Sounds like the government is breaking its promise to end all Covid-19 social measures by 21st June. Despite the fact that the figures are far better than anyone was expecting at this stage.
Exactly nobody saw that coming did they? Its been obvious for months that they intend to make us wear masks till the end of time.
One of my biggest remaining desires is to be allowed to sing in the congregation at church - we have taken to trooping outside and singing in the carpark, but it's not quite the same. I've a nasty feeling that they will hold onto this rule as long as they can too, especially as there aren't many votes in it.
Do you think "masks until the end of time" will be a particularly vote winning policy?
No, but unfortunately there are about 3 more years before we are likely to get to vote this lot out. It would be quite nice to go back to normal a little sooner. Also, at present we have a leader of HM opposition who seems to believe that his role consists of nodding along with government policy, unless it involves designer wallpaper.
In LA, there are three remaining significant restrictions:
- masks on public transport and shops - no karaoke bars or nightclubs - restrictions on capacity at sporting events and gyms
While I'd like the remaining restrictions lifted, there remains a substantial number of antivaxxers here (much more than in the UK), so I'd expect those restrictions to be lifted more slowly than I'd like.
But you know what? Normal life is 99% back now. How much time do I spend in supermarkets anyway?
Once everyone that wants it has been double jabbed there shouldn't be internal restrictions at that point; you end pandemics via herd immunity, and if it turns out Covid has a massive natural R, well the antivaxxers will have chosen the rough route out the pandemic.
So far impact of vaccines is dramatic in UK, pronounced in US, not at all visible in EU (I expect that to start changing this month)...UK ended up being exemplary not only in speed but also in prioritizing those at risk. In Italy notably those in 30-40 age group were vaccinated faster than 70-80. Result: Italy has been recording hundreds of deaths every day
I recall that we had a surprisingly straightline fall in UK numbers.
These are current EU daily death and case rates, which seem to show the start of straightline downward trends, and look more encouraging. But still about 6-8 weeks to go to choke off the current wave if this trend holds.
The EU lines will have a lot of smoothing from the 27 different samples.
One difficult question will be if early or fast unlockdowns stretch out the time.
I think that's about right, with (as you say) the proviso that different countries are going to have very different experiences,
Why does Latvia only have 14% of its population having had even a single dose of vaccine? While Finland (who's followed the UK strategy of using first doses as widely as possible) is up to 35%?
Generally, though, the EU is getting its shit together. Last week it went from 22.9% with at least one dose to 27.2% - so it remains about 10 to 12 weeks behind the UK.
Robert is there a reason you keep quoting percentage of adult figures, when most nations and international comparisons have been quoting numbers on a percentage of people basis?
Hello Everyone and thank you TSE for this interesting article on Electoral Reform.
I voted Yes in AV referendum but perhaps mistakenly in the hope it was the first step towards PR.
As the No side won, they have unfairly used the result as validation against PR which it isn't as AV may be determined to be closer to FPTP than to PR.
Surely I am not the only to believe the way to achieve PR is for both 1&2 to happen. 1. Tories win GE 2024 with an overall majority. Most important meaning Labour then have lost 5 consecutive GEs. 2. Realizing they are likely to lose subsequent GE, Tories hang on till 2029 which results in no overall majority with Labour having most seats. Labour form either Coalition or Pact with Libdems who insist on PR preferably without referendum or grudgingly to having one first. Obviously this would depend on number of Labour MP supporters of PR at that time which I suspect could be a substantial number having lost 5 GEs. I suspect Labour would choose AMS as they did for Scotland and Wales 22 years ago.
In this scenario knowing they would have less seats in subsequent GE, Labour hang on till 2034 at which point we our first PR GE.
Sounds like the government is breaking its promise to end all Covid-19 social measures by 21st June. Despite the fact that the figures are far better than anyone was expecting at this stage.
Exactly nobody saw that coming did they? Its been obvious for months that they intend to make us wear masks till the end of time.
One of my biggest remaining desires is to be allowed to sing in the congregation at church - we have taken to trooping outside and singing in the carpark, but it's not quite the same. I've a nasty feeling that they will hold onto this rule as long as they can too, especially as there aren't many votes in it.
Do you think "masks until the end of time" will be a particularly vote winning policy?
No, but unfortunately there are about 3 more years before we are likely to get to vote this lot out. It would be quite nice to go back to normal a little sooner. Also, at present we have a leader of HM opposition who seems to believe that his role consists of nodding along with government policy, unless it involves designer wallpaper.
In LA, there are three remaining significant restrictions:
- masks on public transport and shops - no karaoke bars or nightclubs - restrictions on capacity at sporting events and gyms
While I'd like the remaining restrictions lifted, there remains a substantial number of antivaxxers here (much more than in the UK), so I'd expect those restrictions to be lifted more slowly than I'd like.
But you know what? Normal life is 99% back now. How much time do I spend in supermarkets anyway?
Once everyone that wants it has been double jabbed there shouldn't be internal restrictions at that point; you end pandemics via herd immunity, and if it turns out Covid has a massive natural R, well the antivaxxers will have chosen the rough route out the pandemic.
Yes, but the rest of us are funding their cluttering up the NHS both soon and in the long term.
So far impact of vaccines is dramatic in UK, pronounced in US, not at all visible in EU (I expect that to start changing this month)...UK ended up being exemplary not only in speed but also in prioritizing those at risk. In Italy notably those in 30-40 age group were vaccinated faster than 70-80. Result: Italy has been recording hundreds of deaths every day
I recall that we had a surprisingly straightline fall in UK numbers.
These are current EU daily death and case rates, which seem to show the start of straightline downward trends, and look more encouraging. But still about 6-8 weeks to go to choke off the current wave if this trend holds.
The EU lines will have a lot of smoothing from the 27 different samples.
One difficult question will be if early or fast unlockdowns stretch out the time.
I think that's about right, with (as you say) the proviso that different countries are going to have very different experiences,
Why does Latvia only have 14% of its population having had even a single dose of vaccine? While Finland (who's followed the UK strategy of using first doses as widely as possible) is up to 35%?
Generally, though, the EU is getting its shit together. Last week it went from 22.9% with at least one dose to 27.2% - so it remains about 10 to 12 weeks behind the UK.
Robert is there a reason you keep quoting percentage of adult figures, when most nations and international comparisons have been quoting numbers on a percentage of people basis?
He's quoting population ?
No he's not.
As of 1/5 the EU is at 24.2% with 1 dose. Not 27.2%.
The figures he keeps quoting as percentage of people are actually percentage of over 18s.
So far impact of vaccines is dramatic in UK, pronounced in US, not at all visible in EU (I expect that to start changing this month)...UK ended up being exemplary not only in speed but also in prioritizing those at risk. In Italy notably those in 30-40 age group were vaccinated faster than 70-80. Result: Italy has been recording hundreds of deaths every day
I recall that we had a surprisingly straightline fall in UK numbers.
These are current EU daily death and case rates, which seem to show the start of straightline downward trends, and look more encouraging. But still about 6-8 weeks to go to choke off the current wave if this trend holds.
The EU lines will have a lot of smoothing from the 27 different samples.
One difficult question will be if early or fast unlockdowns stretch out the time.
I think that's about right, with (as you say) the proviso that different countries are going to have very different experiences,
Why does Latvia only have 14% of its population having had even a single dose of vaccine? While Finland (who's followed the UK strategy of using first doses as widely as possible) is up to 35%?
Generally, though, the EU is getting its shit together. Last week it went from 22.9% with at least one dose to 27.2% - so it remains about 10 to 12 weeks behind the UK.
Robert is there a reason you keep quoting percentage of adult figures, when most nations and international comparisons have been quoting numbers on a percentage of people basis?
He's quoting population ?
No he's not.
As of 1/5 the EU is at 24.2% with 1 dose. Not 27.2%.
The figures he keeps quoting as percentage of people are actually percentage of over 18s.
Douglas Ross now making global news. From Der Spiegel:-
"A senior Tory is distancing himself from Boris Johnson over the luxury renovation of his official apartment. An important party friend speaks about possible resignation.''
So far impact of vaccines is dramatic in UK, pronounced in US, not at all visible in EU (I expect that to start changing this month)...UK ended up being exemplary not only in speed but also in prioritizing those at risk. In Italy notably those in 30-40 age group were vaccinated faster than 70-80. Result: Italy has been recording hundreds of deaths every day
I recall that we had a surprisingly straightline fall in UK numbers.
These are current EU daily death and case rates, which seem to show the start of straightline downward trends, and look more encouraging. But still about 6-8 weeks to go to choke off the current wave if this trend holds.
