Morning all. Early start this morning ...... and it's not a good one for that ...... as Mrs C has her second AZN vaccine early today, about 15 min drive away. Haven't had my second yet; apparently there's a shortage of Pfizer. Which as I had my first back in January is a bit concerning. First time for ages I've set an alarm to wake up in the morning!
Surely Old King Cole it's a wonderful thing to have an early start for?
Where did you hear that 'apparently' from? All the reports today are stating that there will be no shortages of the vaccines for 2nd doses, whether AZN or Pfizer.
Not a good one because the clocks have sprung forward so it's easy to oversleep.
'Shortage of Pfizer' is as advised by GP; they rang my wife the other day for her second. I asked where mine was, as IMHO I'm overdue and was told they hadn't any Pfizer, at least at the moment, didn't know when they were getting out 'but would tell me as soon as'. A neighbour is getting worried about her 91 year father and I get the impression is starting to camp on the surgery's phone!
Policy for Pfizer is 12 weeks. Even if you got your first on Jan 1 you are not overdue.
“In my opinion I’m overdue” doesn’t cut it for a statement “there are a shortage of vaccines”
In the separate UK propaganda space, the right wing press did not report that the government had decided to take a calculated risk and vaccinate as many as possible with at least one jag and worry about the second dose later. The problem is now that if the second doses do not turn up then a) many are not fully protected and b) the UK is risking the emergence of a vaccine resistant strain. What was not reported in the UK amid the early vaccine triumphalism, was that most EU governments were not prepared to take the risk of a vaccine resistant strain.
If reckless Boris has gambled and lost, the UK will be in a very dark place indeed. He may get away with it, if the outbreak over all can be controlled, but if it can´t then it will not just be the UK, but the whole planet that will be at risk. So it will be in the interests of all humanity that the UK second doses are delivered, but the anger at the UK on this side of the Channel is genuine and deep felt.
Interestingly, the view of the EU and its posturing on this side of the Channel isn't anger. It's contempt. From a hell of a lot of Remainers as well. It's also quite funny how the EU side keep howling about the British press being crap (which is something I'd agree with) and credulously trot out whatever crap the press on their side is coming out with (like the Italian paper about "secret stash of AZ vaccines for the UK found!"
So, this is what went down: February/March: Oxford University and the Jenner Institute tailor their Adenovector vaccine candidate for MERS to SARS-CoV-2. They set up with Oxford Biomedica, Cobra Biologics, Pall Biotech, Public Health England, and others to look at scaling up. They bring in Halix BV to shift part of the supply chain from Pall to Halix for rapid scale up for global production.
The UK Govt get seats on the board of this consortium, provide funding, assistance, help set up the trials, and discuss who to partner with for full-scale rollout. They veto Merck on the grounds that the US Government might go all "this factory is on our soil, therefore what it produces is ours" and bring in Astrazeneca instead.
Trials go ahead, look promising, and contracts are signed in August with the UK and the EU. The EU remain at arms length, to buy a product at the end of the day and focused on price and liability. The UK remain fully involved with the development and production, scaling up factories and providing direct support.
AZ bring in Seneffe in Belgium and look to bring them online.
The plants in the UK therefore come online sooner. Biological processes take time. As the adage goes, you can't produce a baby in three months by tripling the manpower.
1/2
The UK authorise ChAdOx1 first. Due to the biological processes taking longer than expected, the first 20 million doses by Q4 2020 do not materialise. Instead, we get 0.5 million. Despite this, the Government do not throw a public tantrum but work with AZ to get whatever we can and provide whatever help we can give.
Eventually, the EU authorise ChAdOx1, with the papers in the EU already starting to give inaccurate negative misinformation (Handelsblatt), amplified by the President of France. It turns out that the EU will also get a reduced supply initially for the same reasons, but their percentage reduction is not as bad as ours. Despite this, they start to throw a very public tantrum. The various national bodies override the EMA recommendation with extra limits, further spreading misinformation on this vaccine.
Around this point, UvdL starts to claim that any vaccines produced by factories on EU soil are produced by the EU (Pfizer blink a couple of times), and ignore the global supply chain where key elements are sourced from around the world - including exports of the key lipid bilayers from the UK. Meanwhile, the UK send a team to Seneffe to try to help the EU's production issues (which I'm certain has been highlighted in these reliable EU papers? Bueller? Bueller? Hmmm.)
The EU insist that the UK should start sending them vaccines produced by the Oxford and Keele plants (from the original consortium) because these plants appear in both contracts (so could legally supply both or either; the EU decide this means they MUST supply the EU first, somehow). Further absurdities come about, like Italy banning AZ vaccines bought by Australia and produced under contract from leaving the shore (and simultaneously seizing and destroying a similar amount of doses), raiding a factory to find doses heading from one point in the EU to another point in the EU and trumpeting that they'd found secret UK doses, and so on.
So, yes: pathetic. 2/2
Oh, and having witnessed all this, Novavax, who, like others, are going through the growing pains of massive scale-up of production, have refrained from signing their contract with the EU on the grounds that they'd better ensure they can fulfill all their existing contracts first (such as the 60 million doses for the UK, who obviously won't throw public tantrums if there are any delays) before undertaking anything for the EU.
Wouldn't want to disappoint them, after all. So they will get 0 doses until Novavax are good and ready. And they can make sure the UK are well on their way to getting their 60 million doses.
The first freedom is the freedom to take the consequences.
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
Married man continues to have affairs until his wife leaves him, lies about said affairs and gets sacked for lying, man knocks up the latest gf and has two other affairs whilst she's preggers including offering contracts to the American one IS news. Or would be if Shagger didn't have a free pass.
If it was ANY other politician, certainly a non-Tory one, the Tory press would be up in arms.
The gutter press engaged trawling people's bedrooms is puritan garbage.
Someone having an affair is between the consensual couple and their partners, not an issue the gutter press should be reporting but its no shock that people enjoy such puritan curtain twitching
You sound like that puritan fool on here attacking people who have sex outside marriage and using the word "bastard".
Although his point that the Brutish press are hypocritical and partisan shits is well made
The gutter press engaged trawling people's bedrooms is puritan garbage.
Someone having an affair is between the consensual couple and their partners, not an issue the gutter press should be reporting but its no shock that people enjoy such puritan curtain twitching
You sound like that puritan fool on here attacking people who have sex outside marriage and using the word "bastard".
If it's not a big deal why does Johnson keep lying about it?
No idea. IDGAF about the story so not read up on it and couldn't tell you the details.
People have sex. Get over it. 🤷♂️
Your final statement is absolutely fine, except Johnson's liaisons often have a financial and/or moral dimension that moves it on from being just seedy to financially or morally corrupt. Arcuri fits the bill for the first, Wyatt for the second. All at a time when he is impressing the voters with his credentials as a doting family man.
Putting aside any morality issues regarding extra marital liaisons, what really staggers me is Johnson seems all to mean to invest in a six pack of Durex.
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
Yes. I have been on this site a long time. Several years ago, now, you couldn't move for pbTories leaping to the defence of Lembit Opik against the stories in the tabloids, not.
The First Minister points to the ‘old boys’ club’ that would have previously pushed any complaints under the carpet, protected its protagonists, but she is in danger of replacing that archaic power structure with one rooted in the same kind of cronyism, where its membership is so myopic that it only speaks to itself, and where criticism is seen as heresy.
The only difference is, it’s an ‘old girls’ club’ instead of a boys’.
But Tom T has made the meeting about him not about the PM standing with sanctioned MPs. Which is shitty and selfish and undermining the cause.
But I suspect cock up rather than conspiracy
Tugendhat is an interesting figure. In some ways he's almost too nuanced and intelligent for the new model tory party. He seems to belong to the era of Grieve and Patten.
Plans to get sports fans back in stadiums and music fans back at festivals this summer will fail because the government is insisting they go to NHS testing centres for a Covid-19 test first, rather than use a home test like schoolchildren.
Lawrence Dallaglio, the former England rugby captain, raised the alarm last night after holding talks with Whitehall officials over plans to allow fans into Wembley and the World Snooker Championship.
He said the government was “in a mess of its own making” for putting in place a “crazy” system of testing that would “put off” fans and overload the NHS. Dallaglio has offered to help ministers set up a system in which fans can get a test at home, validated by a credited laboratory, with the results recorded on a phone app that would be used to access the event.
He said: “I want to get fans and supporters safely back into events by the summer, but I fail to see what’s being proposed can achieve that. A system that involves using already overstretched NHS resources to test a few hundred fans here and there just won’t do. It has got failure written all over it.
“The government won’t allow fans to rapid flow test themselves at home on game day and digitally verify their negative test before going to the event in safety.”
They just need to do away with the testing requirement once everyone has been vaccinated, especially in July when we're highly likely to have double dosed 90-95% of all adults. It just seems completely pointless at that stage to continue COVID safe measures indefinitely.
It's pointless for the country, certainly, but not for the government, as it gets to keep its emergency powers.
When does parliament break for the summer?
I posted the other day that you probably need the powers for a few weeks after June 21st to react quickly if there is a problem. So July 31st would be reasonable.
But if that is in the recess then you would need to recall parliament for emergency legislation which would be a pain, spread panic and delay the response (partly for logistical reasons and partly because the government would hesitate to recall because of the political cost)
Perhaps Sept 30 is really just a sensible measure rather than some great point of principle
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
The days when people were remotely bothered by politicians sex lives are long gone. The Mirror have thrown money away on this - most of this woman's story has been kicking about for a few years, and no one was interested.
Not true. Boris is getting hollowed out, bit by bit.
