Thanks very much that makes sense. I wasn't talking about any animal alive today just in general if/when national herds become niche markets. Which in time is what you are suggesting will logically happen with those small, high-welfare units.
I suppose if those millions of animals don't exist one way or another then the issue of their welfare is moot. I was just interested in the idea of whether it is thought in the industry (including your oversight industry) whether not to have those sheds of chickens and have instead artificially produced or plant-based meat would be a desirable end state.
I think so, don't you? Lots of people are just not very keen on soya and vegetables and reluctant to make the food experience into 2 unpalatable meals a day, but uncomfortable with killing animals to feed themselves, especially sheds of animals raised in grim conditions. If they can have exactly the same product without killing anything, it would be odd to insist.
As others have posted, there will be effects on the farming landscape, but that does evolve anyway. The fields of grazing animals and villages with loads of chickens running around which I remember as a kid have largely been replaced by industrial farms - you can drive through large areas of countryside and almost never see a farm animal.
I am torn. Let's for example say that there are 15m sheep in the UK and we could find a substitute for lamb, mutton, etc.
Driving a horse around those obstacles I think qualifies more as a sport ("activity involving physical exertion and skill") than many other Olympic events (not high bar, that said).
Australia will likely have a second referendum on the monarchy but only if and when Labor get back in, NZ would likely then follow Aus, I think it would be closer than 1999 when 55% voted against a republic but William and Kate could still swing it.
I think you're overstating the appeal of Baldy and his Stepford Wife among people who aren't already gaga about the royals.
They dressed their chubby kid like Eamonn Holmes to take the poor little bugger to a football match. Decidedly not normal.
Thanks very much that makes sense. I wasn't talking about any animal alive today just in general if/when national herds become niche markets. Which in time is what you are suggesting will logically happen with those small, high-welfare units.
I suppose if those millions of animals don't exist one way or another then the issue of their welfare is moot. I was just interested in the idea of whether it is thought in the industry (including your oversight industry) whether not to have those sheds of chickens and have instead artificially produced or plant-based meat would be a desirable end state.
I think so, don't you? Lots of people are just not very keen on soya and vegetables and reluctant to make the food experience into 2 unpalatable meals a day, but uncomfortable with killing animals to feed themselves, especially sheds of animals raised in grim conditions. If they can have exactly the same product without killing anything, it would be odd to insist.
As others have posted, there will be effects on the farming landscape, but that does evolve anyway. The fields of grazing animals and villages with loads of chickens running around which I remember as a kid have largely been replaced by industrial farms - you can drive through large areas of countryside and almost never see a farm animal.
I am torn. Let's for example say that there are 15m sheep in the UK and we could find a substitute for lamb, mutton, etc.
So that the sheep disappear.
Is that a good thing for animal welfare?
Meat will always be eaten - and thats from me a decade into selling plant-based meat alternatives! We are not going to see cows sheep and chickens disappear because the demand is still there. What is a hopeful possibility is that we actually become self-sufficient and stop importing Thai and Brazilian chicken for godawful cheap "meat" meals. Which as standards here are higher would be a good thing both for animal welfare and the environment.
Of all the wonders of this site, watching @williamglenn and @RochdalePioneers discuss Brexit is one of the more entertaining ones.
I don't think we can discuss something so ill defined. When leaving the European Union - literally the question on the paper and the name of the action - would be "pointless" without leaving all the other things that aren't the EU then we're back to the genius of Douglas Adams.
The answer to Life, The Universe and Everything is Brexit means Brexit Forty Two. The problem is that you don't know what question to ask...
What would you say to a hypothetical Scot in a few years who complains that they only voted to leave the UK, not the currency or the trade zone?
That depends on the question they were asked! As the GB customs zone (there is no longer a UK customs zone) is not the UK then a vote to leave the UK is not the same as leaving the GB customs zone. The Isle of Man is not in the UK but it is in the GB customs zone.
So Scotland could vote for independence and then become a crown dependency? That's an interesting suggestion.
Well the political pendulum swings in strange ways. However I think that we are about to see a major fall in support for the monarchy across the board. Its not just the Harry & Meghan soap opera or the nasty piece of work that is Andrew. There is, I think, an increasing sense that the after the Queen dies then some pretty significant changes will be needed, and these changes are beyond what the court can deal with.
The Ben Elliott sleaze is not at all helpful and reinforces the sense of institutional decline.
www.Republic.org.uk is reporting a significant growth in membership and support.
There will be some shift, while 85% of voters have a positive view of the Queen and that cuts across party lines with 98% of Tories and 77% of Labour voters viewing her positively Charles is rather less popular.
The Prince of Wales is only viewed positively by 58% and that is much more divided on party lines, with 78% of Tories viewing him positively but only 44% of Labour voters, so expect Republic to get a boost from the left when he becomes King.
I was in London for the Diamond Jubilee and bumped into an American who wanted to know what was going on. In the course of telling him I made a comment that he wouldn’t find many republicans in London on that day: he was delighted and I didn’t have the heart to explain his mistake...
If he wanted to avoid democrats, Tower Hamlets is of course the place to be...
I thought the first rule of code names is that they should not be immediately identifiable with their subject?
Chris Musson @ChrisMusson EXCL: Cops ditch tag “Operation Bunter” for Boris Johnson's next visit to Scotland, after warnings they were effectively branding him Billy Bunter.
Australia will likely have a second referendum on the monarchy but only if and when Labor get back in, NZ would likely then follow Aus, I think it would be closer than 1999 when 55% voted against a republic but William and Kate could still swing it.
I think you're overstating the appeal of Baldy and his Stepford Wife among people who aren't already gaga about the royals.
They dressed their chubby kid like Eamonn Holmes to take the poor little bugger to a football match. Decidedly not normal.
I thought the first rule of code names is that they should not be immediately identifiable with their subject?
Chris Musson @ChrisMusson EXCL: Cops ditch tag “Operation Bunter” for Boris Johnson's next visit to Scotland, after warnings they were effectively branding him Billy Bunter.
Australia will likely have a second referendum on the monarchy but only if and when Labor get back in, NZ would likely then follow Aus, I think it would be closer than 1999 when 55% voted against a republic but William and Kate could still swing it.
I think you're overstating the appeal of Baldy and his Stepford Wife among people who aren't already gaga about the royals.
They dressed their chubby kid like Eamonn Holmes to take the poor little bugger to a football match. Decidedly not normal.
That was trolling the lower classes. There was a picture of William and George laughing their heads off, where I'm pretty certain alarm has just said "You wouldn't believe the money these numpties pay us for pretending to be interested in this stuff."
Who would have predicted this? CEO who runs meal alternative business in favour of a tax on meat - and the BBC treating him as if he has no skin in the game...
Sure, but the interview makes his interest absolutely clear. It's a widespread view that we should eat less meat and reasonable for the BBC to interview the market leader in similar-tasting alternatives.
A little more scepticism is in order - both about the nutritional value of the product these businesses are trying to sell (there has been some interesting research on this by a very close friend of mine who is an expert in this area. These businesses' claims don't stack up.) and the businesses themselves, which are loss-making and have been for years.
What is your friends general opinion of the area - is it reasonable, fundamentally, but beset with chancers? Or is the area of meat alternatives fundamentally flawed?
Beset with chancers and fundamentally flawed would sum it up.
Creating meat products which aren't meat but look like it and sort of taste like it he thinks is fundamentally flawed - both because the nutritional value is much worse, there is lots of deception in how they are peddled (doesn't just apply to alternative meat companies but to some of the alternative milk & other products) and the business model is smoke and mirrors. Wouldn't touch it or the companies peddling it.
Says that there are a lot of start up alternative food companies attracting lots of investment and making a bit of a noise at first but when you look at them over time, most burn money, fail and are simply unable to get market share or make money.
I'd agree with that, and hold no great enthusiasm for existing products (though as a straight swap for unhealthy fast food meat, they're probably not all bad). But the development of more palatable and nutritious plant based alternatives to meat is very likely part of the future of mass food production globally. People will carry on eating meat, of course, but feeding the rest of the world's population in the manner to which the richer western countries have become accustomed (and to which the rest of the world aspires) is simply not possible.