The EU lines will have a lot of smoothing from the 27 different samples.
One difficult question will be if early or fast unlockdowns stretch out the time.
I think that's about right, with (as you say) the proviso that different countries are going to have very different experiences,
Why does Latvia only have 14% of its population having had even a single dose of vaccine? While Finland (who's followed the UK strategy of using first doses as widely as possible) is up to 35%?
Generally, though, the EU is getting its shit together. Last week it went from 22.9% with at least one dose to 27.2% - so it remains about 10 to 12 weeks behind the UK.
Robert is there a reason you keep quoting percentage of adult figures, when most nations and international comparisons have been quoting numbers on a percentage of people basis?
He's quoting population ?
No he's not.
As of 1/5 the EU is at 24.2% with 1 dose. Not 27.2%.
The figures he keeps quoting as percentage of people are actually percentage of over 18s.
No, he is quoting % of population
Going from pop to over 18s is going to change the % by much more than 3 !
So Manchester United are unable to fulfill their fixture due to behaviour of their fans, award Liverpool a 3-0 win and move on.
Liverpool supporters desperation is embarrassing
Win it on the field
You don’t have a sense of humour do you?
No wonder why you’re so perpetually bitter at Mark Drakeford.
Not when it comes to scousers desperate attempt to try to get in the top four
It is however, hilarious
The only thing hilarious is your constant defence of Boris Johnson despite all your misgivings.
You haven't been reading my comments over the last few days then
Are you back on the anti Boris bandwagon?
Hopefully by Thursday you'll be back off it if so.
No - I have tried to balance my comments but the allegations yesterday not only on the flat but also getting donors to pay for child care would not be acceptable to me but I will wait to hear the result of the various reviews
If he has broken the ministerial code then I believe he has to resign
However, it is amusing how 'cross' he gets his opponents and if he goes I would miss that
So far impact of vaccines is dramatic in UK, pronounced in US, not at all visible in EU (I expect that to start changing this month)...UK ended up being exemplary not only in speed but also in prioritizing those at risk. In Italy notably those in 30-40 age group were vaccinated faster than 70-80. Result: Italy has been recording hundreds of deaths every day
I recall that we had a surprisingly straightline fall in UK numbers.
These are current EU daily death and case rates, which seem to show the start of straightline downward trends, and look more encouraging. But still about 6-8 weeks to go to choke off the current wave if this trend holds.
The EU lines will have a lot of smoothing from the 27 different samples.
One difficult question will be if early or fast unlockdowns stretch out the time.
I think that's about right, with (as you say) the proviso that different countries are going to have very different experiences,
Why does Latvia only have 14% of its population having had even a single dose of vaccine? While Finland (who's followed the UK strategy of using first doses as widely as possible) is up to 35%?
Generally, though, the EU is getting its shit together. Last week it went from 22.9% with at least one dose to 27.2% - so it remains about 10 to 12 weeks behind the UK.
Robert is there a reason you keep quoting percentage of adult figures, when most nations and international comparisons have been quoting numbers on a percentage of people basis?
He's quoting population ?
No he's not.
As of 1/5 the EU is at 24.2% with 1 dose. Not 27.2%.
The figures he keeps quoting as percentage of people are actually percentage of over 18s.
No, he is quoting % of population
He is saying population, but the figures are percentage of adults not percentage of population.
It is wrong to mix the two up.
If you think it is population I would be curious to see any primary source saying 27.2% of population instead of 27.2% of over 18s.
Hello Everyone and thank you TSE for this interesting article on Electoral Reform.
I voted Yes in AV referendum but perhaps mistakenly in the hope it was the first step towards PR.
As the No side won, they have unfairly used the result as validation against PR which it isn't as AV may be determined to be closer to FPTP than to PR.
Surely I am not the only to believe the way to achieve PR is for both 1&2 to happen. 1. Tories win GE 2024 with an overall majority. Most important meaning Labour then have lost 5 consecutive GEs. 2. Realizing they are likely to lose subsequent GE, Tories hang on till 2029 which results in no overall majority with Labour having most seats. Labour form either Coalition or Pact with Libdems who insist on PR preferably without referendum or grudgingly to having one first. Obviously this would depend on number of Labour MP supporters of PR at that time which I suspect could be a substantial number having lost 5 GEs. I suspect Labour would choose AMS as they did for Scotland and Wales 22 years ago.
In this scenario knowing they would have less seats in subsequent GE, Labour hang on till 2034 at which point we our first PR GE.
Kind regards
Pamela
You are probably right.
We know how the scenario of Labour promising reform in opposition - and even starting work on it in government - ends, once they start to believe they can regularly win majorities under the current system.
The route to reform is Labour realising it can never win a majority again, coupled with the Tories being discredited enough that they don’t win one themselves.
You can’t fault the clown for making a decent start to bring this about. It now needs Labour to do its bit.
So Manchester United are unable to fulfill their fixture due to behaviour of their fans, award Liverpool a 3-0 win and move on.
Liverpool supporters desperation is embarrassing
Win it on the field
You don’t have a sense of humour do you?
No wonder why you’re so perpetually bitter at Mark Drakeford.
Not when it comes to scousers desperate attempt to try to get in the top four
It is however, hilarious
The only thing hilarious is your constant defence of Boris Johnson despite all your misgivings.
You haven't been reading my comments over the last few days then
Are you back on the anti Boris bandwagon?
Hopefully by Thursday you'll be back off it if so.
No - I have tried to balance my comments but the allegations yesterday not only on the flat but also getting donors to pay for child care would not be acceptable to me but I will wait to hear the result of the various reviews
If he has broken the ministerial code then I believe he has to resign
However, it is amusing how 'cross' he gets his opponents and if he goes I would miss that
Remind me - did you call for Priti Patel to resign when she was found to have broken the ministerial code?
Sounds like the government is breaking its promise to end all Covid-19 social measures by 21st June. Despite the fact that the figures are far better than anyone was expecting at this stage.
Exactly nobody saw that coming did they? Its been obvious for months that they intend to make us wear masks till the end of time.
One of my biggest remaining desires is to be allowed to sing in the congregation at church - we have taken to trooping outside and singing in the carpark, but it's not quite the same. I've a nasty feeling that they will hold onto this rule as long as they can too, especially as there aren't many votes in it.
Do you think "masks until the end of time" will be a particularly vote winning policy?
No, but unfortunately there are about 3 more years before we are likely to get to vote this lot out. It would be quite nice to go back to normal a little sooner. Also, at present we have a leader of HM opposition who seems to believe that his role consists of nodding along with government policy, unless it involves designer wallpaper.
In LA, there are three remaining significant restrictions:
- masks on public transport and shops - no karaoke bars or nightclubs - restrictions on capacity at sporting events and gyms
While I'd like the remaining restrictions lifted, there remains a substantial number of antivaxxers here (much more than in the UK), so I'd expect those restrictions to be lifted more slowly than I'd like.
But you know what? Normal life is 99% back now. How much time do I spend in supermarkets anyway?
Once everyone that wants it has been double jabbed there shouldn't be internal restrictions at that point; you end pandemics via herd immunity, and if it turns out Covid has a massive natural R, well the antivaxxers will have chosen the rough route out the pandemic.
Yes, but the rest of us are funding their cluttering up the NHS both soon and in the long term.
Won't be an issue in the UK so much as elsewhere with our humungous uptake amongst older individuals
Slightly curious part of my latest election material (now at 8 LD, 4 Con, and 1 parish level indy) where it exhorts me to 'Vote Conservative and only Conservative', with 'only' underlined.
They don't have sufficient candidates for the ward and the other options are LDs or an Indy, so it seems self defeating to encourage me to not to even consider voting anyone else to 'stop' their main opponents, even if they could hardly advise me to vote for the Indy over the LDs. Feels like they could have talked about stopping the LDs, and let it be implied any extra non-conservative votes could go to that effort.
So Manchester United are unable to fulfill their fixture due to behaviour of their fans, award Liverpool a 3-0 win and move on.
Liverpool supporters desperation is embarrassing
Win it on the field
You don’t have a sense of humour do you?
No wonder why you’re so perpetually bitter at Mark Drakeford.
Not when it comes to scousers desperate attempt to try to get in the top four
It is however, hilarious
The only thing hilarious is your constant defence of Boris Johnson despite all your misgivings.
You haven't been reading my comments over the last few days then
Are you back on the anti Boris bandwagon?
Hopefully by Thursday you'll be back off it if so.