The best bit in the Arcuri story was where he ponced £3.10 off her to buy a drink. What a grease stain of a human he is.
We've commented in the past, have we not, that Boris Johnson appears to be the sort of chap who'll have a drink with, and be one of the, lads until it comes to his round. Then he finds he's left his wallet at home!
By home do you mean the marital home or back in the mistress of the moment's flat?
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
The days when people were remotely bothered by politicians sex lives are long gone. The Mirror have thrown money away on this - most of this woman's story has been kicking about for a few years, and no one was interested.
Not true. Boris is getting hollowed out, bit by bit.
The best bit in the Arcuri story was where he ponced £3.10 off her to buy a drink. What a grease stain of a human he is.
Yes, he never expects to pay his own bills, whether at the bar, or financing his mistress or furnishing his flat. There is a pattern there.
Is there any provable truth that Boris "ponced" a drink.. sound to me like a smear.. and I don't like Boris
The Sunday Times front page splashes David Cameron and "toxic banker" Greensill. Boris is a convenient distraction.
Exactly. Financial sleaze runs right through this government. It is an open goal, and something Keir should be good at convincing the electoral jury over.
Really? The story is that Dave tried to make direct contact with Rishi a number of times and each time he got rejected. Not sure there's much of a story in it.
I think the interesting bit is how Greensill got such access to the treasury under Cameron, then Cameron walked off with £70 million of (now worthless) share options.
Steel workers facing redundancy should follow the money when looking who to blame.
The number of share options given increases with the likelihood of them being ultimately worthless. £70m to me says "No chance of it coming off, but let him give it a go...."
I will happily set up companies and give you billions in share options for either a viable perpetual motion machine or the secret to eternal youth.
I would be interested in a journalist untangling the timeline between Cameron giving Greensill such access to the treasury, Greensills financing of Liberty steel, and Cameron working as a lobbyist for Greensill.
It stinks more than a cargo of seafood rotting in Dover.
The Sunday Times front page splashes David Cameron and "toxic banker" Greensill. Boris is a convenient distraction.
Exactly. Financial sleaze runs right through this government. It is an open goal, and something Keir should be good at convincing the electoral jury over.
Really? The story is that Dave tried to make direct contact with Rishi a number of times and each time he got rejected. Not sure there's much of a story in it.
There is a story in it - that Dave was trying to pull in favours..
The Times had an interesting comment yesterday from someone - that Dave is now toxic for business.
Seems like he also lobbied the Australians on payday loans and the US as well
Plans to get sports fans back in stadiums and music fans back at festivals this summer will fail because the government is insisting they go to NHS testing centres for a Covid-19 test first, rather than use a home test like schoolchildren.
Lawrence Dallaglio, the former England rugby captain, raised the alarm last night after holding talks with Whitehall officials over plans to allow fans into Wembley and the World Snooker Championship.
He said the government was “in a mess of its own making” for putting in place a “crazy” system of testing that would “put off” fans and overload the NHS. Dallaglio has offered to help ministers set up a system in which fans can get a test at home, validated by a credited laboratory, with the results recorded on a phone app that would be used to access the event.
He said: “I want to get fans and supporters safely back into events by the summer, but I fail to see what’s being proposed can achieve that. A system that involves using already overstretched NHS resources to test a few hundred fans here and there just won’t do. It has got failure written all over it.
“The government won’t allow fans to rapid flow test themselves at home on game day and digitally verify their negative test before going to the event in safety.”
They just need to do away with the testing requirement once everyone has been vaccinated, especially in July when we're highly likely to have double dosed 90-95% of all adults. It just seems completely pointless at that stage to continue COVID safe measures indefinitely.
It's pointless for the country, certainly, but not for the government, as it gets to keep its emergency powers.
When does parliament break for the summer?
I posted the other day that you probably need the powers for a few weeks after June 21st to react quickly if there is a problem. So July 31st would be reasonable.
But if that is in the recess then you would need to recall parliament for emergency legislation which would be a pain, spread panic and delay the response (partly for logistical reasons and partly because the government would hesitate to recall because of the political cost)
Perhaps Sept 30 is really just a sensible measure rather than some great point of principle
The problem is that while it may be a sensible measure for the reasons you outline, I am reluctant to assume this government will use these draconian powers sensibly.
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
Man has sleepy cuddles, acres of newsprint, court prosecution, inquiries up the wazooh, tens of thousands of posts on places like this.
It's news but as others have observed, BJ being a moral vacuum may already be priced in.
🗳 👩💻 If @theSNP is re-elected in May, we will make sure every school pupil from P1 to S6 gets a laptop, Chromebook or tablet. In the digital age this should be as automatic as being given jotters and pencils was in years gone by. #BothVotesSNP
I’m just waiting for the free broadband announcement now..
Just catching up with the thread and it will come as no surprise that I have no admiration for Drakeford and in the coming Senedd election every indication from the polls, local election results, and indeed fellow Welsh commentators on here expects labour to underperform
Indeed to be fair Drakeford admitted as much on Marr this morning
However, I do give Drakeford credit for being pro the union
Anyway in a few weeks many of the questions, not just in Wales, but UK wide will have the results from actual ballot boxes to analyse, and as far as I am concerned I am quite happy to sit back and await the votes themselves
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
Married man continues to have affairs until his wife leaves him, lies about said affairs and gets sacked for lying, man knocks up the latest gf and has two other affairs whilst she's preggers including offering contracts to the American one IS news. Or would be if Shagger didn't have a free pass.
If it was ANY other politician, certainly a non-Tory one, the Tory press would be up in arms.
The gutter press engaged trawling people's bedrooms is puritan garbage.
Someone having an affair is between the consensual couple and their partners, not an issue the gutter press should be reporting but its no shock that people enjoy such puritan curtain twitching
You sound like that puritan fool on here attacking people who have sex outside marriage and using the word "bastard".
There are issues surrounding Johnson's trustworthiness across the board. However, it's highly debatable if these are in the public interest to be linked to in this context.
You are indeed entirely right about the British popular press. They are a millstone around this country's neck, a permanent encumbrance of the worst Victorian traits combined with fewer of the positive ones. Endless, prescriptive moral hypocrisy on personal matters, salaciously enjoyed, combined with frequent indifference to public squalor and suffering, and issues of genuine public interest. Then there's very little of the more positive Victorian influence, either ; curiosity, public ambition, aspects of more authentic probity and respect.
Morning all. Early start this morning ...... and it's not a good one for that ...... as Mrs C has her second AZN vaccine early today, about 15 min drive away. Haven't had my second yet; apparently there's a shortage of Pfizer. Which as I had my first back in January is a bit concerning. First time for ages I've set an alarm to wake up in the morning!
Surely Old King Cole it's a wonderful thing to have an early start for?
Where did you hear that 'apparently' from? All the reports today are stating that there will be no shortages of the vaccines for 2nd doses, whether AZN or Pfizer.
Not a good one because the clocks have sprung forward so it's easy to oversleep.
'Shortage of Pfizer' is as advised by GP; they rang my wife the other day for her second. I asked where mine was, as IMHO I'm overdue and was told they hadn't any Pfizer, at least at the moment, didn't know when they were getting out 'but would tell me as soon as'. A neighbour is getting worried about her 91 year father and I get the impression is starting to camp on the surgery's phone!
Policy for Pfizer is 12 weeks. Even if you got your first on Jan 1 you are not overdue.
“In my opinion I’m overdue” doesn’t cut it for a statement “there are a shortage of vaccines”
In the separate UK propaganda space, the right wing press did not report that the government had decided to take a calculated risk and vaccinate as many as possible with at least one jag and worry about the second dose later. The problem is now that if the second doses do not turn up then a) many are not fully protected and b) the UK is risking the emergence of a vaccine resistant strain. What was not reported in the UK amid the early vaccine triumphalism, was that most EU governments were not prepared to take the risk of a vaccine resistant strain.
If reckless Boris has gambled and lost, the UK will be in a very dark place indeed. He may get away with it, if the outbreak over all can be controlled, but if it can´t then it will not just be the UK, but the whole planet that will be at risk. So it will be in the interests of all humanity that the UK second doses are delivered, but the anger at the UK on this side of the Channel is genuine and deep felt.
This post is fascinating because all it reveals is your own susceptibility to propaganda.
The Sunday Times front page splashes David Cameron and "toxic banker" Greensill. Boris is a convenient distraction.
Exactly. Financial sleaze runs right through this government. It is an open goal, and something Keir should be good at convincing the electoral jury over.
Really? The story is that Dave tried to make direct contact with Rishi a number of times and each time he got rejected. Not sure there's much of a story in it.
I think the interesting bit is how Greensill got such access to the treasury under Cameron, then Cameron walked off with £70 million of (now worthless) share options.
Steel workers facing redundancy should follow the money when looking who to blame.
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
The days when people were remotely bothered by politicians sex lives are long gone. The Mirror have thrown money away on this - most of this woman's story has been kicking about for a few years, and no one was interested.
Not true. Boris is getting hollowed out, bit by bit.
The best bit in the Arcuri story was where he ponced £3.10 off her to buy a drink. What a grease stain of a human he is.
We've commented in the past, have we not, that Boris Johnson appears to be the sort of chap who'll have a drink with, and be one of the, lads until it comes to his round. Then he finds he's left his wallet at home!
In my pub going days I tended to judge pals on who would slow down as you approached the hostelry so they wouldn't have to buy the first round, BJ strikes me as that sort.
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
Married man continues to have affairs until his wife leaves him, lies about said affairs and gets sacked for lying, man knocks up the latest gf and has two other affairs whilst she's preggers including offering contracts to the American one IS news. Or would be if Shagger didn't have a free pass.
