What first attracted you to the amoral, complicit scumbag that never takes responsibility for anything?
Isn't Petronella mother to one of the Boris Babies? I don't ask out of prurient curiosity but for the possibility it might embroil him in the Epstein affair which would be great news. If Cummings doesn't get him that might open a second front
No. Petronella is the one who had an abortion and miscarriage, and over whom Boris was sacked by Michael Howard. I really cannot imagine Boris being tied up with Epstein and its not being reported already. It is hardly as if the man can pass unnoticed in a crowd.
What first attracted you to the amoral, complicit scumbag that never takes responsibility for anything?
Isn't Petronella mother to one of the Boris Babies? I don't ask out of prurient curiosity but for the possibility it might embroil him in the Epstein affair which would be great news. If Cummings doesn't get him that might open a second front
That florid 'eyes the colour of Verveine' - something of a Borisism in itself - seems rather jarring in the context.
Standards Commissioner - you have broken the code of conduct MPs - no he hasn't (phew!)
Its the same nonsense as Patel and Hancock being found breaking the ministerial code and then the PM saying no they haven't. Or the forthcoming investigation into wallpaper-gate where they will find the PM guilty of breaking the ministerial code and then the PM will say no I haven't.
Once upon a time there used to be a Conservative Party who believed in standards, decency and the rule of law. Wherever did they go, and when the party post-Johnson painfully has to rebuild public trust in these basics will they come back?
Everyone is right about all of this, but there is no way that people taking free hols off mates is going to resonate with voters.
Of course not! Its just that when the lack of consideration for standards and the rule of law starts to impact people enough for it to resonate, it will already be too late.
The appeal isn't to try and move opinion polls. It is to move the remaining Tories with a shred of basic decency and honour to get the lying clown to behave himself.
While I accept your premise that the percentage of gay people is not homogenous across all professions it is also inconceivable that the number in football is so low that it appears to be zero.
Also yes people don't come out because of the negative reaction to them coming out whether that be fans, team mates, or the media. Why else would they not? There clearly is an issue in football as there is/was with race.
I guess we have to go through the stages of people coming out so that it is accepted before we can get to my original point which is people do not need to come out, because coming out is of no interest to anyone, a bit like a straight person declaring they are straight - who cares?
I suspect that being an out gay footballer would be met with a shrug, and little more than a bit of shower banter from the players. Times have moved on.
Fans too, where Pride events, flags etc go unremarked in crowds, indeed after one Leicester match the season before last, much of the crowd drifted up to Vicky Park for Leicester Pride to party into the night.
Its remarkable how fast the attitude towards LGB people has transformed. In the space of a generation its completely changed and now its basically embarrassing if anyone has an issue with them. Its really a change for the better.
I left the T off deliberately as the awkward collission between T rights and Women's Rights is an unresolved issue.
LGB rights could always be resolved by live and let live. The problem with Transgender and Women's rights is that I don't believe it can be resolved in the same way. For example, if transgender (male to female) athletes are allowed to compete against women then that is a lost battle for women's rights. I don't see how this can really be resolved. I'd love to hear a solution if someone has one!
Leave it to each sport to sort it out themselves rather than the politicians imposing something on them with the assumption that their side is right and that translates effectively across a load of very different sports.
It's not even like Sue Barker was the worst thing about QoS
That guy seems to rival James Cordon in light-entertainment ubiquity. But does anyone actually like him? I've never known of anyone who does. (I'm referring to McGuinness in this instance.)
He’s the annoying one on Top Gear, isn’t he?
You’ll have to narrow that down a bit..
Ha! Yes, he was the twunt I was thinking of.
I actually don’t mind Flintoff, at least he’s achieved something in his life and has a decent sense of humour. Paddy is just annoying though.
I do find it amusing that they went through so many iterations of presenters, then decided that only one of the three needed to have any experience as an automotive journalist.
I find it unwatchable. It turns out I only tuned in for the comedy, and I don’t care that much about cars.
Indeed I now realize I only tuned in for Clarkson. He is a comic genius, and uniquely gifted at deadpan TV delivery - as the farm show proves.
May and Hammond are two of the luckiest presenters in TV history. Insanely rich because of the third guy.
On topic, the Liberal Democrats will gain traction if, (1) they are seen as the "safe" option of sensible moderate Government and fiscal rectitude, (2) they avoid the temptation to focus on their culture war obsessions whilst the Conservatives do not, and, (3) a Labour Government doesn't look too threatening come 2023/24.
Mustique report is is as devastating as a report that doesn't find him guilty can be.
One day somebody will be able to explain how it is that Johnson managed to convince so many people that the rules that apply to everyone else don't apply to him. It's a mystery to me.
It's an interesting question. Perhaps part of it is that the people knew he was like this when he was elected. He has not spent years arguing for such rules, only to break them. It's expected (sadly). It's priced in.
Then there's the fact that his opponents often over-egg the pudding, as we see with some on here. Making Johnson out to be evil is wrong, and can be seen to be wrong.
Also, his failings are very human.
He's also different from other politicians, and he delivered something (Brexit) he promised - a task many politicians fail at. If he has to break the rules a little to get there, so what?
Now, I disagree with much of the above - but I can see how people might feel it.
I have come to the conclusion Johnson is good at politics, an OK but over-rated hack and bad at everything else. This is includes government and, specifically "delivering Brexit". Cameron accidentally "delivered Brexit". Johnson just made it worse than it needed to be. He is also not a very nice person, although he is not alone amongst politicians in that respect.
But he is good at politics and that, after all, is his job.
It's not even like Sue Barker was the worst thing about QoS
That guy seems to rival James Cordon in light-entertainment ubiquity. But does anyone actually like him? I've never known of anyone who does. (I'm referring to McGuinness in this instance.)
He’s the annoying one on Top Gear, isn’t he?
You’ll have to narrow that down a bit..
Ha! Yes, he was the twunt I was thinking of.
I actually don’t mind Flintoff, at least he’s achieved something in his life and has a decent sense of humour. Paddy is just annoying though.
I do find it amusing that they went through so many iterations of presenters, then decided that only one of the three needed to have any experience as an automotive journalist.
I find it unwatchable. It turns out I only tuned in for the comedy, and I don’t care that much about cars.
Indeed I now realize I only tuned in for Clarkson. He is a comic genius, and uniquely gifted at deadpan TV delivery - as the farm show proves.
May and Hammond are two of the luckiest presenters in TV history. Insanely rich because of the third guy.
The Corbett and Ernie de nos jours. But probably necessary also tbf to them.
While I accept your premise that the percentage of gay people is not homogenous across all professions it is also inconceivable that the number in football is so low that it appears to be zero.
Also yes people don't come out because of the negative reaction to them coming out whether that be fans, team mates, or the media. Why else would they not? There clearly is an issue in football as there is/was with race.
I guess we have to go through the stages of people coming out so that it is accepted before we can get to my original point which is people do not need to come out, because coming out is of no interest to anyone, a bit like a straight person declaring they are straight - who cares?
I suspect that being an out gay footballer would be met with a shrug, and little more than a bit of shower banter from the players. Times have moved on.
Fans too, where Pride events, flags etc go unremarked in crowds, indeed after one Leicester match the season before last, much of the crowd drifted up to Vicky Park for Leicester Pride to party into the night.
Its remarkable how fast the attitude towards LGB people has transformed. In the space of a generation its completely changed and now its basically embarrassing if anyone has an issue with them. Its really a change for the better.
I left the T off deliberately as the awkward collission between T rights and Women's Rights is an unresolved issue.
LGB rights could always be resolved by live and let live. The problem with Transgender and Women's rights is that I don't believe it can be resolved in the same way. For example, if transgender (male to female) athletes are allowed to compete against women then that is a lost battle for women's rights. I don't see how this can really be resolved. I'd love to hear a solution if someone has one!
One option might be to end gender classification for some sports, and replace it with a boxing like height/weight qualification
So you'd solve the problem by abolishing women's sports?
Naah, just redefine them as short-arsed, lightweight men. I see no problem with that.
edit: except Sunak seeking wider exposure at Wimbledon in the Ladies' Singles.
‘I am very anti Brexit, but Jesus can we enjoy the England team winning and achieving a final for the first time in 55 years? These responses are horrendous’
‘I am very anti Brexit, but Jesus can we enjoy the England team winning and achieving a final for the first time in 55 years? These responses are horrendous’
Agree with this. I think the next election is going to feature some very interesting results in prosperous areas of the South. Most of the Tories I know through work are now ex Tories. Things like the "citizens of nowhere" speech went down like a bucket of cold sick on the trading floor. But the media are still engaged in their anthropological expeditions to Leaveland.
Confirmation bias. Given how raw your politics are Tories that disagree with you simply won't talk to you.
Yes. There is little polling data supporting the increasing anti Tory in the south thesis.
Unlike many people, I've been feeling much more confident this year than last. Perhaps it's the vaccination campaign, or the fact we're slowly heading out of this mess.
But much of it is that we no longer have to listen to whatever random 'thoughts' pass through Trump's mind. I mean, I'm not an American, but the absence of the orange buffoon from the public scene is cheering.
You make a very good point. For us in the UK though the malignity is only half removed. If Johnson had followed his mentor I'm sure the Brexit divisiveness might also disappear
I have to disagree on this. Johnson is no Trump.
For one thing, Trump was the ultimate political outsider: he had associated with politicians in the past, but only to use them for his own ends. Johnson has served as an MP, mayor of our capital for eight years, then as an MP again, before he became PM. He is a political animal. Trump was not; oddly, that was part of his appeal.
I understand you hate both of them, but that does not mean they're the same. I think in temperament and character they're significantly different, although there are similarities.
The similarity is that in both cases their character lowers the tone of politics. Both are proven and compulsive liars and both are amoral. Whether you like or dislike our leaders or their policies we have always known that they told the truth or they were out.
While I accept your premise that the percentage of gay people is not homogenous across all professions it is also inconceivable that the number in football is so low that it appears to be zero.
Also yes people don't come out because of the negative reaction to them coming out whether that be fans, team mates, or the media. Why else would they not? There clearly is an issue in football as there is/was with race.
I guess we have to go through the stages of people coming out so that it is accepted before we can get to my original point which is people do not need to come out, because coming out is of no interest to anyone, a bit like a straight person declaring they are straight - who cares?
I suspect that being an out gay footballer would be met with a shrug, and little more than a bit of shower banter from the players. Times have moved on.
Fans too, where Pride events, flags etc go unremarked in crowds, indeed after one Leicester match the season before last, much of the crowd drifted up to Vicky Park for Leicester Pride to party into the night.
Its remarkable how fast the attitude towards LGB people has transformed. In the space of a generation its completely changed and now its basically embarrassing if anyone has an issue with them. Its really a change for the better.
I left the T off deliberately as the awkward collission between T rights and Women's Rights is an unresolved issue.
LGB rights could always be resolved by live and let live. The problem with Transgender and Women's rights is that I don't believe it can be resolved in the same way. For example, if transgender (male to female) athletes are allowed to compete against women then that is a lost battle for women's rights. I don't see how this can really be resolved. I'd love to hear a solution if someone has one!
One option might be to end gender classification for some sports, and replace it with a boxing like height/weight qualification
So you'd solve the problem by abolishing women's sports?
No, but it is one way of ending male/female division of sports. It is not unusual to have girls in junior football teams, and in teenage teams weight is a better division than age.
In reality as the Olympics show, Trans women dominating events doesn't appear to be a real issue.
While I accept your premise that the percentage of gay people is not homogenous across all professions it is also inconceivable that the number in football is so low that it appears to be zero.
Also yes people don't come out because of the negative reaction to them coming out whether that be fans, team mates, or the media. Why else would they not? There clearly is an issue in football as there is/was with race.
I guess we have to go through the stages of people coming out so that it is accepted before we can get to my original point which is people do not need to come out, because coming out is of no interest to anyone, a bit like a straight person declaring they are straight - who cares?
