Maybe the way to for Labour moderates to beat Corbyn is to point out how many times he voted with the Tories. Must be more than TONY Blair ever did...
According to the Mail, at the time of the 2015 election, he'd voted against Labour more times than David Cameron.
Personally, I find that stat difficult to believe. Cameron had been an MP for 14 years at that point and even if Corbyn's 500+ rebel votes is accurately reported (and it'd only have been around 15 a year, so it probably is right - personally, I'd have guessed it'd have been much higher), it'd have meant that Cameron only averaged 35 votes against Labour a year, which seems implausibly low.
But of course, Corbyn's rebellions were a matter of principle, whereas any that Blair made were on the basis of selling out.
Wasn’t Cameron on the list of most absent MPs in the 2010-15 Parliament? I guess the whips don’t worry too much about getting the PM to attend when there’s a reasonable majority for the day’s business.
Again, the irony of some of these Blairites railing against "the Corbynites" is that it was Field's stance on Brexit that killed him off locally, and the Blairites have generally been going on and on about how Labour should be more assertive on Brexit.
It's not a coincidence that the only 3 MPs to have motions of no confidence passed in them are pro-Brexit. Whilst most of the Labour membership is supportive of Corbyn, there's only a small rump in most CLPs who are diehard enough to want to rock the boat with deselections. It's only when that diehard rump combines with people who are diehard Remainers that there's a "critical mass" to oust an MP.
Why do people think that, for example, Angela Eagle hasn't lost majority support in the constituency right next door to Field's, despite also having a history of criticising Corbyn?
On A-levels, obviously we all have our own reference points but Chemistry seemed to be monstrously tougher than the rest (Maths (& Further AS) and Physics) in 1999.
Indeed. I did my A-levels five years before you and we were always advised that Chemistry and Art were by far the hardest (the latter due to the insane volume of coursework required, the former due to the difficulty of the exam).
Firstly, Sir Terry Morgan is still Chairman of the Crossrail Board (and he was in yesterday) and, secondly, Simon Wright is now CEO, who had been programme director for 4 years before. So it’s not leaderless nor has it ever been.
This is just an excuse for Adonis to have a partisan dig at Grayling.
On A-levels, obviously we all have our own reference points but Chemistry seemed to be monstrously tougher than the rest (Maths (& Further AS) and Physics) in 1999.
Indeed. I did my A-levels five years before you and we were always advised that Chemistry and Art were by far the hardest (the latter due to the insane volume of coursework required, the former due to the difficulty of the exam).
I was a cocky teenager, aced my A-levels (Maths, Physics, Chemistry, General Wankery), but died a thousand deaths on Physics and Chemistry S-levels. Apparently you have to have revised to succeed. Who knew?
I agree with Sadiq , existing claimants on legacy benefits and tax credits.Especially severely disabled children should be transferred across to UC.Without the need to make a new claim. Caring is a full time job , they do not need any more stress.
Again, the irony of some of these Blairites railing against "the Corbynites" is that it was Field's stance on Brexit that killed him off locally, and the Blairites have generally been going on and on about how Labour should be more assertive on Brexit.
It's not a coincidence that the only 3 MPs to have motions of no confidence passed in them are pro-Brexit. Whilst most of the Labour membership is supportive of Corbyn, there's only a small rump in most CLPs who are diehard enough to want to rock the boat with deselections. It's only when that diehard rump combines with people who are diehard Remainers that there's a "critical mass" to oust an MP.
Why do people think that, for example, Angela Eagle hasn't lost majority support in the constituency right next door to Field's, despite also having a history of criticising Corbyn?
If only the good folk of the Islington North CLP were as fastidious in wanting an MP opposed to Brexit, eh?
The most ridiculous attack line I have seen from the likes of the dodgy doctor is that field is single handedly responsible for all the poverty in the uk, because he agreed to consult with the coalition government on the issue.
Again, the irony of some of these Blairites railing against "the Corbynites" is that it was Field's stance on Brexit that killed him off locally, and the Blairites have generally been going on and on about how Labour should be more assertive on Brexit.
It's not a coincidence that the only 3 MPs to have motions of no confidence passed in them are pro-Brexit. Whilst most of the Labour membership is supportive of Corbyn, there's only a small rump in most CLPs who are diehard enough to want to rock the boat with deselections. It's only when that diehard rump combines with people who are diehard Remainers that there's a "critical mass" to oust an MP.
Why do people think that, for example, Angela Eagle hasn't lost majority support in the constituency right next door to Field's, despite also having a history of criticising Corbyn?
Interviews from his constituency were generally positive for him, one even calling him Mr Birkenhead.
The Echo has done a big feature on the story and it may just focus minds. After all Liverpool was where militant tendancy were based
I knew there were some problems on the branches, but had heard nothing about the central section. I wonder what the issue is?
The station systems are only about 50% finished. The new linewide scada and radio networks aren’t all connected and tested yet. And RfL is nowhere near mobilised enough to become infrastructure manager. Testing and commissioning takes a long time to get right, and accumulate the evidence you have a reliable service, and has barely started.
By far the biggest issue though is the Class 345 train though (the train and signaling software is extremely complex) but TfL is hiding behind the build programme delays on that at the moment.
I suppose what with Greenwich Mean Time and British Summer Time both having faintly patriotic names the British will refuse to go along with this and make life even more confusing than it already was.
I think we only keep BST/GMT to stop the Jocks whining. Abolition is a good idea. There, I said it. #IstandWithJuncker
Again, the irony of some of these Blairites railing against "the Corbynites" is that it was Field's stance on Brexit that killed him off locally, and the Blairites have generally been going on and on about how Labour should be more assertive on Brexit.
It's not a coincidence that the only 3 MPs to have motions of no confidence passed in them are pro-Brexit. Whilst most of the Labour membership is supportive of Corbyn, there's only a small rump in most CLPs who are diehard enough to want to rock the boat with deselections. It's only when that diehard rump combines with people who are diehard Remainers that there's a "critical mass" to oust an MP.
Why do people think that, for example, Angela Eagle hasn't lost majority support in the constituency right next door to Field's, despite also having a history of criticising Corbyn?
If only the good folk of the Islington North CLP were as fastidious in wanting an MP opposed to Brexit, eh?
I'm sure there are some in that CLP. But my point was it's only when an MP falls foul of BOTH the diehard Corbynites AND the diehard Remainers (like Field, Hoey and Stringer did) that they're in the danger zone -- just having one of those factions against them isn't enough.