I thought the first rule of code names is that they should not be immediately identifiable with their subject?
Chris Musson @ChrisMusson EXCL: Cops ditch tag “Operation Bunter” for Boris Johnson's next visit to Scotland, after warnings they were effectively branding him Billy Bunter.
I seem to remember that the Fat Owl of the Remove was always telling lies as well, just like Billy Bunter...
Not the least confidence trick that BJ has managed to pull off is to get folk to see him through a charming Wodehousian prism rather than as the greedy, self serving, lying, cowardly Bunter.
I thought the first rule of code names is that they should not be immediately identifiable with their subject?
Chris Musson @ChrisMusson EXCL: Cops ditch tag “Operation Bunter” for Boris Johnson's next visit to Scotland, after warnings they were effectively branding him Billy Bunter.
I seem to remember that the Fat Owl of the Remove was always telling lies as well, just like Billy Bunter...
Not the least confidence trick that BJ has managed to pull off is to get folk to see him through a charming Wodehousian prism rather than as the greedy, self serving, lying, cowardly Bunter.
Charles Hamilton I think always had some degree of affection for BB.
I see Lords have banned people bringing alcohol to the ground for the Hundred after disgraceful scenes forced authorities to close the bars early.
What did they expect. Its hardly surprising if they dumb the game down.
I have been to two cricket matches in my life. One a test at Lords many, many years ago and second the T20 at the Oval where they searched everyone on entry for booze.
More for the profits of the Oval/Fosters (?) than the behaviour.
Many years ago I was lucky enough to spend a day at a Lords’ Test in one of the hospitality boxes: the Chairman of Governors had access to one as he was something very senior at the company that owned it, and he offered it to the teachers at the school who took cricket teams (which I did at the time). Turns out that a bunch of PE staff can consume an awful lot of alcohol between start of play at 10:30 or so and the close at 7:00 (extra time was allowed as Zimbabwe were deep into their second innings and it looked like the match would be over soon, which turned out to be accurate). It was great fun, but I’m surprised I remember any of it given that I think I may have drunk more on that day than any other in my life, with the possible exception of the day I finished finals.
My only test match was at Old Trafford in 1999. It was the test before we went to the bottom of the ranking after losing to New Zealand. New Zealand were batting and we took 3 wickets all day and I missed two in the loo and at the bar!
Early 2000s I went to see Lancashire lightning and we were able to take up to 6 bottles or cans in with us - I don't know about crowd trouble but I was certainly heckling the mascot!
I see Lords have banned people bringing alcohol to the ground for the Hundred after disgraceful scenes forced authorities to close the bars early.
What did they expect. Its hardly surprising if they dumb the game down.
I have been to two cricket matches in my life. One a test at Lords many, many years ago and second the T20 at the Oval where they searched everyone on entry for booze.
More for the profits of the Oval/Fosters (?) than the behaviour.
Many years ago I was lucky enough to spend a day at a Lords’ Test in one of the hospitality boxes: the Chairman of Governors had access to one as he was something very senior at the company that owned it, and he offered it to the teachers at the school who took cricket teams (which I did at the time). Turns out that a bunch of PE staff can consume an awful lot of alcohol between start of play at 10:30 or so and the close at 7:00 (extra time was allowed as Zimbabwe were deep into their second innings and it looked like the match would be over soon, which turned out to be accurate). It was great fun, but I’m surprised I remember any of it given that I think I may have drunk more on that day than any other in my life, with the possible exception of the day I finished finals.
My only test match was at Old Trafford in 1999. It was the test before we went to the bottom of the ranking after losing to New Zealand. New Zealand were batting and we took 3 wickets all day and I missed two in the loo and at the bar!
Early 2000s I went to see Lancashire lightning and we were able to take up to 6 bottles or cans in with us - I don't know about crowd trouble but I was certainly heckling the mascot!
I’ve been to a number of other tests, mostly at the Oval, but I had to pay for them myself.
Nope. No expert on eventing, I just go to Badminton every year.
My favourite eventing anecdote: Burghley happens in September, by which time in the bad old days early morning f*x hunting had started. So the German team look out of the window at breakfast on the Saturday morning (cross country day) and see the local hunt meeting on the lawn, with the British competitors mounted on horses.
German 1: Mein Gott, look at these crazy English competitors going out for an hour's hunting today of all days.
German 2: it could be worse, Hans, they could be on their competition horses.
Rentoul makes the point that maybe he thinks he has a chance at the top job? He's surprised me before.
I've rather forgotten but is Rees-Mogg still a member of the government? An extraordinary intervention if so and underlines the fact that Boris has the whiff of political death about him.
Yes. Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council.
Nope. No expert on eventing, I just go to Badminton every year.
My favourite eventing anecdote: Burghley happens in September, by which time in the bad old days early morning f*x hunting had started. So the German team look out of the window at breakfast on the Saturday morning (cross country day) and see the local hunt meeting on the lawn, with the British competitors mounted on horses.
German 1: Mein Gott, look at these crazy English competitors going out for an hour's hunting today of all days.
German 2: it could be worse, Hans, they could be on their competition horses.
Thanks very much that makes sense. I wasn't talking about any animal alive today just in general if/when national herds become niche markets. Which in time is what you are suggesting will logically happen with those small, high-welfare units.
I suppose if those millions of animals don't exist one way or another then the issue of their welfare is moot. I was just interested in the idea of whether it is thought in the industry (including your oversight industry) whether not to have those sheds of chickens and have instead artificially produced or plant-based meat would be a desirable end state.
I think so, don't you? Lots of people are just not very keen on soya and vegetables and reluctant to make the food experience into 2 unpalatable meals a day, but uncomfortable with killing animals to feed themselves, especially sheds of animals raised in grim conditions. If they can have exactly the same product without killing anything, it would be odd to insist.
As others have posted, there will be effects on the farming landscape, but that does evolve anyway. The fields of grazing animals and villages with loads of chickens running around which I remember as a kid have largely been replaced by industrial farms - you can drive through large areas of countryside and almost never see a farm animal.
I am torn. Let's for example say that there are 15m sheep in the UK and we could find a substitute for lamb, mutton, etc.
Australia will likely have a second referendum on the monarchy but only if and when Labor get back in, NZ would likely then follow Aus, I think it would be closer than 1999 when 55% voted against a republic but William and Kate could still swing it.
I think you're overstating the appeal of Baldy and his Stepford Wife among people who aren't already gaga about the royals.
They dressed their chubby kid like Eamonn Holmes to take the poor little bugger to a football match. Decidedly not normal.
According to one Australian poll 49% of Australians wanted William to become King compared to only 25% for Charles.
Overall 39% wanted to keep the monarchy, 35% to become a republic with 26% undecided.
So in Australia William is not only more popular than his father but more popular than the monarchy as an institution overall
Thanks very much that makes sense. I wasn't talking about any animal alive today just in general if/when national herds become niche markets. Which in time is what you are suggesting will logically happen with those small, high-welfare units.
I suppose if those millions of animals don't exist one way or another then the issue of their welfare is moot. I was just interested in the idea of whether it is thought in the industry (including your oversight industry) whether not to have those sheds of chickens and have instead artificially produced or plant-based meat would be a desirable end state.
I think so, don't you? Lots of people are just not very keen on soya and vegetables and reluctant to make the food experience into 2 unpalatable meals a day, but uncomfortable with killing animals to feed themselves, especially sheds of animals raised in grim conditions. If they can have exactly the same product without killing anything, it would be odd to insist.
As others have posted, there will be effects on the farming landscape, but that does evolve anyway. The fields of grazing animals and villages with loads of chickens running around which I remember as a kid have largely been replaced by industrial farms - you can drive through large areas of countryside and almost never see a farm animal.
I am torn. Let's for example say that there are 15m sheep in the UK and we could find a substitute for lamb, mutton, etc.
