Arguably what was missing was the taxation of the very substantial capital gains of the wealthy on the back of policies like QE which increased asset values. The risks of driving very mobile capital out of the UK are not negligible but failure to tax these gains adequately results in growing inequality and insufficient revenues to reduce the deficit sharply enough.
Also missing was any willingness to attack obviously wasteful spending such as foreign aid. Reducing that to average G8 or OECD levels alone could have saved billions each year. I've yet to meet anyone who doesn't work in the aid industry who wants Britain to be an "aid superpower", or whatever Cameron's fatuous formulation was.
I met a street chugger the other day who was working for a mine clearance charity. It seems to me that working with those sorts of groups is the sort of thing that the Foreign Aid budget ought to be for.
Probably the Halo Trust, in which case it does get govt funding.
Where was freedom of speech with the Danish cartoons? Or Jesus and Mo, when Newsnight attacked an atheist for having the temerity to draw a cartoon not in accordance with Islamic rules? Or the ban on bikini ads on the Tube? Or 'cultural sensitivities' forestalling action in Rotherham for a decade and a half? Or the pretence by a cretinous media that terrorism is mental illness committed by men called Dave?
Mr. L, well, quite.
Mr. kle4, one is a bastion of scientific authority.
Sure, it's not universal but society is considerably more liberal now that it ever was in the past in any number of ways. Even the PC prescription on free speech seems under attack.
It's very wierd that those who now call themselves "liberal" are those most favour of restricting freedom of speech.
I don't think that is true, and I think that you are making lazy assumptions.
For example the Liberal Democrats have been quite outspoken on the subject, opposing authoritarians from both Left and Right. An example here on control orders:
Indeed there has been remarkably little criticism of our government for making a politcal prisoner out of Anjem Choudhary for what he has said rather than what he has done. A very interesting and heavily authoritarian way of dealing with a repellant individual.
There are authoritarians on both left and right, and liberals on both sides too. These are on separate axes.
I wasn't thinking of the Lib Dems, as much as I was thinking of what's going on in the universities and in Labour, where people actively seek to avoid the expression of views that they don't agree with, safe spaces, banning speakers etc. It's more prevalent in the US but has seemed to spread across the Pond in the past couple of years.
Anjem Choudray - no sympathy. He's tried for decades to walk the fine line, stepped the wrong side of it in calling (and I paraphrase slightly) for people to join ISIS and destroy the Western way of life.
The only way to view Choudray is as someone who has incited others to murder, mayhem and violence. That isn't a matter of free speech and has long been against our laws.
It is incredible that it has taken this long to gain a conviction - but it is a good thing that he is now facing a long stretch in a very small cell with very little contact with anyone else.
For the first time since 1989 I feel we are lead by someone who can lead, who decides on something and does it and does not compromise and seek consensus and avoiding trouble all the time like Jim Hacker.
Don;t have to agree with all her policies just feel that the country is in safe hands that will not take any S***.
Amazing that on both occasions it is a woman in the post. Have the 1930s dictators made it impossible for men with firm leadership characteristics to be elected?
I'd be surprised if that Telegraph story is true. Both to strengthen the hand in negotiations with the EU and to firm up the domestic position, a consultative vote from the Commons would be politically sensible. No need for legislation though.
Monday It’s a quiet day, so I’ve taken all of my supporters in the Parliamentary Labour Party to the cinema to see Swallows and Amazons. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough seats.
“Yes there are,” says the usher, shining his torch.
Not if we all want to sit together, I explain.
“But there are over 40 of you,” says the usher. “And you didn’t book.”
There are only about 15, which is why the CLPD or whatever they call themselves now want the nominations bar to be brought down to 5%. Any higher than that and the far left won't be able to nominate a candidate to replace Corbyn when they eventually need to.
There are more radical solutions to that, one of which I'll suggest after (if) Corbyn is re-elected. Purely as an indication of how he might try to tilt the party's internal politics in his favour.
Worth a read, except for the point about New Labour taking people in his category for granted. That's precisely what New Labour didn't do, at least in the early days. Philip Gould's book 'unfinished Revolution" spells it all out.
"Good morning. Can anyone please help. I am a single mum and own 3 properties, one we live in and two I rent out. I make next to no profit at the rental only just covers the mortgage payments. I am concerned that when George Osborne new rental tax rules are fully implemented it will not only increase the amount I pay tax but also as the rental will be calculated as income and not just profit then I won't be able to get wtc/ctc as I'm presently on 27k aurally so with the new changes I would be on about 38k. Feel that I'm being forced to sell or move overseas whereas if I had not bothered I would have been entitled to all the benefits imaginable.....feels so unfair for trying to do your best"
The good news is that as and when Tax Credits are replaced by Universal Credit she won't get a penny as the rented out houses will be class as Capital and means tested.
Suspect she will also be deemed as self employed. Self employed people will be deemed to be earning 30h per week x minimum wage - even if they are not earning that.
An interesting response on HPC about a side effect of the S24 rental income changes:
"Nope its not a wind up nor Trolling - its a side effect of the S24 changes and probably intentional...
Her Current income is £25k income and £2k profit on the BTL after all costs (including mortgage interest payments) say total (£27k).
As of next year her income is £25k + £13k from the BTLs (profit on the BTL properties - excluding mortgage repayments) total £38k.
There is then a separate allowance on your tax return allowing you to deduct part of the interest paid on the mortgages so she won't be paying any tax on the £11k of interest paid so tax wise she isn't worse off.
The issue comes on her tax credit form she where she will have to show a gross income of £38k from next year rather than the £27k it showed for this year..
Wave - its such a classic that I pointed it out on here yesterday morning and I do believe the above is from me on HPC last night..
Insane BTL plans and stupid tax avoidance schemes are 2 pet hobbies of mine. The former because how could you be so stupid, the latter because I'm an IT contractor and people for years have tried to convince me to join schemes only to get very large bills later..
And this is a classic because she is actually well ahead of the pack. Come January 2019 there will be people receiving tax credit repayment claims for £4-8,000 as they won't know until then that their filled in their April 2017 tax credit form incorrectly...
I'll ignore universal credit as I don't believe a single family is (or ever will be on it)..
1. I'm 66 and I've never seen a bowler hat in real life. 2. Inner London, Bristol and Norwich were the three largest cities in England before the industrial revolution.
Come to Leeds. The 'Welcome Ambassadors' wear one as part of their uniform.
I mean, it is utter balls, because it will penalise those who currently don't pay for their tuition because of poor career outcomes from the sort of unnecessary education levels that Labour encouraged in the first place, but would it not be discriminatory?
And this to the spinners, it all goes wrong, so he must discard Blairite advice and return to the one true path.
Another member of justin's small straws society?
It is probably true tactic for defenders of an incompetent King and opponents not ready to take on thehis advisers.
Fundamental misunderstanding of medieval history there I'm afraid - one attacked the King's advisors because it was a proxy for the otherwise treasonous activity of questioning the King's decisions.
It's not a misunderstanding at all, since that was the point I was trying to make. That opponents didn't feel able to attack the King, for good reason in medieval times, so they attacked advisers. And defenders in modern times can similarly deflect onto said adviser, just as pre civil war opponents attack said advisers.
Nope - you're not getting it. Attacks on advisors were attacks on the king. It was neither defence of incompetence nor a halfway house.
You attacked the King's advisors, you'd better have won because otherwise you'll be stripped - of patronage and influence, at least, but almost certainly also of future justice, and likely your entire estates at some point.
snip for length
The point was people attack the people around a leader as a prelude to an attack on said leader, as a proxy attack on that leader or because they cannot yet attack said leader, and leaders will shift blame onto the people around them to fend off attacks in their person, proxy or otherwise. Parliament attainded an adviser of Charles I, it was absolutely an attack on him, but, reluctantly, he still implicitly pretended it was about the adviser and not him by accepting the charge. Both sides play the game.
Note to self - don't use historical metaphors about modern politics less literalist pedants go crazy
The venn diagram of historical pedants and pb users is almost a perfect circle
To be metapedantic - venn diagrams are topographical, and therefore agnostic about geometry, so perfect doesn't come into it. And do you mean an annulus?
To be plusquampedantic, do you mean "topological"?
"Graduates would pay an extra 1% to 2% rate on all taxable income above £15,000 for a specified period, with possibly a higher rate for graduates on the top rate of tax."
Not that much difference now then with graduates still having to pay for their degrees?
[Edit] Afternoon all. – and Cheers Mr Herdson for another excellent thread.
1. I'm 66 and I've never seen a bowler hat in real life. 2. Inner London, Bristol and Norwich were the three largest cities in England before the industrial revolution.
Trivia. I’m a bit older and I’ve seen a bowler hat worn. My father had one, and when he died my son took it. Don’t know why! People used to wear them going to work in London on the Southend to Fenchurch St (now C2C) line.
Pay a visit to Oxford - you can still see bowlers being worn by certain University employees
"Graduates would pay an extra 1% to 2% rate on all taxable income above £15,000 for a specified period, with possibly a higher rate for graduates on the top rate of tax."
Not that much difference now then with graduates still having to pay for their degrees?
