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The senate race in Maine has just been upended – politicalbetting.com

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  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 23,832
    edited 11:31AM
    Only one Bookie with market still open on Farage Exit Date

    Betfair Exchange 2/13 on 2026
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 92,133
    Nige's announcement is via pre-recorded video, so no questions will be asked.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 23,238
    Pro_Rata said:

    Nigelb said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    2s
    I fear that if you bring down Farage you'll like what follows a great deal less.

    https://x.com/andrew_lilico

    Acquiescing to Farage on the basis of him being a lesser evil is the very definition of defeatism.
    In any event, "we" are not bringing down Farage - he's done it to himself.
    Lilico appears to be suggesting that we just ignore the huge sums of money and the dodgy sources.

    On that score, the FT has a report on Cottrell:
    Damning - Cottrell describing how to bribe politicians etc...
    https://x.com/Starcourse/status/2074371799513530808
    The glaring thing to any lanyarder who has ever done a corporate compliance course, indeed to any brickie who has ever filled in a VAT form is just how crushingly entry level / 101 this all is. It's like stuff simply doesn't apply.

    I mean, the parliamentary system that allows a hell of a lot on expenses, practical gifts and a level of security / VIP separation is borderline asking for trouble already, and the Farage stuff just blows even that system to smithereens.
    Love of money, root of all evil and all that. Not seeking to create a good life using money as a means to an end. But treating it as a fetish object, a way of keeping score in life. Because that thirst can never be quenched.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 92,133
    The parliamentary sleaze inquiry into Nigel Farage will not conclude until September at the earliest, The Telegraph understands.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 79,909

    Nige's announcement is via pre-recorded video, so no questions will be asked.

    All the questions have been in advance...
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 73,018
    (((Dan Hodges)))
    @DPJHodges
    ·
    2m
    Key thing with Farage’s 2.00 pm statement is does he actually address the issues relating to his payments and financial relationships. Or is it just more street theatre.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 23,238

    Nige's announcement is via pre-recorded video, so no questions will be asked.

    Shockednotshocked.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 23,832
    edited 11:39AM
    ydoethur said:

    Adding VAT to private school fees has failed to trigger an exodus of pupils into the state sector despite widespread speculation that it would, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.

    The Labour government applied 20% VAT to private school fees from the start of 2025. They had previously been exempt from the tax. Newly published admissions data for England showed there had been no influx towards state schools since then.

    The DfE said that VAT on private school fees was raising more than had been initially forecast, and is now likely to bring in £1.8bn annually by 2029-30.

    Great News for the 94% that the 6% are paying VAT for the privilege of privilege

    Leaving aside the fact that (even in the absence of a link) Bridget Phillipson is a fluent liar with the intellectual capacity of a donkey and so are the civil servants of the DfE, we need a few caveats:

    1) Where is the data from and which data point is it up to? If it only goes to the 6th April it's more useless than Amanda Spielman.

    2) Have they checked to see if it shows any excess outflow at the change of key stage?

    3) Have they adjusted by region to show whether or not a shift is being masked by demographic decline?

    All the figures I have seen show that the exodus is about bang in the middle of the two year forecast.

    I'd also add that since these utter loons propose to spank any money on disastrous failed projects including expanding academy chains and throttling teacher training further by diverting yet more money to Teach First, rather than by getting serious by cutting class sizes, more money isn't going to help in any meaningful way even if it materialises.
    Link to the Admissions Data

    From Official DOE site but hey you know best with you preconceived thoughts

    Its fromhttps://www.google.co.uk/search?sca_esv=fb771978cd7fbbec&sxsrf=APpeQnswBTp9iLlQmTvELzX9Db2u49Z5rg:1783422905253&udm=2&fbs=ABfTbFVyMZGZf1hfvX9uKjN_-G8cqCQj_06QnZs315LoFmPf5bBLHMJ0vMQmTbuI72DM7jnxvATrUU2Yg9dwuUGnsUHcA8ltRxGSueAm4xbJB7-U9dUVXdUUUBKez4bad6LuBL0vMB19lFszB4gP8QG4a5HAYCwNbaWDeHUMg3aZg1dFyqz3j9lf_iAcutKfO6uVLnbDXIGC-9hzfE9LW_FBZRSpMh8bXw&q=no+future&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiQwYGGuMCVAxVzVKQEHepSG8gQtKgLegQIIBAB&biw=1396&bih=632&dpr=1.38#sv=CAMSURoyKhBlLTlVZXZlWEtEeGFIc0hNMg45VWV2ZVhLRHhhSHNITToOanNLVVZrcmJ5TVNaaU0gBCoXCgFzEhBlLTlVZXZlWEtEeGFIc0hNGAEwARgHINH5rKMMSggQARgBIAEoAQ
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 60,781

    Nige's announcement is via pre-recorded video, so no questions will be asked.

    And likely few answers given either.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 73,018
    edited 11:39AM
    By-election in Clacton?

    At which he says he will stand.

    "Let the people decide" etc etc
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 92,133
    A million more homeowners face higher mortgage bills than the Bank of England had previously expected due to the impact of the Iran war.

    Just over five million homeowners should expect their monthly mortgage repayments to increase by the end of 2028, according to Bank forecasts.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 72,624
    ydoethur said:

    Adding VAT to private school fees has failed to trigger an exodus of pupils into the state sector despite widespread speculation that it would, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.

    The Labour government applied 20% VAT to private school fees from the start of 2025. They had previously been exempt from the tax. Newly published admissions data for England showed there had been no influx towards state schools since then.

    The DfE said that VAT on private school fees was raising more than had been initially forecast, and is now likely to bring in £1.8bn annually by 2029-30.

    Great News for the 94% that the 6% are paying VAT for the privilege of privilege

    Leaving aside the fact that (even in the absence of a link) Bridget Phillipson is a fluent liar with the intellectual capacity of a donkey and so are the civil servants of the DfE, we need a few caveats:

    1) Where is the data from and which data point is it up to? If it only goes to the 6th April it's more useless than Amanda Spielman.

    2) Have they checked to see if it shows any excess outflow at the change of key stage?

    3) Have they adjusted by region to show whether or not a shift is being masked by demographic decline?

    All the figures I have seen show that the exodus is about bang in the middle of the two year forecast.

    I'd also add that since these utter loons propose to spank any money on disastrous failed projects including expanding academy chains and throttling teacher training further by diverting yet more money to Teach First, rather than by getting serious by cutting class sizes, more money isn't going to help in any meaningful way even if it materialises.
    Also tell that to Ruthin and Bangor schools that closed last friday with 350 children in tears, over 100 teachers with lost jobs, and the DWP having to intervene in an attempt to find alternate employers
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 60,781

    By-election in Clacton?

    It would be one way to get ahead of things.

    Who will be the Man In The White Suit though?
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 23,832
    1.24 now available on 2026 Exit for Nige
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 23,832

    By-election in Clacton?

    It would be one way to get ahead of things.

    Who will be the Man In The White Suit though?
    Hopkirk?
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 37,617

    Ukraine claims to have hit 10 Russian ships in the Sea of Azov overnight. 8 fuel tankers, 1 cargo ship and a ferry. At least some of them were successful enough to be picked up by the NASA FIRMS system (that's normally used for tracking forest fires). The operation to isolate Crimea continues.

    The Berlin Airlift started just over 78 years ago, and I wonder whether a Russian attempt to do something similar is in the near future.

    Airlifts only tend to work when your cargo planes aren’t being shot at (eg Stalingrad v Berlin). I imagine that though Ukraine might not contest a retreat from Crimea, air transports to sustain occupation would be very much fair game.
    Russia is still operating military fixed-wing aviation out of Crimean airbases, so I'd guess the main problems would be a general lack of aviation fuel (due to the ongoing attacks on oil refineries), lack of spare parts for the aircraft, and drones attacking aircraft on the ground.

    I wouldn't expect it to work, but if the supply situation by land and sea continues to deteriorate they will very likely make the attempt.
    You also need a huge airlift capability to do much resupply. And even then that has serious limits - replacing land/sea shipping is a a vast task.

    Russia’s fleet of military cargo aircraft is aging and has serious availability issues.
    How many of the residents of Crimea are likely to be sympathetic to the Russian and Ukrainian causes? My, admittedly poor, understanding is that Crimea isn't particularly Ukrainian.
    This is a complicated question, complicated further by Russian attempts since 2014 to Russify the territory by encouraging Russians to move there and being hostile to the Crimean Tartars.

    I would say that, among the population who were resident in 2013, they are likely to be much more pro-Ukrainian than they were before the Russian seizure in 2014, but a lot of current residents were not living in Crimea at that time.
    Thanks; thought it wasn't simple. Are Crimean Tartars Russian (your post suggests not), Ukrainian, or 'plague on both your houses' Tartars?
    And more importantly why is their sauce so good with fish!
    LOL. I didn't realise, until I spent the best part of an hour reading the Wikipedia entry on the history of the Crimea, it's inhabitants and their language that the 'ethnic' name was Tatar!
    Very, very complex, but typical of Eastern Europe and (far) Western Asia.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 72,624
    And another one

    BBC News - Parents and local MP hit back at Durham High School closure - BBC News
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62145l2433o?app-referrer=deep-link
  • BurgessianBurgessian Posts: 3,863

    By-election in Clacton?

    It would be one way to get ahead of things.

    Who will be the Man In The White Suit though?
    That's a good thought. Would the other parties step down? Probably not the Tories anyway, but it would be doing us all a public service if a Martin Bell equivalent came forward. First Makerfield and then, just possibly, Clacton...
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 129,504
    I like being on holiday.

