB is "working class" or not. But such a big deal is made of it, I wonder how it can reconciled with the BBC report. Anyone know?
Using today's house prices to judge the class of the inhabitants of those houses 50 years ago is the height of folly.
"As a party we believe in the rule of law and that criminal proceedings must take their full course. Justice has been served with the guilty verdicts against him," a spokesperson said.
"The party leader Gavin Robinson, deputy leader Michelle McIlveen and party chairman are deeply concerned by allegations that have surfaced in recent days relating to inappropriate behaviour on behalf of Jeffrey Donaldson, and the indication that some may have had knowledge of inappropriate behaviour but which was never reported to the party officers."
They added further details about the independent review "will be announced shortly".'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg8kgdegp8o
And yes, I agree if Reform win the most seats at the next GE they will take over the Tories.
Expect many more closures over the years to come and more pressure on the State sector.
The cognitive dissonance here is purely down to the defenders of the policy who don't want to admit it has any negative effects, which it very much does.
Credit where it’s due, there’s a skill in weaponising Anaemia!
They also excel at targeting weakness; when the Tories are on top the shift left to pick up disillusioned Labour voters, people who didn’t like Foot or Corbyn and when Blair was on top we got the Orange Book that appealed to the soft part of the Tory vote.
Working with LibDems as a Councillor in Highland most were either Tories who couldn’t get elected as Tories or Independents who well know locally who the LibDems courted as candidates, because they couldn’t get elected get elected.
Over two terms and a decade I think only two or three out of about two dozen were actually politically what I would call a Liberal Democrat ideologically.
Peter.