As ever with Smith, he doesn't think before he speaks. The man shows no talent for anything other than getting things wrong.
"Graduates would pay an extra 1% to 2% rate on all taxable income above £15,000 for a specified period, with possibly a higher rate for graduates on the top rate of tax."
Not that much difference now then with graduates still having to pay for their degrees?
Correct. Martin Lewis best decribes the current system as capped graduate tax where very few hit the cap. So smith is proposing a big upheaval in the system for basically no gain. He is just refloating miliband policy.
Where was freedom of speech with the Danish cartoons? Or Jesus and Mo, when Newsnight attacked an atheist for having the temerity to draw a cartoon not in accordance with Islamic rules? Or the ban on bikini ads on the Tube? Or 'cultural sensitivities' forestalling action in Rotherham for a decade and a half? Or the pretence by a cretinous media that terrorism is mental illness committed by men called Dave?
Mr. L, well, quite.
Mr. kle4, one is a bastion of scientific authority.
Sure, it's not universal but society is considerably more liberal now that it ever was in the past in any number of ways. Even the PC prescription on free speech seems under attack.
It's very wierd that those who now call themselves "liberal" are those most favour of restricting freedom of speech.
I don't think that is true, and I think that you are making lazy assumptions.
For example the Liberal Democrats have been quite outspoken on the subject, opposing authoritarians from both Left and Right. An example here on control orders:
Indeed there has been remarkably little criticism of our government for making a politcal prisoner out of Anjem Choudhary for what he has said rather than what he has done. A very interesting and heavily authoritarian way of dealing with a repellant individual.
There are authoritarians on both left and right, and liberals on both sides too. These are on separate axes.
I wasn't thinking of the Lib Dems, as much as I was thinking of what's going on in the universities and in Labour, where people actively seek to avoid the expression of views that they don't agree with, safe spaces, banning speakers etc. It's more prevalent in the US but has seemed to spread across the Pond in the past couple of years.
Anjem Choudray - no sympathy. He's tried for decades to walk the fine line, stepped the wrong side of it in calling (and I paraphrase slightly) for people to join ISIS and destroy the Western way of life.
The only way to view Choudray is as someone who has incited others to murder, mayhem and violence. That isn't a matter of free speech and has long been against our laws.
It is incredible that it has taken this long to gain a conviction - but it is a good thing that he is now facing a long stretch in a very small cell with very little contact with anyone else.
So not very different to Corbyn and McDonnell then. Should they be locked up too?
Worth a read, except for the point about New Labour taking people in his category for granted. That's precisely what New Labour didn't do, at least in the early days. Philip Gould's book 'unfinished Revolution" spells it all out.
It's a better description than "left behind.". You're not talking about people who are very poor, but rather, close to average incomes.
"Graduates would pay an extra 1% to 2% rate on all taxable income above £15,000 for a specified period, with possibly a higher rate for graduates on the top rate of tax."
Not that much difference now then with graduates still having to pay for their degrees?
Correct. Martin Lewis best decribes the current system as capped graduate tax where very few hit the cap. So smith is proposing a big upheaval in the system for basically no gain.
I Graduate tax of 1-2% is far less than the capped 9% most are currently paying... I have a feeling my children will be the first in 3 generations not to go to uni (not quite true they are aiming for higher / degree apprenticeships instead so they won't end up in debt)...
"Graduates would pay an extra 1% to 2% rate on all taxable income above £15,000 for a specified period, with possibly a higher rate for graduates on the top rate of tax."
Not that much difference now then with graduates still having to pay for their degrees?
As ever with Smith, he doesn't think before he speaks. The man shows no talent for anything other than getting things wrong.
He's just engaging in a game of 'I'm considerably leftier than thou' with Jeremy. He's actually being smart; the Corbynistas are overwhelmingly young, overwhelmingly pro-Europe. It's just dumb from an electoral point of view.
I mean, it is utter balls, because it will penalise those who currently don't pay for their tuition because of poor career outcomes from the sort of unnecessary education levels that Labour encouraged in the first place, but would it not be discriminatory?
Effectively we already have a graduate tax but a very badly designed one, apparently due to the then-Chancellor vetoing the word tax . A far more interesting question is whether the government should extend the principle of income-contingent loan repayments to other areas: support for industry, or IP-rollout from universities, or whatever.
"Graduates would pay an extra 1% to 2% rate on all taxable income above £15,000 for a specified period, with possibly a higher rate for graduates on the top rate of tax."
Not that much difference now then with graduates still having to pay for their degrees?
Correct. Martin Lewis best decribes the current system as capped graduate tax where very few hit the cap. So smith is proposing a big upheaval in the system for basically no gain.
I Graduate tax of 1-2% is far less than the capped 9% most are currently paying... I have a feeling my children will be the first in 3 generations not to go to uni (not quite true they are aiming for higher / degree apprenticeships instead so they won't end up in debt)...
It's not 9% on your whole income, it is only above the repayment threshold..I am sure this 2% will be on anything over £10k . All the proposal is is smoke & mirrors to say no fees, when they are still there & actually there is an important point about fees (which needs to be addressed) which is no all unis offer the same & not all courses cost the same to put on.
Where was freedom of speech with the Danish cartoons? Or Jesus and Mo, when Newsnight attacked an atheist for having the temerity to draw a cartoon not in accordance with Islamic rules? Or the ban on bikini ads on the Tube?
Mr. L, well, quite.
Mr. kle4, one is a bastion of scientific authority.
Sure, it's not universal but society is considerably more liberal now that it ever was in the past in any number of ways. Even the PC prescription on free speech seems under attack.
It's very wierd that those who now call themselves "liberal" are those most favour of restricting freedom of speech.
I don't think that is true, and I think that you are making lazy assumptions.
For example the Liberal Democrats have been quite outspoken on the subject, opposing authoritarians from both Left and Right. An example here on control orders:
Indeed there has been remarkably little criticism of our government for making a politcal prisoner out of Anjem Choudhary for what he has said rather than what he has done. A very interesting and heavily authoritarian way of dealing with a repellant individual.
There are authoritarians on both left and right, and liberals on both sides too. These are on separate axes.
I wasn't thinking of the Lib Dems, as much as I was thinking of what's going on in the universities and in Labour, where people actively seek to avoid the expression of views that they don't agree with, safe spaces, banning speakers etc. It's more prevalent in the US but has seemed to spread across the Pond in the past couple of years.
Anjem Choudray - no sympathy. He's tried for decades to walk the fine line, stepped the wrong side of it in calling (and I paraphrase slightly) for people to join ISIS and destroy the Western way of life.
The only way to view Choudray is as someone who has incited others to murder, mayhem and violence. That isn't a matter of free speech and has long been against our laws.
It is incredible that it has taken this long to gain a conviction - but it is a good thing that he is now facing a long stretch in a very small cell with very little contact with anyone else.
So not very different to Corbyn and McDonnell then. Should they be locked up too?
I think there would have been a reasonable case for it, when the IRA campaign was underway.
a cartoon not in accordance with Islamic rules? Or the ban on bikini ads on the Tube? Or 'cultural sensitivities' forestalling action in Rotherham for a decade and a half? Or the pretence by a cretinous media that terrorism is mental illness committed by men called Dave?
Mr. L, well, quite.
Mr. kle4, one is a bastion of scientific authority.
is considerably more liberal now that it ever was in the past in any number of ways. Even the PC prescription on free speech seems under attack.
It's very wierd that those who now call themselves "liberal" are those most favour of restricting freedom of speech.
Indeed there has been remarkably little criticism of our government for making a politcal prisoner out of Anjem Choudhary for what he has said rather than what he has done. A very interesting and heavily authoritarian way of dealing with a repellant individual.
There are authoritarians on both left and right, and liberals on both sides too. These are on separate axes.
I wasn't thinking of the Lib Dems, as much as I was thinking of what's going on in the universities and in Labour, where people actively seek to avoid the expression of views that they don't agree with, safe spaces, banning speakers etc. It's more prevalent in the US but has seemed to spread across the Pond in the past couple of years.
Anjem Choudray - no sympathy. He's tried for decades to walk the fine line, stepped the wrong side of it in calling (and I paraphrase slightly) for people to join ISIS and destroy the Western way of life.
The only way to view Choudray is as someone who has incited others to murder, mayhem and violence. That isn't a matter of free speech and has long been against our laws.
It is incredible that it has taken this long to gain a conviction - but it is a good thing that he is now facing a long stretch in a very small cell with very little contact with anyone else.
So not very different to Corbyn and McDonnell then. Should they be locked up too?
There is a significant difference between Choudray's direct calls to action and the posturing of Corbyn and McDonnell.
Choudray crossed the line into illegality long ago and is, at last, paying the price. And as for the supporters of terrorism like Corbyn and his cronies - they are just demonstrating why they are unfit to hold pubic office. They have not broken any laws - yet - as far as we can tell.
Worth a read, except for the point about New Labour taking people in his category for granted. That's precisely what New Labour didn't do, at least in the early days. Philip Gould's book 'unfinished Revolution" spells it all out.
It's a better description than "left behind.". You're not talking about people who are very poor, but rather, close to average incomes.