If it was ANY other politician, certainly a non-Tory one, the Tory press would be up in arms.
The gutter press engaged trawling people's bedrooms is puritan garbage.
Someone having an affair is between the consensual couple and their partners, not an issue the gutter press should be reporting but its no shock that people enjoy such puritan curtain twitching
You sound like that puritan fool on here attacking people who have sex outside marriage and using the word "bastard".
Although his point that the Brutish press are hypocritical and partisan shits is well made
Are they, net?
If there is a gutter story about a Tory politician it will end up in the Mirror.
If there is a gutter story about a Labour politician it will end up in the Sun.
If there is a gutter story about Lily Allen it could be in both.
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
The days when people were remotely bothered by politicians sex lives are long gone. The Mirror have thrown money away on this - most of this woman's story has been kicking about for a few years, and no one was interested.
Not true. Boris is getting hollowed out, bit by bit.
The best bit in the Arcuri story was where he ponced £3.10 off her to buy a drink. What a grease stain of a human he is.
We've commented in the past, have we not, that Boris Johnson appears to be the sort of chap who'll have a drink with, and be one of the, lads until it comes to his round. Then he finds he's left his wallet at home!
In my pub going days I tended to judge pals on who would slow down as you approached the hostelry so they wouldn't have to buy the first round, BJ strikes me as that sort.
I always like to buy the first round; it means you don't have to buy for the latecomers...
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
The days when people were remotely bothered by politicians sex lives are long gone. The Mirror have thrown money away on this - most of this woman's story has been kicking about for a few years, and no one was interested.
Not true. Boris is getting hollowed out, bit by bit.
The best bit in the Arcuri story was where he ponced £3.10 off her to buy a drink. What a grease stain of a human he is.
We've commented in the past, have we not, that Boris Johnson appears to be the sort of chap who'll have a drink with, and be one of the, lads until it comes to his round. Then he finds he's left his wallet at home!
By home do you mean the marital home or back in the mistress of the moment's flat?
Depends where he keeps his wallet and last removed the garment. If he keeps it his jacket; probably at the marital home. However, if he keeps it in his trousers......
Although of course our PM is notorious for not keeping it in his trousers.
The Sunday Times front page splashes David Cameron and "toxic banker" Greensill. Boris is a convenient distraction.
Exactly. Financial sleaze runs right through this government. It is an open goal, and something Keir should be good at convincing the electoral jury over.
Really? The story is that Dave tried to make direct contact with Rishi a number of times and each time he got rejected. Not sure there's much of a story in it.
There is a story in it - that Dave was trying to pull in favours..
The Times had an interesting comment yesterday from someone - that Dave is now toxic for business.
Seems like he also lobbied the Australians on payday loans and the US as well
The reason he's toxic is not because of morality. It's because he was unsuccessful and has not managed to keep it out of the public domain.
That's why I'm curious as to why this aspect of the story has been pushed so hard now. Something is being hidden in plain sight. What I wonder?
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
Yes. I have been on this site a long time. Several years ago, now, you couldn't move for pbTories leaping to the defence of Lembit Opik against the stories in the tabloids, not.
I did think the Opik stories were ridiculous. 🤷♂️
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
Yes. I have been on this site a long time. Several years ago, now, you couldn't move for pbTories leaping to the defence of Lembit Opik against the stories in the tabloids, not.
I did think the Opik stories were ridiculous. 🤷♂️
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
Yes. I have been on this site a long time. Several years ago, now, you couldn't move for pbTories leaping to the defence of Lembit Opik against the stories in the tabloids, not.
I did think the Opik stories were ridiculous. 🤷♂️
The Sunday Times front page splashes David Cameron and "toxic banker" Greensill. Boris is a convenient distraction.
Exactly. Financial sleaze runs right through this government. It is an open goal, and something Keir should be good at convincing the electoral jury over.
Really? The story is that Dave tried to make direct contact with Rishi a number of times and each time he got rejected. Not sure there's much of a story in it.
There is a story in it - that Dave was trying to pull in favours..
Which party is Dave standing for?
Rishi refused to let even Dave pull in favours is the story.
The interesting aspect is why this story - which hurts an ex-PM who left office 5 years ago - is appearing now. What are we being diverted from looking at?
The same might be said about the Mirror story too.
Isn’t it just that Greensill is going under (I believe) and it’s an interesting UK angle for the press?
Possibly the government is leaking because it shows they *didn’t* do favours for their mates?
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
The days when people were remotely bothered by politicians sex lives are long gone. The Mirror have thrown money away on this - most of this woman's story has been kicking about for a few years, and no one was interested.
Not true. Boris is getting hollowed out, bit by bit.
The best bit in the Arcuri story was where he ponced £3.10 off her to buy a drink. What a grease stain of a human he is.
We've commented in the past, have we not, that Boris Johnson appears to be the sort of chap who'll have a drink with, and be one of the, lads until it comes to his round. Then he finds he's left his wallet at home!
In my pub going days I tended to judge pals on who would slow down as you approached the hostelry so they wouldn't have to buy the first round, BJ strikes me as that sort.
A game my best friend and I played a lot. If just the two of us, one would find a reason to delay reaching the bar, such as tying a shoe lace, or checking the car is locked etc. Never mattered as we normally squared all rounds. My favourite was a Lakeland pub. Neil had snookered me, nowhere to go... apart from the toilets just beyond the bar... The look on his face was priceless. We had another friend who was notorious for not standings a round. One day, when at work, a fire drill emptied the building. Quick as a flash this friend grabbed another from the lab and said “fancy a drink?”. Naturally the round dodger didn’t buy the first drink. When the time came to square the round, our friend had to admit to having no money on him at all (this was before cards...) He wasn’t even from Yorkshire/Scotland...
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
Married man continues to have affairs until his wife leaves him, lies about said affairs and gets sacked for lying, man knocks up the latest gf and has two other affairs whilst she's preggers including offering contracts to the American one IS news. Or would be if Shagger didn't have a free pass.
If it was ANY other politician, certainly a non-Tory one, the Tory press would be up in arms.
The gutter press engaged trawling people's bedrooms is puritan garbage.
Someone having an affair is between the consensual couple and their partners, not an issue the gutter press should be reporting but its no shock that people enjoy such puritan curtain twitching
You sound like that puritan fool on here attacking people who have sex outside marriage and using the word "bastard".
Although his point that the Brutish press are hypocritical and partisan shits is well made
That was an accidental typo... but I rather like it 😁
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
Yes. I have been on this site a long time. Several years ago, now, you couldn't move for pbTories leaping to the defence of Lembit Opik against the stories in the tabloids, not.
Although with the Cheeky Girls we were just laughing at him!
The Sunday Times front page splashes David Cameron and "toxic banker" Greensill. Boris is a convenient distraction.
Exactly. Financial sleaze runs right through this government. It is an open goal, and something Keir should be good at convincing the electoral jury over.
Really? The story is that Dave tried to make direct contact with Rishi a number of times and each time he got rejected. Not sure there's much of a story in it.
I think the interesting bit is how Greensill got such access to the treasury under Cameron, then Cameron walked off with £70 million of (now worthless) share options.
Steel workers facing redundancy should follow the money when looking who to blame.
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
Married man continues to have affairs until his wife leaves him, lies about said affairs and gets sacked for lying, man knocks up the latest gf and has two other affairs whilst she's preggers including offering contracts to the American one IS news. Or would be if Shagger didn't have a free pass.
If it was ANY other politician, certainly a non-Tory one, the Tory press would be up in arms.
The gutter press engaged trawling people's bedrooms is puritan garbage.
Someone having an affair is between the consensual couple and their partners, not an issue the gutter press should be reporting but its no shock that people enjoy such puritan curtain twitching
You sound like that puritan fool on here attacking people who have sex outside marriage and using the word "bastard".
Although his point that the Brutish press are hypocritical and partisan shits is well made
Are they, net?
If there is a gutter story about a Tory politician it will end up in the Mirror.
If there is a gutter story about a Labour politician it will end up in the Sun.
If there is a gutter story about Lily Allen it could be in both.
If there is a gutter story about a LibDem politician it will end up encoded in the Sudoku....
The Sunday Times front page splashes David Cameron and "toxic banker" Greensill. Boris is a convenient distraction.
Exactly. Financial sleaze runs right through this government. It is an open goal, and something Keir should be good at convincing the electoral jury over.
Really? The story is that Dave tried to make direct contact with Rishi a number of times and each time he got rejected. Not sure there's much of a story in it.
I think the interesting bit is how Greensill got such access to the treasury under Cameron, then Cameron walked off with £70 million of (now worthless) share options.
Steel workers facing redundancy should follow the money when looking who to blame.
But Maugham is adding 2 & 2 and getting 17. As usual
Heywood was no doubt involved because at that point Greenskill looked like a sensible and worthwhile proposition. British Steel has been circling the drain for a while and would probably have gone bust a while ago if it hadn't been for Gupta and Greenskill so it's difficult to see how any harm has been done there.
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
The days when people were remotely bothered by politicians sex lives are long gone. The Mirror have thrown money away on this - most of this woman's story has been kicking about for a few years, and no one was interested.
Not true. Boris is getting hollowed out, bit by bit.
The best bit in the Arcuri story was where he ponced £3.10 off her to buy a drink. What a grease stain of a human he is.
We've commented in the past, have we not, that Boris Johnson appears to be the sort of chap who'll have a drink with, and be one of the, lads until it comes to his round. Then he finds he's left his wallet at home!