I suspect that being an out gay footballer would be met with a shrug, and little more than a bit of shower banter from the players. Times have moved on.
Fans too, where Pride events, flags etc go unremarked in crowds, indeed after one Leicester match the season before last, much of the crowd drifted up to Vicky Park for Leicester Pride to party into the night.
Its remarkable how fast the attitude towards LGB people has transformed. In the space of a generation its completely changed and now its basically embarrassing if anyone has an issue with them. Its really a change for the better.
I left the T off deliberately as the awkward collission between T rights and Women's Rights is an unresolved issue.
LGB rights could always be resolved by live and let live. The problem with Transgender and Women's rights is that I don't believe it can be resolved in the same way. For example, if transgender (male to female) athletes are allowed to compete against women then that is a lost battle for women's rights. I don't see how this can really be resolved. I'd love to hear a solution if someone has one!
One option might be to end gender classification for some sports, and replace it with a boxing like height/weight qualification
So you'd solve the problem by abolishing women's sports?
Naah, just redefine them as short-arsed, lightweight men. I see no problem with that.
edit: except Sunak seeking wider exposure at Wimbledon in the Ladies' Singles.
Claressa Shields is pretty sure she could beat Thurman and Triple G and I'd bloody well like to see her try. She doesn't call out Canelo, but then who does.
There's a brilliant documentary about her previously on Netflix, now on Prime, I believe.
"British Muslim students from an Islamic seminary watching the #ENG game when @HKane scored. This is the #eng we are part from which some people lead us to believe isn’t possible, it is and the racists can do one"
It's not even like Sue Barker was the worst thing about QoS
That guy seems to rival James Cordon in light-entertainment ubiquity. But does anyone actually like him? I've never known of anyone who does. (I'm referring to McGuinness in this instance.)
I've met him and Peter Kay when they came to my workplace researching locations for Paddy and Max. Kay was all cool professionalism. Not at all what you would expect. McGuinness had an easy, warm charisma. Oozed kindness. Maybe he makes a really good impression in person? He did with me.
It's not even like Sue Barker was the worst thing about QoS
That guy seems to rival James Cordon in light-entertainment ubiquity. But does anyone actually like him? I've never known of anyone who does. (I'm referring to McGuinness in this instance.)
He’s the annoying one on Top Gear, isn’t he?
You’ll have to narrow that down a bit..
Ha! Yes, he was the twunt I was thinking of.
I actually don’t mind Flintoff, at least he’s achieved something in his life and has a decent sense of humour. Paddy is just annoying though.
I do find it amusing that they went through so many iterations of presenters, then decided that only one of the three needed to have any experience as an automotive journalist.
I find it unwatchable. It turns out I only tuned in for the comedy, and I don’t care that much about cars.
Indeed I now realize I only tuned in for Clarkson. He is a comic genius, and uniquely gifted at deadpan TV delivery - as the farm show proves.
May and Hammond are two of the luckiest presenters in TV history. Insanely rich because of the third guy.
Aiui neither Hammond nor May was particularly well-paid during the BBC years and it was only the Amazon contract that made them rich. Hammond has been described as a local radio DJ who got lucky. May acquired his own cult following as an engineering guru, even though he has a music degree. Both were established motoring journalists: Hammond on a regional car show, and May was famously sacked from Autocar for *that* layout.
While I accept your premise that the percentage of gay people is not homogenous across all professions it is also inconceivable that the number in football is so low that it appears to be zero.
Also yes people don't come out because of the negative reaction to them coming out whether that be fans, team mates, or the media. Why else would they not? There clearly is an issue in football as there is/was with race.
I guess we have to go through the stages of people coming out so that it is accepted before we can get to my original point which is people do not need to come out, because coming out is of no interest to anyone, a bit like a straight person declaring they are straight - who cares?
I suspect that being an out gay footballer would be met with a shrug, and little more than a bit of shower banter from the players. Times have moved on.
Fans too, where Pride events, flags etc go unremarked in crowds, indeed after one Leicester match the season before last, much of the crowd drifted up to Vicky Park for Leicester Pride to party into the night.
Its remarkable how fast the attitude towards LGB people has transformed. In the space of a generation its completely changed and now its basically embarrassing if anyone has an issue with them. Its really a change for the better.
I left the T off deliberately as the awkward collission between T rights and Women's Rights is an unresolved issue.
LGB rights could always be resolved by live and let live. The problem with Transgender and Women's rights is that I don't believe it can be resolved in the same way. For example, if transgender (male to female) athletes are allowed to compete against women then that is a lost battle for women's rights. I don't see how this can really be resolved. I'd love to hear a solution if someone has one!
One option might be to end gender classification for some sports, and replace it with a boxing like height/weight qualification
So you'd solve the problem by abolishing women's sports?
No, but it is one way of ending male/female division of sports. It is not unusual to have girls in junior football teams, and in teenage teams weight is a better division than age.
In reality as the Olympics show, Trans women dominating events doesn't appear to be a real issue.
The issue with trans women and sport is that it is the one area that in the whole impenetrable (!) trans debate that people can readily understand. Hence either "side" will have to win, or rather convince literally (!!) in the sports arena before they look to any other area.
It's not even like Sue Barker was the worst thing about QoS
That guy seems to rival James Cordon in light-entertainment ubiquity. But does anyone actually like him? I've never known of anyone who does. (I'm referring to McGuinness in this instance.)
I've met him and Peter Kay when they came to my workplace researching locations for Paddy and Max. Kay was all cool professionalism. Not at all what you would expect. McGuinness had an easy, warm charisma. Oozed kindness. Maybe he makes a really good impression in person? He did with me.
Agree with this. I think the next election is going to feature some very interesting results in prosperous areas of the South. Most of the Tories I know through work are now ex Tories. Things like the "citizens of nowhere" speech went down like a bucket of cold sick on the trading floor. But the media are still engaged in their anthropological expeditions to Leaveland.
Confirmation bias. Given how raw your politics are Tories that disagree with you simply won't talk to you.
Yes. There is little polling data supporting the increasing anti Tory in the south thesis.
Except at the ballot box. C&A is also supported by some very unusual results in the locals.
It's not even like Sue Barker was the worst thing about QoS
That guy seems to rival James Cordon in light-entertainment ubiquity. But does anyone actually like him? I've never known of anyone who does. (I'm referring to McGuinness in this instance.)
He’s the annoying one on Top Gear, isn’t he?
You’ll have to narrow that down a bit..
Ha! Yes, he was the twunt I was thinking of.
I actually don’t mind Flintoff, at least he’s achieved something in his life and has a decent sense of humour. Paddy is just annoying though.
I do find it amusing that they went through so many iterations of presenters, then decided that only one of the three needed to have any experience as an automotive journalist.
I find it unwatchable. It turns out I only tuned in for the comedy, and I don’t care that much about cars.
Indeed I now realize I only tuned in for Clarkson. He is a comic genius, and uniquely gifted at deadpan TV delivery - as the farm show proves.
May and Hammond are two of the luckiest presenters in TV history. Insanely rich because of the third guy.
The Corbett and Ernie de nos jours. But probably necessary also tbf to them.
Yes, you need the straight guy, but they are much easier to find. You could swap out May and Hammond with any number of affable geezers, and it would work, because Clarkson brings the magic
He’s done it again with the characters on the Farm thing. Caleb, the Gloucester dialect dude
What first attracted you to the amoral, complicit scumbag that never takes responsibility for anything?
Isn't Petronella mother to one of the Boris Babies? I don't ask out of prurient curiosity but for the possibility it might embroil him in the Epstein affair which would be great news. If Cummings doesn't get him that might open a second front
That florid 'eyes the colour of Verveine' - something of a Borisism in itself - seems rather jarring in the context.
I'm not sure what it is supposed to mean. Is she saying the girls were drugged up or that she is very clever?
Until yesterday, I was pretty confident that Boris would lead the Tories into the next GE, whenever it is. Now I'm not so sure: I think he'll go before it.
I followed his performance at the Liaison Committee, and it was awful. He either didn't answer the questions, dissembled, diverted into something else (e.g. football), or lied. It was embarrassing. Par for the course, and the same as he does at PMQs. But my sense was that the Tory MPs on the Liaison Committee were pretty cross about this, and I suspect that his approach to PMQs is also not going down well on his own backbenches. I don't think it would take much (a slide in the opinion polls being the most obvious) for his own party to turn against him. The Mustique farce won't have helped.
I suspect an increasing number of Tory MPs are now agreeing with Cummings that BJ isn't fit to be PM. Once (if) he becomes an electoral liability, they'll want to ditch him.
While I accept your premise that the percentage of gay people is not homogenous across all professions it is also inconceivable that the number in football is so low that it appears to be zero.
Also yes people don't come out because of the negative reaction to them coming out whether that be fans, team mates, or the media. Why else would they not? There clearly is an issue in football as there is/was with race.
I guess we have to go through the stages of people coming out so that it is accepted before we can get to my original point which is people do not need to come out, because coming out is of no interest to anyone, a bit like a straight person declaring they are straight - who cares?
I suspect that being an out gay footballer would be met with a shrug, and little more than a bit of shower banter from the players. Times have moved on.
Fans too, where Pride events, flags etc go unremarked in crowds, indeed after one Leicester match the season before last, much of the crowd drifted up to Vicky Park for Leicester Pride to party into the night.
Its remarkable how fast the attitude towards LGB people has transformed. In the space of a generation its completely changed and now its basically embarrassing if anyone has an issue with them. Its really a change for the better.
I left the T off deliberately as the awkward collission between T rights and Women's Rights is an unresolved issue.
LGB rights could always be resolved by live and let live. The problem with Transgender and Women's rights is that I don't believe it can be resolved in the same way. For example, if transgender (male to female) athletes are allowed to compete against women then that is a lost battle for women's rights. I don't see how this can really be resolved. I'd love to hear a solution if someone has one!
One option might be to end gender classification for some sports, and replace it with a boxing like height/weight qualification
So you'd solve the problem by abolishing women's sports?
No, but it is one way of ending male/female division of sports. It is not unusual to have girls in junior football teams, and in teenage teams weight is a better division than age.
In reality as the Olympics show, Trans women dominating events doesn't appear to be a real issue.
The issue with trans women and sport is that it is the one area that in the whole impenetrable (!) trans debate that people can readily understand. Hence either "side" will have to win, or rather convince literally (!!) in the sports arena before they look to any other area.
That people "think" they can readily understand. Much nonsense is written about this, generally the stronger the view either way the more nonsensical and less informed.
Agree with this. I think the next election is going to feature some very interesting results in prosperous areas of the South. Most of the Tories I know through work are now ex Tories. Things like the "citizens of nowhere" speech went down like a bucket of cold sick on the trading floor. But the media are still engaged in their anthropological expeditions to Leaveland.
Confirmation bias. Given how raw your politics are Tories that disagree with you simply won't talk to you.
I talk to everyone at work. I think it's probably more down to the kind of Tories I meet. I don't encounter Tories outside of work, because they don't really live in my neighbourhood or have kids at local schools and I didn't make friends with any at university and I grew up in Scotland where Tories are a protected species. Tories in my field of work, which is the only place I encounter them apart from on here, tend towards the free maket/pro EU/socially liberal wing so mostly hate the current incarnation of the party. I've never had my political views described as raw before, I'll take that, it's better than half baked or overcooked I suppose!
What first attracted you to the amoral, complicit scumbag that never takes responsibility for anything?
Isn't Petronella mother to one of the Boris Babies? I don't ask out of prurient curiosity but for the possibility it might embroil him in the Epstein affair which would be great news. If Cummings doesn't get him that might open a second front
No. Petronella is the one who had an abortion and miscarriage, and over whom Boris was sacked by Michael Howard.
Well that's OK then. Perhaps we'll see Petronella as our next Home Secretary.
While I accept your premise that the percentage of gay people is not homogenous across all professions it is also inconceivable that the number in football is so low that it appears to be zero.