"Graduates would pay an extra 1% to 2% rate on all taxable income above £15,000 for a specified period, with possibly a higher rate for graduates on the top rate of tax."
Not that much difference now then with graduates still having to pay for their degrees?
Correct. Martin Lewis best decribes the current system as capped graduate tax where very few hit the cap. So smith is proposing a big upheaval in the system for basically no gain.
I Graduate tax of 1-2% is far less than the capped 9% most are currently paying... I have a feeling my children will be the first in 3 generations not to go to uni (not quite true they are aiming for higher / degree apprenticeships instead so they won't end up in debt)...
It's not 9% on your whole income.
Unless planning to abolish the personal allowance, neither is Smiths proposal.
How surprising - a piece written by a Conservative activist having a jolly good poke at Labour's open wounds. Yes, civil wars aren't pretty - look at the one the Conservatives have had for a generation over Europe.
Gloating at Labour's misfortunes may be the fashion for summer 2016 but we have the far more serious (and much less talked about) of Messrs Johnson, Davis and Fox (aka the Three Stooges) negotiating this country's economic and political future with the EU and the rest of the world while fighting their own turf war and massaging their own egos.
Whether or not Jeremy Corbyn can find a seat on a train will seem the most trivial nonsense once we let Curly, Mo and Larry loose on the Article 50 negotiations. It is to be hoped there will be a serious team of capable officials behind him to do the actual work and clear up the mess and smooth the ruffled feathers.
At the same time, the Prime Minister, whose sole achievements so far have been to go for a walk with her husband and say "Brexit means Brexit" will begin to realise that managing everyone's hopes and expectations for what Brexit actually means won't be that easy whether it's the City with financial passporting or those people who want to see the Channel Tunnel bricked up to stop further economic migration.
I've actually tried to avoid commenting on the Labour's internal troubles as I don't like to intrude on private grief but there does come a point where you can't avoid it. In this case, I thought the implications of the LabourList article were so important that it deserved a thread.
Even so, this is the first time I've written an article directly on Labour in over a month, though I did a technical one on how the interaction of the voting intention and certainty to vote figures might be mis-stating Labour's support in the polls.
"Graduates would pay an extra 1% to 2% rate on all taxable income above £15,000 for a specified period, with possibly a higher rate for graduates on the top rate of tax."
Not that much difference now then with graduates still having to pay for their degrees?
Correct. Martin Lewis best decribes the current system as capped graduate tax where very few hit the cap. So smith is proposing a big upheaval in the system for basically no gain.
I Graduate tax of 1-2% is far less than the capped 9% most are currently paying... I have a feeling my children will be the first in 3 generations not to go to uni (not quite true they are aiming for higher / degree apprenticeships instead so they won't end up in debt)...
It's not 9% on your whole income.
Unless planning to abolish the personal allowance, neither is Smiths propos I think Fox Jr would prefer it.
I clarified below. It will be 2% on income over £10k vs 9% over repayment threshold ie over £18k. Seems rather regressive to hammer people on less than £18k with extra 2% tax...and it will be more than 2% in no time as it won't raise enough money .
Mr. kle4, one is a bastion of scientific authority.
Sure, it's not universal but society is considerably more liberal now that it ever was in the past in any number of ways. Even the PC prescription on free speech seems under attack.
It's very wierd that those who now call themselves "liberal" are those most favour of restricting freedom of speech.
I don't think that is true, and I think that you are making lazy assumptions.
For example the Liberal Democrats have been quite outspoken on the subject, opposing authoritarians from both Left and Right. An example here on control orders:
Indeed there has been remarkably little criticism of our government for making a politcal prisoner out of Anjem Choudhary for what he has said rather than what he has done. A very interesting and heavily authoritarian way of dealing with a repellant individual.
There are authoritarians on both left and right, and liberals on both sides too. These are on separate axes.
Choudhry crossed the line into advocating support for murder, IMHO.
One could say the same of our Leader of the opposition and shadow chancellor. Should they be imprisoned for their views?
My point is that attacks on free speech come from both sides of the political spectrum.
Now it may well be that interning people for their political views should be done, but we should not varnish what we are doing.
Incitement to violence is quite rightly a crime.
I believe what you're talking about re Corbyn and MacDonnell is their support for Stop The War's position that groups in Iraq should oppose the 'occupation' by force. That's qualitatively different. If you take the view that the war was illegal (I don't, for what it's worth but there's certainly an arguable case), then it follows that the population of the country had the right to resist within certain parameters - where the occupying powers were operating outside the scope that the UN had given post-invasion, for example. That doesn't make it a pleasant opinion but nor, in my opinion, should it make it so dangerous as to need outlawing.
"Graduates would pay an extra 1% to 2% rate on all taxable income above £15,000 for a specified period, with possibly a higher rate for graduates on the top rate of tax."
Not that much difference now then with graduates still having to pay for their degrees?
Correct. Martin Lewis best decribes the current system as capped graduate tax where very few hit the cap. So smith is proposing a big upheaval in the system for basically no gain.
I Graduate tax of 1-2% is far less than the capped 9% most are currently paying... I have a feeling my children will be the first in 3 generations not to go to uni (not quite true they are aiming for higher / degree apprenticeships instead so they won't end up in debt)...
It's not 9% on your whole income.
Unless planning to abolish the personal allowance, neither is Smiths proposal.
I think Fox Jr would prefer it.
I clarified below. It will be 2% on income over £10k vs 9% over repayment threshold ie over £18k.
Tuition fees at present are a mess. Personally I would be happy to see all higher education funding privatised and become none of the governments business at all. Organisations and industries (like the NHS) could have bursary schemes with employment ties afterwards.
I had some Dutch friends (this was a few decades ago so it may have changed) who explained the Dutch system to me. It seemed that students only got grants if they had been financially independent for 3 years. One of these was usually national service, and two years working. It seemed to me a good system as students were more mature and certain of what they wanted to study, rather than roll on to uni as the default option.
Mr. kle4, one is a bastion of scientific authority.
Sure, it's not universal but society is considerably more liberal now that it ever was in the past in any number of ways. Even the PC prescription on free speech seems under attack.
It's very wierd that those who now call themselves "liberal" are those most favour of restricting freedom of speech.
I don't think that is true, and I think that you are making lazy assumptions.
For example the Liberal Democrats have been quite outspoken on the subject, opposing authoritarians from both Left and Right. An example here on control orders:
Indeed there has been remarkably little criticism of our government for making a politcal prisoner out of Anjem Choudhary for what he has said rather than what he has done. A very interesting and heavily authoritarian way of dealing with a repellant individual.
There are authoritarians on both left and right, and liberals on both sides too. These are on separate axes.
Choudhry crossed the line into advocating support for murder, IMHO.
One could say the same of our Leader of the opposition and shadow chancellor. Should they be imprisoned for their views?
My point
Incitement to violence is quite rightly a crime.
I believe what you're talking about re Corbyn and MacDonnell is their support for Stop The War's position that groups in Iraq should oppose the 'occupation' by force. That's qualitatively different. If you take the view that the war was illegal (I don't, for what it's worth but there's certainly an arguable case), then it follows that the population of the country had the right to resist within certain parameters - where the occupying powers were operating outside the scope that the UN had given post-invasion, for example. That doesn't make it a pleasant opinion but nor, in my opinion, should it make it so dangerous as to need outlawing.
I was thinking more of their support for the IRA campaign of murder in the seventies and eighties.
As I recall the case Chaudhury was convicted because he had pledged allegience to IS while in a curry house, rather than for incitement to violence.
So not very different to Corbyn and McDonnell then. Should they be locked up too?
As Douglas Murray points out, what we are seeing here is a vast left inspired experiment into whether islam and the west can co-exist. The initial results are not promising. And if ithe experiment fails, our current leaders have no answers at all.
McClusky has a Unite election to win next year. He is also losing members to the GMB. There's also a suggestion that some on the left were not that fussed about conference being cancelled, because the left stands to lose a few important votes. We'll see.
It is intriguingly, painfully toxic inside Labour at the moment. But I am actually a lot more hopeful than I was a couple of months ago. In the end the hard left will be defeated because most Labour members - currently Corbynista or not - do want a Labour government. We'll gift this right wing Tory government the next GE, which is a huge shame given how beatable it would be in normal curcumstsnces - but after that I believe we'll become competitive again.
I mean, it is utter balls, because it will penalise those who currently don't pay for their tuition because of poor career outcomes from the sort of unnecessary education levels that Labour encouraged in the first place, but would it not be discriminatory?
Yes. Parliament can legislate to tax anyone on any basis it likes. Differential income tax bands for different age groups is discriminatory but legal.
I did think the summing up of the Scottish scene wearily correct.
Scotland’s political debate is (to its detriment) focused on its navel and remains wearisomely trapped in a constitutional Groundhog Day
Though when talking about it doing its best to smash the record of 18 years of consecutive Conservative government and laying all why it is possible - fourth raters, no ideas etc 0 it inadvertently makes the situation not so bad. I mean, they have only been out of power for 6 years, and even if they lose the next one that will only add up to 15, I can see a certain type of optimist seeing that clearly this is not the nadir for the party.