    It means nothing major happens.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 64,173

    Pro_Rata said:

    Nigelb said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    2s
    I fear that if you bring down Farage you'll like what follows a great deal less.

    https://x.com/andrew_lilico

    Acquiescing to Farage on the basis of him being a lesser evil is the very definition of defeatism.
    In any event, "we" are not bringing down Farage - he's done it to himself.
    Lilico appears to be suggesting that we just ignore the huge sums of money and the dodgy sources.

    On that score, the FT has a report on Cottrell:
    Damning - Cottrell describing how to bribe politicians etc...
    https://x.com/Starcourse/status/2074371799513530808
    The glaring thing to any lanyarder who has ever done a corporate compliance course, indeed to any brickie who has ever filled in a VAT form is just how crushingly entry level / 101 this all is. It's like stuff simply doesn't apply.

    I mean, the parliamentary system that allows a hell of a lot on expenses, practical gifts and a level of security / VIP separation is borderline asking for trouble already, and the Farage stuff just blows even that system to smithereens.
    Love of money, root of all evil and all that. Not seeking to create a good life using money as a means to an end. But treating it as a fetish object, a way of keeping score in life. Because that thirst can never be quenched.
    From the expenses scandal - MPs of all parties were angry and horrified by the idea of having to provide receipts for everything they expensed.

    It’s part of the #Nu10K thinking - being above such rules and laws is seen as part of the evidence of your privilege. Receipts and £50 limits on gifts are signs of being a Prole.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 23,238
    edited 11:46AM

    ydoethur said:

    Adding VAT to private school fees has failed to trigger an exodus of pupils into the state sector despite widespread speculation that it would, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.

    The Labour government applied 20% VAT to private school fees from the start of 2025. They had previously been exempt from the tax. Newly published admissions data for England showed there had been no influx towards state schools since then.

    The DfE said that VAT on private school fees was raising more than had been initially forecast, and is now likely to bring in £1.8bn annually by 2029-30.

    Great News for the 94% that the 6% are paying VAT for the privilege of privilege

    Leaving aside the fact that (even in the absence of a link) Bridget Phillipson is a fluent liar with the intellectual capacity of a donkey and so are the civil servants of the DfE, we need a few caveats:

    1) Where is the data from and which data point is it up to? If it only goes to the 6th April it's more useless than Amanda Spielman.

    2) Have they checked to see if it shows any excess outflow at the change of key stage?

    3) Have they adjusted by region to show whether or not a shift is being masked by demographic decline?

    All the figures I have seen show that the exodus is about bang in the middle of the two year forecast.

    I'd also add that since these utter loons propose to spank any money on disastrous failed projects including expanding academy chains and throttling teacher training further by diverting yet more money to Teach First, rather than by getting serious by cutting class sizes, more money isn't going to help in any meaningful way even if it materialises.
    Also tell that to Ruthin and Bangor schools that closed last friday with 350 children in tears, over 100 teachers with lost jobs, and the DWP having to intervene in an attempt to find alternate employers
    Though as someone (eek?) has pointed out, a simpler possibly is the owners of these sites have concluded that there's more profit to be made more easily selling the sites for redevelopment. Rough end of capitalism and all that. VAT may be the justification without being the reason.

    And I'd be interested to see how a school with 350 pupils and 100 teachers- or even 100 staff- works. Not saying that it isn't the case, but something about that ratio feels off.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 81,277

    And another one

    BBC News - Parents and local MP hit back at Durham High School closure - BBC News
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62145l2433o?app-referrer=deep-link

    All seem to be owned by CCP Galaxy Global Education....
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 72,624
    edited 11:49AM

    ydoethur said:

    Adding VAT to private school fees has failed to trigger an exodus of pupils into the state sector despite widespread speculation that it would, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.

    The Labour government applied 20% VAT to private school fees from the start of 2025. They had previously been exempt from the tax. Newly published admissions data for England showed there had been no influx towards state schools since then.

    The DfE said that VAT on private school fees was raising more than had been initially forecast, and is now likely to bring in £1.8bn annually by 2029-30.

    Great News for the 94% that the 6% are paying VAT for the privilege of privilege

    Leaving aside the fact that (even in the absence of a link) Bridget Phillipson is a fluent liar with the intellectual capacity of a donkey and so are the civil servants of the DfE, we need a few caveats:

    1) Where is the data from and which data point is it up to? If it only goes to the 6th April it's more useless than Amanda Spielman.

    2) Have they checked to see if it shows any excess outflow at the change of key stage?

    3) Have they adjusted by region to show whether or not a shift is being masked by demographic decline?

    All the figures I have seen show that the exodus is about bang in the middle of the two year forecast.

    I'd also add that since these utter loons propose to spank any money on disastrous failed projects including expanding academy chains and throttling teacher training further by diverting yet more money to Teach First, rather than by getting serious by cutting class sizes, more money isn't going to help in any meaningful way even if it materialises.
    Also tell that to Ruthin and Bangor schools that closed last friday with 350 children in tears, over 100 teachers with lost jobs, and the DWP having to intervene in an attempt to find alternate employers
    Though as someone (eek?) has pointed out, a simpler possibly is the owners of these sites have concluded that there's more profit to be made more easily selling the sites for redevelopment. Rough end of capitalism and all that. VAT may be the justification without being the reason.

    And I'd be interested to see how a school with 350 pupils and 100 teachers- or even 100 staff- works. Not saying that it isn't the case, but something about that ratio feels off.
    Rhdal school in Colwyn Bay may benefit and they do have a large staff

  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 23,238

    By-election in Clacton?

    It would be one way to get ahead of things.

    Who will be the Man In The White Suit though?
    Joe Marler. Popular, knows all about traitors, and used to being in a gothic castle full of nincompoops.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 23,832

    ydoethur said:

    Adding VAT to private school fees has failed to trigger an exodus of pupils into the state sector despite widespread speculation that it would, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.

    The Labour government applied 20% VAT to private school fees from the start of 2025. They had previously been exempt from the tax. Newly published admissions data for England showed there had been no influx towards state schools since then.

    The DfE said that VAT on private school fees was raising more than had been initially forecast, and is now likely to bring in £1.8bn annually by 2029-30.

    Great News for the 94% that the 6% are paying VAT for the privilege of privilege

    Leaving aside the fact that (even in the absence of a link) Bridget Phillipson is a fluent liar with the intellectual capacity of a donkey and so are the civil servants of the DfE, we need a few caveats:

    1) Where is the data from and which data point is it up to? If it only goes to the 6th April it's more useless than Amanda Spielman.

    2) Have they checked to see if it shows any excess outflow at the change of key stage?

    3) Have they adjusted by region to show whether or not a shift is being masked by demographic decline?

    All the figures I have seen show that the exodus is about bang in the middle of the two year forecast.

    I'd also add that since these utter loons propose to spank any money on disastrous failed projects including expanding academy chains and throttling teacher training further by diverting yet more money to Teach First, rather than by getting serious by cutting class sizes, more money isn't going to help in any meaningful way even if it materialises.
    Also tell that to Ruthin and Bangor schools that closed last friday with 350 children in tears, over 100 teachers with lost jobs, and the DWP having to intervene in an attempt to find alternate employers
    Dont forget Oakleigh in Swansea and St Clare's in Porthcawl also owned by the same Chinese owners Galaxy Global Education Group, have also closed

    Good news for Education equality
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 79,909
    edited 11:52AM

    ydoethur said:

    Adding VAT to private school fees has failed to trigger an exodus of pupils into the state sector despite widespread speculation that it would, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.

    The Labour government applied 20% VAT to private school fees from the start of 2025. They had previously been exempt from the tax. Newly published admissions data for England showed there had been no influx towards state schools since then.

    The DfE said that VAT on private school fees was raising more than had been initially forecast, and is now likely to bring in £1.8bn annually by 2029-30.

    Great News for the 94% that the 6% are paying VAT for the privilege of privilege

    Leaving aside the fact that (even in the absence of a link) Bridget Phillipson is a fluent liar with the intellectual capacity of a donkey and so are the civil servants of the DfE, we need a few caveats:

    1) Where is the data from and which data point is it up to? If it only goes to the 6th April it's more useless than Amanda Spielman.

    2) Have they checked to see if it shows any excess outflow at the change of key stage?

    3) Have they adjusted by region to show whether or not a shift is being masked by demographic decline?

    All the figures I have seen show that the exodus is about bang in the middle of the two year forecast.

    I'd also add that since these utter loons propose to spank any money on disastrous failed projects including expanding academy chains and throttling teacher training further by diverting yet more money to Teach First, rather than by getting serious by cutting class sizes, more money isn't going to help in any meaningful way even if it materialises.
    Link to the Admissions Data

    From Official DOE site but hey you know best with you preconceived thoughts

    It’s fromhttps://www.google.co.uk/search?sca_esv=fb771978cd7fbbec&sxsrf=APpeQnswBTp9iLlQmTvELzX9Db2u49Z5rg:1783422905253&udm=2&fbs=ABfTbFVyMZGZf1hfvX9uKjN_-G8cqCQj_06QnZs315LoFmPf5bBLHMJ0vMQmTbuI72DM7jnxvATrUU2Yg9dwuUGnsUHcA8ltRxGSueAm4xbJB7-U9dUVXdUUUBKez4bad6LuBL0vMB19lFszB4gP8QG4a5HAYCwNbaWDeHUMg3aZg1dFyqz3j9lf_iAcutKfO6uVLnbDXIGC-9hzfE9LW_FBZRSpMh8bXw&q=no+future&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiQwYGGuMCVAxVzVKQEHepSG8gQtKgLegQIIBAB&biw=1396&bih=632&dpr=1.38#sv=CAMSURoyKhBlLTlVZXZlWEtEeGFIc0hNMg45VWV2ZVhLRHhhSHNITToOanNLVVZrcmJ5TVNaaU0gBCoXCgFzEhBlLTlVZXZlWEtEeGFIc0hNGAEwARgHINH5rKMMSggQARgBIAEoAQ
    Unfortunately, that doesn’t link to the DOE (sic) website nor does it even work.