So that the sheep disappear.
Is that a good thing for animal welfare?
Yes.
I like your style. No animals, no animal welfare problem.
I bet you could teach companies' Client Services teams a great deal also.
I do wonder if perhaps is it really worth all the time and cost to try this case again. Being an incredibly offensive dickhead, shaming in the court of public opinion (and one trial already) seems like as a good punishment as any.
The SNP is also set to renew its independence offer to Scots with a series of what critics said were unrealistic policies.
A public sector job for everyone who wants one, pensions would be more generous and a Scottish passport for every resident....
Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.
Nope. No expert on eventing, I just go to Badminton every year.
My favourite eventing anecdote: Burghley happens in September, by which time in the bad old days early morning f*x hunting had started. So the German team look out of the window at breakfast on the Saturday morning (cross country day) and see the local hunt meeting on the lawn, with the British competitors mounted on horses.
German 1: Mein Gott, look at these crazy English competitors going out for an hour's hunting today of all days.
German 2: it could be worse, Hans, they could be on their competition horses.
German 1: Mein Gott, Fritz, look more closely...
How did they get on!?
As in the competition, not onto their ponies.
Dunno. I think it's probably more an after dinner story than actually true.
I thought the first rule of code names is that they should not be immediately identifiable with their subject?
Chris Musson @ChrisMusson EXCL: Cops ditch tag “Operation Bunter” for Boris Johnson's next visit to Scotland, after warnings they were effectively branding him Billy Bunter.
I seem to remember that the Fat Owl of the Remove was always telling lies as well, just like Billy Bunter...
Something I found out relatively recently: “The Remove” refers to the year that Bunter was in. I think is the equivalent of Y10, though it seems to vary from school to school.
Thompson-Herah looks to be a class apart from all the other sprinters in the 200 quite honestly. Always annoys me when athletes ease up en-route to a stonkingly fast time, she could have had the 2nd quickest time since Flo-Jo there.
The SNP is also set to renew its independence offer to Scots with a series of what critics said were unrealistic policies.
A public sector job for everyone who wants one, pensions would be more generous and a Scottish passport for every resident....
Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.
Thanks very much that makes sense. I wasn't talking about any animal alive today just in general if/when national herds become niche markets. Which in time is what you are suggesting will logically happen with those small, high-welfare units.
I suppose if those millions of animals don't exist one way or another then the issue of their welfare is moot. I was just interested in the idea of whether it is thought in the industry (including your oversight industry) whether not to have those sheds of chickens and have instead artificially produced or plant-based meat would be a desirable end state.
I think so, don't you? Lots of people are just not very keen on soya and vegetables and reluctant to make the food experience into 2 unpalatable meals a day, but uncomfortable with killing animals to feed themselves, especially sheds of animals raised in grim conditions. If they can have exactly the same product without killing anything, it would be odd to insist.
As others have posted, there will be effects on the farming landscape, but that does evolve anyway. The fields of grazing animals and villages with loads of chickens running around which I remember as a kid have largely been replaced by industrial farms - you can drive through large areas of countryside and almost never see a farm animal.
I am torn. Let's for example say that there are 15m sheep in the UK and we could find a substitute for lamb, mutton, etc.
So that the sheep disappear.
Is that a good thing for animal welfare?
Yes.
I like your style. No animals, no animal welfare problem.
I have a similar approach with my 'let's make a desert and call it peace' strategy.
Thompson-Herah looks to be a class apart from all the other sprinters in the 200 quite honestly. Always annoys me when athletes ease up en-route to a stonkingly fast time, she could have had the 2nd quickest time since Flo-Jo there.
Normally the case, but it made that Bolt record where he slowed and slapped his chest all the more memorable.
Thompson-Herah looks to be a class apart from all the other sprinters in the 200 quite honestly. Always annoys me when athletes ease up en-route to a stonkingly fast time, she could have had the 2nd quickest time since Flo-Jo there.
Not as bad as that pole vaulter who got a bonus every time he broke the WR, so just increased it by the minimum amount time and time again, when it was clear he could exceed it by miles.
Thanks very much that makes sense. I wasn't talking about any animal alive today just in general if/when national herds become niche markets. Which in time is what you are suggesting will logically happen with those small, high-welfare units.
I suppose if those millions of animals don't exist one way or another then the issue of their welfare is moot. I was just interested in the idea of whether it is thought in the industry (including your oversight industry) whether not to have those sheds of chickens and have instead artificially produced or plant-based meat would be a desirable end state.
I think so, don't you? Lots of people are just not very keen on soya and vegetables and reluctant to make the food experience into 2 unpalatable meals a day, but uncomfortable with killing animals to feed themselves, especially sheds of animals raised in grim conditions. If they can have exactly the same product without killing anything, it would be odd to insist.
As others have posted, there will be effects on the farming landscape, but that does evolve anyway. The fields of grazing animals and villages with loads of chickens running around which I remember as a kid have largely been replaced by industrial farms - you can drive through large areas of countryside and almost never see a farm animal.
I am torn. Let's for example say that there are 15m sheep in the UK and we could find a substitute for lamb, mutton, etc.
So that the sheep disappear.
Is that a good thing for animal welfare?
Yes.
I like your style. No animals, no animal welfare problem.
I have a similar approach with my 'let's make a desert and call it peace' strategy.
Or the nutritional version: “Let’s make a dessert and call it peas.”
I do wonder if perhaps is it really worth all the time and cost to try this case again. Being an incredibly offensive dickhead, shaming in the court of public opinion (and one trial already) seems like as a good punishment as any.
The CPS seems unable to convict rapists, murderers and other actual criminals so it's going after these "easy" convictions to get their stats up. The guy is nothing more than an idiot and the retrial will conclude that, again.
Some help needed, please, from the PB Brains Trust.
Back in March 2020 - before lockdown was announced - my recollection is that, if you had Covid symptoms, the advice from the NHS was to isolate and not go to your GP etc.
And that at the time it was not possible to get Covid tests as you can now, unless you went to hospital.
Is that correct? Can anyone point me to the relevant NHS or government advice?
What I'm looking for is what was available re testing for people at home. As far as I can recall back in mid-March you could not simply send off for a Covid test as you can now. Is that correct?
So that implies not available, or at least not widely available, before then.
That's as far as I can get easily.
Perhaps more in questions in the House.
Thanks. Those were finger prick tests. But I don't think they became widely available. It was not until April or later that any sort of home testing really started, as far as I can tell.
May 2020, possibly - prior to that it was medical/care home staff/essential workers I think.
If you look down to the list of updates on this page, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested#history you get: ...19 May 2020 Added a link to book a drive-through test appointment if you have a verification code. 18 May 2020 Added information on the NHS testing service for people with coronavirus symptoms...
Then there's this: 28 July 2020 Updated to reflect that there is now a single GOV.UK testing service for people who have symptoms and want to get tested.
The lateral flow kits were only available for home use around end November/ beginning of December last year.
Thompson-Herah looks to be a class apart from all the other sprinters in the 200 quite honestly. Always annoys me when athletes ease up en-route to a stonkingly fast time, she could have had the 2nd quickest time since Flo-Jo there.
Again, don't see how Dina Asher-Smith would have got close to the gold.
I do wonder if perhaps is it really worth all the time and cost to try this case again. Being an incredibly offensive dickhead, shaming in the court of public opinion (and one trial already) seems like as a good punishment as any.
The CPS seems unable to convict rapists, murderers and other actual criminals so it's going after these "easy" convictions to get their stats up. The guy is nothing more than an idiot and the retrial will conclude that, again.
Its not like there is already a massive backlog of cases, a rising knife crime problem, county lines drug dealing,....
Australia will likely have a second referendum on the monarchy but only if and when Labor get back in, NZ would likely then follow Aus, I think it would be closer than 1999 when 55% voted against a republic but William and Kate could still swing it.
I think you're overstating the appeal of Baldy and his Stepford Wife among people who aren't already gaga about the royals.
They dressed their chubby kid like Eamonn Holmes to take the poor little bugger to a football match. Decidedly not normal.