No - I have tried to balance my comments but the allegations yesterday not only on the flat but also getting donors to pay for child care would not be acceptable to me but I will wait to hear the result of the various reviews
If he has broken the ministerial code then I believe he has to resign
However, it is amusing how 'cross' he gets his opponents and if he goes I would miss that
Remind me - did you call for Priti Patel to resign when she was found to have broken the ministerial code?
I am not a fan of Priti Patel but did not make any comment on that issue
Boris is PM and I agree with Douglas Ross that as PM, if he has broken the ministerial code then he should resign
Clegg was an idiot. He should have gone for a fundamental shake-up of voting in local elections only, then let that bed in for ten years before going for change in Westminster in a second bite.
Would the party have gone for that? They were in government for the first time in many many decades and might not ever have another chance. Like most MPs they probably forgot local elections existed and got tunnel vision on making a 'big' change regarding parliamentaries.
OK, not just Clegg. The entire Liberal Democrat Party were idiots. They would now have a massive and widespread presence of councillors and coalition councils able to feed into a broad-based push for Westminster seats.
Tactically naive for sure. It would have been far more palatable for the Tories for local government.
Indeed. It would have given the Tories a significant in to many councils in the cities and the north (with Labour similarly benefitting round Nick’s way, saving him having the grovel to the local LibDems to scrape him in), and hugely improved the vibrancy of local politics, making elections meaningful in areas currently taken for granted by the ruling party.
But the LibDem MPs were paranoid about being personally punished for the coalition, and thought that a system that gave them the second preferences of local Labour voters would see them home. An appallingly short term view of electoral reform, and one that overlooked the minor problem that the coalition left many Labour voters hating the LibDems even more than the Tories.
Slightly curious part of my latest election material (now at 8 LD, 4 Con, and 1 parish level indy) where it exhorts me to 'Vote Conservative and only Conservative', with 'only' underlined.
They don't have sufficient candidates for the ward and the other options are LDs or an Indy, so it seems self defeating to encourage me to not to even consider voting anyone else to 'stop' their main opponents, even if they could hardly advise me to vote for the Indy over the LDs. Feels like they could have talked about stopping the LDs, and let it be implied any extra non-conservative votes could go to that effort.
In an FPTnP multi-seat election, you are at a disadvantage if you don’t put up a full slate of candidates, since many of your voters will use their remaining vote(s) for your opponents. This is what your under-staffed Tories are trying to head off.
Eg France shows 26.7 while Our World In Data shows 22.9
Not sure why the Latvia numbers line up.
Although it says upto 2nd May I think the data is older than that because France upto the 1st May had jabbed 30% of adults and 23% of the population and that’s from the official government source .
Hello Everyone and thank you TSE for this interesting article on Electoral Reform.
I voted Yes in AV referendum but perhaps mistakenly in the hope it was the first step towards PR.
As the No side won, they have unfairly used the result as validation against PR which it isn't as AV may be determined to be closer to FPTP than to PR.
Surely I am not the only to believe the way to achieve PR is for both 1&2 to happen. 1. Tories win GE 2024 with an overall majority. Most important meaning Labour then have lost 5 consecutive GEs. 2. Realizing they are likely to lose subsequent GE, Tories hang on till 2029 which results in no overall majority with Labour having most seats. Labour form either Coalition or Pact with Libdems who insist on PR preferably without referendum or grudgingly to having one first. Obviously this would depend on number of Labour MP supporters of PR at that time which I suspect could be a substantial number having lost 5 GEs. I suspect Labour would choose AMS as they did for Scotland and Wales 22 years ago.
In this scenario knowing they would have less seats in subsequent GE, Labour hang on till 2034 at which point we our first PR GE.
Kind regards
Pamela
Hi Pamela. Welcome the PB. I don't think I've seen you before, and you are listed as this being your first posting. If you are an old-timer with a new moniker, please disregard. But otherwise, looking forward to more posts from you.
Douglas Ross now making global news. From Der Spiegel:-
"A senior Tory is distancing himself from Boris Johnson over the luxury renovation of his official apartment. An important party friend speaks about possible resignation.''
Douglas Ross now making global news. From Der Spiegel:-
"A senior Tory is distancing himself from Boris Johnson over the luxury renovation of his official apartment. An important party friend speaks about possible resignation.''
Douglas Ross now making global news. From Der Spiegel:-
"A senior Tory is distancing himself from Boris Johnson over the luxury renovation of his official apartment. An important party friend speaks about possible resignation.''
Slightly curious part of my latest election material (now at 8 LD, 4 Con, and 1 parish level indy) where it exhorts me to 'Vote Conservative and only Conservative', with 'only' underlined.
They don't have sufficient candidates for the ward and the other options are LDs or an Indy, so it seems self defeating to encourage me to not to even consider voting anyone else to 'stop' their main opponents, even if they could hardly advise me to vote for the Indy over the LDs. Feels like they could have talked about stopping the LDs, and let it be implied any extra non-conservative votes could go to that effort.
In an FPTnP multi-seat election, you are at a disadvantage if you don’t put up a full slate of candidates, since many of your voters will use their remaining vote(s) for your opponents. This is what your under-staffed Tories are trying to head off.
Another classic of FPTP and which, not unreasonably most voters will be unaware of when they go out to vote. They quite reasonably vote for their preferred option, have votes leftover use them for what they perceive to be the best of the rest and don't realize they have just unelected their preferred candidates.
Slightly curious part of my latest election material (now at 8 LD, 4 Con, and 1 parish level indy) where it exhorts me to 'Vote Conservative and only Conservative', with 'only' underlined.
They don't have sufficient candidates for the ward and the other options are LDs or an Indy, so it seems self defeating to encourage me to not to even consider voting anyone else to 'stop' their main opponents, even if they could hardly advise me to vote for the Indy over the LDs. Feels like they could have talked about stopping the LDs, and let it be implied any extra non-conservative votes could go to that effort.
In an FPTnP multi-seat election, you are at a disadvantage if you don’t put up a full slate of candidates, since many of your voters will use their remaining vote(s) for your opponents. This is what your under-staffed Tories are trying to head off.
Another classic of FPTP and which, not unreasonably most voters will be unaware of when they go out to vote. They quite reasonably vote for their preferred option, have votes leftover use them for what they perceive to be the best of the rest and don't realize they have just unelected their preferred candidates.
Bonkers system.
FPTP works best with single member constituencies.
Using FPTP with multimember constituencies is just weird.
Douglas Ross now making global news. From Der Spiegel:-
"A senior Tory is distancing himself from Boris Johnson over the luxury renovation of his official apartment. An important party friend speaks about possible resignation.''
It was much easier for Baroness Davidson to pull this "who me gov? The Conservatives? Never heard of them." act than for a sitting Westminster MP.
Isn’t Douglas Ross just the Westminster leader of the Ruth Davidson party?
I expect if Bozo is found to have broken the ministerial code Ross will do a u-turn and find a way to walk back his comments. Rules are only there for everyone else , Bozo will just call it a witch-hunt and the cult will continue to cheer him on !
Hello Everyone and thank you TSE for this interesting article on Electoral Reform.
I voted Yes in AV referendum but perhaps mistakenly in the hope it was the first step towards PR.
As the No side won, they have unfairly used the result as validation against PR which it isn't as AV may be determined to be closer to FPTP than to PR.
Surely I am not the only to believe the way to achieve PR is for both 1&2 to happen. 1. Tories win GE 2024 with an overall majority. Most important meaning Labour then have lost 5 consecutive GEs. 2. Realizing they are likely to lose subsequent GE, Tories hang on till 2029 which results in no overall majority with Labour having most seats. Labour form either Coalition or Pact with Libdems who insist on PR preferably without referendum or grudgingly to having one first. Obviously this would depend on number of Labour MP supporters of PR at that time which I suspect could be a substantial number having lost 5 GEs. I suspect Labour would choose AMS as they did for Scotland and Wales 22 years ago.
In this scenario knowing they would have less seats in subsequent GE, Labour hang on till 2034 at which point we our first PR GE.
Kind regards
Pamela
The agument was going well enough, until it got towards the end. Not many people want AMS. Putting this forward just muddies the water.
And the other problem is that Labour are not to be trusted.
If the Man U fans get bored, could they please go down to Bristol and disrupt play?
I have a horrible feeling that's the only thing that can save Glaws from total humiliation here.
I think when I give up teaching - which I am planning to do in a year or so’s time unless the entirety of the DfE, OFSTED, OFQUAL and their fellow posh, stupid, lazy, rude, cowardly, selfish bullies like Topping and Roger all suffer painful and amusing accidents - I think I will go in for cricket commentary.