    On the last of your - comments, rather than points - perhaps I know better than a bunch of drunken liars who have long been known to falsify data?
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 60,781

    By-election in Clacton?

    It would be one way to get ahead of things.

    Who will be the Man In The White Suit though?
    Hopkirk?
    Barry White.

    Gang-banger in his youth. You wouldn't want to cross the Walrus of Love...
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 72,624
    Link as per my previous post

    https://rydalpenrhos.com/staff-list/
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 23,832
    Latest Betting News 1.4 on Nige being replaced in 2026
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 81,277

    ydoethur said:

    Adding VAT to private school fees has failed to trigger an exodus of pupils into the state sector despite widespread speculation that it would, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.

    The Labour government applied 20% VAT to private school fees from the start of 2025. They had previously been exempt from the tax. Newly published admissions data for England showed there had been no influx towards state schools since then.

    The DfE said that VAT on private school fees was raising more than had been initially forecast, and is now likely to bring in £1.8bn annually by 2029-30.

    Great News for the 94% that the 6% are paying VAT for the privilege of privilege

    Leaving aside the fact that (even in the absence of a link) Bridget Phillipson is a fluent liar with the intellectual capacity of a donkey and so are the civil servants of the DfE, we need a few caveats:

    1) Where is the data from and which data point is it up to? If it only goes to the 6th April it's more useless than Amanda Spielman.

    2) Have they checked to see if it shows any excess outflow at the change of key stage?

    3) Have they adjusted by region to show whether or not a shift is being masked by demographic decline?

    All the figures I have seen show that the exodus is about bang in the middle of the two year forecast.

    I'd also add that since these utter loons propose to spank any money on disastrous failed projects including expanding academy chains and throttling teacher training further by diverting yet more money to Teach First, rather than by getting serious by cutting class sizes, more money isn't going to help in any meaningful way even if it materialises.
    Link to the Admissions Data

    From Official DOE site but hey you know best with you preconceived thoughts

    Its fromhttps://www.google.co.uk/search?sca_esv=fb771978cd7fbbec&sxsrf=APpeQnswBTp9iLlQmTvELzX9Db2u49Z5rg:1783422905253&udm=2&fbs=ABfTbFVyMZGZf1hfvX9uKjN_-G8cqCQj_06QnZs315LoFmPf5bBLHMJ0vMQmTbuI72DM7jnxvATrUU2Yg9dwuUGnsUHcA8ltRxGSueAm4xbJB7-U9dUVXdUUUBKez4bad6LuBL0vMB19lFszB4gP8QG4a5HAYCwNbaWDeHUMg3aZg1dFyqz3j9lf_iAcutKfO6uVLnbDXIGC-9hzfE9LW_FBZRSpMh8bXw&q=no+future&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiQwYGGuMCVAxVzVKQEHepSG8gQtKgLegQIIBAB&biw=1396&bih=632&dpr=1.38#sv=CAMSURoyKhBlLTlVZXZlWEtEeGFIc0hNMg45VWV2ZVhLRHhhSHNITToOanNLVVZrcmJ5TVNaaU0gBCoXCgFzEhBlLTlVZXZlWEtEeGFIc0hNGAEwARgHINH5rKMMSggQARgBIAEoAQ
    That's a link to an image search for 'no future'.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 73,018
    Does him resigning as an MP stop the parliamentary standards investigation or merely pause it?
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 79,909

    ydoethur said:

    Adding VAT to private school fees has failed to trigger an exodus of pupils into the state sector despite widespread speculation that it would, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.

    The Labour government applied 20% VAT to private school fees from the start of 2025. They had previously been exempt from the tax. Newly published admissions data for England showed there had been no influx towards state schools since then.

    The DfE said that VAT on private school fees was raising more than had been initially forecast, and is now likely to bring in £1.8bn annually by 2029-30.

    Great News for the 94% that the 6% are paying VAT for the privilege of privilege

    Leaving aside the fact that (even in the absence of a link) Bridget Phillipson is a fluent liar with the intellectual capacity of a donkey and so are the civil servants of the DfE, we need a few caveats:

    1) Where is the data from and which data point is it up to? If it only goes to the 6th April it's more useless than Amanda Spielman.

    2) Have they checked to see if it shows any excess outflow at the change of key stage?

    3) Have they adjusted by region to show whether or not a shift is being masked by demographic decline?

    All the figures I have seen show that the exodus is about bang in the middle of the two year forecast.

    I'd also add that since these utter loons propose to spank any money on disastrous failed projects including expanding academy chains and throttling teacher training further by diverting yet more money to Teach First, rather than by getting serious by cutting class sizes, more money isn't going to help in any meaningful way even if it materialises.
    Also tell that to Ruthin and Bangor schools that closed last friday with 350 children in tears, over 100 teachers with lost jobs, and the DWP having to intervene in an attempt to find alternate employers
    Dont forget Oakleigh in Swansea and St Clare's in Porthcawl also owned by the same Chinese owners Galaxy Global Education Group, have also closed

    Good news for Education equality
    They’re owned by Cognita, not Galaxy.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 72,624

    ydoethur said:

    Adding VAT to private school fees has failed to trigger an exodus of pupils into the state sector despite widespread speculation that it would, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.

    The Labour government applied 20% VAT to private school fees from the start of 2025. They had previously been exempt from the tax. Newly published admissions data for England showed there had been no influx towards state schools since then.

    The DfE said that VAT on private school fees was raising more than had been initially forecast, and is now likely to bring in £1.8bn annually by 2029-30.

    Great News for the 94% that the 6% are paying VAT for the privilege of privilege

    Leaving aside the fact that (even in the absence of a link) Bridget Phillipson is a fluent liar with the intellectual capacity of a donkey and so are the civil servants of the DfE, we need a few caveats:

    1) Where is the data from and which data point is it up to? If it only goes to the 6th April it's more useless than Amanda Spielman.

    2) Have they checked to see if it shows any excess outflow at the change of key stage?

    3) Have they adjusted by region to show whether or not a shift is being masked by demographic decline?

    All the figures I have seen show that the exodus is about bang in the middle of the two year forecast.

    I'd also add that since these utter loons propose to spank any money on disastrous failed projects including expanding academy chains and throttling teacher training further by diverting yet more money to Teach First, rather than by getting serious by cutting class sizes, more money isn't going to help in any meaningful way even if it materialises.
    Also tell that to Ruthin and Bangor schools that closed last friday with 350 children in tears, over 100 teachers with lost jobs, and the DWP having to intervene in an attempt to find alternate employers
    Dont forget Oakleigh in Swansea and St Clare's in Porthcawl also owned by the same Chinese owners Galaxy Global Education Group, have also closed

    Good news for Education equality
    Unfortunately it is nothing of the kind

    All this does is make the remaining public schools more elite and for the wealthy

  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 72,624
    edited 11:56AM
    Le Pen ineligible to hold public office for 45 months
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 79,909

    ydoethur said:

    Adding VAT to private school fees has failed to trigger an exodus of pupils into the state sector despite widespread speculation that it would, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.

    The Labour government applied 20% VAT to private school fees from the start of 2025. They had previously been exempt from the tax. Newly published admissions data for England showed there had been no influx towards state schools since then.

    The DfE said that VAT on private school fees was raising more than had been initially forecast, and is now likely to bring in £1.8bn annually by 2029-30.

    Great News for the 94% that the 6% are paying VAT for the privilege of privilege

    Leaving aside the fact that (even in the absence of a link) Bridget Phillipson is a fluent liar with the intellectual capacity of a donkey and so are the civil servants of the DfE, we need a few caveats:

    1) Where is the data from and which data point is it up to? If it only goes to the 6th April it's more useless than Amanda Spielman.

    2) Have they checked to see if it shows any excess outflow at the change of key stage?

    3) Have they adjusted by region to show whether or not a shift is being masked by demographic decline?

    All the figures I have seen show that the exodus is about bang in the middle of the two year forecast.

    I'd also add that since these utter loons propose to spank any money on disastrous failed projects including expanding academy chains and throttling teacher training further by diverting yet more money to Teach First, rather than by getting serious by cutting class sizes, more money isn't going to help in any meaningful way even if it materialises.
    Also tell that to Ruthin and Bangor schools that closed last friday with 350 children in tears, over 100 teachers with lost jobs, and the DWP having to intervene in an attempt to find alternate employers
    Though as someone (eek?) has pointed out, a simpler possibly is the owners of these sites have concluded that there's more profit to be made more easily selling the sites for redevelopment. Rough end of capitalism and all that. VAT may be the justification without being the reason.

    And I'd be interested to see how a school with 350 pupils and 100 teachers- or even 100 staff- works. Not saying that it isn't the case, but something about that ratio feels off.
    That's a perfectly normal ratio actually for a private school, as long as we're talking staff not teachers. About 30-40 would be teaching staff, then you have maintenance, admin, if there's a nursery that ups the figure considerably, any specialist boarding staff, often separate bus/coach drivers.

    Roughly you would expect 3-4 pupils for every one member of staff overall. In a mainstream style setting. More of course if it was big on SEND.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 90,592

    By-election in Clacton?

    At which he says he will stand.

    "Let the people decide" etc etc

    "I think most people who have dealt with me, think I'm a pretty straight sort of guy, and I am."....
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 60,781

    By-election in Clacton?

    It would be one way to get ahead of things.

    Who will be the Man In The White Suit though?
    That's a good thought. Would the other parties step down? Probably not the Tories anyway, but it would be doing us all a public service if a Martin Bell equivalent came forward. First Makerfield and then, just possibly, Clacton...
    I think we might see more foot-soldiers for that candidate than he would have any idea what to do with!

