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  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,608

    UK data out - 173

    England Regional case data by specimen day

    For interest - 79 of 316 Lower Tier Local Authorities have reported 0 cases in the last 7 days.

    image
    image

    SW doesn't register at all in recent days.

    UK data out - 173

    England Regional case data by specimen day

    For interest - 79 of 316 Lower Tier Local Authorities have reported 0 cases in the last 7 days.

    image
    image

    SW doesn't register at all in recent days.
    Cases in the last 10 days in the SW -

    4 9 8 4 4 4 7 6 2 0
    Yesterday - 0

    Let the street parties in Plymouth and Exeter commence, to celebrate that news.
  • alteregoalterego Posts: 1,100

    isam said:

    Disappointed Kieran didn't address my "Personality" theory.

    No LotO has become PM since IPSOS-MORI started their leader image ratings in 1978 without leading on personality, and Boris leads Starmer 64-30

    As has been stated several times on here, when 2024 arrives, the last thing we might feel we need is a "character" running the show.
    The pollsters seem to think it's an issue and Joe Public seems to have a view. I have more sympathy with your take on the issue but share Joe Public's opinion on it, important or otherwise.
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,798
    Aren't these the people who voted in 2016, don't normally vote in Westminster elections because "they're all the same" or because the BNP aren't standing in their constituency, but turned out to "get Brexit done"? The question is what does Cummings dangle in front of them next time. Hanging?
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,357
    ydoethur said:

    Yorkcity said:

    tlg86 said:

    An excellent piece, thank you Keiran.

    I think Starmer is to some extent benefitting from not being Corbyn. I'm tempted to say that Labour have jumped straight from Foot to Blair, but actually I think Starmer is quite left-wing. Alastair Campbell was correct to say that we need to wait and see what Starmer presents to the country. Plenty of time for that, but it will be interesting to see what sorts of things Starmer proposes.

    I'd suggest Starmer slots in rather nicely as Kinnock.
    I think your suggestion does not hold water.
    For whatever reason English voters prefer an English leader.
    Both Kinnock and Brown were derided in many instances because of this.
    John Smith less so and Blair was seen as English.

    Also to become leader of the opposition in 5 years is impressive as is his backstory.
    We are also told that politicians who have never done anything else are out of touch.
    SKS has had an an impressive career outside of politics.
    He is a breath of fresh air in comparison to our current leader and the leader of the USA.
    I think Brown it was a two way thing - there were people calling him 'Broon' and there were a lot of other people for whom his Scottishness was part of the 'prudence' 'dour' 'clunking fist' image for austere economic competence that he had in the early years.
    This actually got me thinking. How many Scottish PMs have won elections?

    Well, it depends of course on what you mean by Scottish. You could include Macmillan and Baldwin in that list if you wanted to stretch the criteria a bit. Blair, certainly. But I don’t think a Scottish PM sitting for a Scottish seat has won a general election since World War Two. In that time Home and Brown are the only two Scots I can think of anyway who meet that criteria. Smith of course almost certainly would have won an election had he not died.

    Even before World War Two the picture isn’t rosy. MacDonald was Scottish of course, bat sat for Seaham in the only general election he won. Asquith by contrast sat for North East Fife, but was a Yorkshireman. Campbell-Bannerman meets the criteria, and Rosebery was a Scottish peer. Balfour was Scottish, but as PM sat for a seat in Manchester and as Leader of the Opposition for the City of London.

    I’ve got to give this to Yorkcity, he seems to be right.
    Given the bias is it surprising
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,102
    Gavin Williamson is simply not good enough to be in the cabinet

    He may have a good message but he shows no inspiration or ability to come over anything other than just reading a script put in front of him

    Time to replace him Boris
  • Richard_TyndallRichard_Tyndall Posts: 32,563
    edited June 2020
    TOPPING said:

    RobD said:

    They don't have the documents because they didn't make the order, yet the accusation is of a cover up? Jesus.
    Another one who has been driven mad by Brexit. The original tweet will be all over social media.
    James O'Brien has been mad - and an obnoxious twat - since long before Brexit. He matches Morgan for his offensive ignorance.
    And part of what makes Britain great.
    Oh I love the fact he gets to have his voice heard. That really is what makes this country great. A station that could have two people as offensive as O'Brien and Farage both working for it from completely opposite ends of the political spectrum has to be admired.

    But it doesn't change O'Brien's fundamental nature.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 42,885
    edited June 2020
    dr_spyn said:

    Carnyx said:

    Yorkcity said:

    tlg86 said:

    An excellent piece, thank you Keiran.

    I think Starmer is to some extent benefitting from not being Corbyn. I'm tempted to say that Labour have jumped straight from Foot to Blair, but actually I think Starmer is quite left-wing. Alastair Campbell was correct to say that we need to wait and see what Starmer presents to the country. Plenty of time for that, but it will be interesting to see what sorts of things Starmer proposes.

    I'd suggest Starmer slots in rather nicely as Kinnock.
    I think your suggestion does not hold water.
    For whatever reason English voters prefer an English leader.
    Both Kinnock and Brown were derided in many instances because of this.
    John Smith less so and Blair was seen as English.

    Also to become leader of the opposition in 5 years is impressive as is his backstory.
    We are also told that politicians who have never done anything else are out of touch.
    SKS has had an an impressive career outside of politics.
    He is a breath of fresh air in comparison to our current leader and the leader of the USA.
    I think Brown it was a two way thing - there were people calling him 'Broon' and there were a lot of other people for whom his Scottishness was part of the 'prudence' 'dour' 'clunking fist' image for austere economic competence that he had in the early years.
    As a matter of interest, did enough Southrons know about the Broon Family comic strip for that to be a possible reference, if only out of ignorance? Every Scot knows about that product of D. C. Thomson, but none of the characters in it gybe at all well with Mr Brown's character.
    Private Eye had The Broonites cartoon strip.

    https://twitter.com/PrivateEyeToons/status/128878775902552064/photo/1
    Of course - I had completely forgotten. That definitely channels D.C. THomson. THough the point remains, how many people would have known? But conversely that would explain the currency of the Broon nickname.
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    Gavin Williamson is simply not good enough to be in the cabinet

    He may have a good message but he shows no inspiration or ability to come over anything other than just reading a script put in front of him

    Time to replace him Boris

    He should go with Raab.

    Keep Sunak, Patel and promote Truss.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 50,370

    UK data out - 173

    England Regional case data by specimen day

    For interest - 79 of 316 Lower Tier Local Authorities have reported 0 cases in the last 7 days.

    image
    image

    SW doesn't register at all in recent days.

    UK data out - 173

    England Regional case data by specimen day

    For interest - 79 of 316 Lower Tier Local Authorities have reported 0 cases in the last 7 days.

    image
    image

    SW doesn't register at all in recent days.
    Cases in the last 10 days in the SW -

    4 9 8 4 4 4 7 6 2 0
    Yesterday - 0

    Let the street parties in Plymouth and Exeter commence, to celebrate that news.
    errrr reporting effects.....
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,357

    ydoethur said:

    Yorkcity said:

    tlg86 said:

    An excellent piece, thank you Keiran.

    I think Starmer is to some extent benefitting from not being Corbyn. I'm tempted to say that Labour have jumped straight from Foot to Blair, but actually I think Starmer is quite left-wing. Alastair Campbell was correct to say that we need to wait and see what Starmer presents to the country. Plenty of time for that, but it will be interesting to see what sorts of things Starmer proposes.

    I'd suggest Starmer slots in rather nicely as Kinnock.
    I think your suggestion does not hold water.
    For whatever reason English voters prefer an English leader.
    Both Kinnock and Brown were derided in many instances because of this.
    John Smith less so and Blair was seen as English.

    Also to become leader of the opposition in 5 years is impressive as is his backstory.
    We are also told that politicians who have never done anything else are out of touch.
    SKS has had an an impressive career outside of politics.
    He is a breath of fresh air in comparison to our current leader and the leader of the USA.
    I think Brown it was a two way thing - there were people calling him 'Broon' and there were a lot of other people for whom his Scottishness was part of the 'prudence' 'dour' 'clunking fist' image for austere economic competence that he had in the early years.
    This actually got me thinking. How many Scottish PMs have won elections?

    Well, it depends of course on what you mean by Scottish. You could include Macmillan and Baldwin in that list if you wanted to stretch the criteria a bit. Blair, certainly. But I don’t think a Scottish PM sitting for a Scottish seat has won a general election since World War Two. In that time Home and Brown are the only two Scots I can think of anyway who meet that criteria. Smith of course almost certainly would have won an election had he not died.

    Even before World War Two the picture isn’t rosy. MacDonald was Scottish of course, bat sat for Seaham in the only general election he won. Asquith by contrast sat for North East Fife, but was a Yorkshireman. Campbell-Bannerman meets the criteria, and Rosebery was a Scottish peer. Balfour was Scottish, but as PM sat for a seat in Manchester and as Leader of the Opposition for the City of London.

    I’ve got to give this to Yorkcity, he seems to be right.
    Cameron is a Scottish name is it not? I've no idea of David Cameron's precise family history.
    That is about as close to Scottish as he is a Scottish surname , ie 0%. You only need to look at his pansy baw face to know.
  • MikeLMikeL Posts: 7,708
    Williamson answer to Q1:

    Literally 5 seconds: "We will get better testing". ENDS.