An example being @Rottenborough clutching his pearls about Field being ousted, when it's only because of Birkenhead's equivalents of Rottenborough who've been wittering on about how bad a "hard Brexit" would be that Field was ousted in the first place.
I'm sure there are some in that CLP. But my point was it's only when an MP falls foul of BOTH the diehard Corbynites AND the diehard Remainers (like Field, Hoey and Stringer did) that they're in the danger zone -- just having one of those factions against them isn't enough.
An example being @Rottenborough clutching his pearls about Field being ousted, when it's only because of Birkenhead's equivalents of Rottenborough who've been wittering on about how bad a "hard Brexit" would be that Field was ousted in the first place.
I wasn't being entirely serious, but I think your point is absolutely correct, for now at least.
I suppose what with Greenwich Mean Time and British Summer Time both having faintly patriotic names the British will refuse to go along with this and make life even more confusing than it already was.
I think we only keep BST/GMT to stop the Jocks whining. Abolition is a good idea. There, I said it. #IstandWithJuncker
Abolition? What, of the Jocks?
We could always do a swap with the Palestinians; the Jocks would be somewhere warm and sunny, and the Palestinians could have a home of their own. We may be onto something here.
If only we could do infrastructure like the Germans:
Berlin’s new international airport will open in October 2020, almost a decade later than originally planned, a development that marks the latest twist in a tale of engineering chaos that has captivated and embarrassed Germany in equal measure.
The new Berlin Brandenburg airport, located in the south-east of the city, was supposed to usher in a new era of travel for the once-divided city. After reunification in 1990, the German capital initially made do with three smaller airports — Tegel and Tempelhof in the former West Berlin and Schönefeld in the former East — but eventually decided to build a modern international hub adjacent to Schönefeld.
Tempelhof has since been closed, leaving Berlin with just two ageing airports that lack the scale and transport connections of other capital hubs.
On A-levels, obviously we all have our own reference points but Chemistry seemed to be monstrously tougher than the rest (Maths (& Further AS) and Physics) in 1999.
Indeed. I did my A-levels five years before you and we were always advised that Chemistry and Art were by far the hardest (the latter due to the insane volume of coursework required, the former due to the difficulty of the exam).
I was a cocky teenager, aced my A-levels (Maths, Physics, Chemistry, General Wankery), but died a thousand deaths on Physics and Chemistry S-levels. Apparently you have to have revised to succeed. Who knew?
Trying to pursuade “cocky teenagers” that they need to revise is one of the harder parts of my job.
Again, the irony of some of these Blairites railing against "the Corbynites" is that it was Field's stance on Brexit that killed him off locally, and the Blairites have generally been going on and on about how Labour should be more assertive on Brexit.
It's not a coincidence that the only 3 MPs to have motions of no confidence passed in them are pro-Brexit. Whilst most of the Labour membership is supportive of Corbyn, there's only a small rump in most CLPs who are diehard enough to want to rock the boat with deselections. It's only when that diehard rump combines with people who are diehard Remainers that there's a "critical mass" to oust an MP.
Why do people think that, for example, Angela Eagle hasn't lost majority support in the constituency right next door to Field's, despite also having a history of criticising Corbyn?
If only the good folk of the Islington North CLP were as fastidious in wanting an MP opposed to Brexit, eh?
I'm sure there are some in that CLP. But my point was it's only when an MP falls foul of BOTH the diehard Corbynites AND the diehard Remainers (like Field, Hoey and Stringer did) that they're in the danger zone -- just having one of those factions against them isn't enough.
An example being @Rottenborough clutching his pearls about Field being ousted, when it's only because of Birkenhead's equivalents of Rottenborough who've been wittering on about how bad a "hard Brexit" would be that Field was ousted in the first place.
I wish I could afford pearls to be clutching at!
But more seriously, if Field was about be ousted thanks to diehard remainers, then I defer to your greater knowledge.I had assumed it was just Corbynites. But anyway, Field claims he is going because of anti-semitism and the mob culture within the party. It could be a case of jumping before push, but can we be sure?
And what now for all the other MPs? What will happen if/when Corbyn tries to whip them to block a Brexit deal, if there is one? Will the remainers come after all of them?
I guess 'blame shifting' is now a major pre-occupation (see Adonis)
That's the Program Manager Chicken I alluded to earlier. When you know all your sub-projects are late, but no one will own up. Last person to admit a schedule slip wins. First person becomes whipping boy. All the ones in the middle run silent, run deep.
On A-levels, obviously we all have our own reference points but Chemistry seemed to be monstrously tougher than the rest (Maths (& Further AS) and Physics) in 1999.
Indeed. I did my A-levels five years before you and we were always advised that Chemistry and Art were by far the hardest (the latter due to the insane volume of coursework required, the former due to the difficulty of the exam).
I was a cocky teenager, aced my A-levels (Maths, Physics, Chemistry, General Wankery), but died a thousand deaths on Physics and Chemistry S-levels. Apparently you have to have revised to succeed. Who knew?
Trying to pursuade “cocky teenagers” that they need to revise is one of the harder parts of my job.
I'm sorry to say that my teachers perorations were but a faint background buzzing against the roar of teenage hormones and hubris.
Firstly, Sir Terry Morgan is still Chairman of the Crossrail Board (and he was in yesterday) and, secondly, Simon Wright is now CEO, who had been programme director for 4 years before. So it’s not leaderless nor has it ever been.
This is just an excuse for Adonis to have a partisan dig at Grayling.
I knew there were some problems on the branches, but had heard nothing about the central section. I wonder what the issue is?
The station systems are only about 50% finished. The new linewide scada and radio networks aren’t all connected and tested yet. And RfL is nowhere near mobilised enough to become infrastructure manager. Testing and commissioning takes a long time to get right, and accumulate the evidence you have a reliable service, and has barely started.
By far the biggest issue though is the Class 345 train though (the train and signaling software is extremely complex) but TfL is hiding behind the build programme delays on that at the moment.
Again, the irony of some of these Blairites railing against "the Corbynites" is that it was Field's stance on Brexit that killed him off locally, and the Blairites have generally been going on and on about how Labour should be more assertive on Brexit.
It's not a coincidence that the only 3 MPs to have motions of no confidence passed in them are pro-Brexit. Whilst most of the Labour membership is supportive of Corbyn, there's only a small rump in most CLPs who are diehard enough to want to rock the boat with deselections. It's only when that diehard rump combines with people who are diehard Remainers that there's a "critical mass" to oust an MP.
