Thanks for the achingly dull recommendations, although I accept my requirement is achingly dull.
So, do I buy or lease?
FWIW I buy and write it off. Probably not the cheapest, but I simply can't be arsed with leases and finance on cars and all the Delboy nonsense that goes with it.
Except that if you lease you tend to get better offers on the purchase price, and there are some very low interest (indeed a few zero per cent) offers around. If you can get a zero per cent lease offer, you don’t need to decide whether to buy the car until the three years are up, at no extra cost.
But be careful about your mileage. Buy gap insurance if you think your annual mileage might exceed the lease terms - otherwise you'll get a big bill at the end of the lease and lose the car.
Not long now, and good to see there's available slots for first doses without any issues or waiting for a week.
Indeed, I wasn't expecting to get my invite for a few more weeks.
The link came with an address I could get the jab at, and an option to choose different times at different dates. I chose the first available slot at 9:10am tomorrow morning. No point dilly dallying.
Beginning tomorrow we will be monitoring your post to see IF there are any signs of adverse reaction to the jab.
My prognostication: the vac may make your posts even nuttier than per usual!
[EDIT] Just kidding! (I think!!)
Hehe. I think if the vaccine had been rolled out under a Labour government, rather than one led (and I use that word loosely) by his hero from Eton, Philip would have been a fully paid up Q-Anon antivaxer.
In fairness, my own friends have expressed concern that I've gotten even weirder SINCE I got jabbed.
But then they've been saying I'm getting weirder & weirder for YEARS. Starting about 1957!
The last car I owned was a 1967 Triumph Herald convertible. That was back in Auckland, when I was a student.
Fast forward twenty odd years.
I live in London Zone 2, with a driveway. I have two small kids. I would like a car for the wife to commute in, and for country trips on the weekend.
I am not suffering a mid-life crisis and do not need a Ferrari. But I also hate cheap-feeling, plasticky cars.
What kind of car should I get? And, do I buy or lease?
Mini Countryman. It's a good size for London and fun to drive outside of London.
I've got a Mini John Cooper Works (and I'm picking up a new model, the 2021 version, today)
Yes yes, a girly car, overpriced, all that - but wow they are fast and growly and fantastic fun to drive
What's the engine size? 1600?
JCW Minis have the 2.0 BMW B48 IL4.
Inspired by your pioneering work in this area I touched ***mph on the A3** last week, in broad daylight (it was entirely empty). You're right, it is fun. Frightening, but fun
Also deeply irresponsible naturally, and dangerous. I shan't do it again. But I did it once
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
There's no point saying. You'd absolutely hate it. The tables are rickety and the chairs squeak and kind of cut into your back. Nothing wrong with the beer though tbf.
Professor JohnCurtice (for it is He) says that whilst SNP support is slipping, the Greens are romping along, so a majority of MSPs will support independence. Strap yourselves in - when HYUFD explodes as a result of Boris doing what he has endlessly said he won't do, it will be messy.
Although I support Scottish independence, I think the funniest result "for the bantz" would be SNP minority, majority with Greens, second referendum occurs, second referendum goes No.
That is actually my expected result - the issue needs to be laid to bed and the only way to do that is for the Scottish to see how much they are subsidised by the rest of the UK.
Which I know is something that MalcolmG is going to argue isn't the case but the reality is the oil has gone and Scotland has little else...
You really are ignorant of Scotland, it has far more natural resources than England.
Whatever - we are never going to agree
Exactly , you spouting about things you have absolutely NO clue about is extremely pointless.
Except for the fact you don't provide any evidence of anything that actually generates money.
You are the one claiming to be the expert on Scotland's budget and resources , now you expect me to show how little you know.
Nope you claim it has large amounts of resources that generate real income and tax.
And I have not got a clue what they are as I don’t believe they exist.
As it’s impossible to prove a negative it makes sense to ask you to provide a list of things in Scotland (beyond oil and whiskey) that generate large amounts of profit and so tax...
'I really don't care if the Scots clear off' seems a long time and 100s of posts ago.
Possibly they were just referring to you and malcolmg on here.
Luvin' the 'this a Unionist site for Unionist people' bantz from newbies.
I am sure that wasn't the inference, that is just how you probably view it through those enormous family packets of McCains on your shoulder. I think I was suggesting that your posts (particularly where you think it the height of wit to use the word "Scotch") are just a bit repetitive.
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Considering a family day trip to London on Sunday - not sure yet though as weather may not come right.
Any idea from you London chaps as to what to do/where to go? Shopping, no doubt, and we'd usually visit Borough Market but it's closed on Sundays. Spitalfields Market is open, is that a decent alternative?
Any other ideas. Or should we wait until 17 May when we can sit inside if it's a bit nippy?
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
The last car I owned was a 1967 Triumph Herald convertible. That was back in Auckland, when I was a student.
Fast forward twenty odd years.
I live in London Zone 2, with a driveway. I have two small kids. I would like a car for the wife to commute in, and for country trips on the weekend.
I am not suffering a mid-life crisis and do not need a Ferrari. But I also hate cheap-feeling, plasticky cars.
What kind of car should I get? And, do I buy or lease?
Mini Countryman. It's a good size for London and fun to drive outside of London.
I've got a Mini John Cooper Works (and I'm picking up a new model, the 2021 version, today)
Yes yes, a girly car, overpriced, all that - but wow they are fast and growly and fantastic fun to drive
What's the engine size? 1600?
JCW Minis have the 2.0 BMW B48 IL4.
Inspired by your pioneering work in this area I touched 137mph on the A3** last week, in broad daylight (it was entirely empty). You're right, it is fun. Frightening, but fun
Also deeply irresponsible naturally, and dangerous. I shan't do it again. But I did it once
Putting aside the danger, you don't want to get nicked at that speed.
My wife has just had her second jab and one thing that we have discovered is that the time you are given is totally irrelevant. I was 3 hours early for my second job last week and I got in straight away and my wife was the same this afternoon and also got in early without queuing.
I'm eyeing up the new Yaris hybrid for when my ancient Fiesta finally dies. It looks pretty nifty with the F1-esque nose.
I rented one of those for a trip to France years ago. I couldn't believe how efficient it was – IIRC I only spent about €35 on fuel for ten days of buzzing about. Extraordinary.
The last car I owned was a 1967 Triumph Herald convertible. That was back in Auckland, when I was a student.
Fast forward twenty odd years.
I live in London Zone 2, with a driveway. I have two small kids. I would like a car for the wife to commute in, and for country trips on the weekend.
I am not suffering a mid-life crisis and do not need a Ferrari. But I also hate cheap plasticky cars.
What kind of car should I get? And, do I buy or lease?
budget?
I am not a car person; largely I regard them as frustrating opex rather than sensible capex.
So, I am reasonable well off I suppose, but begrudge the cost I am likely to need to spend.
Does that help?
Seconded on a BMW X series (5 is the biggest, 3 is a smaller 5 and 1 is the SUV of the Touring). Or touring if you prefer closer to the ground and traditional rear wheel drive.
But we are all skating on thin ice here once Dura comes on and spells out exactly what it is you actually do need.
X7 is the largest BMW SUV. This discussion is like watching me try to opine on wine or coffee.
What do you make of hybrids?
I'm asking for a mate who because of the ULEZ expansion will have to kiss goodbye to his beloved old Merc.
I have a large hybrid from a well known German manufacturer. The only thing to really commend it is that it is warm when you get into it in the winter in the morning. Other than that I think the hybrid aspect of it is a bit pointless. It will only go about 15 miles on a full charge. The quoted MPG is ludicrous. I am thinking about going the whole hog and getting a fully electric at some point though
Right, thanks. Confirms my initial thoughts. I'm not ready for electric so maybe I stick to trad. I can get one made in the last few years and that'll be ok for ULEZ.
Or maybe I'll move out of town and keep the Merc. It has no market value and I'm finding the thought of it being crunched up into a dense cube of metal for scrap rather hard to face.
The last car I owned was a 1967 Triumph Herald convertible. That was back in Auckland, when I was a student.
Fast forward twenty odd years.
I live in London Zone 2, with a driveway. I have two small kids. I would like a car for the wife to commute in, and for country trips on the weekend.
I am not suffering a mid-life crisis and do not need a Ferrari. But I also hate cheap-feeling, plasticky cars.
What kind of car should I get? And, do I buy or lease?
Mini Countryman. It's a good size for London and fun to drive outside of London.
I've got a Mini John Cooper Works (and I'm picking up a new model, the 2021 version, today)
Yes yes, a girly car, overpriced, all that - but wow they are fast and growly and fantastic fun to drive
What's the engine size? 1600?
JCW Minis have the 2.0 BMW B48 IL4.
Inspired by your pioneering work in this area I touched ****the A3** last week, in broad daylight (it was entirely empty). You're right, it is fun. Frightening, but fun
Also deeply irresponsible naturally, and dangerous. I shan't do it again. But I did it once
Putting aside the danger, you don't want to get nicked at that speed.
Quite so
I told a friend in Cornwall, and he said You do know how serious that is, if you get caught?
I had no idea. I thought it was 3 points or whatever. Ooops. Never again
Professor JohnCurtice (for it is He) says that whilst SNP support is slipping, the Greens are romping along, so a majority of MSPs will support independence. Strap yourselves in - when HYUFD explodes as a result of Boris doing what he has endlessly said he won't do, it will be messy.
Although I support Scottish independence, I think the funniest result "for the bantz" would be SNP minority, majority with Greens, second referendum occurs, second referendum goes No.
That is actually my expected result - the issue needs to be laid to bed and the only way to do that is for the Scottish to see how much they are subsidised by the rest of the UK.
Which I know is something that MalcolmG is going to argue isn't the case but the reality is the oil has gone and Scotland has little else...
Don’t forget as well, rUK will be paying Scottish pensions in the event of indy
More garbage, Scotland will pay its own pensions like normal countries, England will pay the debts it owes for the money people paid into their pension scam scheme or perhaps welch on their commitments.
There are no such 'debts' owed by England other than to english people. The OAP doesn't work that way. Current Scots would pay Scottish pensions , etc
The UK government guarantees to pay a state pension to anyone, UK citizen or not, that has made sufficient qualifying contributions.
The clown just talks through his posterior. They are so ignorant due to their bigotry that they cannot even rationalise that if you have paid someone for a pension they cannot just dump you, pathetic.
Except they're not dumping you, if you vote for independence then you're voting to dump them. Since pensions are PAYG, in the future Scottish taxes and Scottish pensions would be the responsibility of the Scottish state.
Otherwise are you expecting to still be paying taxes to Westminster in the future?
The British state currently, right this second, pays non-uk citizens who are not resident in the UK a British state pension.
That's because the law says that anyone who has qualified for a state pension gets a state pension.
These are people who are currently no contributing a single penny of tax to the UK exchequer.
Now, non-residents do not get the annual _increases_ to the state pension - they get the pension at the level it was first awarded to them but that is the setup.
Absolutely, the British state which includes Scottish taxpayers.
What you're seeking to do is end that state and take a section of the taxpayers with you. Fair enough, it's been done before across the world. When it has, they have always had to take obligations with them.
The Scottish taxpayers and pensions would be going to and paid by Holyrood.
My wife has just had her second jab and one thing that we have discovered is that the time you are given is totally irrelevant. I was 3 hours early for my second job last week and I got in straight away and my wife was the same this afternoon and also got in early without queuing.
Congrats to Mrs S!
Had same experience re: scheduled time for jabs, except that I did have to wait in line both times (much shorter line for #2).
For second shot, arrived one hour before scheduled slot, and was waiting out the 15 minutes post-jab by my actual appointment time.
Makes since to focus on the DAY and not the TIME of day, much more efficient.
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Considering a family day trip to London on Sunday - not sure yet though as weather may not come right.
Any idea from you London chaps as to what to do/where to go? Shopping, no doubt, and we'd usually visit Borough Market but it's closed on Sundays. Spitalfields Market is open, is that a decent alternative?
Any other ideas. Or should we wait until 17 May when we can sit inside if it's a bit nippy?
Spitalfields is great place, especially but not exclusively when they have the record fair on.
The last car I owned was a 1967 Triumph Herald convertible. That was back in Auckland, when I was a student.
Fast forward twenty odd years.
I live in London Zone 2, with a driveway. I have two small kids. I would like a car for the wife to commute in, and for country trips on the weekend.
I am not suffering a mid-life crisis and do not need a Ferrari. But I also hate cheap-feeling, plasticky cars.
What kind of car should I get? And, do I buy or lease?
Mini Countryman. It's a good size for London and fun to drive outside of London.
I've got a Mini John Cooper Works (and I'm picking up a new model, the 2021 version, today)
Yes yes, a girly car, overpriced, all that - but wow they are fast and growly and fantastic fun to drive
What's the engine size? 1600?
JCW Minis have the 2.0 BMW B48 IL4.
Inspired by your pioneering work in this area I touched ****the A3** last week, in broad daylight (it was entirely empty). You're right, it is fun. Frightening, but fun
Also deeply irresponsible naturally, and dangerous. I shan't do it again. But I did it once
Putting aside the danger, you don't want to get nicked at that speed.