    Being able to wear the T-shirt: A Farage statue crashing to the ground, Saddam-style, with a bold "I toppled Farage!"
  • BattlebusBattlebus Posts: 3,532
    edited 12:01PM

    ydoethur said:

    Adding VAT to private school fees has failed to trigger an exodus of pupils into the state sector despite widespread speculation that it would, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.

    The Labour government applied 20% VAT to private school fees from the start of 2025. They had previously been exempt from the tax. Newly published admissions data for England showed there had been no influx towards state schools since then.

    The DfE said that VAT on private school fees was raising more than had been initially forecast, and is now likely to bring in £1.8bn annually by 2029-30.

    Great News for the 94% that the 6% are paying VAT for the privilege of privilege

    Leaving aside the fact that (even in the absence of a link) Bridget Phillipson is a fluent liar with the intellectual capacity of a donkey and so are the civil servants of the DfE, we need a few caveats:

    1) Where is the data from and which data point is it up to? If it only goes to the 6th April it's more useless than Amanda Spielman.

    2) Have they checked to see if it shows any excess outflow at the change of key stage?

    3) Have they adjusted by region to show whether or not a shift is being masked by demographic decline?

    All the figures I have seen show that the exodus is about bang in the middle of the two year forecast.

    I'd also add that since these utter loons propose to spank any money on disastrous failed projects including expanding academy chains and throttling teacher training further by diverting yet more money to Teach First, rather than by getting serious by cutting class sizes, more money isn't going to help in any meaningful way even if it materialises.
    Also tell that to Ruthin and Bangor schools that closed last friday with 350 children in tears, over 100 teachers with lost jobs, and the DWP having to intervene in an attempt to find alternate employers
    Dont forget Oakleigh in Swansea and St Clare's in Porthcawl also owned by the same Chinese owners Galaxy Global Education Group, have also closed

    Good news for Education equality
    Suspect it's more to do with rampant capitalism if schools are sitting on land assets. Private Equity would have securitised land assets on a sale and leaseback by now. Wonder if there is something like that in the background.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 73,018

    By-election in Clacton?

    It would be one way to get ahead of things.

    Who will be the Man In The White Suit though?
    That's a good thought. Would the other parties step down? Probably not the Tories anyway, but it would be doing us all a public service if a Martin Bell equivalent came forward. First Makerfield and then, just possibly, Clacton...
    I think we might see more foot-soldiers for that candidate than he would have any idea what to do with!

    Being able to wear the T-shirt: A Farage statue crashing to the ground, Saddam-style, with a bold "I toppled Farage!"
    Guardian speculating he will just announce he is taking a temporary break as exhausted/health issue and Tice will be caretaker for a few months.

    They confess they have no real idea though.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 79,909

    Le Pen ineligible to hold public office for 45 months

    Le Pen and Farage on the same day?

    Could we really be that lucky?
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 23,238
    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    Adding VAT to private school fees has failed to trigger an exodus of pupils into the state sector despite widespread speculation that it would, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.

    The Labour government applied 20% VAT to private school fees from the start of 2025. They had previously been exempt from the tax. Newly published admissions data for England showed there had been no influx towards state schools since then.

    The DfE said that VAT on private school fees was raising more than had been initially forecast, and is now likely to bring in £1.8bn annually by 2029-30.

    Great News for the 94% that the 6% are paying VAT for the privilege of privilege

    Leaving aside the fact that (even in the absence of a link) Bridget Phillipson is a fluent liar with the intellectual capacity of a donkey and so are the civil servants of the DfE, we need a few caveats:

    1) Where is the data from and which data point is it up to? If it only goes to the 6th April it's more useless than Amanda Spielman.

    2) Have they checked to see if it shows any excess outflow at the change of key stage?

    3) Have they adjusted by region to show whether or not a shift is being masked by demographic decline?

    All the figures I have seen show that the exodus is about bang in the middle of the two year forecast.

    I'd also add that since these utter loons propose to spank any money on disastrous failed projects including expanding academy chains and throttling teacher training further by diverting yet more money to Teach First, rather than by getting serious by cutting class sizes, more money isn't going to help in any meaningful way even if it materialises.
    Also tell that to Ruthin and Bangor schools that closed last friday with 350 children in tears, over 100 teachers with lost jobs, and the DWP having to intervene in an attempt to find alternate employers
    Though as someone (eek?) has pointed out, a simpler possibly is the owners of these sites have concluded that there's more profit to be made more easily selling the sites for redevelopment. Rough end of capitalism and all that. VAT may be the justification without being the reason.

    And I'd be interested to see how a school with 350 pupils and 100 teachers- or even 100 staff- works. Not saying that it isn't the case, but something about that ratio feels off.
    That's a perfectly normal ratio actually for a private school, as long as we're talking staff not teachers. About 30-40 would be teaching staff, then you have maintenance, admin, if there's a nursery that ups the figure considerably, any specialist boarding staff, often separate bus/coach drivers.

    Roughly you would expect 3-4 pupils for every one member of staff overall. In a mainstream style setting. More of course if it was big on SEND.
    Fair enough. Different world, though, isn't it?
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 79,909
    Battlebus said:

    ydoethur said:

    Adding VAT to private school fees has failed to trigger an exodus of pupils into the state sector despite widespread speculation that it would, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.

    The Labour government applied 20% VAT to private school fees from the start of 2025. They had previously been exempt from the tax. Newly published admissions data for England showed there had been no influx towards state schools since then.

    The DfE said that VAT on private school fees was raising more than had been initially forecast, and is now likely to bring in £1.8bn annually by 2029-30.

    Great News for the 94% that the 6% are paying VAT for the privilege of privilege

    Leaving aside the fact that (even in the absence of a link) Bridget Phillipson is a fluent liar with the intellectual capacity of a donkey and so are the civil servants of the DfE, we need a few caveats:

    1) Where is the data from and which data point is it up to? If it only goes to the 6th April it's more useless than Amanda Spielman.

    2) Have they checked to see if it shows any excess outflow at the change of key stage?

    3) Have they adjusted by region to show whether or not a shift is being masked by demographic decline?

    All the figures I have seen show that the exodus is about bang in the middle of the two year forecast.

    I'd also add that since these utter loons propose to spank any money on disastrous failed projects including expanding academy chains and throttling teacher training further by diverting yet more money to Teach First, rather than by getting serious by cutting class sizes, more money isn't going to help in any meaningful way even if it materialises.
    Also tell that to Ruthin and Bangor schools that closed last friday with 350 children in tears, over 100 teachers with lost jobs, and the DWP having to intervene in an attempt to find alternate employers
    Dont forget Oakleigh in Swansea and St Clare's in Porthcawl also owned by the same Chinese owners Galaxy Global Education Group, have also closed

    Good news for Education equality
    Suspect it's more to do with rampant capitalism if schools are sitting on land assets. Private Equity would have securitised land assets on a sale and leaseback by now. Wonder if there is something like that in the background.
    That's what appears to have happened at Abbotsholme, although they appear to have sold the land and liquidated the school even before the ink was dry on the transfers (literally).
  • BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 10,220

    By-election in Clacton?

    It would be one way to get ahead of things.

    Who will be the Man In The White Suit though?
    That's a good thought. Would the other parties step down? Probably not the Tories anyway, but it would be doing us all a public service if a Martin Bell equivalent came forward. First Makerfield and then, just possibly, Clacton...
    I think we might see more foot-soldiers for that candidate than he would have any idea what to do with!

    Being able to wear the T-shirt: A Farage statue crashing to the ground, Saddam-style, with a bold "I toppled Farage!"
    Guardian speculating he will just announce he is taking a temporary break as exhausted/health issue and Tice will be caretaker for a few months.

    They confess they have no real idea though.
    The fact that it is pre-recorded indicates that he doesn't have the confidence to do it live.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 92,133
    edited 12:11PM

    Le Pen ineligible to hold public office for 45 months

    According to be BBC, because 30 months of that is suspended, she can actually run (but with ankle tag). Previously she has said she wouldn't run if she had an ankle tag because it would restrict her ability to campaign properly, but will (like Farage) make an announcement later today.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 79,909

    Le Pen ineligible to hold public office for 45 months

    According to be BBC, because 30 months of that is suspended, she can actually run (but with ankle tag). Previously she has said she wouldn't run if she had an ankle tag, but will (like Farage) make an announcement later today.
    It would be a bloody nuisance, all that bumping up and down as she went.

    Now if she were British, and could stand, that problem resolves itself.
  • DriverDriver Posts: 5,656
    Barnesian said:

    By-election in Clacton?

    It would be one way to get ahead of things.

    Who will be the Man In The White Suit though?
    That's a good thought. Would the other parties step down? Probably not the Tories anyway, but it would be doing us all a public service if a Martin Bell equivalent came forward. First Makerfield and then, just possibly, Clacton...
    I think we might see more foot-soldiers for that candidate than he would have any idea what to do with!

    Being able to wear the T-shirt: A Farage statue crashing to the ground, Saddam-style, with a bold "I toppled Farage!"
    Guardian speculating he will just announce he is taking a temporary break as exhausted/health issue and Tice will be caretaker for a few months.

    They confess they have no real idea though.
    The fact that it is pre-recorded indicates that he doesn't have the confidence to do it live.
    Probably already left the country.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 79,909

    Does him resigning as an MP stop the parliamentary standards investigation or merely pause it?

    I think it carries on anyway, just they can't impose sanctions.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 79,909
    Driver said:

    Barnesian said:

    By-election in Clacton?

    It would be one way to get ahead of things.

    Who will be the Man In The White Suit though?
    That's a good thought. Would the other parties step down? Probably not the Tories anyway, but it would be doing us all a public service if a Martin Bell equivalent came forward. First Makerfield and then, just possibly, Clacton...
    I think we might see more foot-soldiers for that candidate than he would have any idea what to do with!