Also yes people don't come out because of the negative reaction to them coming out whether that be fans, team mates, or the media. Why else would they not? There clearly is an issue in football as there is/was with race.
I guess we have to go through the stages of people coming out so that it is accepted before we can get to my original point which is people do not need to come out, because coming out is of no interest to anyone, a bit like a straight person declaring they are straight - who cares?
I suspect that being an out gay footballer would be met with a shrug, and little more than a bit of shower banter from the players. Times have moved on.
Fans too, where Pride events, flags etc go unremarked in crowds, indeed after one Leicester match the season before last, much of the crowd drifted up to Vicky Park for Leicester Pride to party into the night.
Its remarkable how fast the attitude towards LGB people has transformed. In the space of a generation its completely changed and now its basically embarrassing if anyone has an issue with them. Its really a change for the better.
I left the T off deliberately as the awkward collission between T rights and Women's Rights is an unresolved issue.
LGB rights could always be resolved by live and let live. The problem with Transgender and Women's rights is that I don't believe it can be resolved in the same way. For example, if transgender (male to female) athletes are allowed to compete against women then that is a lost battle for women's rights. I don't see how this can really be resolved. I'd love to hear a solution if someone has one!
One option might be to end gender classification for some sports, and replace it with a boxing like height/weight qualification
So you'd solve the problem by abolishing women's sports?
No, but it is one way of ending male/female division of sports. It is not unusual to have girls in junior football teams, and in teenage teams weight is a better division than age.
In reality as the Olympics show, Trans women dominating events doesn't appear to be a real issue.
The issue with trans women and sport is that it is the one area that in the whole impenetrable (!) trans debate that people can readily understand. Hence either "side" will have to win, or rather convince literally (!!) in the sports arena before they look to any other area.
That people "think" they can readily understand. Much nonsense is written about this, generally the stronger the view either way the more nonsensical and less informed.
Oh without doubt. But take the Laurel Hubbard issue. People see it in primary colours.
Agree with this. I think the next election is going to feature some very interesting results in prosperous areas of the South. Most of the Tories I know through work are now ex Tories. Things like the "citizens of nowhere" speech went down like a bucket of cold sick on the trading floor. But the media are still engaged in their anthropological expeditions to Leaveland.
Confirmation bias. Given how raw your politics are Tories that disagree with you simply won't talk to you.
Yes. There is little polling data supporting the increasing anti Tory in the south thesis.
There's quite a lot of actual VOTING data, though. Chunks of the South swung heavily against the Conservatives at the County elections, and a lot of that was down to tactical voting. In my area, which is classic Conservative heartland, they are down to 2 County seats out of 9, with zero seats in the small towns in the borough. That is IMO partly due to increasing tactical voting - I know plenty of Labour people who vote LD without hesitation if the seat makes it appropriate, and the reverse is also observable on the south coast (Brighton, Worthing etc.).
The South is more heterogenous than it looks, though (just as the North is - people talk as though everywhere north of Birmingham was like Hartlepool). The Tories are doing fine in some parts - where they are struggling is in prosperous Remain-voting areas.
Tom Whipple @whippletom A few things I'd be interested in thoughts on:
- You can't oppose July 19 reopening on its own. We are already on our way to a massive wave, if you don't want that then we need *more* restrictions now
- You can't be against reopening unless you are also pro vaccinating children
And Starmer has managed to take the most ridiculous position within this space.... government being too reckless, while being too restrictive...
I can think of six impossible things before breakfast.
Is it not obvious the government don’t know what they are doing?
No Freedom Day or business as normal whilst there’s is Test Trace and Isolate. Fact.
So when exactly is Test Trace and Isolate going into the bin?
It's not even like Sue Barker was the worst thing about QoS
That guy seems to rival James Cordon in light-entertainment ubiquity. But does anyone actually like him? I've never known of anyone who does. (I'm referring to McGuinness in this instance.)
He’s the annoying one on Top Gear, isn’t he?
You’ll have to narrow that down a bit..
Ha! Yes, he was the twunt I was thinking of.
I actually don’t mind Flintoff, at least he’s achieved something in his life and has a decent sense of humour. Paddy is just annoying though.
I do find it amusing that they went through so many iterations of presenters, then decided that only one of the three needed to have any experience as an automotive journalist.
I find it unwatchable. It turns out I only tuned in for the comedy, and I don’t care that much about cars.
Indeed I now realize I only tuned in for Clarkson. He is a comic genius, and uniquely gifted at deadpan TV delivery - as the farm show proves.
May and Hammond are two of the luckiest presenters in TV history. Insanely rich because of the third guy.
The Corbett and Ernie de nos jours. But probably necessary also tbf to them.
Yes, you need the straight guy, but they are much easier to find. You could swap out May and Hammond with any number of affable geezers, and it would work, because Clarkson brings the magic
He’s done it again with the characters on the Farm thing. Caleb, the Gloucester dialect dude
Remember Top Gear was heavily scripted (by Clarkson).
Agree with this. I think the next election is going to feature some very interesting results in prosperous areas of the South. Most of the Tories I know through work are now ex Tories. Things like the "citizens of nowhere" speech went down like a bucket of cold sick on the trading floor. But the media are still engaged in their anthropological expeditions to Leaveland.
Confirmation bias. Given how raw your politics are Tories that disagree with you simply won't talk to you.
Yes. There is little polling data supporting the increasing anti Tory in the south thesis.
Most Tories I meet in the South are a bit like Clarkson - posh, affluent, patriotic and internationalist, but still decidedly Tory.
They basically want pragmatism, common-sense, a well-run Government and not too much tax, thank you.
While I accept your premise that the percentage of gay people is not homogenous across all professions it is also inconceivable that the number in football is so low that it appears to be zero.
Also yes people don't come out because of the negative reaction to them coming out whether that be fans, team mates, or the media. Why else would they not? There clearly is an issue in football as there is/was with race.
I guess we have to go through the stages of people coming out so that it is accepted before we can get to my original point which is people do not need to come out, because coming out is of no interest to anyone, a bit like a straight person declaring they are straight - who cares?
I suspect that being an out gay footballer would be met with a shrug, and little more than a bit of shower banter from the players. Times have moved on.
Fans too, where Pride events, flags etc go unremarked in crowds, indeed after one Leicester match the season before last, much of the crowd drifted up to Vicky Park for Leicester Pride to party into the night.
Its remarkable how fast the attitude towards LGB people has transformed. In the space of a generation its completely changed and now its basically embarrassing if anyone has an issue with them. Its really a change for the better.
I left the T off deliberately as the awkward collission between T rights and Women's Rights is an unresolved issue.
LGB rights could always be resolved by live and let live. The problem with Transgender and Women's rights is that I don't believe it can be resolved in the same way. For example, if transgender (male to female) athletes are allowed to compete against women then that is a lost battle for women's rights. I don't see how this can really be resolved. I'd love to hear a solution if someone has one!
Well in the long run, the acceptance of puberty blockers for transgender kids might solve the problem.
It's not even like Sue Barker was the worst thing about QoS
That guy seems to rival James Cordon in light-entertainment ubiquity. But does anyone actually like him? I've never known of anyone who does. (I'm referring to McGuinness in this instance.)
He’s the annoying one on Top Gear, isn’t he?
You’ll have to narrow that down a bit..
Ha! Yes, he was the twunt I was thinking of.
I actually don’t mind Flintoff, at least he’s achieved something in his life and has a decent sense of humour. Paddy is just annoying though.
I do find it amusing that they went through so many iterations of presenters, then decided that only one of the three needed to have any experience as an automotive journalist.
I find it unwatchable. It turns out I only tuned in for the comedy, and I don’t care that much about cars.
Indeed I now realize I only tuned in for Clarkson. He is a comic genius, and uniquely gifted at deadpan TV delivery - as the farm show proves.
May and Hammond are two of the luckiest presenters in TV history. Insanely rich because of the third guy.
The Corbett and Ernie de nos jours. But probably necessary also tbf to them.
I always found Ronnie Corbett genuinely funny in his own right.
Largely the physical presence - voice, specs, smirk, short-arsery.
It's not even like Sue Barker was the worst thing about QoS
That guy seems to rival James Cordon in light-entertainment ubiquity. But does anyone actually like him? I've never known of anyone who does. (I'm referring to McGuinness in this instance.)
He’s the annoying one on Top Gear, isn’t he?
You’ll have to narrow that down a bit..
Ha! Yes, he was the twunt I was thinking of.
I actually don’t mind Flintoff, at least he’s achieved something in his life and has a decent sense of humour. Paddy is just annoying though.
I do find it amusing that they went through so many iterations of presenters, then decided that only one of the three needed to have any experience as an automotive journalist.
I find it unwatchable. It turns out I only tuned in for the comedy, and I don’t care that much about cars.
Indeed I now realize I only tuned in for Clarkson. He is a comic genius, and uniquely gifted at deadpan TV delivery - as the farm show proves.
May and Hammond are two of the luckiest presenters in TV history. Insanely rich because of the third guy.
The Corbett and Ernie de nos jours. But probably necessary also tbf to them.
I always found Ronnie Corbett genuinely funny in his own right.
Largely the physical presence - voice, specs, smirk, short-arsery.
On his own, perhaps, but not within the show; I found the armchair piece total cringe.
Mustique report is is as devastating as a report that doesn't find him guilty can be.
One day somebody will be able to explain how it is that Johnson managed to convince so many people that the rules that apply to everyone else don't apply to him. It's a mystery to me.
It's an interesting question. Perhaps part of it is that the people knew he was like this when he was elected. He has not spent years arguing for such rules, only to break them. It's expected (sadly). It's priced in.
Then there's the fact that his opponents often over-egg the pudding, as we see with some on here. Making Johnson out to be evil is wrong, and can be seen to be wrong.
Also, his failings are very human.
He's also different from other politicians, and he delivered something (Brexit) he promised - a task many politicians fail at. If he has to break the rules a little to get there, so what?
Now, I disagree with much of the above - but I can see how people might feel it.
Yes to all of that. And there's a class angle too. The insouciant toff who floats above the hard sweepings of workaday life. It's 'born to rule' entitlement at play here - pure and simple - but Johnson manages to do it in a way that elicits amusement and applause. The working class people sucked into his brand probably don't realize they are succumbing to class deference but I can assure them they are.
I have come to the conclusion that there is a large section of the so-called working class person that has no problem with such deference. If not, why would the Royal Family be so popular (and I don't mean the TV show!)?
Want working class people in Britain to obey you? Speak in a posh accent.
Unlike many people, I've been feeling much more confident this year than last. Perhaps it's the vaccination campaign, or the fact we're slowly heading out of this mess.
But much of it is that we no longer have to listen to whatever random 'thoughts' pass through Trump's mind. I mean, I'm not an American, but the absence of the orange buffoon from the public scene is cheering.
You make a very good point. For us in the UK though the malignity is only half removed. If Johnson had followed his mentor I'm sure the Brexit divisiveness might also disappear
Have France chucked you out?
Not to my knowledge. Should they have done?
Just wondered about your “us in the U.K.” comment...
You are the same alex that posted here years ago? The one I used to call Dr Spock because of your incredibly logical but non party political posts?
Agree with this. I think the next election is going to feature some very interesting results in prosperous areas of the South. Most of the Tories I know through work are now ex Tories. Things like the "citizens of nowhere" speech went down like a bucket of cold sick on the trading floor. But the media are still engaged in their anthropological expeditions to Leaveland.
Confirmation bias. Given how raw your politics are Tories that disagree with you simply won't talk to you.
Yes. There is little polling data supporting the increasing anti Tory in the south thesis.
Most Tories I meet in the South are a bit like Clarkson - posh, affluent, patriotic and internationalist, but still decidedly Tory.
They basically want pragmatism, common-sense, a well-run Government and not too much tax, thank you.
They're not beards & sandals.
Shame they vote for an ideological, divisive, lazy government that would spend whatever makes them popular then.
