"Wuhan scientists planned to release coronaviruses into cave bats 18 months before outbreak Leaked documents reveal researchers applied for $14m to fund controversial project in 2018"
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
More to the point where is he
I have not seen or heard from him for quite some time
A timely reminder that whilst I might go on strike from voting Conservative I'm not going to vote for that tosspot.
I'm genuinely curious - Davey says something you don't like and he's automatically a "tosspot".
In all honesty, for a forum which occasionally talks about politics, the widespread contempt for almost all politicians is perhaps predictable but it's not sensible.
Who or what would make a good politician in your eyes? Inasmuch as no politician would run the country directly for your benefit (or mine), what is it you are looking for in a political figure?
Do you want a "strong" leader - lots of people enjoy being told what to do after all - or just someone who does the things you want?
I've dabbled in politics in my time - it's hard and often thankless work. You set off with noble intentions around public service and "wanting to do good" and it just wears you down - not the system but the ingratitude. Yet if, at any point, you sound off and reference that, out comes the abuse and vitriol.
It's often said a country gets the politicians it deserves - the more I see that, both here and round the world, the more accurate I think it is.
You're a Lib Dem loyalist, so you just can't or won't see it, but there's no doubt Ed Davey is a tosspot.
I don't like his Wokeness, his attitude to gender self-identification, his europhilia, and I've never liked him personally. He's a classroom snitch who makes things needlessly antagonistic and personal.
I did like David Laws, Jeremy Browne, Steve Webb and Nick Clegg and there are plenty other liberal orange-bookers I might vote for but him?
No.
How convenient for you that none of them are standing.
I guess it’s another tick for the face-eating leopard party, aka the “Burn the National Trust Now” campaign.
Nah, the Lib Dems have become infected with Woke. Labour can't seem to make their minds up about it and the Tories aren't. Ultimately if you have a red line over self-ID men going into female only spaces (which a lot of small c conservative voters do) then what are the options?
Ed Davey just tried to blame the Lib Dems kicking out a feminist from their party on the Tories. It's completely ridiculous. They're a joke.
Yes it has been obvious for some time that PB Tories will swallow increased taxes on young workers to featherbed pensioners as long as they are chucked a bit of red meat from the culture war. That is the Johnson strategy for 2024.
That's an aspersion on me, @MaxPB and @Philip_Thompson and none of us have said we'd fall for that.
If Liz Truss took over as PM by 2024 it might be a very different story.
Except that each of you, having harrumphed about tax rises, are all now fulminating about semi-imagined wokery in the LDs (and you’re obviously not going to vote for Labour).
It reminds me of the old Harry Enfield sketch, “the Self Righteous Brothers”.
Davey! No!
Boris’a strategy is working, so far as I can tell.
I don't really care about any wokery in the LDs. I've said I'd like to see what their economic policy is and all I see from Davey there is a call for more taxes but without saying what taxes they are he'd raise. Not exactly what I'm looking for there.
If Labour were too embrace low taxes then of course I could be tempted to vote Labour. I'm not holding my breath on that though.
What about similar overall levels but with Labour a shift from poor to rich, young to old, personal to corporate, income to wealth?
Tempting?
If you mean by the first two similar levels overall but taxes would be equalised between earned and unearned income and the poverty trap is fixed then yes I'd vote for that. I said that before.
On the final two it would really depend upon what is suggested. "Corporate" taxes are generally a very bad idea since corporate taxes like employers NI are really a tax on wages, and corporation tax leads to companies relocating profits abroad so don't raise revenues.
As for wealth, it depends again on what you propose. Since most wealth taxes ever tried have been dismal failures that lead to wealth fleeing overseas then that's a terrible idea. You'd have to be very smart with any proposal, pretty much the only thing that could work is a tax on property that is levied on the owners. Almost any other wealth taxes are a terrible idea that lead to flight (property can't flee) but I'd listen to your proposals.
What I mean is the overall tax burden about the same but under Labour more of it raised from wealth and less from income, and more from corporates and less from individuals. Does this have you taking a very close look and voting for it unless you find a catch?
As I said I am very suspicious about claimed taxes from wealth and corporates because most such taxes are very counterproductive. Any such tax that will just see immediate capital flight is an awful idea.
Taxes that are low but consistently applied, so lower rates but evenly to everyone (so those not paying their share see rises, the rest of us cuts) that I'm happy with.
Ok, I see. No, that will not be forthcoming from Labour. You can stop agonizing. Stay with the magnificent muscly one.
That's a shame.
A Labour Party that was true to its name and became the party of working people, that equalised taxes between earned and unearned income would be a party that was worth voting for.
It would also do more for raising the prospects of the 'working poor' etc than any amount of stupid capital flight inducing taxes ever could.