    He is off the scale.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,381
    alterego said:

    isam said:

    Disappointed Kieran didn't address my "Personality" theory.

    No LotO has become PM since IPSOS-MORI started their leader image ratings in 1978 without leading on personality, and Boris leads Starmer 64-30

    As has been stated several times on here, when 2024 arrives, the last thing we might feel we need is a "character" running the show.
    The pollsters seem to think it's an issue and Joe Public seems to have a view. I have more sympathy with your take on the issue but share Joe Public's opinion on it, important or otherwise.
    It has worked in the past, Blair, Cameron etc. But Harold v Heath in 1970 or Sunny Jim v Mrs T. I would dispute. I would also argue Kinnock was more "charismatic" than Mrs T. Just not the sort of "charismatic", people warmed too.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,217

    Surrey said:

    Is an Irangate coming? "John Bolton urged to elaborate on Trump-Erdoğan claims".

    "Bolton claimed that during a 2018 phone call Erdoğan sent Trump a memo insisting that the scandal-hit Halkbank was innocent. 'Trump then told Erdoğan he would take care of things, explaining that the [New York] southern district prosecutors were not his people but were Obama people, a problem that would be fixed when they were replaced by his people,' Bolton wrote.

    Bloomberg has reported that in April 2019, Trump instructed Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and Attorney General William Barr to address Erdoğan’s request that Halkbank avoid charges.

    Halkbank, one of Turkey’s largest banks, has been under investigation by US prosecutors since a Turkish inquiry in 2013 found it was used to launder up to $20bn in a scheme to evade US sanctions on Iran. High-ranking Turkish officials allegedly exported gold to Tehran via the UAE in return for Iranian oil and gas.

    (...) Two men with close ties to Erdoğan’s inner circle – Reza Zarrab, a flamboyant Turkish-Iranian businessman, and Mehmet Atilla, Halkbank’s deputy chief executive – have been sentenced to jail time in the US.

    (...) The case has shed light on the strong ties between Turkey and the Trump administration: Zarrab, who led a tabloid lifestyle of pop stars, yachts and cars and worked out of Istanbul’s Trump Tower, asked the former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani to represent him in 2016, shortly before Giuliani became the president’s attorney.
    "

    Same story as when the thieving gits went after Standard Chartered. I don't see that it's any of America's business if another country wants to do business with Iran.
    Or, indeed, Banque National de Paris.

    However, that's not the issue.

    The United States can, within its powers, order US banks not to deal with Halkbank. A bank like Halkbank will struggle to exist if it is cut off from the US Dollar system.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,102
    MikeL said:

    Williamson answer to Q1:

    Literally 5 seconds: "We will get better testing". ENDS.

    He is off the scale.

    He is way out of his depth
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,240
    Charles said:

    tlg86 said:

    An excellent piece, thank you Keiran.

    I think Starmer is to some extent benefitting from not being Corbyn. I'm tempted to say that Labour have jumped straight from Foot to Blair, but actually I think Starmer is quite left-wing. Alastair Campbell was correct to say that we need to wait and see what Starmer presents to the country. Plenty of time for that, but it will be interesting to see what sorts of things Starmer proposes.

    I'd suggest Starmer slots in rather nicely as Kinnock.
    Like going from Hague to Cameron
    Isn't MiliEd more like Hague? Far from an idiot, but a bit comfort blankety for the party, not actually up to the job of leading, but back in a substantial role later.

    Corbyn is much more of an IDS analogue; party membership going totally self-indulgent, MPs working out pretty quickly he is a dud. The difference being what the party rules allow to happen after that.

    So is Starmer a Howard or a Cameron? We shall see, but I'm inclined to think he's closer to the second.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 36,002

    Gavin Williamson is simply not good enough to be in the cabinet

    Which is the only reason he is in the cabinet
  • alteregoalterego Posts: 1,100

    Aren't these the people who voted in 2016, don't normally vote in Westminster elections because "they're all the same" or because the BNP aren't standing in their constituency, but turned out to "get Brexit done"? The question is what does Cummings dangle in front of them next time. Hanging?
    ooooooo

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABml9AvVXQ4
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    ydoethur said:

    Yorkcity said:

    tlg86 said:

    An excellent piece, thank you Keiran.

    I think Starmer is to some extent benefitting from not being Corbyn. I'm tempted to say that Labour have jumped straight from Foot to Blair, but actually I think Starmer is quite left-wing. Alastair Campbell was correct to say that we need to wait and see what Starmer presents to the country. Plenty of time for that, but it will be interesting to see what sorts of things Starmer proposes.

    I'd suggest Starmer slots in rather nicely as Kinnock.
    I think your suggestion does not hold water.
    For whatever reason English voters prefer an English leader.
    Both Kinnock and Brown were derided in many instances because of this.
    John Smith less so and Blair was seen as English.

    Also to become leader of the opposition in 5 years is impressive as is his backstory.
    We are also told that politicians who have never done anything else are out of touch.
    SKS has had an an impressive career outside of politics.
    He is a breath of fresh air in comparison to our current leader and the leader of the USA.
    I think Brown it was a two way thing - there were people calling him 'Broon' and there were a lot of other people for whom his Scottishness was part of the 'prudence' 'dour' 'clunking fist' image for austere economic competence that he had in the early years.
    This actually got me thinking. How many Scottish PMs have won elections?

    Well, it depends of course on what you mean by Scottish. You could include Macmillan and Baldwin in that list if you wanted to stretch the criteria a bit. Blair, certainly. But I don’t think a Scottish PM sitting for a Scottish seat has won a general election since World War Two. In that time Home and Brown are the only two Scots I can think of anyway who meet that criteria. Smith of course almost certainly would have won an election had he not died.

    Even before World War Two the picture isn’t rosy. MacDonald was Scottish of course, bat sat for Seaham in the only general election he won. Asquith by contrast sat for North East Fife, but was a Yorkshireman. Campbell-Bannerman meets the criteria, and Rosebery was a Scottish peer. Balfour was Scottish, but as PM sat for a seat in Manchester and as Leader of the Opposition for the City of London.

    I’ve got to give this to Yorkcity, he seems to be right.
    Wasn’t Bonar Law from Nova Scotia?
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,421

    Aren't these the people who voted in 2016, don't normally vote in Westminster elections because "they're all the same" or because the BNP aren't standing in their constituency, but turned out to "get Brexit done"? The question is what does Cummings dangle in front of them next time. Hanging?
    When you say ‘Cummings dangle in front of them next time. Hanging?’ are we talking policies, suicides or a lynching?
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,675
    The government really doesn't understand the concept of underpromise and overdeliver do they?

    https://twitter.com/BBCVickiYoung/status/1274011112648978436
  • MikeLMikeL Posts: 7,708
    He can't even get across the point he is trying to make.

    His answer to Branwen implies 1m/2m is irrelevant as he'll just deem everyone to be in a bubble.
  • alteregoalterego Posts: 1,100

    Gavin Williamson is simply not good enough to be in the cabinet

    He may have a good message but he shows no inspiration or ability to come over anything other than just reading a script put in front of him

    Time to replace him Boris

    I don't think he wants it
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 60,487

    Another corroded and aesthetically unpleasing monument of the right taken down.

    https://twitter.com/classiclib3ral/status/1274005174466600960?s=20

    All very good until they one day take down free speech that you happen to like.

    What did she say this time?
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,119
    edited June 2020

    Gavin Williamson is simply not good enough to be in the cabinet

    He may have a good message but he shows no inspiration or ability to come over anything other than just reading a script put in front of him

    Time to replace him Boris

    No idea why he given another role in the first place. He was a May placeman at defence, and shit then.
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758

    ydoethur said:

    Yorkcity said:

    tlg86 said:

    An excellent piece, thank you Keiran.

    I think Starmer is to some extent benefitting from not being Corbyn. I'm tempted to say that Labour have jumped straight from Foot to Blair, but actually I think Starmer is quite left-wing. Alastair Campbell was correct to say that we need to wait and see what Starmer presents to the country. Plenty of time for that, but it will be interesting to see what sorts of things Starmer proposes.

    I'd suggest Starmer slots in rather nicely as Kinnock.
    I think your suggestion does not hold water.
    For whatever reason English voters prefer an English leader.
    Both Kinnock and Brown were derided in many instances because of this.
    John Smith less so and Blair was seen as English.

    Also to become leader of the opposition in 5 years is impressive as is his backstory.
    We are also told that politicians who have never done anything else are out of touch.
    SKS has had an an impressive career outside of politics.
    He is a breath of fresh air in comparison to our current leader and the leader of the USA.
    I think Brown it was a two way thing - there were people calling him 'Broon' and there were a lot of other people for whom his Scottishness was part of the 'prudence' 'dour' 'clunking fist' image for austere economic competence that he had in the early years.
    This actually got me thinking. How many Scottish PMs have won elections?

    Well, it depends of course on what you mean by Scottish. You could include Macmillan and Baldwin in that list if you wanted to stretch the criteria a bit. Blair, certainly. But I don’t think a Scottish PM sitting for a Scottish seat has won a general election since World War Two. In that time Home and Brown are the only two Scots I can think of anyway who meet that criteria. Smith of course almost certainly would have won an election had he not died.