Tom Whipple @whippletom A few things I'd be interested in thoughts on:
- You can't oppose July 19 reopening on its own. We are already on our way to a massive wave, if you don't want that then we need *more* restrictions now
- You can't be against reopening unless you are also pro vaccinating children
And Starmer has managed to take the most ridiculous position within this space.... government being too reckless, while being too restrictive...
I can think of six impossible things before breakfast.
Is it not obvious the government don’t know what they are doing?
No Freedom Day or business as normal whilst there’s is Test Trace and Isolate. Fact.
So when exactly is Test Trace and Isolate going into the bin?
I agree with you 100% and it's something that has been much discussed on here, not least by me!
And I never usually like the "oh well people are ignoring it so it doesn't matter" response because it is still the law, or guidance. But...I simply can't see anyone complying with T&T after July 19th. Will pubs still have that check in thing? I waved my phone (which doesn't have the app and was switched off) at the check in point last night and no one seemed to care. Would it be a legal requirement?
Me last week: "The one thing which would continue to stop the country dead in its tracks is if they didn't abolish the 10-day isolation.
No one could plan to do anything, nor have any certainty of being able to work, if they thought they might be pinged at any time and told to stay at home for 10 days.
If it stays the country will be at the mercy of having to put their lives on hold at any time. It is untenable."
What first attracted you to the amoral, complicit scumbag that never takes responsibility for anything?
Isn't Petronella mother to one of the Boris Babies? I don't ask out of prurient curiosity but for the possibility it might embroil him in the Epstein affair which would be great news. If Cummings doesn't get him that might open a second front
That florid 'eyes the colour of Verveine' - something of a Borisism in itself - seems rather jarring in the context.
I'm not sure what it is supposed to mean. Is she saying the girls were drugged up or that she is very clever?
I wondered the same thing but I can imagine her being attracted to the line. It sounds very Sylvia Plath
Mustique report is is as devastating as a report that doesn't find him guilty can be.
One day somebody will be able to explain how it is that Johnson managed to convince so many people that the rules that apply to everyone else don't apply to him. It's a mystery to me.
It's an interesting question. Perhaps part of it is that the people knew he was like this when he was elected. He has not spent years arguing for such rules, only to break them. It's expected (sadly). It's priced in.
Then there's the fact that his opponents often over-egg the pudding, as we see with some on here. Making Johnson out to be evil is wrong, and can be seen to be wrong.
Also, his failings are very human.
He's also different from other politicians, and he delivered something (Brexit) he promised - a task many politicians fail at. If he has to break the rules a little to get there, so what?
Now, I disagree with much of the above - but I can see how people might feel it.
Yes to all of that. And there's a class angle too. The insouciant toff who floats above the hard sweepings of workaday life. It's 'born to rule' entitlement at play here - pure and simple - but Johnson manages to do it in a way that elicits amusement and applause. The working class people sucked into his brand probably don't realize they are succumbing to class deference but I can assure them they are.
I have come to the conclusion that there is a large section of the so-called working class person that has no problem with such deference. If not, why would the Royal Family be so popular (and I don't mean the TV show!)?
Want working class people in Britain to obey you? Speak in a posh accent.
Not sure about “obey”, but being well-spoken eases quite a few issues.
I think what the two by-elections taught us is that many people still see politics as local. In C&A, the Lib Dems campaigned very effectively on local issues that clearly a large number of local people hold dear. In B&S, Kim Leadbeater was a credible local candidate who many felt would represent the local population well, and who had a back-story that was very relevant to the constituency. In a more negative manner, you could argue that the Hartlepool by-election had similar tendencies, with Labour being given a bloody nose for selecting a candidate who appeared to share none of the views of the local populace.
How this plays into the national picture is more difficult to see, and it is here where I disagree with Mike's header, although huge credit to him for his tips in both by-elections where I'm pleased to say I profited handsomely. By-elections are rarely accurate indicators of underlying national trends though, and I do not see either of these being exceptions to this rule. To me neither Labour or the Lib Dems are cutting through on a national basis, this despite the Conservatives being thoroughly detested by many people, including most of the header writers on here.
Labour to me just do not strike me as a party ready for government, and neither they nor the lib dems appear to have a clear or coherent message. Can the lib dems model themselves as a national party that focuses on local issues? I don't think that's ever been tried before but it could be interesting. I'd have no issue with that especially with the excessive top-down approach of the tories and labour.
At the moment though, the conservative lead is not far from double figures, which is pretty exceptional for a party in its 19th month of its term. As for the media, each arm has its own individual bias - take politicalbetting.com for example, where Mike has predicted around 15 of the last zero end of Boris Johnson moments. Sooner or later he'll be right of course, though. Perhaps that moment will come when either Labour or the Lib Dems get their act together and start looking like a government in waiting, which can't come a moment too soon.
I rarely get the chance to post on here, but have massively enjoyed the conversation over the last few weeks, and, joking aside, great work from Mike, TSE and the team.
It's not even like Sue Barker was the worst thing about QoS
That guy seems to rival James Cordon in light-entertainment ubiquity. But does anyone actually like him? I've never known of anyone who does. (I'm referring to McGuinness in this instance.)
He’s the annoying one on Top Gear, isn’t he?
You’ll have to narrow that down a bit..
Ha! Yes, he was the twunt I was thinking of.
I actually don’t mind Flintoff, at least he’s achieved something in his life and has a decent sense of humour. Paddy is just annoying though.
I do find it amusing that they went through so many iterations of presenters, then decided that only one of the three needed to have any experience as an automotive journalist.
I find it unwatchable. It turns out I only tuned in for the comedy, and I don’t care that much about cars.
Indeed I now realize I only tuned in for Clarkson. He is a comic genius, and uniquely gifted at deadpan TV delivery - as the farm show proves.
May and Hammond are two of the luckiest presenters in TV history. Insanely rich because of the third guy.
The Corbett and Ernie de nos jours. But probably necessary also tbf to them.
I always found Ronnie Corbett genuinely funny in his own right.
Largely the physical presence - voice, specs, smirk, short-arsery.
On his own, perhaps, but not within the show; I found the armchair piece total cringe.
Unlike many people, I've been feeling much more confident this year than last. Perhaps it's the vaccination campaign, or the fact we're slowly heading out of this mess.
But much of it is that we no longer have to listen to whatever random 'thoughts' pass through Trump's mind. I mean, I'm not an American, but the absence of the orange buffoon from the public scene is cheering.
You make a very good point. For us in the UK though the malignity is only half removed. If Johnson had followed his mentor I'm sure the Brexit divisiveness might also disappear
Have France chucked you out?
Not to my knowledge. Should they have done?
Just wondered about your “us in the U.K.” comment...
You are the same alex that posted here years ago? The one I used to call Dr Spock because of your incredibly logical but non party political posts?
I'm sure he is...and recall his postings back in 2005 - that shows our age and devotion to the site. He is also one of my favourite posters too.
While I accept your premise that the percentage of gay people is not homogenous across all professions it is also inconceivable that the number in football is so low that it appears to be zero.
Also yes people don't come out because of the negative reaction to them coming out whether that be fans, team mates, or the media. Why else would they not? There clearly is an issue in football as there is/was with race.
I guess we have to go through the stages of people coming out so that it is accepted before we can get to my original point which is people do not need to come out, because coming out is of no interest to anyone, a bit like a straight person declaring they are straight - who cares?
I suspect that being an out gay footballer would be met with a shrug, and little more than a bit of shower banter from the players. Times have moved on.
Fans too, where Pride events, flags etc go unremarked in crowds, indeed after one Leicester match the season before last, much of the crowd drifted up to Vicky Park for Leicester Pride to party into the night.
Its remarkable how fast the attitude towards LGB people has transformed. In the space of a generation its completely changed and now its basically embarrassing if anyone has an issue with them. Its really a change for the better.
I left the T off deliberately as the awkward collission between T rights and Women's Rights is an unresolved issue.
LGB rights could always be resolved by live and let live. The problem with Transgender and Women's rights is that I don't believe it can be resolved in the same way. For example, if transgender (male to female) athletes are allowed to compete against women then that is a lost battle for women's rights. I don't see how this can really be resolved. I'd love to hear a solution if someone has one!
One option might be to end gender classification for some sports, and replace it with a boxing like height/weight qualification
So you'd solve the problem by abolishing women's sports?
No, but it is one way of ending male/female division of sports. It is not unusual to have girls in junior football teams, and in teenage teams weight is a better division than age.
In reality as the Olympics show, Trans women dominating events doesn't appear to be a real issue.
Yet. Remember that journalist who went to Heathrow on the morning free movement was implemented to report that, hur hur, no sign of 10s of 1000s of Rumanians immigrating.
Unlike many people, I've been feeling much more confident this year than last. Perhaps it's the vaccination campaign, or the fact we're slowly heading out of this mess.
But much of it is that we no longer have to listen to whatever random 'thoughts' pass through Trump's mind. I mean, I'm not an American, but the absence of the orange buffoon from the public scene is cheering.
You make a very good point. For us in the UK though the malignity is only half removed. If Johnson had followed his mentor I'm sure the Brexit divisiveness might also disappear
Have France chucked you out?
Not to my knowledge. Should they have done?
Just wondered about your “us in the U.K.” comment...
You are the same alex that posted here years ago? The one I used to call Dr Spock because of your incredibly logical but non party political posts?
I'm sure he is...and recall his postings back in 2005 - that shows our age and devotion to the site. He is also one of my favourite posters too.
While I accept your premise that the percentage of gay people is not homogenous across all professions it is also inconceivable that the number in football is so low that it appears to be zero.
Also yes people don't come out because of the negative reaction to them coming out whether that be fans, team mates, or the media. Why else would they not? There clearly is an issue in football as there is/was with race.
I guess we have to go through the stages of people coming out so that it is accepted before we can get to my original point which is people do not need to come out, because coming out is of no interest to anyone, a bit like a straight person declaring they are straight - who cares?
I suspect that being an out gay footballer would be met with a shrug, and little more than a bit of shower banter from the players. Times have moved on.
Fans too, where Pride events, flags etc go unremarked in crowds, indeed after one Leicester match the season before last, much of the crowd drifted up to Vicky Park for Leicester Pride to party into the night.
Its remarkable how fast the attitude towards LGB people has transformed. In the space of a generation its completely changed and now its basically embarrassing if anyone has an issue with them. Its really a change for the better.
I left the T off deliberately as the awkward collission between T rights and Women's Rights is an unresolved issue.
LGB rights could always be resolved by live and let live. The problem with Transgender and Women's rights is that I don't believe it can be resolved in the same way. For example, if transgender (male to female) athletes are allowed to compete against women then that is a lost battle for women's rights. I don't see how this can really be resolved. I'd love to hear a solution if someone has one!
Well in the long run, the acceptance of puberty blockers for transgender kids might solve the problem.
At the cost of 10x as many new ones. How do you classify the remorseful retransitioners?
‘I am very anti Brexit, but Jesus can we enjoy the England team winning and achieving a final for the first time in 55 years? These responses are horrendous’
Yours (and some on the Remain side's) obsession with continuing the remain/leave divide by retweeting tweets from obvious twats is pathetic. Move on. You "won". Or is it perhaps that you know Brexit is shit and have to keep trying to convince yourself, or is it that erstwhile journalists and polemicists have no friends so they have to keep making everyone, including their own countrymen/women enemies?
Mustique report is is as devastating as a report that doesn't find him guilty can be.
One day somebody will be able to explain how it is that Johnson managed to convince so many people that the rules that apply to everyone else don't apply to him. It's a mystery to me.
It's an interesting question. Perhaps part of it is that the people knew he was like this when he was elected. He has not spent years arguing for such rules, only to break them. It's expected (sadly). It's priced in.
Then there's the fact that his opponents often over-egg the pudding, as we see with some on here. Making Johnson out to be evil is wrong, and can be seen to be wrong.
Also, his failings are very human.
