The miners and ex miners were not going to vote for him anyway. An incautious remark nonetheless.
As a resident of South Yorkshire and child of the 80s, I was astonished to see just how many ex mining areas went Tory in 2019, I'm sure plenty of ex miners and their families went Tory in 2019.
They'll probably go back to Labour if Johnson keeps on like this.
Johnson’s minders will change his nappies and stick a dummy in his mouth. But he’ll be back to fouling his surroundings in no time.
He’d have done less damage if he’d just had that quiet chat with the First Minister.
Can’t see Johnson’s comments having more than a very marginal effect in Scotland. May have more effect in the Red Wall.
I dunno. A lot of people - eg Goldie, Davidson and Ross - have worked very hard over the last three decades to remove the stench of Thatcherism from the SCon brand. Johnson just befouled their efforts.
But I agree that much, much more is at stake for the Tories in England’s Red Wall. A lot of northern Tories will be concerned tonight.
Thatcher got 31% in Scotland in 1979, higher than Davidson ever got and 28% in 1983, the same as May and Davidson got in 2017.
Even in 1987 she still got 24% which was more than Goldie and Ross ever got.
About a quarter to a third of Scots are Thatcherites, indeed when Salmond was SNP leader some Scottish Thatcherites voted SNP, especially in the North East
I would love to see a poll in ex mining communities along the lines of: 'Would thou like t'work down t'mine?' Yes % DK% No %
Us old fossils may not have moved on. Miners and the desolation of the communities they had are still vivid images in our minds. There is no sanitisation of that period.
However that does not mean that an awful lot of good hasn't arisen from closing mines. The good may be unintended consequences, but this far after the act there is more positive than negative from a policy of 40 years ago.
The problem wasn't so much the move against coal (or British Coal at least, as we imported quite a lot since) but rather the perceived abandonment of pit communities. A more planned and supported shift to alternative employment would have helped.
Funny that, the Tories at the time thought that Tebbit’s bike was an act of genius.
Britain in the Seventies and Eighties was one of the countries at the forefront of moving to the post industrial age. No more would manufacturing and extractive industries provide secure mass employment of the unskilled. What manufacturing we have left employs far fewer, and those are more highly skilled.
Other countries have followed the same transition, and almost all have had similar dislocated communities, from Picardy, to the Appalachians to the Donbass. To a degree it was inevitable, but the precipitate nature of the transition was perhaps unnecessary, as was the Thatcherites seeming rather uncaring or even gleeful about it.
I vividly remember Thatcher. She was utterly mesmerising. Like that python in The Jungle Book. Ugly as sin, evil and foul, but so rock-solid sure of herself it was like a spell. She absolutely *loved* screwing folk over. She exuded raw, reptilian pleasure in the pain of others.
She screwed over the scabs and the Nottinghamshire miners as much as the rest.
Like many here I'm old enough to remember Thatcher as she dominated my teens and early 20s. During lockdown I stumbled across a documentary series on iPlayer on the Thatcher Years that I'd missed when it was first aired, and on watching it I found I'd forgotten how much I hated both her and her government at the time.
Regarding the header, I think it's not so much the fact that Thatcher killed off the mining industry, it was her apparently uncaring attitude towards the devastating impact it had on people and communities that were far removed from Southern Thatcherite Torydom that rankled. It seems that the northern English mining areas have now forgiven or forgotten, but the Scots are still taking their revenge by voting SNP.
The other thought that struck me was that whatever I might think of them politically, the Thatcher cabinets were in a totally different league to the current bunch of nonentities. I then wondered whether it is better to have a competent government doing the wrong thing, or an incompetent one?
Scots prefer a competent government doing the right things, as witnessed by the result of the May general election.
I have no dog in this fight, but that magazine has boasted some amazing writers in its 2 centuries of publication.
Douglas Murray went through ALL 200 years of them and chose the four best articles ever. And, when you read them, it is hard not to sit back with a certain awed, dumbstruck admiration. Just pure journalistic genius. The kind of stuff you cannot fake.
Occasionally, one simply has to stand, and applaud.
Self pleasuring to excess is undeniably emblematic of Spectator journalism, I suppose.
Some reading for Fraser Nelson and his voyeurs:
“Frequent or rough masturbation can cause minor skin irritation. Forcefully bending an erect penis can rupture the chambers that fill with blood, a rare but gruesome condition called penile fracture.
Köhler has seen guys with it after vigorous masturbation. "Afterward, the penis looks like an eggplant," he says. "It's purple and swollen." Most men need surgery to repair it.”
Please don't. Aubergine, hot smoked salmon, capers and onions, with scrambled egg and tagliatelli, is a staple chez Carnyx.
You strike me a bit of a gourmet
Have you encountered Dr Trouble's hot chili sauce?
Matthew Parris has, apparently, been banging on about it for months. It's made in Zimbabwe of all places, and it is utter genius. Very smoky, very rich, must be used sparingly, but omg
It is honestly fantastic. Matthew Parris may be a mad Remainer but he is totally right about this. It is the best hot sauce in the world.
I had a ham and cheese sourdough toastie the other day - thick lovely ham, tangy mature Cheddar, some tiger tomatoes, I took out the Dijon mustard and added Dr Trouble and flash fried the result
SENSATIONAL
Fat and drunk. You’re some catch Sean.
Not fat, not even drunk, and, you know, at least I'm not a Scot Nat Blood-and-Soil NAZI like you. So there's that?
I have no dog in this fight, but that magazine has boasted some amazing writers in its 2 centuries of publication.
Douglas Murray went through ALL 200 years of them and chose the four best articles ever. And, when you read them, it is hard not to sit back with a certain awed, dumbstruck admiration. Just pure journalistic genius. The kind of stuff you cannot fake.
Occasionally, one simply has to stand, and applaud.
Self pleasuring to excess is undeniably emblematic of Spectator journalism, I suppose.
Some reading for Fraser Nelson and his voyeurs:
“Frequent or rough masturbation can cause minor skin irritation. Forcefully bending an erect penis can rupture the chambers that fill with blood, a rare but gruesome condition called penile fracture.
Köhler has seen guys with it after vigorous masturbation. "Afterward, the penis looks like an eggplant," he says. "It's purple and swollen." Most men need surgery to repair it.”
Please don't. Aubergine, hot smoked salmon, capers and onions, with scrambled egg and tagliatelli, is a staple chez Carnyx.
You strike me a bit of a gourmet
Have you encountered Dr Trouble's hot chili sauce?
Matthew Parris has, apparently, been banging on about it for months. It's made in Zimbabwe of all places, and it is utter genius. Very smoky, very rich, must be used sparingly, but omg
It is honestly fantastic. Matthew Parris may be a mad Remainer but he is totally right about this. It is the best hot sauce in the world.
I had a ham and cheese sourdough toastie the other day - thick lovely ham, tangy mature Cheddar, some tiger tomatoes, I took out the Dijon mustard and added Dr Trouble and flash fried the result
SENSATIONAL
Fat and drunk. You’re some catch Sean.
Not fat, not even drunk, and, you know, at least I'm not a Scot Nat Blood-and-Soil NAZI like you. So there's that?
Historical events A and B do not prove future hypothesis C. Just ask arch-Blairite Jim Murphy.
Scottish Labour won their highest percentage of Scottish seats under Blair, in 1997 and 2001.
Correct Sunil, the 45.6% Blair got in Scotland in 1997 was Labour's highest Scottish voteshare since 1966.
It was also slightly higher than the 45% Sturgeon got in 2019.
Most Scots are not socialist but centrist, moderately social democratic
Actually, HYUFD, I was looking at seat totals. In both 1997 and 2001, Blair won 56 of 72 Scottish seats, 77.8% of seats available. A true high-water mark for Scottish Labour.
So why shouldn't Starmer want Labour to embrace that legacy?
I have no dog in this fight, but that magazine has boasted some amazing writers in its 2 centuries of publication.
Douglas Murray went through ALL 200 years of them and chose the four best articles ever. And, when you read them, it is hard not to sit back with a certain awed, dumbstruck admiration. Just pure journalistic genius. The kind of stuff you cannot fake.
Occasionally, one simply has to stand, and applaud.
Self pleasuring to excess is undeniably emblematic of Spectator journalism, I suppose.
Some reading for Fraser Nelson and his voyeurs:
“Frequent or rough masturbation can cause minor skin irritation. Forcefully bending an erect penis can rupture the chambers that fill with blood, a rare but gruesome condition called penile fracture.
Köhler has seen guys with it after vigorous masturbation. "Afterward, the penis looks like an eggplant," he says. "It's purple and swollen." Most men need surgery to repair it.”
Please don't. Aubergine, hot smoked salmon, capers and onions, with scrambled egg and tagliatelli, is a staple chez Carnyx.
You strike me a bit of a gourmet
Have you encountered Dr Trouble's hot chili sauce?