Quite so
I told a friend in Cornwall, and he said You do know how serious that is, if you get caught?
I had no idea. I thought it was 3 points or whatever. Ooops. Never again
What is happening in Sweden? This time last year PB was spammed with the anti lockdown brigade citing Sweden as the way to go, now we hear nothing from about Sweden from them.
The last car I owned was a 1967 Triumph Herald convertible. That was back in Auckland, when I was a student.
Fast forward twenty odd years.
I live in London Zone 2, with a driveway. I have two small kids. I would like a car for the wife to commute in, and for country trips on the weekend.
I am not suffering a mid-life crisis and do not need a Ferrari. But I also hate cheap-feeling, plasticky cars.
What kind of car should I get? And, do I buy or lease?
Mini Countryman. It's a good size for London and fun to drive outside of London.
I've got a Mini John Cooper Works (and I'm picking up a new model, the 2021 version, today)
Yes yes, a girly car, overpriced, all that - but wow they are fast and growly and fantastic fun to drive
What's the engine size? 1600?
JCW Minis have the 2.0 BMW B48 IL4.
Inspired by your pioneering work in this area I touched ****the A3** last week, in broad daylight (it was entirely empty). You're right, it is fun. Frightening, but fun
Also deeply irresponsible naturally, and dangerous. I shan't do it again. But I did it once
Putting aside the danger, you don't want to get nicked at that speed.
Quite so
I told a friend in Cornwall, and he said You do know how serious that is, if you get caught?
I had no idea. I thought it was 3 points or whatever. Ooops. Never again
What are the consequences of getting caught? My brother has sold his TVR Typhon, so that would no longer be an issue. But he did crank it up on the A303 once to show off with me in the passenger seat.
My wife has just had her second jab and one thing that we have discovered is that the time you are given is totally irrelevant. I was 3 hours early for my second job last week and I got in straight away and my wife was the same this afternoon and also got in early without queuing.
Same thing happened with my parents. The time flexibility is a very good thing in my opinion.
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Not particularly out of the way.
True. I can't then think what public house this is.
It's like the marginally less mundane follow up to The Girther Conspiracy.
Let's call it the The NW3 Mystery. It has all the hallmarks of another PB classic.
I wonder how much awareness there is in the non-political society that there is an election ongoing right now, without campaigning etc?
Not much sign of it in my area. Received a few leaflets from the Tories, a couple from Labour, no others. On my road there's not many placards advertising parties - the house nearby that permanently flies a Unite the Union flag has a Vote Labour placard on its fence. Not seen any others.
At the last general election there were many more placards. Kinabalu might be interested to know that last time the houses that fly Union Jack flags mostly but not all had Tory placards at the General Election. None of them have placards so far, only the Unite flag flying garden one does.
I guess it depends if they still watch 'live' TV - plenty of party politicals in the just before 'The One Show' slot.
We're drowning in LibDem leaflets here - I've had six so far, all variations on the same themes: we are great personalities, only we can beat the Tories, Labour can't win. They narrowly hold one County seat here (where Labour didn't stand last time, but will this time - it was a deal and the LibDems reneged on a promise not to stand in the other seat) and have probably unrealistic hopes of taking the other. Only one Tory (keep council tax down, repair the roads) and two Labour leaflets (send a message to Johnson, improve schools, fight anti-social behaviour) so far. My subjective impression is that both Tories and LDs are short of deliverers, relying heavily on Royal Mail. Labour has lots of helpers this time following encouraging gains in the Borough elections but start from a weak position.
You do remember, don't you, Mr Palmer, that the Conservatives absolutely forbade political parties to do their own deliveries, on the grounds that covid made this unsafe? On the other hand, using a paid delivery service was entirely safe....
This Conservative ploy was later dropped, of course, when people started to see through it.
It says a lot about your local Liberal Democrats that, in the meantime, they were able to raise the funds to pay for the delivery of six leaflets in your area.
Why do Labour Pary people always sneer at everybody? Is it because of that line in The Red Flag?
'“Boris Johnson’s lovable maverick shtick has been to dissemble himself beneath a mantle of suet, to pretend to inarticulacy, to oik about as the People’s Primate, to wear a ten-year-old’s hairdo, to laugh it off – no matter what it is, no matter how grave it may be – and to display charm learned at a charm school with duff tutors,” he writes. “This construct is going on threadbare. If one devotes such energy to a simulacrum of oafishness one becomes an oaf.” Johnson is, he joyously adds, “a blubbery pink peculator” who is said to have enjoyed “an assisted siesta in Shoreditch”. In that phrase “assisted siesta” we witness the pure poetry of vituperation.'
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Considering a family day trip to London on Sunday - not sure yet though as weather may not come right.
Any idea from you London chaps as to what to do/where to go? Shopping, no doubt, and we'd usually visit Borough Market but it's closed on Sundays. Spitalfields Market is open, is that a decent alternative?
Any other ideas. Or should we wait until 17 May when we can sit inside if it's a bit nippy?
Borough Market is open on a Sunday, surely?
Spitalfields is fun, but not as good foodwise
Camden is looking quite buzzy, I just past it. Kids love it. Has good food. But there's not much else to do around there, unlike Borough or Spitalfields - unless you love Georgian architecture, Victorian canals and Regency parks
Just wandering around the City can be fun, especially at the moment, as it wakes from its lockdown slumber. A very eerie feeling, worth experiencing
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Considering a family day trip to London on Sunday - not sure yet though as weather may not come right.
Any idea from you London chaps as to what to do/where to go? Shopping, no doubt, and we'd usually visit Borough Market but it's closed on Sundays. Spitalfields Market is open, is that a decent alternative?
Any other ideas. Or should we wait until 17 May when we can sit inside if it's a bit nippy?
Spitalfields is great place, especially but not exclusively when they have the record fair on.
Will there be choices of places to eat outside and a lively vibe?
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Considering a family day trip to London on Sunday - not sure yet though as weather may not come right.
Any idea from you London chaps as to what to do/where to go? Shopping, no doubt, and we'd usually visit Borough Market but it's closed on Sundays. Spitalfields Market is open, is that a decent alternative?
Any other ideas. Or should we wait until 17 May when we can sit inside if it's a bit nippy?
Borough Market is open on a Sunday, surely?
Spitalfields is fun, but not as good foodwise
Camden is looking quite buzzy, I just past it. Kids love it. Has good food. But there's not much else to do around there, unlike Borough or Spitalfields - unless you love Georgian architecture, Victorian canals and Regency parks
Just wandering around the City can be fun, especially at the moment, as it wakes from its lockdown slumber. A very eerie feeling, worth experiencing
Professor JohnCurtice (for it is He) says that whilst SNP support is slipping, the Greens are romping along, so a majority of MSPs will support independence. Strap yourselves in - when HYUFD explodes as a result of Boris doing what he has endlessly said he won't do, it will be messy.
Although I support Scottish independence, I think the funniest result "for the bantz" would be SNP minority, majority with Greens, second referendum occurs, second referendum goes No.
First Boris will refuse indyref2 regardless as 2014 was a once in a generation referendum, if a referendum is granted by the UK government before a generation has elapsed even if No narrowly wins the Nationalists would demand a third referendum within a year.
Second a plurality of Scottish Green voters now oppose independence so only an SNP and Alba majority can even be considered to have a mandate for indyref2, an SNP and Green majority will not count https://archive.ph/eg2lt
Bit in bold really is a nonsense. Even the best analysts have blind spots and Scotland is yours. Mine is Japan. I have no clue at all what's going on over there. But I'm planning a trip to see the blossoms soon (covid allowing) so that will hopefully change.
Beautiful country
We have been fortunate to visit Japan twice and it does not disappoint
The last car I owned was a 1967 Triumph Herald convertible. That was back in Auckland, when I was a student.
Fast forward twenty odd years.
I live in London Zone 2, with a driveway. I have two small kids. I would like a car for the wife to commute in, and for country trips on the weekend.
I am not suffering a mid-life crisis and do not need a Ferrari. But I also hate cheap-feeling, plasticky cars.
What kind of car should I get? And, do I buy or lease?
Mini Countryman. It's a good size for London and fun to drive outside of London.
I've got a Mini John Cooper Works (and I'm picking up a new model, the 2021 version, today)
Yes yes, a girly car, overpriced, all that - but wow they are fast and growly and fantastic fun to drive
What's the engine size? 1600?
JCW Minis have the 2.0 BMW B48 IL4.
Inspired by your pioneering work in this area I touched ****the A3** last week, in broad daylight (it was entirely empty). You're right, it is fun. Frightening, but fun
Also deeply irresponsible naturally, and dangerous. I shan't do it again. But I did it once
Putting aside the danger, you don't want to get nicked at that speed.
Quite so
I told a friend in Cornwall, and he said You do know how serious that is, if you get caught?
I had no idea. I thought it was 3 points or whatever. Ooops. Never again
What are the consequences of getting caught? My brother has sold his TVR Typhon, so that would no longer be an issue. But he did crank it up on the A303 once to show off with me in the passenger seat.
You can do jailtime for those speeds. It turns out
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Considering a family day trip to London on Sunday - not sure yet though as weather may not come right.
Any idea from you London chaps as to what to do/where to go? Shopping, no doubt, and we'd usually visit Borough Market but it's closed on Sundays. Spitalfields Market is open, is that a decent alternative?
Any other ideas. Or should we wait until 17 May when we can sit inside if it's a bit nippy?
Spitalfields is great place, especially but not exclusively when they have the record fair on.
Will there be choices of places to eat outside and a lively vibe?
I haven't been down there since The Lockdown. There used to be a pub called the Water Poet nearby that had a huge garden, but doesn't look like it's there anymore. The City is a bit hit and miss on a Sunday TBH, for pubs.
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Not particularly out of the way.
True. I can't then think what public house this is.
It's like the marginally less mundane follow up to The Girther Conspiracy.
Let's call it the The NW3 Mystery. It has all the hallmarks of another PB classic.
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Considering a family day trip to London on Sunday - not sure yet though as weather may not come right.
Any idea from you London chaps as to what to do/where to go? Shopping, no doubt, and we'd usually visit Borough Market but it's closed on Sundays. Spitalfields Market is open, is that a decent alternative?
Any other ideas. Or should we wait until 17 May when we can sit inside if it's a bit nippy?
Borough Market is open on a Sunday, surely?
Spitalfields is fun, but not as good foodwise
Camden is looking quite buzzy, I just past it. Kids love it. Has good food. But there's not much else to do around there, unlike Borough or Spitalfields - unless you love Georgian architecture, Victorian canals and Regency parks
Just wandering around the City can be fun, especially at the moment, as it wakes from its lockdown slumber. A very eerie feeling, worth experiencing
Professor JohnCurtice (for it is He) says that whilst SNP support is slipping, the Greens are romping along, so a majority of MSPs will support independence. Strap yourselves in - when HYUFD explodes as a result of Boris doing what he has endlessly said he won't do, it will be messy.
Although I support Scottish independence, I think the funniest result "for the bantz" would be SNP minority, majority with Greens, second referendum occurs, second referendum goes No.
That is actually my expected result - the issue needs to be laid to bed and the only way to do that is for the Scottish to see how much they are subsidised by the rest of the UK.
Which I know is something that MalcolmG is going to argue isn't the case but the reality is the oil has gone and Scotland has little else...
Don’t forget as well, rUK will be paying Scottish pensions in the event of indy
More garbage, Scotland will pay its own pensions like normal countries, England will pay the debts it owes for the money people paid into their pension scam scheme or perhaps welch on their commitments.
There are no such 'debts' owed by England other than to english people. The OAP doesn't work that way. Current Scots would pay Scottish pensions , etc
The UK government guarantees to pay a state pension to anyone, UK citizen or not, that has made sufficient qualifying contributions.
The clown just talks through his posterior. They are so ignorant due to their bigotry that they cannot even rationalise that if you have paid someone for a pension they cannot just dump you, pathetic.
Except they're not dumping you, if you vote for independence then you're voting to dump them. Since pensions are PAYG, in the future Scottish taxes and Scottish pensions would be the responsibility of the Scottish state.
Otherwise are you expecting to still be paying taxes to Westminster in the future?
You still need someone capable of driving a car. And they have to stay alert while doing nothing, which is far harder than just driving the damned car yourself.
Duh. They will fix that.
At one point every car had a man in front of it with a flag, because cars weren't trusted. Your discourse is on about that level
AI is going to change everything, this is just one aspect.
Most trains could operate without drivers tomorrow, the Docklands Light Railway has never had drivers, no one minds
Sure but why would we need cars when we can all get around on Marty McFly's flying hoverboard anyway?
Owning your own car gives you freedom to go wherever you want, whenever you want, on the open road. As cars become environmentally friendly there is no excuse not to be having more roads, more cars anymore. Cars are the future.