In my pub going days I tended to judge pals on who would slow down as you approached the hostelry so they wouldn't have to buy the first round, BJ strikes me as that sort.
We had a slightly more subtle example of that - something that might or not be ok depending on one's view. Bloke who would have a half (himself) when getting his round but always have a pint otherwise. All fine on the money front but, still, just a bit of a "thing" that perhaps needlessly detracted from group cohesion and corp d'esprit. Still not sure about this one, even though that bloke was me.
Plans to get sports fans back in stadiums and music fans back at festivals this summer will fail because the government is insisting they go to NHS testing centres for a Covid-19 test first, rather than use a home test like schoolchildren.
Lawrence Dallaglio, the former England rugby captain, raised the alarm last night after holding talks with Whitehall officials over plans to allow fans into Wembley and the World Snooker Championship.
He said the government was “in a mess of its own making” for putting in place a “crazy” system of testing that would “put off” fans and overload the NHS. Dallaglio has offered to help ministers set up a system in which fans can get a test at home, validated by a credited laboratory, with the results recorded on a phone app that would be used to access the event.
He said: “I want to get fans and supporters safely back into events by the summer, but I fail to see what’s being proposed can achieve that. A system that involves using already overstretched NHS resources to test a few hundred fans here and there just won’t do. It has got failure written all over it.
“The government won’t allow fans to rapid flow test themselves at home on game day and digitally verify their negative test before going to the event in safety.”
They just need to do away with the testing requirement once everyone has been vaccinated, especially in July when we're highly likely to have double dosed 90-95% of all adults. It just seems completely pointless at that stage to continue COVID safe measures indefinitely.
It's pointless for the country, certainly, but not for the government, as it gets to keep its emergency powers.
When does parliament break for the summer?
I posted the other day that you probably need the powers for a few weeks after June 21st to react quickly if there is a problem. So July 31st would be reasonable.
But if that is in the recess then you would need to recall parliament for emergency legislation which would be a pain, spread panic and delay the response (partly for logistical reasons and partly because the government would hesitate to recall because of the political cost)
Perhaps Sept 30 is really just a sensible measure rather than some great point of principle
The problem is that while it may be a sensible measure for the reasons you outline, I am reluctant to assume this government will use these draconian powers sensibly.
I tend to think that the political cost of doing anything is too high
🗳 👩💻 If @theSNP is re-elected in May, we will make sure every school pupil from P1 to S6 gets a laptop, Chromebook or tablet. In the digital age this should be as automatic as being given jotters and pencils was in years gone by. #BothVotesSNP
I’m just waiting for the free broadband announcement now..
Have they announced how they will fund the £200m p/a bill for the NHS 4% rise, yet?
Just catching up with the thread and it will come as no surprise that I have no admiration for Drakeford and in the coming Senedd election every indication from the polls, local election results, and indeed fellow Welsh commentators on here expects labour to underperform
Indeed to be fair Drakeford admitted as much on Marr this morning
However, I do give Drakeford credit for being pro the union
Anyway in a few weeks many of the questions, not just in Wales, but UK wide will have the results from actual ballot boxes to analyse, and as far as I am concerned I am quite happy to sit back and await the votes themselves
It of course helps that I am not a betting person
Anecdote Alert
The personal polling analysis between Drakeford and Johnson is the opposite of what I am hearing. The view from everyone but the most ardent Johnson detractors ( myself included) is Johnson has had a good pandemic, and they will reward the Conservatives for that, whereas Drakeford and Gething have had a mare, and they will be punished.
I have put my money where my mouth is, I have a pony on Conservatives most seats.
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
Married man continues to have affairs until his wife leaves him, lies about said affairs and gets sacked for lying, man knocks up the latest gf and has two other affairs whilst she's preggers including offering contracts to the American one IS news. Or would be if Shagger didn't have a free pass.
If it was ANY other politician, certainly a non-Tory one, the Tory press would be up in arms.
The gutter press engaged trawling people's bedrooms is puritan garbage.
Someone having an affair is between the consensual couple and their partners, not an issue the gutter press should be reporting but its no shock that people enjoy such puritan curtain twitching
You sound like that puritan fool on here attacking people who have sex outside marriage and using the word "bastard".
Although his point that the Brutish press are hypocritical and partisan shits is well made
Are they, net?
If there is a gutter story about a Tory politician it will end up in the Mirror.
If there is a gutter story about a Labour politician it will end up in the Sun.
If there is a gutter story about Lily Allen it could be in both.
Yes. It's basically a mixture of Victorian partisan and moral hypocrisy and American-imported celeb culture. What there's very little of is the more laudable and defensible culture of Victorian official probity.
The Sunday Times front page splashes David Cameron and "toxic banker" Greensill. Boris is a convenient distraction.
Exactly. Financial sleaze runs right through this government. It is an open goal, and something Keir should be good at convincing the electoral jury over.
Really? The story is that Dave tried to make direct contact with Rishi a number of times and each time he got rejected. Not sure there's much of a story in it.
There is a story in it - that Dave was trying to pull in favours..
The Times had an interesting comment yesterday from someone - that Dave is now toxic for business.
Seems like he also lobbied the Australians on payday loans and the US as well
The reason he's toxic is not because of morality. It's because he was unsuccessful and has not managed to keep it out of the public domain.
That's why I'm curious as to why this aspect of the story has been pushed so hard now. Something is being hidden in plain sight. What I wonder?
My guess is it is a defence about “we give contracts to our mates”
Everyone can now say “but Cameron got nothing and he was PM”
Plans to get sports fans back in stadiums and music fans back at festivals this summer will fail because the government is insisting they go to NHS testing centres for a Covid-19 test first, rather than use a home test like schoolchildren.
Lawrence Dallaglio, the former England rugby captain, raised the alarm last night after holding talks with Whitehall officials over plans to allow fans into Wembley and the World Snooker Championship.
He said the government was “in a mess of its own making” for putting in place a “crazy” system of testing that would “put off” fans and overload the NHS. Dallaglio has offered to help ministers set up a system in which fans can get a test at home, validated by a credited laboratory, with the results recorded on a phone app that would be used to access the event.
He said: “I want to get fans and supporters safely back into events by the summer, but I fail to see what’s being proposed can achieve that. A system that involves using already overstretched NHS resources to test a few hundred fans here and there just won’t do. It has got failure written all over it.
“The government won’t allow fans to rapid flow test themselves at home on game day and digitally verify their negative test before going to the event in safety.”
They just need to do away with the testing requirement once everyone has been vaccinated, especially in July when we're highly likely to have double dosed 90-95% of all adults. It just seems completely pointless at that stage to continue COVID safe measures indefinitely.
It's pointless for the country, certainly, but not for the government, as it gets to keep its emergency powers.
When does parliament break for the summer?
I posted the other day that you probably need the powers for a few weeks after June 21st to react quickly if there is a problem. So July 31st would be reasonable.
But if that is in the recess then you would need to recall parliament for emergency legislation which would be a pain, spread panic and delay the response (partly for logistical reasons and partly because the government would hesitate to recall because of the political cost)
Perhaps Sept 30 is really just a sensible measure rather than some great point of principle
I'm all for MPs taking their well-deserved three month break, but I don't think it's sufficient to end democracy in this country to do so.
But the government has completely lost the habit of submitting itself to scrutiny in this crisis.
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
The days when people were remotely bothered by politicians sex lives are long gone. The Mirror have thrown money away on this - most of this woman's story has been kicking about for a few years, and no one was interested.
Not true. Boris is getting hollowed out, bit by bit.
The best bit in the Arcuri story was where he ponced £3.10 off her to buy a drink. What a grease stain of a human he is.
We've commented in the past, have we not, that Boris Johnson appears to be the sort of chap who'll have a drink with, and be one of the, lads until it comes to his round. Then he finds he's left his wallet at home!
By home do you mean the marital home or back in the mistress of the moment's flat?
Depends where he keeps his wallet and last removed the garment. If he keeps it his jacket; probably at the marital home. However, if he keeps it in his trousers......
Although of course our PM is notorious for not keeping it in his trousers.
Plans to get sports fans back in stadiums and music fans back at festivals this summer will fail because the government is insisting they go to NHS testing centres for a Covid-19 test first, rather than use a home test like schoolchildren.
Lawrence Dallaglio, the former England rugby captain, raised the alarm last night after holding talks with Whitehall officials over plans to allow fans into Wembley and the World Snooker Championship.
He said the government was “in a mess of its own making” for putting in place a “crazy” system of testing that would “put off” fans and overload the NHS. Dallaglio has offered to help ministers set up a system in which fans can get a test at home, validated by a credited laboratory, with the results recorded on a phone app that would be used to access the event.
He said: “I want to get fans and supporters safely back into events by the summer, but I fail to see what’s being proposed can achieve that. A system that involves using already overstretched NHS resources to test a few hundred fans here and there just won’t do. It has got failure written all over it.
“The government won’t allow fans to rapid flow test themselves at home on game day and digitally verify their negative test before going to the event in safety.”
They just need to do away with the testing requirement once everyone has been vaccinated, especially in July when we're highly likely to have double dosed 90-95% of all adults. It just seems completely pointless at that stage to continue COVID safe measures indefinitely.
It's pointless for the country, certainly, but not for the government, as it gets to keep its emergency powers.
When does parliament break for the summer?
I posted the other day that you probably need the powers for a few weeks after June 21st to react quickly if there is a problem. So July 31st would be reasonable.
But if that is in the recess then you would need to recall parliament for emergency legislation which would be a pain, spread panic and delay the response (partly for logistical reasons and partly because the government would hesitate to recall because of the political cost)
Perhaps Sept 30 is really just a sensible measure rather than some great point of principle
I'm all for MPs taking their well-deserved three month break, but I don't think it's sufficient to end democracy in this country to do so.