    Even before World War Two the picture isn’t rosy. MacDonald was Scottish of course, bat sat for Seaham in the only general election he won. Asquith by contrast sat for North East Fife, but was a Yorkshireman. Campbell-Bannerman meets the criteria, and Rosebery was a Scottish peer. Balfour was Scottish, but as PM sat for a seat in Manchester and as Leader of the Opposition for the City of London.

    I’ve got to give this to Yorkcity, he seems to be right.
    Cameron is a Scottish name is it not? I've no idea of David Cameron's precise family history.
    He’s as Scottish as Sam is a Sheffielder
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,421
    Charles said:

    ydoethur said:

    Yorkcity said:

    tlg86 said:

    An excellent piece, thank you Keiran.

    I think Starmer is to some extent benefitting from not being Corbyn. I'm tempted to say that Labour have jumped straight from Foot to Blair, but actually I think Starmer is quite left-wing. Alastair Campbell was correct to say that we need to wait and see what Starmer presents to the country. Plenty of time for that, but it will be interesting to see what sorts of things Starmer proposes.

    I'd suggest Starmer slots in rather nicely as Kinnock.
    I think your suggestion does not hold water.
    For whatever reason English voters prefer an English leader.
    Both Kinnock and Brown were derided in many instances because of this.
    John Smith less so and Blair was seen as English.

    Also to become leader of the opposition in 5 years is impressive as is his backstory.
    We are also told that politicians who have never done anything else are out of touch.
    SKS has had an an impressive career outside of politics.
    He is a breath of fresh air in comparison to our current leader and the leader of the USA.
    I think Brown it was a two way thing - there were people calling him 'Broon' and there were a lot of other people for whom his Scottishness was part of the 'prudence' 'dour' 'clunking fist' image for austere economic competence that he had in the early years.
    This actually got me thinking. How many Scottish PMs have won elections?

    Well, it depends of course on what you mean by Scottish. You could include Macmillan and Baldwin in that list if you wanted to stretch the criteria a bit. Blair, certainly. But I don’t think a Scottish PM sitting for a Scottish seat has won a general election since World War Two. In that time Home and Brown are the only two Scots I can think of anyway who meet that criteria. Smith of course almost certainly would have won an election had he not died.

    Even before World War Two the picture isn’t rosy. MacDonald was Scottish of course, bat sat for Seaham in the only general election he won. Asquith by contrast sat for North East Fife, but was a Yorkshireman. Campbell-Bannerman meets the criteria, and Rosebery was a Scottish peer. Balfour was Scottish, but as PM sat for a seat in Manchester and as Leader of the Opposition for the City of London.

    I’ve got to give this to Yorkcity, he seems to be right.
    Wasn’t Bonar Law from Nova Scotia?
    Bonar Law deserves a novel in his own right on how complex his background was. But yes, he was from Canada (New Brunswick) of mixed Scottish and Irish descent and I think was the only British PM before the current one born outside the British Isles (happy to be corrected on that if I’m wrong).

    What is interesting is I hadn’t realised he sat for a Glaswegian seat when he was PM. I thought he sat for Bootle under Derby’s patronage, but apparently he changed late in life.

    So he could be added to the list.
  • Ave_itAve_it Posts: 2,411
    Just utter shyte

    The whole government's response to COVID-19

    No progress, no idea, no hope!
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,381
    edited June 2020

    The government really doesn't understand the concept of underpromise and overdeliver do they?

    https://twitter.com/BBCVickiYoung/status/1274011112648978436

    I am not sure you're right.

    The promise will make all of tomorrows front pages. The apology on September 7th, when they don't deliver will just make page 11 of The Daily Telegraph.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,222
    Given this result, their conduct policy seems quite attractive rather than hateful...
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    ydoethur said:

    Charles said:

    ydoethur said:

    Yorkcity said:

    tlg86 said:

    An excellent piece, thank you Keiran.

    I think Starmer is to some extent benefitting from not being Corbyn. I'm tempted to say that Labour have jumped straight from Foot to Blair, but actually I think Starmer is quite left-wing. Alastair Campbell was correct to say that we need to wait and see what Starmer presents to the country. Plenty of time for that, but it will be interesting to see what sorts of things Starmer proposes.

    I'd suggest Starmer slots in rather nicely as Kinnock.
    I think your suggestion does not hold water.
    For whatever reason English voters prefer an English leader.
    Both Kinnock and Brown were derided in many instances because of this.
    John Smith less so and Blair was seen as English.

    Also to become leader of the opposition in 5 years is impressive as is his backstory.
    We are also told that politicians who have never done anything else are out of touch.
    SKS has had an an impressive career outside of politics.
    He is a breath of fresh air in comparison to our current leader and the leader of the USA.
    I think Brown it was a two way thing - there were people calling him 'Broon' and there were a lot of other people for whom his Scottishness was part of the 'prudence' 'dour' 'clunking fist' image for austere economic competence that he had in the early years.
    This actually got me thinking. How many Scottish PMs have won elections?

    Well, it depends of course on what you mean by Scottish. You could include Macmillan and Baldwin in that list if you wanted to stretch the criteria a bit. Blair, certainly. But I don’t think a Scottish PM sitting for a Scottish seat has won a general election since World War Two. In that time Home and Brown are the only two Scots I can think of anyway who meet that criteria. Smith of course almost certainly would have won an election had he not died.

    Even before World War Two the picture isn’t rosy. MacDonald was Scottish of course, bat sat for Seaham in the only general election he won. Asquith by contrast sat for North East Fife, but was a Yorkshireman. Campbell-Bannerman meets the criteria, and Rosebery was a Scottish peer. Balfour was Scottish, but as PM sat for a seat in Manchester and as Leader of the Opposition for the City of London.

    I’ve got to give this to Yorkcity, he seems to be right.
    Wasn’t Bonar Law from Nova Scotia?
    Bonar Law deserves a novel in his own right on how complex his background was. But yes, he was from Canada (New Brunswick) of mixed Scottish and Irish descent and I think was the only British PM before the current one born outside the British Isles (happy to be corrected on that if I’m wrong).

    What is interesting is I hadn’t realised he sat for a Glaswegian seat when he was PM. I thought he sat for Bootle under Derby’s patronage, but apparently he changed late in life.

    So he could be added to the list.
    What I only recently realized was that Bonar (fnaar) is a given name, I thought he was called e.g. John Bonar Law.
  • TOPPINGTOPPING Posts: 42,992
    edited June 2020
    rcs1000 said:

    Surrey said:

    Is an Irangate coming? "John Bolton urged to elaborate on Trump-Erdoğan claims".

    "Bolton claimed that during a 2018 phone call Erdoğan sent Trump a memo insisting that the scandal-hit Halkbank was innocent. 'Trump then told Erdoğan he would take care of things, explaining that the [New York] southern district prosecutors were not his people but were Obama people, a problem that would be fixed when they were replaced by his people,' Bolton wrote.

    Bloomberg has reported that in April 2019, Trump instructed Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and Attorney General William Barr to address Erdoğan’s request that Halkbank avoid charges.

    Halkbank, one of Turkey’s largest banks, has been under investigation by US prosecutors since a Turkish inquiry in 2013 found it was used to launder up to $20bn in a scheme to evade US sanctions on Iran. High-ranking Turkish officials allegedly exported gold to Tehran via the UAE in return for Iranian oil and gas.

    (...) Two men with close ties to Erdoğan’s inner circle – Reza Zarrab, a flamboyant Turkish-Iranian businessman, and Mehmet Atilla, Halkbank’s deputy chief executive – have been sentenced to jail time in the US.

    (...) The case has shed light on the strong ties between Turkey and the Trump administration: Zarrab, who led a tabloid lifestyle of pop stars, yachts and cars and worked out of Istanbul’s Trump Tower, asked the former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani to represent him in 2016, shortly before Giuliani became the president’s attorney.
    "

    Same story as when the thieving gits went after Standard Chartered. I don't see that it's any of America's business if another country wants to do business with Iran.
    Or, indeed, Banque National de Paris.

    However, that's not the issue.

    The United States can, within its powers, order US banks not to deal with Halkbank. A bank like Halkbank will struggle to exist if it is cut off from the US Dollar system.
    If you need USD cleared then the US can do whatever the damn hell it wants to you!
  • Another corroded and aesthetically unpleasing monument of the right taken down.

    https://twitter.com/classiclib3ral/status/1274005174466600960?s=20

    All very good until they one day take down free speech that you happen to like.

    What did she say this time?
    Can’t stand her but, yes, the people cheering this on will,be the same crying bitter salt tears when their heroes get banned. I just blocked her on Twitter. Job done
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,421
    IshmaelZ said:

    ydoethur said:

    Charles said:

    ydoethur said:

    Yorkcity said:

    tlg86 said:

    An excellent piece, thank you Keiran.

    I think Starmer is to some extent benefitting from not being Corbyn. I'm tempted to say that Labour have jumped straight from Foot to Blair, but actually I think Starmer is quite left-wing. Alastair Campbell was correct to say that we need to wait and see what Starmer presents to the country. Plenty of time for that, but it will be interesting to see what sorts of things Starmer proposes.