Think harder. You will be able to order up a self drive electric car (the way you order an Uber now), and it will take you wherever you wanna go, and drop you off. The car will then disappear to service the next customer. No hassle parking, no traffic jams, no pollution, no accidents, no dead people, no flattened badgers, much cheaper than owning, for the huge majority of people this will be superior, and it will benefit cities intensely, as I have outlined.
Owning a car will, as I have also said, probably become an exorbitant luxury for a tiny elite, a status symbol - as keeping a horse is today, when once they were universal
I'm an engineer. My car contains a whole selection of tools etc, most of which I only use occasionally, however it's very handy to have the full selection when required.
My car is scruffy - I drive it wearing dirty work clothes. It's got marks on the door trim from where I've wedged lumps of steel across the rear seats.
Oh, and I regularly drive 3 hours non-stop to go to a site where charging is unlikely to be available, and then back again, same day.
I do all of this in a car that cost me £2k four years and 100k miles ago. Its going to be a very long time before there is a second hand electric option that does what I need in my budget - and this is what those promoting electric cars don't seem to get.
I agree with the first part on car ownership, outside cities.
On the second though, about it being a long time before you can get a second hand electric that does what you want in budget - where's the problem? When are new ICE cars going to disappear? 2030 (and only for wholly ICE powered cars, I think). Your 2k cars are, what, 8 or so years old? Depends on size/make of course. So you need the ICE cars made towards 2030 to be suitable for you to buy in 2038 or so. Seems likely to me - look at the electric cars from ten years ago to gauge possible progress in range, life and price.
Now, the market may destroy ICE-only cars before then, but if so that will be because the combination of price, range and longevity/resale value has become compelling sooner.
Two really big issues with second hand electric cars.
First, as the battery is the expensive bit, decent ranges are only really going to be offered on more expensive cars for the foreseeable future. My £2k car was a fairly cheap car when it was new, probably £10-12k. It works just as well as a £50k new car regarding range. So given I need a long range, the second hand market in 2038 probably doesn't offer me the option of buying a cheap cheerful car. I'll have to buy what was a very expensive new car - which will only ever depreciate down to £2k in value when it's essentially worn out.
In practice, electric cars means that long distance non-stop driving will become the preserve of the rich alone - it's one of the (many) ways that's the green revolution is going to be great for the upper middle class, and utterly shaft the poor.
The other thing is that because poorer regular long distance drivers will end up having to just keep repairing their ICE cars in a sort of 21st century version of Cuba, the government will either ban or tax to death ICE vehicles to get rid of them - there is little governments hate more than people driving old bangers on the cheap (see also everything from scrappage schemes to ULEZs all designed to get the cars driven by the poor and/or thrifty off the roads).
The irony is on a personal level, I'll probably end up driving round in a cooking oil powered diesel series landrover again like I did when I was in my late teens / early 20s, as it will be the only form transport left available that actually suits my needs.
We need a battery swap infrastructure rather than a charging infrastructure. A standardised battery bay with space for n modules depending on how big the car is. Batteries no longer meeting the required standard get recycled and the cost of that is factored in to the cost of a swap.
There's no way I'd be able to drive non-stop to the Northern Highlands from the Flatlands in an electric car, which is something I used to do several times a year pre-pandemic (in place of getting on a plane to go elsewhere, I might add).
Green stuff has to be BETTER, not just putting on a hair shirt.
Yep, electric cars have to be better. If not, they won't displace ICE cars, unless government mandated. Foolish government (and only until the next election) that mandates it if they're not better.
We could have super cheap electric cares now with sub-100 mile ranges that would do most people for commuting, but we don't really see them because people want range. I don't see that, even at the low end, electric cars will have terrible range. The low end will be slowest to replace, rather than worse, I think.
The one thing I can see potentially being a long term problem is that batteries remain expensive compared to other car components so that when the battery goes, the car gets junked. That could potentially eliminate the £2k used car segment. However, I think that's unlikely - batteries will get cheaper, hard to believe it will routinely be better to junk the car. If the car is junked after 6 years, say, then the 4 year old car with only two years left will be cheap (and depreciation on new cars shocking, hard for electrics to take off). For electrics to become dominant, it's a problem that has got to be solved.
So, how? - Battery swaps as indicated by Flatlander. Maybe, if batteries become commodoties. At present manufacturers compete on battery tech. But you could have battery providers competing like petrol companies today/tyre companies etc - do you swap betteries at the Shell station which promises you 400 miles range for £££ or at the Tesco station which gives you 350 miles for £? That's fine, consumer choice - Batteries simply become cheap. Mass production, effective recycling of the expensive components, switch to cheaper chemistries, so replacing the battery is within the range of costs of things that wear out on a similar age ICE car - Batteries become much longer lasting. Your ten year old 100k+ miles battery is 80-90% as good as it was when new - Battery leasing. You never own the battery, but pay so much per month (exists now, of course). When the battery falls below standard as detected by the car it gets swapped out at no extra cost (lease does put a floor on cost per month or cost per mile)
I do think the problem here is comparing electrics now to electrics of the future. If future electrics are not good enough, then they'll not take off without government policy and there will be no shortage of second hand ICEs. If that's forced through, vote for the other parties.
'“Boris Johnson’s lovable maverick shtick has been to dissemble himself beneath a mantle of suet, to pretend to inarticulacy, to oik about as the People’s Primate, to wear a ten-year-old’s hairdo, to laugh it off – no matter what it is, no matter how grave it may be – and to display charm learned at a charm school with duff tutors,” he writes. “This construct is going on threadbare. If one devotes such energy to a simulacrum of oafishness one becomes an oaf.” Johnson is, he joyously adds, “a blubbery pink peculator” who is said to have enjoyed “an assisted siesta in Shoreditch”. In that phrase “assisted siesta” we witness the pure poetry of vituperation.'
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Not particularly out of the way.
True. I can't then think what public house this is.
It's like the marginally less mundane follow up to The Girther Conspiracy.
Let's call it the The NW3 Mystery. It has all the hallmarks of another PB classic.
Echoes of Boris. Just tell us.
ALSO, didn't he say "in Hampstead"?
Now he says, "Belsize Park". Yes that is certainly *out of the way* in terms of Hampstead, since it is not actually in Hampstead
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Considering a family day trip to London on Sunday - not sure yet though as weather may not come right.
Any idea from you London chaps as to what to do/where to go? Shopping, no doubt, and we'd usually visit Borough Market but it's closed on Sundays. Spitalfields Market is open, is that a decent alternative?
Any other ideas. Or should we wait until 17 May when we can sit inside if it's a bit nippy?
Spitalfields is great place, especially but not exclusively when they have the record fair on.
Will there be choices of places to eat outside and a lively vibe?
I haven't been down there since The Lockdown. There used to be a pub called the Water Poet nearby that had a huge garden, but doesn't look like it's there anymore. The City is a bit hit and miss on a Sunday TBH, for pubs.
@Stocky – looks like the Truman Brewery and market is open this Sunday. Plenty to eat, drink and shop around there, and close to Spitalfields...
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Considering a family day trip to London on Sunday - not sure yet though as weather may not come right.
Any idea from you London chaps as to what to do/where to go? Shopping, no doubt, and we'd usually visit Borough Market but it's closed on Sundays. Spitalfields Market is open, is that a decent alternative?
Any other ideas. Or should we wait until 17 May when we can sit inside if it's a bit nippy?
Borough Market is open on a Sunday, surely?
Spitalfields is fun, but not as good foodwise
Camden is looking quite buzzy, I just past it. Kids love it. Has good food. But there's not much else to do around there, unlike Borough or Spitalfields - unless you love Georgian architecture, Victorian canals and Regency parks
Just wandering around the City can be fun, especially at the moment, as it wakes from its lockdown slumber. A very eerie feeling, worth experiencing
There were 526 people admitted with Covid three or more weeks after their first jab, out of a total of 52,000 inpatients included in the study.
Those 526, who were expected to have vaccine protection, made up 29 per cent of all people admitted at any time after the first jab. The other 71 per cent fell ill too soon after their vaccine to have any real immunity.
These 'vaccine failure' patients were almost all very elderly and frail, SAGE advisers said, and fit into the same group for whom the jabs are less likely to work
The last car I owned was a 1967 Triumph Herald convertible. That was back in Auckland, when I was a student.
Fast forward twenty odd years.
I live in London Zone 2, with a driveway. I have two small kids. I would like a car for the wife to commute in, and for country trips on the weekend.
I am not suffering a mid-life crisis and do not need a Ferrari. But I also hate cheap-feeling, plasticky cars.
What kind of car should I get? And, do I buy or lease?
Mini Countryman. It's a good size for London and fun to drive outside of London.
I've got a Mini John Cooper Works (and I'm picking up a new model, the 2021 version, today)
Yes yes, a girly car, overpriced, all that - but wow they are fast and growly and fantastic fun to drive
What's the engine size? 1600?
JCW Minis have the 2.0 BMW B48 IL4.
Inspired by your pioneering work in this area I touched ****the A3** last week, in broad daylight (it was entirely empty). You're right, it is fun. Frightening, but fun
Also deeply irresponsible naturally, and dangerous. I shan't do it again. But I did it once
Putting aside the danger, you don't want to get nicked at that speed.
Quite so
I told a friend in Cornwall, and he said You do know how serious that is, if you get caught?
I had no idea. I thought it was 3 points or whatever. Ooops. Never again
So what is the penalty?
I only escaped jail on a technicality for 129mph in a 60 zone. They need to make a Dangerous Driving charge stick over and above the speeding offence to get the custodial sentence. I gave my solicitor a Panerai. She earned it.
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Considering a family day trip to London on Sunday - not sure yet though as weather may not come right.
Any idea from you London chaps as to what to do/where to go? Shopping, no doubt, and we'd usually visit Borough Market but it's closed on Sundays. Spitalfields Market is open, is that a decent alternative?
Any other ideas. Or should we wait until 17 May when we can sit inside if it's a bit nippy?
Borough Market is open on a Sunday, surely?
Spitalfields is fun, but not as good foodwise
Camden is looking quite buzzy, I just past it. Kids love it. Has good food. But there's not much else to do around there, unlike Borough or Spitalfields - unless you love Georgian architecture, Victorian canals and Regency parks
Just wandering around the City can be fun, especially at the moment, as it wakes from its lockdown slumber. A very eerie feeling, worth experiencing
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Considering a family day trip to London on Sunday - not sure yet though as weather may not come right.
Any idea from you London chaps as to what to do/where to go? Shopping, no doubt, and we'd usually visit Borough Market but it's closed on Sundays. Spitalfields Market is open, is that a decent alternative?
Any other ideas. Or should we wait until 17 May when we can sit inside if it's a bit nippy?
Borough Market is open on a Sunday, surely?
Spitalfields is fun, but not as good foodwise
Camden is looking quite buzzy, I just past it. Kids love it. Has good food. But there's not much else to do around there, unlike Borough or Spitalfields - unless you love Georgian architecture, Victorian canals and Regency parks
Just wandering around the City can be fun, especially at the moment, as it wakes from its lockdown slumber. A very eerie feeling, worth experiencing
In normal times the Southbank can be fun and buzzy but who knows right now. It's all outside also. But googling Southbank Centre Food Market it says it's temporarily closed - no idea if that is because it's not the weekend or because of Covid.
Politico.com - Trump crashes final days of Texas special election The former president weighed in with a final-week endorsement of Susan Wright, widow of late Rep. Ron Wright.
The first competitive special of the new election cycle has quickly turned into a 2020 redux: It's the Donald Trump show all over again.
Trump made a late foray in the 23-candidate scramble for a vacant congressional seat in North Texas, transforming a once-quiet race into a major test of his post-presidency king-making power. After endorsing Susan Wright, a Republican activist and widow of the late incumbent, Rep. Ron Wright (R-Texas), Trump joined her and the anti-tax Club for Growth at a tele-town hall on Thursday night to rail against his rival, President Joe Biden, and remind listeners of the stakes.
"It's just my honor to also get involved and be involved in this race," Trump said, touting his partnership with the Club for Growth. "We've worked together. We've never had a loss together. Every time we've gone after someone and, you know, supported and worked for someone, we've had victory. So I hope everybody can get out on Saturday, May 1, and vote for Susan Wright."
Though several Republican candidates were openly running in the MAGA lane, Trump and his legacy didn't dominate the race until the final weeks. There was a behind-the-scenes jockeying for his endorsement by allies of some leading GOP candidates, and on Monday he made his allegiance known and endorsed Wright, a clear power play that comes with some risk.
Saturday's voting almost certainly won't be the final word on the race — in Texas special elections, the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to a runoff if no candidate wins a majority. Prior to receiving Trump's endorsement, Wright had high name recognition but less campaign cash than her GOP opponents.
The Club for Growth lured Trump off the sidelines after spending some $150,000 on ads painting Wright's main opponent, state Rep. Jake Ellzey, as an "anti-Trump" Republican, citing a donation from Bill Kristol, the conservative commentator and Trump critic. . .
You still need someone capable of driving a car. And they have to stay alert while doing nothing, which is far harder than just driving the damned car yourself.
Duh. They will fix that.