    Being able to wear the T-shirt: A Farage statue crashing to the ground, Saddam-style, with a bold "I toppled Farage!"
    Guardian speculating he will just announce he is taking a temporary break as exhausted/health issue and Tice will be caretaker for a few months.

    They confess they have no real idea though.
    The fact that it is pre-recorded indicates that he doesn't have the confidence to do it live.
    Probably already left the country.
    Well, if Tice is taking over that means a Tristram gets to try.
  • boulayboulay Posts: 9,173

    By-election in Clacton?

    It would be one way to get ahead of things.

    Who will be the Man In The White Suit though?
    Danny Dyer, lovable geezer, cross society appeal from football and gangster films to Rivals and he’s almost Royalty!
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 60,781
    Driver said:

    Barnesian said:

    By-election in Clacton?

    It would be one way to get ahead of things.

    Who will be the Man In The White Suit though?
    That's a good thought. Would the other parties step down? Probably not the Tories anyway, but it would be doing us all a public service if a Martin Bell equivalent came forward. First Makerfield and then, just possibly, Clacton...
    I think we might see more foot-soldiers for that candidate than he would have any idea what to do with!

    Being able to wear the T-shirt: A Farage statue crashing to the ground, Saddam-style, with a bold "I toppled Farage!"
    Guardian speculating he will just announce he is taking a temporary break as exhausted/health issue and Tice will be caretaker for a few months.

    They confess they have no real idea though.
    The fact that it is pre-recorded indicates that he doesn't have the confidence to do it live.
    Probably already left the country.
    For Moscow?
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 23,238
    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    Adding VAT to private school fees has failed to trigger an exodus of pupils into the state sector despite widespread speculation that it would, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.

    The Labour government applied 20% VAT to private school fees from the start of 2025. They had previously been exempt from the tax. Newly published admissions data for England showed there had been no influx towards state schools since then.

    The DfE said that VAT on private school fees was raising more than had been initially forecast, and is now likely to bring in £1.8bn annually by 2029-30.

    Great News for the 94% that the 6% are paying VAT for the privilege of privilege

    Leaving aside the fact that (even in the absence of a link) Bridget Phillipson is a fluent liar with the intellectual capacity of a donkey and so are the civil servants of the DfE, we need a few caveats:

    1) Where is the data from and which data point is it up to? If it only goes to the 6th April it's more useless than Amanda Spielman.

    2) Have they checked to see if it shows any excess outflow at the change of key stage?

    3) Have they adjusted by region to show whether or not a shift is being masked by demographic decline?

    All the figures I have seen show that the exodus is about bang in the middle of the two year forecast.

    I'd also add that since these utter loons propose to spank any money on disastrous failed projects including expanding academy chains and throttling teacher training further by diverting yet more money to Teach First, rather than by getting serious by cutting class sizes, more money isn't going to help in any meaningful way even if it materialises.
    Also tell that to Ruthin and Bangor schools that closed last friday with 350 children in tears, over 100 teachers with lost jobs, and the DWP having to intervene in an attempt to find alternate employers
    Though as someone (eek?) has pointed out, a simpler possibly is the owners of these sites have concluded that there's more profit to be made more easily selling the sites for redevelopment. Rough end of capitalism and all that. VAT may be the justification without being the reason.

    And I'd be interested to see how a school with 350 pupils and 100 teachers- or even 100 staff- works. Not saying that it isn't the case, but something about that ratio feels off.
    That's a perfectly normal ratio actually for a private school, as long as we're talking staff not teachers. About 30-40 would be teaching staff, then you have maintenance, admin, if there's a nursery that ups the figure considerably, any specialist boarding staff, often separate bus/coach drivers.

    Roughly you would expect 3-4 pupils for every one member of staff overall. In a mainstream style setting. More of course if it was big on SEND.
    Fair enough. Different world, though, isn't it?
    It is.

    If state schools had similar ratios I suspect there would be very few private schools.

    And rather fewer issues around SEND.

    And far fewer issues with teacher retention/recruitment or reluctance to work longer days.

    This would of course be incredibly upsetting to left wing nut jobs who would have to find some other target for their Two Minutes' Hate.
    Not cheap, even if it's worthwhile.

    The other problem would be needing twice as many classrooms PDQ. Which is why primaries went for teacher + TA with classes of 30.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 60,781

    By-election in Clacton?

    It would be one way to get ahead of things.

    Who will be the Man In The White Suit though?
    That's a good thought. Would the other parties step down? Probably not the Tories anyway, but it would be doing us all a public service if a Martin Bell equivalent came forward. First Makerfield and then, just possibly, Clacton...
    I think we might see more foot-soldiers for that candidate than he would have any idea what to do with!

    Being able to wear the T-shirt: A Farage statue crashing to the ground, Saddam-style, with a bold "I toppled Farage!"
    Guardian speculating he will just announce he is taking a temporary break as exhausted/health issue and Tice will be caretaker for a few months.

    They confess they have no real idea though.
    It's pre-recorded.

    Somebody does...
  • MattWMattW Posts: 33,892
    edited 12:21PM
    Taz said:

    MattW said:

    Good morning all.

    An interesting access case that hit the national media this morning.

    TLDR: A Cornwall "hotel on a headland" owner wanting to do a development closed a path used by the public to access the beach since the 19C by putting an iron gate and shuttering across it. There was an imbroglio involving the then Liberal MP around 1900. There is no alternative access afaics.

    The solution would have been to claim it as a Public Right of Way decades ago, or to have had it made a condition of his Planning Permission, as these are more difficult to protect later.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy491z8yej9o

    My wife and I saw this on the news.

    We thought it would be a right of way, people would have right of access. Clearly not.
    I think it is fairly obvious what the developer wants - by blocking the path to a beach which is only accessible otherwise at low tide he gets his customers a semi-private beach which could double the value of the properties he is building. That potential extra profit could make it quite difficult to resolve.

    The rights of way and so on here is even more of a rabbit hole than the Stand-on-the-Green one we were discussing the other day where most people disagreed with my "letter of the law and the national guidance, and work the pavement drinking around that" line (fair enough - we are here to disagree).

    There are any number of PROWs which are not recorded on the Definitive Maps since the recording process in the 1950s after the 1949 Act was chaotic and incomplete to different degrees in different places, and that absence does not necessarily mean that it does not exist. And unrecognised ones can be recorded. Here they could go for "historic evidence of usage" or for "20 years proven unopposed usage").

    There was also the imbroglio around 1900, where a committee was set up to manage public access. The evidence of that committee could be argued either side - either it was a PROW, or it was to manage access by permission (which is a right withdrawable at will by the landowner, who would argue that he has withdrawn it).

    But I don't think the developer knows his stuff in detail - to my eye he has made admissions that may already have sunk his case.

    I have a bit of knowledge of the law here from being on the receiving end of a not dissimilar situation a couple of years back.

    Specifically, I don't think the time limit for claims under the rights of way legislation is yet in operation. If so there is nothing to stop it being retrospectively designated as a Public Right of Way providing that it can be evidenced to have been used as such up to the point where the owner first contested its use by the public. eg. If they put up a notice stating "no public access" 5 years ago you would have to find lots of witnesses that used the path 6 years ago.

    That was a Theresa Coffey Ministerial fiat if I recall, amongst other things. It is complicated, and affected "historic evidence" claims but not I think "20 years unopposed use" claims.

    The deadline was abolished by the current Government - but I am not totally over the detail, or what is left standing of the stakeholder-negotiated arrangements from the Deregulation Act 2016.

    https://defraenvironment.blog.gov.uk/2025/01/03/historic-rights-of-way-saved/

    I'm slightly front-foot, and I think that anything called a "Roman Road" obviously has 20 years use by Romans so they should all be public footpaths, and Bridleways if the Romans used them for horses! Ideally, we would gets something like the Scottish arrangement, but M'Lud's would have a fit.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 79,909

    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    Adding VAT to private school fees has failed to trigger an exodus of pupils into the state sector despite widespread speculation that it would, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.

    The Labour government applied 20% VAT to private school fees from the start of 2025. They had previously been exempt from the tax. Newly published admissions data for England showed there had been no influx towards state schools since then.

    The DfE said that VAT on private school fees was raising more than had been initially forecast, and is now likely to bring in £1.8bn annually by 2029-30.

    Great News for the 94% that the 6% are paying VAT for the privilege of privilege

    Leaving aside the fact that (even in the absence of a link) Bridget Phillipson is a fluent liar with the intellectual capacity of a donkey and so are the civil servants of the DfE, we need a few caveats:

    1) Where is the data from and which data point is it up to? If it only goes to the 6th April it's more useless than Amanda Spielman.

    2) Have they checked to see if it shows any excess outflow at the change of key stage?

    3) Have they adjusted by region to show whether or not a shift is being masked by demographic decline?

    All the figures I have seen show that the exodus is about bang in the middle of the two year forecast.

    I'd also add that since these utter loons propose to spank any money on disastrous failed projects including expanding academy chains and throttling teacher training further by diverting yet more money to Teach First, rather than by getting serious by cutting class sizes, more money isn't going to help in any meaningful way even if it materialises.
    Also tell that to Ruthin and Bangor schools that closed last friday with 350 children in tears, over 100 teachers with lost jobs, and the DWP having to intervene in an attempt to find alternate employers
    Though as someone (eek?) has pointed out, a simpler possibly is the owners of these sites have concluded that there's more profit to be made more easily selling the sites for redevelopment. Rough end of capitalism and all that. VAT may be the justification without being the reason.

    And I'd be interested to see how a school with 350 pupils and 100 teachers- or even 100 staff- works. Not saying that it isn't the case, but something about that ratio feels off.
    That's a perfectly normal ratio actually for a private school, as long as we're talking staff not teachers. About 30-40 would be teaching staff, then you have maintenance, admin, if there's a nursery that ups the figure considerably, any specialist boarding staff, often separate bus/coach drivers.