Why do people think that, for example, Angela Eagle hasn't lost majority support in the constituency right next door to Field's, despite also having a history of criticising Corbyn?
If only the good folk of the Islington North CLP were as fastidious in wanting an MP opposed to Brexit, eh?
I'm sure there are some in that CLP. But my point was it's only when an MP falls foul of BOTH the diehard Corbynites AND the diehard Remainers (like Field, Hoey and Stringer did) that they're in the danger zone -- just having one of those factions against them isn't enough.
An example being @Rottenborough clutching his pearls about Field being ousted, when it's only because of Birkenhead's equivalents of Rottenborough who've been wittering on about how bad a "hard Brexit" would be that Field was ousted in the first place.
I wish I could afford pearls to be clutching at!
But more seriously, if Field was about be ousted thanks to diehard remainers, then I defer to your greater knowledge.I had assumed it was just Corbynites. But anyway, Field claims he is going because of anti-semitism and the mob culture within the party. It could be a case of jumping before push, but can we be sure?
And what now for all the other MPs? What will happen if/when Corbyn tries to whip them to block a Brexit deal, if there is one? Will the remainers come after all of them?
I don't understand the last sentence - why would diehard Remainers be unhappy about a Brexit deal being blocked?
In any case, it seems odds-on that Labour MPs will be whipped to oppose any deal, to try to bring the government down, which is the stance most Labour members would want for different reasons.
I did think about becoming a history/science teacher but then I saw the pay guide.
My fashion tastes couldn’t live on a teacher’s salary.
Even the 13 weeks worth of annual salary and the 9 to 3 hours couldn’t offset that.
I think describing teacher’s pay as 13 weeks of annual salary is about right.
There aren’t many who could chose between teaching history or science: what was your degree in?
This was when I was choosing my A Levels.
My mother was desperate for me to follow the family tradition and become a doctor but I wasn’t keen.
I was mistaken in the belief what you chose to study at A Levels impacted on your career.
So I chose Maths, Further Maths, History, and Physics.
The irony is that two of my contemporaries who read law themed degrees became very highly regarded accountants. Neither of them did any numbers based A Levels.
Snap on A levels, it's an interesting, but tough combo.
I confess I have the soft bigotry of low expectations about Crossrail. My only surprise about the announced delay is that it has not come sooner and it is not for longer.
I did think about becoming a history/science teacher but then I saw the pay guide.
My fashion tastes couldn’t live on a teacher’s salary.
Even the 13 weeks worth of annual salary and the 9 to 3 hours couldn’t offset that.
I think describing teacher’s pay as 13 weeks of annual salary is about right.
There aren’t many who could chose between teaching history or science: what was your degree in?
This was when I was choosing my A Levels.
My mother was desperate for me to follow the family tradition and become a doctor but I wasn’t keen.
I was mistaken in the belief what you chose to study at A Levels impacted on your career.
So I chose Maths, Further Maths, History, and Physics.
The irony is that two of my contemporaries who read law themed degrees became very highly regarded accountants. Neither of them did any numbers based A Levels.
Snap on A levels, it's an interesting, but tough combo.
History, Economics and Maths for me.
English Lit, Economics, Govt. and Politics, Geography and General Studies for me.
On A-levels, obviously we all have our own reference points but Chemistry seemed to be monstrously tougher than the rest (Maths (& Further AS) and Physics) in 1999.
Indeed. I did my A-levels five years before you and we were always advised that Chemistry and Art were by far the hardest (the latter due to the insane volume of coursework required, the former due to the difficulty of the exam).
I was a cocky teenager, aced my A-levels (Maths, Physics, Chemistry, General Wankery), but died a thousand deaths on Physics and Chemistry S-levels. Apparently you have to have revised to succeed. Who knew?
No-one told me. Sailed through chemistry A-level with neither notes nor textbook, got to second year of degree and suddenly realised I had no idea at all how to study chemistry, or even that you had to. About the only thing I envy of the current generation is they are taught how to learn, how to revise, and how to pass exams. That is one reason for grade inflation, students are far more savvy than they used to be. It is not just dumbing down.
Again, the irony of some of these Blairites railing against "the Corbynites" is that it was Field's stance on Brexit that killed him off locally, and the Blairites have generally been going on and on about how Labour should be more assertive on Brexit.
It's not a coincidence that the only 3 MPs to have motions of no confidence passed in them are pro-Brexit. Whilst most of the Labour membership is supportive of Corbyn, there's only a small rump in most CLPs who are diehard enough to want to rock the boat with deselections. It's only when that diehard rump combines with people who are diehard Remainers that there's a "critical mass" to oust an MP.
Why do people think that, for example, Angela Eagle hasn't lost majority support in the constituency right next door to Field's, despite also having a history of criticising Corbyn?
If only the good folk of the Islington North CLP were as fastidious in wanting an MP opposed to Brexit, eh?
I'm sure there are some in that CLP. But my point was it's only when an MP falls foul of BOTH the diehard Corbynites AND the diehard Remainers (like Field, Hoey and Stringer did) that they're in the danger zone -- just having one of those factions against them isn't enough.
An example being @Rottenborough clutching his pearls about Field being ousted, when it's only because of Birkenhead's equivalents of Rottenborough who've been wittering on about how bad a "hard Brexit" would be that Field was ousted in the first place.
I wish I could afford pearls to be clutching at!
But more seriously, if Field was about be ousted thanks to diehard remainers, then I defer to your greater knowledge.I had assumed it was just Corbynites. But anyway, Field claims he is going because of anti-semitism and the mob culture within the party. It could be a case of jumping before push, but can we be sure?
And what now for all the other MPs? What will happen if/when Corbyn tries to whip them to block a Brexit deal, if there is one? Will the remainers come after all of them?
I don't understand the last sentence - why would diehard Remainers be unhappy about a Brexit deal being blocked?
In any case, it seems odds-on that Labour MPs will be whipped to oppose any deal, to try to bring the government down, which is the stance most Labour members would want for different reasons.
He means the remainers will come after them if they don't vote to block it doesn't he? or she?
On A-levels, obviously we all have our own reference points but Chemistry seemed to be monstrously tougher than the rest (Maths (& Further AS) and Physics) in 1999.
Indeed. I did my A-levels five years before you and we were always advised that Chemistry and Art were by far the hardest (the latter due to the insane volume of coursework required, the former due to the difficulty of the exam).
I was a cocky teenager, aced my A-levels (Maths, Physics, Chemistry, General Wankery), but died a thousand deaths on Physics and Chemistry S-levels. Apparently you have to have revised to succeed. Who knew?