At one point every car had a man in front of it with a flag, because cars weren't trusted. Your discourse is on about that level
AI is going to change everything, this is just one aspect.
Most trains could operate without drivers tomorrow, the Docklands Light Railway has never had drivers, no one minds
Sure but why would we need cars when we can all get around on Marty McFly's flying hoverboard anyway?
Owning your own car gives you freedom to go wherever you want, whenever you want, on the open road. As cars become environmentally friendly there is no excuse not to be having more roads, more cars anymore. Cars are the future.
Think harder. You will be able to order up a self drive electric car (the way you order an Uber now), and it will take you wherever you wanna go, and drop you off. The car will then disappear to service the next customer. No hassle parking, no traffic jams, no pollution, no accidents, no dead people, no flattened badgers, much cheaper than owning, for the huge majority of people this will be superior, and it will benefit cities intensely, as I have outlined.
Owning a car will, as I have also said, probably become an exorbitant luxury for a tiny elite, a status symbol - as keeping a horse is today, when once they were universal
I'm an engineer. My car contains a whole selection of tools etc, most of which I only use occasionally, however it's very handy to have the full selection when required.
My car is scruffy - I drive it wearing dirty work clothes. It's got marks on the door trim from where I've wedged lumps of steel across the rear seats.
Oh, and I regularly drive 3 hours non-stop to go to a site where charging is unlikely to be available, and then back again, same day.
I do all of this in a car that cost me £2k four years and 100k miles ago. Its going to be a very long time before there is a second hand electric option that does what I need in my budget - and this is what those promoting electric cars don't seem to get.
I agree with the first part on car ownership, outside cities.
On the second though, about it being a long time before you can get a second hand electric that does what you want in budget - where's the problem? When are new ICE cars going to disappear? 2030 (and only for wholly ICE powered cars, I think). Your 2k cars are, what, 8 or so years old? Depends on size/make of course. So you need the ICE cars made towards 2030 to be suitable for you to buy in 2038 or so. Seems likely to me - look at the electric cars from ten years ago to gauge possible progress in range, life and price.
Now, the market may destroy ICE-only cars before then, but if so that will be because the combination of price, range and longevity/resale value has become compelling sooner.
Two really big issues with second hand electric cars.
First, as the battery is the expensive bit, decent ranges are only really going to be offered on more expensive cars for the foreseeable future. My £2k car was a fairly cheap car when it was new, probably £10-12k. It works just as well as a £50k new car regarding range. So given I need a long range, the second hand market in 2038 probably doesn't offer me the option of buying a cheap cheerful car. I'll have to buy what was a very expensive new car - which will only ever depreciate down to £2k in value when it's essentially worn out.
In practice, electric cars means that long distance non-stop driving will become the preserve of the rich alone - it's one of the (many) ways that's the green revolution is going to be great for the upper middle class, and utterly shaft the poor.
The other thing is that because poorer regular long distance drivers will end up having to just keep repairing their ICE cars in a sort of 21st century version of Cuba, the government will either ban or tax to death ICE vehicles to get rid of them - there is little governments hate more than people driving old bangers on the cheap (see also everything from scrappage schemes to ULEZs all designed to get the cars driven by the poor and/or thrifty off the roads).
The irony is on a personal level, I'll probably end up driving round in a cooking oil powered diesel series landrover again like I did when I was in my late teens / early 20s, as it will be the only form transport left available that actually suits my needs.
We need a battery swap infrastructure rather than a charging infrastructure. A standardised battery bay with space for n modules depending on how big the car is. Batteries no longer meeting the required standard get recycled and the cost of that is factored in to the cost of a swap.
There's no way I'd be able to drive non-stop to the Northern Highlands from the Flatlands in an electric car, which is something I used to do several times a year pre-pandemic (in place of getting on a plane to go elsewhere, I might add).
Green stuff has to be BETTER, not just putting on a hair shirt.
Yep, electric cars have to be better. If not, they won't displace ICE cars, unless government mandated. Foolish government (and only until the next election) that mandates it if they're not better.
We could have super cheap electric cares now with sub-100 mile ranges that would do most people for commuting, but we don't really see them because people want range. I don't see that, even at the low end, electric cars will have terrible range. The low end will be slowest to replace, rather than worse, I think.
The one thing I can see potentially being a long term problem is that batteries remain expensive compared to other car components so that when the battery goes, the car gets junked. That could potentially eliminate the £2k used car segment. However, I think that's unlikely - batteries will get cheaper, hard to believe it will routinely be better to junk the car. If the car is junked after 6 years, say, then the 4 year old car with only two years left will be cheap (and depreciation on new cars shocking, hard for electrics to take off). For electrics to become dominant, it's a problem that has got to be solved.
So, how? - Battery swaps as indicated by Flatlander. Maybe, if batteries become commodoties. At present manufacturers compete on battery tech. But you could have battery providers competing like petrol companies today/tyre companies etc - do you swap betteries at the Shell station which promises you 400 miles range for £££ or at the Tesco station which gives you 350 miles for £? That's fine, consumer choice - Batteries simply become cheap. Mass production, effective recycling of the expensive components, switch to cheaper chemistries, so replacing the battery is within the range of costs of things that wear out on a similar age ICE car - Batteries become much longer lasting. Your ten year old 100k+ miles battery is 80-90% as good as it was when new - Battery leasing. You never own the battery, but pay so much per month (exists now, of course). When the battery falls below standard as detected by the car it gets swapped out at no extra cost (lease does put a floor on cost per month or cost per mile)
I do think the problem here is comparing electrics now to electrics of the future. If future electrics are not good enough, then they'll not take off without government policy and there will be no shortage of second hand ICEs. If that's forced through, vote for the other parties.
I might come across as a real electric enthusiast - I don't own one and wouldn't buy one right now (would if I had oodles of cash to spare). We've got a five year old diesel (and had a 13 year old petrol in addition, until last year - tend to buy at aorund 3 years old and keep until they get expensive to maintain). We're not there yet with electrics. I don't know whether our next car (likely not for another 3 plus years) will be electric, I suspect not, although we might look at some. The one after, I'm pretty sure will be.
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Considering a family day trip to London on Sunday - not sure yet though as weather may not come right.
Any idea from you London chaps as to what to do/where to go? Shopping, no doubt, and we'd usually visit Borough Market but it's closed on Sundays. Spitalfields Market is open, is that a decent alternative?
Any other ideas. Or should we wait until 17 May when we can sit inside if it's a bit nippy?
There's this little bar quite near me - but slightly off grid - that sells a nice range of chilled beers. They don't bother with contact details either. Least not when I pop in.
The last car I owned was a 1967 Triumph Herald convertible. That was back in Auckland, when I was a student.
Fast forward twenty odd years.
I live in London Zone 2, with a driveway. I have two small kids. I would like a car for the wife to commute in, and for country trips on the weekend.
I am not suffering a mid-life crisis and do not need a Ferrari. But I also hate cheap-feeling, plasticky cars.
What kind of car should I get? And, do I buy or lease?
Mini Countryman. It's a good size for London and fun to drive outside of London.
I've got a Mini John Cooper Works (and I'm picking up a new model, the 2021 version, today)
Yes yes, a girly car, overpriced, all that - but wow they are fast and growly and fantastic fun to drive
What's the engine size? 1600?
JCW Minis have the 2.0 BMW B48 IL4.
Inspired by your pioneering work in this area I touched ****the A3** last week, in broad daylight (it was entirely empty). You're right, it is fun. Frightening, but fun
Also deeply irresponsible naturally, and dangerous. I shan't do it again. But I did it once
Putting aside the danger, you don't want to get nicked at that speed.
Quite so
I told a friend in Cornwall, and he said You do know how serious that is, if you get caught?
I had no idea. I thought it was 3 points or whatever. Ooops. Never again
So what is the penalty?
I only escaped jail on a technicality for 129mph in a 60 zone. They need to make a Dangerous Driving charge stick over and above the speeding offence to get the custodial sentence. I gave my solicitor a Panerai. She earned it.
First time I read this, thought you said you gave her a panini!
'“Boris Johnson’s lovable maverick shtick has been to dissemble himself beneath a mantle of suet, to pretend to inarticulacy, to oik about as the People’s Primate, to wear a ten-year-old’s hairdo, to laugh it off – no matter what it is, no matter how grave it may be – and to display charm learned at a charm school with duff tutors,” he writes. “This construct is going on threadbare. If one devotes such energy to a simulacrum of oafishness one becomes an oaf.” Johnson is, he joyously adds, “a blubbery pink peculator” who is said to have enjoyed “an assisted siesta in Shoreditch”. In that phrase “assisted siesta” we witness the pure poetry of vituperation.'
That's my boy!
I particularly like "The People's Primate" and "to wear a ten-year-old’s hairdo". Brilliant stuff.
The last car I owned was a 1967 Triumph Herald convertible. That was back in Auckland, when I was a student.
Fast forward twenty odd years.
I live in London Zone 2, with a driveway. I have two small kids. I would like a car for the wife to commute in, and for country trips on the weekend.
I am not suffering a mid-life crisis and do not need a Ferrari. But I also hate cheap-feeling, plasticky cars.
What kind of car should I get? And, do I buy or lease?
Mini Countryman. It's a good size for London and fun to drive outside of London.
I've got a Mini John Cooper Works (and I'm picking up a new model, the 2021 version, today)
Yes yes, a girly car, overpriced, all that - but wow they are fast and growly and fantastic fun to drive
What's the engine size? 1600?
JCW Minis have the 2.0 BMW B48 IL4.
Inspired by your pioneering work in this area I touched ****the A3** last week, in broad daylight (it was entirely empty). You're right, it is fun. Frightening, but fun
Also deeply irresponsible naturally, and dangerous. I shan't do it again. But I did it once
Putting aside the danger, you don't want to get nicked at that speed.
Quite so
I told a friend in Cornwall, and he said You do know how serious that is, if you get caught?
I had no idea. I thought it was 3 points or whatever. Ooops. Never again
So what is the penalty?
I only escaped jail on a technicality for 129mph in a 60 zone. They need to make a Dangerous Driving charge stick over and above the speeding offence to get the custodial sentence. I gave my solicitor a Panerai. She earned it.
I learn more new words from you than from anybody else posting on here. I now know what a Panerai is. I also know I'd like to be your solicitor.
Professor JohnCurtice (for it is He) says that whilst SNP support is slipping, the Greens are romping along, so a majority of MSPs will support independence. Strap yourselves in - when HYUFD explodes as a result of Boris doing what he has endlessly said he won't do, it will be messy.
Although I support Scottish independence, I think the funniest result "for the bantz" would be SNP minority, majority with Greens, second referendum occurs, second referendum goes No.
That is actually my expected result - the issue needs to be laid to bed and the only way to do that is for the Scottish to see how much they are subsidised by the rest of the UK.
Which I know is something that MalcolmG is going to argue isn't the case but the reality is the oil has gone and Scotland has little else...
Don’t forget as well, rUK will be paying Scottish pensions in the event of indy
More garbage, Scotland will pay its own pensions like normal countries, England will pay the debts it owes for the money people paid into their pension scam scheme or perhaps welch on their commitments.
There are no such 'debts' owed by England other than to english people. The OAP doesn't work that way. Current Scots would pay Scottish pensions , etc
The UK government guarantees to pay a state pension to anyone, UK citizen or not, that has made sufficient qualifying contributions.
The clown just talks through his posterior. They are so ignorant due to their bigotry that they cannot even rationalise that if you have paid someone for a pension they cannot just dump you, pathetic.
Except they're not dumping you, if you vote for independence then you're voting to dump them. Since pensions are PAYG, in the future Scottish taxes and Scottish pensions would be the responsibility of the Scottish state.
Otherwise are you expecting to still be paying taxes to Westminster in the future?
The British state currently, right this second, pays non-uk citizens who are not resident in the UK a British state pension.
That's because the law says that anyone who has qualified for a state pension gets a state pension.
These are people who are currently no contributing a single penny of tax to the UK exchequer.
Now, non-residents do not get the annual _increases_ to the state pension - they get the pension at the level it was first awarded to them but that is the setup.
Absolutely, the British state which includes Scottish taxpayers.
What you're seeking to do is end that state and take a section of the taxpayers with you. Fair enough, it's been done before across the world. When it has, they have always had to take obligations with them.
The Scottish taxpayers and pensions would be going to and paid by Holyrood.
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Considering a family day trip to London on Sunday - not sure yet though as weather may not come right.
Any idea from you London chaps as to what to do/where to go? Shopping, no doubt, and we'd usually visit Borough Market but it's closed on Sundays. Spitalfields Market is open, is that a decent alternative?
Any other ideas. Or should we wait until 17 May when we can sit inside if it's a bit nippy?
Borough Market is open on a Sunday, surely?