Ah no we can do that, equalizing CGT and income tax, earned v unearned. Fact, we WILL be doing that. Thought you were talking about that 'flat rate' income tax nonsense. Apols. So, ok, welcome comrade.
So just for clarification you are going to apply full NI to all pensions as is @Philip_Thompson hopes
Whoa hold on. No, I don't think so. Pensions are earned.
So...
If I save for my retirement in a pension scheme, I should receive those payments tax free? But if I save for my retirement by buying shares in Microsoft, I should be taxed on those payments?
What's the difference?
(Especially given that the pension scheme will have bought shares in Microsoft to pay the pensions with.)
"During a recent trip to the US, I had lunch with a young man from New York, who told me glumly that many of his peers had spent the summer swanning around Europe while he stayed put in America. They were all flaunting it on Instagram, of course, but none as aggressively as a clutch of young women in their early 20s, who had spent time in the most expensive spots: the Amalfi Coast, Porto Cervo, Capri. I peered at his phone and saw images of the girls draped over each other in terrace restaurants, on the prows of boats, laid along tree branches in thong bikinis, glowing with the gold-dust of fine living.
They were either still in college or freshly out of it. But the reason they, rather than the young man, were able to go yachting off Sardinia while sipping Dom Pérignon was because rich older men had hired them to come on a luxury holiday with them. The job — look hot, be nice, and be ready to accommodate more without crying assault — is called sugaring. It is — though sugar daddies or babies might not admit it — sex work. My friend betrayed no sense of surprise at the arrangement; such things had, he explained, become totally normal in his age group."
Inevitable consequence of stark wealth inequality.
Yes. Wealth is power. The exploitation is both ways here, superficially, but it isn't really. This is the rich using money to corrupt and demean and trivialize those who aren't.
So long as they're all consenting adults - why should anyone care?
Unless there's coercion or worse involved, the world's oldest profession isn't exploitation.
Things don't require overt coercion to be exploitation. That's a general truth, not just about sex work or "sugar daddydom". I'm sure you don't need me to provide examples.
Do any PBers know about this market?
Yes. Albeit not me.
Can anybody suggest some get rich quick idea’s?
Hard work,
This is the very worst possible way of getting rich
You're totally wrong. If you have a lot of people doing hard work for you, it works.
You can’t have “start rich” that answer, though true, is not the substance of the question.
Are you seriously suggesting HMG does not ensure CO2 supplies, or are you disappointed they are
I think Coates, who has a long standing specialty in climate crisis, makes a good point actually.
Don’t forget the PB maxim, a bad point can be a good point you don’t like the sound of.
How to get messaging and behaviour right on a change message, in order to build the big tent response the climate crisis needs, whilst keeping enough voters on board by not badly impacting their lives.
The response by PB was good as well, in the importance of CO2 in food preservation, but the response below from posters completely ignoring Coates actual point of the difficulty for politicians achieving change whilst remaining popular was total rubbish.
PS there is some criticism of a party in power 11 years who have a CO2 crisis because so much depends on 2 factories, is there not?
No - nobody has ever brought it up and it is a by product of covid and unique factors
Can anyone on here honestly say they knew we depend on 2 fertiliser factories for our CO2 and how extensive its use is
I can honestly say I knew how extensive its use is and remembered the CO2 shortage of 2018 during the World Cup. Some pubs switched to selling bottled beers during the World Cup because they were unable to get CO2 supplies delivered but most of the industry coped.
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
More to the point where is he
I have not seen or heard from him for quite some time
BREAK: Xi Jinping says China will stop building coal plants overseas. This almost completely ends the international finance of coal in a single sentence.
Philippines throws support squarely behind Aukus, welcoming Aust's decision to establish security partnership w US, UK and pointing out ASEAN states "singly and collectively, do not possess military wherewithal to maintain peace and security in SE Asia"
I get the strong impression that some of our frequent Conservative posters who are totally disillusioned with the current government would indeed be willing to vote either Labour or Lib Dem.
But only if Labour and Lib Dems change all their policies and adopt policies that are associated with the Conservatives (such as anti-wokeness, low tax, anti-EU, pro-rampant capitalism etc. etc.).
I see a problem with that.
The present difficulty for those of us who usually vote Tory is finding any party to vote for with broadly conservative policies.
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
More to the point where is he
I have not seen or heard from him for quite some time
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
Isn’t he moving the narrative away from the transgender debate onto something less off putting for potential political transitioners?
Are you seriously suggesting HMG does not ensure CO2 supplies, or are you disappointed they are
I think Coates, who has a long standing specialty in climate crisis, makes a good point actually.
Don’t forget the PB maxim, a bad point can be a good point you don’t like the sound of.
How to get messaging and behaviour right on a change message, in order to build the big tent response the climate crisis needs, whilst keeping enough voters on board by not badly impacting their lives.