    I'd suggest Starmer slots in rather nicely as Kinnock.
    I think your suggestion does not hold water.
    For whatever reason English voters prefer an English leader.
    Both Kinnock and Brown were derided in many instances because of this.
    John Smith less so and Blair was seen as English.

    Also to become leader of the opposition in 5 years is impressive as is his backstory.
    We are also told that politicians who have never done anything else are out of touch.
    SKS has had an an impressive career outside of politics.
    He is a breath of fresh air in comparison to our current leader and the leader of the USA.
    I think Brown it was a two way thing - there were people calling him 'Broon' and there were a lot of other people for whom his Scottishness was part of the 'prudence' 'dour' 'clunking fist' image for austere economic competence that he had in the early years.
    This actually got me thinking. How many Scottish PMs have won elections?

    Well, it depends of course on what you mean by Scottish. You could include Macmillan and Baldwin in that list if you wanted to stretch the criteria a bit. Blair, certainly. But I don’t think a Scottish PM sitting for a Scottish seat has won a general election since World War Two. In that time Home and Brown are the only two Scots I can think of anyway who meet that criteria. Smith of course almost certainly would have won an election had he not died.

    Even before World War Two the picture isn’t rosy. MacDonald was Scottish of course, bat sat for Seaham in the only general election he won. Asquith by contrast sat for North East Fife, but was a Yorkshireman. Campbell-Bannerman meets the criteria, and Rosebery was a Scottish peer. Balfour was Scottish, but as PM sat for a seat in Manchester and as Leader of the Opposition for the City of London.

    I’ve got to give this to Yorkcity, he seems to be right.
    Wasn’t Bonar Law from Nova Scotia?
    Bonar Law deserves a novel in his own right on how complex his background was. But yes, he was from Canada (New Brunswick) of mixed Scottish and Irish descent and I think was the only British PM before the current one born outside the British Isles (happy to be corrected on that if I’m wrong).

    What is interesting is I hadn’t realised he sat for a Glaswegian seat when he was PM. I thought he sat for Bootle under Derby’s patronage, but apparently he changed late in life.

    So he could be added to the list.
    What I only recently realized was that Bonar (fnaar) is a given name, I thought he was called e.g. John Bonar Law.
    Strictly speaking he was Andrew Bonar Law.
  • MikeLMikeL Posts: 7,708
    edited June 2020
    Key lesson Govt needs to learn - some spending is noticed by the public miles more than others, eg

    - Announce £1bn education catch-up - nobody takes any notice

    - Don't announce £120m free school meals - everyone goes mad

    Govt could have given £120m free school meals and just £500m catch-up and would have got big plaudits - even though spending less than what they are!
  • humbuggerhumbugger Posts: 377

    The government really doesn't understand the concept of underpromise and overdeliver do they?

    https://twitter.com/BBCVickiYoung/status/1274011112648978436

    The French schools are open with mandatory attendance next week. Why should our schools not be fully open in September?
  • nico67nico67 Posts: 4,502
    There’s no chance of a full return for schools with even a 1 metre rule and Williamson saying they can have protective bubbles for more than 15 children is nonsense .

    In a cabinet of low quality Williamson makes the rest look like they have star quality !
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,482
    edited June 2020
    malcolmg said:

    ydoethur said:

    Yorkcity said:

    tlg86 said:

    An excellent piece, thank you Keiran.

    I think Starmer is to some extent benefitting from not being Corbyn. I'm tempted to say that Labour have jumped straight from Foot to Blair, but actually I think Starmer is quite left-wing. Alastair Campbell was correct to say that we need to wait and see what Starmer presents to the country. Plenty of time for that, but it will be interesting to see what sorts of things Starmer proposes.

    I'd suggest Starmer slots in rather nicely as Kinnock.
    I think your suggestion does not hold water.
    For whatever reason English voters prefer an English leader.
    Both Kinnock and Brown were derided in many instances because of this.
    John Smith less so and Blair was seen as English.

    Also to become leader of the opposition in 5 years is impressive as is his backstory.
    We are also told that politicians who have never done anything else are out of touch.
    SKS has had an an impressive career outside of politics.
    He is a breath of fresh air in comparison to our current leader and the leader of the USA.
    I think Brown it was a two way thing - there were people calling him 'Broon' and there were a lot of other people for whom his Scottishness was part of the 'prudence' 'dour' 'clunking fist' image for austere economic competence that he had in the early years.
    This actually got me thinking. How many Scottish PMs have won elections?

    Well, it depends of course on what you mean by Scottish. You could include Macmillan and Baldwin in that list if you wanted to stretch the criteria a bit. Blair, certainly. But I don’t think a Scottish PM sitting for a Scottish seat has won a general election since World War Two. In that time Home and Brown are the only two Scots I can think of anyway who meet that criteria. Smith of course almost certainly would have won an election had he not died.

    Even before World War Two the picture isn’t rosy. MacDonald was Scottish of course, bat sat for Seaham in the only general election he won. Asquith by contrast sat for North East Fife, but was a Yorkshireman. Campbell-Bannerman meets the criteria, and Rosebery was a Scottish peer. Balfour was Scottish, but as PM sat for a seat in Manchester and as Leader of the Opposition for the City of London.

    I’ve got to give this to Yorkcity, he seems to be right.
    Cameron is a Scottish name is it not? I've no idea of David Cameron's precise family history.
    That is about as close to Scottish as he is a Scottish surname , ie 0%. You only need to look at his pansy baw face to know.
    Now now Malc, that's no way to speak about your fellow countryman. :lol:
    rcs1000 said:

    Surrey said:

    Is an Irangate coming? "John Bolton urged to elaborate on Trump-Erdoğan claims".

    "Bolton claimed that during a 2018 phone call Erdoğan sent Trump a memo insisting that the scandal-hit Halkbank was innocent. 'Trump then told Erdoğan he would take care of things, explaining that the [New York] southern district prosecutors were not his people but were Obama people, a problem that would be fixed when they were replaced by his people,' Bolton wrote.

    Bloomberg has reported that in April 2019, Trump instructed Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and Attorney General William Barr to address Erdoğan’s request that Halkbank avoid charges.

    Halkbank, one of Turkey’s largest banks, has been under investigation by US prosecutors since a Turkish inquiry in 2013 found it was used to launder up to $20bn in a scheme to evade US sanctions on Iran. High-ranking Turkish officials allegedly exported gold to Tehran via the UAE in return for Iranian oil and gas.

    (...) Two men with close ties to Erdoğan’s inner circle – Reza Zarrab, a flamboyant Turkish-Iranian businessman, and Mehmet Atilla, Halkbank’s deputy chief executive – have been sentenced to jail time in the US.

    (...) The case has shed light on the strong ties between Turkey and the Trump administration: Zarrab, who led a tabloid lifestyle of pop stars, yachts and cars and worked out of Istanbul’s Trump Tower, asked the former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani to represent him in 2016, shortly before Giuliani became the president’s attorney.
    "

    Same story as when the thieving gits went after Standard Chartered. I don't see that it's any of America's business if another country wants to do business with Iran.
    Or, indeed, Banque National de Paris.

    However, that's not the issue.

    The United States can, within its powers, order US banks not to deal with Halkbank. A bank like Halkbank will struggle to exist if it is cut off from the US Dollar system.
    I know. It's highway robbery basically. BP was another incidence. One of the reasons I find it difficult to mourn the USA's struggles to maintain 'global leadership'.
  • MikeLMikeL Posts: 7,708
    it is beyond comical that a couple of years ago some people thought Williamson was a leadership contender.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,222
    This is going to be an interesting political battleground in the presidential election.

    Americans Like The Ideas Behind Defunding The Police More Than The Slogan Itself
    https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/americans-like-the-ideas-behind-defunding-the-police-more-than-the-slogan-itself/
    ...However, “defund the police” is also a simplistic slogan, and the poll results above do not capture public opinion on the movement’s more concrete policy goals. Specifically, defunding the police is only half of its goal; activists also want to reallocate the money spent on policing to other parts of the social safety net. Indeed, in those very same polls, some of these policy ideas enjoy far more backing among the American public than the slogan does — though the level of support does vary pretty widely depending on the details of the proposal.

    For instance, when Reuters/Ipsos queried people about “proposals to move some money currently going to police budgets into better officer training, local programs for homelessness, mental health assistance, and domestic violence,” a whopping 76 percent of people who were familiar with those proposals supported them, with only 22 percent opposed. Democrats and independents supported these proposals in huge numbers while Republicans were split, 51 percent in favor to 47 percent opposed...
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    UK data out - 173

    England Regional case data by specimen day

    For interest - 79 of 316 Lower Tier Local Authorities have reported 0 cases in the last 7 days.

    image
    image

    SW doesn't register at all in recent days.