I just seem to have the most extraordinary talent for changing the course of events. Just imagine how exciting my commentary would make Test cricket. Why, it might even make the Hundred interesting.
No way should Gloucestershire have won that. But they did. And they now top Group 2. The toughest group.
Poor old Leicestershire though. What a disappointment. How often do you set 348 and lose?
Clegg was an idiot. He should have gone for a fundamental shake-up of voting in local elections only, then let that bed in for ten years before going for change in Westminster in a second bite.
Would the party have gone for that? They were in government for the first time in many many decades and might not ever have another chance. Like most MPs they probably forgot local elections existed and got tunnel vision on making a 'big' change regarding parliamentaries.
OK, not just Clegg. The entire Liberal Democrat Party were idiots. They would now have a massive and widespread presence of councillors and coalition councils able to feed into a broad-based push for Westminster seats.
Tactically naive for sure. It would have been far more palatable for the Tories for local government.
Indeed. It would have given the Tories a significant in to many councils in the cities and the north (with Labour similarly benefitting round Nick’s way, saving him having the grovel to the local LibDems to scrape him in), and hugely improved the vibrancy of local politics, making elections meaningful in areas currently taken for granted by the ruling party.
But the LibDem MPs were paranoid about being personally punished for the coalition, and thought that a system that gave them the second preferences of local Labour voters would see them home. An appallingly short term view of electoral reform, and one that overlooked the minor problem that the coalition left many Labour voters hating the LibDems even more than the Tories.
Yes, as a lifelong suppolrter of PR I've always thought the way forward was to have it for councils - monolithic one-party councils are objectively a bad thing (though of course splendid when it's our lot), as nearly everyone who isn't a fanatic recognises. Then when we've got used to that it'll feel less of a jump to switch for Westminster.
I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see Starmer offer it in return for LDs standing down in some target seats.
Slightly curious part of my latest election material (now at 8 LD, 4 Con, and 1 parish level indy) where it exhorts me to 'Vote Conservative and only Conservative', with 'only' underlined.
They don't have sufficient candidates for the ward and the other options are LDs or an Indy, so it seems self defeating to encourage me to not to even consider voting anyone else to 'stop' their main opponents, even if they could hardly advise me to vote for the Indy over the LDs. Feels like they could have talked about stopping the LDs, and let it be implied any extra non-conservative votes could go to that effort.
In an FPTnP multi-seat election, you are at a disadvantage if you don’t put up a full slate of candidates, since many of your voters will use their remaining vote(s) for your opponents. This is what your under-staffed Tories are trying to head off.
Another classic of FPTP and which, not unreasonably most voters will be unaware of when they go out to vote. They quite reasonably vote for their preferred option, have votes leftover use them for what they perceive to be the best of the rest and don't realize they have just unelected their preferred candidates.
Bonkers system.
And the example given above of a 16-candidate election for 15 places raises another interesting situation. Most voters feel obliged to use all of their given votes, and would feel they aren’t exercising their votes to the maximum if they cast fewer than the allowable maximum.
Yet casting fifteen votes among a field of sixteen is effectively a single negative vote for the candidate you like the least.
Assuming your motivation extends beyond excluding the village idiot from the council, this is clearly sub-optimal. All other things being equal, you have the most impact on an election result if you cast a number of votes roughly equal to half the field. That way, those you choose are advanced at the expense of those you don’t. Obviously, if you know and like more people, you cast more votes, and if fewer, then fewer votes. But casting all fifteen is most unlikely to be the optimal strategy, yet it is what many voters would feel they should do.
Clegg was an idiot. He should have gone for a fundamental shake-up of voting in local elections only, then let that bed in for ten years before going for change in Westminster in a second bite.
Would the party have gone for that? They were in government for the first time in many many decades and might not ever have another chance. Like most MPs they probably forgot local elections existed and got tunnel vision on making a 'big' change regarding parliamentaries.
OK, not just Clegg. The entire Liberal Democrat Party were idiots. They would now have a massive and widespread presence of councillors and coalition councils able to feed into a broad-based push for Westminster seats.
Tactically naive for sure. It would have been far more palatable for the Tories for local government.
Indeed. It would have given the Tories a significant in to many councils in the cities and the north (with Labour similarly benefitting round Nick’s way, saving him having the grovel to the local LibDems to scrape him in), and hugely improved the vibrancy of local politics, making elections meaningful in areas currently taken for granted by the ruling party.
But the LibDem MPs were paranoid about being personally punished for the coalition, and thought that a system that gave them the second preferences of local Labour voters would see them home. An appallingly short term view of electoral reform, and one that overlooked the minor problem that the coalition left many Labour voters hating the LibDems even more than the Tories.
Yes, as a lifelong suppolrter of PR I've always thought the way forward was to have it for councils - monolithic one-party councils are objectively a bad thing (though of course splendid when it's our lot), as nearly everyone who isn't a fanatic recognises. Then when we've got used to that it'll feel less of a jump to switch for Westminster.
I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see Starmer offer it in return for LDs standing down in some target seats.
Starmer needs to raise his sights a little; it is clearly going to take longer than it should for Labour to realise what is increasingly looking like the inevitable.
Other than simplifying the argument, LibDems standing down is unlikely to deliver much of an advantage to Labour candidates. Whereas the LibDems would face the risk that being tarnished in advance with a deal with Labour would make winning soft Tories over in their own targets more difficult.
Any understanding will face the same asymmetry that Blair and Ashdown faced; in electoral terms it is in Labour’s interest to help the LibDems along in a fair few Home Counties and West Country seats, whereas there is little the LibDems can do to return the electoral favour. The return for Labour arises because the benefit to them of removing those otherwise safe Tory MPs is at least as significant as it is for the LibDems.
If the Man U fans get bored, could they please go down to Bristol and disrupt play?
I have a horrible feeling that's the only thing that can save Glaws from total humiliation here.
I think when I give up teaching - which I am planning to do in a year or so’s time unless the entirety of the DfE, OFSTED, OFQUAL and their fellow posh, stupid, lazy, rude, cowardly, selfish bullies like Topping and Roger all suffer painful and amusing accidents - I think I will go in for cricket commentary.
I just seem to have the most extraordinary talent for changing the course of events. Just imagine how exciting my commentary would make Test cricket. Why, it might even make the Hundred interesting.
No way should Gloucestershire have won that. But they did. And they now top Group 2. The toughest group.
Poor old Leicestershire though. What a disappointment. How often do you set 348 and lose?
The shame of it is that there are also good teachers leaving as well as the dross like you.
Still, your never going to be pupils will be better off
Slightly curious part of my latest election material (now at 8 LD, 4 Con, and 1 parish level indy) where it exhorts me to 'Vote Conservative and only Conservative', with 'only' underlined.
They don't have sufficient candidates for the ward and the other options are LDs or an Indy, so it seems self defeating to encourage me to not to even consider voting anyone else to 'stop' their main opponents, even if they could hardly advise me to vote for the Indy over the LDs. Feels like they could have talked about stopping the LDs, and let it be implied any extra non-conservative votes could go to that effort.
In an FPTnP multi-seat election, you are at a disadvantage if you don’t put up a full slate of candidates, since many of your voters will use their remaining vote(s) for your opponents. This is what your under-staffed Tories are trying to head off.
Another classic of FPTP and which, not unreasonably most voters will be unaware of when they go out to vote. They quite reasonably vote for their preferred option, have votes leftover use them for what they perceive to be the best of the rest and don't realize they have just unelected their preferred candidates.
Bonkers system.
And the example given above of a 16-candidate election for 15 places raises another interesting situation. Most voters feel obliged to use all of their given votes, and would feel they aren’t exercising their votes to the maximum if they cast fewer than the allowable maximum.
Yet casting fifteen votes among a field of sixteen is effectively a single negative vote for the candidate you like the least.
Assuming your motivation extends beyond excluding the village idiot from the council, this is clearly sub-optimal. All other things being equal, you have the most impact on an election result if you cast a number of votes roughly equal to half the field. That way, those you choose are advanced at the expense of those you don’t. Obviously, if you know and like more people, you cast more votes, and if fewer, then fewer votes. But casting all fifteen is most unlikely to be the optimal strategy, yet it is what many voters would feel they should do.
In my parish Council we did have to have 6 votes for 7 candidates to get the village crazy off. It worked.
