All local authorities have been asked to fly the flag for the Duke of York’s 60th birthday celebrations on 19th February. Although the Queen has cancelled formal celebrations in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and infamous Newsnight interview, a government advisory notice, seen by The Sun newspaper, has been sent to councils asking them to mark the occasion
How recent is that report? I'm sure I heard the other day that the councils had been told that they didn't have to glorify Prince Andrew if they didn't want to...
It's bizarre to me. If the aim is to move the dial in the direction of patriotism by ensuring that councils are reminded to fly the flag more often on Royal occasions, Prince Andrew's birthday seems a rather contentious place to start.
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
If you stop to think about it then it's remarkable exactly how much support there still is for the Union amongst Tories and Tory-leaning voters. After all, the closer the UK-England Venn diagram moves toward being a single circle, the weaker the position of Labour and the lower the likelihood of it coming back to power, at least without repenting of the Corbyn experiment and returning to harmless wet centrism.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable yearly outlay of English taxpayers' money to places where much of the population feels resentful, dominated, is desperate to get away, has an intense dislike of the English, or some combination of two or more of these things. What value, therefore, from the point of view of the ordinary English voter, is to be had in keeping it on life support?
Northern Ireland is a relic of colonialism and religious sectarianism, the Union with Scotland is the product of 18th century concerns that no longer apply, and there is, in any event, absolutely no interest in reforming the Union in such a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
G, not a hope it will be NO next time, the die is cast.
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
If you stop to think about it then it's remarkable exactly how much support there still is for the Union amongst Tories and Tory-leaning voters. After all, the closer the UK-England Venn diagram moves toward being a single circle, the weaker the position of Labour and the lower the likelihood of it coming back to power, at least without repenting of the Corbyn experiment and returning to harmless wet centrism.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable yearly outlay of English taxpayers' money to places where much of the population feels resentful, dominated, is desperate to get away, has an intense dislike of the English, or some combination of two or more of these things. What value, therefore, from the point of view of the ordinary English voter, is to be had in keeping it on life support?
Northern Ireland is a relic of colonialism and religious sectarianism, the Union with Scotland is the product of 18th century concerns that no longer apply, and there is, in any event, absolutely no interest in reforming the Union in such a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
Boston to London last November, a little over 5 hours. Like a rollercoaster. The tail winds were incredible.
Always dodgy, that rail line through Peterborough
That journey would be longer and would take the traveller from the 1970s to the 2020s. I would anticipate Scanners-type scenes from the locals as they moved inside the Great Wen.
Not sure. It has taken me by surprise. Normally Roger tells us who will win, and it is all long odds-on favourites except for the one he slips in at a double-figure price.
Not sure. It has taken me by surprise. Normally Roger tells us who will win, and it is all long odds-on favourites except for the one he slips in at a double-figure price.
Its not something I bet on but I have always enjoyed Roger's thread. Not this year it seems.
SF 177% of the quota in Dublin NW. Again only the one candidate.
Forgive my ignorance of the voting system, but why would they not stand enough candidates?
Can the vote be split by too many standing, so that none end up elected? Is there a massive deposit per candidate? Could they not find enough candidates? Something on spending limits?
Under STV the optimum is generally to put up one more candidate than you expect to get elected. Transfers between candidates of the same party are never ‘perfect’, as not everyone follows a party slate and there are always voters who don’t number all of their preferences. So putting up a full slate of candidates risks losing stray votes during eliminations.
Stupid system.
d'Hondt for me, with the candidate order decided by party primaries.
Any system is an improvement on the daft one used for the Scottish Parliament and the Sennedd.
AV.
The answer is always AV.
The question was should we use FPTP or AV. The people gave their answer.
It just became a vehicle to kick Nick Clegg.
If people had solely focussed on the issue YES2AV would have won a landslide.
Allowing people into the UK parliament who did not finish first in their constituency was described by David Cameron as creating a "Parliament full of second-choices who no one really wanted but didn't really object to either."
Not sure. It has taken me by surprise. Normally Roger tells us who will win, and it is all long odds-on favourites except for the one he slips in at a double-figure price.
Not sure. It has taken me by surprise. Normally Roger tells us who will win, and it is all long odds-on favourites except for the one he slips in at a double-figure price.
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
If you stop to think about it then it's remarkable exactly how much support there still is for the Union amongst Tories and Tory-leaning voters. After all, the closer the UK-England Venn diagram moves toward being a single circle, the weaker the position of Labour and the lower the likelihood of it coming back to power, at least without repenting of the Corbyn experiment and returning to harmless wet centrism.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable yearly outlay of English taxpayers' money to places where much of the population feels resentful, dominated, is desperate to get away, has an intense dislike of the English, or some combination of two or more of these things. What value, therefore, from the point of view of the ordinary English voter, is to be had in keeping it on life support?
Northern Ireland is a relic of colonialism and religious sectarianism, the Union with Scotland is the product of 18th century concerns that no longer apply, and there is, in any event, absolutely no interest in reforming the Union in such a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
G, not a hope it will be NO next time, the die is cast.
Malc.
You and I will not agree on this but given Scots will have to change euros into pounds at the custom posts between Berwick and Carlisle together with severe disruption to 60% of Scotlands trade I trust the Scots to have the good sense and not to follow their hearts, but rather their heads
You will find that 'better the devil you know than the devil you dont'
To think that Sinn Fein first emerged as a political force by getting nearly every candidate on their slate elected even when half of them were still in prison.