Matthew Parris has, apparently, been banging on about it for months. It's made in Zimbabwe of all places, and it is utter genius. Very smoky, very rich, must be used sparingly, but omg
It is honestly fantastic. Matthew Parris may be a mad Remainer but he is totally right about this. It is the best hot sauce in the world.
I had a ham and cheese sourdough toastie the other day - thick lovely ham, tangy mature Cheddar, some tiger tomatoes, I took out the Dijon mustard and added Dr Trouble and flash fried the result
SENSATIONAL
Fat and drunk. You’re some catch Sean.
You on the sauce yourself tonight Stuart? You are being quite gratuitously unpleasant.
Nope. In the interests of balance, I expect you’re now going to tell Sean off for calling me a Nazi? Hardly seems proportionate for me pointing out that he has a well self-advertised alcohol problem.
1. I'm not Sean
2. lol
3. Earlier on you actually wished death on me, so, frankly, "blood-and-soil Scot Nat Nazi" seems like fair comment, especially as you, er, are
So, Sean’s not in the mood for desisting with the gratuitous unpleasantness. Glad we cleared that up.
Well. If you want to talk ‘gratuitous unpleasantness’, this was the sequence of comments earlier
Leon said: I just want to spend the rest of my life drinking Nyetimber rose Is that too much to ask of a cruel, cold world?
Foxy said: I reckon half a case could do it if you drink quickly.
Stuart Dickson said: One lives in hope.
So, I made a gag about drinking away my life with my favourite fizz. Foxy said, well this is how to do it quickly. You fervently wished that that my death would happen this way, soon
Foxy, being a gent, quickly apologised for crossing a line. I accepted his apology because, Lord knows, I’ve also said some stupid, callous things on here, and been rightly criticised. By contrast, you have not the self awareness to apologise, perhaps you lack the wits to even see what happened
Historical events A and B do not prove future hypothesis C. Just ask arch-Blairite Jim Murphy.
Scottish Labour won their highest percentage of Scottish seats under Blair, in 1997 and 2001.
Correct Sunil, the 45.6% Blair got in Scotland in 1997 was Labour's highest Scottish voteshare since 1966.
It was also slightly higher than the 45% Sturgeon got in 2019.
Most Scots are not socialist but centrist, moderately social democratic
Actually, HYUFD, I was looking at seat totals. In both 1997 and 2001, Blair won 56 of 72 Scottish seats, 77.8% of seats available. A true high-water mark for Scottish Labour.
So why shouldn't Starmer want Labour to embrace that legacy?
Even Jim Murphy and Ed Miliband in 2015 got a higher Scottish Labour voteshare than Richard Leonard and Corbyn got in 2019
Can’t see Johnson’s comments having more than a very marginal effect in Scotland. May have more effect in the Red Wall.
I dunno. A lot of people - eg Goldie, Davidson and Ross - have worked very hard over the last three decades to remove the stench of Thatcherism from the SCon brand. Johnson just befouled their efforts.
But I agree that much, much more is at stake for the Tories in England’s Red Wall. A lot of northern Tories will be concerned tonight.
Thatcher got 31% in Scotland in 1979, higher than Davidson ever got and 28% in 1983, the same as May and Davidson got in 2017.
Even in 1987 she still got 24% which was more than Goldie and Ross ever got.
About a quarter to a third of Scots are Thatcherites, indeed when Salmond was SNP leader some Scottish Thatcherites voted SNP, especially in the North East
Can’t see Johnson’s comments having more than a very marginal effect in Scotland. May have more effect in the Red Wall.
I dunno. A lot of people - eg Goldie, Davidson and Ross - have worked very hard over the last three decades to remove the stench of Thatcherism from the SCon brand. Johnson just befouled their efforts.
But I agree that much, much more is at stake for the Tories in England’s Red Wall. A lot of northern Tories will be concerned tonight.
Thatcher got 31% in Scotland in 1979, higher than Davidson ever got and 28% in 1983, the same as May and Davidson got in 2017.
Even in 1987 she still got 24% which was more than Goldie and Ross ever got.
About a quarter to a third of Scots are Thatcherites, indeed when Salmond was SNP leader some Scottish Thatcherites voted SNP, especially in the North East
BTW on books Hilary Mantel must be one of the most overrated writers around. How she even got onto the Booker short list let alone won it twice is a mystery. I find her quite unreadable.
And whenever she's interviewed she comes across as most unpleasant as well.
That William Trevor never won the Booker is to the Booker's eternal discredit.
Wrong on that. The Wolf Hall books are amazing. Not so keen on her French Revolution one that said but I forgive her, Mantel, all for the Cromwell ones.
It's not a question of being right or wrong. It's a matter of taste. I just about finished the French Revolution one.
But Wolf Hall was just turgid. She has a little talent but maybe as a poet. Not a novelist. She badly needs a very good editor.
I very rarely leave a book unfinished. Mantel is one of the few. TBH I don't think the Booker is particularly reliable these days as a pick of good fiction.
Nah. You're wrong on that one. She is or can be magnificent.
And as mentioned earlier the Booker is a good steer for good literature. Not perfect but a good steer.
I am not wrong. Nor are you right.
I am expressing my opinion. As are you. You like her writing. I don't.
Fascinating intersection of views: I agree with @Cyclefree about the Booker generally (as I mentioned before, disagreeing with @TOPPING ), but disagree with her significantly over the Wolf Hall books, which I loved. I wonder if it is (for me, no idea for cyclefree), something to do with my familiarity with Shakespeare's style - I found the writing in Wolf Hall to be very Shakespearean, and hence very readable, and indeed voiceable: there are very clear distinctions between the rhythms and vocabulary of each of the main characters.
But I do agree with cyclefree that both sides are equally right, and wrong - it's very subjective. I had a long conversation about books with a friend the other week - our tastes are very congruent, except that his favourite book is one I loathed. Doesn't mean we couldn't agree on every other book!
Can't sleep. Itchy eyes - so taking hay fever remedies.
Anyway, I adore Shakespeare. Did a fair amount of acting when younger so very familiar with him. Also I love poetry generally. So I don't think it's that.
No - I couldn't work out who anyone was and after a while I stopped caring. She over-writes.
I have been giving fiction writing a lot of thought lately for various reasons. I remember the wonderful @SeanT (if only he were still here) saying that plotting was the hardest thing and he was right. Writing a good story, making people want to know what happens next is the essence of good fiction and too many writers fail at this. Any fool can write purple prose or even several pages of stylish English.
But telling a story - that's hard to do well.
BTW Rushdie is another writer I cannot get on with.
Can’t see Johnson’s comments having more than a very marginal effect in Scotland. May have more effect in the Red Wall.
I dunno. A lot of people - eg Goldie, Davidson and Ross - have worked very hard over the last three decades to remove the stench of Thatcherism from the SCon brand. Johnson just befouled their efforts.
But I agree that much, much more is at stake for the Tories in England’s Red Wall. A lot of northern Tories will be concerned tonight.
Thatcher got 31% in Scotland in 1979, higher than Davidson ever got and 28% in 1983, the same as May and Davidson got in 2017.
Even in 1987 she still got 24% which was more than Goldie and Ross ever got.
About a quarter to a third of Scots are Thatcherites, indeed when Salmond was SNP leader some Scottish Thatcherites voted SNP, especially in the North East
Source?
The fact that the Tories never fell below a range of 24-31% in Scotland at the 1979-1987 general elections under Thatcher's leadership.
Indeed the 31% Thatcher got in Scotland in 1979 has not been matched by a Tory leader since, whether Major, Davidson, May or Cameron.
Even the 25% Boris got in 2019 was also the second highest Tory total in Scotland since 1992 after 2017.
Some seats in the North East of Scotland like Moray and Banff and Buchan twice voted for Thatcher, then went solid SNP under Salmond and are back with Tory MPs again now the social democratic Sturgeon is SNP leader
I have no dog in this fight, but that magazine has boasted some amazing writers in its 2 centuries of publication.
Douglas Murray went through ALL 200 years of them and chose the four best articles ever. And, when you read them, it is hard not to sit back with a certain awed, dumbstruck admiration. Just pure journalistic genius. The kind of stuff you cannot fake.
Occasionally, one simply has to stand, and applaud.
Self pleasuring to excess is undeniably emblematic of Spectator journalism, I suppose.
Some reading for Fraser Nelson and his voyeurs:
“Frequent or rough masturbation can cause minor skin irritation. Forcefully bending an erect penis can rupture the chambers that fill with blood, a rare but gruesome condition called penile fracture.
Köhler has seen guys with it after vigorous masturbation. "Afterward, the penis looks like an eggplant," he says. "It's purple and swollen." Most men need surgery to repair it.”
Please don't. Aubergine, hot smoked salmon, capers and onions, with scrambled egg and tagliatelli, is a staple chez Carnyx.
You strike me a bit of a gourmet
Have you encountered Dr Trouble's hot chili sauce?