    UK data out - 173

    England Regional case data by specimen day

    For interest - 79 of 316 Lower Tier Local Authorities have reported 0 cases in the last 7 days.

    image
    image

    SW doesn't register at all in recent days.
    Cases in the last 10 days in the SW -

    4 9 8 4 4 4 7 6 2 0
    Yesterday - 0

    Let the street parties in Plymouth and Exeter commence, to celebrate that news.
    It's even better that because SW extends as far east as ridiculous places like Swindon and Bristol. No cases in West Devon for SIX WEEKS.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,381
    humbugger said:

    The government really doesn't understand the concept of underpromise and overdeliver do they?

    https://twitter.com/BBCVickiYoung/status/1274011112648978436

    The French schools are open with mandatory attendance next week. Why should our schools not be fully open in September?
    Answers please, on a postcard!
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758

    Carnyx said:

    ydoethur said:

    Yorkcity said:

    tlg86 said:

    An excellent piece, thank you Keiran.

    I think Starmer is to some extent benefitting from not being Corbyn. I'm tempted to say that Labour have jumped straight from Foot to Blair, but actually I think Starmer is quite left-wing. Alastair Campbell was correct to say that we need to wait and see what Starmer presents to the country. Plenty of time for that, but it will be interesting to see what sorts of things Starmer proposes.

    I'd suggest Starmer slots in rather nicely as Kinnock.
    I think your suggestion does not hold water.
    For whatever reason English voters prefer an English leader.
    Both Kinnock and Brown were derided in many instances because of this.
    John Smith less so and Blair was seen as English.

    Also to become leader of the opposition in 5 years is impressive as is his backstory.
    We are also told that politicians who have never done anything else are out of touch.
    SKS has had an an impressive career outside of politics.
    He is a breath of fresh air in comparison to our current leader and the leader of the USA.
    I think Brown it was a two way thing - there were people calling him 'Broon' and there were a lot of other people for whom his Scottishness was part of the 'prudence' 'dour' 'clunking fist' image for austere economic competence that he had in the early years.
    This actually got me thinking. How many Scottish PMs have won elections?

    Well, it depends of course on what you mean by Scottish. You could include Macmillan and Baldwin in that list if you wanted to stretch the criteria a bit. Blair, certainly. But I don’t think a Scottish PM sitting for a Scottish seat has won a general election since World War Two. In that time Home and Brown are the only two Scots I can think of anyway who meet that criteria. Smith of course almost certainly would have won an election had he not died.

    Even before World War Two the picture isn’t rosy. MacDonald was Scottish of course, bat sat for Seaham in the only general election he won. Asquith by contrast sat for North East Fife, but was a Yorkshireman. Campbell-Bannerman meets the criteria, and Rosebery was a Scottish peer. Balfour was Scottish, but as PM sat for a seat in Manchester and as Leader of the Opposition for the City of London.

    I’ve got to give this to Yorkcity, he seems to be right.
    Cameron is a Scottish name is it not? I've no idea of David Cameron's precise family history.
    It is indeed. This came up in the referendum campaign now you remind me

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26082372
    Thanks for that - just Googled the Camerons' former ancestral pile, Blairmore House.

    Now normally, there are very few Victorian baronial mansions you could ever get me to say a bad word about, but this one: https://www.flickr.com/photos/13768018@N05/1404022253 is properly hideous. :lol:
    This is my favourite @Luckyguy1983

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/arpadlukacs/23918547253/in/photolist-XDUtcd-YWi5Q5-XNaZPt-BVVRD3-2eciEqp-2dsLCGN-WNXSVu-prdmmS-CrANMK-Znrm3A-stUHe1-ZnrknY-22VTfGt-DBxA7o-2ag4DXq-YJXuxf-bqW3Dc-28motCU-2fAdGyc-sa1DTo-prfYMA-srrnvE-T7BMeP-praRVD-FAPY4Y-prdhYu-pre1vg-ppPSQb-prfUSG-XVzN9d-rx55ns-ruN7mR-2bnUHCX-2bM8TpF-oLNQbw-EtFX5L-oWM1G5-PiKnnd-SYqGzX-rmehga-EyjnkV-pRdEu8-EAMLXx-24Tc9W3-scC6cX-oMPEJz-pvXsdm-scBYQP-pXnpnG-rRRDp7
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    ydoethur said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    ydoethur said:

    Charles said:

    ydoethur said:

    Yorkcity said:

    tlg86 said:

    An excellent piece, thank you Keiran.

    I think Starmer is to some extent benefitting from not being Corbyn. I'm tempted to say that Labour have jumped straight from Foot to Blair, but actually I think Starmer is quite left-wing. Alastair Campbell was correct to say that we need to wait and see what Starmer presents to the country. Plenty of time for that, but it will be interesting to see what sorts of things Starmer proposes.

    I'd suggest Starmer slots in rather nicely as Kinnock.
    I think your suggestion does not hold water.
    For whatever reason English voters prefer an English leader.
    Both Kinnock and Brown were derided in many instances because of this.
    John Smith less so and Blair was seen as English.

    Also to become leader of the opposition in 5 years is impressive as is his backstory.
    We are also told that politicians who have never done anything else are out of touch.
    SKS has had an an impressive career outside of politics.
    He is a breath of fresh air in comparison to our current leader and the leader of the USA.
    I think Brown it was a two way thing - there were people calling him 'Broon' and there were a lot of other people for whom his Scottishness was part of the 'prudence' 'dour' 'clunking fist' image for austere economic competence that he had in the early years.
    This actually got me thinking. How many Scottish PMs have won elections?

    Well, it depends of course on what you mean by Scottish. You could include Macmillan and Baldwin in that list if you wanted to stretch the criteria a bit. Blair, certainly. But I don’t think a Scottish PM sitting for a Scottish seat has won a general election since World War Two. In that time Home and Brown are the only two Scots I can think of anyway who meet that criteria. Smith of course almost certainly would have won an election had he not died.

    Even before World War Two the picture isn’t rosy. MacDonald was Scottish of course, bat sat for Seaham in the only general election he won. Asquith by contrast sat for North East Fife, but was a Yorkshireman. Campbell-Bannerman meets the criteria, and Rosebery was a Scottish peer. Balfour was Scottish, but as PM sat for a seat in Manchester and as Leader of the Opposition for the City of London.

    I’ve got to give this to Yorkcity, he seems to be right.
    Wasn’t Bonar Law from Nova Scotia?
    Bonar Law deserves a novel in his own right on how complex his background was. But yes, he was from Canada (New Brunswick) of mixed Scottish and Irish descent and I think was the only British PM before the current one born outside the British Isles (happy to be corrected on that if I’m wrong).

    What is interesting is I hadn’t realised he sat for a Glaswegian seat when he was PM. I thought he sat for Bootle under Derby’s patronage, but apparently he changed late in life.

    So he could be added to the list.
    What I only recently realized was that Bonar (fnaar) is a given name, I thought he was called e.g. John Bonar Law.
    Strictly speaking he was Andrew Bonar Law.
    OK but {Andrew Bonar} {Law} is my point.
  • humbugger said:

    The government really doesn't understand the concept of underpromise and overdeliver do they?

    https://twitter.com/BBCVickiYoung/status/1274011112648978436

    The French schools are open with mandatory attendance next week. Why should our schools not be fully open in September?
    Because blue tick dickheads on twitter and in the MSM know better.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 71,222

    Another corroded and aesthetically unpleasing monument of the right taken down.

    https://twitter.com/classiclib3ral/status/1274005174466600960?s=20

    All very good until they one day take down free speech that you happen to like.

    What did she say this time?
    Can’t stand her but, yes, the people cheering this on will,be the same crying bitter salt tears when their heroes get banned. I just blocked her on Twitter. Job done
    It's a potentially troubling decision for just those reasons (and having never followed her at all, it's hard for me to judge this case), but there is surely a level of conduct beyond which they have to act ?
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,482
    Charles said:

    Carnyx said:

    ydoethur said:

    Yorkcity said:

    tlg86 said:

    An excellent piece, thank you Keiran.

    I think Starmer is to some extent benefitting from not being Corbyn. I'm tempted to say that Labour have jumped straight from Foot to Blair, but actually I think Starmer is quite left-wing. Alastair Campbell was correct to say that we need to wait and see what Starmer presents to the country. Plenty of time for that, but it will be interesting to see what sorts of things Starmer proposes.

    I'd suggest Starmer slots in rather nicely as Kinnock.
    I think your suggestion does not hold water.
    For whatever reason English voters prefer an English leader.
    Both Kinnock and Brown were derided in many instances because of this.
    John Smith less so and Blair was seen as English.

    Also to become leader of the opposition in 5 years is impressive as is his backstory.
    We are also told that politicians who have never done anything else are out of touch.
    SKS has had an an impressive career outside of politics.
    He is a breath of fresh air in comparison to our current leader and the leader of the USA.
    I think Brown it was a two way thing - there were people calling him 'Broon' and there were a lot of other people for whom his Scottishness was part of the 'prudence' 'dour' 'clunking fist' image for austere economic competence that he had in the early years.
    This actually got me thinking. How many Scottish PMs have won elections?

    Well, it depends of course on what you mean by Scottish. You could include Macmillan and Baldwin in that list if you wanted to stretch the criteria a bit. Blair, certainly. But I don’t think a Scottish PM sitting for a Scottish seat has won a general election since World War Two. In that time Home and Brown are the only two Scots I can think of anyway who meet that criteria. Smith of course almost certainly would have won an election had he not died.