Douglas Ross now making global news. From Der Spiegel:-
"A senior Tory is distancing himself from Boris Johnson over the luxury renovation of his official apartment. An important party friend speaks about possible resignation.''
It was much easier for Baroness Davidson to pull this "who me gov? The Conservatives? Never heard of them." act than for a sitting Westminster MP.
Isn’t Douglas Ross just the Westminster leader of the Ruth Davidson party?
I expect if Bozo is found to have broken the ministerial code Ross will do a u-turn and find a way to walk back his comments. Rules are only there for everyone else , Bozo will just call it a witch-hunt and the cult will continue to cheer him on !
Ross resigned after Barnard Castle so I have to credit him with a level of genuine distaste for Boris.
In fact, Boris resigning is the Conservatives vest hope for stopping Sindy.
If the Man U fans get bored, could they please go down to Bristol and disrupt play?
I have a horrible feeling that's the only thing that can save Glaws from total humiliation here.
I think when I give up teaching - which I am planning to do in a year or so’s time unless the entirety of the DfE, OFSTED, OFQUAL and their fellow posh, stupid, lazy, rude, cowardly, selfish bullies like Topping and Roger all suffer painful and amusing accidents - I think I will go in for cricket commentary.
I just seem to have the most extraordinary talent for changing the course of events. Just imagine how exciting my commentary would make Test cricket. Why, it might even make the Hundred interesting.
No way should Gloucestershire have won that. But they did. And they now top Group 2. The toughest group.
Poor old Leicestershire though. What a disappointment. How often do you set 348 and lose?
The shame of it is that there are also good teachers leaving as well as the dross like you.
Still, your never going to be pupils will be better off
Well, they won’t be. Because I am a good teacher, and they like me.
But you know that, as you have been told slowly and distinctly in words of one syllable, and choose to lie about it. Repeatedly. Including by deliberately libelling me requiring intervention from the mods, which really does show what a scumbag you are.
So I was wrong. I missed out ‘hypocritical’ and ‘dishonest’ as well.
The tragedy is that you can’t see that it is loathsome people like you that are the problem. Why should we put up with trash talk from somebody who demands others work under conditions he could never face himself?
No wonder you are so sensitive on your record as an officer. Your character suggests you must have been a truly awful one, and I do feel desperately sorry for anyone who served under your command.
I’m going to go back to ignoring you because ultimately (1) you are not really aworth paying attention to for all the above mentioned reasons (as most other posters seem to think from the way they react to you) and (2) such quarrels are boring for everyone else.
But I wanted you to be clear, in that thing you call your brain, just how despicable you really are.
If the Man U fans get bored, could they please go down to Bristol and disrupt play?
I have a horrible feeling that's the only thing that can save Glaws from total humiliation here.
I think when I give up teaching - which I am planning to do in a year or so’s time unless the entirety of the DfE, OFSTED, OFQUAL and their fellow posh, stupid, lazy, rude, cowardly, selfish bullies like Topping and Roger all suffer painful and amusing accidents - I think I will go in for cricket commentary.
I just seem to have the most extraordinary talent for changing the course of events. Just imagine how exciting my commentary would make Test cricket. Why, it might even make the Hundred interesting.
No way should Gloucestershire have won that. But they did. And they now top Group 2. The toughest group.
Poor old Leicestershire though. What a disappointment. How often do you set 348 and lose?
The shame of it is that there are also good teachers leaving as well as the dross like you.
Still, your never going to be pupils will be better off
Well, they won’t be. Because I am a good teacher, and they like me.
But you know that, as you have been told slowly and distinctly in words of one syllable, and choose to lie about it. Repeatedly. Including by deliberately libelling me requiring intervention from the mods, which really does show what a scumbag you are.
So I was wrong. I missed out ‘hypocritical’ and ‘dishonest’ as well.
The tragedy is that you can’t see that it is loathsome people like you that are the problem. Why should we put up with trash talk from somebody who demands others work under conditions he could never face himself?
No wonder you are so sensitive on your record as an officer. Your character suggests you must have been a truly awful one, and I do feel desperately sorry for anyone who served under your command.
I’m going to go back to ignoring you because ultimately (1) you are not really aworth paying attention to for all the above mentioned reasons (as most other posters seem to think from the way they react to you) and (2) such quarrels are boring for everyone else.
But I wanted you to be clear, in that thing you call your brain, just how despicable you really are.
Ideally we would be able to go and watch it in a pub somewhere. But most will be ram packed. Ideally we would be able to find a quiet out of the way one with a screen.
If the Man U fans get bored, could they please go down to Bristol and disrupt play?
I have a horrible feeling that's the only thing that can save Glaws from total humiliation here.
I think when I give up teaching - which I am planning to do in a year or so’s time unless the entirety of the DfE, OFSTED, OFQUAL and their fellow posh, stupid, lazy, rude, cowardly, selfish bullies like Topping and Roger all suffer painful and amusing accidents - I think I will go in for cricket commentary.
I just seem to have the most extraordinary talent for changing the course of events. Just imagine how exciting my commentary would make Test cricket. Why, it might even make the Hundred interesting.
No way should Gloucestershire have won that. But they did. And they now top Group 2. The toughest group.
Poor old Leicestershire though. What a disappointment. How often do you set 348 and lose?
The shame of it is that there are also good teachers leaving as well as the dross like you.
Still, your never going to be pupils will be better off
So far impact of vaccines is dramatic in UK, pronounced in US, not at all visible in EU (I expect that to start changing this month)...UK ended up being exemplary not only in speed but also in prioritizing those at risk. In Italy notably those in 30-40 age group were vaccinated faster than 70-80. Result: Italy has been recording hundreds of deaths every day
I recall that we had a surprisingly straightline fall in UK numbers.
These are current EU daily death and case rates, which seem to show the start of straightline downward trends, and look more encouraging. But still about 6-8 weeks to go to choke off the current wave if this trend holds.
The EU lines will have a lot of smoothing from the 27 different samples.
One difficult question will be if early or fast unlockdowns stretch out the time.
I think that's about right, with (as you say) the proviso that different countries are going to have very different experiences,
Why does Latvia only have 14% of its population having had even a single dose of vaccine? While Finland (who's followed the UK strategy of using first doses as widely as possible) is up to 35%?
Generally, though, the EU is getting its shit together. Last week it went from 22.9% with at least one dose to 27.2% - so it remains about 10 to 12 weeks behind the UK.
Robert is there a reason you keep quoting percentage of adult figures, when most nations and international comparisons have been quoting numbers on a percentage of people basis?
He's quoting population ?
No he's not.
As of 1/5 the EU is at 24.2% with 1 dose. Not 27.2%.
The figures he keeps quoting as percentage of people are actually percentage of over 18s.
I also quote Israel and the UK as percentage of adult population - where I tend to be lazy is about distinguishing between 16+ and 18+.
And there's a very specific reason why I do that: the adult population is the addressable market. I want to see what proportion of people who could be jabbed, have been jabbed.
If the Man U fans get bored, could they please go down to Bristol and disrupt play?
I have a horrible feeling that's the only thing that can save Glaws from total humiliation here.
I think when I give up teaching - which I am planning to do in a year or so’s time unless the entirety of the DfE, OFSTED, OFQUAL and their fellow posh, stupid, lazy, rude, cowardly, selfish bullies like Topping and Roger all suffer painful and amusing accidents - I think I will go in for cricket commentary.
I just seem to have the most extraordinary talent for changing the course of events. Just imagine how exciting my commentary would make Test cricket. Why, it might even make the Hundred interesting.
No way should Gloucestershire have won that. But they did. And they now top Group 2. The toughest group.
Poor old Leicestershire though. What a disappointment. How often do you set 348 and lose?
The shame of it is that there are also good teachers leaving as well as the dross like you.
Still, your never going to be pupils will be better off
And you sir are an ass
LOL x2
I appreciate yer man needs assistance. Just proves my point that he's not up to the job.
Ideally we would be able to go and watch it in a pub somewhere. But most will be ram packed. Ideally we would be able to find a quiet out of the way one with a screen.
If the Man U fans get bored, could they please go down to Bristol and disrupt play?
I have a horrible feeling that's the only thing that can save Glaws from total humiliation here.
I think when I give up teaching - which I am planning to do in a year or so’s time unless the entirety of the DfE, OFSTED, OFQUAL and their fellow posh, stupid, lazy, rude, cowardly, selfish bullies like Topping and Roger all suffer painful and amusing accidents - I think I will go in for cricket commentary.
I just seem to have the most extraordinary talent for changing the course of events. Just imagine how exciting my commentary would make Test cricket. Why, it might even make the Hundred interesting.