Admittedly they achieved that largely due to massive fraud, vote rigging and intimidation, but no way would Collins, Griffith and de Valera have been caught short like this.
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
If you stop to think about it then it's remarkable exactly how much support there still is for the Union amongst Tories and Tory-leaning voters. After all, the closer the UK-England Venn diagram moves toward being a single circle, the weaker the position of Labour and the lower the likelihood of it coming back to power, at least without repenting of the Corbyn experiment and returning to harmless wet centrism.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable yearly outlay of English taxpayers' money to places where much of the population feels resentful, dominated, is desperate to get away, has an intense dislike of the English, or some combination of two or more of these things. What value, therefore, from the point of view of the ordinary English voter, is to be had in keeping it on life support?
Northern Ireland is a relic of colonialism and religious sectarianism, the Union with Scotland is the product of 18th century concerns that no longer apply, and there is, in any event, absolutely no interest in reforming the Union in such a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I’m sorry, but that doesn’t prove anything. You could be dead in a month!
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:
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Hydrogen peroxide and diesel makes a credible rocket fuel...
A variant of Hydrogen Peroxide called High-test Peroxide or "HTP" (85% H202, 15% H2O) and kerosene was used as the oxidiser and propellant in the sadly-missed British space programme of the 60's and 70's.
I don't know how corrosive HTP is. HTP/kerosene has some advantages as rocket fuels: it's liquid at room temperatures and it's hypergolic: the two ignite on contact without needing an igniter, making rocket motors simpler. However HTP's hypergolicity and its ability to act as a monopropellant is a disadvantage: spill some and you risk a fire or an explosion.
IIRC, when rocket testing was done in Cornwall there were baths of water scattered around so that accidentally aflame engineers could be dunked. HTP was used as an oxidiser in submarines or torpedoes but became associated with accidents, such as HMS Explorer, HMS Excalibur, HMS Sidon and - famously - APL K-141 Kursk, the latter of which was crippled by a HTP torpedo explosion.
HTP is interesting stuff. The big problem with it is that it *looks* so safe. The important thing to remember with rocket fuels (the sane ones) is that they are generally safe, if your remember how insanely dangerous they are.
HTP has been used for decades for running starter generators for military aircraft and (among other things) the thrusters for the Soyuz spacecraft.
Unlike liquid oxygen you can pour it into an ordinary lab beaker. It will sit there like water. no noxious fumes etc. The problem starts with catalytic decomposition - copper really starts the party. Then you get red hot hydrogen and oxygen wanting to party. If this is inside a rocket engine - awesome. Elsewhere, not so much. Try building a ship or submarine without brass....
Interestingly it has been recently (last ten years) discovered that HTP gets more stable the purer it is.
It's use in the British space program was another example of how British engineers had a genius for picking the wrong technology and then following that to a silly end. The Americans took a couple of looks at the peroxide stuff the Germans had done, and went with liquid oxygen.
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
If you stop to think about it then it's remarkable exactly how much support there still is for the Union amongst Tories and Tory-leaning voters. After all, the closer the UK-England Venn diagram moves toward being a single circle, the weaker the position of Labour and the lower the likelihood of it coming back to power, at least without repenting of the Corbyn experiment and returning to harmless wet centrism.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable yearly outlay of English taxpayers' money to places where much of the population feels resentful, dominated, is desperate to get away, has an intense dislike of the English, or some combination of two or more of these things. What value, therefore, from the point of view of the ordinary English voter, is to be had in keeping it on life support?
Northern Ireland is a relic of colonialism and religious sectarianism, the Union with Scotland is the product of 18th century concerns that no longer apply, and there is, in any event, absolutely no interest in reforming the Union in such a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I am not as it needs Westminster approval as was the case in 2014 and Westminster now has a Tory majority elected on a manifesto commitment to no indyref2
I think trying to link evil stuff like the QAnon stuff to people making forced choices in polls is a reach. What the New Hampshire Democrats are saying is that they really, really don't want Trump. As to Brexit, economic damage etc - framing a question on nationalism in economic terms is to miss the point.
For example - Most Socts Nats of my acquaintance will, if forced to choose (is a social discussion) between independence with worse economics vs remaining, would still choose independence. This is because they believe that Scottish people alone should decide the fate of Scotland - and that will in the *long run* be better for Scotland.
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
If you stop to think about it then it's remarkable exactly how much support there still is for the Union amongst Tories and Tory-leaning voters. After all, the closer the UK-England Venn diagram moves toward being a single circle, the weaker the position of Labour and the lower the likelihood of it coming back to power, at least without repenting of the Corbyn experiment and returning to harmless wet centrism.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable yearly outlay of English taxpayers' money to places where much of the population feels resentful, dominated, is desperate to get away, has an intense dislike of the English, or some combination of two or more of these things. What value, therefore, from the point of view of the ordinary English voter, is to be had in keeping it on life support?
Northern Ireland is a relic of colonialism and religious sectarianism, the Union with Scotland is the product of 18th century concerns that no longer apply, and there is, in any event, absolutely no interest in reforming the Union in such a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I am not as it needs Westminster approval as was the case in 2014 and Westminster now has a Tory majority elected on a manifesto commitment to no indyref2
Things change - politics change - you can parrot your line as much as you want but it will change if the SNP win a majority in 2021. Your attitude just hastens independence and angers moderates including supporters of the union like my family as you demonstrate all that is wrong with some English attitudes to the Scots
I see it has escalated from bullying this morning to a conspiracy.