    Even before World War Two the picture isn’t rosy. MacDonald was Scottish of course, bat sat for Seaham in the only general election he won. Asquith by contrast sat for North East Fife, but was a Yorkshireman. Campbell-Bannerman meets the criteria, and Rosebery was a Scottish peer. Balfour was Scottish, but as PM sat for a seat in Manchester and as Leader of the Opposition for the City of London.

    I’ve got to give this to Yorkcity, he seems to be right.
    Cameron is a Scottish name is it not? I've no idea of David Cameron's precise family history.
    It is indeed. This came up in the referendum campaign now you remind me

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26082372
    Thanks for that - just Googled the Camerons' former ancestral pile, Blairmore House.

    Now normally, there are very few Victorian baronial mansions you could ever get me to say a bad word about, but this one: https://www.flickr.com/photos/13768018@N05/1404022253 is properly hideous. :lol:
    This is my favourite @Luckyguy1983

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/arpadlukacs/23918547253/in/photolist-XDUtcd-YWi5Q5-XNaZPt-BVVRD3-2eciEqp-2dsLCGN-WNXSVu-prdmmS-CrANMK-Znrm3A-stUHe1-ZnrknY-22VTfGt-DBxA7o-2ag4DXq-YJXuxf-bqW3Dc-28motCU-2fAdGyc-sa1DTo-prfYMA-srrnvE-T7BMeP-praRVD-FAPY4Y-prdhYu-pre1vg-ppPSQb-prfUSG-XVzN9d-rx55ns-ruN7mR-2bnUHCX-2bM8TpF-oLNQbw-EtFX5L-oWM1G5-PiKnnd-SYqGzX-rmehga-EyjnkV-pRdEu8-EAMLXx-24Tc9W3-scC6cX-oMPEJz-pvXsdm-scBYQP-pXnpnG-rRRDp7
    It is stunning. I recognise it from reading your Dad's obituary. A wonderful building to be a custodian of.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,102
    Ave_it said:

    Just utter shyte

    The whole government's response to COVID-19

    No progress, no idea, no hope!

    On the day the threat level across the nation comes down to 3, all shops about to open across the nation, schools going back in Wales, tourism opening in Scotland and Wales by mid july, and NI reducing social distancing to 1 metre when schools go back there

    So across the nation Boris, Nicola, Drakeford, and Foster walked in lockstep on 'stay at home' and subsequently have diverged on the margins and are now very much singing from the same page

    Yes mistakes have been made, and that was inevitable, but the economy is looking to a bounce back in the coming months to mitigate some of tbe economic damage seen across most nations in europe and generally across the world
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,226
    edited June 2020
    Will we see any principled and courageous "I'm no fan of Hopkins but ..." contributions?

    EDIT -

    Sorry, did not check before posting. They are coming thick and fast!
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758

    Gavin Williamson is simply not good enough to be in the cabinet

    He may have a good message but he shows no inspiration or ability to come over anything other than just reading a script put in front of him

    Time to replace him Boris

    No idea why he given another role in the first place. He was a May placeman at defence, and shit then.
    Wasn’t he important in BJ’s leadership campaign?
  • Charles said:

    Gavin Williamson is simply not good enough to be in the cabinet

    He may have a good message but he shows no inspiration or ability to come over anything other than just reading a script put in front of him

    Time to replace him Boris

    No idea why he given another role in the first place. He was a May placeman at defence, and shit then.
    Wasn’t he important in BJ’s leadership campaign?
    May’s certainly
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,240
    humbugger said:

    The government really doesn't understand the concept of underpromise and overdeliver do they?

    https://twitter.com/BBCVickiYoung/status/1274011112648978436

    The French schools are open with mandatory attendance next week. Why should our schools not be fully open in September?
    Yes. The infection and death rates in the UK are currently about 4 times higher than in France, so it's likely that we will be where they are now by mid-to-late July.

    September shouldn't be a problem, and it shouldn't need drastic spacing measures (though even 1 m would be difficult with the classrooms and furniture schools have).

    As long as nobody stuffs anything up.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,608
    kinabalu said:

    Will we see any principled and courageous "I'm no fan of Hopkins but ..." contributions?

    EDIT -

    Sorry, did not check before posting. They are coming thick and fast!
    Not from me. But then, I think everybody in the public eye should depart Twitter.

    Make that everyone.

    I would happily uninvent Twitter.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,929
    edited June 2020

    humbugger said:

    The government really doesn't understand the concept of underpromise and overdeliver do they?

    https://twitter.com/BBCVickiYoung/status/1274011112648978436

    The French schools are open with mandatory attendance next week. Why should our schools not be fully open in September?
    Because blue tick dickheads on twitter and in the MSM know better.
    Schools cannot reopen fully while social distancing guidelines remain -- just think about how you'd have fitted everyone in at your old school if you had to keep 2m from anyone else -- and if you look at gov.uk announcements, it was *never* intended that schools should fully reopen before September anyway, just for some but not all school years.
  • Nigelb said:

    Another corroded and aesthetically unpleasing monument of the right taken down.

    https://twitter.com/classiclib3ral/status/1274005174466600960?s=20

    All very good until they one day take down free speech that you happen to like.

    What did she say this time?
    Can’t stand her but, yes, the people cheering this on will,be the same crying bitter salt tears when their heroes get banned. I just blocked her on Twitter. Job done
    It's a potentially troubling decision for just those reasons (and having never followed her at all, it's hard for me to judge this case), but there is surely a level of conduct beyond which they have to act ?
    Yes, I am sure there is. But twitter does seem to have a rather elastic approach to who it bans and where they sit politically.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,381

    Ave_it said:

    Just utter shyte

    The whole government's response to COVID-19

    No progress, no idea, no hope!

    On the day the threat level across the nation comes down to 3, all shops about to open across the nation, schools going back in Wales, tourism opening in Scotland and Wales by mid july, and NI reducing social distancing to 1 metre when schools go back there

    So across the nation Boris, Nicola, Drakeford, and Foster walked in lockstep on 'stay at home' and subsequently have diverged on the margins and are now very much singing from the same page

    Yes mistakes have been made, and that was inevitable, but the economy is looking to a bounce back in the coming months to mitigate some of tbe economic damage seen across most nations in europe and generally across the world
    "Bounce back". Big G you share Johnson's cheery optimistism, and I respect you for it. I am not sure I concur with your bullishness.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,102
    Sam Coates (Sky) making a huge case for private schools though I am not sure he realises it
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 41,999
    kinabalu said:

    Will we see any principled and courageous "I'm no fan of Hopkins but ..." contributions?

    EDIT -

    Sorry, did not check before posting. They are coming thick and fast!
    Thick is a little unfair.

    Oh well, if you insist.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,226
    Nigelb said:

    Another corroded and aesthetically unpleasing monument of the right taken down.

    https://twitter.com/classiclib3ral/status/1274005174466600960?s=20

    All very good until they one day take down free speech that you happen to like.

    What did she say this time?
    Can’t stand her but, yes, the people cheering this on will,be the same crying bitter salt tears when their heroes get banned. I just blocked her on Twitter. Job done
    It's a potentially troubling decision for just those reasons (and having never followed her at all, it's hard for me to judge this case), but there is surely a level of conduct beyond which they have to act ?
    You would hardly believe some of the stuff she has posted over the years.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,139
    The problem for Starmer is that while Blair reformed his party with New Labour he has not yet moved Labour to the centre to anywhere near the same extent, so while it is possible voters might trust him to be PM in a hung parliament with the LDs and SNP they will not trust giving Labour a majority
  • Northern_AlNorthern_Al Posts: 8,390

    Also worth mentioning the Shadow Cabinet, which, although vastly improved since the dismal Corbyn rag-bag, still looks lightweight and doesn't look like a government-in-waiting. The interview with Ed Balls on WATO today was a stark reminder that Labour used to have some serious Shad Cab figures.

    To be fair, with experience and more exposure the frontbench team will no doubt improve. Nonetheless, Starmer could do with making a few forensic cuts. I'd suggest ditching RL-B would be a good start.

    I think that's fair comment. But I also think that with exposure the front bench team will be seen to be stronger than their Tory counterparts within a couple of years. Interestingly one who has had exposure recently, David Lammy, has in my opinion surpassed expectations, being very sensible on BLM issues including statues - a voice of reason.

    R L-B had to be given a job as runner-up for the leadership, really. Given that she is up against the nonentity Gavin Williamson, if she doesn't outperform him I would expect Starmer to dispense with her services after a year or so.
    Lammy is an out and out racist. He doesn't even deserve to be in Parliament let alone in the Shadow Cabinet.
    You've written this before about Lammy (I ignored it then), and I think it's a shameful slur. Do you know him? Do you really think the people of Tottenham would continue to elect him (76% in 2019) if he were a racist, or are you saying that they too are racist, or are they just blind to their MP's racism?
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,381
    CatMan said:
    At that rate we'll all be Federal Europeans by May 2nd 2024!
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,139
    CatMan said:
    Yes and it is utterly irrelevant as we left the EU in January and rejoining would likely require the Euro and Schengen
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,608
    CatMan said:
    Somebody has money to burn, doing that polling.

    Perhaps they'd like to do polling on whether to bring back slavery? It's about as relevent, as a question to ask....
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,226

    Sam Coates (Sky) making a huge case for private schools though I am not sure he realises it

    Private schools?