According to one Australian poll 49% of Australians wanted William to become King compared to only 25% for Charles.
Overall 39% wanted to keep the monarchy, 35% to become a republic with 26% undecided.
So in Australia William is not only more popular than his father but more popular than the monarchy as an institution overall
I'm just wondering whether most people take the attitude I do re the Royals - In principle I am a republican, but to be honest I don't really care that much about it, seeing as they don't really rule.
And with the exception of Andrew, I don't dislike any of them and quite like the Queen and Harry and I grew to like Phillip who I considered to be Jeremy Clarkson's role model.
Another stellar GB News hire....Doolan, Wooton, him... What were GB News thinking? There is being different, there is having hosts who can be controversial and then there is hiring just nutters.
The SNP is also set to renew its independence offer to Scots with a series of what critics said were unrealistic policies.
A public sector job for everyone who wants one, pensions would be more generous and a Scottish passport for every resident....
Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.
Whilst the UK in its current form is utterly unworkable, that isn't to say that a modernised UK couldn't be. "Devo Max" isn't yet a specific proposal, but having the 4 nations largely self-governing within the UK could be.
Where I think many people outside England struggle currently is that "the Union" is represented Boris, Gammon and "let the migrants drown". But it won't always be.
This is an acutely dangerous period for the Union with a Westminster government that is actively working to break it apart. The danger is that the drive towards independence in Scotland takes real root, that NI realises that it has been cast adrift and needs to own its own destiny, and even Wales is finding a nationalist movement growing way beyond where it had been.
Brexit demonstrated that people don't vote based on practicalities. "What about the hard border" is no barrier to voting leave.
Thanks very much that makes sense. I wasn't talking about any animal alive today just in general if/when national herds become niche markets. Which in time is what you are suggesting will logically happen with those small, high-welfare units.
I suppose if those millions of animals don't exist one way or another then the issue of their welfare is moot. I was just interested in the idea of whether it is thought in the industry (including your oversight industry) whether not to have those sheds of chickens and have instead artificially produced or plant-based meat would be a desirable end state.
I think so, don't you? Lots of people are just not very keen on soya and vegetables and reluctant to make the food experience into 2 unpalatable meals a day, but uncomfortable with killing animals to feed themselves, especially sheds of animals raised in grim conditions. If they can have exactly the same product without killing anything, it would be odd to insist.
As others have posted, there will be effects on the farming landscape, but that does evolve anyway. The fields of grazing animals and villages with loads of chickens running around which I remember as a kid have largely been replaced by industrial farms - you can drive through large areas of countryside and almost never see a farm animal.
I am torn. Let's for example say that there are 15m sheep in the UK and we could find a substitute for lamb, mutton, etc.
So that the sheep disappear.
Is that a good thing for animal welfare?
Yes.
Yes...and I'd want to know how we invest in preserving sustainable stocks of the species that will become rare breeds. Especially the "high yield" species that no-one will want any more. Because the "specialist" meats that will still be consumed will come from the slower-growing, more flavourful breeds.
I think the future is (1) grass-fed organic meat for steak nights and Sunday roasts etc. and (2) synthetic biology for "fillers" in things like chicken nuggets and mince in lasagnes etc.
The SNP is also set to renew its independence offer to Scots with a series of what critics said were unrealistic policies.
A public sector job for everyone who wants one, pensions would be more generous and a Scottish passport for every resident....
Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.
'Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.'
Yet as the UK government has ruled out indyref2 for now and Sturgeon has ruled out a wildcat referendum or UDI all hot air at present
Thanks very much that makes sense. I wasn't talking about any animal alive today just in general if/when national herds become niche markets. Which in time is what you are suggesting will logically happen with those small, high-welfare units.
I suppose if those millions of animals don't exist one way or another then the issue of their welfare is moot. I was just interested in the idea of whether it is thought in the industry (including your oversight industry) whether not to have those sheds of chickens and have instead artificially produced or plant-based meat would be a desirable end state.
I think so, don't you? Lots of people are just not very keen on soya and vegetables and reluctant to make the food experience into 2 unpalatable meals a day, but uncomfortable with killing animals to feed themselves, especially sheds of animals raised in grim conditions. If they can have exactly the same product without killing anything, it would be odd to insist.
As others have posted, there will be effects on the farming landscape, but that does evolve anyway. The fields of grazing animals and villages with loads of chickens running around which I remember as a kid have largely been replaced by industrial farms - you can drive through large areas of countryside and almost never see a farm animal.
I am torn. Let's for example say that there are 15m sheep in the UK and we could find a substitute for lamb, mutton, etc.
So that the sheep disappear.
Is that a good thing for animal welfare?
Yes.
I like your style. No animals, no animal welfare problem.
I have a similar approach with my 'let's make a desert and call it peace' strategy.
With this government, would it not rather be 'make a desert and call it Eton Mess' ?
Thompson-Herah looks to be a class apart from all the other sprinters in the 200 quite honestly. Always annoys me when athletes ease up en-route to a stonkingly fast time, she could have had the 2nd quickest time since Flo-Jo there.
Again, don't see how Dina Asher-Smith would have got close to the gold.
The SNP is also set to renew its independence offer to Scots with a series of what critics said were unrealistic policies.
A public sector job for everyone who wants one, pensions would be more generous and a Scottish passport for every resident....
Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.
Whilst the UK in its current form is utterly unworkable, that isn't to say that a modernised UK couldn't be. "Devo Max" isn't yet a specific proposal, but having the 4 nations largely self-governing within the UK could be.
Where I think many people outside England struggle currently is that "the Union" is represented Boris, Gammon and "let the migrants drown". But it won't always be.
This is an acutely dangerous period for the Union with a Westminster government that is actively working to break it apart. The danger is that the drive towards independence in Scotland takes real root, that NI realises that it has been cast adrift and needs to own its own destiny, and even Wales is finding a nationalist movement growing way beyond where it had been.
Brexit demonstrated that people don't vote based on practicalities. "What about the hard border" is no barrier to voting leave.
Considering 62% of Scots voted Remain, 55% of Northern Irish voters voted Remain and even 47.5% of Welsh voters voted Remain the surprise is more that the SNP, SF and Plaid are not polling better than the reverse.
In May's Holyrood elections the SNP only got 47% on the constituency vote and 40% on the list and Plaid only got 20% on the constituency vote and list in the Senedd.
In 2019 SF also only got 22% in NI at the general election despite Brexit.
Probably Boris getting a trade deal with the EU and avoiding No Deal has reduced the damage Brexit might have done to the Union
While the focus has been on Laurel Hubbard, the favourite for gold in the women's +87kg is China’s world record holder Li Wenwen.
The 21-year-old set three landmarks in the snatch, clean and jerk and total to retain her Asian Weightlifting Championships title in April.
The gap between her and the silver medal weightlifter at that event was a huge 56kg.
---------
Not suspicious at all....
There's a British lass in the +87kg category, and the BBC are showing USA vs CAN women's football when I'm quite sure it's on now ?!
Spoiler, Canada have won....
The BBC keep doing this. Men in the 100m heats, no we better just talk for 30mins, then go to the news....while on red button showing some minority sport on time delay.
I thought the first rule of code names is that they should not be immediately identifiable with their subject?
Chris Musson @ChrisMusson EXCL: Cops ditch tag “Operation Bunter” for Boris Johnson's next visit to Scotland, after warnings they were effectively branding him Billy Bunter.
I seem to remember that the Fat Owl of the Remove was always telling lies as well, just like Billy Bunter...
Something I found out relatively recently: “The Remove” refers to the year that Bunter was in. I think is the equivalent of Y10, though it seems to vary from school to school.
The grammar school I was educated at in the 70s had the year 9 called Remove. I think it was because before ww2 the school leaving age was 14, (year 9 now), and kids were removed to go to work unless they stayed for exams etc.
I thought the first rule of code names is that they should not be immediately identifiable with their subject?