But the government has completely lost the habit of submitting itself to scrutiny in this crisis.
I note they said schools should work extra weeks, but despite having much longer holidays than schools nobody has suggested sorting out Parliament so it sits for longer.
The Sunday Times front page splashes David Cameron and "toxic banker" Greensill. Boris is a convenient distraction.
Exactly. Financial sleaze runs right through this government. It is an open goal, and something Keir should be good at convincing the electoral jury over.
Really? The story is that Dave tried to make direct contact with Rishi a number of times and each time he got rejected. Not sure there's much of a story in it.
I think the interesting bit is how Greensill got such access to the treasury under Cameron, then Cameron walked off with £70 million of (now worthless) share options.
Steel workers facing redundancy should follow the money when looking who to blame.
But Maugham is adding 2 & 2 and getting 17. As usual
Heywood was no doubt involved because at that point Greenskill looked like a sensible and worthwhile proposition. British Steel has been circling the drain for a while and would probably have gone bust a while ago if it hadn't been for Gupta and Greenskill so it's difficult to see how any harm has been done there.
They got to know each other while they were both at MS. It was Heywood who made the introductions to Cameron and others. But we shall never known his side of the story sadly
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
The days when people were remotely bothered by politicians sex lives are long gone. The Mirror have thrown money away on this - most of this woman's story has been kicking about for a few years, and no one was interested.
Not true. Boris is getting hollowed out, bit by bit.
The best bit in the Arcuri story was where he ponced £3.10 off her to buy a drink. What a grease stain of a human he is.
Yes, he never expects to pay his own bills, whether at the bar, or financing his mistress or furnishing his flat. There is a pattern there.
Is there any provable truth that Boris "ponced" a drink.. sound to me like a smear.. and I don't like Boris
I tend to assume a lady can stand her round.
Proof is not something always required by the Daily Mirror or similar papers.
Plans to get sports fans back in stadiums and music fans back at festivals this summer will fail because the government is insisting they go to NHS testing centres for a Covid-19 test first, rather than use a home test like schoolchildren.
Lawrence Dallaglio, the former England rugby captain, raised the alarm last night after holding talks with Whitehall officials over plans to allow fans into Wembley and the World Snooker Championship.
He said the government was “in a mess of its own making” for putting in place a “crazy” system of testing that would “put off” fans and overload the NHS. Dallaglio has offered to help ministers set up a system in which fans can get a test at home, validated by a credited laboratory, with the results recorded on a phone app that would be used to access the event.
He said: “I want to get fans and supporters safely back into events by the summer, but I fail to see what’s being proposed can achieve that. A system that involves using already overstretched NHS resources to test a few hundred fans here and there just won’t do. It has got failure written all over it.
“The government won’t allow fans to rapid flow test themselves at home on game day and digitally verify their negative test before going to the event in safety.”
They just need to do away with the testing requirement once everyone has been vaccinated, especially in July when we're highly likely to have double dosed 90-95% of all adults. It just seems completely pointless at that stage to continue COVID safe measures indefinitely.
It's pointless for the country, certainly, but not for the government, as it gets to keep its emergency powers.
When does parliament break for the summer?
I posted the other day that you probably need the powers for a few weeks after June 21st to react quickly if there is a problem. So July 31st would be reasonable.
But if that is in the recess then you would need to recall parliament for emergency legislation which would be a pain, spread panic and delay the response (partly for logistical reasons and partly because the government would hesitate to recall because of the political cost)
Perhaps Sept 30 is really just a sensible measure rather than some great point of principle
I'm all for MPs taking their well-deserved three month break, but I don't think it's sufficient to end democracy in this country to do so.
But the government has completely lost the habit of submitting itself to scrutiny in this crisis.
I note they said schools should work extra weeks, but despite having much longer holidays than schools nobody has suggested sorting out Parliament so it sits for longer.
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
The days when people were remotely bothered by politicians sex lives are long gone. The Mirror have thrown money away on this - most of this woman's story has been kicking about for a few years, and no one was interested.
Not true. Boris is getting hollowed out, bit by bit.
The best bit in the Arcuri story was where he ponced £3.10 off her to buy a drink. What a grease stain of a human he is.
We've commented in the past, have we not, that Boris Johnson appears to be the sort of chap who'll have a drink with, and be one of the, lads until it comes to his round. Then he finds he's left his wallet at home!
In my pub going days I tended to judge pals on who would slow down as you approached the hostelry so they wouldn't have to buy the first round, BJ strikes me as that sort.
We had a slightly more subtle example of that - something that might or not be ok depending on one's view. Bloke who would have a half (himself) when getting his round but always have a pint otherwise. All fine on the money front but, still, just a bit of a "thing" that perhaps needlessly detracted from group cohesion and corp d'esprit. Still not sure about this one, even though that bloke was me.
Been there and done that, partly because I know some beer monsters and my capacity for processing a gallon of liquid in an evening is much diminished. As long as they got their pint and could call me a 'poof', group cohesion pretty much held I found.
The Sunday Times front page splashes David Cameron and "toxic banker" Greensill. Boris is a convenient distraction.
Exactly. Financial sleaze runs right through this government. It is an open goal, and something Keir should be good at convincing the electoral jury over.
Really? The story is that Dave tried to make direct contact with Rishi a number of times and each time he got rejected. Not sure there's much of a story in it.
There is a story in it - that Dave was trying to pull in favours..
Which party is Dave standing for?
Rishi refused to let even Dave pull in favours is the story.
The interesting aspect is why this story - which hurts an ex-PM who left office 5 years ago - is appearing now. What are we being diverted from looking at?
The same might be said about the Mirror story too.
Isn’t it just that Greensill is going under (I believe) and it’s an interesting UK angle for the press?
Possibly the government is leaking because it shows they *didn’t* do favours for their mates?
Greensill going under also takes out a whole lot of our steel industry as it now desperately need money,
How Cameron ties into the need to bail British Steel out yet again is something I can't work out.
The Sunday Times front page splashes David Cameron and "toxic banker" Greensill. Boris is a convenient distraction.
Exactly. Financial sleaze runs right through this government. It is an open goal, and something Keir should be good at convincing the electoral jury over.
Really? The story is that Dave tried to make direct contact with Rishi a number of times and each time he got rejected. Not sure there's much of a story in it.
There is a story in it - that Dave was trying to pull in favours..
Which party is Dave standing for?
Rishi refused to let even Dave pull in favours is the story.
The interesting aspect is why this story - which hurts an ex-PM who left office 5 years ago - is appearing now. What are we being diverted from looking at?
The same might be said about the Mirror story too.
Isn’t it just that Greensill is going under (I believe) and it’s an interesting UK angle for the press?
Possibly the government is leaking because it shows they *didn’t* do favours for their mates?
Possibly. But no money was made or given. The entire lobbying was a failure.
Your second suggestion may well be right. In which case, what is it that we're not looking at? A new story - because all the previous ones are already out there? Or they're rattled - which seems unlikely given the polls.
It seems odd to make this such front page news. It feels over-cooked and/or a diversion. There are more interesting stories out there, surely eg the US replacement for Dido Harding? What's their background? What are they being brought in to do etc....?
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
Married man continues to have affairs until his wife leaves him, lies about said affairs and gets sacked for lying, man knocks up the latest gf and has two other affairs whilst she's preggers including offering contracts to the American one IS news. Or would be if Shagger didn't have a free pass.
If it was ANY other politician, certainly a non-Tory one, the Tory press would be up in arms.
The gutter press engaged trawling people's bedrooms is puritan garbage.
Someone having an affair is between the consensual couple and their partners, not an issue the gutter press should be reporting but its no shock that people enjoy such puritan curtain twitching
You sound like that puritan fool on here attacking people who have sex outside marriage and using the word "bastard".
Although his point that the Brutish press are hypocritical and partisan shits is well made
That was an accidental typo... but I rather like it 😁
The Sunday Times front page splashes David Cameron and "toxic banker" Greensill. Boris is a convenient distraction.
Exactly. Financial sleaze runs right through this government. It is an open goal, and something Keir should be good at convincing the electoral jury over.
Really? The story is that Dave tried to make direct contact with Rishi a number of times and each time he got rejected. Not sure there's much of a story in it.
There is a story in it - that Dave was trying to pull in favours..
Which party is Dave standing for?
Rishi refused to let even Dave pull in favours is the story.
The interesting aspect is why this story - which hurts an ex-PM who left office 5 years ago - is appearing now. What are we being diverted from looking at?
The same might be said about the Mirror story too.
Isn’t it just that Greensill is going under (I believe) and it’s an interesting UK angle for the press?
Possibly the government is leaking because it shows they *didn’t* do favours for their mates?
Greensill going under also takes out a whole lot of our steel industry as it now desperately need money,
How Cameron ties into the need to bail British Steel out yet again is something I can't work out.
Gupta (the owner of British Steel) is dependent on Greensill for financing.
He is pleading for money
It’s a pity that his wife has just started the refurbishment of her beautiful house on Belgrave Square. Poor optics.
Plans to get sports fans back in stadiums and music fans back at festivals this summer will fail because the government is insisting they go to NHS testing centres for a Covid-19 test first, rather than use a home test like schoolchildren.
Lawrence Dallaglio, the former England rugby captain, raised the alarm last night after holding talks with Whitehall officials over plans to allow fans into Wembley and the World Snooker Championship.