I did think the summing up of the Scottish scene wearily correct.
Scotland’s political debate is (to its detriment) focused on its navel and remains wearisomely trapped in a constitutional Groundhog Day
Though when talking about it doing its best to smash the record of 18 years of consecutive Conservative government and laying all why it is possible - fourth raters, no ideas etc 0 it inadvertently makes the situation not so bad. I mean, they have only been out of power for 6 years, and even if they lose the next one that will only add up to 15, I can see a certain type of optimist seeing that clearly this is not the nadir for the party.
I did also like this description of a certain breed of fanatical socialist:
socialism takes the place of Christianity as their moral and philosophical lodestone. They might angrily dismiss the existence of God, but they are the kind of people who still cling to a heaven of some description
It isn't merely socialists and socialism with that kind of fanaticism, but it does ring true for some.
Mr. kle4, one is a bastion of scientific authority.
Sure, it's not universal but society is considerably more liberal now that it ever was in the past in any number of ways. Even the PC prescription on free speech seems under attack.
It's very wierd that those who now call themselves "liberal" are those most favour of restricting freedom of speech.
I don't think that is true, and I think that you are making lazy assumptions.
For example the Liberal Democrats have been quite outspoken on the subject, opposing authoritarians from both Left and Right. An example here on control orders:
Indeed there has been remarkably little criticism of our government for making a politcal prisoner out of Anjem Choudhary for what he has said rather than what he has done. A very interesting and heavily authoritarian way of dealing with a repellant individual.
There are authoritarians on both left and right, and liberals on both sides too. These are on separate axes.
Choudhry crossed the line into advocating support for murder, IMHO.
One could say the same of our Leader of the opposition and shadow chancellor. Should they be imprisoned for their views?
My point
Incitement to violence is quite rightly a crime.
I believe what you're talking about re Corbyn and MacDonnell is their support for Stop The War's position that groups in Iraq should oppose the 'occupation' by force. That's qualitatively different. If you take the view that the war was illegal (I don't, for what it's worth but there's certainly an arguable case), then it follows that the population of the country had the right to resist within certain parameters - where the occupying powers were operating outside the scope that the UN had given post-invasion, for example. That doesn't make it a pleasant opinion but nor, in my opinion, should it make it so dangerous as to need outlawing.
I was thinking more of their support for the IRA campaign of murder in the seventies and eighties.
As I recall the case Chaudhury was convicted because he had pledged allegience to IS while in a curry house, rather than for incitement to violence.
He did a lot more than that. He was (and still is) an active terrorist recruiter.
I have no qualms at all about the law being used to shut him down completely.
Corbyn increasingly seems to be just the puppet if his own shadow Chancellor who wants to ride roughshod over all opposition. This is because old McD is so overly aggressive he knows he cannot yet lead himself, so uses Corbyn as a front.
Important qualification added. If as seems likely Corbyn goes within three years, McDonnell is starting to look like his only possible successor.
Labour are in the worst imaginable mess of their own making since Ambrose Everett Burnside ordered his men to blow a mine that would create a trench into the enemy camp, only to find that it had been dug deeper instead of shallower at the far end and they were completely trapped.
McDonnell cannot be a successor unless the leadership nomination rules are changed. For as long as the PLP have a nominating veto on the hard left, Corbynism is linked physically to the person of Corbyn.
Also don't forget that in one way the rules will have changed - after Article 50 takes effect, the number of nominations required drops from 15% of 251 (37) to 15% of likely 231 (35) - which may on its own be just enough.
That'll be after Brexit, surely? Won't British MEPs stay in situ for as long as the UK is an EU member?
Yes, which seems likely to be at the start of 2019.
Edit - it is of course uncertain what happens with the next Euro elections in 2018 - it is just possible albeit unlikely there may be no British MEPs after that.
"Graduates would pay an extra 1% to 2% rate on all taxable income above £15,000 for a specified period, with possibly a higher rate for graduates on the top rate of tax."
Not that much difference now then with graduates still having to pay for their degrees?
Correct. Martin Lewis best decribes the current system as capped graduate tax where very few hit the cap. So smith is proposing a big upheaval in the system for basically no gain.
I Graduate tax of 1-2% is far less than the capped 9% most are currently paying... I have a feeling my children will be the first in 3 generations not to go to uni (not quite true they are aiming for higher / degree apprenticeships instead so they won't end up in debt)...
It's not 9% on your whole income.
Unless planning to abolish the personal allowance, neither is Smiths proposal.
I think Fox Jr would prefer it.
I clarified below. It will be 2% on income over £10k vs 9% over repayment threshold ie over £18k.
Tuition fees at present are a mess. Personally I would be happy to see all higher education funding privatised and become none of the governments business at all. Organisations and industries (like the NHS) could have bursary schemes with employment ties afterwards.
I had some Dutch friends (this was a few decades ago so it may have changed) who explained the Dutch system to me. It seemed that students only got grants if they had been financially independent for 3 years. One of these was usually national service, and two years working. It seemed to me a good system as students were more mature and certain of what they wanted to study, rather than roll on to uni as the default option.
I have said this before, but I never understood why even under the current scheme, the government didn't put in place for things like doctors / dentists a scheme where ever year working in the NHS you got x knocked off your student loan.
Mr. kle4, one is a bastion of scientific authority.
Sure, it's not universal but society is considerably more liberal now that it ever was in the past in any number of ways. Even the PC prescription on free speech seems under attack.
It's very wierd that those who now call themselves "liberal" are those most favour of restricting freedom of speech.
I don't think that is true, and I think that
Choudhry crossed the line into advocating support for murder, IMHO.
One could say the same of our Leader of the opposition and shadow chancellor. Should they be imprisoned for their views?
My point
Incitement to violence is quite rightly a crime.
I believe what you're talking about re Corbyn and MacDonnell is their support for Stop The War's position that groups in Iraq should oppose the 'occupation' by force. That's qualitatively different. If you take the view that the war was illegal (I don't, for what it's worth but there's certainly an arguable case), then it follows that the population of the country had the right to resist within certain parameters - where the occupying powers were operating outside the scope that the UN had given post-invasion, for example. That doesn't make it a pleasant opinion but nor, in my opinion, should it make it so dangerous as to need outlawing.
I was thinking more of their support for the IRA campaign of murder in the seventies and eighties.
As I recall the case Chaudhury was convicted because he had pledged allegience to IS while in a curry house, rather than for incitement to violence.
He did a lot more than that. He was (and still is) an active terrorist recruiter.
I have no qualms at all about the law being used to shut him down completely.
The point that got him convicted was pledging alleigance to IS though. His other activities were legal. If he had not made that pledge he would still be preaching.
There was no evidence that he either funded or participated in violence. He was convicted for his political views.
My point was that it is not just students "safe spaces" that are used to suppress views considered threatening to the orthodoxy, and that many of these threats are from the right as well as the left.
Why should anyone care ? The rotten system is not a democracy.
I love those sort of polls. What's the point of them? Showing that people really don't understand the point of a monarchy even though they support the monarchy? Encouraging republicans by showing that people don't understand monarchy?
The point that got him convicted was pledging alleigance to IS though. His other activities were legal. If he had not made that pledge he would still be preaching.
There was no evidence that he either funded or participated in violence. He was convicted for his political views.
My point was that it is not just students "safe spaces" that are used to suppress views considered threatening to the orthodoxy, and that many of these threats are from the right as well as the left.
I have a feeling there is more to the story than we are being told. The press weren't allowed to report on this until a couple of months afterwards and even then the reporting is sketchy of various aspects.
I'd some in my bat boxes and they're so cute. Twilight flying black hankies.
Don't know where they roost, but we have Pipistrelles flying around every twilight in my garden. Lovely. They take over the shift from the martins and swallows.
Mr. kle4, one is a bastion of scientific authority.
Sure, it's not universal but society is considerably more liberal now that it ever was in the past in any number of ways. Even the PC prescription on free speech seems under attack.
It's very wierd that those who now call themselves "liberal" are those most favour of restricting freedom of speech.
I don't think that is true, and I think that
Choudhry crossed the line into advocating support for murder, IMHO.
One could say the same of our Leader of the opposition and shadow chancellor. Should they be imprisoned for their views?
My point
Incitement to violence is quite rightly a crime.
I believe what you're talking abotlawing.
I was thinking more of their support for the IRA campaign of murder in the seventies and eighties.
As I recall the case Chaudhury was convicted because he had pledged allegience to IS while in a curry house, rather than for incitement to violence.
He did a lot more than that. He was (and still is) an active terrorist recruiter.
I have no qualms at all about the law being used to shut him down completely.
The point that got him convicted was pledging alleigance to IS though. His other activities were legal. If he had not made that pledge he would still be preaching.
There was no evidence that he either funded or participated in violence. He was convicted for his political views.
My point was that it is not just students "safe spaces" that are used to suppress views considered threatening to the orthodoxy, and that many of these threats are from the right as well as the left.
I'm a little concerned that he's apparently been watched near constantly for 20 years, is so apparently dangerous, and yet that was the first thing he apparently did they could prove broke the law.