Chris Musson @ChrisMusson EXCL: Cops ditch tag “Operation Bunter” for Boris Johnson's next visit to Scotland, after warnings they were effectively branding him Billy Bunter.
Rentoul makes the point that maybe he thinks he has a chance at the top job? He's surprised me before.
I've rather forgotten but is Rees-Mogg still a member of the government? An extraordinary intervention if so and underlines the fact that Boris has the whiff of political death about him.
Yes. Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council.
While the focus has been on Laurel Hubbard, the favourite for gold in the women's +87kg is China’s world record holder Li Wenwen.
The 21-year-old set three landmarks in the snatch, clean and jerk and total to retain her Asian Weightlifting Championships title in April.
The gap between her and the silver medal weightlifter at that event was a huge 56kg.
---------
Not suspicious at all....
There's a British lass in the +87kg category, and the BBC are showing USA vs CAN women's football when I'm quite sure it's on now ?!
Spoiler, Canada have won....
The BBC keep doing this. Men in the 100m heats, no we better just talk for 30mins, then go to the news....while on red button showing some minority sport on time delay.
I don't mind it to a certain extent. I just watched BBC One yesterday and didn't mind waiting to see the men's 100m SFs. But showing Canada v USA in women's football seems an odd choice.
While the focus has been on Laurel Hubbard, the favourite for gold in the women's +87kg is China’s world record holder Li Wenwen.
The 21-year-old set three landmarks in the snatch, clean and jerk and total to retain her Asian Weightlifting Championships title in April.
The gap between her and the silver medal weightlifter at that event was a huge 56kg.
---------
Not suspicious at all....
There's a British lass in the +87kg category, and the BBC are showing USA vs CAN women's football when I'm quite sure it's on now ?!
Spoiler, Canada have won....
The BBC keep doing this. Men in the 100m heats, no we better just talk for 30mins, then go to the news....while on red button showing some minority sport on time delay.
I don't mind it to a certain extent. I just watched BBC One yesterday and didn't mind waiting to see the men's 100m SFs. But showing Canada v USA in women's football seems an odd choice.
Even with their restrictions on their deal, it isn't really excusable. They have on a number of occasions also had the same sport, live on red button, time delay of exactly the same on BBC One, while not covering British competitors in other sports, or continued to show sports on one channel of things like rowing with no British interest while again missing Brits in other sports.
Its as if the programme director is fast asleep in the control room and something has changed from the expected plan and they don't react.
Thompson-Herah looks to be a class apart from all the other sprinters in the 200 quite honestly. Always annoys me when athletes ease up en-route to a stonkingly fast time, she could have had the 2nd quickest time since Flo-Jo there.
Not as bad as that pole vaulter who got a bonus every time he broke the WR, so just increased it by the minimum amount time and time again, when it was clear he could exceed it by miles.
The SNP is also set to renew its independence offer to Scots with a series of what critics said were unrealistic policies.
A public sector job for everyone who wants one, pensions would be more generous and a Scottish passport for every resident....
Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.
'Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.'
Yet as the UK government has ruled out indyref2 for now and Sturgeon has ruled out a wildcat referendum or UDI all hot air at present
The UK has claimed that our hard border with the EU - and with Northern Ireland - will boost the economy. However preposterous the SNP claim is - and it IS preposterous - they are only following in your footsteps love.
While the focus has been on Laurel Hubbard, the favourite for gold in the women's +87kg is China’s world record holder Li Wenwen.
The 21-year-old set three landmarks in the snatch, clean and jerk and total to retain her Asian Weightlifting Championships title in April.
The gap between her and the silver medal weightlifter at that event was a huge 56kg.
---------
Not suspicious at all....
There's a British lass in the +87kg category, and the BBC are showing USA vs CAN women's football when I'm quite sure it's on now ?!
Spoiler, Canada have won....
The BBC keep doing this. Men in the 100m heats, no we better just talk for 30mins, then go to the news....while on red button showing some minority sport on time delay.
I don't mind it to a certain extent. I just watched BBC One yesterday and didn't mind waiting to see the men's 100m SFs. But showing Canada v USA in women's football seems an odd choice.
I minded. I was cooking lunch and listened to the 100m semis on R5L. Sat down in front of the telly to eat, and they were showing what I had heard 30 mins before!
First lunch at the Groucho since about 329BC. I shall report back on cuisine, mood, pricing, and decor (said to be majorly refurbed)
I can see everyone is agog
Since the Mesolithic surely?
The other logical possibility is that you are a modern Flint Jack, but that is out of the question as they are letting you inside a gentleperson's club.
The SNP is also set to renew its independence offer to Scots with a series of what critics said were unrealistic policies.
A public sector job for everyone who wants one, pensions would be more generous and a Scottish passport for every resident....
Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.
'Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.'
Yet as the UK government has ruled out indyref2 for now and Sturgeon has ruled out a wildcat referendum or UDI all hot air at present
The UK has claimed that our hard border with the EU - and with Northern Ireland - will boost the economy. However preposterous the SNP claim is - and it IS preposterous - they are only following in your footsteps love.
But the problem is that many Brits - even Leavers - have now seen that these wild, undetailed promises turn out to be bullshit. And painful bullshit, at that
I still back Leave but it has been a ghastly nightmare, and if I had my vote again, would I vote for it again, knowing what I know now? I honestly don't know. It would be an even tighter call than it was in 2016 - for me
A lot of Scots who quite fancy indy must look at Brexit and think, regretfully, No to indy, life is too short
Who would have predicted this? CEO who runs meal alternative business in favour of a tax on meat - and the BBC treating him as if he has no skin in the game...
Sure, but the interview makes his interest absolutely clear. It's a widespread view that we should eat less meat and reasonable for the BBC to interview the market leader in similar-tasting alternatives.
A little more scepticism is in order - both about the nutritional value of the product these businesses are trying to sell (there has been some interesting research on this by a very close friend of mine who is an expert in this area. These businesses' claims don't stack up.) and the businesses themselves, which are loss-making and have been for years.
What is your friends general opinion of the area - is it reasonable, fundamentally, but beset with chancers? Or is the area of meat alternatives fundamentally flawed?
Beset with chancers and fundamentally flawed would sum it up.
Creating meat products which aren't meat but look like it and sort of taste like it he thinks is fundamentally flawed - both because the nutritional value is much worse, there is lots of deception in how they are peddled (doesn't just apply to alternative meat companies but to some of the alternative milk & other products) and the business model is smoke and mirrors. Wouldn't touch it or the companies peddling it.
Says that there are a lot of start up alternative food companies attracting lots of investment and making a bit of a noise at first but when you look at them over time, most burn money, fail and are simply unable to get market share or make money.
Some years ago I got involved in the Alternative Health business....... vitamin supplements, homeopathic medicines, and so on..... and went to a few conferences. It was very very noticeable that there were two groups of attenders, who rarely spoke to each other. One was the people who were in it for the money..... well dressed youngish men, who talked 'normal business'. The other were (almost) sandals and beards..... or long flowing dresses for the women..... types who regarded replacing 'scientific' medicines as a crusade in which they had a duty to convert the unbeliever.
The SNP is also set to renew its independence offer to Scots with a series of what critics said were unrealistic policies.
A public sector job for everyone who wants one, pensions would be more generous and a Scottish passport for every resident....
Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.
Whilst the UK in its current form is utterly unworkable, that isn't to say that a modernised UK couldn't be. "Devo Max" isn't yet a specific proposal, but having the 4 nations largely self-governing within the UK could be.
Where I think many people outside England struggle currently is that "the Union" is represented Boris, Gammon and "let the migrants drown". But it won't always be.
This is an acutely dangerous period for the Union with a Westminster government that is actively working to break it apart. The danger is that the drive towards independence in Scotland takes real root, that NI realises that it has been cast adrift and needs to own its own destiny, and even Wales is finding a nationalist movement growing way beyond where it had been.
Brexit demonstrated that people don't vote based on practicalities. "What about the hard border" is no barrier to voting leave.