He said the government was “in a mess of its own making” for putting in place a “crazy” system of testing that would “put off” fans and overload the NHS. Dallaglio has offered to help ministers set up a system in which fans can get a test at home, validated by a credited laboratory, with the results recorded on a phone app that would be used to access the event.
He said: “I want to get fans and supporters safely back into events by the summer, but I fail to see what’s being proposed can achieve that. A system that involves using already overstretched NHS resources to test a few hundred fans here and there just won’t do. It has got failure written all over it.
“The government won’t allow fans to rapid flow test themselves at home on game day and digitally verify their negative test before going to the event in safety.”
They just need to do away with the testing requirement once everyone has been vaccinated, especially in July when we're highly likely to have double dosed 90-95% of all adults. It just seems completely pointless at that stage to continue COVID safe measures indefinitely.
It's pointless for the country, certainly, but not for the government, as it gets to keep its emergency powers.
When does parliament break for the summer?
I posted the other day that you probably need the powers for a few weeks after June 21st to react quickly if there is a problem. So July 31st would be reasonable.
But if that is in the recess then you would need to recall parliament for emergency legislation which would be a pain, spread panic and delay the response (partly for logistical reasons and partly because the government would hesitate to recall because of the political cost)
Perhaps Sept 30 is really just a sensible measure rather than some great point of principle
I'm all for MPs taking their well-deserved three month break, but I don't think it's sufficient to end democracy in this country to do so.
But the government has completely lost the habit of submitting itself to scrutiny in this crisis.
I note they said schools should work extra weeks, but despite having much longer holidays than schools nobody has suggested sorting out Parliament so it sits for longer.
Probably because schools rarely do the damage Parliament can do when it's in session!
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
The days when people were remotely bothered by politicians sex lives are long gone. The Mirror have thrown money away on this - most of this woman's story has been kicking about for a few years, and no one was interested.
Not true. Boris is getting hollowed out, bit by bit.
The best bit in the Arcuri story was where he ponced £3.10 off her to buy a drink. What a grease stain of a human he is.
We've commented in the past, have we not, that Boris Johnson appears to be the sort of chap who'll have a drink with, and be one of the, lads until it comes to his round. Then he finds he's left his wallet at home!
In my pub going days I tended to judge pals on who would slow down as you approached the hostelry so they wouldn't have to buy the first round, BJ strikes me as that sort.
We had a slightly more subtle example of that - something that might or not be ok depending on one's view. Bloke who would have a half (himself) when getting his round but always have a pint otherwise. All fine on the money front but, still, just a bit of a "thing" that perhaps needlessly detracted from group cohesion and corp d'esprit. Still not sure about this one, even though that bloke was me.
Been there and done that, partly because I know some beer monsters and my capacity for processing a gallon of liquid in an evening is much diminished. As long as they got their pint and could call me a 'poof', group cohesion pretty much held I found.
And it can be easier to buy yourself a half than get one of your mates to buy you one when it's their round.
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
The days when people were remotely bothered by politicians sex lives are long gone. The Mirror have thrown money away on this - most of this woman's story has been kicking about for a few years, and no one was interested.
Not true. Boris is getting hollowed out, bit by bit.
The best bit in the Arcuri story was where he ponced £3.10 off her to buy a drink. What a grease stain of a human he is.
Yes, he never expects to pay his own bills, whether at the bar, or financing his mistress or furnishing his flat. There is a pattern there.
Same pattern exhibited over and over and over and over again by . . . . wait for it . . . POTUS #45
The only thing that interests me about the Acuri story is apparently she said he wasn't much good in bed, so why did she put up with it for four years?
The Sunday Times front page splashes David Cameron and "toxic banker" Greensill. Boris is a convenient distraction.
Exactly. Financial sleaze runs right through this government. It is an open goal, and something Keir should be good at convincing the electoral jury over.
Really? The story is that Dave tried to make direct contact with Rishi a number of times and each time he got rejected. Not sure there's much of a story in it.
There is a story in it - that Dave was trying to pull in favours..
Which party is Dave standing for?
Rishi refused to let even Dave pull in favours is the story.
The interesting aspect is why this story - which hurts an ex-PM who left office 5 years ago - is appearing now. What are we being diverted from looking at?
The same might be said about the Mirror story too.
Isn’t it just that Greensill is going under (I believe) and it’s an interesting UK angle for the press?
Possibly the government is leaking because it shows they *didn’t* do favours for their mates?
Possibly. But no money was made or given. The entire lobbying was a failure.
Your second suggestion may well be right. In which case, what is it that we're not looking at? A new story - because all the previous ones are already out there? Or they're rattled - which seems unlikely given the polls.
It seems odd to make this such front page news. It feels over-cooked and/or a diversion. There are more interesting stories out there, surely eg the US replacement for Dido Harding? What's their background? What are they being brought in to do etc....?
I’m not sure when it happened; I don’t think it was always like this —- but both the press and the TV media effectively stopped reporting actual news a few years back.
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
The days when people were remotely bothered by politicians sex lives are long gone. The Mirror have thrown money away on this - most of this woman's story has been kicking about for a few years, and no one was interested.
Not true. Boris is getting hollowed out, bit by bit.
The best bit in the Arcuri story was where he ponced £3.10 off her to buy a drink. What a grease stain of a human he is.
We've commented in the past, have we not, that Boris Johnson appears to be the sort of chap who'll have a drink with, and be one of the, lads until it comes to his round. Then he finds he's left his wallet at home!
In my pub going days I tended to judge pals on who would slow down as you approached the hostelry so they wouldn't have to buy the first round, BJ strikes me as that sort.
We had a slightly more subtle example of that - something that might or not be ok depending on one's view. Bloke who would have a half (himself) when getting his round but always have a pint otherwise. All fine on the money front but, still, just a bit of a "thing" that perhaps needlessly detracted from group cohesion and corp d'esprit. Still not sure about this one, even though that bloke was me.
Been there and done that, partly because I know some beer monsters and my capacity for processing a gallon of liquid in an evening is much diminished. As long as they got their pint and could call me a 'poof', group cohesion pretty much held I found.
Yep, it was about alcohol not financial capacity. And there'd be some ribbing to be taken. That was the price paid. A fair bargain really, when you think about it.
I'm therefore going to drop this one from my 'things to feel bad about on deathbed' list.
The Sunday Times front page splashes David Cameron and "toxic banker" Greensill. Boris is a convenient distraction.
Exactly. Financial sleaze runs right through this government. It is an open goal, and something Keir should be good at convincing the electoral jury over.
Really? The story is that Dave tried to make direct contact with Rishi a number of times and each time he got rejected. Not sure there's much of a story in it.
There is a story in it - that Dave was trying to pull in favours..
Which party is Dave standing for?
Rishi refused to let even Dave pull in favours is the story.
The interesting aspect is why this story - which hurts an ex-PM who left office 5 years ago - is appearing now. What are we being diverted from looking at?
The same might be said about the Mirror story too.
Isn’t it just that Greensill is going under (I believe) and it’s an interesting UK angle for the press?
Possibly the government is leaking because it shows they *didn’t* do favours for their mates?
Possibly. But no money was made or given. The entire lobbying was a failure.
Your second suggestion may well be right. In which case, what is it that we're not looking at? A new story - because all the previous ones are already out there? Or they're rattled - which seems unlikely given the polls.
It seems odd to make this such front page news. It feels over-cooked and/or a diversion. There are more interesting stories out there, surely eg the US replacement for Dido Harding? What's their background? What are they being brought in to do etc....?
I’m not sure when it happened; I don’t think it was always like this —- but both the press and the TV media effectively stopped reporting actual news a few years back.
There's frequently more 'news' in Private Eye's columns than on the BBC, the Victorian-celeb tabloid press, the Guardian, or the conservative oligarchs' broadsheets put together.
🗳 👩💻 If @theSNP is re-elected in May, we will make sure every school pupil from P1 to S6 gets a laptop, Chromebook or tablet. In the digital age this should be as automatic as being given jotters and pencils was in years gone by. #BothVotesSNP
I’m just waiting for the free broadband announcement now..
A quick google finds Eton hands out free ipads. If it's good enough for Boris...
And of course HMG is already dishing out free laptops and free wifi for home-schooling.
Sceptics might be right about this being half-cocked but there must be better grounds for opposing the SNP.
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
Yes. I have been on this site a long time. Several years ago, now, you couldn't move for pbTories leaping to the defence of Lembit Opik against the stories in the tabloids, not.
I did think the Opik stories were ridiculous. 🤷♂️
🗳 👩💻 If @theSNP is re-elected in May, we will make sure every school pupil from P1 to S6 gets a laptop, Chromebook or tablet. In the digital age this should be as automatic as being given jotters and pencils was in years gone by. #BothVotesSNP
I’m just waiting for the free broadband announcement now..
A quick google finds Eton hands out free ipads. If it's good enough for Boris...
And of course HMG is already dishing out free laptops and free wifi for home-schooling.
Sceptics might be right about this being half-cocked but there must be better grounds for opposing the SNP.
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
The days when people were remotely bothered by politicians sex lives are long gone. The Mirror have thrown money away on this - most of this woman's story has been kicking about for a few years, and no one was interested.
Not true. Boris is getting hollowed out, bit by bit.
The best bit in the Arcuri story was where he ponced £3.10 off her to buy a drink. What a grease stain of a human he is.
We've commented in the past, have we not, that Boris Johnson appears to be the sort of chap who'll have a drink with, and be one of the, lads until it comes to his round. Then he finds he's left his wallet at home!
In my pub going days I tended to judge pals on who would slow down as you approached the hostelry so they wouldn't have to buy the first round, BJ strikes me as that sort.