The response by PB was good as well, in the importance of CO2 in food preservation, but the response below from posters completely ignoring Coates actual point of the difficulty for politicians achieving change whilst remaining popular was total rubbish.
PS there is some criticism of a party in power 11 years who have a CO2 crisis because so much depends on 2 factories, is there not?
No - nobody has ever brought it up and it is a by product of covid and unique factors
Can anyone on here honestly say they knew we depend on 2 fertiliser factories for our CO2 and how extensive its use is
What’s the point of electing governments to de risk and plan ahead for us then BIG GEE?
You got to remember the people posting here it’s not a government problem wouldn’t be posting this after the last 11 years of Labour government. We are not daft or open to being patronised in that regard thanks.
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
More to the point where is he
I have not seen or heard from him for quite some time
BREAK: Xi Jinping says China will stop building coal plants overseas. This almost completely ends the international finance of coal in a single sentence.
That statement excludes new coal power stations in China itself, which is where most chines built power station are, so not that big.
China has been shutting more coal plants than it's been opening. Not because of CO2 or global warming, but because terrible pollution in Chinese cities is a major problem.
Even those inclined to vote tactically might be led astray by local factors in certain constituencies in 2019 which will almost certainly not be relevant next time. It will be very surprising if Labour does not regain its position as the main anti-Tory challenger in 2023 /2024 in seats such as Finchley & Golders Green and Cities of London & Westminster.It would make little sense to vote LD there on tactical grounds simply on the basis of the 2019 result there. Even in Wimbledon is the case for doing so is not entirely persuasive - given that Labour held the seat 1997 - 2005 and performed strongly there in 2017.
There will be no Cities of London & Westminster in 2024 - it's being split between City of London & Islington South, and Westminster & Chelsea East.
Likewise, Hampstead (a Labour seat) is gaining Golders Green, but losing Kilburn.
Wimbledon is mostly unchanged, but I think we need to see what happens at the Merton Council elections next year to have a feel for 2024.
New boundaries will not apply in Spring or Summer 2023.
Which is why the Conservatives will wait until 2024.
Maybe - but a lot of commentators and Tory MPs appear to expect a 2023 election. There is also serious doubt that this time the boundaries will actually confer any benefit on the Tories - a perverse effect of their 2019 red wall success. If so , why wait? Particularly if the economic outlook looks darker further ahead.
If the polling is still reasonable for Johnson we will have a Spring 2023 election.
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Really? Gaps on a few shelves are not people going short of food. The main loss seems to be bottled water. Lucky we’ve got safe drinking water out of the fecking tap then...
Philippines throws support squarely behind Aukus, welcoming Aust's decision to establish security partnership w US, UK and pointing out ASEAN states "singly and collectively, do not possess military wherewithal to maintain peace and security in SE Asia"
Visited the two new Northern Line stations today, maintaining my 100% record of visiting every train station in London!
Opinions?
Not bad, overall. A bit like scaled down versions of some of the Jubilee Line Extension stations such as North Greenwich and Canary Wharf (1999). Plenty of space at platform level, unlike most Zone 1 stations. Yes, both are in Zone 1, despite Kennington now being in Zone 1 and 2.
Those JLE stations are probably the best stations on the Underground. Immense and profound. Canary Wharf is mind boggling
So if the new stations have an echo of them, that's good
Even those inclined to vote tactically might be led astray by local factors in certain constituencies in 2019 which will almost certainly not be relevant next time. It will be very surprising if Labour does not regain its position as the main anti-Tory challenger in 2023 /2024 in seats such as Finchley & Golders Green and Cities of London & Westminster.It would make little sense to vote LD there on tactical grounds simply on the basis of the 2019 result there. Even in Wimbledon is the case for doing so is not entirely persuasive - given that Labour held the seat 1997 - 2005 and performed strongly there in 2017.
There will be no Cities of London & Westminster in 2024 - it's being split between City of London & Islington South, and Westminster & Chelsea East.
Likewise, Hampstead (a Labour seat) is gaining Golders Green, but losing Kilburn.
Wimbledon is mostly unchanged, but I think we need to see what happens at the Merton Council elections next year to have a feel for 2024.
New boundaries will not apply in Spring or Summer 2023.
Which is why the Conservatives will wait until 2024.
Maybe - but a lot of commentators and Tory MPs appear to expect a 2023 election. There is also serious doubt that this time the boundaries will actually confer any benefit on the Tories - a perverse effect of their 2019 red wall success. If so , why wait? Particularly if the economic outlook looks darker further ahead.
I had wondered about that, particular if the add in the 'New Incumbency Bonus' (there's an expression you can use on PB and its understood but use with anybody else and they will look blank back at you)
BREAK: Xi Jinping says China will stop building coal plants overseas. This almost completely ends the international finance of coal in a single sentence.