Spitalfields is fun, but not as good foodwise
Camden is looking quite buzzy, I just past it. Kids love it. Has good food. But there's not much else to do around there, unlike Borough or Spitalfields - unless you love Georgian architecture, Victorian canals and Regency parks
Just wandering around the City can be fun, especially at the moment, as it wakes from its lockdown slumber. A very eerie feeling, worth experiencing
In normal times the Southbank can be fun and buzzy but who knows right now. It's all outside also. But googling Southbank Centre Food Market it says it's temporarily closed - no idea if that is because it's not the weekend or because of Covid.
I've been to Borough Market and the Southbank several times during lockdown. It is reliably buzzy. Possibly more so because of lockdown - everyone goes there
Definitely a great option for an day in London. There's so much to see. The walk From Borough down to Westminster on the Southbank is one of the great urban walks in the world. Incredible history, incredible architecture.
And of course the food and booze at Borough is brilliant.
Professor JohnCurtice (for it is He) says that whilst SNP support is slipping, the Greens are romping along, so a majority of MSPs will support independence. Strap yourselves in - when HYUFD explodes as a result of Boris doing what he has endlessly said he won't do, it will be messy.
Although I support Scottish independence, I think the funniest result "for the bantz" would be SNP minority, majority with Greens, second referendum occurs, second referendum goes No.
That is actually my expected result - the issue needs to be laid to bed and the only way to do that is for the Scottish to see how much they are subsidised by the rest of the UK.
Which I know is something that MalcolmG is going to argue isn't the case but the reality is the oil has gone and Scotland has little else...
Don’t forget as well, rUK will be paying Scottish pensions in the event of indy
More garbage, Scotland will pay its own pensions like normal countries, England will pay the debts it owes for the money people paid into their pension scam scheme or perhaps welch on their commitments.
There are no such 'debts' owed by England other than to english people. The OAP doesn't work that way. Current Scots would pay Scottish pensions , etc
The UK government guarantees to pay a state pension to anyone, UK citizen or not, that has made sufficient qualifying contributions.
The clown just talks through his posterior. They are so ignorant due to their bigotry that they cannot even rationalise that if you have paid someone for a pension they cannot just dump you, pathetic.
Except they're not dumping you, if you vote for independence then you're voting to dump them. Since pensions are PAYG, in the future Scottish taxes and Scottish pensions would be the responsibility of the Scottish state.
Otherwise are you expecting to still be paying taxes to Westminster in the future?
The British state currently, right this second, pays non-uk citizens who are not resident in the UK a British state pension.
That's because the law says that anyone who has qualified for a state pension gets a state pension.
These are people who are currently no contributing a single penny of tax to the UK exchequer.
Now, non-residents do not get the annual _increases_ to the state pension - they get the pension at the level it was first awarded to them but that is the setup.
Law? Which law? I mean this is really basic. Scotland would be outside of the UK for jurisdictional purposes. There's simply no way that and independent Scotland could count on the UK treasury for anything at all.
The one's covering state pension eligibility? Based on how many years of qualifying NICs you have made?
I mean this is really basic.
Literally anyone in the world who has made sufficient NICs gets a UK state pen sion if they want one.
Professor JohnCurtice (for it is He) says that whilst SNP support is slipping, the Greens are romping along, so a majority of MSPs will support independence. Strap yourselves in - when HYUFD explodes as a result of Boris doing what he has endlessly said he won't do, it will be messy.
Although I support Scottish independence, I think the funniest result "for the bantz" would be SNP minority, majority with Greens, second referendum occurs, second referendum goes No.
That is actually my expected result - the issue needs to be laid to bed and the only way to do that is for the Scottish to see how much they are subsidised by the rest of the UK.
Which I know is something that MalcolmG is going to argue isn't the case but the reality is the oil has gone and Scotland has little else...
Don’t forget as well, rUK will be paying Scottish pensions in the event of indy
More garbage, Scotland will pay its own pensions like normal countries, England will pay the debts it owes for the money people paid into their pension scam scheme or perhaps welch on their commitments.
There are no such 'debts' owed by England other than to english people. The OAP doesn't work that way. Current Scots would pay Scottish pensions , etc
The UK government guarantees to pay a state pension to anyone, UK citizen or not, that has made sufficient qualifying contributions.
Professor JohnCurtice (for it is He) says that whilst SNP support is slipping, the Greens are romping along, so a majority of MSPs will support independence. Strap yourselves in - when HYUFD explodes as a result of Boris doing what he has endlessly said he won't do, it will be messy.
Although I support Scottish independence, I think the funniest result "for the bantz" would be SNP minority, majority with Greens, second referendum occurs, second referendum goes No.
First Boris will refuse indyref2 regardless as 2014 was a once in a generation referendum, if a referendum is granted by the UK government before a generation has elapsed even if No narrowly wins the Nationalists would demand a third referendum within a year.
Second a plurality of Scottish Green voters now oppose independence so only an SNP and Alba majority can even be considered to have a mandate for indyref2, an SNP and Green majority will not count https://archive.ph/eg2lt
Bit in bold really is a nonsense. Even the best analysts have blind spots and Scotland is yours. Mine is Japan. I have no clue at all what's going on over there. But I'm planning a trip to see the blossoms soon (covid allowing) so that will hopefully change.
Beautiful country
We have been fortunate to visit Japan twice and it does not disappoint
Yes, really looking forward to it. It's a trip that Covid caused us to scrap. I went to Tokyo years ago for work (a blur really) but this will be a proper holiday with my wife.
Whatever happened to Jonathan Meades? He was great. Is he still making programmes?
Yes, he usually makes a documentary roughly once a year these days.
Latest shows:
"Ben Building: Mussolini, Monuments, Modernism and Marble (2016, 90 mins, BBC Four, Dir. Francis Hanly) Jonathan Meades on Jargon (27 May 2018, 60 mins, BBC Four, Dir. Francis Hanly) Franco Building with Jonathan Meades (27 August 2019, 85 mins, BBC Four, Dir. Francis Hanly)"
The last car I owned was a 1967 Triumph Herald convertible. That was back in Auckland, when I was a student.
Fast forward twenty odd years.
I live in London Zone 2, with a driveway. I have two small kids. I would like a car for the wife to commute in, and for country trips on the weekend.
I am not suffering a mid-life crisis and do not need a Ferrari. But I also hate cheap-feeling, plasticky cars.
What kind of car should I get? And, do I buy or lease?
Mini Countryman. It's a good size for London and fun to drive outside of London.
I've got a Mini John Cooper Works (and I'm picking up a new model, the 2021 version, today)
Yes yes, a girly car, overpriced, all that - but wow they are fast and growly and fantastic fun to drive
What's the engine size? 1600?
JCW Minis have the 2.0 BMW B48 IL4.
Inspired by your pioneering work in this area I touched ****the A3** last week, in broad daylight (it was entirely empty). You're right, it is fun. Frightening, but fun
Also deeply irresponsible naturally, and dangerous. I shan't do it again. But I did it once
Putting aside the danger, you don't want to get nicked at that speed.
Quite so
I told a friend in Cornwall, and he said You do know how serious that is, if you get caught?
I had no idea. I thought it was 3 points or whatever. Ooops. Never again
So what is the penalty?
I only escaped jail on a technicality for 129mph in a 60 zone. They need to make a Dangerous Driving charge stick over and above the speeding offence to get the custodial sentence. I gave my solicitor a Panerai. She earned it.
First time I read this, thought you said you gave her a panini!
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Not particularly out of the way.
True. I can't then think what public house this is.
It's like the marginally less mundane follow up to The Girther Conspiracy.
Let's call it the The NW3 Mystery. It has all the hallmarks of another PB classic.
Echoes of Boris. Just tell us.
ALSO, didn't he say "in Hampstead"?
Now he says, "Belsize Park". Yes that is certainly *out of the way* in terms of Hampstead, since it is not actually in Hampstead
The mystery thickens
Don't remember the Hampstead bit. This was the exchange:
Kina: "I've had beers and coffees in a few places since April 12th and have not once had to give any personal details other than those on my debit card when I pay."
You: "In north London? Beers? Every pub was booked, around me, when I last looked. It’s one reason I bugged out for Cornwall. Has the sitch changed?"
The Kinmeister: "Mainly coffees/cafes tbf and the pub was out of the way and quiet."
Professor JohnCurtice (for it is He) says that whilst SNP support is slipping, the Greens are romping along, so a majority of MSPs will support independence. Strap yourselves in - when HYUFD explodes as a result of Boris doing what he has endlessly said he won't do, it will be messy.
Although I support Scottish independence, I think the funniest result "for the bantz" would be SNP minority, majority with Greens, second referendum occurs, second referendum goes No.
That is actually my expected result - the issue needs to be laid to bed and the only way to do that is for the Scottish to see how much they are subsidised by the rest of the UK.
Which I know is something that MalcolmG is going to argue isn't the case but the reality is the oil has gone and Scotland has little else...
You really are ignorant of Scotland, it has far more natural resources than England.
Whatever - we are never going to agree
Exactly , you spouting about things you have absolutely NO clue about is extremely pointless.
Except for the fact you don't provide any evidence of anything that actually generates money.
Maybe not an entirely non-partisan source, but here is some data to start with:
Of course, some of the countries with the greatest natural resources wealth are not exactly paradigms of paradise. Russia, Congo ...
What tax revenue or profit comes from that. If it's just sat there being unutilised it's not worth anything.
The question was over whether Scotland is rich in natural resources. The answer is yes.
Now the benefit of having natural resources is an entirely different question. You have many examples of low natural resource countries doing very well, many examples of high natural resource doing badly, and a few high resource countries doing well. I don't see much of a correlation between natural resources per se and economic performance.
However, there is a correlation between share of national income from exploitation of natural resources and overall economic performance - a negative correlation between over-dependence economically on natural resources and economic performance.
I only mentioned oil as that in the last referendum was the answer as to where all the additional revenue Scotland needed would come from. And my question has always been whether Scotland can afford to go independent and with a budget deficit of 8% a year since 2011 it's got 2 options, to massively reduces government expenditure or find additional tax revenue.
Professor JohnCurtice (for it is He) says that whilst SNP support is slipping, the Greens are romping along, so a majority of MSPs will support independence. Strap yourselves in - when HYUFD explodes as a result of Boris doing what he has endlessly said he won't do, it will be messy.
Although I support Scottish independence, I think the funniest result "for the bantz" would be SNP minority, majority with Greens, second referendum occurs, second referendum goes No.
First Boris will refuse indyref2 regardless as 2014 was a once in a generation referendum, if a referendum is granted by the UK government before a generation has elapsed even if No narrowly wins the Nationalists would demand a third referendum within a year.
Second a plurality of Scottish Green voters now oppose independence so only an SNP and Alba majority can even be considered to have a mandate for indyref2, an SNP and Green majority will not count https://archive.ph/eg2lt
Bit in bold really is a nonsense. Even the best analysts have blind spots and Scotland is yours. Mine is Japan. I have no clue at all what's going on over there. But I'm planning a trip to see the blossoms soon (covid allowing) so that will hopefully change.
Beautiful country
We have been fortunate to visit Japan twice and it does not disappoint
Yes, really looking forward to it. It's a trip that Covid caused us to scrap. I went to Tokyo years ago for work (a blur really) but this will be a proper holiday with my wife.
Look out for this lovely little city in the south. Hardly anyone goes there, I don't know why. Kyoto. The temples are amazing.
It is particularly good during cherry blossom time, tho no one else has noticed. Leafy
Professor JohnCurtice (for it is He) says that whilst SNP support is slipping, the Greens are romping along, so a majority of MSPs will support independence. Strap yourselves in - when HYUFD explodes as a result of Boris doing what he has endlessly said he won't do, it will be messy.
Although I support Scottish independence, I think the funniest result "for the bantz" would be SNP minority, majority with Greens, second referendum occurs, second referendum goes No.
That is actually my expected result - the issue needs to be laid to bed and the only way to do that is for the Scottish to see how much they are subsidised by the rest of the UK.
Which I know is something that MalcolmG is going to argue isn't the case but the reality is the oil has gone and Scotland has little else...
Don’t forget as well, rUK will be paying Scottish pensions in the event of indy
More garbage, Scotland will pay its own pensions like normal countries, England will pay the debts it owes for the money people paid into their pension scam scheme or perhaps welch on their commitments.
There are no such 'debts' owed by England other than to english people. The OAP doesn't work that way. Current Scots would pay Scottish pensions , etc
The UK government guarantees to pay a state pension to anyone, UK citizen or not, that has made sufficient qualifying contributions.
The clown just talks through his posterior. They are so ignorant due to their bigotry that they cannot even rationalise that if you have paid someone for a pension they cannot just dump you, pathetic.
Except they're not dumping you, if you vote for independence then you're voting to dump them. Since pensions are PAYG, in the future Scottish taxes and Scottish pensions would be the responsibility of the Scottish state.
Otherwise are you expecting to still be paying taxes to Westminster in the future?
Oh Dear, stick to simple stuff Philip
Wonderful stuff; Two Neanderthals of nationalism, one English, the other Scots, exchange grunts over an issue that neither of them have the first clue on. It is why it is worth coming on this site! 🤣🤣
Professor JohnCurtice (for it is He) says that whilst SNP support is slipping, the Greens are romping along, so a majority of MSPs will support independence. Strap yourselves in - when HYUFD explodes as a result of Boris doing what he has endlessly said he won't do, it will be messy.