Trying to pursuade “cocky teenagers” that they need to revise is one of the harder parts of my job.
I'm sorry to say that my teachers perorations were but a faint background buzzing against the roar of teenage hormones and hubris.
One of the downsides of great GCSE results is a load of students who suddenly decide that getting a high grade on no work in your subject makes them perfect candidates for the A-level.
I confess I have the soft bigotry of low expectations about Crossrail. My only surprise about the announced delay is that it has not come sooner and it is not for longer.
I wouldn't worry, there'll probably be more delays, and as for HS2......
I did think about becoming a history/science teacher but then I saw the pay guide.
My fashion tastes couldn’t live on a teacher’s salary.
Even the 13 weeks worth of annual salary and the 9 to 3 hours couldn’t offset that.
I think describing teacher’s pay as 13 weeks of annual salary is about right.
There aren’t many who could chose between teaching history or science: what was your degree in?
This was when I was choosing my A Levels.
My mother was desperate for me to follow the family tradition and become a doctor but I wasn’t keen.
I was mistaken in the belief what you chose to study at A Levels impacted on your career.
So I chose Maths, Further Maths, History, and Physics.
The irony is that two of my contemporaries who read law themed degrees became very highly regarded accountants. Neither of them did any numbers based A Levels.
Snap on A levels, it's an interesting, but tough combo.
History, Economics and Maths for me.
English Lit, Economics, Govt. and Politics, Geography and General Studies for me.
This is turning into a flash back of my first week at university...
If you can give your own views in their poll, doesn't that immediately make it voodoo?
(Chequers currently bottom of 5 options btw.....)
Yes its voodoo (though they may try to weight it) - while chequers is bottom it is flanked by the two most popular - Canada & Norway.
The detail does show what a spectacular heap of, er, fudge Chequers is though. 6 of the 12 parameters are "er dunno...maybe...." (and which are all "Yes" for No deal and "No" for Remain).
I did think about becoming a history/science teacher but then I saw the pay guide.
My fashion tastes couldn’t live on a teacher’s salary.
Even the 13 weeks worth of annual salary and the 9 to 3 hours couldn’t offset that.
I think describing teacher’s pay as 13 weeks of annual salary is about right.
There aren’t many who could chose between teaching history or science: what was your degree in?
This was when I was choosing my A Levels.
My mother was desperate for me to follow the family tradition and become a doctor but I wasn’t keen.
I was mistaken in the belief what you chose to study at A Levels impacted on your career.
So I chose Maths, Further Maths, History, and Physics.
The irony is that two of my contemporaries who read law themed degrees became very highly regarded accountants. Neither of them did any numbers based A Levels.
Snap on A levels, it's an interesting, but tough combo.
History, Economics and Maths for me.
English Lit, Economics, Govt. and Politics, Geography and General Studies for me.
This is turning into a flash back of my first week at university...
On A-levels, obviously we all have our own reference points but Chemistry seemed to be monstrously tougher than the rest (Maths (& Further AS) and Physics) in 1999.
Indeed. I did my A-levels five years before you and we were always advised that Chemistry and Art were by far the hardest (the latter due to the insane volume of coursework required, the former due to the difficulty of the exam).
I was a cocky teenager, aced my A-levels (Maths, Physics, Chemistry, General Wankery), but died a thousand deaths on Physics and Chemistry S-levels. Apparently you have to have revised to succeed. Who knew?
I was the other way around - a distinctly ho-hum ABC at A level (Maths, English Literature, History) and 1s at S level in both Maths and History. I'd always attributed that to laziness.
If you can give your own views in their poll, doesn't that immediately make it voodoo?
(Chequers currently bottom of 5 options btw.....)
Yes its voodoo (though they may try to weight it) - while chequers is bottom it is flanked by the two most popular - Canada & Norway.
The detail does show what a spectacular heap of, er, fudge Chequers is though. 6 of the 12 parameters are "er dunno...maybe...." (and which are all "Yes" for No deal and "No" for Remain).
Well, it's a negotiation, innit? The UK government can't unilaterally decide everything.
Anyway, fudge is good. It's exactly what we need, if we're going to extract ourselves from this mess. (Same for the other side, as well).
If only we could do infrastructure like the Germans:
Berlin’s new international airport will open in October 2020, almost a decade later than originally planned, a development that marks the latest twist in a tale of engineering chaos that has captivated and embarrassed Germany in equal measure.
The new Berlin Brandenburg airport, located in the south-east of the city, was supposed to usher in a new era of travel for the once-divided city. After reunification in 1990, the German capital initially made do with three smaller airports — Tegel and Tempelhof in the former West Berlin and Schönefeld in the former East — but eventually decided to build a modern international hub adjacent to Schönefeld.
Tempelhof has since been closed, leaving Berlin with just two ageing airports that lack the scale and transport connections of other capital hubs.
I confess I have the soft bigotry of low expectations about Crossrail. My only surprise about the announced delay is that it has not come sooner and it is not for longer.
I wouldn't worry, there'll probably be more delays, and as for HS2......
HS2 should be converted into Crossrail 2. Post-Brexit, there won't be any reason to leave the capital anyway.
I did think about becoming a history/science teacher but then I saw the pay guide.
My fashion tastes couldn’t live on a teacher’s salary.
Even the 13 weeks worth of annual salary and the 9 to 3 hours couldn’t offset that.
I think describing teacher’s pay as 13 weeks of annual salary is about right.
There aren’t many who could chose between teaching history or science: what was your degree in?
This was when I was choosing my A Levels.
My mother was desperate for me to follow the family tradition and become a doctor but I wasn’t keen.
I was mistaken in the belief what you chose to study at A Levels impacted on your career.
So I chose Maths, Further Maths, History, and Physics.
The irony is that two of my contemporaries who read law themed degrees became very highly regarded accountants. Neither of them did any numbers based A Levels.
Snap on A levels, it's an interesting, but tough combo.
History, Economics and Maths for me.
English Lit, Economics, Govt. and Politics, Geography and General Studies for me.
This is turning into a flash back of my first week at university...
Freshers Week on pb.com!
Freshers week. My first cheese and wine party, with cheese and pineapple on cocktail sticks. The budget did not run to Hawaiian pizza. Tbh I'm not even sure pizza had been invented back then.
If only we could do infrastructure like the Germans:
Berlin’s new international airport will open in October 2020, almost a decade later than originally planned, a development that marks the latest twist in a tale of engineering chaos that has captivated and embarrassed Germany in equal measure.