Even those inclined to vote tactically might be led astray by local factors in certain constituencies in 2019 which will almost certainly not be relevant next time. It will be very surprising if Labour does not regain its position as the main anti-Tory challenger in 2023 /2024 in seats such as Finchley & Golders Green and Cities of London & Westminster.It would make little sense to vote LD there on tactical grounds simply on the basis of the 2019 result there. Even in Wimbledon is the case for doing so is not entirely persuasive - given that Labour held the seat 1997 - 2005 and performed strongly there in 2017.
There will be no Cities of London & Westminster in 2024 - it's being split between City of London & Islington South, and Westminster & Chelsea East.
Likewise, Hampstead (a Labour seat) is gaining Golders Green, but losing Kilburn.
Wimbledon is mostly unchanged, but I think we need to see what happens at the Merton Council elections next year to have a feel for 2024.
New boundaries will not apply in Spring or Summer 2023.
Which is why the Conservatives will wait until 2024.
Maybe - but a lot of commentators and Tory MPs appear to expect a 2023 election. There is also serious doubt that this time the boundaries will actually confer any benefit on the Tories - a perverse effect of their 2019 red wall success. If so , why wait? Particularly if the economic outlook looks darker further ahead.
If the polling is still reasonable for Johnson we will have a Spring 2023 election.
Based on past experience, wind power will have significantly recovered going into the autumn. The deep dip at this point is unusual.
Also, the projections for repair of the interconnector were "mid October". Though that is perhaps some capacity restored by October, and full repair over a longer period. National Grid said 1000MW is due to come back on by Sept 25, and the other 1000MW by March,
The Frenchies will be keen for repair, as 1 Gw of lost capacity is £10 million per week. Ish. At a wholesale price of £70 per MWh.
The two together will be worth about 5-7% capacity in the elec market if wind returns to it's autumn average. So electricity prices may have stabilised by then.
Plus I guess Vladimir may have stopped throttling the gas supply.
How that feeds through to fertiliser and CO2 depends on what balance of elec and gas are used in the process.
They will take a check and extend it if they need to.
It will be interesting to see what the government does do and how it reacts.
Any action taken to stop food manufacture depending on two factories puts all “crisis what crisis” and “it’s no big deal” and other pro government spin into perspective.
Philippines throws support squarely behind Aukus, welcoming Aust's decision to establish security partnership w US, UK and pointing out ASEAN states "singly and collectively, do not possess military wherewithal to maintain peace and security in SE Asia"
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Really? Gaps on a few shelves are not people going short of food. The main loss seems to be bottled water. Lucky we’ve got safe drinking water out of the fecking tap then...
It seems strange too that the reported stock problems seem to be concentrated in Waitrose especially.
Is that because they're awful at stock management? Or because their customers are whiny people on Twitter who'll complain if their brand of bottled water is missing from the shelves?
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Really? Gaps on a few shelves are not people going short of food. The main loss seems to be bottled water. Lucky we’ve got safe drinking water out of the fecking tap then...
Look, I don't want to get into this too much because there are alternatives. But every time I've been to a supermarket lately there have been noticeable gaps. One shop I wanted ingredients for a stew, beef or lamb, didn't mind which. Whole shop was out of BOTH, fresh and frozen. Not the end of the world since I was able to get chicken, so that's why I've not pitched in to moan about this before, but you have to get over the idea that it's just bottled water.
Even those inclined to vote tactically might be led astray by local factors in certain constituencies in 2019 which will almost certainly not be relevant next time. It will be very surprising if Labour does not regain its position as the main anti-Tory challenger in 2023 /2024 in seats such as Finchley & Golders Green and Cities of London & Westminster.It would make little sense to vote LD there on tactical grounds simply on the basis of the 2019 result there. Even in Wimbledon is the case for doing so is not entirely persuasive - given that Labour held the seat 1997 - 2005 and performed strongly there in 2017.
There will be no Cities of London & Westminster in 2024 - it's being split between City of London & Islington South, and Westminster & Chelsea East.
Likewise, Hampstead (a Labour seat) is gaining Golders Green, but losing Kilburn.
Wimbledon is mostly unchanged, but I think we need to see what happens at the Merton Council elections next year to have a feel for 2024.
New boundaries will not apply in Spring or Summer 2023.
Which is why the Conservatives will wait until 2024.
Maybe - but a lot of commentators and Tory MPs appear to expect a 2023 election. There is also serious doubt that this time the boundaries will actually confer any benefit on the Tories - a perverse effect of their 2019 red wall success. If so , why wait? Particularly if the economic outlook looks darker further ahead.
If the polling is still reasonable for Johnson we will have a Spring 2023 election.