Although I support Scottish independence, I think the funniest result "for the bantz" would be SNP minority, majority with Greens, second referendum occurs, second referendum goes No.
That is actually my expected result - the issue needs to be laid to bed and the only way to do that is for the Scottish to see how much they are subsidised by the rest of the UK.
Which I know is something that MalcolmG is going to argue isn't the case but the reality is the oil has gone and Scotland has little else...
Don’t forget as well, rUK will be paying Scottish pensions in the event of indy
More garbage, Scotland will pay its own pensions like normal countries, England will pay the debts it owes for the money people paid into their pension scam scheme or perhaps welch on their commitments.
There are no such 'debts' owed by England other than to english people. The OAP doesn't work that way. Current Scots would pay Scottish pensions , etc
The UK government guarantees to pay a state pension to anyone, UK citizen or not, that has made sufficient qualifying contributions.
Ha ha nice try!
I fully expect Scotland to take on ongoing SCottish pension payments in the event of Independence but I 'm a bit flabergasted that people don't seem to understand the law of the UK state pension as it stands.
It would require Westminster to change the law in quite a specific way to strip Scottish pension recipients of their state pension without targeting other non-nationals.
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Considering a family day trip to London on Sunday - not sure yet though as weather may not come right.
Any idea from you London chaps as to what to do/where to go? Shopping, no doubt, and we'd usually visit Borough Market but it's closed on Sundays. Spitalfields Market is open, is that a decent alternative?
Any other ideas. Or should we wait until 17 May when we can sit inside if it's a bit nippy?
Borough Market is open on a Sunday, surely?
Spitalfields is fun, but not as good foodwise
Camden is looking quite buzzy, I just past it. Kids love it. Has good food. But there's not much else to do around there, unlike Borough or Spitalfields - unless you love Georgian architecture, Victorian canals and Regency parks
Just wandering around the City can be fun, especially at the moment, as it wakes from its lockdown slumber. A very eerie feeling, worth experiencing
Camden (Town) can a bit sleazy though, don't you think? Or maybe that's me misinterpreting what I see.
Whatever happened to Jonathan Meades? He was great. Is he still making programmes?
Yes, he usually makes a documentary roughly once a year these days.
Latest shows:
"Ben Building: Mussolini, Monuments, Modernism and Marble (2016, 90 mins, BBC Four, Dir. Francis Hanly) Jonathan Meades on Jargon (27 May 2018, 60 mins, BBC Four, Dir. Francis Hanly) Franco Building with Jonathan Meades (27 August 2019, 85 mins, BBC Four, Dir. Francis Hanly)"
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Not particularly out of the way.
True. I can't then think what public house this is.
It's like the marginally less mundane follow up to The Girther Conspiracy.
Let's call it the The NW3 Mystery. It has all the hallmarks of another PB classic.
Echoes of Boris. Just tell us.
ALSO, didn't he say "in Hampstead"?
Now he says, "Belsize Park". Yes that is certainly *out of the way* in terms of Hampstead, since it is not actually in Hampstead
The mystery thickens
Don't remember the Hampstead bit. This was the exchange:
Kina: "I've had beers and coffees in a few places since April 12th and have not once had to give any personal details other than those on my debit card when I pay."
You: "In north London? Beers? Every pub was booked, around me, when I last looked. It’s one reason I bugged out for Cornwall. Has the sitch changed?"
The Kinmeister: "Mainly coffees/cafes tbf and the pub was out of the way and quiet."
Belsize Park came today I think.
A long shot. I used to drink in The Washington, England's Lane, just off Belsize Park. But I don't think it has any outside space. And it's quite large.
Peter Kellner has summarised various targets for each party to claim success.
Conservatives
Open up a five-point lead over Labour in projected Britain-wide vote share Re-elect Tory mayors in West Midlands and Tees Valley and win mayoral election in West Yorkshire Gain Hartlepool parliamentary seat from Labour Win at least 25 per cent support in constituency vote in Scotland Win at least 20 (out of 60) seats in Welsh Parliament Gain votes in London mayoral election (having achieved 35 per cent of first-preference votes last time)
Labour
Overtake Tories in projected Britain-wide vote share Win London mayoralty outright on first preference votes (44 per cent last time) Defeat Tory incumbent mayors in West Midlands and Tees Valley; win mayoral election in West Yorkshire Hold Hartlepool parliamentary seat Win at least 25 per cent support in constituency vote in Scotland Win absolute majority in Welsh Parliament (two short last time)
Liberal Democrats
Win at least 16 per cent of projected Britain-wide vote share Gain more council seats than they lose Win at least 10 per cent of constituency vote in elections to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly (8 per cent in both elections last time)
SNP
Win overall majority in Scottish Parliament (they need 65 of the 129 seats; they won 63 last time) Keep Alex Salmond’s new Alba party out of the parliament completely
Greens
Win at least 8 per cent of first preference votes in the London mayoral election Gain 100 seats in English council elections Add to the six seats they won last time in Scotland
Plaid Cymru
Win at least 15 seats in Welsh Assembly (12 last time) Win at least 25 per cent of the vote in either the constituency or party list vote (21 per cent in both last time)
Golly - with targets like some of those I forecast that most will be losers!
Yes, those look like the bars for claiming significant success. It would be useful to calibrate with what an undeniably bad result would look like, which would least define a ‘not too bad, not too good’ range within which most of the results will probably fall.
I think Kellner has lost the plot a little with these - unless he's doing it to avoid giving anyone the top prize!
A Nigerian qualifies for a UK state pension having worked in London for 30 years and has recently retired and moved to Edinburgh.
Scotland becomes independent.
Who pays his future pension liability?
Who pays if he then moves to New York?
We've discussed this before but for me it's pretty clear. He has 30 years of conts and will receive his UK state pension wherever he lives, but not quite a full one because that needs 35 years contribs. It is not conditional upon living in the UK, only building up contribs in the UK.
Whether the state pension is index linked, however, will depend on which country he moves to. E.g. Canada, Australia no - USA, Spain yes.
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Not particularly out of the way.
True. I can't then think what public house this is.
It's like the marginally less mundane follow up to The Girther Conspiracy.
Let's call it the The NW3 Mystery. It has all the hallmarks of another PB classic.
Echoes of Boris. Just tell us.
ALSO, didn't he say "in Hampstead"?
Now he says, "Belsize Park". Yes that is certainly *out of the way* in terms of Hampstead, since it is not actually in Hampstead
The mystery thickens
Don't remember the Hampstead bit. This was the exchange:
Kina: "I've had beers and coffees in a few places since April 12th and have not once had to give any personal details other than those on my debit card when I pay."
You: "In north London? Beers? Every pub was booked, around me, when I last looked. It’s one reason I bugged out for Cornwall. Has the sitch changed?"
The Kinmeister: "Mainly coffees/cafes tbf and the pub was out of the way and quiet."
Belsize Park came today I think.
He's gone back and altered what he said. Like Dominic Cummings
Professor JohnCurtice (for it is He) says that whilst SNP support is slipping, the Greens are romping along, so a majority of MSPs will support independence. Strap yourselves in - when HYUFD explodes as a result of Boris doing what he has endlessly said he won't do, it will be messy.
Although I support Scottish independence, I think the funniest result "for the bantz" would be SNP minority, majority with Greens, second referendum occurs, second referendum goes No.
First Boris will refuse indyref2 regardless as 2014 was a once in a generation referendum, if a referendum is granted by the UK government before a generation has elapsed even if No narrowly wins the Nationalists would demand a third referendum within a year.
Second a plurality of Scottish Green voters now oppose independence so only an SNP and Alba majority can even be considered to have a mandate for indyref2, an SNP and Green majority will not count https://archive.ph/eg2lt
Bit in bold really is a nonsense. Even the best analysts have blind spots and Scotland is yours. Mine is Japan. I have no clue at all what's going on over there. But I'm planning a trip to see the blossoms soon (covid allowing) so that will hopefully change.
Beautiful country
We have been fortunate to visit Japan twice and it does not disappoint
Yes, really looking forward to it. It's a trip that Covid caused us to scrap. I went to Tokyo years ago for work (a blur really) but this will be a proper holiday with my wife.
Look out for this lovely little city in the south. Hardly anyone goes there, I don't know why. Kyoto. The temples are amazing.
It is particularly good during cherry blossom time, tho no one else has noticed. Leafy
Hartlepool: Labour Party now out to 2.7 with BF. Is this too big?
I've topped up a bit, but I've no confidence in calling this one.
Listening to a reporter on the ground, she expects turnout to be low. Which party will this favour?
Might favour Labour if their GOTV op is superior.
But you know my feelings here. This should be a Con win and I personally don't think Lab at 2.7 is value.
Shouldn't you be in your idyllic leafy pub where you can just waltz in to their rose garden and have a cold beer on Downshire Hill?
I'm back now. Nice little interlude though. Couple of chilled ones in the middle of the day doesn't hurt. Felt no need to augment with any oysters, oddly.
The only downside was it still wasn't at all "leafy".
But out of the way and quiet right. With a couple of tables. In Belsize Park.
Sounds like I might give it a go myself. Which pub is it?
I had assumed The Stag, although the garden there is quite sizeable IIRC?
Considering a family day trip to London on Sunday - not sure yet though as weather may not come right.
Any idea from you London chaps as to what to do/where to go? Shopping, no doubt, and we'd usually visit Borough Market but it's closed on Sundays. Spitalfields Market is open, is that a decent alternative?
Any other ideas. Or should we wait until 17 May when we can sit inside if it's a bit nippy?
Borough Market is open on a Sunday, surely?
Spitalfields is fun, but not as good foodwise
Camden is looking quite buzzy, I just past it. Kids love it. Has good food. But there's not much else to do around there, unlike Borough or Spitalfields - unless you love Georgian architecture, Victorian canals and Regency parks
Just wandering around the City can be fun, especially at the moment, as it wakes from its lockdown slumber. A very eerie feeling, worth experiencing
Camden (Town) can a bit sleazy though, don't you think? Or maybe that's me misinterpreting what I see.
Leon might like that. In fact - scrub that - Leon will like that.
Professor JohnCurtice (for it is He) says that whilst SNP support is slipping, the Greens are romping along, so a majority of MSPs will support independence. Strap yourselves in - when HYUFD explodes as a result of Boris doing what he has endlessly said he won't do, it will be messy.
Although I support Scottish independence, I think the funniest result "for the bantz" would be SNP minority, majority with Greens, second referendum occurs, second referendum goes No.
That is actually my expected result - the issue needs to be laid to bed and the only way to do that is for the Scottish to see how much they are subsidised by the rest of the UK.
Which I know is something that MalcolmG is going to argue isn't the case but the reality is the oil has gone and Scotland has little else...
Don’t forget as well, rUK will be paying Scottish pensions in the event of indy
More garbage, Scotland will pay its own pensions like normal countries, England will pay the debts it owes for the money people paid into their pension scam scheme or perhaps welch on their commitments.
There are no such 'debts' owed by England other than to english people. The OAP doesn't work that way. Current Scots would pay Scottish pensions , etc
The UK government guarantees to pay a state pension to anyone, UK citizen or not, that has made sufficient qualifying contributions.
The clown just talks through his posterior. They are so ignorant due to their bigotry that they cannot even rationalise that if you have paid someone for a pension they cannot just dump you, pathetic.
Except they're not dumping you, if you vote for independence then you're voting to dump them. Since pensions are PAYG, in the future Scottish taxes and Scottish pensions would be the responsibility of the Scottish state.
Otherwise are you expecting to still be paying taxes to Westminster in the future?
The British state currently, right this second, pays non-uk citizens who are not resident in the UK a British state pension.
That's because the law says that anyone who has qualified for a state pension gets a state pension.
These are people who are currently no contributing a single penny of tax to the UK exchequer.
Now, non-residents do not get the annual _increases_ to the state pension - they get the pension at the level it was first awarded to them but that is the setup.
Law? Which law? I mean this is really basic. Scotland would be outside of the UK for jurisdictional purposes. There's simply no way that and independent Scotland could count on the UK treasury for anything at all.
The one's covering state pension eligibility? Based on how many years of qualifying NICs you have made?
I mean this is really basic.
Literally anyone in the world who has made sufficient NICs gets a UK state pen sion if they want one.
These guys are idiots , there are people all over the world getting UK state pensions, you have to chuckle.
Professor JohnCurtice (for it is He) says that whilst SNP support is slipping, the Greens are romping along, so a majority of MSPs will support independence. Strap yourselves in - when HYUFD explodes as a result of Boris doing what he has endlessly said he won't do, it will be messy.
Although I support Scottish independence, I think the funniest result "for the bantz" would be SNP minority, majority with Greens, second referendum occurs, second referendum goes No.
That is actually my expected result - the issue needs to be laid to bed and the only way to do that is for the Scottish to see how much they are subsidised by the rest of the UK.