Matthew Parris has, apparently, been banging on about it for months. It's made in Zimbabwe of all places, and it is utter genius. Very smoky, very rich, must be used sparingly, but omg
It is honestly fantastic. Matthew Parris may be a mad Remainer but he is totally right about this. It is the best hot sauce in the world.
I had a ham and cheese sourdough toastie the other day - thick lovely ham, tangy mature Cheddar, some tiger tomatoes, I took out the Dijon mustard and added Dr Trouble and flash fried the result
SENSATIONAL
Fat and drunk. You’re some catch Sean.
You on the sauce yourself tonight Stuart? You are being quite gratuitously unpleasant.
Nope. In the interests of balance, I expect you’re now going to tell Sean off for calling me a Nazi? Hardly seems proportionate for me pointing out that he has a well self-advertised alcohol problem.
1. I'm not Sean
2. lol
3. Earlier on you actually wished death on me, so, frankly, "blood-and-soil Scot Nat Nazi" seems like fair comment, especially as you, er, are
So, Sean’s not in the mood for desisting with the gratuitous unpleasantness. Glad we cleared that up.
Well. If you want to talk ‘gratuitous unpleasantness’, this was the sequence of comments earlier
Leon said: I just want to spend the rest of my life drinking Nyetimber rose Is that too much to ask of a cruel, cold world?
Foxy said: I reckon half a case could do it if you drink quickly.
Stuart Dickson said: One lives in hope.
So, I made a gag about drinking away my life with my favourite fizz. Foxy said, well this is how to do it quickly. You fervently wished that that my death would happen this way, soon
Foxy, being a gent, quickly apologised for crossing a line. I accepted his apology because, Lord knows, I’ve also said some stupid, callous things on here, and been rightly criticised. By contrast, you have not the self awareness to apologise, perhaps you lack the wits to even see what happened
I shall not repine. Let you be you
Sean, I’ve been reading your filth on PB long enough to recognise cant when I see it. You are beyond redemption.
Can’t see Johnson’s comments having more than a very marginal effect in Scotland. May have more effect in the Red Wall.
I dunno. A lot of people - eg Goldie, Davidson and Ross - have worked very hard over the last three decades to remove the stench of Thatcherism from the SCon brand. Johnson just befouled their efforts.
But I agree that much, much more is at stake for the Tories in England’s Red Wall. A lot of northern Tories will be concerned tonight.
Thatcher got 31% in Scotland in 1979, higher than Davidson ever got and 28% in 1983, the same as May and Davidson got in 2017.
Even in 1987 she still got 24% which was more than Goldie and Ross ever got.
About a quarter to a third of Scots are Thatcherites, indeed when Salmond was SNP leader some Scottish Thatcherites voted SNP, especially in the North East
Simon Gleave, head of sports analysis, Nielsen Gracenote: "Tokyo 2020 is now Great Britain's fourth best Olympics and second best outside the UK, after Rio 2016. The 51 medals are seven ahead of the number our pre-Olympic forecast had at this stage. Galal Yafai is also guaranteed gold or silver so we have adjusted our projected British medal total upwards to 60, including 18 gold medals as the number of golds is now four ahead of schedule.
"Only London 1908 (146 medals), London 2012 (65) and Rio 2016 (67) have produced more medals for Great Britain than Tokyo 2020.
"Compared to London and Rio at this stage, Tokyo has not produced as many medals with 52 in London and 55 in Rio by this point.
"The 16 golds won so far fall well short of London's 25 and Rio's 22 at this stage."
BTW on books Hilary Mantel must be one of the most overrated writers around. How she even got onto the Booker short list let alone won it twice is a mystery. I find her quite unreadable.
And whenever she's interviewed she comes across as most unpleasant as well.
That William Trevor never won the Booker is to the Booker's eternal discredit.
Wrong on that. The Wolf Hall books are amazing. Not so keen on her French Revolution one that said but I forgive her, Mantel, all for the Cromwell ones.
It's not a question of being right or wrong. It's a matter of taste. I just about finished the French Revolution one.
But Wolf Hall was just turgid. She has a little talent but maybe as a poet. Not a novelist. She badly needs a very good editor.
I very rarely leave a book unfinished. Mantel is one of the few. TBH I don't think the Booker is particularly reliable these days as a pick of good fiction.
Nah. You're wrong on that one. She is or can be magnificent.
And as mentioned earlier the Booker is a good steer for good literature. Not perfect but a good steer.
I am not wrong. Nor are you right.
I am expressing my opinion. As are you. You like her writing. I don't.
I shall remember that whilst extolling the virtues of fantasy and sci-fi novels
It was revealing how long it took for Terry Pratchett to achieve the acclaim he deserved because of the fantasy tag.
He also improved with age. (Until the last half dozen books.)
AstraZeneca vaccine ‘may give longer immunity’ meaning Covid booster jabs could be unnecessary, suggests boss of UK drugs giant
Mr Soriot said: ‘We hope that the Oxford-AstraZeneca will provide longer term protection. The science so far suggests that our vaccine provides a strong T cell response which I hope means its effects will last longer. So, it looks good but we don’t yet know for sure whether you will need a booster. Time will tell.’
AstraZeneca believes it will have authoritative data by October or November.
While I hope it’s true, it is worth noting that Mr Soriot is not impartial, and all the data so far suggests Pfizer has greater efficacy against Delta.
BTW on books Hilary Mantel must be one of the most overrated writers around. How she even got onto the Booker short list let alone won it twice is a mystery. I find her quite unreadable.
And whenever she's interviewed she comes across as most unpleasant as well.
That William Trevor never won the Booker is to the Booker's eternal discredit.
Wrong on that. The Wolf Hall books are amazing. Not so keen on her French Revolution one that said but I forgive her, Mantel, all for the Cromwell ones.
It's not a question of being right or wrong. It's a matter of taste. I just about finished the French Revolution one.
But Wolf Hall was just turgid. She has a little talent but maybe as a poet. Not a novelist. She badly needs a very good editor.
I very rarely leave a book unfinished. Mantel is one of the few. TBH I don't think the Booker is particularly reliable these days as a pick of good fiction.
Nah. You're wrong on that one. She is or can be magnificent.
And as mentioned earlier the Booker is a good steer for good literature. Not perfect but a good steer.
I am not wrong. Nor are you right.
I am expressing my opinion. As are you. You like her writing. I don't.
60% of Wolf Hall was brilliant. But man it was hard work wading through the 40% that wasn’t
AstraZeneca vaccine ‘may give longer immunity’ meaning Covid booster jabs could be unnecessary, suggests boss of UK drugs giant
Mr Soriot said: ‘We hope that the Oxford-AstraZeneca will provide longer term protection. The science so far suggests that our vaccine provides a strong T cell response which I hope means its effects will last longer. So, it looks good but we don’t yet know for sure whether you will need a booster. Time will tell.’
AstraZeneca believes it will have authoritative data by October or November.
While I hope it’s true, it is worth noting that Mr Soriot is not impartial, and all the data so far suggests Pfizer has greater efficacy against Delta.
Obviously, but at the same time, throwing out unsubstantiated claims, without having seen some data that looks good, opens yourself up to loss of reputation. Given how bad AZN has been unfairly tarnished it would be very risky to start making promises like this without being pretty confident.
AstraZeneca vaccine ‘may give longer immunity’ meaning Covid booster jabs could be unnecessary, suggests boss of UK drugs giant
Mr Soriot said: ‘We hope that the Oxford-AstraZeneca will provide longer term protection. The science so far suggests that our vaccine provides a strong T cell response which I hope means its effects will last longer. So, it looks good but we don’t yet know for sure whether you will need a booster. Time will tell.’
AstraZeneca believes it will have authoritative data by October or November.
While I hope it’s true, it is worth noting that Mr Soriot is not impartial, and all the data so far suggests Pfizer has greater efficacy against Delta.
Obviously, but at the same time, throwing out unsubstantiated claims, without having seen some data that looks good, opens yourself up to loss of reputation. Given how bad AZN has been unfairly tarnished it would be very risky to start making promises like this without being pretty confident.
I’ve never met a pharmaceutical CEO that wasn’t incredibly bullish about the prospective efficacy of his products relative to competitors. There’s no mileage in modest self effacement.
AstraZeneca vaccine ‘may give longer immunity’ meaning Covid booster jabs could be unnecessary, suggests boss of UK drugs giant
Mr Soriot said: ‘We hope that the Oxford-AstraZeneca will provide longer term protection. The science so far suggests that our vaccine provides a strong T cell response which I hope means its effects will last longer. So, it looks good but we don’t yet know for sure whether you will need a booster. Time will tell.’
AstraZeneca believes it will have authoritative data by October or November.
While I hope it’s true, it is worth noting that Mr Soriot is not impartial, and all the data so far suggests Pfizer has greater efficacy against Delta.
Obviously, but at the same time, throwing out unsubstantiated claims, without having seen some data that looks good, opens yourself up to loss of reputation. Given how bad AZN has been unfairly tarnished it would be very risky to start making promises like this without being pretty confident.