Summer or Autumn 2023 allows it to still be 2023, while also allowing the new constituencies.
I get the strong impression that some of our frequent Conservative posters who are totally disillusioned with the current government would indeed be willing to vote either Labour or Lib Dem.
But only if Labour and Lib Dems change all their policies and adopt policies that are associated with the Conservatives (such as anti-wokeness, low tax, anti-EU, pro-rampant capitalism etc. etc.).
I see a problem with that.
The present difficulty for those of us who usually vote Tory is finding any party to vote for with broadly conservative policies.
You mean Thatcherite. This is a conservative government in the 45-79 tradition.
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Really? Gaps on a few shelves are not people going short of food. The main loss seems to be bottled water. Lucky we’ve got safe drinking water out of the fecking tap then...
It seems strange too that the reported stock problems seem to be concentrated in Waitrose especially.
Is that because they're awful at stock management? Or because their customers are whiny people on Twitter who'll complain if their brand of bottled water is missing from the shelves?
My Lidl had few items left in the freezer cabinets.
Clearly a temporary problem now as the CO2 will soon be flowing again thanks to the fertilizer people.
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Really? Gaps on a few shelves are not people going short of food. The main loss seems to be bottled water. Lucky we’ve got safe drinking water out of the fecking tap then...
Look, I don't want to get into this too much because there are alternatives. But every time I've been to a supermarket lately there have been noticeable gaps. One shop I wanted ingredients for a stew, beef or lamb, didn't mind which. Whole shop was out of BOTH, fresh and frozen. Not the end of the world since I was able to get chicken, so that's why I've not pitched in to moan about this before, but you have to get over the idea that it's just bottled water.
I haven't seen either missing in my shop. I wonder what it is about your shop that made it so much worse at its stock management?
BREAK: Xi Jinping says China will stop building coal plants overseas. This almost completely ends the international finance of coal in a single sentence.
That statement excludes new coal power stations in China itself, which is where most chines built power station are, so not that big.
China has been shutting more coal plants than it's been opening. Not because of CO2 or global warming, but because terrible pollution in Chinese cities is a major problem.
I thought they were mostly shutting small and old ones that are now surrounded by urban areas and replacing them with bigger more efficient ones a bit further away. but I have to admit I am no expert so maybe not
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
More to the point where is he
I have not seen or heard from him for quite some time
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Really? Gaps on a few shelves are not people going short of food. The main loss seems to be bottled water. Lucky we’ve got safe drinking water out of the fecking tap then...
Look, I don't want to get into this too much because there are alternatives. But every time I've been to a supermarket lately there have been noticeable gaps. One shop I wanted ingredients for a stew, beef or lamb, didn't mind which. Whole shop was out of BOTH, fresh and frozen. Not the end of the world since I was able to get chicken, so that's why I've not pitched in to moan about this before, but you have to get over the idea that it's just bottled water.
I didn’t say it’s just bottled water. I replied to a post about people going without food. No evidence of that. I’ve not really seen much impact in the bid supermarket I use, but our campus coop was a bit low at times last week. But people going without food? No.
BREAK: Xi Jinping says China will stop building coal plants overseas. This almost completely ends the international finance of coal in a single sentence.
That statement excludes new coal power stations in China itself, which is where most chines built power station are, so not that big.
I understand 43 new coal fired stations inside China are planned
Yes, but the Chinese are net closers of coal fired plants. Basically, smaller, older, and less efficient plants are being closed down. The consequence of which is that China is (improbably enough) about to become a coal exporter.
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Oh really? Who's going short of food already and why?
Full shelves today at my Aldi. If people's preferred supermarket can't manage its stock properly, maybe try one that can.
You have already trashed your own post previously Phil by posting the importance of CO2 in food supply, 4 day life to transport display and sell without it - you say things are stacked today, rather meaninglessly because it’s widely accepted the stocks are too low to cope in coming weeks.
Visited the two new Northern Line stations today, maintaining my 100% record of visiting every train station in London!
Nice photos. I decided to be a one-off train spotter and was on the first train yesterday morning at 5:28am along with the likes of Simon Calder and Geoff Marshall. Amazingly about 150 people turned up outside the station at about 5am before it had even been opened. I wasn't expecting more than about 20 or 30 people. Nearly everyone did the same thing, which was to go from Battersea to Kennington, back to Battersea, and then to Nine Elms to have a look at the station.
I wanted to avoid any crowds, so I went today. Not too many people at all, at midday-ish. I took the bus from Gants Hill to Ilford, then TfL Rail from Ilford to Liverpool Street, walked to Moorgate to get the Northern Line, then changed at Kennington for Battersea. Went to Battersea first, then stopped at Nine Elms on the return leg before continuing back to Kennington and Moorgate. Was my first trip on the underground sections of the deep level tube since February last year! Also the new branch was my first new bit of railway territory I traversed since Aberdeen to Inverness on 6th March last year!