No way should Gloucestershire have won that. But they did. And they now top Group 2. The toughest group.
Poor old Leicestershire though. What a disappointment. How often do you set 348 and lose?
The shame of it is that there are also good teachers leaving as well as the dross like you.
Still, your never going to be pupils will be better off
Well, they won’t be. Because I am a good teacher, and they like me.
But you know that, as you have been told slowly and distinctly in words of one syllable, and choose to lie about it. Repeatedly. Including by deliberately libelling me requiring intervention from the mods, which really does show what a scumbag you are.
So I was wrong. I missed out ‘hypocritical’ and ‘dishonest’ as well.
The tragedy is that you can’t see that it is loathsome people like you that are the problem. Why should we put up with trash talk from somebody who demands others work under conditions he could never face himself?
No wonder you are so sensitive on your record as an officer. Your character suggests you must have been a truly awful one, and I do feel desperately sorry for anyone who served under your command.
I’m going to go back to ignoring you because ultimately (1) you are not really aworth paying attention to for all the above mentioned reasons (as most other posters seem to think from the way they react to you) and (2) such quarrels are boring for everyone else.
But I wanted you to be clear, in that thing you call your brain, just how despicable you really are.
Good evening, and good bye.
The problem with the officer class is that they rarely have any.
Is that finishing already? Feels like only yesterday that people starting banging on about it.
BBC still incapable of doing a full length series I'm guessing?
Philip we get your view of the BBC but that doesn't mean everything it produces is no good. Around an unprecedented 11m people will be tuning in tonight including yours truly. Just accept that people believe the BBC offers good quality programming and move on.
If the Man U fans get bored, could they please go down to Bristol and disrupt play?
I have a horrible feeling that's the only thing that can save Glaws from total humiliation here.
I think when I give up teaching - which I am planning to do in a year or so’s time unless the entirety of the DfE, OFSTED, OFQUAL and their fellow posh, stupid, lazy, rude, cowardly, selfish bullies like Topping and Roger all suffer painful and amusing accidents - I think I will go in for cricket commentary.
I just seem to have the most extraordinary talent for changing the course of events. Just imagine how exciting my commentary would make Test cricket. Why, it might even make the Hundred interesting.
No way should Gloucestershire have won that. But they did. And they now top Group 2. The toughest group.
Poor old Leicestershire though. What a disappointment. How often do you set 348 and lose?
The shame of it is that there are also good teachers leaving as well as the dross like you.
Still, your never going to be pupils will be better off
Well, they won’t be. Because I am a good teacher, and they like me.
But you know that, as you have been told slowly and distinctly in words of one syllable, and choose to lie about it. Repeatedly. Including by deliberately libelling me requiring intervention from the mods, which really does show what a scumbag you are.
So I was wrong. I missed out ‘hypocritical’ and ‘dishonest’ as well.
The tragedy is that you can’t see that it is loathsome people like you that are the problem. Why should we put up with trash talk from somebody who demands others work under conditions he could never face himself?
No wonder you are so sensitive on your record as an officer. Your character suggests you must have been a truly awful one, and I do feel desperately sorry for anyone who served under your command.
I’m going to go back to ignoring you because ultimately (1) you are not really aworth paying attention to for all the above mentioned reasons (as most other posters seem to think from the way they react to you) and (2) such quarrels are boring for everyone else.
But I wanted you to be clear, in that thing you call your brain, just how despicable you really are.
Good evening, and good bye.
The problem with the officer class is that they rarely have any.
Ideally we would be able to go and watch it in a pub somewhere. But most will be ram packed. Ideally we would be able to find a quiet out of the way one with a screen.
If the Man U fans get bored, could they please go down to Bristol and disrupt play?
I have a horrible feeling that's the only thing that can save Glaws from total humiliation here.
I think when I give up teaching - which I am planning to do in a year or so’s time unless the entirety of the DfE, OFSTED, OFQUAL and their fellow posh, stupid, lazy, rude, cowardly, selfish bullies like Topping and Roger all suffer painful and amusing accidents - I think I will go in for cricket commentary.
I just seem to have the most extraordinary talent for changing the course of events. Just imagine how exciting my commentary would make Test cricket. Why, it might even make the Hundred interesting.
No way should Gloucestershire have won that. But they did. And they now top Group 2. The toughest group.
Poor old Leicestershire though. What a disappointment. How often do you set 348 and lose?
The shame of it is that there are also good teachers leaving as well as the dross like you.
Still, your never going to be pupils will be better off
And you sir are an ass
I’ve got to say I think that’s a bit harsh, Eek.
I’ve known some truly lovely donkeys. Patient, friendly, kindly, hard working. Always wanting a fuss made.
I’ve never known why they get such a bad press. OK, so they’re never going to win the Brain of Britain but at least they are useful members of the biosphere.
If the Man U fans get bored, could they please go down to Bristol and disrupt play?
I have a horrible feeling that's the only thing that can save Glaws from total humiliation here.
I think when I give up teaching - which I am planning to do in a year or so’s time unless the entirety of the DfE, OFSTED, OFQUAL and their fellow posh, stupid, lazy, rude, cowardly, selfish bullies like Topping and Roger all suffer painful and amusing accidents - I think I will go in for cricket commentary.
I just seem to have the most extraordinary talent for changing the course of events. Just imagine how exciting my commentary would make Test cricket. Why, it might even make the Hundred interesting.
No way should Gloucestershire have won that. But they did. And they now top Group 2. The toughest group.
Poor old Leicestershire though. What a disappointment. How often do you set 348 and lose?
The shame of it is that there are also good teachers leaving as well as the dross like you.
Still, your never going to be pupils will be better off
Well, they won’t be. Because I am a good teacher, and they like me.
But you know that, as you have been told slowly and distinctly in words of one syllable, and choose to lie about it. Repeatedly. Including by deliberately libelling me requiring intervention from the mods, which really does show what a scumbag you are.
So I was wrong. I missed out ‘hypocritical’ and ‘dishonest’ as well.
The tragedy is that you can’t see that it is loathsome people like you that are the problem. Why should we put up with trash talk from somebody who demands others work under conditions he could never face himself?
No wonder you are so sensitive on your record as an officer. Your character suggests you must have been a truly awful one, and I do feel desperately sorry for anyone who served under your command.
I’m going to go back to ignoring you because ultimately (1) you are not really aworth paying attention to for all the above mentioned reasons (as most other posters seem to think from the way they react to you) and (2) such quarrels are boring for everyone else.
But I wanted you to be clear, in that thing you call your brain, just how despicable you really are.
Good evening, and good bye.
The problem with the officer class is that they rarely have any.
If you want to cite Manchester as an example of the inequity of FPTP, I'll raise you the London Borough of Newham. In 2018, Labour won 67% of the vote and every single seat - all 60.
So, that two thirds of the votes and 100% of the power. The one third of electors who voted for parties other than Labour (Conservative, LD, Green or whatever) got nothing at all - no representation, no voice.
One of the reasons I'm a supporter of PR at local elections in particular is my belief local democracy, accountability and transparency benefits from a plurality of voices. I'm not for example arguing Labour has no mandate to run Newham - clearly 67% of the vote is a mandate and a majority. Had Labour won 41 seats out of 60, they'd still have that majority, that control.
However, the other 19 Councillors would represent the other strands of opinion, the other voices in the Borough which aren't Labour. There would be an opposition in the Council Chamber whose views would be heard and reported. As it is, there's nothing. That to me is manifestly wrong.
The argument for PR at Westminster is different and I'm not wholly convinced but at local level I am and I would say the same applies to Councils with overwhelming Conservative, LD or Ratepayer control. Having Council chambers which represent the true profile of votes rather than the FPTP outcome would, I think, lead to a re-invigoration of local democracy and that's not the worst argument.
Is that finishing already? Feels like only yesterday that people starting banging on about it.
BBC still incapable of doing a full length series I'm guessing?
It's a perfect length. Taut. But if you want a marathon the best thing is to binge the whole thing from year dot on iplayer. Assuming you've paid the license fee.
If the Man U fans get bored, could they please go down to Bristol and disrupt play?
I have a horrible feeling that's the only thing that can save Glaws from total humiliation here.
I think when I give up teaching - which I am planning to do in a year or so’s time unless the entirety of the DfE, OFSTED, OFQUAL and their fellow posh, stupid, lazy, rude, cowardly, selfish bullies like Topping and Roger all suffer painful and amusing accidents - I think I will go in for cricket commentary.