The new Berlin Brandenburg airport, located in the south-east of the city, was supposed to usher in a new era of travel for the once-divided city. After reunification in 1990, the German capital initially made do with three smaller airports — Tegel and Tempelhof in the former West Berlin and Schönefeld in the former East — but eventually decided to build a modern international hub adjacent to Schönefeld.
Tempelhof has since been closed, leaving Berlin with just two ageing airports that lack the scale and transport connections of other capital hubs.
I confess I have the soft bigotry of low expectations about Crossrail. My only surprise about the announced delay is that it has not come sooner and it is not for longer.
I wouldn't worry, there'll probably be more delays, and as for HS2......
HS2 should be converted into Crossrail 2. Post-Brexit, there won't be any reason to leave the capital anyway.
I did think about becoming a history/science teacher but then I saw the pay guide.
My fashion tastes couldn’t live on a teacher’s salary.
Even the 13 weeks worth of annual salary and the 9 to 3 hours couldn’t offset that.
I think describing teacher’s pay as 13 weeks of annual salary is about right.
There aren’t many who could chose between teaching history or science: what was your degree in?
This was when I was choosing my A Levels.
My mother was desperate for me to follow the family tradition and become a doctor but I wasn’t keen.
I was mistaken in the belief what you chose to study at A Levels impacted on your career.
So I chose Maths, Further Maths, History, and Physics.
The irony is that two of my contemporaries who read law themed degrees became very highly regarded accountants. Neither of them did any numbers based A Levels.
Snap on A levels, it's an interesting, but tough combo.
History, Economics and Maths for me.
English Lit, Economics, Govt. and Politics, Geography and General Studies for me.
This is turning into a flash back of my first week at university...
Freshers Week on pb.com!
Freshers week. My first cheese and wine party, with cheese and pineapple on cocktail sticks. The budget did not run to Hawaiian pizza. Tbh I'm not even sure pizza had been invented back then.
What would have been the reaction if Corbyn had said this.
PM of Israel Verified account
@IsraeliPM Follow Follow @IsraeliPM More The weak crumble, are slaughtered and are erased from history while the strong, for good or for ill, survive. The strong are respected, and alliances are made with the strong, and in the end peace is made with the strong.
Over 30 minutes before PB Tories began deflecting blame from a Tory government for a clusterfuck. I've seen it done almost instantaneously in the past, congrats lads for adopting some self restraint.
What would have been the reaction if Corbyn had said this.
PM of Israel Verified account
@IsraeliPM Follow Follow @IsraeliPM More The weak crumble, are slaughtered and are erased from history while the strong, for good or for ill, survive. The strong are respected, and alliances are made with the strong, and in the end peace is made with the strong.
Over 30 minutes before PB Tories began deflecting blame from a Tory government for a clusterfuck. I've seen it done almost instantaneously in the past, congrats lads for adopting some self restraint.
Elsewhere the Tories are getting their excuses in early:
I did think about becoming a history/science teacher but then I saw the pay guide.
My fashion tastes couldn’t live on a teacher’s salary.
Even the 13 weeks worth of annual salary and the 9 to 3 hours couldn’t offset that.
I think describing teacher’s pay as 13 weeks of annual salary is about right.
There aren’t many who could chose between teaching history or science: what was your degree in?
This was when I was choosing my A Levels.
My mother was desperate for me to follow the family tradition and become a doctor but I wasn’t keen.
I was mistaken in the belief what you chose to study at A Levels impacted on your career.
So I chose Maths, Further Maths, History, and Physics.
The irony is that two of my contemporaries who read law themed degrees became very highly regarded accountants. Neither of them did any numbers based A Levels.
Snap on A levels, it's an interesting, but tough combo.
History, Economics and Maths for me.
English Lit, Economics, Govt. and Politics, Geography and General Studies for me.
This is turning into a flash back of my first week at university...
Freshers Week on pb.com!
Freshers week. My first cheese and wine party, with cheese and pineapple on cocktail sticks. The budget did not run to Hawaiian pizza. Tbh I'm not even sure pizza had been invented back then.
My place didn't do a proper freshers week. Instead they ran a full timetable of lectures 9-6pm to weed out the weaklings. That first term was brutal, but if you survived it - you were set.
I did think about becoming a history/science teacher but then I saw the pay guide.
My fashion tastes couldn’t live on a teacher’s salary.
Even the 13 weeks worth of annual salary and the 9 to 3 hours couldn’t offset that.
I think describing teacher’s pay as 13 weeks of annual salary is about right.
There aren’t many who could chose between teaching history or science: what was your degree in?
This was when I was choosing my A Levels.
My mother was desperate for me to follow the family tradition and become a doctor but I wasn’t keen.
I was mistaken in the belief what you chose to study at A Levels impacted on your career.
So I chose Maths, Further Maths, History, and Physics.
The irony is that two of my contemporaries who read law themed degrees became very highly regarded accountants. Neither of them did any numbers based A Levels.
Snap on A levels, it's an interesting, but tough combo.
History, Economics and Maths for me.
English Lit, Economics, Govt. and Politics, Geography and General Studies for me.
I had General Studies too
In fact, it was an A in General Studies that got me into Cambridge...
I knew there were some problems on the branches, but had heard nothing about the central section. I wonder what the issue is?
The station systems are only about 50% finished. The new linewide scada and radio networks aren’t all connected and tested yet. And RfL is nowhere near mobilised enough to become infrastructure manager. Testing and commissioning takes a long time to get right, and accumulate the evidence you have a reliable service, and has barely started.
By far the biggest issue though is the Class 345 train though (the train and signaling software is extremely complex) but TfL is hiding behind the build programme delays on that at the moment.
On A-levels, obviously we all have our own reference points but Chemistry seemed to be monstrously tougher than the rest (Maths (& Further AS) and Physics) in 1999.
Indeed. I did my A-levels five years before you and we were always advised that Chemistry and Art were by far the hardest (the latter due to the insane volume of coursework required, the former due to the difficulty of the exam).
I was a cocky teenager, aced my A-levels (Maths, Physics, Chemistry, General Wankery), but died a thousand deaths on Physics and Chemistry S-levels. Apparently you have to have revised to succeed. Who knew?
Has the A level in General Wankery stood you in good stead?
Today I was at the bookstore; as I was wandering around, the clerk stopped me and offered to help me.
I imagine I didn't look like his normal clientele, so I asked, "Do you have a copy of Donald Trump's book on his U.S. Immigration Policy regarding Muslims and illegal Mexicans?"