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
More to the point where is he
I have not seen or heard from him for quite some time
BREAK: Xi Jinping says China will stop building coal plants overseas. This almost completely ends the international finance of coal in a single sentence.
That statement excludes new coal power stations in China itself, which is where most chines built power station are, so not that big.
China has been shutting more coal plants than it's been opening. Not because of CO2 or global warming, but because terrible pollution in Chinese cities is a major problem.
I thought they were mostly shutting small and old ones that are now surrounded by urban areas and replacing them with bigger more efficient ones a bit further away. but I have to admit I am no expert so maybe not
Oh, they have been opening new coal (larger, more efficient) coal fired plants. But overall coal consumption in China peaked in 2019 at about 82 exojoules, and will probably be a smidgen under 80 this year.
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
More to the point where is he
I have not seen or heard from him for quite some time
Allie Hodgkins-Brown @AllieHBNews · 1m Wednesday’s Daily TELEGRAPH: “Macron may offer up UN seat in push for EU army” #TomorrowsPapersToday
==
Definitely trying to lose the presidential race next year me thinks
I don't believe that at all but its a massive, massive step if that is done.
And its something that could only have been facilitated post-Brexit. The idea of Britain giving up its seat to the EU was unthinkable, and the idea of two seats going to one was also pretty unthinkable. But one going up to its next federal level - that just makes sense.
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Really? Gaps on a few shelves are not people going short of food. The main loss seems to be bottled water. Lucky we’ve got safe drinking water out of the fecking tap then...
Look, I don't want to get into this too much because there are alternatives. But every time I've been to a supermarket lately there have been noticeable gaps. One shop I wanted ingredients for a stew, beef or lamb, didn't mind which. Whole shop was out of BOTH, fresh and frozen. Not the end of the world since I was able to get chicken, so that's why I've not pitched in to moan about this before, but you have to get over the idea that it's just bottled water.
I haven't seen either missing in my shop. I wonder what it is about your shop that made it so much worse at its stock management?
Which brand was it, out of curiosity?
Both Tesco and Asda, those are the only two supermarkets I've got near me. The lamb & beef was Tesco.
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Really? Gaps on a few shelves are not people going short of food. The main loss seems to be bottled water. Lucky we’ve got safe drinking water out of the fecking tap then...
It seems strange too that the reported stock problems seem to be concentrated in Waitrose especially.
Is that because they're awful at stock management? Or because their customers are whiny people on Twitter who'll complain if their brand of bottled water is missing from the shelves?
My Lidl had few items left in the freezer cabinets.
Clearly a temporary problem now as the CO2 will soon be flowing again thanks to the fertilizer people.
In my Co-op tonight some sandwich cabinets were completely empty.
They had taken the expiring sandwiches to the foodbank. Just like every day.
(Not having a go at you; just pissed off with all the photos of empty shelves before stocking time, and FBPE twats trying to pretend it is therefore the Euro-apocalypse.)
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
More to the point where is he
I have not seen or heard from him for quite some time
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Really? Gaps on a few shelves are not people going short of food. The main loss seems to be bottled water. Lucky we’ve got safe drinking water out of the fecking tap then...
Look, I don't want to get into this too much because there are alternatives. But every time I've been to a supermarket lately there have been noticeable gaps. One shop I wanted ingredients for a stew, beef or lamb, didn't mind which. Whole shop was out of BOTH, fresh and frozen. Not the end of the world since I was able to get chicken, so that's why I've not pitched in to moan about this before, but you have to get over the idea that it's just bottled water.
I haven't seen either missing in my shop. I wonder what it is about your shop that made it so much worse at its stock management?
Which brand was it, out of curiosity?
Both Tesco and Asda, those are the only two supermarkets I've got near me. The lamb & beef was Tesco.
Do you have a butchers? Ours is superb. Used to have two, now down to one, and really hoping it keeps going. Also have a greengrocer most days. Both seem to have no stock issues.
BREAK: Xi Jinping says China will stop building coal plants overseas. This almost completely ends the international finance of coal in a single sentence.
That statement excludes new coal power stations in China itself, which is where most chines built power station are, so not that big.
China has cancelled a lot of domestic projects too.
"China is a constituent bloc in its own right. However, even with its continued pursuit of coal, its pipeline is now 74% smaller, including 484GW of planned capacity that has been cancelled since Paris – more than double the amount that went into operation over that period (198GW)."
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Really? Gaps on a few shelves are not people going short of food. The main loss seems to be bottled water. Lucky we’ve got safe drinking water out of the fecking tap then...