Which I know is something that MalcolmG is going to argue isn't the case but the reality is the oil has gone and Scotland has little else...
Don’t forget as well, rUK will be paying Scottish pensions in the event of indy
More garbage, Scotland will pay its own pensions like normal countries, England will pay the debts it owes for the money people paid into their pension scam scheme or perhaps welch on their commitments.
There are no such 'debts' owed by England other than to english people. The OAP doesn't work that way. Current Scots would pay Scottish pensions , etc
The UK government guarantees to pay a state pension to anyone, UK citizen or not, that has made sufficient qualifying contributions.
Ha ha nice try!
I fully expect Scotland to take on ongoing SCottish pension payments in the event of Independence but I 'm a bit flabergasted that people don't seem to understand the law of the UK state pension as it stands.
It would require Westminster to change the law in quite a specific way to strip Scottish pension recipients of their state pension without targeting other non-nationals.
No nearly as flabbergasted as everyone else is to think that the government would contemplate paying pensions to Scots if there country ceases to be part of the UK!
A Nigerian qualifies for a UK state pension having worked in London for 30 years and has recently retired and moved to Edinburgh.
Scotland becomes independent.
Who pays his future pension liability?
Who pays if he then moves to New York?
We've discussed this before but for me it's pretty clear. He has 30 years of conts and will receive his UK state pension wherever he lives, but not quite a full one because that needs 35 years contribs. It is not conditional upon living in the UK, only building up contribs in the UK.
Whether the state pension is index linked, however, will depend on which country he moves to. E.g. Canada, Australia no - USA, Spain yes.
That doesn't answer the question - as the UK won't exist if Scotland leaves. The question is which country (independent Scotland or rUK) take responsibility for the pension upon separation. And given that the person now lives in Edinburgh I would expect it to be the (newly Independent) Scottish Government.
Others around here think different but I've not seen any reason as to why that would be the case. When the USSR and Czechoslovakia split up pensions became the responsibility of the country the person was living in (Countries picked as they were the last countries to split up that had such things)
The last car I owned was a 1967 Triumph Herald convertible. That was back in Auckland, when I was a student.
Fast forward twenty odd years.
I live in London Zone 2, with a driveway. I have two small kids. I would like a car for the wife to commute in, and for country trips on the weekend.
I am not suffering a mid-life crisis and do not need a Ferrari. But I also hate cheap plasticky cars.
What kind of car should I get? And, do I buy or lease?
budget?
I am not a car person; largely I regard them as frustrating opex rather than sensible capex.
So, I am reasonable well off I suppose, but begrudge the cost I am likely to need to spend.
Does that help?
Seconded on a BMW X series (5 is the biggest, 3 is a smaller 5 and 1 is the SUV of the Touring). Or touring if you prefer closer to the ground and traditional rear wheel drive.
But we are all skating on thin ice here once Dura comes on and spells out exactly what it is you actually do need.
X7 is the largest BMW SUV. This discussion is like watching me try to opine on wine or coffee.
What do you make of hybrids?
I'm asking for a mate who because of the ULEZ expansion will have to kiss goodbye to his beloved old Merc.
New clean diesels are Ulez exempt – you don't need to buy a hybrid should you prefer an ICE.
Yes, I'll probably get another (and final) ICE. Only true compelling reason I need a car is golf. Otherwise I could just do hire and uber and train/bus. Golf, you have to have your own car.
It says a lot about your local Liberal Democrats that, in the meantime, they were able to raise the funds to pay for the delivery of six leaflets in your area.
That they are currently richer in £s than volunteers, yes. This is one of the richest boroughs in Britain and I know several people who could afford 6 Royal Mail deliveries by themselves with only mild discomfort. But at the GE the LD leaflets were mostly hand-delivered, as our are this time, since if you have willing hands there are better things to spend money on.
It's not a sneer, just a fact. It's been true of Labour at other times - I gather that last time our organisation round here was pathetic. How much difference it makes is an interesting question, though.
Professor JohnCurtice (for it is He) says that whilst SNP support is slipping, the Greens are romping along, so a majority of MSPs will support independence. Strap yourselves in - when HYUFD explodes as a result of Boris doing what he has endlessly said he won't do, it will be messy.
Although I support Scottish independence, I think the funniest result "for the bantz" would be SNP minority, majority with Greens, second referendum occurs, second referendum goes No.
That is actually my expected result - the issue needs to be laid to bed and the only way to do that is for the Scottish to see how much they are subsidised by the rest of the UK.
Which I know is something that MalcolmG is going to argue isn't the case but the reality is the oil has gone and Scotland has little else...
Don’t forget as well, rUK will be paying Scottish pensions in the event of indy
More garbage, Scotland will pay its own pensions like normal countries, England will pay the debts it owes for the money people paid into their pension scam scheme or perhaps welch on their commitments.
There are no such 'debts' owed by England other than to english people. The OAP doesn't work that way. Current Scots would pay Scottish pensions , etc
The UK government guarantees to pay a state pension to anyone, UK citizen or not, that has made sufficient qualifying contributions.
The clown just talks through his posterior. They are so ignorant due to their bigotry that they cannot even rationalise that if you have paid someone for a pension they cannot just dump you, pathetic.
Except they're not dumping you, if you vote for independence then you're voting to dump them. Since pensions are PAYG, in the future Scottish taxes and Scottish pensions would be the responsibility of the Scottish state.
Otherwise are you expecting to still be paying taxes to Westminster in the future?
The British state currently, right this second, pays non-uk citizens who are not resident in the UK a British state pension.
That's because the law says that anyone who has qualified for a state pension gets a state pension.
These are people who are currently no contributing a single penny of tax to the UK exchequer.
Now, non-residents do not get the annual _increases_ to the state pension - they get the pension at the level it was first awarded to them but that is the setup.
Law? Which law? I mean this is really basic. Scotland would be outside of the UK for jurisdictional purposes. There's simply no way that and independent Scotland could count on the UK treasury for anything at all.
The one's covering state pension eligibility? Based on how many years of qualifying NICs you have made?
I mean this is really basic.
Literally anyone in the world who has made sufficient NICs gets a UK state pen sion if they want one.
Under what jurisdiction? UK law will no longer apply.
Professor JohnCurtice (for it is He) says that whilst SNP support is slipping, the Greens are romping along, so a majority of MSPs will support independence. Strap yourselves in - when HYUFD explodes as a result of Boris doing what he has endlessly said he won't do, it will be messy.
Although I support Scottish independence, I think the funniest result "for the bantz" would be SNP minority, majority with Greens, second referendum occurs, second referendum goes No.
That is actually my expected result - the issue needs to be laid to bed and the only way to do that is for the Scottish to see how much they are subsidised by the rest of the UK.
Which I know is something that MalcolmG is going to argue isn't the case but the reality is the oil has gone and Scotland has little else...
Don’t forget as well, rUK will be paying Scottish pensions in the event of indy
More garbage, Scotland will pay its own pensions like normal countries, England will pay the debts it owes for the money people paid into their pension scam scheme or perhaps welch on their commitments.
There are no such 'debts' owed by England other than to english people. The OAP doesn't work that way. Current Scots would pay Scottish pensions , etc
The UK government guarantees to pay a state pension to anyone, UK citizen or not, that has made sufficient qualifying contributions.
The clown just talks through his posterior. They are so ignorant due to their bigotry that they cannot even rationalise that if you have paid someone for a pension they cannot just dump you, pathetic.
Except they're not dumping you, if you vote for independence then you're voting to dump them. Since pensions are PAYG, in the future Scottish taxes and Scottish pensions would be the responsibility of the Scottish state.
Otherwise are you expecting to still be paying taxes to Westminster in the future?
The British state currently, right this second, pays non-uk citizens who are not resident in the UK a British state pension.
That's because the law says that anyone who has qualified for a state pension gets a state pension.
These are people who are currently no contributing a single penny of tax to the UK exchequer.
Now, non-residents do not get the annual _increases_ to the state pension - they get the pension at the level it was first awarded to them but that is the setup.
Absolutely, the British state which includes Scottish taxpayers.
What you're seeking to do is end that state and take a section of the taxpayers with you. Fair enough, it's been done before across the world. When it has, they have always had to take obligations with them.
The Scottish taxpayers and pensions would be going to and paid by Holyrood.
Politico.com - Caitlyn Jenner's recall campaign goes silent in first week
OAKLAND — Caitlyn Jenner launched her gubernatorial campaign a week ago with a media splash that teased the audacious promise of shaking up state politics — and delivering big trouble to California Gov. Gavin Newsom. . . .
The reality TV star and transgender activist hasn't made a single TV appearance. She hasn't held a press conference or social media event. No rollout of key Republican endorsements. She doesn't have an issues page on her website, but offers ways to "donate" and buy "Caitlyn for California" merchandise.
“If she doesn't come out and say something within the next several days, I think everyone moves on and says this is just some type of crank candidacy," said veteran GOP consultant Rob Stutzman, who was a principal adviser to former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger during his successful 2003 recall bid.
Jenner is "an outsider now auditioning to run the largest state government in the country," Stutzman added. "You’ve got to give a speech, sit for interviews — and convince people that you can do it."
So far, Jenner has focused most of her efforts nationally rather than in California. She launched her bid while most California residents were still asleep, first confirming her run with Axios rather than a local media outlet. Fox News announced Thursday that Jenner will sit down with Sean Hannity for an interview that will air May 5 — nearly two weeks after she declared "I'm in" on the recall election.
The news made an initial splash beyond the state, yet was greeted with more of a shrug in California, especially among the political establishment. Los Angeles Times columnist Mark Z. Barabak, a veteran chronicler of California campaigns, mused that her entry "appears to be a half-baked confection of the exiled Trump political operation" and suggested that Jenner was getting "inordinate attention" because she plays into the view that "East Coast sophisticates" have of the state.
Jennifer Kerns, a former California Republican Party spokesperson and now a national radio talk show host with All-American Radio, said it’s mystifying that Jenner — a 1976 Olympic gold medalist introduced to a new generation of Americans on the reality TV hit "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" — isn't staying relevant every day in the age of social media after entering the race.
“When you're launching a campaign, you need to be feeding the media and feeding the public ... you have a 24/7 news media cycle that you have to feed every single day," Kerns said. “And that is going to be a huge challenge ... all of the recall candidates have to hold people’s attention spans, now through October ... and remember that content is king."
Case in point: Jenner was nearly forgotten Tuesday when "National Lampoon" actor Randy Quaid said he was "seriously considering" his own run for governor. Quaid, a supporter of former President Donald Trump, was trending by the end of the day on Twitter. . . .
Professor JohnCurtice (for it is He) says that whilst SNP support is slipping, the Greens are romping along, so a majority of MSPs will support independence. Strap yourselves in - when HYUFD explodes as a result of Boris doing what he has endlessly said he won't do, it will be messy.
Although I support Scottish independence, I think the funniest result "for the bantz" would be SNP minority, majority with Greens, second referendum occurs, second referendum goes No.
That is actually my expected result - the issue needs to be laid to bed and the only way to do that is for the Scottish to see how much they are subsidised by the rest of the UK.
Which I know is something that MalcolmG is going to argue isn't the case but the reality is the oil has gone and Scotland has little else...
Don’t forget as well, rUK will be paying Scottish pensions in the event of indy
More garbage, Scotland will pay its own pensions like normal countries, England will pay the debts it owes for the money people paid into their pension scam scheme or perhaps welch on their commitments.
There are no such 'debts' owed by England other than to english people. The OAP doesn't work that way. Current Scots would pay Scottish pensions , etc
The UK government guarantees to pay a state pension to anyone, UK citizen or not, that has made sufficient qualifying contributions.
The clown just talks through his posterior. They are so ignorant due to their bigotry that they cannot even rationalise that if you have paid someone for a pension they cannot just dump you, pathetic.
Except they're not dumping you, if you vote for independence then you're voting to dump them. Since pensions are PAYG, in the future Scottish taxes and Scottish pensions would be the responsibility of the Scottish state.
Otherwise are you expecting to still be paying taxes to Westminster in the future?
The British state currently, right this second, pays non-uk citizens who are not resident in the UK a British state pension.
That's because the law says that anyone who has qualified for a state pension gets a state pension.
These are people who are currently no contributing a single penny of tax to the UK exchequer.
Now, non-residents do not get the annual _increases_ to the state pension - they get the pension at the level it was first awarded to them but that is the setup.
Absolutely, the British state which includes Scottish taxpayers.
What you're seeking to do is end that state and take a section of the taxpayers with you. Fair enough, it's been done before across the world. When it has, they have always had to take obligations with them.
The Scottish taxpayers and pensions would be going to and paid by Holyrood.
So by that logic we own Trident.
You certainly will own some stuff in Scotland yes, unquestionably. What precisely will no doubt need to be negotiated.
I suspect that given the relative policies proposed that you'd trade away any stake in Trident.
Comments
But then they've been saying I'm getting weirder & weirder for YEARS. Starting about 1957!