The clerk angrily said, "Fuck off, get out and stay out!"
I said, "Yes! That's the one. Do you have it in paperback?"
What would have been the reaction if Corbyn had said this.
PM of Israel Verified account
@IsraeliPM Follow Follow @IsraeliPM More The weak crumble, are slaughtered and are erased from history while the strong, for good or for ill, survive. The strong are respected, and alliances are made with the strong, and in the end peace is made with the strong.
I confess I have the soft bigotry of low expectations about Crossrail. My only surprise about the announced delay is that it has not come sooner and it is not for longer.
You might not be disappointed.
It’s a fiendishly difficult project and has some of the best people in the world working on it.
The complexities of what is being attempted to be done are poorly understood and it’s right at the cutting edge of digital railway technology.
What would have been the reaction if Corbyn had said this.
PM of Israel Verified account
@IsraeliPM Follow Follow @IsraeliPM More The weak crumble, are slaughtered and are erased from history while the strong, for good or for ill, survive. The strong are respected, and alliances are made with the strong, and in the end peace is made with the strong.
Here's some twisting of the facts for you BJO.
Jeremy Corbyn attended an event run by Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND). One senior member of MEND, Azad Ali, has attended sermons by Abu Qatada. Abu Qatada was a mentor of Saifallah Ben Hassine, who founded Ansar al Sharia. A branch of Ansar al-Sharia was Ajnad al-Khilafah. Ajnad al-Khalifah recruited Seifiddine Rezgui Yacoubi, also known as Abu Yahya al-Qayrawani.
And do you know what Seifiddine Rezgui Yacoubi ended up doing?
What would have been the reaction if Corbyn had said this.
PM of Israel Verified account
@IsraeliPM Follow Follow @IsraeliPM More The weak crumble, are slaughtered and are erased from history while the strong, for good or for ill, survive. The strong are respected, and alliances are made with the strong, and in the end peace is made with the strong.
Useful for the Iranians to know that they need a nuclear deterrent before Israel will make peace with them.
Summary: - A programme of large-scale affordable housing. Of the 300,000 new homes a year, at least 50,000 should be social rented housing, rising to 100,000 a year as soon as we can. Our ambition should be to build 500,000 homes a year in total within the next few years. - A big expansion in ‘rent to own’. Housing associations would build properties for occupiers to pay a market-level rent. The additional margin would yield the occupier an increasing stake in the property over time. - A new, arms-length body that will be empowered by law to acquire land of low amenity and market value through compulsory acquisition and build houses available for five-year rentals which could be converted into freehold acquisitions with a mortgage. - Raising quality, safety and environmental standards in existing residential properties. - Ending exploitative, greedy, negligent or neglectful practices in the private sector, which give the majority of good landlords a bad name. Measures to include a publicly available database of rogue landlords; capping upfront deposit and banning letting agencies’ fees for tenants. - Strengthening the sanctions for leaving homes empty, with fiscal measures to incentivise domestic use. For example, increasing the 200% council tax on homes deliberately left empty to 500%. - Finally, if we are going to improve housing supply, we must take a flexible and pragmatic approach to the Green Belt not ideological and dogmatic. Yes, we should ensure real green space – some of it green belt, some of it metropolitan open land – is protected where it provides real beauty and utility to the community. But there are some parts of the Green Belt which have disused petrol stations or abandoned warehouses on them or places which – being immediately next to busy motorways – could hardly be called areas of beauty and tranquillity. Nobody who is serious about resolving the housing crisis would argue that such sites should be off limits. That is why we should allow local authorities to “swop” sites of low environmental value in the Green Belt for green space in urban areas.
What would have been the reaction if Corbyn had said this.
PM of Israel Verified account
@IsraeliPM Follow Follow @IsraeliPM More The weak crumble, are slaughtered and are erased from history while the strong, for good or for ill, survive. The strong are respected, and alliances are made with the strong, and in the end peace is made with the strong.
Useful for the Iranians to know that they need a nuclear deterrent before Israel will make peace with them.
Yes, that's certainly what I'd read into that speech if I were Iran or North Korea.
I confess I have the soft bigotry of low expectations about Crossrail. My only surprise about the announced delay is that it has not come sooner and it is not for longer.
You might not be disappointed.
It’s a fiendishly difficult project and has some of the best people in the world working on it.
The complexities of what is being attempted to be done are poorly understood and it’s right at the cutting edge of digital railway technology.
Nevertheless, you knew that upfront and it's a shockingly long delay. Comparisons will be inevitably drawn between the on-time, on-budget CTRL and this. It might be perceived by the public as a bit of a shambles.
What would have been the reaction if Corbyn had said this.
PM of Israel Verified account
@IsraeliPM Follow Follow @IsraeliPM More The weak crumble, are slaughtered and are erased from history while the strong, for good or for ill, survive. The strong are respected, and alliances are made with the strong, and in the end peace is made with the strong.
Here's some twisting of the facts for you BJO.
Jeremy Corbyn attended an event run by Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND). One senior member of MEND, Azad Ali, has attended sermons by Abu Qatada. Abu Qatada was a mentor of Saifallah Ben Hassine, who founded Ansar al Sharia. A branch of Ansar al-Sharia was Ajnad al-Khilafah. Ajnad al-Khalifah recruited Seifiddine Rezgui Yacoubi, also known as Abu Yahya al-Qayrawani.
And do you know what Seifiddine Rezgui Yacoubi ended up doing?
What would have been the reaction if Corbyn had said this.
PM of Israel Verified account
@IsraeliPM Follow Follow @IsraeliPM More The weak crumble, are slaughtered and are erased from history while the strong, for good or for ill, survive. The strong are respected, and alliances are made with the strong, and in the end peace is made with the strong.
Useful for the Iranians to know that they need a nuclear deterrent before Israel will make peace with them.
I confess I have the soft bigotry of low expectations about Crossrail. My only surprise about the announced delay is that it has not come sooner and it is not for longer.
I wouldn't worry, there'll probably be more delays, and as for HS2......
HS2 should be converted into Crossrail 2. Post-Brexit, there won't be any reason to leave the capital anyway.
From the stories I hear I wouldn’t touch HS2 with a bargepole.
What would have been the reaction if Corbyn had said this.
PM of Israel Verified account
@IsraeliPM Follow Follow @IsraeliPM More The weak crumble, are slaughtered and are erased from history while the strong, for good or for ill, survive. The strong are respected, and alliances are made with the strong, and in the end peace is made with the strong.