    Roughly you would expect 3-4 pupils for every one member of staff overall. In a mainstream style setting. More of course if it was big on SEND.
    Fair enough. Different world, though, isn't it?
    It is.

    If state schools had similar ratios I suspect there would be very few private schools.

    And rather fewer issues around SEND.

    And far fewer issues with teacher retention/recruitment or reluctance to work longer days.

    This would of course be incredibly upsetting to left wing nut jobs who would have to find some other target for their Two Minutes' Hate.
    Not cheap, even if it's worthwhile.

    The other problem would be needing twice as many classrooms PDQ. Which is why primaries went for teacher + TA with classes of 30.
    I don't actually think that would be a problem. Most schools have spare classrooms, especially in the areas you would see most benefit, i.e. the inner cities. And there are schools that were closed and could conceivably be recommissioned.

    The real issue is the government won't pay for it because they don't care about good education, only cheap education that conforms to whatever random ideology is in vogue this week.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 59,397
    ydoethur said:

    Le Pen ineligible to hold public office for 45 months

    Le Pen and Farage on the same day?

    Could we really be that lucky?
    According to the BBC the reduction in sentence is such that she is free to run but she has been put on a tag for a year and has previously said she will not campaign wearing a tag because of the reporting requirements that go with it. She is apparently announcing her decision about what she is going to do tonight.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c70yk5xjyl1t

    So, the court will say that they did not stop her running but she will say that the conditions imposed made running impossible. Something for everyone, really.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 23,832
    Restore Britain will deport foreign nationals living in our country who are incapable of speaking English.

    400k Brits live in Spain, over 85% can’t speak Spanish.

    300k Brits live in the Gulf, over 95% can’t speak Arabic.

    Hmm
  • TazTaz Posts: 29,184

    By-election in Clacton?

    It would be one way to get ahead of things.

    Who will be the Man In The White Suit though?
    That's a good thought. Would the other parties step down? Probably not the Tories anyway, but it would be doing us all a public service if a Martin Bell equivalent came forward. First Makerfield and then, just possibly, Clacton...
    I think we might see more foot-soldiers for that candidate than he would have any idea what to do with!

    Being able to wear the T-shirt: A Farage statue crashing to the ground, Saddam-style, with a bold "I toppled Farage!"
    Guardian speculating he will just announce he is taking a temporary break as exhausted/health issue and Tice will be caretaker for a few months.

    They confess they have no real idea though.
    It's pre-recorded.

    Somebody does...
    Surprised nothing has leaked.
  • boulayboulay Posts: 9,173
    MattW said:

    Taz said:

    MattW said:

    Good morning all.

    An interesting access case that hit the national media this morning.

    TLDR: A Cornwall "hotel on a headland" owner wanting to do a development closed a path used by the public to access the beach since the 19C by putting an iron gate and shuttering across it. There was an imbroglio involving the then Liberal MP around 1900. There is no alternative access afaics.

    The solution would have been to claim it as a Public Right of Way decades ago, or to have had it made a condition of his Planning Permission, as these are more difficult to protect later.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy491z8yej9o

    My wife and I saw this on the news.

    We thought it would be a right of way, people would have right of access. Clearly not.
    I think it is fairly obvious what the developer wants - by blocking the path to a beach which is only accessible otherwise at low tide he gets his customers a semi-private beach which could double the value of the properties he is building. That potential extra profit could make it quite difficult to resolve.

    The rights of way and so on here is even more of a rabbit hole than the Stand-on-the-Green one we were discussing the other day where most people disagreed with my "letter of the law and the national guidance, and work the pavement drinking around that" line (fair enough - we are here to disagree).

    There are any number of PROWs which are not recorded on the Definitive Maps since the recording process in the 1950s after the 1949 Act was chaotic and incomplete to different degrees in different places, and that absence does not necessarily mean that it does not exist. And unrecognised ones can be recorded. Here they could go for "historic evidence of usage" or for "20 years proven unopposed usage").

    There was also the imbroglio around 1900, where a committee was set up to manage public access. The evidence of that committee could be argued either side - either it was a PROW, or it was to manage access by permission (which is a right withdrawable at will by the landowner, who would argue that he has withdrawn it).

    But I don't think the developer knows his stuff in detail - to my eye he has made admissions that may already have sunk his case.

    I have a bit of knowledge of the law here from being on the receiving end of a not dissimilar situation a couple of years back.

    Specifically, I don't think the time limit for claims under the rights of way legislation is yet in operation. If so there is nothing to stop it being retrospectively designated as a Public Right of Way providing that it can be evidenced to have been used as such up to the point where the owner first contested its use by the public. eg. If they put up a notice stating "no public access" 5 years ago you would have to find lots of witnesses that used the path 6 years ago.

    That was a Theresa Coffey Ministerial fiat if I recall, amongst other things. It is complicated, and affected "historic evidence" claims but not I think "20 years unopposed use" claims.

    The deadline was abolished by the current Government - but I am not totally over the detail, or what is left standing of the stakeholder-negotiated arrangements from the Deregulation Act 2016.

    https://defraenvironment.blog.gov.uk/2025/01/03/historic-rights-of-way-saved/

    I'm slightly front-foot, and I think that anything called a "Roman Road" obviously has 20 years use by Romans so they should all be public footpaths, and Bridleways if the Romans used them for horses! Ideally, we would gets something like the Scottish arrangement, but M'Lud's would have a fit.
    I was surprised to read that you can have private beaches in the UK. For us the crown owned the foreshore from high to low tide, so the whole of the beaches, and they transferred them to the people of Jersey about ten years ago. I would have presumed (wrongly clearly) that the crown owned the shoreline in the uk too.
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 15,758

    Restore Britain will deport foreign nationals living in our country who are incapable of speaking English.

    400k Brits live in Spain, over 85% can’t speak Spanish.

    300k Brits live in the Gulf, over 95% can’t speak Arabic.

    Hmm

    There is no fucking way that 1 in 20 beer soaked, Clarkson bellied British expats in the Gulf speak Arabic, whether MSA or dialect, to any functional level.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 24,730
    edited 12:33PM

    Pro_Rata said:

    Nigelb said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    2s
    I fear that if you bring down Farage you'll like what follows a great deal less.

    https://x.com/andrew_lilico

    Acquiescing to Farage on the basis of him being a lesser evil is the very definition of defeatism.
    In any event, "we" are not bringing down Farage - he's done it to himself.
    Lilico appears to be suggesting that we just ignore the huge sums of money and the dodgy sources.

    On that score, the FT has a report on Cottrell:
    Damning - Cottrell describing how to bribe politicians etc...
    https://x.com/Starcourse/status/2074371799513530808
    The glaring thing to any lanyarder who has ever done a corporate compliance course, indeed to any brickie who has ever filled in a VAT form is just how crushingly entry level / 101 this all is. It's like stuff simply doesn't apply.

    I mean, the parliamentary system that allows a hell of a lot on expenses, practical gifts and a level of security / VIP separation is borderline asking for trouble already, and the Farage stuff just blows even that system to smithereens.
    Love of money, root of all evil and all that. Not seeking to create a good life using money as a means to an end. But treating it as a fetish object, a way of keeping score in life. Because that thirst can never be quenched.
    From the expenses scandal - MPs of all parties were angry and horrified by the idea of having to provide receipts for everything they expensed.

    It’s part of the #Nu10K thinking - being above such rules and laws is seen as part of the evidence of your privilege. Receipts and £50 limits on gifts are signs of being a Prole.
    I'm nowhere near the 100K, let alone the 10K, but I have always found having to provide receipts for every expense incredibly irritating, and the presumption that I was fiddling the system unless I could prove otherwise was insulting.
  • BattlebusBattlebus Posts: 3,532

    Restore Britain will deport foreign nationals living in our country who are incapable of speaking English.

    400k Brits live in Spain, over 85% can’t speak Spanish.

    300k Brits live in the Gulf, over 95% can’t speak Arabic.

    Hmm

    From the MAGA/American First POV.

    “You don’t have illegal aliens having birthright anchor babies if illegal aliens aren’t in the country,” he told me. “Deporting the illegal alien parents of anchor babies — and then they can take their kid home with them.


    So a latter day Kemi would have their parents deported and the whole family (a.k.a. dependents) go home. You can see this sort of thread in most right wing party thinking. But to quote Gordon Brown - it started in America.

    https://thehill.com/newsletters/the-movement/5955807-birthright-citizenship-litmus-test-roe-v-wade/
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 129,504
    edited 12:32PM

    Le Pen ineligible to hold public office for 45 months

    Hmmm.

    On 2027’s biggest betting market.

    A French appeals court has cleared the way for Marine Le Pen to run in the 2027 presidential election - but with an electronic tag.


    https://news.sky.com/story/far-right-french-leader-le-pen-able-to-run-in-next-presidential-election-after-court-ruling-13561256
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 23,832
    1.51 Nige to go 2026

    Drifted like a barge from 1.15
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 92,133
    edited 12:38PM
    Dura_Ace said:

    Restore Britain will deport foreign nationals living in our country who are incapable of speaking English.

    400k Brits live in Spain, over 85% can’t speak Spanish.

    300k Brits live in the Gulf, over 95% can’t speak Arabic.

    Hmm

    There is no fucking way that 1 in 20 beer soaked, Clarkson bellied British expats in the Gulf speak Arabic, whether MSA or dialect, to any functional level.
    Not every Brit in the Gulf meets your desciption. For starters, there will be plenty of people who born in UK or have British citizenship who are dispora of Arabic speaking countries and moved to the Gulf for exactly the reason they can navigate between English and Arabic and so very employable professionals.