I just seem to have the most extraordinary talent for changing the course of events. Just imagine how exciting my commentary would make Test cricket. Why, it might even make the Hundred interesting.
No way should Gloucestershire have won that. But they did. And they now top Group 2. The toughest group.
Poor old Leicestershire though. What a disappointment. How often do you set 348 and lose?
The shame of it is that there are also good teachers leaving as well as the dross like you.
Still, your never going to be pupils will be better off
Well, they won’t be. Because I am a good teacher, and they like me.
But you know that, as you have been told slowly and distinctly in words of one syllable, and choose to lie about it. Repeatedly. Including by deliberately libelling me requiring intervention from the mods, which really does show what a scumbag you are.
So I was wrong. I missed out ‘hypocritical’ and ‘dishonest’ as well.
The tragedy is that you can’t see that it is loathsome people like you that are the problem. Why should we put up with trash talk from somebody who demands others work under conditions he could never face himself?
No wonder you are so sensitive on your record as an officer. Your character suggests you must have been a truly awful one, and I do feel desperately sorry for anyone who served under your command.
I’m going to go back to ignoring you because ultimately (1) you are not really aworth paying attention to for all the above mentioned reasons (as most other posters seem to think from the way they react to you) and (2) such quarrels are boring for everyone else.
But I wanted you to be clear, in that thing you call your brain, just how despicable you really are.
Good evening, and good bye.
The problem with the officer class is that they rarely have any.
If the Man U fans get bored, could they please go down to Bristol and disrupt play?
I have a horrible feeling that's the only thing that can save Glaws from total humiliation here.
I think when I give up teaching - which I am planning to do in a year or so’s time unless the entirety of the DfE, OFSTED, OFQUAL and their fellow posh, stupid, lazy, rude, cowardly, selfish bullies like Topping and Roger all suffer painful and amusing accidents - I think I will go in for cricket commentary.
I just seem to have the most extraordinary talent for changing the course of events. Just imagine how exciting my commentary would make Test cricket. Why, it might even make the Hundred interesting.
No way should Gloucestershire have won that. But they did. And they now top Group 2. The toughest group.
Poor old Leicestershire though. What a disappointment. How often do you set 348 and lose?
The shame of it is that there are also good teachers leaving as well as the dross like you.
Still, your never going to be pupils will be better off
Well, they won’t be. Because I am a good teacher, and they like me.
But you know that, as you have been told slowly and distinctly in words of one syllable, and choose to lie about it. Repeatedly. Including by deliberately libelling me requiring intervention from the mods, which really does show what a scumbag you are.
So I was wrong. I missed out ‘hypocritical’ and ‘dishonest’ as well.
The tragedy is that you can’t see that it is loathsome people like you that are the problem. Why should we put up with trash talk from somebody who demands others work under conditions he could never face himself?
No wonder you are so sensitive on your record as an officer. Your character suggests you must have been a truly awful one, and I do feel desperately sorry for anyone who served under your command.
I’m going to go back to ignoring you because ultimately (1) you are not really aworth paying attention to for all the above mentioned reasons (as most other posters seem to think from the way they react to you) and (2) such quarrels are boring for everyone else.
But I wanted you to be clear, in that thing you call your brain, just how despicable you really are.
Good evening, and good bye.
LOL tl/dr: the truth hurts.
Good luck in your new career.
And your qualifications for pronouncing on the situation of teachers are what, exactly ?
(& FWIW, I wish I’d had a history teacher as good as @ydoethur when I was in school,)
Ideally we would be able to go and watch it in a pub somewhere. But most will be ram packed. Ideally we would be able to find a quiet out of the way one with a screen.
Any ideas?
It won't be Hastings.
I still don't fully understand the £50,000.
At the end of last series 100k was recovered from the OCG gang but Hastings kept the 50K and gave it to the widow of the officer played by Stephen Graham
If the Man U fans get bored, could they please go down to Bristol and disrupt play?
I have a horrible feeling that's the only thing that can save Glaws from total humiliation here.
I think when I give up teaching - which I am planning to do in a year or so’s time unless the entirety of the DfE, OFSTED, OFQUAL and their fellow posh, stupid, lazy, rude, cowardly, selfish bullies like Topping and Roger all suffer painful and amusing accidents - I think I will go in for cricket commentary.
I just seem to have the most extraordinary talent for changing the course of events. Just imagine how exciting my commentary would make Test cricket. Why, it might even make the Hundred interesting.
No way should Gloucestershire have won that. But they did. And they now top Group 2. The toughest group.
Poor old Leicestershire though. What a disappointment. How often do you set 348 and lose?
The shame of it is that there are also good teachers leaving as well as the dross like you.
Still, your never going to be pupils will be better off
And you sir are an ass
I’ve got to say I think that’s a bit harsh, Eek.
I’ve known some truly lovely donkeys. Patient, friendly, kindly, hard working. Always wanting a fuss made.
I’ve never known why they get such a bad press. OK, so they’re never going to win the Brain of Britain but at least they are useful members of the biosphere.
Listen @ydoethur it seems that an earlier post of mine upset you. If so I'm truly sorry. I didn't mean for it to have done.
I actually don't mind if you're not up to the job of teaching and I apologise if I gave the impression that I did. Everyone has their uses and I have great confidence that you'll find yours.
Hello Everyone and thank you TSE for this interesting article on Electoral Reform.
I voted Yes in AV referendum but perhaps mistakenly in the hope it was the first step towards PR.
As the No side won, they have unfairly used the result as validation against PR which it isn't as AV may be determined to be closer to FPTP than to PR.
Surely I am not the only to believe the way to achieve PR is for both 1&2 to happen. 1. Tories win GE 2024 with an overall majority. Most important meaning Labour then have lost 5 consecutive GEs. 2. Realizing they are likely to lose subsequent GE, Tories hang on till 2029 which results in no overall majority with Labour having most seats. Labour form either Coalition or Pact with Libdems who insist on PR preferably without referendum or grudgingly to having one first. Obviously this would depend on number of Labour MP supporters of PR at that time which I suspect could be a substantial number having lost 5 GEs. I suspect Labour would choose AMS as they did for Scotland and Wales 22 years ago.
In this scenario knowing they would have less seats in subsequent GE, Labour hang on till 2034 at which point we our first PR GE.
Kind regards
Pamela
Pamela, welcome! Though I fear you may be toooooooo polite for the likes of us - pretty rough trade hereabouts, with more than our share of wide-boys (in more than one sense).
May please you to know, that in yesterday's local special elections in Texas, voters in city of Austin voted in favor of Ranked Choice Voting (up to five preferences, just like New York City) for municipal elections. Though unclear IF the Texas legislature will go along and allow it; not exactly what you'd call a progressive outfit, especially at present moment.
Is that finishing already? Feels like only yesterday that people starting banging on about it.
BBC still incapable of doing a full length series I'm guessing?
Philip we get your view of the BBC but that doesn't mean everything it produces is no good. Around an unprecedented 11m people will be tuning in tonight including yours truly. Just accept that people believe the BBC offers good quality programming and move on.
Oh I have no doubt that the BBC is capable of making about 4 hours of what people consider to be good TV a year.
I just don't think that's good value for money at all.
Ideally we would be able to go and watch it in a pub somewhere. But most will be ram packed. Ideally we would be able to find a quiet out of the way one with a screen.
Any ideas?
It won't be Hastings.
I still don't fully understand the £50,000.
At the end of last series 100k was recovered from the OCG gang but Hastings kept the 50K and gave it to the widow of the officer played by Stephen Graham
Ah! Thanks. So a good 'un. Did he keep the other half? I know he had money problems. But isn't he supposed to be whiter than white?
Comments
8.00pm KO beckoning
F1: race started fairly well then petered out a bit.
Astonished at the turn around in Russell's pace from qualifying to the race. Writing it up a bit later than usual (not started yet).
I voted Yes in AV referendum but perhaps mistakenly in the hope it was the first step towards PR.
As the No side won, they have unfairly used the result as validation against PR which it isn't as AV may be determined to be closer to FPTP than to PR.
Surely I am not the only to believe the way to achieve PR is for both 1&2 to happen.
1. Tories win GE 2024 with an overall majority. Most important meaning Labour then have lost 5 consecutive GEs.
2. Realizing they are likely to lose subsequent GE, Tories hang on till 2029 which results in no overall majority with Labour having most seats. Labour form either Coalition or Pact with Libdems who insist on PR preferably without referendum or grudgingly to having one first. Obviously this would depend on number of Labour MP supporters of PR at that time which I suspect could be a substantial number having lost 5 GEs. I suspect Labour would choose AMS as they did for Scotland and Wales 22 years ago.