Considering 62% of Scots voted Remain, 55% of Northern Irish voters voted Remain and even 47.5% of Welsh voters voted Remain the surprise is more that the SNP, SF and Plaid are not polling better than the reverse.
In May's Holyrood elections the SNP only got 47% on the constituency vote and 40% on the list and Plaid only got 20% on the constituency vote and list in the Senedd.
In 2019 SF also only got 22% in NI at the general election despite Brexit.
Probably Boris getting a trade deal with the EU and avoiding No Deal has reduced the damage Brexit might have done to the Union
I can't send good to NI or take my dog to NI or carry certain amounts of cash to NI without paperwork and checks. You say we avoided no deal - tell that to the Northern Irish.
The SNP is also set to renew its independence offer to Scots with a series of what critics said were unrealistic policies.
A public sector job for everyone who wants one, pensions would be more generous and a Scottish passport for every resident....
Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.
'Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.'
Yet as the UK government has ruled out indyref2 for now and Sturgeon has ruled out a wildcat referendum or UDI all hot air at present
The UK has claimed that our hard border with the EU - and with Northern Ireland - will boost the economy. However preposterous the SNP claim is - and it IS preposterous - they are only following in your footsteps love.
But the problem is that many Brits - even Leavers - have now seen that these wild, undetailed promises turn out to be bullshit. And painful bullshit, at that
I still back Leave but it has been a ghastly nightmare, and if I had my vote again, would I vote for it again, knowing what I know now? I honestly don't know. It would be an even tighter call than it was in 2016 - for me
A lot of Scots who quite fancy indy must look at Brexit and think, regretfully, No to indy, life is too short
After last night's stairheid rammy, I will scrupulously refrain from diagnosing bipolarity in your Brexit position(s).
The SNP is also set to renew its independence offer to Scots with a series of what critics said were unrealistic policies.
A public sector job for everyone who wants one, pensions would be more generous and a Scottish passport for every resident....
Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.
'Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.'
Yet as the UK government has ruled out indyref2 for now and Sturgeon has ruled out a wildcat referendum or UDI all hot air at present
The UK has claimed that our hard border with the EU - and with Northern Ireland - will boost the economy. However preposterous the SNP claim is - and it IS preposterous - they are only following in your footsteps love.
But the problem is that many Brits - even Leavers - have now seen that these wild, undetailed promises turn out to be bullshit. And painful bullshit, at that
I still back Leave but it has been a ghastly nightmare, and if I had my vote again, would I vote for it again, knowing what I know now? I honestly don't know. It would be an even tighter call than it was in 2016 - for me
A lot of Scots who quite fancy indy must look at Brexit and think, regretfully, No to indy, life is too short
Its certainly a point of debate! Do we apply the same "we've had enough of experts" mindset to Sindyref2 or assume that people have learned to spot bullshit?
Perhaps the elephant in the room will be where GB finally ends up post-Brexit. We're currently in the early months of WWII knowing that things will go downhill but haven't yet. As we haven't implemented the border checks we insisted on because we can't, there is a "that wasn't so bad" calm. But we will either have to rescind the checks and find compromise or much of the "bullshit" will happen.
My lunch partner is a genius architect designer who drives around in a chauffeured and reinforced Bentley, when he isn't in his Aston Martin. He was schooled in a very average comprehensive and did several years in Exeter prison
Thanks very much that makes sense. I wasn't talking about any animal alive today just in general if/when national herds become niche markets. Which in time is what you are suggesting will logically happen with those small, high-welfare units.
I suppose if those millions of animals don't exist one way or another then the issue of their welfare is moot. I was just interested in the idea of whether it is thought in the industry (including your oversight industry) whether not to have those sheds of chickens and have instead artificially produced or plant-based meat would be a desirable end state.
I think so, don't you? Lots of people are just not very keen on soya and vegetables and reluctant to make the food experience into 2 unpalatable meals a day, but uncomfortable with killing animals to feed themselves, especially sheds of animals raised in grim conditions. If they can have exactly the same product without killing anything, it would be odd to insist.
As others have posted, there will be effects on the farming landscape, but that does evolve anyway. The fields of grazing animals and villages with loads of chickens running around which I remember as a kid have largely been replaced by industrial farms - you can drive through large areas of countryside and almost never see a farm animal.
I am torn. Let's for example say that there are 15m sheep in the UK and we could find a substitute for lamb, mutton, etc.
So that the sheep disappear.
Is that a good thing for animal welfare?
Yes.
I like your style. No animals, no animal welfare problem.
I have a similar approach with my 'let's make a desert and call it peace' strategy.
That was the Roman solution to their Scottish problem. FUDHY is a big fan.
In the present charged debate over Trans rights, feminism and the correct, gender neutral words for genitalia, surely that should be "British girl front bottoms 118kg"
Thanks very much that makes sense. I wasn't talking about any animal alive today just in general if/when national herds become niche markets. Which in time is what you are suggesting will logically happen with those small, high-welfare units.
I suppose if those millions of animals don't exist one way or another then the issue of their welfare is moot. I was just interested in the idea of whether it is thought in the industry (including your oversight industry) whether not to have those sheds of chickens and have instead artificially produced or plant-based meat would be a desirable end state.
I think so, don't you? Lots of people are just not very keen on soya and vegetables and reluctant to make the food experience into 2 unpalatable meals a day, but uncomfortable with killing animals to feed themselves, especially sheds of animals raised in grim conditions. If they can have exactly the same product without killing anything, it would be odd to insist.
As others have posted, there will be effects on the farming landscape, but that does evolve anyway. The fields of grazing animals and villages with loads of chickens running around which I remember as a kid have largely been replaced by industrial farms - you can drive through large areas of countryside and almost never see a farm animal.
I am torn. Let's for example say that there are 15m sheep in the UK and we could find a substitute for lamb, mutton, etc.
So that the sheep disappear.
Is that a good thing for animal welfare?
Yes.
I like your style. No animals, no animal welfare problem.
I have a similar approach with my 'let's make a desert and call it peace' strategy.
That was the Roman solution to their Scottish problem. FUDHY is a big fan.
My lunch partner is a genius architect designer who drives around in a chauffeured and reinforced Bentley, when he isn't in his Aston Martin. He was schooled in a very average comprehensive and did several years in Exeter prison
Are the reasons he has a Bentley/Aston Martin the same as his reason for going to Exeter prison.
The SNP is also set to renew its independence offer to Scots with a series of what critics said were unrealistic policies.
A public sector job for everyone who wants one, pensions would be more generous and a Scottish passport for every resident....
Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.
'Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.'
Yet as the UK government has ruled out indyref2 for now and Sturgeon has ruled out a wildcat referendum or UDI all hot air at present
The UK has claimed that our hard border with the EU - and with Northern Ireland - will boost the economy. However preposterous the SNP claim is - and it IS preposterous - they are only following in your footsteps love.
But the problem is that many Brits - even Leavers - have now seen that these wild, undetailed promises turn out to be bullshit. And painful bullshit, at that
I still back Leave but it has been a ghastly nightmare, and if I had my vote again, would I vote for it again, knowing what I know now? I honestly don't know. It would be an even tighter call than it was in 2016 - for me
A lot of Scots who quite fancy indy must look at Brexit and think, regretfully, No to indy, life is too short
After last night's stairheid rammy, I will scrupulously refrain from diagnosing bipolarity in your Brexit position(s).
Please, diagnose away. I am bipolar on this point (unusually for me)
To be fair, anyone with a brain should be bipolar. There are days when the baby cries all day and you think Fuck this, I didn't even really want the kid, and there are days when the baby smiles and you go Oooooh, being a parent is the best thing in the world!
And herein lies the Brexit conundrum. Aslan (an ironic choice of name...?) can bleat on about the evil Europhiles yet here he is spreading an absolute pack of lies about the EU and what it does. There were no "ludicrous CAP subsidies" to address, yet this non-existent non-issue was weaponised by him and his to deliver their deliverance from this non-thing...
Posts like Aslan’s certainly explain Brexit, though perhaps not in the way intended.
..