Look, I don't want to get into this too much because there are alternatives. But every time I've been to a supermarket lately there have been noticeable gaps. One shop I wanted ingredients for a stew, beef or lamb, didn't mind which. Whole shop was out of BOTH, fresh and frozen. Not the end of the world since I was able to get chicken, so that's why I've not pitched in to moan about this before, but you have to get over the idea that it's just bottled water.
I didn’t say it’s just bottled water. I replied to a post about people going without food. No evidence of that. I’ve not really seen much impact in the bid supermarket I use, but our campus coop was a bit low at times last week. But people going without food? No.
I have been unable to get tinned Pilchards in tomato sauce. The government has lost my vote.
Allie Hodgkins-Brown @AllieHBNews · 1m Wednesday’s Daily TELEGRAPH: “Macron may offer up UN seat in push for EU army” #TomorrowsPapersToday
==
Definitely trying to lose the presidential race next year me thinks
I don't believe that at all but its a massive, massive step if that is done.
And its something that could only have been facilitated post-Brexit. The idea of Britain giving up its seat to the EU was unthinkable, and the idea of two seats going to one was also pretty unthinkable. But one going up to its next federal level - that just makes sense.
I wonder if Macron's plan is to get the UK kicked out in favour of India.
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Really? Gaps on a few shelves are not people going short of food. The main loss seems to be bottled water. Lucky we’ve got safe drinking water out of the fecking tap then...
Look, I don't want to get into this too much because there are alternatives. But every time I've been to a supermarket lately there have been noticeable gaps. One shop I wanted ingredients for a stew, beef or lamb, didn't mind which. Whole shop was out of BOTH, fresh and frozen. Not the end of the world since I was able to get chicken, so that's why I've not pitched in to moan about this before, but you have to get over the idea that it's just bottled water.
I don't do a lot of shopping (Mrs BigRich wont let me as I get the wrong things) but a few times I've asked her if there are any gaps on shelves or things not in stock, and she looks at me as if I'm an idiot, saying that everything is normal. (that's Sainsburys if anybody is tabulating) I also dropped it in to conversation at work and got a similar response.
I'm not saying that there are no gaps, there will always be some gaps, somewhere, there may well be slightly more at the moment. I have no way of assessing that. but, but I suspect there is a big dollop of confirmation bias here, i.e. politically aware people see gaps on shelves trending on twitter, then walk passed a shelf and decide that's all the confederation they need. where as pre pandemic, it would not have even registered, or just been dismissed as a one off. I'm not ruling out that there are a few more gaps than normal, or that things may get worse, but until I here at least one person who is not a political junky talk about it I don't think its serious.
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Really? Gaps on a few shelves are not people going short of food. The main loss seems to be bottled water. Lucky we’ve got safe drinking water out of the fecking tap then...
Look, I don't want to get into this too much because there are alternatives. But every time I've been to a supermarket lately there have been noticeable gaps. One shop I wanted ingredients for a stew, beef or lamb, didn't mind which. Whole shop was out of BOTH, fresh and frozen. Not the end of the world since I was able to get chicken, so that's why I've not pitched in to moan about this before, but you have to get over the idea that it's just bottled water.
I haven't seen either missing in my shop. I wonder what it is about your shop that made it so much worse at its stock management?
Which brand was it, out of curiosity?
Both Tesco and Asda, those are the only two supermarkets I've got near me. The lamb & beef was Tesco.
Do you have a butchers? Ours is superb. Used to have two, now down to one, and really hoping it keeps going. Also have a greengrocer most days. Both seem to have no stock issues.
No, I live in a pretty small place, just a pub and newsagent. Probably a butchers somewhere in one of the bigger towns but I haven't looked for one. Probably worth checking out what's about, good idea.
Allie Hodgkins-Brown @AllieHBNews · 1m Wednesday’s Daily TELEGRAPH: “Macron may offer up UN seat in push for EU army” #TomorrowsPapersToday
==
Definitely trying to lose the presidential race next year me thinks
Telegraph, so unlikely to be remotely true.
That doesn't matter, it's more grist to the pb mill. If it later turns out to be "speculative", no matter, opinions have validated and everybody's moved on. But that Sky journalist eh?
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
More to the point where is he
I have not seen or heard from him for quite some time
Allie Hodgkins-Brown @AllieHBNews · 1m Wednesday’s Daily TELEGRAPH: “Macron may offer up UN seat in push for EU army” #TomorrowsPapersToday
==
Definitely trying to lose the presidential race next year me thinks
I don't believe that at all but its a massive, massive step if that is done.
And its something that could only have been facilitated post-Brexit. The idea of Britain giving up its seat to the EU was unthinkable, and the idea of two seats going to one was also pretty unthinkable. But one going up to its next federal level - that just makes sense.