I don't think people are bullying him out of the House of Lords - it's more his bullying is the reason why he shouldn't ever be a member of it.
Which poster was it who foretold this and related a story at his work which ended up with the person everyone had come together to accuse of bullying in turn claiming that such a charge itself was bullying.
In all seriousness, it's not hard to imagine a pretty reasonable-looking case that Bercow has been bullied, based solely on height-related gags as reported by the media.
Replace "height" with "race" or even "weight", and you're on to a definite winner.
He has faced mockery, I am sure. But bullied people can also bully others, and Bercow adores his self image as someone who belittles others in a very public fashion. If that's not an act but how he operates behind closed doors, sympathy at his getting mocked for his height does not stretch very far.
I think trying to link evil stuff like the QAnon stuff to people making forced choices in polls is a reach. What the New Hampshire Democrats are saying is that they really, really don't want Trump. As to Brexit, economic damage etc - framing a question on nationalism in economic terms is to miss the point.
For example - Most Socts Nats of my acquaintance will, if forced to choose (is a social discussion) between independence with worse economics vs remaining, would still choose independence. This is because they believe that Scottish people alone should decide the fate of Scotland - and that will in the *long run* be better for Scotland.
The SNP maybe but do not confuse that with the Scottish people, and of course handing Scotland over to Brussels and the euro opens a whole can of worms
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable yearly outlay of English taxpayers' money to places where much of the population feels resentful, dominated, is desperate to get away, has an intense dislike of the English, or some combination of two or more of these things. What value, therefore, from the point of view of the ordinary English voter, is to be had in keeping it on life support?
Northern Ireland is a relic of colonialism and religious sectarianism, the Union with Scotland is the product of 18th century concerns that no longer apply, and there is, in any event, absolutely no interest in reforming the Union in such a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I am not as it needs Westminster approval as was the case in 2014 and Westminster now has a Tory majority elected on a manifesto commitment to no indyref2
Things change - politics change - you can parrot your line as much as you want but it will change if the SNP win a majority in 2021. Your attitude just hastens independence and angers moderates including supporters of the union like my family as you demonstrate all that is wrong with some English attitudes to the Scots
And HYUFD is assuming Boris is going to keep his promises.
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
If you stop to think about it then it's remarkable exactly how much support there still is for the Union amongst Tories and Tory-leaning voters. After all, the closer the UK-England Venn diagram moves toward being a single circle, the weaker nger apply, and there is, in any event, absolutely no interest in reforming the Union in such a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I am not as it needs Westminster approval as was the case in 2014 and Westminster now has a Tory majority elected on a manifesto commitment to no indyref2
Things change - politics change - you can parrot your line as much as you want but it will change if the SNP win a majority in 2021. Your attitude just hastens independence and angers moderates including supporters of the union like my family as you demonstrate all that is wrong with some English attitudes to the Scots
It is not just my line, it is the line of the UK government as confirmed by the Scottish Secretary
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable yearly outlay of English taxpayers' money to places where much of the population feels resentful, dominated, is desperate to get away, has an intense dislike of the English, or some combination of two or more of these things. What value, therefore, from the point of view of the ordinary English voter, is to be had in keeping it on life support?
Northern Ireland is a relic of colonialism and religious sectarianism, the Union with Scotland is the product of 18th century concerns that no longer apply, and there is, in any event, absolutely no interest in reforming the Union in such a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I am not as it needs Westminster approval as was the case in 2014 and Westminster now has a Tory majority elected on a manifesto commitment to no indyref2
Things change - politics change - you can parrot your line as much as you want but it will change if the SNP win a majority in 2021. Your attitude just hastens independence and angers moderates including supporters of the union like my family as you demonstrate all that is wrong with some English attitudes to the Scots
And HUFYD is assuming Boris is going to keep his promises.
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
If you stop to think about it then it's remarkable exactly how much support there still is for the Union amongst Tories and Tory-leaning voters. After all, the closer the UK-England Venn diagram moves toward being a single circle, the weaker the position of Labour and the lower the likelihood of it coming back to power, at least without repenting of the Corbyn experiment and returning to harmless wet centrism.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable yearly outlay of English taxpayers' money to places where much of the population feels resentful, dominated, is desperate to get away, has an intense dislike of the English, or some combination of two or more of these things. What value, therefore, from the point of view of the ordinary English voter, is to be had in keeping it on life support?
Northern Ireland is a relic of colonialism and religious sectarianism, the Union with Scotland is the product of 18th century concerns that no longer apply, and there is, in any event, absolutely no interest in reforming the Union in such a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
No thanks. These things are emotional - all nations are arbitrary when you get right down to it - and I for one won't stop supporting something that means a lot to me even if it will not last much longer. So many people would have to cast aside so much based on some inevitablist view of history and development that way. Those clamouring to break free would equally have to conclude nation states are pointless so give up on an independent state, and there's no reason they should do that.
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable yearly outlay of English taxpayers' money to places where much of the population feels resentful, dominated, is desperate to get away, has an intense dislike of the English, or some combination of two or more of these things. What value, therefore, from the point of view of the ordinary English voter, is to be had in keeping it on life support?
Northern Ireland is a relic of colonialism and religious sectarianism, the Union with Scotland is the product of 18th century concerns that no longer apply, and there is, in any event, absolutely no interest in reforming the Union in such a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I am not as it needs Westminster approval as was the case in 2014 and Westminster now has a Tory majority elected on a manifesto commitment to no indyref2
Things change - politics change - you can parrot your line as much as you want but it will change if the SNP win a majority in 2021. Your attitude just hastens independence and angers moderates including supporters of the union like my family as you demonstrate all that is wrong with some English attitudes to the Scots
And HYUFD is assuming Boris is going to keep his promises.