    My nose twitches and I look up.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,102

    Ave_it said:

    Just utter shyte

    The whole government's response to COVID-19

    No progress, no idea, no hope!

    On the day the threat level across the nation comes down to 3, all shops about to open across the nation, schools going back in Wales, tourism opening in Scotland and Wales by mid july, and NI reducing social distancing to 1 metre when schools go back there

    So across the nation Boris, Nicola, Drakeford, and Foster walked in lockstep on 'stay at home' and subsequently have diverged on the margins and are now very much singing from the same page

    Yes mistakes have been made, and that was inevitable, but the economy is looking to a bounce back in the coming months to mitigate some of tbe economic damage seen across most nations in europe and generally across the world
    "Bounce back". Big G you share Johnson's cheery optimistism, and I respect you for it. I am not sure I concur with your bullishness.
    It is essential that the nation starts to lift the gloom and get out and spend

    It is time to pick out the positives, we all need hope
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    Another corroded and aesthetically unpleasing monument of the right taken down.

    https://twitter.com/classiclib3ral/status/1274005174466600960?s=20

    All very good until they one day take down free speech that you happen to like.

    What did she say this time?
    Can’t stand her but, yes, the people cheering this on will,be the same crying bitter salt tears when their heroes get banned. I just blocked her on Twitter. Job done
    She can set up her own blog and say whatever she likes on it just as OGH has done.

    She has no right to be on Twitter if she breaks their rules any more than Martin Day has a right to be here if he breaks OGH's.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,381

    Ave_it said:

    Just utter shyte

    The whole government's response to COVID-19

    No progress, no idea, no hope!

    On the day the threat level across the nation comes down to 3, all shops about to open across the nation, schools going back in Wales, tourism opening in Scotland and Wales by mid july, and NI reducing social distancing to 1 metre when schools go back there

    So across the nation Boris, Nicola, Drakeford, and Foster walked in lockstep on 'stay at home' and subsequently have diverged on the margins and are now very much singing from the same page

    Yes mistakes have been made, and that was inevitable, but the economy is looking to a bounce back in the coming months to mitigate some of tbe economic damage seen across most nations in europe and generally across the world
    "Bounce back". Big G you share Johnson's cheery optimistism, and I respect you for it. I am not sure I concur with your bullishness.
    It is essential that the nation starts to lift the gloom and get out and spend

    It is time to pick out the positives, we all need hope
    Get out and spend? My wife singlehandedly kept the nation afloat through lockdown!
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 62,766
    HYUFD said:

    CatMan said:
    Yes and it is utterly irrelevant as we left the EU in January and rejoining would likely require the Euro and Schengen
    Sadly, as things stand you are correct.

  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,421
    kinabalu said:

    Sam Coates (Sky) making a huge case for private schools though I am not sure he realises it

    Private schools?

    My nose twitches and I look up.
    Did you note the Labour review and its take on private schools earlier?
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,226

    kinabalu said:

    Will we see any principled and courageous "I'm no fan of Hopkins but ..." contributions?

    EDIT -

    Sorry, did not check before posting. They are coming thick and fast!
    Not from me. But then, I think everybody in the public eye should depart Twitter.

    Make that everyone.

    I would happily uninvent Twitter.
    No culture war without Twitter, Mark. And therefore no Tory landslides. So be careful what you wish for.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,675
    Big tech knows and is well ahead of the curve.

    https://twitter.com/markgurman/status/1274014085563080705
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,226

    kinabalu said:

    Will we see any principled and courageous "I'm no fan of Hopkins but ..." contributions?

    EDIT -

    Sorry, did not check before posting. They are coming thick and fast!
    Thick is a little unfair.

    Oh well, if you insist.
    :smile: - The Woke have come for Katie. All are Woke today.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,102
    kinabalu said:

    Sam Coates (Sky) making a huge case for private schools though I am not sure he realises it

    Private schools?

    My nose twitches and I look up.
    He was saying how throughout lockdown private schools have continued their tuition through zoom etc and their students have benefitted by this while the state schools have not
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,381

    Big tech knows and is well ahead of the curve.

    https://twitter.com/markgurman/status/1274014085563080705

    Alexa, name the states where Covid-19 will strike next!
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,226
    ydoethur said:

    kinabalu said:

    Sam Coates (Sky) making a huge case for private schools though I am not sure he realises it

    Private schools?

    My nose twitches and I look up.
    Did you note the Labour review and its take on private schools earlier?
    Did not, but I surely will be asap.

    TBC.
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 17,208
    It baffles me that Johnson scores on the competence question. What has Johnson done that makes people think he's competent?
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,421

    kinabalu said:

    Sam Coates (Sky) making a huge case for private schools though I am not sure he realises it

    Private schools?

    My nose twitches and I look up.
    He was saying how throughout lockdown private schools have continued their tuition through zoom etc and their students have benefitted by this while the state schools have not
    I don’t think that’s quite true. I have been teaching online a lot, for example. And I know of a state school on the Derbyshire border that swears by zoom teaching.

    What I can say for definite is it would be a bloody sight easier to teach a titchy private sector class on Teams or Zoom or Google Meet than a state school class of 30+. My largest class is 34 and it’s damn near impossible to teach them online.
  • TresTres Posts: 2,702
    HYUFD said:

    CatMan said:
    Yes and it is utterly irrelevant as we left the EU in January and rejoining would likely require the Euro and Schengen
    Croatia joined the EU in 2013 and are not in the Euro or Schengen.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,102
    FF43 said:

    It baffles me that Johnson scores on the competence question. What has Johnson done that makes people think he's competent?

    Won elections
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,421
    kinabalu said:

    ydoethur said:

    kinabalu said:

    Sam Coates (Sky) making a huge case for private schools though I am not sure he realises it

    Private schools?

    My nose twitches and I look up.
    Did you note the Labour review and its take on private schools earlier?
    Did not, but I surely will be asap.

    TBC.
    Be warned, you will *really* hate it.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 42,226

    kinabalu said:

    Sam Coates (Sky) making a huge case for private schools though I am not sure he realises it

    Private schools?

    My nose twitches and I look up.
    He was saying how throughout lockdown private schools have continued their tuition through zoom etc and their students have benefitted by this while the state schools have not
    Yes. Money talks. Gap widens.

    As the gap widens, money talks all the more - and the gap widens.

    The wind will change on this one day, I'm sure of it.
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,798

    kinabalu said:

    Sam Coates (Sky) making a huge case for private schools though I am not sure he realises it

    Private schools?

    My nose twitches and I look up.
    He was saying how throughout lockdown private schools have continued their tuition through zoom etc and their students have benefitted by this while the state schools have not
    It's not uniformly true, my eldest daughter in year 9 at a comprehensive has been getting a fair amount of online classes. But I am sure than in general the educational social apartheid that we enjoy in this country has been further exacerbated.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,102
    ydoethur said:

    kinabalu said:

    Sam Coates (Sky) making a huge case for private schools though I am not sure he realises it

    Private schools?

    My nose twitches and I look up.
    He was saying how throughout lockdown private schools have continued their tuition through zoom etc and their students have benefitted by this while the state schools have not
    I don’t think that’s quite true. I have been teaching online a lot, for example. And I know of a state school on the Derbyshire border that swears by zoom teaching.

    What I can say for definite is it would be a bloody sight easier to teach a titchy private sector class on Teams or Zoom or Google Meet than a state school class of 30+. My largest class is 34 and it’s damn near impossible to teach them online.
    I have no doubt you are correct but Coates really did not qualify his statement as you have done
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 41,999

    Big tech knows and is well ahead of the curve.

    https://twitter.com/markgurman/status/1274014085563080705

    Alexa, name the states where Covid-19 will strike next!
    'Dunno, ask that bitch Siri, she's got inside info.'
  • state_go_awaystate_go_away Posts: 5,816
    edited June 2020

    Another corroded and aesthetically unpleasing monument of the right taken down.

    https://twitter.com/classiclib3ral/status/1274005174466600960?s=20

    All very good until they one day take down free speech that you happen to like.

    What did she say this time?
    Can’t stand her but, yes, the people cheering this on will,be the same crying bitter salt tears when their heroes get banned. I just blocked her on Twitter. Job done
    She can set up her own blog and say whatever she likes on it just as OGH has done.

    She has no right to be on Twitter if she breaks their rules any more than Martin Day has a right to be here if he breaks OGH's.
    I did follow her as i find people who are not afraid to speak their mind interesting. This is not a right wing thing - I have attended Ken Livingstone talks as well for the same reason. From what I can recall , she got as good as she gave and just stated what may be considered forthright and insensitive posts from time to time but not sure they were hateful. Its a pity Twitter have done this as I cannot see there is a genuine case of breakign their rules just pressure from her many opponents
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,421
    edited June 2020

    kinabalu said:

    Sam Coates (Sky) making a huge case for private schools though I am not sure he realises it

    Private schools?

    My nose twitches and I look up.
    He was saying how throughout lockdown private schools have continued their tuition through zoom etc and their students have benefitted by this while the state schools have not
    It's not uniformly true, my eldest daughter in year 9 at a comprehensive has been getting a fair amount of online classes. But I am sure than in general the educational social apartheid that we enjoy in this country has been further exacerbated.
    Another thought is that if you are at a private school your parents are likely to be able to afford nice tech. A laptop, fast internet, a printer. A space to work in. And where they can’t, schools will usually find a way to help as only small numbers are involved.