The point that got him convicted was pledging alleigance to IS though. His other activities were legal. If he had not made that pledge he would still be preaching.
There was no evidence that he either funded or participated in violence. He was convicted for his political views.
My point was that it is not just students "safe spaces" that are used to suppress views considered threatening to the orthodoxy, and that many of these threats are from the right as well as the left.
I have a feeling there is more to the story than we are being told. The press weren't allowed to report on this until a couple of months afterwards and even then the reporting is sketchy of various aspects.
For sure there will have been evidence against him that can't be made public due to security concerns. This is a clear and correct use of the various anti-terrorism legislation - which has otherwise been misused, stop & search (Iceland etc etc)
Why should anyone care ? The rotten system is not a democracy.
Some reform might be due. The Windsor-Bowes-Lyons-Mountbatten clan seem to have excellent longevity, subject to smoking-related illnesses. Britain went nearly the whole of the 20th century without a monarch over 70; the way things are going, it could spend most of the 21st century with them nearly always over that age.
I don't expect anything as radical as skipping Charles. Apart from the precedent it would set, I think Charles will be a better king than many think: similar concerns were said of Edward VII. However, provision for a monarch to retire - whether through abdication or voluntary regency - might make sense. It's been done in several other countries now without difficulty and if even the Papacy and Japanese monarchy can practice or consider it, there's no reason why Britain's couldn't.
A bill between accession and coronation would be ideal. That way, it could amend the coronation oath at the same time without asking the monarch to break the commitment.
Mr. kle4, one is a bastion of scientific authority.
Sure, it's not universal but society is considerably more liberal now that it ever was in the past in any number of ways. Even the PC prescription on free speech seems under attack.
It's very wierd that those who now call themselves "liberal" are those most favour of restricting freedom of speech.
I don't think that is true, and I think that you are making lazy assumptions.
For example the Liberal Democrats have been quite outspoken on the subject, opposing authoritarians from both Left and Right. An example here on control orders:
Indeed there has been remarkably little criticism of our government for making a politcal prisoner out of Anjem Choudhary for what he has said rather than what he has done. A very interesting and heavily authoritarian way of dealing with a repellant individual.
There are authoritarians on both left and right, and liberals on both sides too. These are on separate axes.
I wasn't thinking of the Lib Dems, as much as I was thinking of what's going on in the universities and in Labour, where people actively seek to avoid the expression of views that they don't agree with, safe spaces, banning speakers etc. It's more prevalent in the US but has seemed to spread across the Pond in the past couple of years.
Anjem Choudray - no sympathy. He's tried for decades to walk the fine line, stepped the wrong side of it in calling (and I paraphrase slightly) for people to join ISIS and destroy the Western way of life.
The only way to view Choudray is as someone who has incited others to murder, mayhem and violence. That isn't a matter of free speech and has long been against our laws.
It is incredible that it has taken this long to gain a conviction - but it is a good thing that he is now facing a long stretch in a very small cell with very little contact with anyone else.
So not very different to Corbyn and McDonnell then. Should they be locked up too?
McDonnell's past comments were pretty close to being treasonous I think.
I did think the summing up of the Scottish scene wearily correct.
Scotland’s political debate is (to its detriment) focused on its navel and remains wearisomely trapped in a constitutional Groundhog Day
Though when talking about it doing its best to smash the record of 18 years of consecutive Conservative government and laying all why it is possible - fourth raters, no ideas etc 0 it inadvertently makes the situation not so bad. I mean, they have only been out of power for 6 years, and even if they lose the next one that will only add up to 15, I can see a certain type of optimist seeing that clearly this is not the nadir for the party.
I did also like this description of a certain breed of fanatical socialist:
socialism takes the place of Christianity as their moral and philosophical lodestone. They might angrily dismiss the existence of God, but they are the kind of people who still cling to a heaven of some description
It isn't merely socialists and socialism with that kind of fanaticism, but it does ring true for some.
I loved this bit
Let’s describe that collapse in one simple word: socialism. It’s quite amusing to observe, in a way — like some sudden, dramatic shift in teenage haircut fashion, everyone in Labour is now desperate to let you know, and to be heard letting you know, that they are a socialist.
Why should anyone care ? The rotten system is not a democracy.
Some reform might be due. The Windsor-Bowes-Lyons-Mountbatten clan seem to have excellent longevity, subject to smoking-related illnesses. Britain went nearly the whole of the 20th century without a monarch over 70; the way things are going, it could spend most of the 21st century with them nearly always over that age.
The way our politicians pander to the over 65s perhaps making us officially a gerontocracy is the way to go!
Why should anyone care ? The rotten system is not a democracy.
Some reform might be due. The Windsor-Bowes-Lyons-Mountbatten clan seem to have excellent longevity, subject to smoking-related illnesses. Britain went nearly the whole of the 20th century without a monarch over 70; the way things are going, it could spend most of the 21st century with them nearly always over that age.
The way our politicians pander to the over 65s perhaps making us officially a gerontocracy is the way to go!
The way our politicians pander to the over 65s people who actually and reliably vote perhaps making us officially a gerontocracy is the way to go! is entirely understandable.
Why should anyone care ? The rotten system is not a democracy.
Some reform might be due. The Windsor-Bowes-Lyons-Mountbatten clan seem to have excellent longevity, subject to smoking-related illnesses. Britain went nearly the whole of the 20th century without a monarch over 70; the way things are going, it could spend most of the 21st century with them nearly always over that age.
The way our politicians pander to the over 65s perhaps making us officially a gerontocracy is the way to go!
The way our politicians pander to the over 65s people who actually and reliably vote perhaps making us officially a gerontocracy is the way to go! is entirely understandable.
I never said the pandering was not electorally sensible!
I did think the summing up of the Scottish scene wearily correct.
Scotland’s political debate is (to its detriment) focused on its navel and remains wearisomely trapped in a constitutional Groundhog Day
Though when talking about it doing its best to smash the record of 18 years of consecutive Conservative government and laying all why it is possible - fourth raters, no ideas etc 0 it inadvertently makes the situation not so bad. I mean, they have only been out of power for 6 years, and even if they lose the next one that will only add up to 15, I can see a certain type of optimist seeing that clearly this is not the nadir for the party.
I did also like this description of a certain breed of fanatical socialist:
socialism takes the place of Christianity as their moral and philosophical lodestone. They might angrily dismiss the existence of God, but they are the kind of people who still cling to a heaven of some description
It isn't merely socialists and socialism with that kind of fanaticism, but it does ring true for some.
I loved this bit
Let’s describe that collapse in one simple word: socialism. It’s quite amusing to observe, in a way — like some sudden, dramatic shift in teenage haircut fashion, everyone in Labour is now desperate to let you know, and to be heard letting you know, that they are a socialist.
Its not what you know, its who you know...Putting a ex-Labour minister in an important impartial role is one thing (the Tories putting Lord Part Time in charge of the Trust was bad enough), but he has zero experience / expertise for the job.
Guardian been very quiet on this. Normally any political interference with the BBC and they are up in arms. TBH though, Purnell is less of the lefty than the current person in the role.
"he might be the single most incompetent individual ever to lead a British political party and employ a team of people you wouldn’t trust to wash your car;"
Couldn't agree more. Shame on Labour for electing him when the country needs an Opposition.
I did think the summing up of the Scottish scene wearily correct.
Scotland’s political debate is (to its detriment) focused on its navel and remains wearisomely trapped in a constitutional Groundhog Day
Though when talking about it doing its best to smash the record of 18 years of consecutive Conservative government and laying all why it is possible - fourth raters, no ideas etc 0 it inadvertently makes the situation not so bad. I mean, they have only been out of power for 6 years, and even if they lose the next one that will only add up to 15, I can see a certain type of optimist seeing that clearly this is not the nadir for the party.
I did also like this description of a certain breed of fanatical socialist:
socialism takes the place of Christianity as their moral and philosophical lodestone. They might angrily dismiss the existence of God, but they are the kind of people who still cling to a heaven of some description
It isn't merely socialists and socialism with that kind of fanaticism, but it does ring true for some.
I loved this bit
Let’s describe that collapse in one simple word: socialism. It’s quite amusing to observe, in a way — like some sudden, dramatic shift in teenage haircut fashion, everyone in Labour is now desperate to let you know, and to be heard letting you know, that they are a socialist.
Brilliant!
The Labour Uncut article you posted earlier is brilliant - so beyond spot on.
Pure speculation: I don't think the damaged lorry was necessarily the root cause of the incident - the front of the cab looks damaged. Did something else hit the bridge first?
A demo or crane crew'll be getting overtime this afternoon and tonight.
Many have tried and failed, with battery tech really not that dissimilar than 10's of years ago....will he do it?
Dyson says he intended to spend $1.4 billion in research and development and in building a battery factory over the next five years. Last year Dyson bought Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Sakti3, which focuses on creating advanced solid-state batteries, for $90 million. The global lithium-ion battery market accounts for $40 billion in annual sales, according to research firm Lux as cited by Forbes.
Dyson’s company (which is an accurate description since he has 100-percent ownership) currently employs 3,000 engineers worldwide. He intends to hire another 3,000 by 2020.