The Tories have a majority of 80 elected on a no to indyref2 platform, the House of Commons has to approve indyref2 not just Boris
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
If you stop to think about it then it's remarkable exactly how much support there still is for the Union amongst Tories and Tory-leaning voters. After all, the closer the UK-England Venn diagram moves toward being a single circle, the weaker nger apply, and there is, in any event, absolutely no interest in reforming the Union in such a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I am not as it needs Westminster approval as was the case in 2014 and Westminster now has a Tory majority elected on a manifesto commitment to no indyref2
Things change - politics change - you can parrot your line as much as you want but it will change if the SNP win a majority in 2021. Your attitude just hastens independence and angers moderates including supporters of the union like my family as you demonstrate all that is wrong with some English attitudes to the Scots
It is not just my line, it is the line of the UK government as confirmed by the Scottish Secretary
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable yearly outlay of English taxpayers' money to places where much of the population feels resentful, dominated, is desperate to get away, has an intense dislike of the English, or some combination of two or more of these things. What value, therefore, from the point of view of the ordinary English voter, is to be had in keeping it on life support?
Northern Ireland is a relic of colonialism and religious sectarianism, the Union with Scotland is the product of 18th century concerns that no longer apply, and there is, in any event, absolutely no interest in reforming the Union in such a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I am not as it needs Westminster approval as was the case in 2014 and Westminster now has a Tory majority elected on a manifesto commitment to no indyref2
Things change - politics change - you can parrot your line as much as you want but it will change if the SNP win a majority in 2021. Your attitude just hastens independence and angers moderates including supporters of the union like my family as you demonstrate all that is wrong with some English attitudes to the Scots
And HYUFD is assuming Boris is going to keep his promises.
The Tories have a majority of 80 elected on a no to indyref2 platform, the House of Commons has to approve indyref2 not just Boris
So if Boris says yes, you can have an Indyref, he won’t be able to rely on the support of the Party?
Not sure. It has taken me by surprise. Normally Roger tells us who will win, and it is all long odds-on favourites except for the one he slips in at a double-figure price.
Its not something I bet on but I have always enjoyed Roger's thread. Not this year it seems.
I put a couple of quid on Parasite. While I was not surprised none of its cast were nominated (considering who’s doing the nominating) it still seems a touch unfair.
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable yearly outlay of English taxpayers' money to places where much of the population feels resentful, dominated, is desperate to get away, has an intense dislike of the English, or some combination of two or more of these things. What value, therefore, from the point of view of the ordinary English voter, is to be had in keeping it on life support?
Northern Ireland is a relic of colonialism and religious sectarianism, the Union with Scotland is the product of 18th century concerns that no longer apply, and there is, in any event, absolutely no interest in reforming the Union in such a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I am not as it needs Westminster approval as was the case in 2014 and Westminster now has a Tory majority elected on a manifesto commitment to no indyref2
Things change - politics change - you can parrot your line as much as you want but it will change if the SNP win a majority in 2021. Your attitude just hastens independence and angers moderates including supporters of the union like my family as you demonstrate all that is wrong with some English attitudes to the Scots
And HYUFD is assuming Boris is going to keep his promises.
The Tories have a majority of 80 elected on a no to indyref2 platform, the House of Commons has to approve indyref2 not just Boris
You will lose this argument if 2021 goes the SNP way
Irish election producing first count results for SF like those for Labour In 1997....... Castle Point......Lab Gain!
Or 2019 for the Tories....
The Tory vote went up 1.4%> fed up of people insinuating that they got a landslide.
There's nothing insinuating about it, we judge outcomes based on seats more than anything else and if it was not a landslide it was as close to a landslide as you can get without being one.
Ok, people can judge things on different metrics (vote share perhaps), but your implied one about judging a landslide based on how much the vote increased seems crazy - am I to believe Labour did not win a landslide in 2001 because their vote went down? Or that Cameron got a landslide in 2010 because his vote went up 3.7%?
Irish election producing first count results for SF like those for Labour In 1997....... Castle Point......Lab Gain!
Or 2019 for the Tories....
The Tory vote went up 1.4%> fed up of people insinuating that they got a landslide.
If 80 seat majority is not a landslide what is
It's an utterly corrupt electoral system, that's what it is.
It's not corrupt, it's just not as good as a more proportional system, and people whinging that it is corrupt really undermines those of us who do want to change it - people will not be convinced en masse that the way they have always voted in governments is utterly corrupt, and will distrust the claims that another way is fairer from people making such an over the top comment.
Not sure. It has taken me by surprise. Normally Roger tells us who will win, and it is all long odds-on favourites except for the one he slips in at a double-figure price.
Its not something I bet on but I have always enjoyed Roger's thread. Not this year it seems.
I put a couple of quid on Parasite. While I was not surprised none of its cast were nominated (considering who’s doing the nominating) it still seems a touch unfair.
Saw the movie today. It was very good, no question, but frankly I'm not sure why it is getting as much buzz as it is.
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable yearly outlay of English taxpayers' money to places where much of the population feels resentful, dominated, is desperate to get away, has an intense dislike of the English, or some combination of two or more of these things. What value, therefore, from the point of view of the ordinary English voter, is to be had in keeping it on life support?