I’ve never met a pharmaceutical CEO that wasn’t incredibly bullish about the prospective efficacy of his products relative to competitors. There’s no mileage in modest self effacement.
Have you ever met Fred Schwarzer?
He is going to change the world of medicine for ever… but in a lovely self-depreciating and modest way.
AstraZeneca vaccine ‘may give longer immunity’ meaning Covid booster jabs could be unnecessary, suggests boss of UK drugs giant
Mr Soriot said: ‘We hope that the Oxford-AstraZeneca will provide longer term protection. The science so far suggests that our vaccine provides a strong T cell response which I hope means its effects will last longer. So, it looks good but we don’t yet know for sure whether you will need a booster. Time will tell.’
AstraZeneca believes it will have authoritative data by October or November.
While I hope it’s true, it is worth noting that Mr Soriot is not impartial, and all the data so far suggests Pfizer has greater efficacy against Delta.
Obviously, but at the same time, throwing out unsubstantiated claims, without having seen some data that looks good, opens yourself up to loss of reputation. Given how bad AZN has been unfairly tarnished it would be very risky to start making promises like this without being pretty confident.
I’ve never met a pharmaceutical CEO that wasn’t incredibly bullish about the prospective efficacy of his products relative to competitors. There’s no mileage in modest self effacement.
It’s a good thing Theranos wasn’t around at the start of the pandemic.
AstraZeneca vaccine ‘may give longer immunity’ meaning Covid booster jabs could be unnecessary, suggests boss of UK drugs giant
Mr Soriot said: ‘We hope that the Oxford-AstraZeneca will provide longer term protection. The science so far suggests that our vaccine provides a strong T cell response which I hope means its effects will last longer. So, it looks good but we don’t yet know for sure whether you will need a booster. Time will tell.’
AstraZeneca believes it will have authoritative data by October or November.
While I hope it’s true, it is worth noting that Mr Soriot is not impartial, and all the data so far suggests Pfizer has greater efficacy against Delta.
Obviously, but at the same time, throwing out unsubstantiated claims, without having seen some data that looks good, opens yourself up to loss of reputation. Given how bad AZN has been unfairly tarnished it would be very risky to start making promises like this without being pretty confident.
I’ve never met a pharmaceutical CEO that wasn’t incredibly bullish about the prospective efficacy of his products relative to competitors. There’s no mileage in modest self effacement.
It’s a good thing Theranos wasn’t around at the start of the pandemic.
Ugh. That thought is going to stop me sleeping tonight, you b*stard
BTW on books Hilary Mantel must be one of the most overrated writers around. How she even got onto the Booker short list let alone won it twice is a mystery. I find her quite unreadable.
And whenever she's interviewed she comes across as most unpleasant as well.
That William Trevor never won the Booker is to the Booker's eternal discredit.
Wrong on that. The Wolf Hall books are amazing. Not so keen on her French Revolution one that said but I forgive her, Mantel, all for the Cromwell ones.
It's not a question of being right or wrong. It's a matter of taste. I just about finished the French Revolution one.
But Wolf Hall was just turgid. She has a little talent but maybe as a poet. Not a novelist. She badly needs a very good editor.
I very rarely leave a book unfinished. Mantel is one of the few. TBH I don't think the Booker is particularly reliable these days as a pick of good fiction.
Nah. You're wrong on that one. She is or can be magnificent.
And as mentioned earlier the Booker is a good steer for good literature. Not perfect but a good steer.
I am not wrong. Nor are you right.
I am expressing my opinion. As are you. You like her writing. I don't.
I shall remember that whilst extolling the virtues of fantasy and sci-fi novels
It was revealing how long it took for Terry Pratchett to achieve the acclaim he deserved because of the fantasy tag.
He also improved with age. (Until the last half dozen books.)
“Guards! Guards!” and “Small Gods”, particularly the latter, may be his best books, and they were pretty early.
Totally full flights (n=4). Airports are rammed. No one wearing masks in the great state of Georgia. Atmosphere in Texas a bit flat, and just heading home to Socal after two days on the road
The administrative details of this are disputed, but it’s nonetheless a very disturbing story.
Shocking case where a PhD student was deregistered from his study at a Swiss university - wasting three years of research - after tweeting critically on China. He had been tweeting less than ten days and had fewer than 10 followers https://twitter.com/limlouisa/status/1423400651636166656
AstraZeneca vaccine ‘may give longer immunity’ meaning Covid booster jabs could be unnecessary, suggests boss of UK drugs giant
Mr Soriot said: ‘We hope that the Oxford-AstraZeneca will provide longer term protection. The science so far suggests that our vaccine provides a strong T cell response which I hope means its effects will last longer. So, it looks good but we don’t yet know for sure whether you will need a booster. Time will tell.’
AstraZeneca believes it will have authoritative data by October or November.
While I hope it’s true, it is worth noting that Mr Soriot is not impartial, and all the data so far suggests Pfizer has greater efficacy against Delta.
Obviously, but at the same time, throwing out unsubstantiated claims, without having seen some data that looks good, opens yourself up to loss of reputation. Given how bad AZN has been unfairly tarnished it would be very risky to start making promises like this without being pretty confident.
Not the first time I've seen this suggested on here either. I suspect overall the likeliest best approach will turn out to be a mix of both types of vaccine. However AZT is clealry the best according to my arm!
BTW on books Hilary Mantel must be one of the most overrated writers around. How she even got onto the Booker short list let alone won it twice is a mystery. I find her quite unreadable.
And whenever she's interviewed she comes across as most unpleasant as well.
That William Trevor never won the Booker is to the Booker's eternal discredit.
Wrong on that. The Wolf Hall books are amazing. Not so keen on her French Revolution one that said but I forgive her, Mantel, all for the Cromwell ones.
It's not a question of being right or wrong. It's a matter of taste. I just about finished the French Revolution one.
But Wolf Hall was just turgid. She has a little talent but maybe as a poet. Not a novelist. She badly needs a very good editor.
I very rarely leave a book unfinished. Mantel is one of the few. TBH I don't think the Booker is particularly reliable these days as a pick of good fiction.
Nah. You're wrong on that one. She is or can be magnificent.
And as mentioned earlier the Booker is a good steer for good literature. Not perfect but a good steer.
I am not wrong. Nor are you right.
I am expressing my opinion. As are you. You like her writing. I don't.
60% of Wolf Hall was brilliant. But man it was hard work wading through the 40% that wasn’t
On the subject of "historical" novels and the Booker prize, Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann, shortlisted for the 2020 International Booker, is a brilliant novel set in the Thirty Years War. Elizabeth Stuart (the "Winter Queen") is one of the main characters, if you like a connection to British history.
I just accidentally clicked on Johnson on the thread header and the dictionary defined it as a man's penis.. interesting if spooky....
Well, it wouldn’t be a woman’s penis.
Scottish Nationalism: The home of transphobia.
British Nationalism: The home of Jockophobia..
There you go again.
Conflating criticism of the SNP with criticism of Scotland.
Fortunately the majority of Scots know that too.
Yeah, that’s right, BritNats like you are so in tune with “the majority of Scots”.
I accurately forecast that Scotland would vote No in 2014 when you said the clueless wonders on here were in for a shock. I believe 55% of Scots constitutes a majority of Scots.
I also accurately predicted that Alba would do shite in the Holyrood elections when one of your fellow Nats was predicting 12%-14% minimum for Alba on the list.
I also successfully tipped the SCons would get over 9.5 seats in 2017 at 20/1.
I love it how punters are always so willing to tell you about the ones they guessed right, but never about the long list of failures. Stopped clocks.
I’m such a successful political punter that I’m typically restricted to max wagers of about 50p. The very fact that you’re still allowed to bet shows that the bookies are winning.
That’s nothing. I’m such a successful political punter that I’m paid seven figure sums to both refrain from it and refrain from giving tips on it. So successful am I that I am forced to hide behind the assumed identity of a semi aquatic marine mammal that practices labour law while laughing at you amateurs on here. Stick around Dickson, I might teach you a few things.
I've been heavily restricted by three bookmakers, more for horses than politics, perhaps, but the books are so trigger-happy these days I'm not sure it is such a badge of honour any more.
OT Entain (owners of Ladbrokes and Corals among others) shares have shot up recently. Not sure why and this is not a tip, from someone who has never owned any shares.
BTW on books Hilary Mantel must be one of the most overrated writers around. How she even got onto the Booker short list let alone won it twice is a mystery. I find her quite unreadable.
And whenever she's interviewed she comes across as most unpleasant as well.
That William Trevor never won the Booker is to the Booker's eternal discredit.
Wrong on that. The Wolf Hall books are amazing. Not so keen on her French Revolution one that said but I forgive her, Mantel, all for the Cromwell ones.
It's not a question of being right or wrong. It's a matter of taste. I just about finished the French Revolution one.
But Wolf Hall was just turgid. She has a little talent but maybe as a poet. Not a novelist. She badly needs a very good editor.