    Re Ex-pats in Spain. Of all the foreign languages to learn, Spanish has to be one of the easiest to gain a reasonable level of fluency. Pronunication is reasonably easy (a lot easier than Portuguese) and there is no really tricky grammer (looking at you German) or different character set (Eastern European / Asian languages).
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 24,730
    boulay said:

    MattW said:

    Taz said:

    MattW said:

    Good morning all.

    An interesting access case that hit the national media this morning.

    TLDR: A Cornwall "hotel on a headland" owner wanting to do a development closed a path used by the public to access the beach since the 19C by putting an iron gate and shuttering across it. There was an imbroglio involving the then Liberal MP around 1900. There is no alternative access afaics.

    The solution would have been to claim it as a Public Right of Way decades ago, or to have had it made a condition of his Planning Permission, as these are more difficult to protect later.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy491z8yej9o

    My wife and I saw this on the news.

    We thought it would be a right of way, people would have right of access. Clearly not.
    I think it is fairly obvious what the developer wants - by blocking the path to a beach which is only accessible otherwise at low tide he gets his customers a semi-private beach which could double the value of the properties he is building. That potential extra profit could make it quite difficult to resolve.

    The rights of way and so on here is even more of a rabbit hole than the Stand-on-the-Green one we were discussing the other day where most people disagreed with my "letter of the law and the national guidance, and work the pavement drinking around that" line (fair enough - we are here to disagree).

    There are any number of PROWs which are not recorded on the Definitive Maps since the recording process in the 1950s after the 1949 Act was chaotic and incomplete to different degrees in different places, and that absence does not necessarily mean that it does not exist. And unrecognised ones can be recorded. Here they could go for "historic evidence of usage" or for "20 years proven unopposed usage").

    There was also the imbroglio around 1900, where a committee was set up to manage public access. The evidence of that committee could be argued either side - either it was a PROW, or it was to manage access by permission (which is a right withdrawable at will by the landowner, who would argue that he has withdrawn it).

    But I don't think the developer knows his stuff in detail - to my eye he has made admissions that may already have sunk his case.

    I have a bit of knowledge of the law here from being on the receiving end of a not dissimilar situation a couple of years back.

    Specifically, I don't think the time limit for claims under the rights of way legislation is yet in operation. If so there is nothing to stop it being retrospectively designated as a Public Right of Way providing that it can be evidenced to have been used as such up to the point where the owner first contested its use by the public. eg. If they put up a notice stating "no public access" 5 years ago you would have to find lots of witnesses that used the path 6 years ago.

    That was a Theresa Coffey Ministerial fiat if I recall, amongst other things. It is complicated, and affected "historic evidence" claims but not I think "20 years unopposed use" claims.

    The deadline was abolished by the current Government - but I am not totally over the detail, or what is left standing of the stakeholder-negotiated arrangements from the Deregulation Act 2016.

    https://defraenvironment.blog.gov.uk/2025/01/03/historic-rights-of-way-saved/

    I'm slightly front-foot, and I think that anything called a "Roman Road" obviously has 20 years use by Romans so they should all be public footpaths, and Bridleways if the Romans used them for horses! Ideally, we would gets something like the Scottish arrangement, but M'Lud's would have a fit.
    I was surprised to read that you can have private beaches in the UK. For us the crown owned the foreshore from high to low tide, so the whole of the beaches, and they transferred them to the people of Jersey about ten years ago. I would have presumed (wrongly clearly) that the crown owned the shoreline in the uk too.
    That's the case in Ireland - the State owns everything between high and low tide - but that doesn't guarantee access. If a landowner owns all the land that provides access to a beach then your only way to get access to the publicly-owned beach is from the sea.

    My wife's family did this a couple of times when her Dad's boats were still seaworthy, swimming to the beach from the boat, but landowners aren't happy about it.
  • DriverDriver Posts: 5,656

    Restore Britain will deport foreign nationals living in our country who are incapable of speaking English.

    400k Brits live in Spain, over 85% can’t speak Spanish.

    300k Brits live in the Gulf, over 95% can’t speak Arabic.

    Hmm

    Spain and the Gulf countries are at liberty to institute similar policies if they want?
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 43,638
    Taz said:

    By-election in Clacton?

    It would be one way to get ahead of things.

    Who will be the Man In The White Suit though?
    That's a good thought. Would the other parties step down? Probably not the Tories anyway, but it would be doing us all a public service if a Martin Bell equivalent came forward. First Makerfield and then, just possibly, Clacton...
    I think we might see more foot-soldiers for that candidate than he would have any idea what to do with!

    Being able to wear the T-shirt: A Farage statue crashing to the ground, Saddam-style, with a bold "I toppled Farage!"
    Guardian speculating he will just announce he is taking a temporary break as exhausted/health issue and Tice will be caretaker for a few months.

    They confess they have no real idea though.
    It's pre-recorded.

    Somebody does...
    Surprised nothing has leaked.
    @davidallengreen.bsky.social‬

    “After a call from my friend President Trump, FIFA has agreed to suspend the parliamentary investigation against me.”
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 23,832
    Farage has taken funding from a convicted criminal, including paying 3 staff to run his social media

    As for Lab asking what Farages donors got in return, quite! I suppose its just coincidence that Lab has taken £ from super rich private Health donors & refused to introduce wealth taxes and has overseen a further increase in private health profiteering in NHS
  • RattersRatters Posts: 2,097

    1.51 Nige to go 2026

    Drifted like a barge from 1.15

    Is it going to just be him whining like a toddler about how the media scrutiny on him, a prospective Prime Minister candidate, is deeply unfair?
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 23,832
    Dura_Ace said:

    Restore Britain will deport foreign nationals living in our country who are incapable of speaking English.

    400k Brits live in Spain, over 85% can’t speak Spanish.

    300k Brits live in the Gulf, over 95% can’t speak Arabic.

    Hmm

    There is no fucking way that 1 in 20 beer soaked, Clarkson bellied British expats in the Gulf speak Arabic, whether MSA or dialect, to any functional level.
    I believe the word over covers that

    Is Sandpit not fluent?
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 79,909

    Pro_Rata said:

    Nigelb said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    2s
    I fear that if you bring down Farage you'll like what follows a great deal less.

    https://x.com/andrew_lilico

    Acquiescing to Farage on the basis of him being a lesser evil is the very definition of defeatism.
    In any event, "we" are not bringing down Farage - he's done it to himself.
    Lilico appears to be suggesting that we just ignore the huge sums of money and the dodgy sources.

    On that score, the FT has a report on Cottrell:
    Damning - Cottrell describing how to bribe politicians etc...
    https://x.com/Starcourse/status/2074371799513530808
    The glaring thing to any lanyarder who has ever done a corporate compliance course, indeed to any brickie who has ever filled in a VAT form is just how crushingly entry level / 101 this all is. It's like stuff simply doesn't apply.

    I mean, the parliamentary system that allows a hell of a lot on expenses, practical gifts and a level of security / VIP separation is borderline asking for trouble already, and the Farage stuff just blows even that system to smithereens.
    Love of money, root of all evil and all that. Not seeking to create a good life using money as a means to an end. But treating it as a fetish object, a way of keeping score in life. Because that thirst can never be quenched.
    From the expenses scandal - MPs of all parties were angry and horrified by the idea of having to provide receipts for everything they expensed.

    It’s part of the #Nu10K thinking - being above such rules and laws is seen as part of the evidence of your privilege. Receipts and £50 limits on gifts are signs of being a Prole.
    I'm nowhere near the 100K, let alone the 10K, but I have always found having to provide receipts for every expense incredibly irritating, and the presumption that I was fiddling the system unless I could prove otherwise was insulting.
    I never have. My view is if somebody else is providing the money it's fair enough I can prove what I spent it on. And so can they to their auditors (I still have to keep receipts for everything I buy for the business).
  • MattWMattW Posts: 33,892
    boulay said:

    MattW said:

    Taz said:

    MattW said:

    Good morning all.

    An interesting access case that hit the national media this morning.

    TLDR: A Cornwall "hotel on a headland" owner wanting to do a development closed a path used by the public to access the beach since the 19C by putting an iron gate and shuttering across it. There was an imbroglio involving the then Liberal MP around 1900. There is no alternative access afaics.

    The solution would have been to claim it as a Public Right of Way decades ago, or to have had it made a condition of his Planning Permission, as these are more difficult to protect later.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy491z8yej9o

    My wife and I saw this on the news.

    We thought it would be a right of way, people would have right of access. Clearly not.
    I think it is fairly obvious what the developer wants - by blocking the path to a beach which is only accessible otherwise at low tide he gets his customers a semi-private beach which could double the value of the properties he is building. That potential extra profit could make it quite difficult to resolve.

    The rights of way and so on here is even more of a rabbit hole than the Stand-on-the-Green one we were discussing the other day where most people disagreed with my "letter of the law and the national guidance, and work the pavement drinking around that" line (fair enough - we are here to disagree).

    There are any number of PROWs which are not recorded on the Definitive Maps since the recording process in the 1950s after the 1949 Act was chaotic and incomplete to different degrees in different places, and that absence does not necessarily mean that it does not exist. And unrecognised ones can be recorded. Here they could go for "historic evidence of usage" or for "20 years proven unopposed usage").

    There was also the imbroglio around 1900, where a committee was set up to manage public access. The evidence of that committee could be argued either side - either it was a PROW, or it was to manage access by permission (which is a right withdrawable at will by the landowner, who would argue that he has withdrawn it).

    But I don't think the developer knows his stuff in detail - to my eye he has made admissions that may already have sunk his case.

    I have a bit of knowledge of the law here from being on the receiving end of a not dissimilar situation a couple of years back.