He's also different from other politicians, and he delivered something (Brexit) he promised - a task many politicians fail at. If he has to break the rules a little to get there, so what?
Now, I disagree with much of the above - but I can see how people might feel it.
Yes to all of that. And there's a class angle too. The insouciant toff who floats above the hard sweepings of workaday life. It's 'born to rule' entitlement at play here - pure and simple - but Johnson manages to do it in a way that elicits amusement and applause. The working class people sucked into his brand probably don't realize they are succumbing to class deference but I can assure them they are.
I have come to the conclusion that there is a large section of the so-called working class person that has no problem with such deference. If not, why would the Royal Family be so popular (and I don't mean the TV show!)?
Want working class people in Britain to obey you? Speak in a posh accent.
It's not even like Sue Barker was the worst thing about QoS
That guy seems to rival James Cordon in light-entertainment ubiquity. But does anyone actually like him? I've never known of anyone who does. (I'm referring to McGuinness in this instance.)
I've met him and Peter Kay when they came to my workplace researching locations for Paddy and Max. Kay was all cool professionalism. Not at all what you would expect. McGuinness had an easy, warm charisma. Oozed kindness. Maybe he makes a really good impression in person? He did with me.
It's not even like Sue Barker was the worst thing about QoS
That guy seems to rival James Cordon in light-entertainment ubiquity. But does anyone actually like him? I've never known of anyone who does. (I'm referring to McGuinness in this instance.)
I've met him and Peter Kay when they came to my workplace researching locations for Paddy and Max. Kay was all cool professionalism. Not at all what you would expect. McGuinness had an easy, warm charisma. Oozed kindness. Maybe he makes a really good impression in person? He did with me.
Do we know what is up with Peter Kay?
No idea. But it was strange to meet him out of "character". 30 minutes of inspection of the buildings and questions about lighting and crossbeams. Without a hint of whimsy.
What first attracted you to the amoral, complicit scumbag that never takes responsibility for anything?
Isn't Petronella mother to one of the Boris Babies? I don't ask out of prurient curiosity but for the possibility it might embroil him in the Epstein affair which would be great news. If Cummings doesn't get him that might open a second front
That florid 'eyes the colour of Verveine' - something of a Borisism in itself - seems rather jarring in the context.
I'm not sure what it is supposed to mean. Is she saying the girls were drugged up or that she is very clever?
Vervain or verbena in English. I think she is, embarrassingly, trying to gloss over child abuse with a bit of wildean decadence kinda glamour.
Mr. Above, the alternative last time was a far left lunatic.
The PM is unworthy of the role. Yet still far better than the likes of Corbyn.
The Tories elected their leader. Yes better than Corbyn but Tory members own this government, are responsible for it and the only who people who can end it by 2024 and probably by 2028.
It's not even like Sue Barker was the worst thing about QoS
That guy seems to rival James Cordon in light-entertainment ubiquity. But does anyone actually like him? I've never known of anyone who does. (I'm referring to McGuinness in this instance.)
No, but it is one way of ending male/female division of sports. It is not unusual to have girls in junior football teams, and in teenage teams weight is a better division than age.
In reality as the Olympics show, Trans women dominating events doesn't appear to be a real issue.
I believe it is becoming quite a big issue in US college athletics. Some transgender women are beating all the others quite significantly.
The current women's 100m world record is 10.49 set in 1988. No woman has run faster than that in 33 years, with obvious question marks of the legitimacy of that time! However, that time would be easily broken by just about ever single male US college athletics sprinter.
Mr. Above, the alternative last time was a far left lunatic.
The PM is unworthy of the role. Yet still far better than the likes of Corbyn.
The Tories elected their leader. Yes better than Corbyn but Tory members own this government, are responsible for it and the only who people who can end it by 2024 and probably by 2028.
As an ex Tory activist I agree and I think Johnsonian populism will come back and bite the party in the bum. I have always thought this, which is why I voted Jeremy Hunt and why I am no longer a member of the party.
For once I agree with @Casino_Royale when he said : "Most Tories I meet in the South are a bit like Clarkson - posh, affluent, patriotic and internationalist, but still decidedly Tory. They basically want pragmatism, common-sense, a well-run Government and not too much tax, thank you."
It's not even like Sue Barker was the worst thing about QoS
That guy seems to rival James Cordon in light-entertainment ubiquity. But does anyone actually like him? I've never known of anyone who does. (I'm referring to McGuinness in this instance.)
He’s the annoying one on Top Gear, isn’t he?
You’ll have to narrow that down a bit..
Ha! Yes, he was the twunt I was thinking of.
I actually don’t mind Flintoff, at least he’s achieved something in his life and has a decent sense of humour. Paddy is just annoying though.
I do find it amusing that they went through so many iterations of presenters, then decided that only one of the three needed to have any experience as an automotive journalist.
I find it unwatchable. It turns out I only tuned in for the comedy, and I don’t care that much about cars.
Indeed I now realize I only tuned in for Clarkson. He is a comic genius, and uniquely gifted at deadpan TV delivery - as the farm show proves.
May and Hammond are two of the luckiest presenters in TV history. Insanely rich because of the third guy.
The Corbett and Ernie de nos jours. But probably necessary also tbf to them.
Yes, you need the straight guy, but they are much easier to find. You could swap out May and Hammond with any number of affable geezers, and it would work, because Clarkson brings the magic
He’s done it again with the characters on the Farm thing. Caleb, the Gloucester dialect dude
Trickier than that though. It's a subtle balance to be Top Second Banana, in the May/Hammond (of Top Gear) mould. Enough talent, presence and ambition to get on the stage; after all, May and Hammond were both more than watchable in Top Gear sequences without the Clarkson. But also enough humility to know their job is to support the main attraction. (And Clarkson knows his role and limits as well.)
Same issue with politics. Gordon Brown- unstoppable as No 2, hopeless in the top job. May (of Parliament) was an effective minister, is a smart backbencher, not a great PM- not even as great a PM as circumstances allowed. Hammond (of spreadsheets) reached his summit and was lucky enough to go no higher.
And Boris? It's too early to tell, of course. But his niche was Mayor of London- the role matched his talents, papered over his weaknesses. Had he wanted, he could quite well be still doing the job now. He'd have scored better than Goldsmith or Bailey for sure. But he hungered for the biggest chair of all, even though he's not really up to the job (he isn't, is he?), and he will be remembered for how it all ends.
He saved the f**king penalty FFS. Are we sure that nothing was being shone into Kane’s eyes when he took possibly the worst spot kick of his career? I really really regret Brexit but why do my fellow Europhiles continue to dig when half the reason we lost in the first place was our relentless messaging of how shit our fellow countrymen are compared to literally everyone else on the continent. It didn’t keep us in the EU and it’s even less likely to get us back even into the SM. It’s literally insane.
David Wessel @davidmwessel · 16m New ECB strategy: 2% inflation target with occasional "transitory period" in light of effective lower bound on interest rates.
While I accept your premise that the percentage of gay people is not homogenous across all professions it is also inconceivable that the number in football is so low that it appears to be zero.
Also yes people don't come out because of the negative reaction to them coming out whether that be fans, team mates, or the media. Why else would they not? There clearly is an issue in football as there is/was with race.
I guess we have to go through the stages of people coming out so that it is accepted before we can get to my original point which is people do not need to come out, because coming out is of no interest to anyone, a bit like a straight person declaring they are straight - who cares?
I suspect that being an out gay footballer would be met with a shrug, and little more than a bit of shower banter from the players. Times have moved on.
Fans too, where Pride events, flags etc go unremarked in crowds, indeed after one Leicester match the season before last, much of the crowd drifted up to Vicky Park for Leicester Pride to party into the night.
Its remarkable how fast the attitude towards LGB people has transformed. In the space of a generation its completely changed and now its basically embarrassing if anyone has an issue with them. Its really a change for the better.
I left the T off deliberately as the awkward collission between T rights and Women's Rights is an unresolved issue.
LGB rights could always be resolved by live and let live. The problem with Transgender and Women's rights is that I don't believe it can be resolved in the same way. For example, if transgender (male to female) athletes are allowed to compete against women then that is a lost battle for women's rights. I don't see how this can really be resolved. I'd love to hear a solution if someone has one!
One option might be to end gender classification for some sports, and replace it with a boxing like height/weight qualification
So you'd solve the problem by abolishing women's sports?
No, but it is one way of ending male/female division of sports. It is not unusual to have girls in junior football teams, and in teenage teams weight is a better division than age.
In reality as the Olympics show, Trans women dominating events doesn't appear to be a real issue.
This is only because noone who was in the top echelons of any sport has ever transitioned. Every single transitioner (m -> f) has moved way ahead of where they were as a female relative to where they were competing at as a male.
One option might be to end gender classification for some sports Ending gender classifcation within sports effectively eliminates women being viable to compete, where it doesn't make a difference it is already done - equestrianism for instance.
Agree with this. I think the next election is going to feature some very interesting results in prosperous areas of the South. Most of the Tories I know through work are now ex Tories. Things like the "citizens of nowhere" speech went down like a bucket of cold sick on the trading floor. But the media are still engaged in their anthropological expeditions to Leaveland.
Confirmation bias. Given how raw your politics are Tories that disagree with you simply won't talk to you.
Yes. There is little polling data supporting the increasing anti Tory in the south thesis.
Except at the ballot box. C&A is also supported by some very unusual results in the locals.
A lot of Johnsonian Tories are in denial. They are blind to the inconvenient truth that Johnson is seen as a clown by more trad Tories.
Mustique report is is as devastating as a report that doesn't find him guilty can be.
One day somebody will be able to explain how it is that Johnson managed to convince so many people that the rules that apply to everyone else don't apply to him. It's a mystery to me.
It's an interesting question. Perhaps part of it is that the people knew he was like this when he was elected. He has not spent years arguing for such rules, only to break them. It's expected (sadly). It's priced in.
Then there's the fact that his opponents often over-egg the pudding, as we see with some on here. Making Johnson out to be evil is wrong, and can be seen to be wrong.
Also, his failings are very human.
He's also different from other politicians, and he delivered something (Brexit) he promised - a task many politicians fail at. If he has to break the rules a little to get there, so what?
Now, I disagree with much of the above - but I can see how people might feel it.
Yes to all of that. And there's a class angle too. The insouciant toff who floats above the hard sweepings of workaday life. It's 'born to rule' entitlement at play here - pure and simple - but Johnson manages to do it in a way that elicits amusement and applause. The working class people sucked into his brand probably don't realize they are succumbing to class deference but I can assure them they are.
I have come to the conclusion that there is a large section of the so-called working class person that has no problem with such deference. If not, why would the Royal Family be so popular (and I don't mean the TV show!)?
Why is royalty so popular in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands?
Tom Whipple @whippletom A few things I'd be interested in thoughts on:
- You can't oppose July 19 reopening on its own. We are already on our way to a massive wave, if you don't want that then we need *more* restrictions now
- You can't be against reopening unless you are also pro vaccinating children
And Starmer has managed to take the most ridiculous position within this space.... government being too reckless, while being too restrictive...
I can think of six impossible things before breakfast.
Is it not obvious the government don’t know what they are doing?
No Freedom Day or business as normal whilst there’s is Test Trace and Isolate. Fact.
So when exactly is Test Trace and Isolate going into the bin?
I agree with you 100% and it's something that has been much discussed on here, not least by me!
And I never usually like the "oh well people are ignoring it so it doesn't matter" response because it is still the law, or guidance. But...I simply can't see anyone complying with T&T after July 19th. Will pubs still have that check in thing? I waved my phone (which doesn't have the app and was switched off) at the check in point last night and no one seemed to care. Would it be a legal requirement?
Me last week: "The one thing which would continue to stop the country dead in its tracks is if they didn't abolish the 10-day isolation.
No one could plan to do anything, nor have any certainty of being able to work, if they thought they might be pinged at any time and told to stay at home for 10 days.
If it stays the country will be at the mercy of having to put their lives on hold at any time. It is untenable."