I very rarely leave a book unfinished. Mantel is one of the few. TBH I don't think the Booker is particularly reliable these days as a pick of good fiction.
Nah. You're wrong on that one. She is or can be magnificent.
And as mentioned earlier the Booker is a good steer for good literature. Not perfect but a good steer.
I am not wrong. Nor are you right.
I am expressing my opinion. As are you. You like her writing. I don't.
60% of Wolf Hall was brilliant. But man it was hard work wading through the 40% that wasn’t
On the subject of "historical" novels and the Booker prize, Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann, shortlisted for the 2020 International Booker, is a brilliant novel set in the Thirty Years War. Elizabeth Stuart (the "Winter Queen") is one of the main characters, if you like a connection to British history.
I have been meaning to buy that for ages. You have push me finally into doing so, thanks!
OT Entain (owners of Ladbrokes and Corals among others) shares have shot up recently. Not sure why and this is not a tip, from someone who has never owned any shares.
I haven't looked closely but I think the opening up of the US market is a big boon - the UK bookies are world leaders in the organised gambling market
Mr. JohnL, I agree with Mr. Ed but would add that Canada recently passed the last legislative hurdle to legalising single event sports betting and Entain's involved with something like BetMGM (think it's them) who just hired Wayne Gretzky (NHL Canadian superstar of yesteryear) to push sports betting in Canada.
I just want to spend the rest of my life drinking Nyetimber rose
Is that too much to ask of a cruel, cold world?
It's really good, isn't it? It was served at a posh reception I went to. I had no idea what they were serving, and I feared the worst. In general, anything pink and sparkling is either revolting, or at best an inferior but more expensive version of the equivalent sparkling white. As soon as I tried it I realised it was in a different league.
In fact sparkling pinks are a particular strength of English wine producers. Balfour Hush Heath is another real goody, albeit so pale as to be scarcely a rosé.
Yes!
For me "pink champagne" or "blush whatever" has always meant something too sweet, too girly, but maybe fun in the sun, let's have a laugh, very forgettable
Nyetimber Rose is exceptional. It's actually better than their classic cuvee "white" English Fizz (which is already excellent). It's an amazing wine right now. I cannot think of a champagne that compares. Yes it costs but this is actually a £35 bottle that is worth every penny
Pink champagne is something to serve your mistress, if you have one, or are hoping to acquire one. Otherwise stick with the white, in general. There are a few exceptions.
Drinking fizz in the first place, unless you have an excuse like a social celebration, is just naff, and reveals someone ignorant about wine
Last week I accidentally smashed up my phone with a hammer after taking out the sim & burning it. I've now replaced both but my WhatsApp timeline is still there & I can't seem to accidentally delete it. Can anyone at @Conservatives HQ help? I'm in court on Monday so it's urgent. https://twitter.com/JasonPedlow/status/1423244674957987843
Last week I accidentally smashed up my phone with a hammer after taking out the sim & burning it. I've now replaced both but my WhatsApp timeline is still there & I can't seem to accidentally delete it. Can anyone at @Conservatives HQ help? I'm in court on Monday so it's urgent. https://twitter.com/JasonPedlow/status/1423244674957987843
He doesn’t need CCO, he needs Bugs Bunny. He knew WhatsApp Doc.
Won't anyone think of the children? Apple has announced plans to scan users' iphones for child sex abuse material. And a jolly good thing too. It would never be misused to scan for articles critical of Belarusan Olympic sprint coaching or photos of the Bullingdon Club. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58109748
Although serious as it was, it was rather less serious than the damage inflicted on them by years of fraud, mismanagement, nepotism and naked corruption by the local Labour led councils.
Which Drakeford, as a beneficiary of those systems, strangely never seems to be willing to deal with.
Quote from Steve Baker MP: “Politicians need to level with the public about the scale of change needed in our lives so we don’t have another political fiasco like Brexit.”
Won't anyone think of the children? Apple has announced plans to scan users' iphones for child sex abuse material. And a jolly good thing too. It would never be misused to scan for articles critical of Belarusan Olympic sprint coaching or photos of the Bullingdon Club. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58109748
They want to be careful with that, because under the law as it stands in this country such actions as Apple describes would in themselves be considered child pornography offences.
Last week I accidentally smashed up my phone with a hammer after taking out the sim & burning it. I've now replaced both but my WhatsApp timeline is still there & I can't seem to accidentally delete it. Can anyone at @Conservatives HQ help? I'm in court on Monday so it's urgent. https://twitter.com/JasonPedlow/status/1423244674957987843
This is the problem with the burner phones line that PB Tories were anxious to shut down on the last thread. Not that people do not understand the term burner phone but that many will be unaware of the story about ministers' unofficial lines of communication. That can change.
Won't anyone think of the children? Apple has announced plans to scan users' iphones for child sex abuse material. And a jolly good thing too. It would never be misused to scan for articles critical of Belarusan Olympic sprint coaching or photos of the Bullingdon Club. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58109748
They want to be careful with that, because under the law as it stands in this country such actions as Apple describes would in themselves be considered child pornography offences.
Indeed. Laws brought in to stop file sharing of child pornography would almost certainly be engaged.
Although serious as it was, it was rather less serious than the damage inflicted on them by years of fraud, mismanagement, nepotism and naked corruption by the local Labour led councils.
Which Drakeford, as a beneficiary of those systems, strangely never seems to be willing to deal with.
A significant part of Boris's undoubted political genius is that he provokes all the right people to behave in a po-faced sanctimonious and censorious manner. He has done it all his career and it is a major reason why non Tories will vote for him.
Wow Australia has actually become an island version of Hotel California. What a ridiculously stupid decision and setting an arbitrary and probably impossible to reach 80% population vaccination rate to reopen the border is storing up huge problems for when they inevitably don't reach it. Even if Pfizer is extended down to 8 years old they'd need >90% uptake. We're unlikely to get there and we're one of the least vaccine hesitant nations in the world.
Although serious as it was, it was rather less serious than the damage inflicted on them by years of fraud, mismanagement, nepotism and naked corruption by the local Labour led councils.
Which Drakeford, as a beneficiary of those systems, strangely never seems to be willing to deal with.
A significant part of Boris's undoubted political genius is that he provokes all the right people to behave in a po-faced sanctimonious and censorious manner. He has done it all his career and it is a major reason why non Tories will vote for him.
What is 'amusing', from a somewhat cynical point of view is that up until now the Conservative 'defence' on the closure of coal mines has been that more were closed under Labour!
And Good morning everybody. 15.6C this morning but, sadly, the forecast locally is for rain and, indeed, thunder. And we have an interesting match at our local cricket club today, which Mrs C and I were planning to attend.
I just want to spend the rest of my life drinking Nyetimber rose
Is that too much to ask of a cruel, cold world?
It's really good, isn't it? It was served at a posh reception I went to. I had no idea what they were serving, and I feared the worst. In general, anything pink and sparkling is either revolting, or at best an inferior but more expensive version of the equivalent sparkling white. As soon as I tried it I realised it was in a different league.
In fact sparkling pinks are a particular strength of English wine producers. Balfour Hush Heath is another real goody, albeit so pale as to be scarcely a rosé.
Yes!
For me "pink champagne" or "blush whatever" has always meant something too sweet, too girly, but maybe fun in the sun, let's have a laugh, very forgettable
Nyetimber Rose is exceptional. It's actually better than their classic cuvee "white" English Fizz (which is already excellent). It's an amazing wine right now. I cannot think of a champagne that compares. Yes it costs but this is actually a £35 bottle that is worth every penny
Pink champagne is something to serve your mistress, if you have one, or are hoping to acquire one. Otherwise stick with the white, in general. There are a few exceptions.
Drinking fizz in the first place, unless you have an excuse like a social celebration, is just naff, and reveals someone ignorant about wine
i My wife is rather fond of champagne but I will normally switch to a dry white after a glass or so as she clearly enjoys it far more than I do. But like all these things, and indeed the books discussed overnight, there are no rules worth following, simply individual preferences.
Won't anyone think of the children? Apple has announced plans to scan users' iphones for child sex abuse material. And a jolly good thing too. It would never be misused to scan for articles critical of Belarusan Olympic sprint coaching or photos of the Bullingdon Club. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58109748
They want to be careful with that, because under the law as it stands in this country such actions as Apple describes would in themselves be considered child pornography offences.
Indeed. Laws brought in to stop file sharing of child pornography would almost certainly be engaged.
What they do is not look at any images or videos but just take what is called the hash value of the file (basically they do some sums based on the bytes occupied by the file to get a single number) then compare that number with a list of known numbers provided by the FBI. A similar approach has long been used to detect computer viruses.
And it would be easy to extend that to detect videos of ISIL decapitation videos or bomb-making instructions. That's good too right? Then pirated Radiohead videos or Hollywood films.
Next it will be material critical of the government. Not our government, of course, except for that copyrighted Bullingdon photo, but what about China, Russia or many Middle East countries?