1. I'm 66 and I've never seen a bowler hat in real life. 2. Inner London, Bristol and Norwich were the three largest cities in England before the industrial revolution.
Come to Leeds. The 'Welcome Ambassadors' wear one as part of their uniform.
Many have tried and failed, with battery tech really not that dissimilar than 10's of years ago....will he do it?
Dyson says he intended to spend $1.4 billion in research and development and in building a battery factory over the next five years. Last year Dyson bought Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Sakti3, which focuses on creating advanced solid-state batteries, for $90 million. The global lithium-ion battery market accounts for $40 billion in annual sales, according to research firm Lux as cited by Forbes.
Dyson’s company (which is an accurate description since he has 100-percent ownership) currently employs 3,000 engineers worldwide. He intends to hire another 3,000 by 2020.
Pure speculation: I don't think the damaged lorry was necessarily the root cause of the incident - the front of the cab looks damaged. Did something else hit the bridge first?
A demo or crane crew'll be getting overtime this afternoon and tonight.
it looks like the bridge came down on the backs of two lorries one of which appears to be on the hard shoulder. The bridge support on the other side, the one still standing appears to be behind the safety barrier. So the lorry hitting the bridge causing it to collapse theory seems at first glance a little unlikely. How fast would a lorry have to be going to bust through the barrier and hit the bridge support with enough force to bring it down?
Fortunately, the casualty count is so low but there will be a lot families who have had their holidays ruined - they are going to be stuck on that motorway for hours while the plod work out a plan to get them off, they will not make France today. The knock on effects of having the M20 shut for a couple of days (at least) will be horrendous. On the other hand there will be lots and lots of overtime for those who will be tasked with sorting out the mess.
Many have tried and failed, with battery tech really not that dissimilar than 10's of years ago....will he do it?
Dyson says he intended to spend $1.4 billion in research and development and in building a battery factory over the next five years. Last year Dyson bought Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Sakti3, which focuses on creating advanced solid-state batteries, for $90 million. The global lithium-ion battery market accounts for $40 billion in annual sales, according to research firm Lux as cited by Forbes.
Dyson’s company (which is an accurate description since he has 100-percent ownership) currently employs 3,000 engineers worldwide. He intends to hire another 3,000 by 2020.
AP State Dept. lawyers say it now expects to release the last of the calendars around Dec. 30. https://t.co/CwpMEmT1hJ
Looks like pay to play. "The schedules drew new attention this week after the AP analyzed the ones released so far. The news agency found that more than half the people outside the government who met or spoke by telephone with Clinton while she was secretary of state had given money — either personally or through companies or groups — to the Clinton Foundation. "
Pure speculation: I don't think the damaged lorry was necessarily the root cause of the incident - the front of the cab looks damaged. Did something else hit the bridge first?
A demo or crane crew'll be getting overtime this afternoon and tonight.
it looks like the bridge came down on the backs of two lorries one of which appears to be on the hard shoulder. The bridge support on the other side, the one still standing appears to be behind the safety barrier. So the lorry hitting the bridge causing it to collapse theory seems at first glance a little unlikely. How fast would a lorry have to be going to bust through the barrier and hit the bridge support with enough force to bring it down?
Fortunately, the casualty count is so low but there will be a lot families who have had their holidays ruined - they are going to be stuck on that motorway for hours while the plod work out a plan to get them off, they will not make France today. The knock on effects of having the M20 shut for a couple of days (at least) will be horrendous. On the other hand there will be lots and lots of overtime for those who will be tasked with sorting out the mess.
Look at the shape of the bridge - the curvature on the underside means that there is less clearance above the hard shoulder. I reckon that the arm of the excavator hit the bridge.
Many have tried and failed, with battery tech really not that dissimilar than 10's of years ago....will he do it?
Dyson says he intended to spend $1.4 billion in research and development and in building a battery factory over the next five years. Last year Dyson bought Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Sakti3, which focuses on creating advanced solid-state batteries, for $90 million. The global lithium-ion battery market accounts for $40 billion in annual sales, according to research firm Lux as cited by Forbes. Dyson’s company (which is an accurate description since he has 100-percent ownership) currently employs 3,000 engineers worldwide. He intends to hire another 3,000 by 2020.
Many have tried and failed, with battery tech really not that dissimilar than 10's of years ago....will he do it?
Dyson says he intended to spend $1.4 billion in research and development and in building a battery factory over the next five years. Last year Dyson bought Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Sakti3, which focuses on creating advanced solid-state batteries, for $90 million. The global lithium-ion battery market accounts for $40 billion in annual sales, according to research firm Lux as cited by Forbes.
Dyson’s company (which is an accurate description since he has 100-percent ownership) currently employs 3,000 engineers worldwide. He intends to hire another 3,000 by 2020.
I was once very sceptical about how soon advances in battery technology would appear but these days not so much.
Lithium-Ion seems to be currently the best. The National Grid has just let three contracts for battery-storage with a total capacity of 200MW to be built as this dreadfully written article in the Telegraph reports:
However, the real development seems to happening in the USA and Italy with rival teams racing to produce batteries that are far more efficient. I think that the big breakthrough is not far off.
Pure speculation: I don't think the damaged lorry was necessarily the root cause of the incident - the front of the cab looks damaged. Did something else hit the bridge first?
A demo or crane crew'll be getting overtime this afternoon and tonight.
it looks like the bridge came down on the backs of two lorries one of which appears to be on the hard shoulder. The bridge support on the other side, the one still standing appears to be behind the safety barrier. So the lorry hitting the bridge causing it to collapse theory seems at first glance a little unlikely. How fast would a lorry have to be going to bust through the barrier and hit the bridge support with enough force to bring it down?
Fortunately, the casualty count is so low but there will be a lot families who have had their holidays ruined - they are going to be stuck on that motorway for hours while the plod work out a plan to get them off, they will not make France today. The knock on effects of having the M20 shut for a couple of days (at least) will be horrendous. On the other hand there will be lots and lots of overtime for those who will be tasked with sorting out the mess.
Look at the shape of the bridge - the curvature on the underside means that there is less clearance above the hard shoulder. I reckon that the arm of the excavator hit the bridge.
I doubt it: I'd expect a bit more damage to the arm and hydraulic pipes.
(I have some experience of damaging diggers in my youth).
Many have tried and failed, with battery tech really not that dissimilar than 10's of years ago....will he do it?
Dyson says he intended to spend $1.4 billion in research and development and in building a battery factory over the next five years. Last year Dyson bought Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Sakti3, which focuses on creating advanced solid-state batteries, for $90 million. The global lithium-ion battery market accounts for $40 billion in annual sales, according to research firm Lux as cited by Forbes.
Dyson’s company (which is an accurate description since he has 100-percent ownership) currently employs 3,000 engineers worldwide. He intends to hire another 3,000 by 2020.
I was once very sceptical about how soon advances in battery technology would appear but these days not so much.
Lithium-Ion seems to be currently the best. The National Grid has just let three contracts for battery-storage with a total capacity of 200MW to be built as this dreadfully written article in the Telegraph reports:
However, the real development seems to happening in the USA and Italy with rival teams racing to produce batteries that are far more efficient. I think that the big breakthrough is not far off.
There might not be just one advance, and there are competing requirements: amount of charge held, time taken to recharge, number of discharge.recharge cycles before fading occurs. It could be we get a range of technologies all tuned for particular purposes.
Mr. kle4, one is a bastion of scientific authority.
Sure, it's not universal but society is considerably more liberal now that it ever was in the past in any number of ways. Even the PC prescription on free speech seems under attack.
It's very wierd that those who now call themselves "liberal" are those most favour of restricting freedom of speech.
I don't think that is true, and I think that
Choudhry crossed the line into advocating support for murder, IMHO.
One could say the same of our Leader of the opposition and shadow chancellor. Should they be imprisoned for their views?
My point
Incitement to violence is quite rightly a crime.
I believe what you're talking abotlawing.
I was thinking more of their support for the IRA campaign of murder in the seventies and eighties.
As I recall the case Chaudhury was convicted because he had pledged allegience to IS while in a curry house, rather than for incitement to violence.
He did a lot more than that. He was (and still is) an active terrorist recruiter.
I have no qualms at all about the law being used to shut him down completely.
The point that got him convicted was pledging alleigance to IS though. His other activities were legal. If he had not made that pledge he would still be preaching.
There was no evidence that he either funded or participated in violence. He was convicted for his political views.
My point was that it is not just students "safe spaces" that are used to suppress views considered threatening to the orthodoxy, and that many of these threats are from the right as well as the left.
I'm a little concerned that he's apparently been watched near constantly for 20 years, is so apparently dangerous, and yet that was the first thing he apparently did they could prove broke the law.
It wasn't the first. He was the ultimate honey pot so was more valuable on the streets than in prison.
Many have tried and failed, with battery tech really not that dissimilar than 10's of years ago....will he do it?
Dyson says he intended to spend $1.4 billion in research and development and in building a battery factory over the next five years. Last year Dyson bought Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Sakti3, which focuses on creating advanced solid-state batteries, for $90 million. The global lithium-ion battery market accounts for $40 billion in annual sales, according to research firm Lux as cited by Forbes.