Here's some twisting of the facts for you BJO.
Jeremy Corbyn attended an event run by Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND). One senior member of MEND, Azad Ali, has attended sermons by Abu Qatada. Abu Qatada was a mentor of Saifallah Ben Hassine, who founded Ansar al Sharia. A branch of Ansar al-Sharia was Ajnad al-Khilafah. Ajnad al-Khalifah recruited Seifiddine Rezgui Yacoubi, also known as Abu Yahya al-Qayrawani.
And do you know what Seifiddine Rezgui Yacoubi ended up doing?
I confess I have the soft bigotry of low expectations about Crossrail. My only surprise about the announced delay is that it has not come sooner and it is not for longer.
You might not be disappointed.
It’s a fiendishly difficult project and has some of the best people in the world working on it.
The complexities of what is being attempted to be done are poorly understood and it’s right at the cutting edge of digital railway technology.
Nevertheless, you knew that upfront and it's a shockingly long delay. Comparisons will be inevitably drawn between the on-time, on-budget CTRL and this. It might be perceived by the public as a bit of a shambles.
If they’re as ignorant and arrogant as you, quite possibly.
The rest might actually recognise Crossrail is going to be a fantastic product, and is already been admired worldwide. It’s better than anything the Canadians, Americans, Australians or even Europeans have in metros (Copenhagen perhaps being the closest) but it takes time to get new technology right and outputting a safe and reliable service.
Summary: - A programme of large-scale affordable housing. Of the 300,000 new homes a year, at least 50,000 should be social rented housing, rising to 100,000 a year as soon as we can. Our ambition should be to build 500,000 homes a year in total within the next few years. - A big expansion in ‘rent to own’. Housing associations would build properties for occupiers to pay a market-level rent. The additional margin would yield the occupier an increasing stake in the property over time. - A new, arms-length body that will be empowered by law to acquire land of low amenity and market value through compulsory acquisition and build houses available for five-year rentals which could be converted into freehold acquisitions with a mortgage. - Raising quality, safety and environmental standards in existing residential properties. - Ending exploitative, greedy, negligent or neglectful practices in the private sector, which give the majority of good landlords a bad name. Measures to include a publicly available database of rogue landlords; capping upfront deposit and banning letting agencies’ fees for tenants. - Strengthening the sanctions for leaving homes empty, with fiscal measures to incentivise domestic use. For example, increasing the 200% council tax on homes deliberately left empty to 500%. - Finally, if we are going to improve housing supply, we must take a flexible and pragmatic approach to the Green Belt not ideological and dogmatic. Yes, we should ensure real green space – some of it green belt, some of it metropolitan open land – is protected where it provides real beauty and utility to the community. But there are some parts of the Green Belt which have disused petrol stations or abandoned warehouses on them or places which – being immediately next to busy motorways – could hardly be called areas of beauty and tranquillity. Nobody who is serious about resolving the housing crisis would argue that such sites should be off limits. That is why we should allow local authorities to “swop” sites of low environmental value in the Green Belt for green space in urban areas.
None of those say "repeal the planning laws" so it's all tinkering around the edges but it doesn't sound too bad if your baseline is doing nothing.
I confess I have the soft bigotry of low expectations about Crossrail. My only surprise about the announced delay is that it has not come sooner and it is not for longer.
I wouldn't worry, there'll probably be more delays, and as for HS2......
HS2 should be converted into Crossrail 2. Post-Brexit, there won't be any reason to leave the capital anyway.
From the stories I hear I wouldn’t touch HS2 with a bargepole.
Actually I know one particular firm doing very well out of HS2
Because Americans only use Z in words like 'crystallise' it's assumed, erroneously, that the British way is S. Either S or Z can be used in British English, it's a variance due to the Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries (I think).
Spelling such words with a Z is the sign of the devil. Doing it that way would be just typical of those hideous Oxford people.
(This is where someone tells me it's Cambridge who does it...)
I think it's a matter of taste. Some words do look better with the 'z', and it's entirely acceptable .... but I'm struggling to think of any examples just now.
I did think about becoming a history/science teacher but then I saw the pay guide.
My fashion tastes couldn’t live on a teacher’s salary.
Even the 13 weeks worth of annual salary and the 9 to 3 hours couldn’t offset that.
I think describing teacher’s pay as 13 weeks of annual salary is about right.
There aren’t many who could chose between teaching history or science: what was your degree in?
This was when I was choosing my A Levels.
My mother was desperate for me to follow the family tradition and become a doctor but I wasn’t keen.
I was mistaken in the belief what you chose to study at A Levels impacted on your career.
So I chose Maths, Further Maths, History, and Physics.
The irony is that two of my contemporaries who read law themed degrees became very highly regarded accountants. Neither of them did any numbers based A Levels.
Snap on A levels, it's an interesting, but tough combo.
History, Economics and Maths for me.
History, Geography, Maths and Statistics for me. I also did O levels in Economics and German at the same time. I wanted to be an economist but ended up as a political scientist.
On A-levels, obviously we all have our own reference points but Chemistry seemed to be monstrously tougher than the rest (Maths (& Further AS) and Physics) in 1999.
Indeed. I did my A-levels five years before you and we were always advised that Chemistry and Art were by far the hardest (the latter due to the insane volume of coursework required, the former due to the difficulty of the exam).
I was a cocky teenager, aced my A-levels (Maths, Physics, Chemistry, General Wankery), but died a thousand deaths on Physics and Chemistry S-levels. Apparently you have to have revised to succeed. Who knew?
Has the A level in General Wankery stood you in good stead?
I did think about becoming a history/science teacher but then I saw the pay guide.
My fashion tastes couldn’t live on a teacher’s salary.
Even the 13 weeks worth of annual salary and the 9 to 3 hours couldn’t offset that.
I think describing teacher’s pay as 13 weeks of annual salary is about right.
There aren’t many who could chose between teaching history or science: what was your degree in?
This was when I was choosing my A Levels.
My mother was desperate for me to follow the family tradition and become a doctor but I wasn’t keen.
I was mistaken in the belief what you chose to study at A Levels impacted on your career.
So I chose Maths, Further Maths, History, and Physics.
The irony is that two of my contemporaries who read law themed degrees became very highly regarded accountants. Neither of them did any numbers based A Levels.
Snap on A levels, it's an interesting, but tough combo.
History, Economics and Maths for me.
History, Geography, Maths and Statistics for me. I also did O levels in Economics and German at the same time. I wanted to be an economist but ended up as a political scientist.