And stop quoting facts and stats. It isn't about £350m a week for the NHS - people have no idea how much that is or what it can buy. They want an NHS that delivers for them. And despite statistically more than £350m being added to (Covid) budgets the service is even more on its knees than it was. Brexit was to deliver salvation for our NHS so why are you having to wait 18 months in pain for your knee op? etc etc
For good or ill, there has been a global pandemic. It's perhaps unsupprising that NHS waiting lists are at an all time high. I've no idea what would have occurred had an extra £350m a week been found without covid (I suspect just a gaint sucking sound, and no noticable improvements), nor yet do I have any idea if it would have been found. Neither do you.
What I can tell you is that Brexit has done wonders for the balance of power between capital and low paid labour. We can debate if this is a good thing on a national scale till the cows come home, but if you're a semi-skilled metal basher in Chesterfield or Rotherham, Brexit is currently working out for you very nicely - and they are the sort of people who voted for it. Not because they are racists, but because they (correctly) thought that immigration was holding down their wages.
Of course. More down to Covid than Brexit, but tradesmen have never had it so good - they can charge what they like and work when they can fit you in.
Also, we now know that the figures Remain were using to pretend immigration didn’t make any difference to low paid workers were very far from the truth
“By March, there had been 5.3m applications from almost 5m individuals for “settled” or “pre-settled” status (some people applied twice). By all accounts, there has been a last-minute rush since then.
Yet in 2019, the Home Office estimated the total pool of people eligible to apply for the scheme was only between 3.5m and 4.1m. Applications by people from Romania and Bulgaria had reached about 918,000 and 284,000 respectively by March, while the latest official estimates of their resident populations were 370,000 and 122,000 respectively. Some applications will be from eligible family members or from people who have left the UK. Even so, it seems clear the UK’s population and migration estimates have been “wholly inadequate since at least the mid-2010s”, as economist Jonathan Portes has written.”
The SNP is also set to renew its independence offer to Scots with a series of what critics said were unrealistic policies.
A public sector job for everyone who wants one, pensions would be more generous and a Scottish passport for every resident....
Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.
'Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.'
Yet as the UK government has ruled out indyref2 for now and Sturgeon has ruled out a wildcat referendum or UDI all hot air at present
The UK has claimed that our hard border with the EU - and with Northern Ireland - will boost the economy. However preposterous the SNP claim is - and it IS preposterous - they are only following in your footsteps love.
But the problem is that many Brits - even Leavers - have now seen that these wild, undetailed promises turn out to be bullshit. And painful bullshit, at that
I still back Leave but it has been a ghastly nightmare, and if I had my vote again, would I vote for it again, knowing what I know now? I honestly don't know. It would be an even tighter call than it was in 2016 - for me
A lot of Scots who quite fancy indy must look at Brexit and think, regretfully, No to indy, life is too short
After last night's stairheid rammy, I will scrupulously refrain from diagnosing bipolarity in your Brexit position(s).
I felt it wrapped up to soon and lacked a really satisfying denouement where somebody loses the plot and gets banned. It started with such promise and then just fizzled out.
My lunch partner is a genius architect designer who drives around in a chauffeured and reinforced Bentley, when he isn't in his Aston Martin. He was schooled in a very average comprehensive and did several years in Exeter prison
Try and be your best self. Pretend I'm listening in.
Who would have predicted this? CEO who runs meal alternative business in favour of a tax on meat - and the BBC treating him as if he has no skin in the game...
Sure, but the interview makes his interest absolutely clear. It's a widespread view that we should eat less meat and reasonable for the BBC to interview the market leader in similar-tasting alternatives.
A little more scepticism is in order - both about the nutritional value of the product these businesses are trying to sell (there has been some interesting research on this by a very close friend of mine who is an expert in this area. These businesses' claims don't stack up.) and the businesses themselves, which are loss-making and have been for years.
What is your friends general opinion of the area - is it reasonable, fundamentally, but beset with chancers? Or is the area of meat alternatives fundamentally flawed?
Beset with chancers and fundamentally flawed would sum it up.
Creating meat products which aren't meat but look like it and sort of taste like it he thinks is fundamentally flawed - both because the nutritional value is much worse, there is lots of deception in how they are peddled (doesn't just apply to alternative meat companies but to some of the alternative milk & other products) and the business model is smoke and mirrors. Wouldn't touch it or the companies peddling it.
Says that there are a lot of start up alternative food companies attracting lots of investment and making a bit of a noise at first but when you look at them over time, most burn money, fail and are simply unable to get market share or make money.
Some years ago I got involved in the Alternative Health business....... vitamin supplements, homeopathic medicines, and so on..... and went to a few conferences. It was very very noticeable that there were two groups of attenders, who rarely spoke to each other. One was the people who were in it for the money..... well dressed youngish men, who talked 'normal business'. The other were (almost) sandals and beards..... or long flowing dresses for the women..... types who regarded replacing 'scientific' medicines as a crusade in which they had a duty to convert the unbeliever.
Perhaps Group 2 are now a little less prominent.
Possibly; I ceased being interested several years ago. Didn't like being associated with Group 1 and couldn't cope with fervour of 2.
My lunch partner is a genius architect designer who drives around in a chauffeured and reinforced Bentley, when he isn't in his Aston Martin. He was schooled in a very average comprehensive and did several years in Exeter prison
Are the reasons he has a Bentley/Aston Martin the same as his reason for going to Exeter prison.
In the present charged debate over Trans rights, feminism and the correct, gender neutral words for genitalia, surely that should be "British girl front bottoms 118kg"
She's quite svelte compared to the American that went a few lifts back. And has lifted 122 kg.
My lunch partner is a genius architect designer who drives around in a chauffeured and reinforced Bentley, when he isn't in his Aston Martin. He was schooled in a very average comprehensive and did several years in Exeter prison
Are the reasons he has a Bentley/Aston Martin the same as his reason for going to Exeter prison.
And why is his Bentley reinforced?
I have no idea why it is reinforced, but it is. It is huge. He drove it - or had it chauffeured up to the front door of the Savoy one Christmas. It was like driving a Tiger tank into Windsor Castle.
He then bought me a £1000 lunch in Kaspar's, probably the only four figure lunch I have ever had
Thanks very much that makes sense. I wasn't talking about any animal alive today just in general if/when national herds become niche markets. Which in time is what you are suggesting will logically happen with those small, high-welfare units.
I suppose if those millions of animals don't exist one way or another then the issue of their welfare is moot. I was just interested in the idea of whether it is thought in the industry (including your oversight industry) whether not to have those sheds of chickens and have instead artificially produced or plant-based meat would be a desirable end state.
I think so, don't you? Lots of people are just not very keen on soya and vegetables and reluctant to make the food experience into 2 unpalatable meals a day, but uncomfortable with killing animals to feed themselves, especially sheds of animals raised in grim conditions. If they can have exactly the same product without killing anything, it would be odd to insist.
As others have posted, there will be effects on the farming landscape, but that does evolve anyway. The fields of grazing animals and villages with loads of chickens running around which I remember as a kid have largely been replaced by industrial farms - you can drive through large areas of countryside and almost never see a farm animal.
I am torn. Let's for example say that there are 15m sheep in the UK and we could find a substitute for lamb, mutton, etc.
So that the sheep disappear.
Is that a good thing for animal welfare?
Yes.
I like your style. No animals, no animal welfare problem.
I have a similar approach with my 'let's make a desert and call it peace' strategy.
That was the Roman solution to their Scottish problem. FUDHY is a big fan.
That's odd, also, because the Romans are definitely the bad guys in 'Our Island Story' (the approved Tory history of 'England' [sic, as in the subtitle]).
While the focus has been on Laurel Hubbard, the favourite for gold in the women's +87kg is China’s world record holder Li Wenwen.
The 21-year-old set three landmarks in the snatch, clean and jerk and total to retain her Asian Weightlifting Championships title in April.
The gap between her and the silver medal weightlifter at that event was a huge 56kg.
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Not suspicious at all....
There's a British lass in the +87kg category, and the BBC are showing USA vs CAN women's football when I'm quite sure it's on now ?!