Dyson’s company (which is an accurate description since he has 100-percent ownership) currently employs 3,000 engineers worldwide. He intends to hire another 3,000 by 2020.
I was once very sceptical about how soon advances in battery technology would appear but these days not so much.
Lithium-Ion seems to be currently the best. The National Grid has just let three contracts for battery-storage with a total capacity of 200MW to be built as this dreadfully written article in the Telegraph reports:
However, the real development seems to happening in the USA and Italy with rival teams racing to produce batteries that are far more efficient. I think that the big breakthrough is not far off.
I think the biggest issue with lithium ion batteries is dendrite formation. That's why the Li-S batteries look like a good idea, quite a few technical hurdles though including power density.
AP State Dept. lawyers say it now expects to release the last of the calendars around Dec. 30. https://t.co/CwpMEmT1hJ
Looks like pay to play. "The schedules drew new attention this week after the AP analyzed the ones released so far. The news agency found that more than half the people outside the government who met or spoke by telephone with Clinton while she was secretary of state had given money — either personally or through companies or groups — to the Clinton Foundation. "
The AP's reporting on this story has been garbage.
AP State Dept. lawyers say it now expects to release the last of the calendars around Dec. 30. https://t.co/CwpMEmT1hJ
Looks like pay to play. "The schedules drew new attention this week after the AP analyzed the ones released so far. The news agency found that more than half the people outside the government who met or spoke by telephone with Clinton while she was secretary of state had given money — either personally or through companies or groups — to the Clinton Foundation. "
Assange will no doubt leak them anyways. Quite an amusing quote from him yesterday re Trump - paraphrasing 'It's hard to come up with stuff more controversial than he says himself'
AP State Dept. lawyers say it now expects to release the last of the calendars around Dec. 30. https://t.co/CwpMEmT1hJ
Looks like pay to play. "The schedules drew new attention this week after the AP analyzed the ones released so far. The news agency found that more than half the people outside the government who met or spoke by telephone with Clinton while she was secretary of state had given money — either personally or through companies or groups — to the Clinton Foundation. "
The AP's reporting on this story has been garbage.
Many have tried and failed, with battery tech really not that dissimilar than 10's of years ago....will he do it?
Dyson says he intended to spend $1.4 billion in research and development and in building a battery factory over the next five years. Last year Dyson bought Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Sakti3, which focuses on creating advanced solid-state batteries, for $90 million. The global lithium-ion battery market accounts for $40 billion in annual sales, according to research firm Lux as cited by Forbes.
Dyson’s company (which is an accurate description since he has 100-percent ownership) currently employs 3,000 engineers worldwide. He intends to hire another 3,000 by 2020.
I was once very sceptical about how soon advances in battery technology would appear but these days not so much.
Lithium-Ion seems to be currently the best. The National Grid has just let three contracts for battery-storage with a total capacity of 200MW to be built as this dreadfully written article in the Telegraph reports:
However, the real development seems to happening in the USA and Italy with rival teams racing to produce batteries that are far more efficient. I think that the big breakthrough is not far off.
There might not be just one advance, and there are competing requirements: amount of charge held, time taken to recharge, number of discharge.recharge cycles before fading occurs. It could be we get a range of technologies all tuned for particular purposes.
Very true, Mr J., the needs for a battery in a mobile phone, for example, are probably very very different from one that will hold industrial scale levels of electricity generated from wind or solar farms. However, it is that latter that is the big prize and where I think the most frenzied efforts are being concentrated. Crack that and the world will change, just as it did after the invention of the steam engine.
Many have tried and failed, with battery tech really not that dissimilar than 10's of years ago....will he do it?
Dyson says he intended to spend $1.4 billion in research and development and in building a battery factory over the next five years. Last year Dyson bought Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Sakti3, which focuses on creating advanced solid-state batteries, for $90 million. The global lithium-ion battery market accounts for $40 billion in annual sales, according to research firm Lux as cited by Forbes.
Dyson’s company (which is an accurate description since he has 100-percent ownership) currently employs 3,000 engineers worldwide. He intends to hire another 3,000 by 2020.
I was once very sceptical about how soon advances in battery technology would appear but these days not so much.
Lithium-Ion seems to be currently the best. The National Grid has just let three contracts for battery-storage with a total capacity of 200MW to be built as this dreadfully written article in the Telegraph reports:
However, the real development seems to happening in the USA and Italy with rival teams racing to produce batteries that are far more efficient. I think that the big breakthrough is not far off.
There might not be just one advance, and there are competing requirements: amount of charge held, time taken to recharge, number of discharge.recharge cycles before fading occurs. It could be we get a range of technologies all tuned for particular purposes.
I have a small shareholding in a British quoted company operating in this field called Ilika PLC, a spin-out from the University of Southampton, which appears to have an exciting future ..... at least I hope so!
Many have tried and failed, with battery tech really not that dissimilar than 10's of years ago....will he do it?
Dyson says he intended to spend $1.4 billion in research and development and in building a battery factory over the next five years. Last year Dyson bought Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Sakti3, which focuses on creating advanced solid-state batteries, for $90 million. The global lithium-ion battery market accounts for $40 billion in annual sales, according to research firm Lux as cited by Forbes.
Dyson’s company (which is an accurate description since he has 100-percent ownership) currently employs 3,000 engineers worldwide. He intends to hire another 3,000 by 2020.
I was once very sceptical about how soon advances in battery technology would appear but these days not so much.
Lithium-Ion seems to be currently the best. The National Grid has just let three contracts for battery-storage with a total capacity of 200MW to be built as this dreadfully written article in the Telegraph reports:
However, the real development seems to happening in the USA and Italy with rival teams racing to produce batteries that are far more efficient. I think that the big breakthrough is not far off.
There might not be just one advance, and there are competing requirements: amount of charge held, time taken to recharge, number of discharge.recharge cycles before fading occurs. It could be we get a range of technologies all tuned for particular purposes.
I suppose it means that we are approaching, probably quite slowly, the inevitable end of the oil age. After all, the stuff will run out eventually if we don't find an alternative in time.
Pure speculation: I don't think the damaged lorry was necessarily the root cause of the incident - the front of the cab looks damaged. Did something else hit the bridge first?
A demo or crane crew'll be getting overtime this afternoon and tonight.
it looks like the bridge came down on the backs of two lorries one of which appears to be on the hard shoulder. The bridge support on the other side, the one still standing appears to be behind the safety barrier. So the lorry hitting the bridge causing it to collapse theory seems at first glance a little unlikely. How fast would a lorry have to be going to bust through the barrier and hit the bridge support with enough force to bring it down?
Fortunately, the casualty count is so low but there will be a lot families who have had their holidays ruined - they are going to be stuck on that motorway for hours while the plod work out a plan to get them off, they will not make France today. The knock on effects of having the M20 shut for a couple of days (at least) will be horrendous. On the other hand there will be lots and lots of overtime for those who will be tasked with sorting out the mess.
Look at the shape of the bridge - the curvature on the underside means that there is less clearance above the hard shoulder. I reckon that the arm of the excavator hit the bridge.
I doubt it: I'd expect a bit more damage to the arm and hydraulic pipes.
(I have some experience of damaging diggers in my youth).
There is now aerial footage of the scene on Sky News. From the position of the collapsed bridge across the lorries and the fact that it seems the safety barrier is intact, the idea that it was caused by a lorry striking the support would seem very unlikely.
Edited extra bit: Having just watch the video again the support is still in place behind the undamaged barrier. So a lorry strike seems out of the question. On a happy note the plod seem to have opened the Southbound carriageway (at least for now), so maybe those holiday makers might make France.
I suppose it means that we are approaching, probably quite slowly, the inevitable end of the oil age. After all, the stuff will run out eventually if we don't find an alternative in time.
Not only I want the Oil Age to end but also Coal and Nuclear. They should all die ! There is enough energy coming from the Sun.
Comments
As well as making a probably green bet into a probably red one, I'll have to actually think up a proper tip in a few hours.
Anyway, I'm off. Hopefully get the pre-race piece done this afternoon/evening.
It is incredible that it has taken this long to gain a conviction - but it is a good thing that he is now facing a long stretch in a very small cell with very little contact with anyone else.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/27/owen-smith-proposes-graduate-tax-to-replace-university-fees-in-bid-for-youth-vote?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
http://labour-uncut.co.uk/2016/08/26/the-skipped-over-people-of-real-britain/#more-21063
Worth a read, except for the point about New Labour taking people in his category for granted. That's precisely what New Labour didn't do, at least in the early days. Philip Gould's book 'unfinished Revolution" spells it all out.
Insane BTL plans and stupid tax avoidance schemes are 2 pet hobbies of mine. The former because how could you be so stupid, the latter because I'm an IT contractor and people for years have tried to convince me to join schemes only to get very large bills later..
And this is a classic because she is actually well ahead of the pack. Come January 2019 there will be people receiving tax credit repayment claims for £4-8,000 as they won't know until then that their filled in their April 2017 tax credit form incorrectly...