Comments
Firstly, Sir Terry Morgan is still Chairman of the Crossrail Board (and he was in yesterday) and, secondly, Simon Wright is now CEO, who had been programme director for 4 years before. So it’s not leaderless nor has it ever been.
This is just an excuse for Adonis to have a partisan dig at Grayling.
No thought not
Most Labour moderates on the other hand joined the Tories in the Lobbies
I agree with Sadiq , existing claimants on legacy benefits and tax credits.Especially severely disabled children should be transferred across to UC.Without the need to make a new claim.
Caring is a full time job , they do not need any more stress.
It’s just how it is.
The Echo has done a big feature on the story and it may just focus minds. After all Liverpool was where militant tendancy were based
By far the biggest issue though is the Class 345 train though (the train and signaling software is extremely complex) but TfL is hiding behind the build programme delays on that at the moment.
An example being @Rottenborough clutching his pearls about Field being ousted, when it's only because of Birkenhead's equivalents of Rottenborough who've been wittering on about how bad a "hard Brexit" would be that Field was ousted in the first place.
Berlin’s new international airport will open in October 2020, almost a decade later than originally planned, a development that marks the latest twist in a tale of engineering chaos that has captivated and embarrassed Germany in equal measure.
The new Berlin Brandenburg airport, located in the south-east of the city, was supposed to usher in a new era of travel for the once-divided city. After reunification in 1990, the German capital initially made do with three smaller airports — Tegel and Tempelhof in the former West Berlin and Schönefeld in the former East — but eventually decided to build a modern international hub adjacent to Schönefeld.
Tempelhof has since been closed, leaving Berlin with just two ageing airports that lack the scale and transport connections of other capital hubs.
https://www.ft.com/content/b90c2a0c-e1b6-11e7-a8a4-0a1e63a52f9c
But more seriously, if Field was about be ousted thanks to diehard remainers, then I defer to your greater knowledge.I had assumed it was just Corbynites. But anyway, Field claims he is going because of anti-semitism and the mob culture within the party. It could be a case of jumping before push, but can we be sure?
And what now for all the other MPs? What will happen if/when Corbyn tries to whip them to block a Brexit deal, if there is one? Will the remainers come after all of them?
(Chequers currently bottom of 5 options btw.....)
Colour me amazed.....
In any case, it seems odds-on that Labour MPs will be whipped to oppose any deal, to try to bring the government down, which is the stance most Labour members would want for different reasons.
And I daresay there would be hellish pressure put on them to make sure they don't want to...
https://www.libdems.org.uk/taxingland-notinvestment
Anyway, fudge is good. It's exactly what we need, if we're going to extract ourselves from this mess. (Same for the other side, as well).
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2015-07-23/how-berlin-s-futuristic-airport-became-a-6-billion-embarrassment
Exactly when were you at university?
What would have been the reaction if Corbyn had said this.
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The weak crumble, are slaughtered and are erased from history while the strong, for good or for ill, survive. The strong are respected, and alliances are made with the strong, and in the end peace is made with the strong.
https://twitter.com/BrunoBrussels/status/1035479211711053824
https://twitter.com/BBCBusiness/status/1034423770675642369
In fact, it was an A in General Studies that got me into Cambridge...
You’re on the Great Western surface section, which eventually ties in but not yet.
I imagine I didn't look like his normal clientele, so I asked, "Do you have a copy of Donald Trump's book on his U.S. Immigration Policy regarding Muslims and illegal Mexicans?"
The clerk angrily said, "Fuck off, get out and stay out!"
I said, "Yes! That's the one. Do you have it in paperback?"
https://www.timesofisrael.com/at-nuclear-facility-netanyahu-lobs-stark-warning-at-iran/
It’s a fiendishly difficult project and has some of the best people in the world working on it.
The complexities of what is being attempted to be done are poorly understood and it’s right at the cutting edge of digital railway technology.
Jeremy Corbyn attended an event run by Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND). One senior member of MEND, Azad Ali, has attended sermons by Abu Qatada. Abu Qatada was a mentor of Saifallah Ben Hassine, who founded Ansar al Sharia. A branch of Ansar al-Sharia was Ajnad al-Khilafah. Ajnad al-Khalifah recruited Seifiddine Rezgui Yacoubi, also known as Abu Yahya al-Qayrawani.
And do you know what Seifiddine Rezgui Yacoubi ended up doing?
Virtually any integration initiative can be badged under the header of “completing the single market”.
https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/libdems/pages/43394/attachments/original/1530023772/Housing_Speech_FULL_TEXT.pdf?1530023772
Summary:
- A programme of large-scale affordable housing. Of the 300,000 new homes a year, at least 50,000 should be social rented housing, rising to 100,000 a year as soon as we can. Our ambition should be to build 500,000 homes a year in total within the next few years.
- A big expansion in ‘rent to own’. Housing associations would build properties for occupiers to pay a market-level rent. The additional margin would yield the occupier an increasing stake in the property over time.
- A new, arms-length body that will be empowered by law to acquire land of low amenity and market value through compulsory acquisition and build houses available for five-year rentals which could be converted into freehold acquisitions with a mortgage.
- Raising quality, safety and environmental standards in existing residential properties.
- Ending exploitative, greedy, negligent or neglectful practices in the private sector, which give the majority of good landlords a bad name. Measures to include a publicly available database of rogue landlords; capping upfront deposit and banning letting agencies’ fees for tenants.
- Strengthening the sanctions for leaving homes empty, with fiscal measures to incentivise domestic use. For example, increasing the 200% council tax on homes deliberately left empty to 500%.
- Finally, if we are going to improve housing supply, we must take a flexible and pragmatic approach to the Green Belt not ideological and dogmatic. Yes, we should ensure real green space – some of it green belt, some of it metropolitan open land – is protected where it provides real beauty and utility to the community. But there are some parts of the Green Belt which have disused petrol stations or abandoned warehouses on them or places which – being immediately next to busy motorways – could hardly be called areas of beauty and tranquillity. Nobody who is serious about resolving the housing crisis would argue that such sites should be off limits. That is why we should allow local authorities to “swop” sites of low environmental value in the Green Belt for green space in urban areas.
NEW THREAD
Surely he said Caledonia ?
‘Twas God who made the land!
The rest might actually recognise Crossrail is going to be a fantastic product, and is already been admired worldwide. It’s better than anything the Canadians, Americans, Australians or even Europeans have in metros (Copenhagen perhaps being the closest) but it takes time to get new technology right and outputting a safe and reliable service.