In this scenario knowing they would have less seats in subsequent GE, Labour hang on till 2034 at which point we our first PR GE.
Kind regards
Pamela
As of 1/5 the EU is at 24.2% with 1 dose. Not 27.2%.
The figures he keeps quoting as percentage of people are actually percentage of over 18s.
If it kicks off after 7pm then it clashes with Line Of Duty and that isn't permissible.
Hopefully by Thursday you'll be back off it if so.
"A senior Tory is distancing himself from Boris Johnson over the luxury renovation of his official apartment. An important party friend speaks about possible resignation.''
https://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/boris-johnson-ranghoher-tory-vertreter-geht-auf-distanz-a-2fe96aaf-a390-48dd-9bc8-0e030ee830be
If he has broken the ministerial code then I believe he has to resign
However, it is amusing how 'cross' he gets his opponents and if he goes I would miss that
https://enormo-haddock.blogspot.com/2021/05/portugal-post-race-analysis-2021.html
Straight line pace advantage was pretty handy for Mercedes.
It is wrong to mix the two up.
If you think it is population I would be curious to see any primary source saying 27.2% of population instead of 27.2% of over 18s.
Betcha there is no crowd. Whenever it is.
What about overseas TV rights?
We know how the scenario of Labour promising reform in opposition - and even starting work on it in government - ends, once they start to believe they can regularly win majorities under the current system.
The route to reform is Labour realising it can never win a majority again, coupled with the Tories being discredited enough that they don’t win one themselves.
You can’t fault the clown for making a decent start to bring this about. It now needs Labour to do its bit.
Apparently police say not safe to play the game
They don't have sufficient candidates for the ward and the other options are LDs or an Indy, so it seems self defeating to encourage me to not to even consider voting anyone else to 'stop' their main opponents, even if they could hardly advise me to vote for the Indy over the LDs. Feels like they could have talked about stopping the LDs, and let it be implied any extra non-conservative votes could go to that effort.
Boris is PM and I agree with Douglas Ross that as PM, if he has broken the ministerial code then he should resign
If you read that link it explicitly says that it is percentage of 18+ not percentage of population.
https://qap.ecdc.europa.eu/public/extensions/COVID-19/vaccine-tracker-mobile.html#uptake-tab
But the LibDem MPs were paranoid about being personally punished for the coalition, and thought that a system that gave them the second preferences of local Labour voters would see them home. An appallingly short term view of electoral reform, and one that overlooked the minor problem that the coalition left many Labour voters hating the LibDems even more than the Tories.
Eg France shows 26.7 while Our World In Data shows 22.9
Not sure why the Latvia numbers line up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h5mErP1E6A
US Senator Mitt Romney has been booed by Republicans at a convention in Utah.
The Utah senator and former presidential candidate was the only Republican to vote twice to impeach ex-President Donald Trump.
As Mr Romney took the stage at a state party convention in West Valley City, delegates shouted that he was a "communist" and a "traitor".
Amid the jeering, he asked the crowd: "So what do you think about President Biden's first hundred days?"
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-56963053
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOpALsjZMPg
Bonkers system.
Using FPTP with multimember constituencies is just weird.
And the other problem is that Labour are not to be trusted.
I just seem to have the most extraordinary talent for changing the course of events. Just imagine how exciting my commentary would make Test cricket. Why, it might even make the Hundred interesting.
No way should Gloucestershire have won that. But they did. And they now top Group 2. The toughest group.
Poor old Leicestershire though. What a disappointment. How often do you set 348 and lose?
I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see Starmer offer it in return for LDs standing down in some target seats.
Yet casting fifteen votes among a field of sixteen is effectively a single negative vote for the candidate you like the least.
Assuming your motivation extends beyond excluding the village idiot from the council, this is clearly sub-optimal. All other things being equal, you have the most impact on an election result if you cast a number of votes roughly equal to half the field. That way, those you choose are advanced at the expense of those you don’t. Obviously, if you know and like more people, you cast more votes, and if fewer, then fewer votes. But casting all fifteen is most unlikely to be the optimal strategy, yet it is what many voters would feel they should do.
Other than simplifying the argument, LibDems standing down is unlikely to deliver much of an advantage to Labour candidates. Whereas the LibDems would face the risk that being tarnished in advance with a deal with Labour would make winning soft Tories over in their own targets more difficult.
Any understanding will face the same asymmetry that Blair and Ashdown faced; in electoral terms it is in Labour’s interest to help the LibDems along in a fair few Home Counties and West Country seats, whereas there is little the LibDems can do to return the electoral favour. The return for Labour arises because the benefit to them of removing those otherwise safe Tory MPs is at least as significant as it is for the LibDems.
I never watch the results show live as I know the result beforehand.
Nobody seems to have told Messrs Johnson, Williamson, Burgon...
his oldchef jobback.Still, your never going to be pupils will be better off
In fact, Boris resigning is the Conservatives vest hope for stopping Sindy.
This is not that. The French target for 15 June is to make it to where the UK was on 27 March - a week before Easter.
https://twitter.com/PaulMainwood/status/1388913719971885058?s=20
But you know that, as you have been told slowly and distinctly in words of one syllable, and choose to lie about it. Repeatedly. Including by deliberately libelling me requiring intervention from the mods, which really does show what a scumbag you are.
So I was wrong. I missed out ‘hypocritical’ and ‘dishonest’ as well.
The tragedy is that you can’t see that it is loathsome people like you that are the problem. Why should we put up with trash talk from somebody who demands others work under conditions he could never face himself?
No wonder you are so sensitive on your record as an officer. Your character suggests you must have been a truly awful one, and I do feel desperately sorry for anyone who served under your command.
I’m going to go back to ignoring you because ultimately (1) you are not really aworth paying attention to for all the above mentioned reasons (as most other posters seem to think from the way they react to you) and (2) such quarrels are boring for everyone else.
But I wanted you to be clear, in that thing you call your brain, just how despicable you really are.
Good evening, and good bye.
Good luck in your new career.
Definately the TV event of the year.
https://twitter.com/MattChorley/status/1388871153922580483?s=20
Ideally we would be able to go and watch it in a pub somewhere. But most will be ram packed. Ideally we would be able to find a quiet out of the way one with a screen.
Any ideas?
BBC still incapable of doing a full length series I'm guessing?
And there's a very specific reason why I do that: the adult population is the addressable market. I want to see what proportion of people who could be jabbed, have been jabbed.
I appreciate yer man needs assistance. Just proves my point that he's not up to the job.
I’ve known some truly lovely donkeys. Patient, friendly, kindly, hard working. Always wanting a fuss made.
I’ve never known why they get such a bad press. OK, so they’re never going to win the Brain of Britain but at least they are useful members of the biosphere.
If you want to cite Manchester as an example of the inequity of FPTP, I'll raise you the London Borough of Newham. In 2018, Labour won 67% of the vote and every single seat - all 60.
So, that two thirds of the votes and 100% of the power. The one third of electors who voted for parties other than Labour (Conservative, LD, Green or whatever) got nothing at all - no representation, no voice.
One of the reasons I'm a supporter of PR at local elections in particular is my belief local democracy, accountability and transparency benefits from a plurality of voices. I'm not for example arguing Labour has no mandate to run Newham - clearly 67% of the vote is a mandate and a majority. Had Labour won 41 seats out of 60, they'd still have that majority, that control.
However, the other 19 Councillors would represent the other strands of opinion, the other voices in the Borough which aren't Labour. There would be an opposition in the Council Chamber whose views would be heard and reported. As it is, there's nothing. That to me is manifestly wrong.
The argument for PR at Westminster is different and I'm not wholly convinced but at local level I am and I would say the same applies to Councils with overwhelming Conservative, LD or Ratepayer control. Having Council chambers which represent the true profile of votes rather than the FPTP outcome would, I think, lead to a re-invigoration of local democracy and that's not the worst argument.
(& FWIW, I wish I’d had a history teacher as good as @ydoethur when I was in school,)
I actually don't mind if you're not up to the job of teaching and I apologise if I gave the impression that I did. Everyone has their uses and I have great confidence that you'll find yours.
May please you to know, that in yesterday's local special elections in Texas, voters in city of Austin voted in favor of Ranked Choice Voting (up to five preferences, just like New York City) for municipal elections. Though unclear IF the Texas legislature will go along and allow it; not exactly what you'd call a progressive outfit, especially at present moment.
I just don't think that's good value for money at all.