We had a slightly more subtle example of that - something that might or not be ok depending on one's view. Bloke who would have a half (himself) when getting his round but always have a pint otherwise. All fine on the money front but, still, just a bit of a "thing" that perhaps needlessly detracted from group cohesion and corp d'esprit. Still not sure about this one, even though that bloke was me.
Missing out yourself when buying a round is a sensible and fair way of moderating consumption without being rude. Particularly this works well with the culture of pressed drinking so common in British men.
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
The days when people were remotely bothered by politicians sex lives are long gone. The Mirror have thrown money away on this - most of this woman's story has been kicking about for a few years, and no one was interested.
Not true. Boris is getting hollowed out, bit by bit.
The best bit in the Arcuri story was where he ponced £3.10 off her to buy a drink. What a grease stain of a human he is.
We've commented in the past, have we not, that Boris Johnson appears to be the sort of chap who'll have a drink with, and be one of the, lads until it comes to his round. Then he finds he's left his wallet at home!
By home do you mean the marital home or back in the mistress of the moment's flat?
Depends where he keeps his wallet and last removed the garment. If he keeps it his jacket; probably at the marital home. However, if he keeps it in his trousers......
Although of course our PM is notorious for not keeping it in his trousers.
The Sunday Times front page splashes David Cameron and "toxic banker" Greensill. Boris is a convenient distraction.
Exactly. Financial sleaze runs right through this government. It is an open goal, and something Keir should be good at convincing the electoral jury over.
Really? The story is that Dave tried to make direct contact with Rishi a number of times and each time he got rejected. Not sure there's much of a story in it.
There is a story in it - that Dave was trying to pull in favours..
Which party is Dave standing for?
Rishi refused to let even Dave pull in favours is the story.
The interesting aspect is why this story - which hurts an ex-PM who left office 5 years ago - is appearing now. What are we being diverted from looking at?
The same might be said about the Mirror story too.
Isn’t it just that Greensill is going under (I believe) and it’s an interesting UK angle for the press?
Possibly the government is leaking because it shows they *didn’t* do favours for their mates?
Greensill going under also takes out a whole lot of our steel industry as it now desperately need money,
How Cameron ties into the need to bail British Steel out yet again is something I can't work out.
Gupta (the owner of British Steel) is dependent on Greensill for financing.
He is pleading for money
It’s a pity that his wife has just started the refurbishment of her beautiful house on Belgrave Square. Poor optics.
Cameron is slipping down in my estimation as time passes. Not just this, more generally.
I had him as "mediocre" but he's flirting with "poor" now.
The Sunday Times front page splashes David Cameron and "toxic banker" Greensill. Boris is a convenient distraction.
Exactly. Financial sleaze runs right through this government. It is an open goal, and something Keir should be good at convincing the electoral jury over.
Really? The story is that Dave tried to make direct contact with Rishi a number of times and each time he got rejected. Not sure there's much of a story in it.
There is a story in it - that Dave was trying to pull in favours..
Which party is Dave standing for?
Rishi refused to let even Dave pull in favours is the story.
The interesting aspect is why this story - which hurts an ex-PM who left office 5 years ago - is appearing now. What are we being diverted from looking at?
The same might be said about the Mirror story too.
Isn’t it just that Greensill is going under (I believe) and it’s an interesting UK angle for the press?
Possibly the government is leaking because it shows they *didn’t* do favours for their mates?
Greensill going under also takes out a whole lot of our steel industry as it now desperately need money,
How Cameron ties into the need to bail British Steel out yet again is something I can't work out.
Tbh, it might be time to just call it on British Steel. The UK no longer has a cost structure that makes it possible to have rolled steel production. Energy costs, carbon floor pricing and all of the other emissions and safety costs are just too high. This is coming to whole of Western Europe.
We either need to nationalise it and operate it as a business of strategic importance under state control or live without major steel production in the UK. I'm not sure either is a particular vote winner.
The only thing that interests me about the Acuri story is apparently she said he wasn't much good in bed, so why did she put up with it for four years?
With Alba now represented in Westminster, that means TWO U.K. party leaders can now be counted as sex pests.
Sex pest implies unwanted attention. Not sure that’s ever been suggested with Boris’s conquests...
It's more where there wasn't a conquest.
Examples?
Well I don't have a list or anything but there are stories from his time at the Speccy. Creepy "under the table" type stuff. Charlotte Edwardes (?) had a bit to say. Some others too.
🗳 👩💻 If @theSNP is re-elected in May, we will make sure every school pupil from P1 to S6 gets a laptop, Chromebook or tablet. In the digital age this should be as automatic as being given jotters and pencils was in years gone by. #BothVotesSNP
I’m just waiting for the free broadband announcement now..
A quick google finds Eton hands out free ipads. If it's good enough for Boris...
And of course HMG is already dishing out free laptops and free wifi for home-schooling.
Sceptics might be right about this being half-cocked but there must be better grounds for opposing the SNP.
The Sunday Times front page splashes David Cameron and "toxic banker" Greensill. Boris is a convenient distraction.
Exactly. Financial sleaze runs right through this government. It is an open goal, and something Keir should be good at convincing the electoral jury over.
Really? The story is that Dave tried to make direct contact with Rishi a number of times and each time he got rejected. Not sure there's much of a story in it.
There is a story in it - that Dave was trying to pull in favours..
Which party is Dave standing for?
Rishi refused to let even Dave pull in favours is the story.
The interesting aspect is why this story - which hurts an ex-PM who left office 5 years ago - is appearing now. What are we being diverted from looking at?
The same might be said about the Mirror story too.
Isn’t it just that Greensill is going under (I believe) and it’s an interesting UK angle for the press?
Possibly the government is leaking because it shows they *didn’t* do favours for their mates?
Greensill going under also takes out a whole lot of our steel industry as it now desperately need money,
How Cameron ties into the need to bail British Steel out yet again is something I can't work out.
Gupta (the owner of British Steel) is dependent on Greensill for financing.
He is pleading for money
It’s a pity that his wife has just started the refurbishment of her beautiful house on Belgrave Square. Poor optics.
Cameron is slipping down in my estimation as time passes. Not just this, more generally.
I had him as "mediocre" but he's flirting with "poor" now.
Let's see if he can turn it around.
Predictably Rachel Reeves is now asking for an inquiry into this latest scandal. Whereas the better response would be to ask for full transparency on the contracts entered into by this government. Not be diverted into obsessing about what the last PM but one did a decade ago.
🗳 👩💻 If @theSNP is re-elected in May, we will make sure every school pupil from P1 to S6 gets a laptop, Chromebook or tablet. In the digital age this should be as automatic as being given jotters and pencils was in years gone by. #BothVotesSNP
I’m just waiting for the free broadband announcement now..
A quick google finds Eton hands out free ipads. If it's good enough for Boris...
And of course HMG is already dishing out free laptops and free wifi for home-schooling.
Sceptics might be right about this being half-cocked but there must be better grounds for opposing the SNP.
We have had iPads for all pupils for a few years, though except for those with financial problems we expected the parents to pay for them.
My experience is that, pandemics and home working aside, they are often more a distraction than a help in class, particularly with the younger pupils. I would be interested to know how well they would be used by those in primary school: I hope they have a good insurance scheme for the inevitable breakages...
The Sunday Times front page splashes David Cameron and "toxic banker" Greensill. Boris is a convenient distraction.
Exactly. Financial sleaze runs right through this government. It is an open goal, and something Keir should be good at convincing the electoral jury over.
Really? The story is that Dave tried to make direct contact with Rishi a number of times and each time he got rejected. Not sure there's much of a story in it.
There is a story in it - that Dave was trying to pull in favours..
Which party is Dave standing for?
Rishi refused to let even Dave pull in favours is the story.
The interesting aspect is why this story - which hurts an ex-PM who left office 5 years ago - is appearing now. What are we being diverted from looking at?
The same might be said about the Mirror story too.
Isn’t it just that Greensill is going under (I believe) and it’s an interesting UK angle for the press?
Possibly the government is leaking because it shows they *didn’t* do favours for their mates?
Greensill going under also takes out a whole lot of our steel industry as it now desperately need money,
How Cameron ties into the need to bail British Steel out yet again is something I can't work out.
Gupta (the owner of British Steel) is dependent on Greensill for financing.
He is pleading for money
It’s a pity that his wife has just started the refurbishment of her beautiful house on Belgrave Square. Poor optics.
Cameron is slipping down in my estimation as time passes. Not just this, more generally.
I had him as "mediocre" but he's flirting with "poor" now.
Let's see if he can turn it around.
Predictably Rachel Reeves is now asking for an inquiry into this latest scandal. Whereas the better response would be to ask for full transparency on the contracts entered into by this government. Not be diverted into obsessing about what the last PM but one did a decade ago.
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
The days when people were remotely bothered by politicians sex lives are long gone. The Mirror have thrown money away on this - most of this woman's story has been kicking about for a few years, and no one was interested.
Not true. Boris is getting hollowed out, bit by bit.
The best bit in the Arcuri story was where he ponced £3.10 off her to buy a drink. What a grease stain of a human he is.
We've commented in the past, have we not, that Boris Johnson appears to be the sort of chap who'll have a drink with, and be one of the, lads until it comes to his round. Then he finds he's left his wallet at home!
In my pub going days I tended to judge pals on who would slow down as you approached the hostelry so they wouldn't have to buy the first round, BJ strikes me as that sort.
We had a slightly more subtle example of that - something that might or not be ok depending on one's view. Bloke who would have a half (himself) when getting his round but always have a pint otherwise. All fine on the money front but, still, just a bit of a "thing" that perhaps needlessly detracted from group cohesion and corp d'esprit. Still not sure about this one, even though that bloke was me.