Northern Ireland is a relic of colonialism and religious sectarianism, the Union with Scotland is the product of 18th century concerns that no longer apply, and there is, in any event, absolutely no interest in reforming the Union in such a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I am not as it needs Westminster approval as was the case in 2014 and Westminster now has a Tory majority elected on a manifesto commitment to no indyref2
Things change - politics change - you can parrot your line as much as you want but it will change if the SNP win a majority in 2021. Your attitude just hastens independence and angers moderates including supporters of the union like my family as you demonstrate all that is wrong with some English attitudes to the Scots
And HYUFD is assuming Boris is going to keep his promises.
The Tories have a majority of 80 elected on a no to indyref2 platform, the House of Commons has to approve indyref2 not just Boris
That's right. The only thing voters in Bishop Auckland mentioned on the doorstep was their objection to indyref2.
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable yearly outlay of English taxpayers' money to places where much of the population feels resentful, dominated, is desperate to get away, has an intense dislike of the English, or some combination of two or more of these things. What value, therefore, from the point of view of the ordinary English voter, is to be had in keeping it on life support?
Northern Ireland is a relic of colonialism and religious sectarianism, the Union with Scotland is the product of 18th century concerns ?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I am not as it needs Westminster approval as was the case in 2014 and Westminster now has a Tory majority elected on a manifesto commitment to no indyref2
Things change - politics change - you can parrot your line as much as you want but it will change if the SNP win a majority in 2021. Your attitude just hastens independence and angers moderates including supporters of the union like my family as you demonstrate all that is wrong with some English attitudes to the Scots
And HYUFD is assuming Boris is going to keep his promises.
The Tories have a majority of 80 elected on a no to indyref2 platform, the House of Commons has to approve indyref2 not just Boris
So if Boris says yes, you can have an Indyref, he won’t be able to rely on the support of the Party?
HYUFD lets himself down so often by always being right in his own narrow view, rather than saying IMHO
I see it has escalated from bullying this morning to a conspiracy.
I don't think people are bullying him out of the House of Lords - it's more his bullying is the reason why he shouldn't ever be a member of it.
Which poster was it who foretold this and related a story at his work which ended up with the person everyone had come together to accuse of bullying in turn claiming that such a charge itself was bullying.
In all seriousness, it's not hard to imagine a pretty reasonable-looking case that Bercow has been bullied, based solely on height-related gags as reported by the media.
Replace "height" with "race" or even "weight", and you're on to a definite winner.
He has faced mockery, I am sure. But bullied people can also bully others, and Bercow adores his self image as someone who belittles others in a very public fashion. If that's not an act but how he operates behind closed doors, sympathy at his getting mocked for his height does not stretch very far.
He was also the effective CEO and Chairman of the organisation. Every member of staff in the Commons reported to him, and with the exception of the vote to reappoint him after each election, he was untouchable.
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable t no longer apply, and there is, in any event, absolutely no interest in reforming the Union in such a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I am not as it needs Westminster approval as was the case in 2014 and Westminster now has a Tory majority elected on a manifesto commitment to no indyref2
Things change - politics change - you can parrot your line as much as you want but it will change if the SNP win a majority in 2021. Your attitude just hastens independence and angers moderates including supporters of the union like my family as you demonstrate all that is wrong with some English attitudes to the Scots
And HYUFD is assuming Boris is going to keep his promises.
The Tories have a majority of 80 elected on a no to indyref2 platform, the House of Commons has to approve indyref2 not just Boris
So if Boris says yes, you can have an Indyref, he won’t be able to rely on the support of the Party?
In a nutshell yes, though Boris can't stand Sturgeon and won't grant her indyref2 anyway
Irish election producing first count results for SF like those for Labour In 1997....... Castle Point......Lab Gain!
Or 2019 for the Tories....
The Tory vote went up 1.4%> fed up of people insinuating that they got a landslide.
If 80 seat majority is not a landslide what is
It's an utterly corrupt electoral system, that's what it is.
As opposed to systems where the composition of the government is usually decided in smoke free rooms after the election, with manifesto commitments discarded in favour of the greater good (of personal ministerial salaries and cars for the politicians, rather than their commitments to the electorate)?
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
If you stop to think about it then it's remarkable exactly how much support there still is for the Union amongst Tories and Tory-leaning voters. After all, the closer the UK-England Venn diagram moves toward being a single circle, the weaker nger apply, and there is, in any event, absolutely no interest in reforming the Union in such a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I am not as it needs Westminster approval as was the case in 2014 and Westminster now has a Tory majority elected on a manifesto commitment to no indyref2
Things change - politics change - you can parrot your line as much as you want but it will change if the SNP win a majority in 2021. Your attitude just hastens independence and angers moderates including supporters of the union like my family as you demonstrate all that is wrong with some English attitudes to the Scots
It is not just my line, it is the line of the UK government as confirmed by the Scottish Secretary
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable yearly outlay of English taxpayers' money to places where much of the population feels resentful, dominated, is desperate to get away, has an intense dislike of the English, or some combination of two or more of these ns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I am not as it needs Westminster approval as was the case in 2014 and Westminster now has a Tory majority elected on a manifesto commitment to no indyref2
Things change - politics change - you can parrot your line as much as you want but it will change if the SNP win a majority in 2021. Your attitude just hastens independence and angers moderates including supporters of the union like my family as you demonstrate all that is wrong with some English attitudes to the Scots
And HYUFD is assuming Boris is going to keep his promises.