    Specifically, I don't think the time limit for claims under the rights of way legislation is yet in operation. If so there is nothing to stop it being retrospectively designated as a Public Right of Way providing that it can be evidenced to have been used as such up to the point where the owner first contested its use by the public. eg. If they put up a notice stating "no public access" 5 years ago you would have to find lots of witnesses that used the path 6 years ago.

    That was a Theresa Coffey Ministerial fiat if I recall, amongst other things. It is complicated, and affected "historic evidence" claims but not I think "20 years unopposed use" claims.

    The deadline was abolished by the current Government - but I am not totally over the detail, or what is left standing of the stakeholder-negotiated arrangements from the Deregulation Act 2016.

    https://defraenvironment.blog.gov.uk/2025/01/03/historic-rights-of-way-saved/

    I'm slightly front-foot, and I think that anything called a "Roman Road" obviously has 20 years use by Romans so they should all be public footpaths, and Bridleways if the Romans used them for horses! Ideally, we would gets something like the Scottish arrangement, but M'Lud's would have a fit.
    I was surprised to read that you can have private beaches in the UK. For us the crown owned the foreshore from high to low tide, so the whole of the beaches, and they transferred them to the people of Jersey about ten years ago. I would have presumed (wrongly clearly) that the crown owned the shoreline in the uk too.
    It's complicated - aiui along the lines of "private beaches do exist, but the public cannot be excluded from the foreshaw". Which may mean you can own the beach, but not stop visits from a boat or along the beach between the high and low tide marks. In those circs closing an access path would make a difference.

    @Foxy can probably explain the fun arguments about the desire for a coastal path on the Osborne Estate on the Isle of Wight. Instead aiui it goes down a main road.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c80gee8p0eyo
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 23,832
    Wow soon to get crossover on the 2026 departure date

    Now 1.76

    TBF thats not bad odds now given the PSC report is due in a couple of months
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 92,133
    edited 12:45PM
    I hope there is no insider trading on this Farage market like the betting on the date of the GE....
  • BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 10,220

    Wow soon to get crossover on the 2026 departure date

    Now 1.76

    TBF thats not bad odds now given the PSC report is due in a couple of months

    Someone knows
  • nico67nico67 Posts: 8,446
    The Paris court delivers a poisoned chalice to Marine Le Pen.

    You can run with an electronic tag . Jordan Bardella won’t be happy unless she decides not to stand .
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 23,832
    If 2026 goes to Evs I am having a nibble

    Currently 1.8
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 62,297

    Dura_Ace said:

    Restore Britain will deport foreign nationals living in our country who are incapable of speaking English.

    400k Brits live in Spain, over 85% can’t speak Spanish.

    300k Brits live in the Gulf, over 95% can’t speak Arabic.

    Hmm

    There is no fucking way that 1 in 20 beer soaked, Clarkson bellied British expats in the Gulf speak Arabic, whether MSA or dialect, to any functional level.
    I believe the word over covers that

    Is Sandpit not fluent?
    من حسن الحظ أن لغة الأعمال والتجارة في الخليج هي الإنجليزية.
  • noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 28,292

    Wow soon to get crossover on the 2026 departure date

    Now 1.76

    TBF thats not bad odds now given the PSC report is due in a couple of months

    Given that its a row about a donor who is reported to have won a couple of hundred million in shady betting - feels like a market best to avoid!
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 15,758
    I hope Big Nige's video address to the nation starts with him kneeling in a kimono with a wakizashi in front of him.
  • BattlebusBattlebus Posts: 3,532
    Farage was referred to parliamentary standards commissioner by Liberal Democrat MP Josh Babarinde. In the past, Babarinde was known for a social enterprise working with ex-offenders. So he should be able to spot a bad 'un if anyone can.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 23,832
    At least we have solved the question of what happened to the White House pool

    https://x.com/75002Parisienne/status/2074241364535935006
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 79,909
    nico67 said:

    The Paris court delivers a poisoned chalice to Marine Le Pen.

    You can run with an electronic tag . Jordan Bardella won’t be happy unless she decides not to stand .

    Wrecks that great slogan from 2002 - 'vote for the crook not the fascist.'
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 90,592
    Just unthinkable that we should ask what they might expect in return...

    Maguire: Christopher Harborne, the crypto tycoon who gave Farage a £5m 'gift', would benefit hugely from a Reform govt

    Kwarteng: thats absurd, if you say that about one donation, you could say it about all donations.

    https://x.com/SaulStaniforth/status/2074374182343688470
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 23,832
    Sandpit said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Restore Britain will deport foreign nationals living in our country who are incapable of speaking English.

    400k Brits live in Spain, over 85% can’t speak Spanish.

    300k Brits live in the Gulf, over 95% can’t speak Arabic.

    Hmm

    There is no fucking way that 1 in 20 beer soaked, Clarkson bellied British expats in the Gulf speak Arabic, whether MSA or dialect, to any functional level.
    I believe the word over covers that

    Is Sandpit not fluent?
    من حسن الحظ أن لغة الأعمال والتجارة في الخليج هي الإنجليزية.
    Fortunate indeed
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 79,909
    Nigelb said:

    Just unthinkable that we should ask what they might expect in return...

    Maguire: Christopher Harborne, the crypto tycoon who gave Farage a £5m 'gift', would benefit hugely from a Reform govt

    Kwarteng: thats absurd, if you say that about one donation, you could say it about all donations.

    https://x.com/SaulStaniforth/status/2074374182343688470

    We do...
  • TazTaz Posts: 29,184

    Farage has taken funding from a convicted criminal, including paying 3 staff to run his social media

    As for Lab asking what Farages donors got in return, quite! I suppose its just coincidence that Lab has taken £ from super rich private Health donors & refused to introduce wealth taxes and has overseen a further increase in private health profiteering in NHS

    Labour not averse to cash from convicted criminals

    https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/labour-accepted-donations-convicted-criminal-fvfq05sd6
  • nico67nico67 Posts: 8,446
    edited 12:54PM
    Suggestions that Farage will resign and trigger a by-election . This happening before the investigation concludes . I expect we’ll get some martyrdom speech .

    He could save us a lot of trouble by just fxcking off to the USA and becoming Trumps full time gimp !
  • NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 22,151
    Is Farage's statement live on any channel?
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 64,173
    a
    ydoethur said:

    Pro_Rata said:

    Nigelb said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    2s
    I fear that if you bring down Farage you'll like what follows a great deal less.

    https://x.com/andrew_lilico

    Acquiescing to Farage on the basis of him being a lesser evil is the very definition of defeatism.
    In any event, "we" are not bringing down Farage - he's done it to himself.
    Lilico appears to be suggesting that we just ignore the huge sums of money and the dodgy sources.

    On that score, the FT has a report on Cottrell:
    Damning - Cottrell describing how to bribe politicians etc...
    https://x.com/Starcourse/status/2074371799513530808
    The glaring thing to any lanyarder who has ever done a corporate compliance course, indeed to any brickie who has ever filled in a VAT form is just how crushingly entry level / 101 this all is. It's like stuff simply doesn't apply.

    I mean, the parliamentary system that allows a hell of a lot on expenses, practical gifts and a level of security / VIP separation is borderline asking for trouble already, and the Farage stuff just blows even that system to smithereens.
    Love of money, root of all evil and all that. Not seeking to create a good life using money as a means to an end. But treating it as a fetish object, a way of keeping score in life. Because that thirst can never be quenched.
    From the expenses scandal - MPs of all parties were angry and horrified by the idea of having to provide receipts for everything they expensed.

    It’s part of the #Nu10K thinking - being above such rules and laws is seen as part of the evidence of your privilege. Receipts and £50 limits on gifts are signs of being a Prole.
    I'm nowhere near the 100K, let alone the 10K, but I have always found having to provide receipts for every expense incredibly irritating, and the presumption that I was fiddling the system unless I could prove otherwise was insulting.
    I never have. My view is if somebody else is providing the money it's fair enough I can prove what I spent it on. And so can they to their auditors (I still have to keep receipts for everything I buy for the business).
    It’s about the belief you are above the rules - which are imposed on companies via tax/audit rules and laws. They are just passed on to you.
  • TazTaz Posts: 29,184
    Today SpaceX is being added to Nasdaq.
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 15,758

    Is Farage's statement live on any channel?

    I'm just going to borrow one of Mrs DA's dental mirrors and look at my anal sphincter for ten minutes. The overall effect is the same,
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 60,781
    Dura_Ace said:

    I hope Big Nige's video address to the nation starts with him kneeling in a kimono with a wakizashi in front of him.

    Or climbing into a Mitsubishi Zero - trailing a Reform banner for its last divine wind mission...
  • carnforthcarnforth Posts: 9,520
    Taz said:

    Farage has taken funding from a convicted criminal, including paying 3 staff to run his social media

    As for Lab asking what Farages donors got in return, quite! I suppose its just coincidence that Lab has taken £ from super rich private Health donors & refused to introduce wealth taxes and has overseen a further increase in private health profiteering in NHS

    Labour not averse to cash from convicted criminals

    https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/labour-accepted-donations-convicted-criminal-fvfq05sd6
    And let us not forgot a party who's biggest ever donation (from a foreign resident too) was stolen from the vulnerable and never returned because "we've spent it":

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Campbell-Brown
  • Sweeney74Sweeney74 Posts: 787

    Is Farage's statement live on any channel?

    Only Fans.
    brilliant.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 59,397
    edited 1:03PM
    It's the late Mr Farage. How do you manage to be late for a recorded message?
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 79,909
    DavidL said:

    It's the late Mr Farage.

    @Dura_Ace got his wish?!! :hushed:
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 40,694
    "Le Pen cleared to run for president
    Former National Rally leader has electoral ban reduced by appeals court

    Henry Samuel
    Paris Correspondent"

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/07/marine-le-pen-given-lifeline-french-presidential-election/
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