Yes. But what you call untenable is also iSage wet dream.
The government, and their supporters on this forum, are just ignoring it because they don’t have an answer, other than mindlessly repeating “it’s all over innit” in supreme ignorance of the screaming fact, until they can put Test Trace Isolate into the bin the government policy is still the iSage wet dream.
He saved the f**king penalty FFS. Are we sure that nothing was being shone into Kane’s eyes when he took possibly the worst spot kick of his career? I really really regret Brexit but why do my fellow Europhiles continue to dig when half the reason we lost in the first place was our relentless messaging of how shit our fellow countrymen are compared to literally everyone else on the continent. It didn’t keep us in the EU and it’s even less likely to get us back even into the SM. It’s literally insane.
It might not be that Scott is anti Brexit, he might just be anti-English. The clue might be in the name?
It's not even like Sue Barker was the worst thing about QoS
That guy seems to rival James Cordon in light-entertainment ubiquity. But does anyone actually like him? I've never known of anyone who does. (I'm referring to McGuinness in this instance.)
He’s the annoying one on Top Gear, isn’t he?
You’ll have to narrow that down a bit..
Ha! Yes, he was the twunt I was thinking of.
I actually don’t mind Flintoff, at least he’s achieved something in his life and has a decent sense of humour. Paddy is just annoying though.
I do find it amusing that they went through so many iterations of presenters, then decided that only one of the three needed to have any experience as an automotive journalist.
I find it unwatchable. It turns out I only tuned in for the comedy, and I don’t care that much about cars.
Indeed I now realize I only tuned in for Clarkson. He is a comic genius, and uniquely gifted at deadpan TV delivery - as the farm show proves.
May and Hammond are two of the luckiest presenters in TV history. Insanely rich because of the third guy.
The Corbett and Ernie de nos jours. But probably necessary also tbf to them.
Yes, you need the straight guy, but they are much easier to find. You could swap out May and Hammond with any number of affable geezers, and it would work, because Clarkson brings the magic
He’s done it again with the characters on the Farm thing. Caleb, the Gloucester dialect dude
Trickier than that though. It's a subtle balance to be Top Second Banana, in the May/Hammond (of Top Gear) mould. Enough talent, presence and ambition to get on the stage; after all, May and Hammond were both more than watchable in Top Gear sequences without the Clarkson. But also enough humility to know their job is to support the main attraction. (And Clarkson knows his role and limits as well.)
Same issue with politics. Gordon Brown- unstoppable as No 2, hopeless in the top job. May (of Parliament) was an effective minister, is a smart backbencher, not a great PM- not even as great a PM as circumstances allowed. Hammond (of spreadsheets) reached his summit and was lucky enough to go no higher.
And Boris? It's too early to tell, of course. But his niche was Mayor of London- the role matched his talents, papered over his weaknesses. Had he wanted, he could quite well be still doing the job now. He'd have scored better than Goldsmith or Bailey for sure. But he hungered for the biggest chair of all, even though he's not really up to the job (he isn't, is he?), and he will be remembered for how it all ends.
I suspect Boris will be off sooner rather than later to earn some real money.
He also knows that he needs to carefully time his departure and I suspect Cummings continually having pot shots at him means that for the moment he will hang on.
I think what the two by-elections taught us is that many people still see politics as local. In C&A, the Lib Dems campaigned very effectively on local issues that clearly a large number of local people hold dear. In B&S, Kim Leadbeater was a credible local candidate who many felt would represent the local population well, and who had a back-story that was very relevant to the constituency. In a more negative manner, you could argue that the Hartlepool by-election had similar tendencies, with Labour being given a bloody nose for selecting a candidate who appeared to share none of the views of the local populace.
How this plays into the national picture is more difficult to see, and it is here where I disagree with Mike's header, although huge credit to him for his tips in both by-elections where I'm pleased to say I profited handsomely. By-elections are rarely accurate indicators of underlying national trends though, and I do not see either of these being exceptions to this rule. To me neither Labour or the Lib Dems are cutting through on a national basis, this despite the Conservatives being thoroughly detested by many people, including most of the header writers on here.
Labour to me just do not strike me as a party ready for government, and neither they nor the lib dems appear to have a clear or coherent message. Can the lib dems model themselves as a national party that focuses on local issues? I don't think that's ever been tried before but it could be interesting. I'd have no issue with that especially with the excessive top-down approach of the tories and labour.
At the moment though, the conservative lead is not far from double figures, which is pretty exceptional for a party in its 19th month of its term. As for the media, each arm has its own individual bias - take politicalbetting.com for example, where Mike has predicted around 15 of the last zero end of Boris Johnson moments. Sooner or later he'll be right of course, though. Perhaps that moment will come when either Labour or the Lib Dems get their act together and start looking like a government in waiting, which can't come a moment too soon.
I rarely get the chance to post on here, but have massively enjoyed the conversation over the last few weeks, and, joking aside, great work from Mike, TSE and the team.
I endorse this excellent post entirely. I just have a nagging feeling the Tories aren't ready for government either - yet they are the ones running the show !
Mr. Above, the alternative last time was a far left lunatic.
The PM is unworthy of the role. Yet still far better than the likes of Corbyn.
The Tories elected their leader. Yes better than Corbyn but Tory members own this government, are responsible for it and the only who people who can end it by 2024 and probably by 2028.
As an ex Tory activist I agree and I think Johnsonian populism will come back and bite the party in the bum. I have always thought this, which is why I voted Jeremy Hunt and why I am no longer a member of the party.
For once I agree with @Casino_Royale when he said : "Most Tories I meet in the South are a bit like Clarkson - posh, affluent, patriotic and internationalist, but still decidedly Tory. They basically want pragmatism, common-sense, a well-run Government and not too much tax, thank you."
Sounds very like me tbh!
If you suspend disbelief for a moment and imagine that Brexit is the common sense position, would you see Johnson differently?
Until yesterday, I was pretty confident that Boris would lead the Tories into the next GE, whenever it is. Now I'm not so sure: I think he'll go before it.
I followed his performance at the Liaison Committee, and it was awful. He either didn't answer the questions, dissembled, diverted into something else (e.g. football), or lied. It was embarrassing. Par for the course, and the same as he does at PMQs. But my sense was that the Tory MPs on the Liaison Committee were pretty cross about this, and I suspect that his approach to PMQs is also not going down well on his own backbenches. I don't think it would take much (a slide in the opinion polls being the most obvious) for his own party to turn against him. The Mustique farce won't have helped.
I suspect an increasing number of Tory MPs are now agreeing with Cummings that BJ isn't fit to be PM. Once (if) he becomes an electoral liability, they'll want to ditch him.
While I accept your premise that the percentage of gay people is not homogenous across all professions it is also inconceivable that the number in football is so low that it appears to be zero.
Also yes people don't come out because of the negative reaction to them coming out whether that be fans, team mates, or the media. Why else would they not? There clearly is an issue in football as there is/was with race.
I guess we have to go through the stages of people coming out so that it is accepted before we can get to my original point which is people do not need to come out, because coming out is of no interest to anyone, a bit like a straight person declaring they are straight - who cares?
I suspect that being an out gay footballer would be met with a shrug, and little more than a bit of shower banter from the players. Times have moved on.
Fans too, where Pride events, flags etc go unremarked in crowds, indeed after one Leicester match the season before last, much of the crowd drifted up to Vicky Park for Leicester Pride to party into the night.
Its remarkable how fast the attitude towards LGB people has transformed. In the space of a generation its completely changed and now its basically embarrassing if anyone has an issue with them. Its really a change for the better.
I left the T off deliberately as the awkward collission between T rights and Women's Rights is an unresolved issue.
LGB rights could always be resolved by live and let live. The problem with Transgender and Women's rights is that I don't believe it can be resolved in the same way. For example, if transgender (male to female) athletes are allowed to compete against women then that is a lost battle for women's rights. I don't see how this can really be resolved. I'd love to hear a solution if someone has one!
Well in the long run, the acceptance of puberty blockers for transgender kids might solve the problem.
At the cost of 10x as many new ones. How do you classify the remorseful retransitioners?
I realise the issue is a contentious (and scientifically contested) one. But as the blockers are reversible, I'm not sure what your point is ?
Mustique report is is as devastating as a report that doesn't find him guilty can be.
One day somebody will be able to explain how it is that Johnson managed to convince so many people that the rules that apply to everyone else don't apply to him. It's a mystery to me.
It's an interesting question. Perhaps part of it is that the people knew he was like this when he was elected. He has not spent years arguing for such rules, only to break them. It's expected (sadly). It's priced in.
Then there's the fact that his opponents often over-egg the pudding, as we see with some on here. Making Johnson out to be evil is wrong, and can be seen to be wrong.
Also, his failings are very human.
He's also different from other politicians, and he delivered something (Brexit) he promised - a task many politicians fail at. If he has to break the rules a little to get there, so what?
Now, I disagree with much of the above - but I can see how people might feel it.
Yes to all of that. And there's a class angle too. The insouciant toff who floats above the hard sweepings of workaday life. It's 'born to rule' entitlement at play here - pure and simple - but Johnson manages to do it in a way that elicits amusement and applause. The working class people sucked into his brand probably don't realize they are succumbing to class deference but I can assure them they are.
I have come to the conclusion that there is a large section of the so-called working class person that has no problem with such deference. If not, why would the Royal Family be so popular (and I don't mean the TV show!)?
Why is royalty so popular in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands?
No idea, I don't live in any of those countries. It may be the same reason. Class also exists in continental Europe
‘I am very anti Brexit, but Jesus can we enjoy the England team winning and achieving a final for the first time in 55 years? These responses are horrendous’
Good to have it formalised that shining a laser pen in a keeper’s eyes before a penalty is perfectly ok if he saves it. Sharpened coins (Peace, prosperity and friendship to all nations 50p naturally), bottles and darts next?
It's not even like Sue Barker was the worst thing about QoS
That guy seems to rival James Cordon in light-entertainment ubiquity. But does anyone actually like him? I've never known of anyone who does. (I'm referring to McGuinness in this instance.)
He’s the annoying one on Top Gear, isn’t he?
You’ll have to narrow that down a bit..
Ha! Yes, he was the twunt I was thinking of.
I actually don’t mind Flintoff, at least he’s achieved something in his life and has a decent sense of humour. Paddy is just annoying though.
I do find it amusing that they went through so many iterations of presenters, then decided that only one of the three needed to have any experience as an automotive journalist.
I find it unwatchable. It turns out I only tuned in for the comedy, and I don’t care that much about cars.
Indeed I now realize I only tuned in for Clarkson. He is a comic genius, and uniquely gifted at deadpan TV delivery - as the farm show proves.
May and Hammond are two of the luckiest presenters in TV history. Insanely rich because of the third guy.
The Corbett and Ernie de nos jours. But probably necessary also tbf to them.
Yes, you need the straight guy, but they are much easier to find. You could swap out May and Hammond with any number of affable geezers, and it would work, because Clarkson brings the magic
He’s done it again with the characters on the Farm thing. Caleb, the Gloucester dialect dude
Trickier than that though. It's a subtle balance to be Top Second Banana, in the May/Hammond (of Top Gear) mould. Enough talent, presence and ambition to get on the stage; after all, May and Hammond were both more than watchable in Top Gear sequences without the Clarkson. But also enough humility to know their job is to support the main attraction. (And Clarkson knows his role and limits as well.)
Same issue with politics. Gordon Brown- unstoppable as No 2, hopeless in the top job. May (of Parliament) was an effective minister, is a smart backbencher, not a great PM- not even as great a PM as circumstances allowed. Hammond (of spreadsheets) reached his summit and was lucky enough to go no higher.
And Boris? It's too early to tell, of course. But his niche was Mayor of London- the role matched his talents, papered over his weaknesses. Had he wanted, he could quite well be still doing the job now. He'd have scored better than Goldsmith or Bailey for sure. But he hungered for the biggest chair of all, even though he's not really up to the job (he isn't, is he?), and he will be remembered for how it all ends.