I'll ignore universal credit as I don't believe a single family is (or ever will be on it)..
https://leeds-list.com/culture/what-those-bowler-hats-really-mean-to-leeds/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/27/brexit-is-not-inevitable-and-britain-could-eventually-remain-in/
I mean, it is utter balls, because it will penalise those who currently don't pay for their tuition because of poor career outcomes from the sort of unnecessary education levels that Labour encouraged in the first place, but would it not be discriminatory?
Not that much difference now then with graduates still having to pay for their degrees?
[Edit] Afternoon all. – and Cheers Mr Herdson for another excellent thread.
Tourists love it!
Choudray crossed the line into illegality long ago and is, at last, paying the price. And as for the supporters of terrorism like Corbyn and his cronies - they are just demonstrating why they are unfit to hold pubic office. They have not broken any laws - yet - as far as we can tell.
I think Fox Jr would prefer it.
Even so, this is the first time I've written an article directly on Labour in over a month, though I did a technical one on how the interaction of the voting intention and certainty to vote figures might be mis-stating Labour's support in the polls.
This @chrisdeerin piece is well worth a read if you're interested in where Labour is right now https://t.co/1Gn3jfrfoj
She and her husband taught in Edinburgh in the 70s/80s didn't they?
I met them at an event after they both left (it might have been the anti-poll tax rally in the Usher Hall)
I believe what you're talking about re Corbyn and MacDonnell is their support for Stop The War's position that groups in Iraq should oppose the 'occupation' by force. That's qualitatively different. If you take the view that the war was illegal (I don't, for what it's worth but there's certainly an arguable case), then it follows that the population of the country had the right to resist within certain parameters - where the occupying powers were operating outside the scope that the UN had given post-invasion, for example. That doesn't make it a pleasant opinion but nor, in my opinion, should it make it so dangerous as to need outlawing.
I had some Dutch friends (this was a few decades ago so it may have changed) who explained the Dutch system to me. It seemed that students only got grants if they had been financially independent for 3 years. One of these was usually national service, and two years working. It seemed to me a good system as students were more mature and certain of what they wanted to study, rather than roll on to uni as the default option.
As I recall the case Chaudhury was convicted because he had pledged allegience to IS while in a curry house, rather than for incitement to violence.
As Douglas Murray points out, what we are seeing here is a vast left inspired experiment into whether islam and the west can co-exist. The initial results are not promising. And if ithe experiment fails, our current leaders have no answers at all.
It is intriguingly, painfully toxic inside Labour at the moment. But I am actually a lot more hopeful than I was a couple of months ago. In the end the hard left will be defeated because most Labour members - currently Corbynista or not - do want a Labour government. We'll gift this right wing Tory government the next GE, which is a huge shame given how beatable it would be in normal curcumstsnces - but after that I believe we'll become competitive again.
Scotland’s political debate is (to its detriment) focused on its navel and remains wearisomely trapped in a constitutional Groundhog Day
Though when talking about it doing its best to smash the record of 18 years of consecutive Conservative government and laying all why it is possible - fourth raters, no ideas etc 0 it inadvertently makes the situation not so bad. I mean, they have only been out of power for 6 years, and even if they lose the next one that will only add up to 15, I can see a certain type of optimist seeing that clearly this is not the nadir for the party.
socialism takes the place of Christianity as their moral and philosophical lodestone. They might angrily dismiss the existence of God, but they are the kind of people who still cling to a heaven of some description
It isn't merely socialists and socialism with that kind of fanaticism, but it does ring true for some.
I have no qualms at all about the law being used to shut him down completely.
Ha, anti-poll tax rally? Bob & Elaine's leftiness must have temporaily rubbed off on you (I think they were SWP at that time).
Bob's best man at a wedding I'm going to tonight, I'll pass on your regards.
Texas were also on the bill. Meeting Sharleen might have been the highlight of the night (for me anyway)
Bat Conservation
Its nearly International Bat Weekend. Time to celebrate bats https://t.co/yAZMTHFKNG #lovebats https://t.co/jIh6iUN0MR
I'd some in my bat boxes and they're so cute. Twilight flying black hankies.
The point that got him convicted was pledging alleigance to IS though. His other activities were legal. If he had not made that pledge he would still be preaching.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/24/there-is-nothing-to-stop-other-radical-islamic-preachers-taking/
There was no evidence that he either funded or participated in violence. He was convicted for his political views.
My point was that it is not just students "safe spaces" that are used to suppress views considered threatening to the orthodoxy, and that many of these threats are from the right as well as the left.
He has radicalised young men in Belgium, and they are very glad we've locked him up.
Think we just have to face facts, it isn't going to be long now until England cricket team have to learn to win Test matches without Jimmy.
I don't expect anything as radical as skipping Charles. Apart from the precedent it would set, I think Charles will be a better king than many think: similar concerns were said of Edward VII. However, provision for a monarch to retire - whether through abdication or voluntary regency - might make sense. It's been done in several other countries now without difficulty and if even the Papacy and Japanese monarchy can practice or consider it, there's no reason why Britain's couldn't.
A bill between accession and coronation would be ideal. That way, it could amend the coronation oath at the same time without asking the monarch to break the commitment.
Let’s describe that collapse in one simple word: socialism. It’s quite amusing to observe, in a way — like some sudden, dramatic shift in teenage haircut fashion, everyone in Labour is now desperate to let you know, and to be heard letting you know, that they are a socialist.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-3760771/STEPHEN-GLOVER-know-BBC-Leftie-making-Labour-henchman-head-radio-satire.html
Guardian been very quiet on this. Normally any political interference with the BBC and they are up in arms. TBH though, Purnell is less of the lefty than the current person in the role.
"he might be the single most incompetent individual ever to lead a British political party and employ a team of people you wouldn’t trust to wash your car;"
Couldn't agree more. Shame on Labour for electing him when the country needs an Opposition.
If anyone missed it - http://labour-uncut.co.uk/2016/08/26/the-skipped-over-people-of-real-britain/#more-21063
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-37204050
Pure speculation:
I don't think the damaged lorry was necessarily the root cause of the incident - the front of the cab looks damaged. Did something else hit the bridge first?
A demo or crane crew'll be getting overtime this afternoon and tonight.
Edit: other photos make it look as thought the footbridge was being maintained at the time ...
https://www.rt.com/uk/357384-bridge-collapse-m20-motorway/
Dyson says he intended to spend $1.4 billion in research and development and in building a battery factory over the next five years. Last year Dyson bought Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Sakti3, which focuses on creating advanced solid-state batteries, for $90 million. The global lithium-ion battery market accounts for $40 billion in annual sales, according to research firm Lux as cited by Forbes.
Dyson’s company (which is an accurate description since he has 100-percent ownership) currently employs 3,000 engineers worldwide. He intends to hire another 3,000 by 2020.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/home/dyson-invent-new-lithium-ion-ceramics/
I think I must have forgotten something when I was in town earlier, so I might have to pop back...
I still can't get over how much batteries have improved - just a glance at cordless power tools says it all.
http://www.lbc.co.uk/m20-pedestrian-bridge-collapses-in-kent-136075
it looks like the bridge came down on the backs of two lorries one of which appears to be on the hard shoulder. The bridge support on the other side, the one still standing appears to be behind the safety barrier. So the lorry hitting the bridge causing it to collapse theory seems at first glance a little unlikely. How fast would a lorry have to be going to bust through the barrier and hit the bridge support with enough force to bring it down?
Fortunately, the casualty count is so low but there will be a lot families who have had their holidays ruined - they are going to be stuck on that motorway for hours while the plod work out a plan to get them off, they will not make France today. The knock on effects of having the M20 shut for a couple of days (at least) will be horrendous. On the other hand there will be lots and lots of overtime for those who will be tasked with sorting out the mess.
"The schedules drew new attention this week after the AP analyzed the ones released so far. The news agency found that more than half the people outside the government who met or spoke by telephone with Clinton while she was secretary of state had given money — either personally or through companies or groups — to the Clinton Foundation. "
Lots of work is being done on graphene and batteries, and I'm not sure supercapacitors are out of the mix yet.
Lithium-Ion seems to be currently the best. The National Grid has just let three contracts for battery-storage with a total capacity of 200MW to be built as this dreadfully written article in the Telegraph reports:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/08/26/eight-uk-battery-projects-win-funding-from-national-grid/
However, the real development seems to happening in the USA and Italy with rival teams racing to produce batteries that are far more efficient. I think that the big breakthrough is not far off.
(I have some experience of damaging diggers in my youth).
http://www.ilika.com/company/history
Solar, wind and waves by day, and battery , wind and waves by night.
Then the Sahara. But we need good conductive cables for that.
And people still wonder why they're banned from aircraft luggage!
Interesting grid. Hmm. Very hard to try and see how the race may go. And there's a roughly 50/50 chance of rain.
Edited extra bit: Having just watch the video again the support is still in place behind the undamaged barrier. So a lorry strike seems out of the question. On a happy note the plod seem to have opened the Southbound carriageway (at least for now), so maybe those holiday makers might make France.
Jim Hoft
HERE IT IS=> Assange Points to ‘Tick Tock’ Email as BIGGEST WIKILEAKS RELEASE YET – We Have It Here… https://t.co/JjvFiEShjN @gatewaypundit