Spoiler, Canada have won....
The BBC keep doing this. Men in the 100m heats, no we better just talk for 30mins, then go to the news....while on red button showing some minority sport on time delay.
I don't mind it to a certain extent. I just watched BBC One yesterday and didn't mind waiting to see the men's 100m SFs. But showing Canada v USA in women's football seems an odd choice.
I minded. I was cooking lunch and listened to the 100m semis on R5L. Sat down in front of the telly to eat, and they were showing what I had heard 30 mins before!
Athletics is something you have to watch live imo. It loses a lot if you know the result, more than most other sports do.
Rentoul makes the point that maybe he thinks he has a chance at the top job? He's surprised me before.
I've rather forgotten but is Rees-Mogg still a member of the government? An extraordinary intervention if so and underlines the fact that Boris has the whiff of political death about him.
Yes. Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council.
So basically lining up alongside Liberty and various others, unless there is a sunset clause. Political speculation apart, it sounds nuanced and not unreasonable.
And Keir Starmer on the several occasions that Mr Starmer has taken that view for a few days.
And he's always careful to differentiate between personal views and govt policy.
Comments
So that the sheep disappear.
Is that a good thing for animal welfare?
They dressed their chubby kid like Eamonn Holmes to take the poor little bugger to a football match. Decidedly not normal.
"Roger that. We have him."
"Good. Eyes and ears, guys, this is Glasgow, ok?"
But the development of more palatable and nutritious plant based alternatives to meat is very likely part of the future of mass food production globally. People will carry on eating meat, of course, but feeding the rest of the world's population in the manner to which the richer western countries have become accustomed (and to which the rest of the world aspires) is simply not possible.
Perhaps because the Olympics is a 4* event not a 5* (Badminton, Kentucky, etc) but no idea.
@Ishmael_Z?
Early 2000s I went to see Lancashire lightning and we were able to take up to 6 bottles or cans in with us - I don't know about crowd trouble but I was certainly heckling the mascot!
My favourite eventing anecdote: Burghley happens in September, by which time in the bad old days early morning f*x hunting had started. So the German team look out of the window at breakfast on the Saturday morning (cross country day) and see the local hunt meeting on the lawn, with the British competitors mounted on horses.
German 1: Mein Gott, look at these crazy English competitors going out for an hour's hunting today of all days.
German 2: it could be worse, Hans, they could be on their competition horses.
German 1: Mein Gott, Fritz, look more closely...
As in the competition, not onto their ponies.
Overall 39% wanted to keep the monarchy, 35% to become a republic with 26% undecided.
So in Australia William is not only more popular than his father but more popular than the monarchy as an institution overall
https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/celeb-news/exclusive-poll-what-australia-really-thinks-of-the-monarchy-9963
I bet you could teach companies' Client Services teams a great deal also.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-58054431
I do wonder if perhaps is it really worth all the time and cost to try this case again. Being an incredibly offensive dickhead, shaming in the court of public opinion (and one trial already) seems like as a good punishment as any.
A public sector job for everyone who wants one, pensions would be more generous and a Scottish passport for every resident....
Perhaps most controversially, the SNP conference will be asked to support plans to set up a new commission which would claim a hard border with England would boost the Scottish economy.
https://twitter.com/DSanderson_85/status/1422086578332184580?s=20
If you look down to the list of updates on this page,
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested#history
you get:
...19 May 2020
Added a link to book a drive-through test appointment if you have a verification code.
18 May 2020
Added information on the NHS testing service for people with coronavirus symptoms...
Then there's this:
28 July 2020
Updated to reflect that there is now a single GOV.UK testing service for people who have symptoms and want to get tested.
The lateral flow kits were only available for home use around end November/ beginning of December last year.
Is Oliver now so moonbat that the BBC will not be able to employ him again?
https://twitter.com/RuthHen05786097/status/1421978398835056653?s=20
And with the exception of Andrew, I don't dislike any of them and quite like the Queen and Harry and I grew to like Phillip who I considered to be Jeremy Clarkson's role model.
Where I think many people outside England struggle currently is that "the Union" is represented Boris, Gammon and "let the migrants drown". But it won't always be.
This is an acutely dangerous period for the Union with a Westminster government that is actively working to break it apart. The danger is that the drive towards independence in Scotland takes real root, that NI realises that it has been cast adrift and needs to own its own destiny, and even Wales is finding a nationalist movement growing way beyond where it had been.
Brexit demonstrated that people don't vote based on practicalities. "What about the hard border" is no barrier to voting leave.
Yet as the UK government has ruled out indyref2 for now and Sturgeon has ruled out a wildcat referendum or UDI all hot air at present
https://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2021/07/17/bbc-sports-personality-of-the-year-doubting-dina-asher-smith/
The 21-year-old set three landmarks in the snatch, clean and jerk and total to retain her Asian Weightlifting Championships title in April.
The gap between her and the silver medal weightlifter at that event was a huge 56kg.
---------
Not suspicious at all....
In May's Holyrood elections the SNP only got 47% on the constituency vote and 40% on the list and Plaid only got 20% on the constituency vote and list in the Senedd.
In 2019 SF also only got 22% in NI at the general election despite Brexit.
Probably Boris getting a trade deal with the EU and avoiding No Deal has reduced the damage Brexit might have done to the Union
The BBC keep doing this. Men in the 100m heats, no we better just talk for 30mins, then go to the news....while on red button showing some minority sport on time delay.
Its as if the programme director is fast asleep in the control room and something has changed from the expected plan and they don't react.
Sat down in front of the telly to eat, and they were showing what I had heard 30 mins before!
I can see everyone is agog
The other logical possibility is that you are a modern Flint Jack, but that is out of the question as they are letting you inside a gentleperson's club.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Simpson_(forger)
I still back Leave but it has been a ghastly nightmare, and if I had my vote again, would I vote for it again, knowing what I know now? I honestly don't know. It would be an even tighter call than it was in 2016 - for me
A lot of Scots who quite fancy indy must look at Brexit and think, regretfully, No to indy, life is too short
(To understand that pun, you need to know that ‘a Gog’ is an affectionate term in Wales for someone from Gogledd Cymru, i.e. North Wales.)
Perhaps the elephant in the room will be where GB finally ends up post-Brexit. We're currently in the early months of WWII knowing that things will go downhill but haven't yet. As we haven't implemented the border checks we insisted on because we can't, there is a "that wasn't so bad" calm. But we will either have to rescind the checks and find compromise or much of the "bullshit" will happen.
And why is his Bentley reinforced?
To be fair, anyone with a brain should be bipolar. There are days when the baby cries all day and you think Fuck this, I didn't even really want the kid, and there are days when the baby smiles and you go Oooooh, being a parent is the best thing in the world!
Also, we now know that the figures Remain were using to pretend immigration didn’t make any difference to low paid workers were very far from the truth
“By March, there had been 5.3m applications from almost 5m individuals for “settled” or “pre-settled” status (some people applied twice). By all accounts, there has been a last-minute rush since then.
Yet in 2019, the Home Office estimated the total pool of people eligible to apply for the scheme was only between 3.5m and 4.1m. Applications by people from Romania and Bulgaria had reached about 918,000 and 284,000 respectively by March, while the latest official estimates of their resident populations were 370,000 and 122,000 respectively. Some applications will be from eligible family members or from people who have left the UK. Even so, it seems clear the UK’s population and migration estimates have been “wholly inadequate since at least the mid-2010s”, as economist Jonathan Portes has written.”
https://www.ft.com/content/1c489fb7-2840-4810-b3e6-a036803edf5c
He then bought me a £1000 lunch in Kaspar's, probably the only four figure lunch I have ever had
Amazingly, all his money is legit. He's a genius
Election Prediction: Con 335, Lab 230, SNP 55, Lib 7; Conservative majority of 20
https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/prediction_main.html
And Keir Starmer on the several occasions that Mr Starmer has taken that view for a few days.
And he's always careful to differentiate between personal views and govt policy.