OT Entain (owners of Ladbrokes and Corals among others) shares have shot up recently. Not sure why and this is not a tip, from someone who has never owned any shares.
They've seen my plans to go all in on Brighton winning the Premier League.
So the Olympic track was specifically designed to be bouncy and hence easier to run fast along.
Why don't they just have one that moves forward like a travolator, and be done with it?
But that has been the case, probably, since the modern Olympics began. Improvements in running surfaces and shoes haven't been quite so dramatic, but were undoubtedly there.
You're way off the mark Mike. I am surprised at your write up.
Clarification: climate change "benefit" was an unintentended consequence of the Thatcher pit closures. It wasn't anywhere in Thatcher's reasoning to close the pits.
This is a clever re-writing of history and you've fallen for it Mike.
(Under her tenure Carbon emissions went up by the way not down, even with the pit closures, so she didn't help in this context in any way, intended or unintended).
Pity we're not on the train anymore this would have been a good bant!
Although serious as it was, it was rather less serious than the damage inflicted on them by years of fraud, mismanagement, nepotism and naked corruption by the local Labour led councils.
Which Drakeford, as a beneficiary of those systems, strangely never seems to be willing to deal with.
A significant part of Boris's undoubted political genius is that he provokes all the right people to behave in a po-faced sanctimonious and censorious manner. He has done it all his career and it is a major reason why non Tories will vote for him.
So the Olympic track was specifically designed to be bouncy and hence easier to run fast along.
Why don't they just have one that moves forward like a travolator, and be done with it?
Yes. Nothing new of course – we no longer have cinder tracks like Roger Bannister's. My own theory is this is also why there have been so many fouls in long jumps and pole vaults – the run-ups are sped up by the tracks and this is throwing off the athletes' timings. It could be complete nonsense, of course.
Won't anyone think of the children? Apple has announced plans to scan users' iphones for child sex abuse material. And a jolly good thing too. It would never be misused to scan for articles critical of Belarusan Olympic sprint coaching or photos of the Bullingdon Club. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58109748
In Apple's case, it's possibly to forestall demands from US law enforcement for broader access to users' data - backed by the same 'for the children', and 'terrorism' arguments. They are a long, long way from perfect, but have a better record than most for protecting users' privacy.
So the Olympic track was specifically designed to be bouncy and hence easier to run fast along.
Why don't they just have one that moves forward like a travolator, and be done with it?
But that has been the case, probably, since the modern Olympics began. Improvements in running surfaces and shoes haven't been quite so dramatic, but were undoubtedly there.
On shoes, there was an article by the Telegraph's athletics correspondent saying he knocked a whole minute off his 5k (athletes don't say km!) time simply by changing to new running shoes.
Won't anyone think of the children? Apple has announced plans to scan users' iphones for child sex abuse material. And a jolly good thing too. It would never be misused to scan for articles critical of Belarusan Olympic sprint coaching or photos of the Bullingdon Club. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58109748
They want to be careful with that, because under the law as it stands in this country such actions as Apple describes would in themselves be considered child pornography offences.
Indeed. Laws brought in to stop file sharing of child pornography would almost certainly be engaged.
What they do is not look at any images or videos but just take what is called the hash value of the file (basically they do some sums based on the bytes occupied by the file to get a single number) then compare that number with a list of known numbers provided by the FBI. A similar approach has long been used to detect computer viruses.
And it would be easy to extend that to detect videos of ISIL decapitation videos or bomb-making instructions. That's good too right? Then pirated Radiohead videos or Hollywood films.
Next it will be material critical of the government. Not our government, of course, except for that copyrighted Bullingdon photo, but what about China, Russia or many Middle East countries?
At the risk of the banhammer who on earth wants a pirated Radiohead video? Surely only the most...no, I'll stop there.
The thing to watch with our legislation, mainly in the Protection of Children Act 1978 as amended, is that it was written by people whose understanding of this technology was almost certainly not as sophisticated as yours but were very determined to make it as comprehensive as possible.
Won't anyone think of the children? Apple has announced plans to scan users' iphones for child sex abuse material. And a jolly good thing too. It would never be misused to scan for articles critical of Belarusan Olympic sprint coaching or photos of the Bullingdon Club. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58109748
They want to be careful with that, because under the law as it stands in this country such actions as Apple describes would in themselves be considered child pornography offences.
Genuinely misread the name of their operating system as iPedOS which seems a bit like entrapment.
You're way off the mark Mike. I am surprised at your write up.
Clarification: climate change "benefit" was an unintentended consequence of the Thatcher pit closures. It wasn't anywhere in Thatcher's reasoning to close the pits.
This is a clever re-writing of history and you've fallen for it Mike.
(Under her tenure Carbon emissions went up by the way not down, even with the pit closures, so she didn't help in this context in any way, intended or unintended).
Pity we're not on the train anymore this would have been a good bant!
You've been had Mike.
She did wonders for foreign miners by importing their coal though, international working class solidarity at its best!
Although serious as it was, it was rather less serious than the damage inflicted on them by years of fraud, mismanagement, nepotism and naked corruption by the local Labour led councils.
Which Drakeford, as a beneficiary of those systems, strangely never seems to be willing to deal with.
A significant part of Boris's undoubted political genius is that he provokes all the right people to behave in a po-faced sanctimonious and censorious manner. He has done it all his career and it is a major reason why non Tories will vote for him.
Non Scots non Tories you mean, presumably?
Well, those are the people who vote for him.
One way I agree with David here - and I’m certainly no fan of Johnson - is that huge numbers of people in the Midlands and North are fed up with being lectured and patronised by a bunch of po-faced, pompous, ignorant and often stupid southerners, particularly Londoners. You can certainly trace much of this to the expansion of the EU and the banking crisis, but it also crystallised around the EU referendum. People have been told they voted leave because they’re thick and don’t really understand the issues. That’s really going to convert them, isn’t it?
And that’s become increasingly associated with Labour, who have now had, in effect, three consecutive Londoner leaders all of whom seemed to spend their time preaching at people. Even though their individual policies were often pretty popular. The ‘them and us’ divide is stark and getting starker. Labour used to exploit this for advantage - Tory toffs against ordinary working people - but they’ve somehow ended up on the wrong side of it now.
I think you do see something of the same effect in Scotland, but there the beneficiaries are the SNP, because it’s wider anti-English sentiment that’s being developed and tapped into.
So winding up the likes of Drakeford isn’t necessarily a foolish strategy by Johnson. It won’t help in Wales or Scotland but it might well be less damaging then people expect in the Midlands and North.
Of course, the prize irony is that Johnson himself is the ultimate in posh ignorant Londoners. But somehow his extraordinary charisma overrides that.
Although serious as it was, it was rather less serious than the damage inflicted on them by years of fraud, mismanagement, nepotism and naked corruption by the local Labour led councils.
Which Drakeford, as a beneficiary of those systems, strangely never seems to be willing to deal with.
A significant part of Boris's undoubted political genius is that he provokes all the right people to behave in a po-faced sanctimonious and censorious manner. He has done it all his career and it is a major reason why non Tories will vote for him.
What is 'amusing', from a somewhat cynical point of view is that up until now the Conservative 'defence' on the closure of coal mines has been that more were closed under Labour!
And Good morning everybody. 15.6C this morning but, sadly, the forecast locally is for rain and, indeed, thunder. And we have an interesting match at our local cricket club today, which Mrs C and I were planning to attend.
Another day's play lost at the test and the debacle on day 1 just might become survivable after all. England do not deserve it but they might get lucky.
I just accidentally clicked on Johnson on the thread header and the dictionary defined it as a man's penis.. interesting if spooky....
Well, it wouldn’t be a woman’s penis.
Scottish Nationalism: The home of transphobia.
British Nationalism: The home of Jockophobia..
There you go again.
Conflating criticism of the SNP with criticism of Scotland.
Fortunately the majority of Scots know that too.
Yeah, that’s right, BritNats like you are so in tune with “the majority of Scots”.
I accurately forecast that Scotland would vote No in 2014 when you said the clueless wonders on here were in for a shock. I believe 55% of Scots constitutes a majority of Scots.
I also accurately predicted that Alba would do shite in the Holyrood elections when one of your fellow Nats was predicting 12%-14% minimum for Alba on the list.
I also successfully tipped the SCons would get over 9.5 seats in 2017 at 20/1.
I love it how punters are always so willing to tell you about the ones they guessed right, but never about the long list of failures. Stopped clocks.
I’m such a successful political punter that I’m typically restricted to max wagers of about 50p. The very fact that you’re still allowed to bet shows that the bookies are winning.
That’s nothing. I’m such a successful political punter that I’m paid seven figure sums to both refrain from it and refrain from giving tips on it. So successful am I that I am forced to hide behind the assumed identity of a semi aquatic marine mammal that practices labour law while laughing at you amateurs on here. Stick around Dickson, I might teach you a few things.
I've been heavily restricted by three bookmakers, more for horses than politics, perhaps, but the books are so trigger-happy these days I'm not sure it is such a badge of honour any more.