Also deeply irresponsible naturally, and dangerous. I shan't do it again. But I did it once
Any idea from you London chaps as to what to do/where to go? Shopping, no doubt, and we'd usually visit Borough Market but it's closed on Sundays. Spitalfields Market is open, is that a decent alternative?
Any other ideas. Or should we wait until 17 May when we can sit inside if it's a bit nippy?
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundestagswahl_2021/Umfragen_und_Prognosen#Mittelwerte_der_jeweils_aktuellen_Umfrage_aller_Institute
Westminster voting intention:
CON: 39% (-)
LAB: 35% (-2)
via @BMGResearch, 22 - 26 Apr
Chgs. w/ 19 Mar
No other figures available. Tables not yet published."
https://twitter.com/BritainElects/status/1388049711333093381
Or maybe I'll move out of town and keep the Merc. It has no market value and I'm finding the thought of it being crunched up into a dense cube of metal for scrap rather hard to face.
I told a friend in Cornwall, and he said You do know how serious that is, if you get caught?
I had no idea. I thought it was 3 points or whatever. Ooops. Never again
What you're seeking to do is end that state and take a section of the taxpayers with you. Fair enough, it's been done before across the world. When it has, they have always had to take obligations with them.
The Scottish taxpayers and pensions would be going to and paid by Holyrood.
Had same experience re: scheduled time for jabs, except that I did have to wait in line both times (much shorter line for #2).
For second shot, arrived one hour before scheduled slot, and was waiting out the 15 minutes post-jab by my actual appointment time.
Makes since to focus on the DAY and not the TIME of day, much more efficient.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/apr/30/is-russias-covid-vaccine-anything-more-than-a-political-weapon-sputnik-v
Incredible they are even contemplating it.
It's like the marginally less mundane follow up to The Girther Conspiracy.
Let's call it the The NW3 Mystery. It has all the hallmarks of another PB classic.
This Conservative ploy was later dropped, of course, when people started to see through it.
It says a lot about your local Liberal Democrats that, in the meantime, they were able to raise the funds to pay for the delivery of six leaflets in your area.
Why do Labour Pary people always sneer at everybody? Is it because of that line in The Red Flag?
Sadly i think the lead is about double the 4% shown here
'“Boris Johnson’s lovable maverick shtick has been to dissemble himself beneath a mantle of suet, to pretend to inarticulacy, to oik about as the People’s Primate, to wear a ten-year-old’s hairdo, to laugh it off – no matter what it is, no matter how grave it may be – and to display charm learned at a charm school with duff tutors,” he writes. “This construct is going on threadbare. If one devotes such energy to a simulacrum of oafishness one becomes an oaf.” Johnson is, he joyously adds, “a blubbery pink peculator” who is said to have enjoyed “an assisted siesta in Shoreditch”. In that phrase “assisted siesta” we witness the pure poetry of vituperation.'
Spitalfields is fun, but not as good foodwise
Camden is looking quite buzzy, I just past it. Kids love it. Has good food. But there's not much else to do around there, unlike Borough or Spitalfields - unless you love Georgian architecture, Victorian canals and Regency parks
Just wandering around the City can be fun, especially at the moment, as it wakes from its lockdown slumber. A very eerie feeling, worth experiencing
@BritainElects
·
39m
Scottish parliament election forecast (30 Apr 2021):
SNP: 62 MSPs (-1)
CON: 26 (-5)
LAB: 25 (+1)
GRN: 11 (+5)
LDEM: 5% (-)
ALBA: 0 (-)
Not according to website:
https://boroughmarket.org.uk/visit-us/
We have been fortunate to visit Japan twice and it does not disappoint
Although, coincidentally:
"Borough Market Reopens for Al Fresco Dining and Extends Trading Hours to Include Sundays"
https://london-post.co.uk/borough-market-reopens-for-al-fresco-dining-and-extends-trading-hours-to-include-sundays/
From May, it says
We could have super cheap electric cares now with sub-100 mile ranges that would do most people for commuting, but we don't really see them because people want range. I don't see that, even at the low end, electric cars will have terrible range. The low end will be slowest to replace, rather than worse, I think.
The one thing I can see potentially being a long term problem is that batteries remain expensive compared to other car components so that when the battery goes, the car gets junked. That could potentially eliminate the £2k used car segment. However, I think that's unlikely - batteries will get cheaper, hard to believe it will routinely be better to junk the car. If the car is junked after 6 years, say, then the 4 year old car with only two years left will be cheap (and depreciation on new cars shocking, hard for electrics to take off). For electrics to become dominant, it's a problem that has got to be solved.
So, how?
- Battery swaps as indicated by Flatlander. Maybe, if batteries become commodoties. At present manufacturers compete on battery tech. But you could have battery providers competing like petrol companies today/tyre companies etc - do you swap betteries at the Shell station which promises you 400 miles range for £££ or at the Tesco station which gives you 350 miles for £? That's fine, consumer choice
- Batteries simply become cheap. Mass production, effective recycling of the expensive components, switch to cheaper chemistries, so replacing the battery is within the range of costs of things that wear out on a similar age ICE car
- Batteries become much longer lasting. Your ten year old 100k+ miles battery is 80-90% as good as it was when new
- Battery leasing. You never own the battery, but pay so much per month (exists now, of course). When the battery falls below standard as detected by the car it gets swapped out at no extra cost (lease does put a floor on cost per month or cost per mile)
I do think the problem here is comparing electrics now to electrics of the future. If future electrics are not good enough, then they'll not take off without government policy and there will be no shortage of second hand ICEs. If that's forced through, vote for the other parties.
Now he says, "Belsize Park". Yes that is certainly *out of the way* in terms of Hampstead, since it is not actually in Hampstead
The mystery thickens
http://www.sundayupmarket.co.uk
Those 526, who were expected to have vaccine protection, made up 29 per cent of all people admitted at any time after the first jab. The other 71 per cent fell ill too soon after their vaccine to have any real immunity.
These 'vaccine failure' patients were almost all very elderly and frail, SAGE advisers said, and fit into the same group for whom the jabs are less likely to work
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9525237/Coronavirus-Number-people-hospitalised-Covid-vaccine-dose-tiny.html
Whisper it, 3-4 weeks after 1st dose you are extremely safe against covid killing you off.
Worth checking first
The former president weighed in with a final-week endorsement of Susan Wright, widow of late Rep. Ron Wright.
The first competitive special of the new election cycle has quickly turned into a 2020 redux: It's the Donald Trump show all over again.
Trump made a late foray in the 23-candidate scramble for a vacant congressional seat in North Texas, transforming a once-quiet race into a major test of his post-presidency king-making power. After endorsing Susan Wright, a Republican activist and widow of the late incumbent, Rep. Ron Wright (R-Texas), Trump joined her and the anti-tax Club for Growth at a tele-town hall on Thursday night to rail against his rival, President Joe Biden, and remind listeners of the stakes.
"It's just my honor to also get involved and be involved in this race," Trump said, touting his partnership with the Club for Growth. "We've worked together. We've never had a loss together. Every time we've gone after someone and, you know, supported and worked for someone, we've had victory. So I hope everybody can get out on Saturday, May 1, and vote for Susan Wright."
Though several Republican candidates were openly running in the MAGA lane, Trump and his legacy didn't dominate the race until the final weeks. There was a behind-the-scenes jockeying for his endorsement by allies of some leading GOP candidates, and on Monday he made his allegiance known and endorsed Wright, a clear power play that comes with some risk.
Saturday's voting almost certainly won't be the final word on the race — in Texas special elections, the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to a runoff if no candidate wins a majority. Prior to receiving Trump's endorsement, Wright had high name recognition but less campaign cash than her GOP opponents.
The Club for Growth lured Trump off the sidelines after spending some $150,000 on ads painting Wright's main opponent, state Rep. Jake Ellzey, as an "anti-Trump" Republican, citing a donation from Bill Kristol, the conservative commentator and Trump critic. . .
- tend to buy at aorund 3 years old and keep until they get expensive to maintain). We're not there yet with electrics. I don't know whether our next car (likely not for another 3 plus years) will be electric, I suspect not, although we might look at some. The one after, I'm pretty sure will be.
Not very leafy though.
BORIS Johnson’s aides have been warned they face jail if they delete texts or emails about the “cash for curtains” row - and have a week to turn over their phones, report The Sun
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/14816452/boris-johnson-aides-jail-downing-st-renovation/
Definitely a great option for an day in London. There's so much to see. The walk From Borough down to Westminster on the Southbank is one of the great urban walks in the world. Incredible history, incredible architecture.
And of course the food and booze at Borough is brilliant.
I mean this is really basic.
Literally anyone in the world who has made sufficient NICs gets a UK state pen sion if they want one.
Latest shows:
"Ben Building: Mussolini, Monuments, Modernism and Marble (2016, 90 mins, BBC Four, Dir. Francis Hanly)
Jonathan Meades on Jargon (27 May 2018, 60 mins, BBC Four, Dir. Francis Hanly)
Franco Building with Jonathan Meades (27 August 2019, 85 mins, BBC Four, Dir. Francis Hanly)"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Meades#Filmography
Kina: "I've had beers and coffees in a few places since April 12th and have not once had to give any personal details other than those on my debit card when I pay."
You: "In north London? Beers? Every pub was booked, around me, when I last looked. It’s one reason I bugged out for Cornwall. Has the sitch changed?"
The Kinmeister: "Mainly coffees/cafes tbf and the pub was out of the way and quiet."
Belsize Park came today I think.
I only mentioned oil as that in the last referendum was the answer as to where all the additional revenue Scotland needed would come from. And my question has always been whether Scotland can afford to go independent and with a budget deficit of 8% a year since 2011 it's got 2 options, to massively reduces government expenditure or find additional tax revenue.
It is particularly good during cherry blossom time, tho no one else has noticed. Leafy
It would require Westminster to change the law in quite a specific way to strip Scottish pension recipients of their state pension without targeting other non-nationals.
Scotland becomes independent.
Who pays his future pension liability?
Who pays if he then moves to New York?
Whether the state pension is index linked, however, will depend on which country he moves to. E.g. Canada, Australia no - USA, Spain yes.
Ironic
It's clear that Starmer is just not doing good enough.
People know who Boris is, and they love him or hate him.
The more people see of Starmer, the more they dislike.
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk
(15 reported today – a low number for a Friday.)
Positive tests down.
Hospitalisations down.
Others around here think different but I've not seen any reason as to why that would be the case. When the USSR and Czechoslovakia split up pensions became the responsibility of the country the person was living in (Countries picked as they were the last countries to split up that had such things)
I mean you either take a stance over as yet unproven allegations or you don't.
It's not a sneer, just a fact. It's been true of Labour at other times - I gather that last time our organisation round here was pathetic. How much difference it makes is an interesting question, though.
He truly is Gordon Brittas....
OAKLAND — Caitlyn Jenner launched her gubernatorial campaign a week ago with a media splash that teased the audacious promise of shaking up state politics — and delivering big trouble to California Gov. Gavin Newsom. . . .
The reality TV star and transgender activist hasn't made a single TV appearance. She hasn't held a press conference or social media event. No rollout of key Republican endorsements. She doesn't have an issues page on her website, but offers ways to "donate" and buy "Caitlyn for California" merchandise.
“If she doesn't come out and say something within the next several days, I think everyone moves on and says this is just some type of crank candidacy," said veteran GOP consultant Rob Stutzman, who was a principal adviser to former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger during his successful 2003 recall bid.
Jenner is "an outsider now auditioning to run the largest state government in the country," Stutzman added. "You’ve got to give a speech, sit for interviews — and convince people that you can do it."
So far, Jenner has focused most of her efforts nationally rather than in California. She launched her bid while most California residents were still asleep, first confirming her run with Axios rather than a local media outlet. Fox News announced Thursday that Jenner will sit down with Sean Hannity for an interview that will air May 5 — nearly two weeks after she declared "I'm in" on the recall election.
The news made an initial splash beyond the state, yet was greeted with more of a shrug in California, especially among the political establishment. Los Angeles Times columnist Mark Z. Barabak, a veteran chronicler of California campaigns, mused that her entry "appears to be a half-baked confection of the exiled Trump political operation" and suggested that Jenner was getting "inordinate attention" because she plays into the view that "East Coast sophisticates" have of the state.
Jennifer Kerns, a former California Republican Party spokesperson and now a national radio talk show host with All-American Radio, said it’s mystifying that Jenner — a 1976 Olympic gold medalist introduced to a new generation of Americans on the reality TV hit "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" — isn't staying relevant every day in the age of social media after entering the race.
“When you're launching a campaign, you need to be feeding the media and feeding the public ... you have a 24/7 news media cycle that you have to feed every single day," Kerns said. “And that is going to be a huge challenge ... all of the recall candidates have to hold people’s attention spans, now through October ... and remember that content is king."
Case in point: Jenner was nearly forgotten Tuesday when "National Lampoon" actor Randy Quaid said he was "seriously considering" his own run for governor. Quaid, a supporter of former President Donald Trump, was trending by the end of the day on Twitter. . . .
I suspect that given the relative policies proposed that you'd trade away any stake in Trident.