    Whereas a single parent in a small council flat on benefits - much harder. No laptop, no spare room, and the internet is under pressure all day if they even have it.

    Many schools have been buying laptops to close the gap but it isn’t foolproof. Moreover, it’s killing them financially.
  • BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 8,604

    MaxPB said:



    I'm still waiting for the rise in cases and deaths caused by the "idiots" who took part in the VE day celebrations.

    And the 'London dickheads' who had picnics in April.
    Cases are still slowly reducing. R is hovering just under 1. No sign of a big uptick or rapid decline. Just very slow decline.



  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 41,999

    Another corroded and aesthetically unpleasing monument of the right taken down.

    https://twitter.com/classiclib3ral/status/1274005174466600960?s=20

    All very good until they one day take down free speech that you happen to like.

    What did she say this time?
    Can’t stand her but, yes, the people cheering this on will,be the same crying bitter salt tears when their heroes get banned. I just blocked her on Twitter. Job done
    She can set up her own blog and say whatever she likes on it just as OGH has done.

    She has no right to be on Twitter if she breaks their rules any more than Martin Day has a right to be here if he breaks OGH's.
    I did follow her as i find people who are not afraid to speak their mind interesting. This is not a right wing thing - I have attended Ken Livingstone talks as well for the same reason. From what I can recall , she got as good as she gave and just stated what may be considered forthright and insensitive posts from time to time but not sure they were hateful. Its a pity Twitter have done this as I cannot see there is a genuine case of breakign their rules just pressure from her many opponents
    Did her 'migrants are like cockroaches' stuff pass you by, or do you just not think it's hateful?
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,421

    ydoethur said:

    kinabalu said:

    Sam Coates (Sky) making a huge case for private schools though I am not sure he realises it

    Private schools?

    My nose twitches and I look up.
    He was saying how throughout lockdown private schools have continued their tuition through zoom etc and their students have benefitted by this while the state schools have not
    I don’t think that’s quite true. I have been teaching online a lot, for example. And I know of a state school on the Derbyshire border that swears by zoom teaching.

    What I can say for definite is it would be a bloody sight easier to teach a titchy private sector class on Teams or Zoom or Google Meet than a state school class of 30+. My largest class is 34 and it’s damn near impossible to teach them online.
    I have no doubt you are correct but Coates really did not qualify his statement as you have done
    To an extent, he is right. For all the reasons I give upthread private schools that ride this storm out - many will not - will be far better placed to resume teaching next term. If exams go ahead, we’ll be looking at quite a gulf between private and state - more than usual.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,482
    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    Will we see any principled and courageous "I'm no fan of Hopkins but ..." contributions?

    EDIT -

    Sorry, did not check before posting. They are coming thick and fast!
    Thick is a little unfair.

    Oh well, if you insist.
    :smile: - The Woke have come for Katie. All are Woke today.
    I have always felt that Katie Hopkins' role, like Ann Coulter in the States, was, whether intentionally or semi-intentionally, to be as repulsive as possible and be a sort of gargoyle figure for the liberal left to point at and say 'all right wing people are like that'. As such, her passing from Twitter, whilst I'm sure it's a satisfying moment for many, is regrettable from a left wing Twitter perspective, and beneficial in the long term for right wing politics.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,139
    Tres said:

    HYUFD said:

    CatMan said:
    Yes and it is utterly irrelevant as we left the EU in January and rejoining would likely require the Euro and Schengen
    Croatia joined the EU in 2013 and are not in the Euro or Schengen.
    Croatia's EU membership obliges it to eventually join the eurozone
  • state_go_awaystate_go_away Posts: 5,816
    edited June 2020

    Another corroded and aesthetically unpleasing monument of the right taken down.

    https://twitter.com/classiclib3ral/status/1274005174466600960?s=20

    All very good until they one day take down free speech that you happen to like.

    What did she say this time?
    Can’t stand her but, yes, the people cheering this on will,be the same crying bitter salt tears when their heroes get banned. I just blocked her on Twitter. Job done
    She can set up her own blog and say whatever she likes on it just as OGH has done.

    She has no right to be on Twitter if she breaks their rules any more than Martin Day has a right to be here if he breaks OGH's.
    I did follow her as i find people who are not afraid to speak their mind interesting. This is not a right wing thing - I have attended Ken Livingstone talks as well for the same reason. From what I can recall , she got as good as she gave and just stated what may be considered forthright and insensitive posts from time to time but not sure they were hateful. Its a pity Twitter have done this as I cannot see there is a genuine case of breakign their rules just pressure from her many opponents
    Did her 'migrants are like cockroaches' stuff pass you by, or do you just not think it's hateful?
    I must admit to not being so obsessive that I noted her every comment on it but context etc probably needs looking at . I just observed her general posts from time to time .I know she definitely got called worse herself ! FWIW I don't think Ken Livingstone should have been censored either in the way he was . We are far to intolerant to people who say things that may be deemed unpleasant but ultimately their views. Ironically the people who will miss her posts the most are her opponents ! I suppose they will move over to follow Peter Hitchins now!
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 63,102
    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    kinabalu said:

    Sam Coates (Sky) making a huge case for private schools though I am not sure he realises it

    Private schools?

    My nose twitches and I look up.
    He was saying how throughout lockdown private schools have continued their tuition through zoom etc and their students have benefitted by this while the state schools have not
    I don’t think that’s quite true. I have been teaching online a lot, for example. And I know of a state school on the Derbyshire border that swears by zoom teaching.

    What I can say for definite is it would be a bloody sight easier to teach a titchy private sector class on Teams or Zoom or Google Meet than a state school class of 30+. My largest class is 34 and it’s damn near impossible to teach them online.
    I have no doubt you are correct but Coates really did not qualify his statement as you have done
    To an extent, he is right. For all the reasons I give upthread private schools that ride this storm out - many will not - will be far better placed to resume teaching next term. If exams go ahead, we’ll be looking at quite a gulf between private and state - more than usual.
    It looks like it
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,798
    ydoethur said:

    kinabalu said:

    Sam Coates (Sky) making a huge case for private schools though I am not sure he realises it

    Private schools?

    My nose twitches and I look up.
    He was saying how throughout lockdown private schools have continued their tuition through zoom etc and their students have benefitted by this while the state schools have not
    It's not uniformly true, my eldest daughter in year 9 at a comprehensive has been getting a fair amount of online classes. But I am sure than in general the educational social apartheid that we enjoy in this country has been further exacerbated.
    Another thought is that if you are at a private school your parents are likely to be able to afford nice tech. A laptop, fast internet, a printer. A space to work in. And where they can’t, schools will usually find a way to help as only small numbers are involved.

    Whereas a single parent in a small council flat on benefits - but harder.

    Many schools have been buying laptops to close the gap but it isn’t foolproof. Moreover, it’s killing them financially.
    Yes. My daughter is in the middle category of can afford good tech but we won't go private, she has her own laptop and we have a printer, and she has a nice desk and her own room. The main problem with the online lessons I think was a certain amount of distracting bantz going on, although I think that has improved over time. She is bright and motivated and has a good peer group and I am not too worried about it yet.
  • BluestBlueBluestBlue Posts: 4,556

    Another corroded and aesthetically unpleasing monument of the right taken down.

    https://twitter.com/classiclib3ral/status/1274005174466600960?s=20

    All very good until they one day take down free speech that you happen to like.

    What did she say this time?
    Can’t stand her but, yes, the people cheering this on will,be the same crying bitter salt tears when their heroes get banned. I just blocked her on Twitter. Job done
    She can set up her own blog and say whatever she likes on it just as OGH has done.

    She has no right to be on Twitter if she breaks their rules any more than Martin Day has a right to be here if he breaks OGH's.
    I did follow her as i find people who are not afraid to speak their mind interesting. This is not a right wing thing - I have attended Ken Livingstone talks as well for the same reason. From what I can recall , she got as good as she gave and just stated what may be considered forthright and insensitive posts from time to time but not sure they were hateful. Its a pity Twitter have done this as I cannot see there is a genuine case of breakign their rules just pressure from her many opponents
    Every year the range of opinions Twitter permits shrinks, and at every election the Twitterati wonder why the voting didn't quite work out according to their favourite hashtags...
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,240
    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    Sam Coates (Sky) making a huge case for private schools though I am not sure he realises it

    Private schools?

    My nose twitches and I look up.
    He was saying how throughout lockdown private schools have continued their tuition through zoom etc and their students have benefitted by this while the state schools have not
    Yes. Money talks. Gap widens.

    As the gap widens, money talks all the more - and the gap widens.

    The wind will change on this one day, I'm sure of it.
    Yes, the differences are at least as much about what's available at the home end. It's reasonable to assume that pupils at private schools have got broadband and a reasonably sized screen, and live online teaching is an option; though I'm not sure that it's optimal even then. Same goes for leafy area state schools.

    When I think of the places I've worked, a lot of kids were using phones or tablets for online work in normal times. Maybe with broadband, but not always. And then Zooming is a horrible experience for any length of time. The government has had a scheme to get laptops to needy families, which is going as well as you might expect.
This discussion has been closed.