Thanks. I feel less singled-out if what you say is true. But I do find this very worrying. Is it not close to fraud? Accepting significant wagers from punters with a proven track record of losing, but restricting wagers to insignificant sums for punters with a winning profile.
Although serious as it was, it was rather less serious than the damage inflicted on them by years of fraud, mismanagement, nepotism and naked corruption by the local Labour led councils.
Which Drakeford, as a beneficiary of those systems, strangely never seems to be willing to deal with.
A significant part of Boris's undoubted political genius is that he provokes all the right people to behave in a po-faced sanctimonious and censorious manner. He has done it all his career and it is a major reason why non Tories will vote for him.
What is 'amusing', from a somewhat cynical point of view is that up until now the Conservative 'defence' on the closure of coal mines has been that more were closed under Labour!
And Good morning everybody. 15.6C this morning but, sadly, the forecast locally is for rain and, indeed, thunder. And we have an interesting match at our local cricket club today, which Mrs C and I were planning to attend.
Another day's play lost at the test and the debacle on day 1 just might become survivable after all. England do not deserve it but they might get lucky.
The BBC weather forecast suggests that there might not be a lot of play at Nottingham, as well as in N Essex. The clouds are gathering here as I type.
Although serious as it was, it was rather less serious than the damage inflicted on them by years of fraud, mismanagement, nepotism and naked corruption by the local Labour led councils.
Which Drakeford, as a beneficiary of those systems, strangely never seems to be willing to deal with.
A significant part of Boris's undoubted political genius is that he provokes all the right people to behave in a po-faced sanctimonious and censorious manner. He has done it all his career and it is a major reason why non Tories will vote for him.
Non Scots non Tories you mean, presumably?
For a moment I did worry that that key Scottish segment of ex miner Scottish Tories, otherwise known as Tom who lives outside Kirkcaldy, might be offended but then I remembered that Tom had a sense of humour.
I just accidentally clicked on Johnson on the thread header and the dictionary defined it as a man's penis.. interesting if spooky....
Well, it wouldn’t be a woman’s penis.
Scottish Nationalism: The home of transphobia.
British Nationalism: The home of Jockophobia..
There you go again.
Conflating criticism of the SNP with criticism of Scotland.
Fortunately the majority of Scots know that too.
Yeah, that’s right, BritNats like you are so in tune with “the majority of Scots”.
I accurately forecast that Scotland would vote No in 2014 when you said the clueless wonders on here were in for a shock. I believe 55% of Scots constitutes a majority of Scots.
I also accurately predicted that Alba would do shite in the Holyrood elections when one of your fellow Nats was predicting 12%-14% minimum for Alba on the list.
I also successfully tipped the SCons would get over 9.5 seats in 2017 at 20/1.
I love it how punters are always so willing to tell you about the ones they guessed right, but never about the long list of failures. Stopped clocks.
I’m such a successful political punter that I’m typically restricted to max wagers of about 50p. The very fact that you’re still allowed to bet shows that the bookies are winning.
That’s nothing. I’m such a successful political punter that I’m paid seven figure sums to both refrain from it and refrain from giving tips on it. So successful am I that I am forced to hide behind the assumed identity of a semi aquatic marine mammal that practices labour law while laughing at you amateurs on here. Stick around Dickson, I might teach you a few things.
I've been heavily restricted by three bookmakers, more for horses than politics, perhaps, but the books are so trigger-happy these days I'm not sure it is such a badge of honour any more.
Thanks. I feel less singled-out if what you say is true. But I do find this very worrying. Is it not close to fraud? Accepting significant wagers from punters with a proven track record of losing, but restricting wagers to insignificant sums for punters with a winning profile.
Having worked in the industry 24 years, here are my thoughts (from when I’d worked in the industry 17 years)
“You Don't Have To Be A Hypocritical Coward To Be A Bookmaker... But It Helps"
Although serious as it was, it was rather less serious than the damage inflicted on them by years of fraud, mismanagement, nepotism and naked corruption by the local Labour led councils.
Which Drakeford, as a beneficiary of those systems, strangely never seems to be willing to deal with.
A significant part of Boris's undoubted political genius is that he provokes all the right people to behave in a po-faced sanctimonious and censorious manner. He has done it all his career and it is a major reason why non Tories will vote for him.
Non Scots non Tories you mean, presumably?
Well, those are the people who vote for him.
One way I agree with David here - and I’m certainly no fan of Johnson - is that huge numbers of people in the Midlands and North are fed up with being lectured and patronised by a bunch of po-faced, pompous, ignorant and often stupid southerners, particularly Londoners. You can certainly trace much of this to the expansion of the EU and the banking crisis, but it also crystallised around the EU referendum. People have been told they voted leave because they’re thick and don’t really understand the issues. That’s really going to convert them, isn’t it?
And that’s become increasingly associated with Labour, who have now had, in effect, three consecutive Londoner leaders all of whom seemed to spend their time preaching at people. Even though their individual policies were often pretty popular. The ‘them and us’ divide is stark and getting starker. Labour used to exploit this for advantage - Tory toffs against ordinary working people - but they’ve somehow ended up on the wrong side of it now.
I think you do see something of the same effect in Scotland, but there the beneficiaries are the SNP, because it’s wider anti-English sentiment that’s being developed and tapped into.
So winding up the likes of Drakeford isn’t necessarily a foolish strategy by Johnson. It won’t help in Wales or Scotland but it might well be less damaging then people expect in the Midlands and North.
Of course, the prize irony is that Johnson himself is the ultimate in posh ignorant Londoners. But somehow his extraordinary charisma overrides that.
I’m sure most of that is true, but it just means we can dispense with the Unionist component of the Conservative and Unionist Party, or at least point and laugh at the naïfs who think that it’s still a thing. Not even sure about the Conservative bit tbh.
Although serious as it was, it was rather less serious than the damage inflicted on them by years of fraud, mismanagement, nepotism and naked corruption by the local Labour led councils.
Which Drakeford, as a beneficiary of those systems, strangely never seems to be willing to deal with.
A significant part of Boris's undoubted political genius is that he provokes all the right people to behave in a po-faced sanctimonious and censorious manner. He has done it all his career and it is a major reason why non Tories will vote for him.
Non Scots non Tories you mean, presumably?
Well, those are the people who vote for him.
One way I agree with David here - and I’m certainly no fan of Johnson - is that huge numbers of people in the Midlands and North are fed up with being lectured and patronised by a bunch of po-faced, pompous, ignorant and often stupid southerners, particularly Londoners. You can certainly trace much of this to the expansion of the EU and the banking crisis, but it also crystallised around the EU referendum. People have been told they voted leave because they’re thick and don’t really understand the issues. That’s really going to convert them, isn’t it?
And that’s become increasingly associated with Labour, who have now had, in effect, three consecutive Londoner leaders all of whom seemed to spend their time preaching at people. Even though their individual policies were often pretty popular. The ‘them and us’ divide is stark and getting starker. Labour used to exploit this for advantage - Tory toffs against ordinary working people - but they’ve somehow ended up on the wrong side of it now.
I think you do see something of the same effect in Scotland, but there the beneficiaries are the SNP, because it’s wider anti-English sentiment that’s being developed and tapped into.
So winding up the likes of Drakeford isn’t necessarily a foolish strategy by Johnson. It won’t help in Wales or Scotland but it might well be less damaging then people expect in the Midlands and North.
Of course, the prize irony is that Johnson himself is the ultimate in posh ignorant Londoners. But somehow his extraordinary charisma overrides that.
At an even more basic level, erstwhile Labour supporters have lost the sense that the party is "on their side". It is not even, or not just, talking down to voters or appearing to lecture them, or casual insults like Emily Thornberry's flags tweet, but that it spends so much time, especially under Jeremy Corbyn, talking about things that most voters just don't care about, like Venezuela or the Middle East. Of course, that also applies to Corbyn's critics!
It was perhaps Dominic Cummings' key insight that voters were increasingly isolated from politics, and he exploited this to deliver Brexit and Boris, and the levelling up agenda because Cummings had the nous to realise that Brexit voters were not actually voting for Brexit but to Take Back Control, fund the NHS and other public services, and regenerate former industrial towns.
I just accidentally clicked on Johnson on the thread header and the dictionary defined it as a man's penis.. interesting if spooky....
Well, it wouldn’t be a woman’s penis.
Scottish Nationalism: The home of transphobia.
British Nationalism: The home of Jockophobia..
There you go again.
Conflating criticism of the SNP with criticism of Scotland.
Fortunately the majority of Scots know that too.
Yeah, that’s right, BritNats like you are so in tune with “the majority of Scots”.
I accurately forecast that Scotland would vote No in 2014 when you said the clueless wonders on here were in for a shock. I believe 55% of Scots constitutes a majority of Scots.
I also accurately predicted that Alba would do shite in the Holyrood elections when one of your fellow Nats was predicting 12%-14% minimum for Alba on the list.