The Tories have a majority of 80 elected on a no to indyref2 platform, the House of Commons has to approve indyref2 not just Boris
That's right. The only thing voters in Bishop Auckland mentioned on the doorstep was their objection to indyref2.
It was a manifesto commitment and the Tories got a majority for that manifesto
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable yearly outlay of English taxpayers' money to places where much of the population feels h a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I am not as it needs Westminster approval as was the case in 2014 and Westminster now has a Tory majority elected on a manifesto commitment to no indyref2
Things change - politics change - you can parrot your line as much as you want but it will change if the SNP win a majority in 2021. Your attitude just hastens independence and angers moderates including supporters of the union like my family as you demonstrate all that is wrong with some English attitudes to the Scots
And HYUFD is assuming Boris is going to keep his promises.
The Tories have a majority of 80 elected on a no to indyref2 platform, the House of Commons has to approve indyref2 not just Boris
You will lose this argument if 2021 goes the SNP way
Actually even most Scots oppose indyref2 for at least 5 years, regardless of whether the SNP win next year's Holyrood election
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable t no longer apply, and there is, in any event, absolutely no interest in reforming the Union in such a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I am not as it needs Westminster approval as was the case in 2014 and Westminster now has a Tory majority elected on a manifesto commitment to no indyref2
Things change - politics change - you can parrot your line as much as you want but it will change if the SNP win a majority in 2021. Your attitude just hastens independence and angers moderates including supporters of the union like my family as you demonstrate all that is wrong with some English attitudes to the Scots
And HYUFD is assuming Boris is going to keep his promises.
The Tories have a majority of 80 elected on a no to indyref2 platform, the House of Commons has to approve indyref2 not just Boris
So if Boris says yes, you can have an Indyref, he won’t be able to rely on the support of the Party?
In a nutshell yes, though Boris can't stand Sturgeon and won't grant her indyref2 anyway
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable yearly outlay of English taxpayers' money to places where much of the population feels resentful, dominated, is desperate to get away, has an intense dislike of the English, or some combination of two or more of these ns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I am not as it needs Westminster approval as was the case in 2014 and Westminster now has a Tory majority elected on a manifesto commitment to no indyref2
Things change - politics change - you can parrot your line as much as you want but it will change if the SNP win a majority in 2021. Your attitude just hastens independence and angers moderates including supporters of the union like my family as you demonstrate all that is wrong with some English attitudes to the Scots
And HYUFD is assuming Boris is going to keep his promises.
The Tories have a majority of 80 elected on a no to indyref2 platform, the House of Commons has to approve indyref2 not just Boris
That's right. The only thing voters in Bishop Auckland mentioned on the doorstep was their objection to indyref2.
It was a manifesto commitment and the Tories got a majority for that manifesto
Oh come off it. One thing which any one us can agree on is that there was no majority for the Tory manifesto.
I had to read the Daily Beast article to know what QAnon was. Trump has so many mad ideas I can't keep up.
"QAnon believers are convinced that Trump is secretly at war with pedophile-cannibals in the Democratic Party, a theory so unhinged and potent that the FBI considers it a potential source of domestic terrorism."
They truly are special people.
QAnon conspiracy theorists are telling people to drink bleach as a cure against the deadly Wuhan coronavirus
The other day I discovered that my highly intelligent 24 year old wife believes, inter alia, that jet planes don't really run on jet fuel, that's just "some weird conspiracy", as no plane could fly when carrying "all that stuff"
I think this meta-conspiracy devolves, ultimately, from 9/11 and All That
I would question the "highly intelligent" description.
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable yearly outlay of English taxpayers' money to places where much of the population feels h a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I am not as it needs Westminster approval as was the case in 2014 and Westminster now has a Tory majority elected on a manifesto commitment to no indyref2
Things change - politics change - you can parrot your line as much as you want but it will change if the SNP win a majority in 2021. Your attitude just hastens independence and angers moderates including supporters of the union like my family as you demonstrate all that is wrong with some English attitudes to the Scots
And HYUFD is assuming Boris is going to keep his promises.
The Tories have a majority of 80 elected on a no to indyref2 platform, the House of Commons has to approve indyref2 not just Boris
You will lose this argument if 2021 goes the SNP way
Actually even most Scots oppose indyref2 for at least 5 years, regardless of whether the SNP win next year's Holyrood election
And of course there is the Panelbase results from yesterday
There are differing legal opinions on whether the Scottish Parliament currently has the power to hold a consultative referendum on independence without Westminster’s permission. If the UK government continues to refuse to give permission, do you think the Scottish Parliament should legislate to hold a referendum and then allow the courts to decide whether it can take place?
Irish election producing first count results for SF like those for Labour In 1997....... Castle Point......Lab Gain!
Or 2019 for the Tories....
The Tory vote went up 1.4%> fed up of people insinuating that they got a landslide.
There's nothing insinuating about it, we judge outcomes based on seats more than anything else and if it was not a landslide it was as close to a landslide as you can get without being one.
Ok, people can judge things on different metrics (vote share perhaps), but your implied one about judging a landslide based on how much the vote increased seems crazy - am I to believe Labour did not win a landslide in 2001 because their vote went down? Or that Cameron got a landslide in 2010 because his vote went up 3.7%?
The 2019 result was a very good,decisive win for the Tories - if not quite a landslide.
Nothing is destroyed by the destruction of the United Kingdom, so let's not exaggerate. You might just as well call it the creation of a United Ireland and an independent Scotland.