Missing out yourself when buying a round is a sensible and fair way of moderating consumption without being rude. Particularly this works well with the culture of pressed drinking so common in British men.
Yes. And especially for me, since I have an unfortunate combination of "luv it" and "can't take it". The guy I drink with most these days is a giant who is not noticeably distressed by 6 pints of strong lager in (say) 3 hours. I would be - so it's good that for me that's 4 and a half.
With Alba now represented in Westminster, that means TWO U.K. party leaders can now be counted as sex pests.
Sex pest implies unwanted attention. Not sure that’s ever been suggested with Boris’s conquests...
It's more where there wasn't a conquest.
The very expression "conquest" is predatory and misogynist.
My word not his. I reckon Boris has a bit of the Bill Clinton about him.
Some men can charm their way into bed with most women. Others, cannot.
He's actually a very good wordsmith, in a literary rather than conceptual way, which tends to attract the opposite sex. Together with the hair-flicking and colourful, tramp-to-be-mothered profile it might be a heady stew. He's just not very good at concepts.
With Alba now represented in Westminster, that means TWO U.K. party leaders can now be counted as sex pests.
Sex pest implies unwanted attention. Not sure that’s ever been suggested with Boris’s conquests...
It's more where there wasn't a conquest.
The very expression "conquest" is predatory and misogynist.
My word not his. I reckon Boris has a bit of the Bill Clinton about him.
Some men can charm their way into bed with most women. Others, cannot.
My 'children' when young had someone like that in their friendship group. Pretty well any girl he wanted he seemed to be able to have, although he tended to keep such activities out of the group; just turn up on Friday night with a new conquest. That sort of thing.
My daughter said, in her 30's that she'd found him very unattractive, but reckoned he had a sort of smell about him. Eldest son and son-in-law still drink with him, though. And, I believe he does pay his round.
On topic, raunchy as Shagger's front page revelations are, its hardly a news flash. Tory supporters are perfectly happy to both say "ah he's a lad isn't he" and simultaneously "he's a good father and a family man look at him with Carrie and the baby".
So what with any other politician would have sunk him multiple times over instead boosts Shagger because of the footballification of politics. However, should Keith be revealed to have been shagging the lass who runs his donkey sanctuary there would be Consternation and Uproar about how morally degenerate he is in having an affair.
It's pathetic how partisanly puritan people get.
"Man has sex" is not news. "Woman has sex" is not news.
I couldn't care less if its Boris, Keith, Jezza, Drakeford, Sturgeon, Salmond or anyone else you can throw a stick at.
The days when people were remotely bothered by politicians sex lives are long gone. The Mirror have thrown money away on this - most of this woman's story has been kicking about for a few years, and no one was interested.
Not true. Boris is getting hollowed out, bit by bit.
The best bit in the Arcuri story was where he ponced £3.10 off her to buy a drink. What a grease stain of a human he is.
We've commented in the past, have we not, that Boris Johnson appears to be the sort of chap who'll have a drink with, and be one of the, lads until it comes to his round. Then he finds he's left his wallet at home!
In my pub going days I tended to judge pals on who would slow down as you approached the hostelry so they wouldn't have to buy the first round, BJ strikes me as that sort.
We had a slightly more subtle example of that - something that might or not be ok depending on one's view. Bloke who would have a half (himself) when getting his round but always have a pint otherwise. All fine on the money front but, still, just a bit of a "thing" that perhaps needlessly detracted from group cohesion and corp d'esprit. Still not sure about this one, even though that bloke was me.
Missing out yourself when buying a round is a sensible and fair way of moderating consumption without being rude. Particularly this works well with the culture of pressed drinking so common in British men.
Not a fair solution, everyone else pays £20 for a round, and the "skipper" pays £15.
Comments
Wouldn't want to disappoint them, after all. So they will get 0 doses until Novavax are good and ready. And they can make sure the UK are well on their way to getting their 60 million doses.
The first freedom is the freedom to take the consequences.
Putting aside any morality issues regarding extra marital liaisons, what really staggers me is Johnson seems all to mean to invest in a six pack of Durex.
Several years ago, now, you couldn't move for pbTories leaping to the defence of Lembit Opik against the stories in the tabloids, not.
The only difference is, it’s an ‘old girls’ club’ instead of a boys’.
https://www.holyrood.com/editors-column/view,old-girls-club
I posted the other day that you probably need the powers for a few weeks after June 21st to react quickly if there is a problem. So July 31st would be reasonable.
But if that is in the recess then you would need to recall parliament for emergency legislation which would be a pain, spread panic and delay the response (partly for logistical reasons and partly because the government would hesitate to recall because of the political cost)
Perhaps Sept 30 is really just a sensible measure rather than some great point of principle
Thanks for those fabulous posts. Wonderfully lucid and devastatingly pointed.
It stinks more than a cargo of seafood rotting in Dover.
Seems like he also lobbied the Australians on payday loans and the US as well
It's news but as others have observed, BJ being a moral vacuum may already be priced in.
I’m just waiting for the free broadband announcement now..
Just catching up with the thread and it will come as no surprise that I have no admiration for Drakeford and in the coming Senedd election every indication from the polls, local election results, and indeed fellow Welsh commentators on here expects labour to underperform
Indeed to be fair Drakeford admitted as much on Marr this morning
However, I do give Drakeford credit for being pro the union
Anyway in a few weeks many of the questions, not just in Wales, but UK wide will have the results from actual ballot boxes to analyse, and as far as I am concerned I am quite happy to sit back and await the votes themselves
It of course helps that I am not a betting person
You are indeed entirely right about the British popular press. They are a millstone around this country's neck, a permanent encumbrance of the worst Victorian traits combined with fewer of the positive ones. Endless, prescriptive moral hypocrisy on personal matters, salaciously enjoyed, combined with frequent indifference to public squalor and suffering, and issues of genuine public interest. Then there's very little of the more positive Victorian influence, either ; curiosity, public ambition, aspects of more authentic probity and respect.
But Maugham is adding 2 & 2 and getting 17. As usual
If there is a gutter story about a Tory politician it will end up in the Mirror.
If there is a gutter story about a Labour politician it will end up in the Sun.
If there is a gutter story about Lily Allen it could be in both.
However, if he keeps it in his trousers......
Although of course our PM is notorious for not keeping it in his trousers.
That's why I'm curious as to why this aspect of the story has been pushed so hard now. Something is being hidden in plain sight. What I wonder?
Possibly the government is leaking because it shows they *didn’t* do favours for their mates?
We had another friend who was notorious for not standings a round. One day, when at work, a fire drill emptied the building. Quick as a flash this friend grabbed another from the lab and said “fancy a drink?”. Naturally the round dodger didn’t buy the first drink. When the time came to square the round, our friend had to admit to having no money on him at all (this was before cards...)
He wasn’t even from Yorkshire/Scotland...
My punt would be that he is trying another angle after the last one failed.
https://www.politico.eu/coronavirus-in-europe/
The personal polling analysis between Drakeford and Johnson is the opposite of what I am hearing. The view from everyone but the most ardent Johnson detractors ( myself included) is Johnson has had a good pandemic, and they will reward the Conservatives for that, whereas Drakeford and Gething have had a mare, and they will be punished.
I have put my money where my mouth is, I have a pony on Conservatives most seats.
Everyone can now say “but Cameron got nothing and he was PM”
But the government has completely lost the habit of submitting itself to scrutiny in this crisis.
People don't want more politics.
How Cameron ties into the need to bail British Steel out yet again is something I can't work out.
Your second suggestion may well be right. In which case, what is it that we're not looking at? A new story - because all the previous ones are already out there? Or they're rattled - which seems unlikely given the polls.
It seems odd to make this such front page news. It feels over-cooked and/or a diversion. There are more interesting stories out there, surely eg the US replacement for Dido Harding? What's their background? What are they being brought in to do etc....?
He is pleading for money
It’s a pity that his wife has just started the refurbishment of her beautiful house on Belgrave Square. Poor optics.
I'm therefore going to drop this one from my 'things to feel bad about on deathbed' list.
47 items to go.
And of course HMG is already dishing out free laptops and free wifi for home-schooling.
Sceptics might be right about this being half-cocked but there must be better grounds for opposing the SNP.
ETA links
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-laptops-and-tablets-for-children-who-cannot-attend-school-due-to-coronavirus-covid-19
https://www.etoncollege.com/inside-the-classroom/digital-education/
Not sure if that applies for the modern more aggressive game but if it did then India are on track for over 400.
Then again there's a part of me that thinks, wickets permitting, that the modern England could chase 400.
It's incredible how the game has changed.
Wales began trending Conservative in 1970, with shifts back to Labour from 1987 -97, and in 2017.
Lembit = Old Estonian
I had him as "mediocre" but he's flirting with "poor" now.
Let's see if he can turn it around.
We either need to nationalise it and operate it as a business of strategic importance under state control or live without major steel production in the UK. I'm not sure either is a particular vote winner.
He did get a wicket. And 'nearly' two.
Or am I thinking of someone else?
Some men can charm their way into bed with most women. Others, cannot.
My experience is that, pandemics and home working aside, they are often more a distraction than a help in class, particularly with the younger pupils. I would be interested to know how well they would be used by those in primary school: I hope they have a good insurance scheme for the inevitable breakages...
My daughter said, in her 30's that she'd found him very unattractive, but reckoned he had a sort of smell about him. Eldest son and son-in-law still drink with him, though. And, I believe he does pay his round.