How what all ends? My guess is that he'll preside over the next GE , presumably win, and then step down. Hand over to Rishi. And then have bags of fun safe in the knowledge that he is a two-times election winner, referendum winner, most consequential PM since Mrs T, etc. And, to many, "Good ole Boris", to boot.
In other words, I don't think he'll wait to crash and burn as others have. He is a sort-of historian, after all.
I think what the two by-elections taught us is that many people still see politics as local. In C&A, the Lib Dems campaigned very effectively on local issues that clearly a large number of local people hold dear. In B&S, Kim Leadbeater was a credible local candidate who many felt would represent the local population well, and who had a back-story that was very relevant to the constituency. In a more negative manner, you could argue that the Hartlepool by-election had similar tendencies, with Labour being given a bloody nose for selecting a candidate who appeared to share none of the views of the local populace.
How this plays into the national picture is more difficult to see, and it is here where I disagree with Mike's header, although huge credit to him for his tips in both by-elections where I'm pleased to say I profited handsomely. By-elections are rarely accurate indicators of underlying national trends though, and I do not see either of these being exceptions to this rule. To me neither Labour or the Lib Dems are cutting through on a national basis, this despite the Conservatives being thoroughly detested by many people, including most of the header writers on here.
Labour to me just do not strike me as a party ready for government, and neither they nor the lib dems appear to have a clear or coherent message. Can the lib dems model themselves as a national party that focuses on local issues? I don't think that's ever been tried before but it could be interesting. I'd have no issue with that especially with the excessive top-down approach of the tories and labour.
At the moment though, the conservative lead is not far from double figures, which is pretty exceptional for a party in its 19th month of its term. As for the media, each arm has its own individual bias - take politicalbetting.com for example, where Mike has predicted around 15 of the last zero end of Boris Johnson moments. Sooner or later he'll be right of course, though. Perhaps that moment will come when either Labour or the Lib Dems get their act together and start looking like a government in waiting, which can't come a moment too soon.
I rarely get the chance to post on here, but have massively enjoyed the conversation over the last few weeks, and, joking aside, great work from Mike, TSE and the team.
Good post, you make some pertinent points, I am firmly of the opinion that the Tories will win the next election, but their time of reckoning will come after that, and when it does come they may have have wished, they didn't win in 2024, once the real truth of the state of this country, especially the NHS, is out, they will have run out of people to blame, ( corbyn, immigrants, Europe, bbc etc) and they will go down to an almighty beating, unlike labour's slow death.
‘I am very anti Brexit, but Jesus can we enjoy the England team winning and achieving a final for the first time in 55 years? These responses are horrendous’
Good to have it formalised that shining a laser pen in a keeper’s eyes before a penalty is perfectly ok if he saves it. Sharpened coins (Peace, prosperity and friendship to all nations 50p naturally), bottles and darts next?
It’s not okay and the perpetrator should be locked up. I think the point being made is that it had no effect on the outcome of the game as the outcome of the penalty was a save. If Schmeichel had put his hand up and told the referee before the pen was taken, and security removed the offender, then in some Sliding Doors alternate future Kane might have actually taken a decent penalty and scored from it.
"British Muslim students from an Islamic seminary watching the #ENG game when @HKane scored. This is the #eng we are part from which some people lead us to believe isn’t possible, it is and the racists can do one"
I've never encountered a Scottish supporter of "whoever's playing against England" who isn't white, though. They really don't realise how small-minded and stupid they look.
No, but it is one way of ending male/female division of sports. It is not unusual to have girls in junior football teams, and in teenage teams weight is a better division than age.
In reality as the Olympics show, Trans women dominating events doesn't appear to be a real issue.
I believe it is becoming quite a big issue in US college athletics. Some transgender women are beating all the others quite significantly.
The current women's 100m world record is 10.49 set in 1988. No woman has run faster than that in 33 years, with obvious question marks of the legitimacy of that time! However, that time would be easily broken by just about ever single male US college athletics sprinter.
That 10.49 had so much wrong with it, even at the time. The organisation of the event was a total shambles, the wind meter didn’t work when there was a howling tailwind, and the athlete herself was questionable with regard to her pharmaceutical activities.
How they persuaded the IAAF to ratify it, remains one of those mysteries.
It wouldn’t be a surprise, if someone measured the track today and found it to be 95m long.
David Wessel @davidmwessel · 16m New ECB strategy: 2% inflation target with occasional "transitory period" in light of effective lower bound on interest rates.
Good, its temporary inflation as we rebound from last year. So they should.
Agree with this. I think the next election is going to feature some very interesting results in prosperous areas of the South. Most of the Tories I know through work are now ex Tories. Things like the "citizens of nowhere" speech went down like a bucket of cold sick on the trading floor. But the media are still engaged in their anthropological expeditions to Leaveland.
Confirmation bias. Given how raw your politics are Tories that disagree with you simply won't talk to you.
Yes. There is little polling data supporting the increasing anti Tory in the south thesis.
Except at the ballot box. C&A is also supported by some very unusual results in the locals.
A lot of Johnsonian Tories are in denial. They are blind to the inconvenient truth that Johnson is seen as a clown by more trad Tories.
If you trads see him as a clown, you can only imagine how we Thatcherites feel....
Good to have it formalised that shining a laser pen in a keeper’s eyes before a penalty is perfectly ok if he saves it. Sharpened coins (Peace, prosperity and friendship to all nations 50p naturally), bottles and darts next?
I was once at a Derby della Capitale where the Roma fans chucked a burning scooter off the roof of the stadium into a mob of Tifoseria Laziale. It was brilliant. Total football.
‘I am very anti Brexit, but Jesus can we enjoy the England team winning and achieving a final for the first time in 55 years? These responses are horrendous’
Good to have it formalised that shining a laser pen in a keeper’s eyes before a penalty is perfectly ok if he saves it. Sharpened coins (Peace, prosperity and friendship to all nations 50p naturally), bottles and darts next?
It’s not okay and the perpetrator should be locked up. I think the point being made is that it had no effect on the outcome of the game as the outcome of the penalty was a save. If Schmeichel had put his hand up and told the referee before the pen was taken, and security removed the offender, then in some Sliding Doors alternate future Kane might have actually taken a decent penalty and scored from it.
That the laser light (if that is what it was: it seemed an odd shape; perhaps alien technology) quickly disappeared from Schmeichel's face is probably a sign that the laser-owner's fellow fans quickly put an end to it.
‘I am very anti Brexit, but Jesus can we enjoy the England team winning and achieving a final for the first time in 55 years? These responses are horrendous’
Good to have it formalised that shining a laser pen in a keeper’s eyes before a penalty is perfectly ok if he saves it. Sharpened coins (Peace, prosperity and friendship to all nations 50p naturally), bottles and darts next?
It's not fine, England will be fined and the people involved should be banned. But if it doesn't affect the result then I don't think it should marr the game to the extent Twitter appears to believe
In other news, cases in France are up by 31% in the last week and have doubled in Paris.
Johnson let it in earlier than elsewhere but stringent measures in April would only have delayed the seeding here. I dunno. I am actually more optimistic than I was when I took a short hiatus from here a month ago. The figures do show tentative signs of plateauing and, whatever happens at the weekend, the championship will be over and schools are breaking up.
Agree with this. I think the next election is going to feature some very interesting results in prosperous areas of the South. Most of the Tories I know through work are now ex Tories. Things like the "citizens of nowhere" speech went down like a bucket of cold sick on the trading floor. But the media are still engaged in their anthropological expeditions to Leaveland.
Confirmation bias. Given how raw your politics are Tories that disagree with you simply won't talk to you.
Yes. There is little polling data supporting the increasing anti Tory in the south thesis.
Except at the ballot box. C&A is also supported by some very unusual results in the locals.
A lot of Johnsonian Tories are in denial. They are blind to the inconvenient truth that Johnson is seen as a clown by more trad Tories.
Quite the opposite. I think people are well aware that "more trad Tories" think Johnson is a clown. We are also quite aware that more traditional Tories like IDS, Michael Howard and Theresa May have a rather poor electoral record while more liberal or transformative Tories like Johnson, Cameron and Thatcher have done well.
Johnson may just be The Greatest Showman, but From Now On people who normally vote for The Other Side are voting Tory. Still no matter how many elections he wins will be Never Enough for you, will it?
@sgevans Gazzetta dello Sport piece says the "generous penalty" awarded to England "confirms the suspicions of a return of favour" to Boris Johnson for his role in stopping the Super League threat to UEFA.
I think what the two by-elections taught us is that many people still see politics as local. In C&A, the Lib Dems campaigned very effectively on local issues that clearly a large number of local people hold dear. In B&S, Kim Leadbeater was a credible local candidate who many felt would represent the local population well, and who had a back-story that was very relevant to the constituency. In a more negative manner, you could argue that the Hartlepool by-election had similar tendencies, with Labour being given a bloody nose for selecting a candidate who appeared to share none of the views of the local populace.
How this plays into the national picture is more difficult to see, and it is here where I disagree with Mike's header, although huge credit to him for his tips in both by-elections where I'm pleased to say I profited handsomely. By-elections are rarely accurate indicators of underlying national trends though, and I do not see either of these being exceptions to this rule. To me neither Labour or the Lib Dems are cutting through on a national basis, this despite the Conservatives being thoroughly detested by many people, including most of the header writers on here.
Labour to me just do not strike me as a party ready for government, and neither they nor the lib dems appear to have a clear or coherent message. Can the lib dems model themselves as a national party that focuses on local issues? I don't think that's ever been tried before but it could be interesting. I'd have no issue with that especially with the excessive top-down approach of the tories and labour.
At the moment though, the conservative lead is not far from double figures, which is pretty exceptional for a party in its 19th month of its term. As for the media, each arm has its own individual bias - take politicalbetting.com for example, where Mike has predicted around 15 of the last zero end of Boris Johnson moments. Sooner or later he'll be right of course, though. Perhaps that moment will come when either Labour or the Lib Dems get their act together and start looking like a government in waiting, which can't come a moment too soon.
I rarely get the chance to post on here, but have massively enjoyed the conversation over the last few weeks, and, joking aside, great work from Mike, TSE and the team.
I endorse this excellent post entirely. I just have a nagging feeling the Tories aren't ready for government either - yet they are the ones running the show !
We're not living in an age of great politicians, that's for sure! The problem is that Boris has got two massive wins under his belt - Brexit and the vaccine roll-out. He may be a lucky general but nobody can take that away from him.
Interesting that Johnson would like to be compared to Churchill - I actually do think there are some comparisons, albeit not anywhere near as flattering as Boris would like. I can easily see Boris as a successful war-time leader (and I think both Brexit and Covid can just about be termed as such) who is nowhere near as good at the day-to-day grind of government.
The problem is, Keir Starmer is most definitely not a Clement Attlee!
It's not even like Sue Barker was the worst thing about QoS
That guy seems to rival James Cordon in light-entertainment ubiquity. But does anyone actually like him? I've never known of anyone who does. (I'm referring to McGuinness in this instance.)
He’s the annoying one on Top Gear, isn’t he?
You’ll have to narrow that down a bit..
Ha! Yes, he was the twunt I was thinking of.
I actually don’t mind Flintoff, at least he’s achieved something in his life and has a decent sense of humour. Paddy is just annoying though.
I do find it amusing that they went through so many iterations of presenters, then decided that only one of the three needed to have any experience as an automotive journalist.
I find it unwatchable. It turns out I only tuned in for the comedy, and I don’t care that much about cars.
Indeed I now realize I only tuned in for Clarkson. He is a comic genius, and uniquely gifted at deadpan TV delivery - as the farm show proves.
May and Hammond are two of the luckiest presenters in TV history. Insanely rich because of the third guy.
The Corbett and Ernie de nos jours. But probably necessary also tbf to them.