It is worth remembering at this juncture that maintaining a political union with Scotland and Northern Ireland alike requires a very considerable yearly outlay of English taxpayers' money to places where much of the population feels h a fashion is to make it a structure that is equitable and addresses the needs and concerns of all its members. So if it's going to die why not just let it?
HA HA HA, the old chestnut that the English subsidise Scotland rather than the reality of it being the other way round. Get a backbone and have an independence referendum rather than whine constantly.
Good chance it will happen in Autumn 2021 Malc, but the union will win
It won't happen while Boris is PM as the Tory manifesto made clear the 2014 referendum was 'once in a generation'
It will in the circumstances Scots opinion demands it post Holyrood 2021
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
I am not as it needs Westminster approval as was the case in 2014 and Westminster now has a Tory majority elected on a manifesto commitment to no indyref2
Things change - politics change - you can parrot your line as much as you want but it will change if the SNP win a majority in 2021. Your attitude just hastens independence and angers moderates including supporters of the union like my family as you demonstrate all that is wrong with some English attitudes to the Scots
And HYUFD is assuming Boris is going to keep his promises.
The Tories have a majority of 80 elected on a no to indyref2 platform, the House of Commons has to approve indyref2 not just Boris
You will lose this argument if 2021 goes the SNP way
Actually even most Scots oppose indyref2 for at least 5 years, regardless of whether the SNP win next year's Holyrood election
"They do, however, support one within the next 5 years"
There will be another UK general election in 4 and a half years, so Boris therefore can correctly refuse indyref2 for the remainder of his term in office with the full approval of most Scots
Biden: "“I’ve lost a lot in my life,” he said, referencing not just Beau but the wife and daughter who died in a car crash shortly after that first Senate win. “I’ll be damned if I’m going to stand by and lose my country too.”
I had to read the Daily Beast article to know what QAnon was. Trump has so many mad ideas I can't keep up.
"QAnon believers are convinced that Trump is secretly at war with pedophile-cannibals in the Democratic Party, a theory so unhinged and potent that the FBI considers it a potential source of domestic terrorism."
They truly are special people.
QAnon conspiracy theorists are telling people to drink bleach as a cure against the deadly Wuhan coronavirus
The other day I discovered that my highly intelligent 24 year old wife believes, inter alia, that jet planes don't really run on jet fuel, that's just "some weird conspiracy", as no plane could fly when carrying "all that stuff"
My moderately intelligent boss in my previous job, the possessor of a data science Master's degree (just the one, but there y'go), was surprised to find that Scotland sent MPs to the UK Parliament. My oft-mentioned observation that English people suffer from hemispatial neglect with respect to Scotland and Northern Ireland is sadly based on such observations...
Irish election producing first count results for SF like those for Labour In 1997....... Castle Point......Lab Gain!
Or 2019 for the Tories....
The Tory vote went up 1.4%> fed up of people insinuating that they got a landslide.
If 80 seat majority is not a landslide what is
It's an utterly corrupt electoral system, that's what it is.
As opposed to systems where the composition of the government is usually decided in smoke free rooms after the election, with manifesto commitments discarded in favour of the greater good (of personal ministerial salaries and cars for the politicians, rather than their commitments to the electorate)?
Looking at the way the Irish election is panning out, Sinn Fein seem likely now to comfortably win the highest first preference vote, yet end up only with the third highest number of seats of the 3 main parties. With lots of dealings in smoke filled rooms to follow.
It isn't the best advert for PR in terms of either proportionality or transparency.
Irish election producing first count results for SF like those for Labour In 1997....... Castle Point......Lab Gain!
Or 2019 for the Tories....
The Tory vote went up 1.4%> fed up of people insinuating that they got a landslide.
If 80 seat majority is not a landslide what is
It's an utterly corrupt electoral system, that's what it is.
As opposed to systems where the composition of the government is usually decided in smoke free rooms after the election, with manifesto commitments discarded in favour of the greater good (of personal ministerial salaries and cars for the politicians, rather than their commitments to the electorate)?
Looking at the way the Irish election is panning out, Sinn Fein seem likely now to comfortably win the highest first preference vote, yet end up only with the third highest number of seats of the 3 main parties. With lots of dealings in smoke filled rooms to follow.
It isn't the best advert for PR in terms of either proportionality or transparency.
Shinners didn't believe in themselves enough to put up enough candidates to take advantage of their polling tho.
Looking at the Irish results, it's clear that whoever was advising Sinn Fein to stand only one candidate in each multi-member constituency needs shooting. Although I hope they're past that nowadays.
eg. Waterford, 4 member constituency, 1 Sinn Fein candidate with 38.3% of 1st preferences.
Looking at the Irish results, it's clear that whoever was advising Sinn Fein to stand only one candidate in each multi-member constituency needs shooting. Although I hope they're past that nowadays.
It was incredibly risk-averse, even at the close of nominations they were polling better than the last general election.
Looking at the way the Irish election is panning out, Sinn Fein seem likely now to comfortably win the highest first preference vote, yet end up only with the third highest number of seats of the 3 main parties. With lots of dealings in smoke filled rooms to follow.
It isn't the best advert for PR in terms of either proportionality or transparency.
That, rather like the comment about liberal intolerance, is nonsense.
A Party choosing not to stand enough candidates is going to suffer under FPTP, STV or any system other than direct proportionality but not even Ireland has gone that far.
Of course, under FPTP, winning the most votes doesn't guarantee winning the most seats.
Irish election producing first count results for SF like those for Labour In 1997....... Castle Point......Lab Gain!
Or 2019 for the Tories....