I also successfully tipped the SCons would get over 9.5 seats in 2017 at 20/1.
I love it how punters are always so willing to tell you about the ones they guessed right, but never about the long list of failures. Stopped clocks.
I’m such a successful political punter that I’m typically restricted to max wagers of about 50p. The very fact that you’re still allowed to bet shows that the bookies are winning.
That’s nothing. I’m such a successful political punter that I’m paid seven figure sums to both refrain from it and refrain from giving tips on it. So successful am I that I am forced to hide behind the assumed identity of a semi aquatic marine mammal that practices labour law while laughing at you amateurs on here. Stick around Dickson, I might teach you a few things.
I've been heavily restricted by three bookmakers, more for horses than politics, perhaps, but the books are so trigger-happy these days I'm not sure it is such a badge of honour any more.
Thanks. I feel less singled-out if what you say is true. But I do find this very worrying. Is it not close to fraud? Accepting significant wagers from punters with a proven track record of losing, but restricting wagers to insignificant sums for punters with a winning profile.
Close to fraud? Probably not. Casinos have been barring card-counters for years. It is unfair, though, and large numbers of recreational punters will be collateral damage if they accidentally make the same bets as the sharks.
Comments
We can keep this up all night if you’re enjoying yourself.
Who'd pay that for a bit of fizz?
You too can be fat, drunk and obnoxious, just buy our wonderful pink pish-water. It’s fizzy just like Tizer!
(The invoice is in the post.)
You forgotten one of your recent beauties?
"Last month, the Cleveland Indians baseball team dropped their controversial name for one aimed at being more inclusive: the Guardians."
It would be good if the franchise moved to Manchester, NH.
Night all.
So why shouldn't Starmer want Labour to embrace that legacy?
Leon said:
I just want to spend the rest of my life drinking Nyetimber rose
Is that too much to ask of a cruel, cold world?
Foxy said:
I reckon half a case could do it if you drink quickly.
Stuart Dickson said:
One lives in hope.
So, I made a gag about drinking away my life with my favourite fizz. Foxy said, well this is how to do it quickly. You fervently wished that that my death would happen this way, soon
Foxy, being a gent, quickly apologised for crossing a line. I accepted his apology because, Lord knows, I’ve also said some stupid, callous things on here, and been rightly criticised. By contrast, you have not the self awareness to apologise, perhaps you lack the wits to even see what happened
I shall not repine. Let you be you
https://twitter.com/bmay/status/1423404883177353217?s=20
Anyway, I adore Shakespeare. Did a fair amount of acting when younger so very familiar with him. Also I love poetry generally. So I don't think it's that.
No - I couldn't work out who anyone was and after a while I stopped caring. She over-writes.
I have been giving fiction writing a lot of thought lately for various reasons. I remember the wonderful @SeanT (if only he were still here) saying that plotting was the hardest thing and he was right. Writing a good story, making people want to know what happens next is the essence of good fiction and too many writers fail at this. Any fool can write purple prose or even several pages of stylish English.
But telling a story - that's hard to do well.
BTW Rushdie is another writer I cannot get on with.
Indeed the 31% Thatcher got in Scotland in 1979 has not been matched by a Tory leader since, whether Major, Davidson, May or Cameron.
Even the 25% Boris got in 2019 was also the second highest Tory total in Scotland since 1992 after 2017.
Some seats in the North East of Scotland like Moray and Banff and Buchan twice voted for Thatcher, then went solid SNP under Salmond and are back with Tory MPs again now the social democratic Sturgeon is SNP leader
Frau Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha won’t be too impressed.
"Only London 1908 (146 medals), London 2012 (65) and Rio 2016 (67) have produced more medals for Great Britain than Tokyo 2020.
"Compared to London and Rio at this stage, Tokyo has not produced as many medals with 52 in London and 55 in Rio by this point.
"The 16 golds won so far fall well short of London's 25 and Rio's 22 at this stage."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58109748
The French are having none of it.
He is going to change the world of medicine for ever… but in a lovely self-depreciating and modest way.
Along with the proper stuff.
Shocking case where a PhD student was deregistered from his study at a Swiss university - wasting three years of research - after tweeting critically on China. He had been tweeting less than ten days and had fewer than 10 followers
https://twitter.com/limlouisa/status/1423400651636166656
On 7/11/2021, During an illegal exhibition of speed event at Barneveld & McKinnon, a passenger leaned out of a Cadi holding an AK47;
https://twitter.com/SFTrafficSafety/status/1423072116753137665?s=20
Standard.
At least she was wearing a mask
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-58110308
Mr. JohnL, I agree with Mr. Ed but would add that Canada recently passed the last legislative hurdle to legalising single event sports betting and Entain's involved with something like BetMGM (think it's them) who just hired Wayne Gretzky (NHL Canadian superstar of yesteryear) to push sports betting in Canada.
https://twitter.com/yourwullie/status/1211741656472543233?s=21
Last week I accidentally smashed up my phone with a hammer after taking out the sim & burning it. I've now replaced both but my WhatsApp timeline is still there & I can't seem to accidentally delete it. Can anyone at @Conservatives HQ help? I'm in court on Monday so it's urgent.
https://twitter.com/JasonPedlow/status/1423244674957987843
Being described as an “unforced error”, “not helpful” and “crass”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-58107009 https://twitter.com/nickeardleybbc/status/1423339171444367362
Welsh FM Mark Drakeford on @BBCr4today: “Those remarks are both crass and offensive. The damage done to Welsh coal mine areas was incalculable” https://twitter.com/nickeardleybbc/status/1423360525552005120
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58109748
Which Drakeford, as a beneficiary of those systems, strangely never seems to be willing to deal with.
Why don't they just have one that moves forward like a travolator, and be done with it?
And Good morning everybody. 15.6C this morning but, sadly, the forecast locally is for rain and, indeed, thunder. And we have an interesting match at our local cricket club today, which Mrs C and I were planning to attend.
My wife is rather fond of champagne but I will normally switch to a dry white after a glass or so as she clearly enjoys it far more than I do. But like all these things, and indeed the books discussed overnight, there are no rules worth following, simply individual preferences.
And it would be easy to extend that to detect videos of ISIL decapitation videos or bomb-making instructions. That's good too right? Then pirated Radiohead videos or Hollywood films.
Next it will be material critical of the government. Not our government, of course, except for that copyrighted Bullingdon photo, but what about China, Russia or many Middle East countries?
Clarification: climate change "benefit" was an unintentended consequence of the Thatcher pit closures. It wasn't anywhere in Thatcher's reasoning to close the pits.
This is a clever re-writing of history and you've fallen for it Mike.
(Under her tenure Carbon emissions went up by the way not down, even with the pit closures, so she didn't help in this context in any way, intended or unintended).
Pity we're not on the train anymore this would have been a good bant!
You've been had Mike.
They are a long, long way from perfect, but have a better record than most for protecting users' privacy.
The thing to watch with our legislation, mainly in the Protection of Children Act 1978 as amended, is that it was written by people whose understanding of this technology was almost certainly not as sophisticated as yours but were very determined to make it as comprehensive as possible.
One way I agree with David here - and I’m certainly no fan of Johnson - is that huge numbers of people in the Midlands and North are fed up with being lectured and patronised by a bunch of po-faced, pompous, ignorant and often stupid southerners, particularly Londoners. You can certainly trace much of this to the expansion of the EU and the banking crisis, but it also crystallised around the EU referendum. People have been told they voted leave because they’re thick and don’t really understand the issues. That’s really going to convert them, isn’t it?
And that’s become increasingly associated with Labour, who have now had, in effect, three consecutive Londoner leaders all of whom seemed to spend their time preaching at people. Even though their individual policies were often pretty popular. The ‘them and us’ divide is stark and getting starker. Labour used to exploit this for advantage - Tory toffs against ordinary working people - but they’ve somehow ended up on the wrong side of it now.
I think you do see something of the same effect in Scotland, but there the beneficiaries are the SNP, because it’s wider anti-English sentiment that’s being developed and tapped into.
So winding up the likes of Drakeford isn’t necessarily a foolish strategy by Johnson. It won’t help in Wales or Scotland but it might well be less damaging then people expect in the Midlands and North.
Of course, the prize irony is that Johnson himself is the ultimate in posh ignorant Londoners. But somehow his extraordinary charisma overrides that.
Looks like it was quite a night on pb
“You Don't Have To Be A Hypocritical Coward To Be A Bookmaker... But It Helps"
http://aboutasfarasdelgados.blogspot.com/2014/08/you-dont-have-to-be-hypocritical-coward.html
Not even sure about the Conservative bit tbh.
It was perhaps Dominic Cummings' key insight that voters were increasingly isolated from politics, and he exploited this to deliver Brexit and Boris, and the levelling up agenda because Cummings had the nous to realise that Brexit voters were not actually voting for Brexit but to Take Back Control, fund the NHS and other public services, and regenerate former industrial towns.