Yes, you need the straight guy, but they are much easier to find. You could swap out May and Hammond with any number of affable geezers, and it would work, because Clarkson brings the magic
He’s done it again with the characters on the Farm thing. Caleb, the Gloucester dialect dude
Kaleb is a character in his own right, related I assume to the stone wall guy whose accent is at times impenetrable
‘I am very anti Brexit, but Jesus can we enjoy the England team winning and achieving a final for the first time in 55 years? These responses are horrendous’
Good to have it formalised that shining a laser pen in a keeper’s eyes before a penalty is perfectly ok if he saves it. Sharpened coins (Peace, prosperity and friendship to all nations 50p naturally), bottles and darts next?
It’s not okay and the perpetrator should be locked up. I think the point being made is that it had no effect on the outcome of the game as the outcome of the penalty was a save. If Schmeichel had put his hand up and told the referee before the pen was taken, and security removed the offender, then in some Sliding Doors alternate future Kane might have actually taken a decent penalty and scored from it.
Thank you for enlightening me on what point was being made. Use of the term ‘remoaner’ had led me down entirely the wrong path.
In other news, cases in France are up by 31% in the last week and have doubled in Paris.
Not one country learnt anything from the spread of Kent covid, and the dopes watched Indian covid flare up in the UK and then allowed the process to repeat.
It's just as well we have vaccines because almost everything else we've done (and I mean almost all nations) has been shambolic.
@sgevans Gazzetta dello Sport piece says the "generous penalty" awarded to England "confirms the suspicions of a return of favour" to Boris Johnson for his role in stopping the Super League threat to UEFA.
‘I am very anti Brexit, but Jesus can we enjoy the England team winning and achieving a final for the first time in 55 years? These responses are horrendous’
Good to have it formalised that shining a laser pen in a keeper’s eyes before a penalty is perfectly ok if he saves it. Sharpened coins (Peace, prosperity and friendship to all nations 50p naturally), bottles and darts next?
It's not fine, England will be fined and the people involved should be banned. But if it doesn't affect the result then I don't think it should marr the game to the extent Twitter appears to believe
Funnily enough, those getting excited about it on Twitter aren’t football fans, but the #FBPE mob, who seem to now all be cheering for Italy in the final.
It’s almost as if the incident plays into their preferred stereotype, of football fans all being Brexit-supporting, racist, cheating thugs.
Mustique report is is as devastating as a report that doesn't find him guilty can be.
One day somebody will be able to explain how it is that Johnson managed to convince so many people that the rules that apply to everyone else don't apply to him. It's a mystery to me.
It's an interesting question. Perhaps part of it is that the people knew he was like this when he was elected. He has not spent years arguing for such rules, only to break them. It's expected (sadly). It's priced in.
Then there's the fact that his opponents often over-egg the pudding, as we see with some on here. Making Johnson out to be evil is wrong, and can be seen to be wrong.
Also, his failings are very human.
He's also different from other politicians, and he delivered something (Brexit) he promised - a task many politicians fail at. If he has to break the rules a little to get there, so what?
Now, I disagree with much of the above - but I can see how people might feel it.
Yes to all of that. And there's a class angle too. The insouciant toff who floats above the hard sweepings of workaday life. It's 'born to rule' entitlement at play here - pure and simple - but Johnson manages to do it in a way that elicits amusement and applause. The working class people sucked into his brand probably don't realize they are succumbing to class deference but I can assure them they are.
I have come to the conclusion that there is a large section of the so-called working class person that has no problem with such deference. If not, why would the Royal Family be so popular (and I don't mean the TV show!)?
Want working class people in Britain to obey you? Speak in a posh accent.
Comments
@andrew_lilico
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11h
Do people really not know how agitated Italians get about fruit on pizza? Is that truly news to twitterfolk?
The appeal isn't to try and move opinion polls. It is to move the remaining Tories with a shred of basic decency and honour to get the lying clown to behave himself.
Indeed I now realize I only tuned in for Clarkson. He is a comic genius, and uniquely gifted at deadpan TV delivery - as the farm show proves.
May and Hammond are two of the luckiest presenters in TV history. Insanely rich because of the third guy.
They have Sunak standing in their way.
But he is good at politics and that, after all, is his job.
edit: except Sunak seeking wider exposure at Wimbledon in the Ladies' Singles.
‘WTF!! An England fan was shining a laser in Caspar Schmeichel's eyes during the penalty!
I am so sorry Denmark. 😳
#ENGDEN’
https://twitter.com/femi_sorry/status/1412895681912741894?s=21
‘I am very anti Brexit, but Jesus can we enjoy the England team winning and achieving a final for the first time in 55 years? These responses are horrendous’
https://twitter.com/tinderuppal/status/1412896760792457217?s=21
In reality as the Olympics show, Trans women dominating events doesn't appear to be a real issue.
There's a brilliant documentary about her previously on Netflix, now on Prime, I believe.
Or is Tebbit the prophet of harmonious integration, now?
Kay was all cool professionalism. Not at all what you would expect.
McGuinness had an easy, warm charisma. Oozed kindness. Maybe he makes a really good impression in person? He did with me.
I do.
He’s done it again with the characters on the Farm thing. Caleb, the Gloucester dialect dude
I followed his performance at the Liaison Committee, and it was awful. He either didn't answer the questions, dissembled, diverted into something else (e.g. football), or lied. It was embarrassing. Par for the course, and the same as he does at PMQs. But my sense was that the Tory MPs on the Liaison Committee were pretty cross about this, and I suspect that his approach to PMQs is also not going down well on his own backbenches. I don't think it would take much (a slide in the opinion polls being the most obvious) for his own party to turn against him. The Mustique farce won't have helped.
I suspect an increasing number of Tory MPs are now agreeing with Cummings that BJ isn't fit to be PM. Once (if) he becomes an electoral liability, they'll want to ditch him.
I've never had my political views described as raw before, I'll take that, it's better than half baked or overcooked I suppose!
The South is more heterogenous than it looks, though (just as the North is - people talk as though everywhere north of Birmingham was like Hartlepool). The Tories are doing fine in some parts - where they are struggling is in prosperous Remain-voting areas.
No Freedom Day or business as normal whilst there’s is Test Trace and Isolate. Fact.
So when exactly is Test Trace and Isolate going into the bin?
They basically want pragmatism, common-sense, a well-run Government and not too much tax, thank you.
They're not beards & sandals.
Largely the physical presence - voice, specs, smirk, short-arsery.
The PM is unworthy of the role. Yet still far better than the likes of Corbyn.
And I never usually like the "oh well people are ignoring it so it doesn't matter" response because it is still the law, or guidance. But...I simply can't see anyone complying with T&T after July 19th. Will pubs still have that check in thing? I waved my phone (which doesn't have the app and was switched off) at the check in point last night and no one seemed to care. Would it be a legal requirement?
Me last week: "The one thing which would continue to stop the country dead in its tracks is if they didn't abolish the 10-day isolation.
No one could plan to do anything, nor have any certainty of being able to work, if they thought they might be pinged at any time and told to stay at home for 10 days.
If it stays the country will be at the mercy of having to put their lives on hold at any time. It is untenable."
How this plays into the national picture is more difficult to see, and it is here where I disagree with Mike's header, although huge credit to him for his tips in both by-elections where I'm pleased to say I profited handsomely. By-elections are rarely accurate indicators of underlying national trends though, and I do not see either of these being exceptions to this rule. To me neither Labour or the Lib Dems are cutting through on a national basis, this despite the Conservatives being thoroughly detested by many people, including most of the header writers on here.
Labour to me just do not strike me as a party ready for government, and neither they nor the lib dems appear to have a clear or coherent message. Can the lib dems model themselves as a national party that focuses on local issues? I don't think that's ever been tried before but it could be interesting. I'd have no issue with that especially with the excessive top-down approach of the tories and labour.
At the moment though, the conservative lead is not far from double figures, which is pretty exceptional for a party in its 19th month of its term. As for the media, each arm has its own individual bias - take politicalbetting.com for example, where Mike has predicted around 15 of the last zero end of Boris Johnson moments. Sooner or later he'll be right of course, though. Perhaps that moment will come when either Labour or the Lib Dems get their act together and start looking like a government in waiting, which can't come a moment too soon.
I rarely get the chance to post on here, but have massively enjoyed the conversation over the last few weeks, and, joking aside, great work from Mike, TSE and the team.
I hope we find the dickhead who did this and properly punish them.
Outrageous.
The current women's 100m world record is 10.49 set in 1988. No woman has run faster than that in 33 years, with obvious question marks of the legitimacy of that time! However, that time would be easily broken by just about ever single male US college athletics sprinter.
For once I agree with @Casino_Royale when he said : "Most Tories I meet in the South are a bit like Clarkson - posh, affluent, patriotic and internationalist, but still decidedly Tory. They basically want pragmatism, common-sense, a well-run Government and not too much tax, thank you."
Sounds very like me tbh!
Same issue with politics. Gordon Brown- unstoppable as No 2, hopeless in the top job. May (of Parliament) was an effective minister, is a smart backbencher, not a great PM- not even as great a PM as circumstances allowed. Hammond (of spreadsheets) reached his summit and was lucky enough to go no higher.
And Boris? It's too early to tell, of course. But his niche was Mayor of London- the role matched his talents, papered over his weaknesses. Had he wanted, he could quite well be still doing the job now. He'd have scored better than Goldsmith or Bailey for sure. But he hungered for the biggest chair of all, even though he's not really up to the job (he isn't, is he?), and he will be remembered for how it all ends.
https://twitter.com/davidmwessel/status/1413091746280583169
David Wessel
@davidmwessel
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16m
New ECB strategy: 2% inflation target with occasional "transitory period" in light of effective lower bound on interest rates.
I can definitely attest to the spooky quietness on the local roads about 7:45 last night. It was like Lockdown 1.0 in April 2020.
One option might be to end gender classification for some sports
Ending gender classifcation within sports effectively eliminates women being viable to compete, where it doesn't make a difference it is already done - equestrianism for instance.
The government, and their supporters on this forum, are just ignoring it because they don’t have an answer, other than mindlessly repeating “it’s all over innit” in supreme ignorance of the screaming fact, until they can put Test Trace Isolate into the bin the government policy is still the iSage wet dream.
He also knows that he needs to carefully time his departure and I suspect Cummings continually having pot shots at him means that for the moment he will hang on.
In other words, I don't think he'll wait to crash and burn as others have. He is a sort-of historian, after all.
https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2021/07/08/covid-19-clement-beaune-recommande-d-eviter-le-portugal-et-l-espagne-cet-ete_6087517_3244.html
In other news, cases in France are up by 31% in the last week and have doubled in Paris.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9768259/Scottish-fans-join-Italians-Danes-accuse-Sterling-DIVING.html
How they persuaded the IAAF to ratify it, remains one of those mysteries.
It wouldn’t be a surprise, if someone measured the track today and found it to be 95m long.
ECB has done the same thing in the past.
Johnson may just be The Greatest Showman, but From Now On people who normally vote for The Other Side are voting Tory. Still no matter how many elections he wins will be Never Enough for you, will it?
Gazzetta dello Sport piece says the "generous penalty" awarded to England "confirms the suspicions of a return of favour" to Boris Johnson for his role in stopping the Super League threat to UEFA.
https://twitter.com/sgevans/status/1413097694155976709
Interesting that Johnson would like to be compared to Churchill - I actually do think there are some comparisons, albeit not anywhere near as flattering as Boris would like. I can easily see Boris as a successful war-time leader (and I think both Brexit and Covid can just about be termed as such) who is nowhere near as good at the day-to-day grind of government.
The problem is, Keir Starmer is most definitely not a Clement Attlee!
It's just as well we have vaccines because almost everything else we've done (and I mean almost all nations) has been shambolic.
My viewpoint is a more general one - for once the luck was on our side.
It’s almost as if the incident plays into their preferred stereotype, of football fans all being Brexit-supporting, racist, cheating thugs.