The Tory vote went up 1.4%> fed up of people insinuating that they got a landslide.
If 80 seat majority is not a landslide what is
It's an utterly corrupt electoral system, that's what it is.
As opposed to systems where the composition of the government is usually decided in smoke free rooms after the election, with manifesto commitments discarded in favour of the greater good (of personal ministerial salaries and cars for the politicians, rather than their commitments to the electorate)?
You don't need the sacred position of manifestos when the government programme is negotiated by parties that intrinsically embody different views, and winning support accordingly. You do not vote for Sinn Fein thinking that they will join the Commonwealth.
You need the sacred position of manifestos if you have a system that creates two parties that swing wildly from Blair -> Corbyn or IDS -> Cameron -> Boris.
Varadkar stands in the constituency of Dublin West. It returns 4 TD's (Teachtaí Dála, their equivalent of Members of Parliament). Under STV vote counting goes thru several rounds, with the lowest votes being reassigned on each round. According to Wiki it's currently on count 3 and so far only one TD has been assigned (Sinn Féin's Paul Donnelly). So there's a while to go yet. Varadkar came second in terms of first preferences and given that I'll be surprised if he isn't elected.
Comments
https://twitter.com/Politics_Polls/status/1226540175297306625?s=20
https://twitter.com/Politics_Polls/status/1226511812235087874?s=20
Quota 8659
Sinn Fein 17,000 votes
She had a running make and he was pulled out some months ago fearing he would have split the vote ending up missing out also the first seat....
February 9, 2020 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/92nd_Academy_Awards
SF elected with a 5,000 surplus
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EQWvVFrWkAMWq0A?format=png&name=900x900
You and I will not agree on this but given Scots will have to change euros into pounds at the custom posts between Berwick and Carlisle together with severe disruption to 60% of Scotlands trade I trust the Scots to have the good sense and not to follow their hearts, but rather their heads
You will find that 'better the devil you know than the devil you dont'
Admittedly they achieved that largely due to massive fraud, vote rigging and intimidation, but no way would Collins, Griffith and de Valera have been caught short like this.
On this subject you are running the very real risk of being wrong
HTP has been used for decades for running starter generators for military aircraft and (among other things) the thrusters for the Soyuz spacecraft.
Unlike liquid oxygen you can pour it into an ordinary lab beaker. It will sit there like water. no noxious fumes etc. The problem starts with catalytic decomposition - copper really starts the party. Then you get red hot hydrogen and oxygen wanting to party. If this is inside a rocket engine - awesome. Elsewhere, not so much. Try building a ship or submarine without brass....
Interestingly it has been recently (last ten years) discovered that HTP gets more stable the purer it is.
It's use in the British space program was another example of how British engineers had a genius for picking the wrong technology and then following that to a silly end. The Americans took a couple of looks at the peroxide stuff the Germans had done, and went with liquid oxygen.
For example - Most Socts Nats of my acquaintance will, if forced to choose (is a social discussion) between independence with worse economics vs remaining, would still choose independence. This is because they believe that Scottish people alone should decide the fate of Scotland - and that will in the *long run* be better for Scotland.
https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/scottish-secretary-rules-out-indyref2-even-if-snp-win-2021-holyrood-majority-1-5073742.
The SNP have got to realise when Salmond said the 2014 vote was 'once in a generation' the UK government took them at their word
While I was not surprised none of its cast were nominated (considering who’s doing the nominating) it still seems a touch unfair.
Ok, people can judge things on different metrics (vote share perhaps), but your implied one about judging a landslide based on how much the vote increased seems crazy - am I to believe Labour did not win a landslide in 2001 because their vote went down? Or that Cameron got a landslide in 2010 because his vote went up 3.7%?
https://twitter.com/YouGov/status/1222871398516916224?s=20
WITHIN.
WITHIN.
There are differing legal opinions on whether the Scottish Parliament currently has the power to hold a consultative referendum on independence without Westminster’s permission. If the UK government continues to refuse to give permission, do you think the Scottish Parliament should legislate to hold a referendum and then allow the courts to decide whether it can take place?
Yes 56%
No 44%
https://twitter.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1226588052124045318?s=20
If no government can be formed, SF are unlikely to fear a further election.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden#Family_deaths
https://twitter.com/TVsCarlKinsella/status/1226576942213816325?s=19
It isn't the best advert for PR in terms of either proportionality or transparency.
He is at 8596. Quota is 8726
Only SF elected so far with 3 more to be elected.
eg. Waterford, 4 member constituency, 1 Sinn Fein candidate with 38.3% of 1st preferences.
STV spoiling the fun again.
Quota 12,000
SF woman 21,000
RTE presenter: "based on 2019 local elections, it was thought that SF seat was at risk"
A Party choosing not to stand enough candidates is going to suffer under FPTP, STV or any system other than direct proportionality but not even Ireland has gone that far.
Of course, under FPTP, winning the most votes doesn't guarantee winning the most seats.
You need the sacred position of manifestos if you have a system that creates two parties that swing wildly from Blair -> Corbyn or IDS -> Cameron -> Boris.
Varadkar stands in the constituency of Dublin West. It returns 4 TD's (Teachtaí Dála, their equivalent of Members of Parliament). Under STV vote counting goes thru several rounds, with the lowest votes being reassigned on each round. According to Wiki it's currently on count 3 and so far only one TD has been assigned (Sinn Féin's Paul Donnelly). So there's a while to go yet. Varadkar came second in terms of first preferences and given that I'll be surprised if he isn't elected.