I wonder if Macron's plan is to get the UK kicked out in favour of India.
How could that ever happen? We have a veto on being ejected. It's why the 5 permanent members are permanent. I'm actually not sure is there's a mechanism to give the French one to the EU. All 5 members have to vote the EU into it and then all 6 then need to vote France out, and the EU isn't a recognised sovereign state so can it even hold a SC seat? What they're really saying is that they'll keep the seat but allow some EU input into votes.
Allie Hodgkins-Brown @AllieHBNews · 1m Wednesday’s Daily TELEGRAPH: “Macron may offer up UN seat in push for EU army” #TomorrowsPapersToday
==
Definitely trying to lose the presidential race next year me thinks
I don't believe that at all but its a massive, massive step if that is done.
And its something that could only have been facilitated post-Brexit. The idea of Britain giving up its seat to the EU was unthinkable, and the idea of two seats going to one was also pretty unthinkable. But one going up to its next federal level - that just makes sense.
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
More to the point where is he
I have not seen or heard from him for quite some time
Allie Hodgkins-Brown @AllieHBNews · 1m Wednesday’s Daily TELEGRAPH: “Macron may offer up UN seat in push for EU army” #TomorrowsPapersToday
==
Definitely trying to lose the presidential race next year me thinks
I don't believe that at all but its a massive, massive step if that is done.
And its something that could only have been facilitated post-Brexit. The idea of Britain giving up its seat to the EU was unthinkable, and the idea of two seats going to one was also pretty unthinkable. But one going up to its next federal level - that just makes sense.
I wonder if Macron's plan is to get the UK kicked out in favour of India.
How could that ever happen? We have a veto on being ejected. It's why the 5 permanent members are permanent. I'm actually not sure is there's a mechanism to give the French one to the EU. All 5 members have to vote the EU into it and then all 6 then need to vote France out, and the EU isn't a recognised sovereign state so can it even hold a SC seat? What they're really saying is that they'll keep the seat but allow some EU input into votes.
Yes, but that would allow him to pose as a reformer and champion of the countries who think they should be permanent members now.
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Really? Gaps on a few shelves are not people going short of food. The main loss seems to be bottled water. Lucky we’ve got safe drinking water out of the fecking tap then...
Look, I don't want to get into this too much because there are alternatives. But every time I've been to a supermarket lately there have been noticeable gaps. One shop I wanted ingredients for a stew, beef or lamb, didn't mind which. Whole shop was out of BOTH, fresh and frozen. Not the end of the world since I was able to get chicken, so that's why I've not pitched in to moan about this before, but you have to get over the idea that it's just bottled water.
I didn’t say it’s just bottled water. I replied to a post about people going without food. No evidence of that. I’ve not really seen much impact in the bid supermarket I use, but our campus coop was a bit low at times last week. But people going without food? No.
I have been unable to get tinned Pilchards in tomato sauce. The government has lost my vote.
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
More to the point where is he
I have not seen or heard from him for quite some time
Because you've been spending 23.5 hours a day locked in the bathroom with What Sub? magazine.
It is not me on that tweet and your answer about me is just silly and does not help find Starmer
I... don't really care where Starmer is. All we know is he's not in your bathroom.
I have no idea why you thought he was
He is HM leader of the official opposition and with everything that is going on he is absent without leave
There's a four page interview with him in last week's NewStatesman, so he's not being doing nothing.
Apparently the leaders speech will be "surprisingly bold".
Talking to the New Statesman will win Labour precisely zero new voters. Blair would have got his interview with The Times or Telegraph.
It's pre-conference stuff for the faithful.
I am assuming the big media interviews will come when Labour conference kicks off in a couple of days or so.
Let's hope. Sure he needs to get non-Labour people interested. An interview with The Sun telling people he's going to stab Jez love on stage would generate a fair bit of interest, I'd wager.
Allie Hodgkins-Brown @AllieHBNews · 1m Wednesday’s Daily TELEGRAPH: “Macron may offer up UN seat in push for EU army” #TomorrowsPapersToday
==
Definitely trying to lose the presidential race next year me thinks
I don't believe that at all but its a massive, massive step if that is done.
And its something that could only have been facilitated post-Brexit. The idea of Britain giving up its seat to the EU was unthinkable, and the idea of two seats going to one was also pretty unthinkable. But one going up to its next federal level - that just makes sense.
Not going to happen would be my strong guess.
Absolutely agreed - but I have to say I don't think its a bad idea if there were to be an EU army this is entirely logical. To be honest its time to say 'crap or get off the pan'.
If there's to be an EU army then all nations of the EU should decide to they want to be in a country called Europe and if so then get on with it. If they don't, they should invoke Article 50 themselves. Sort it out and get on with it.
Allie Hodgkins-Brown @AllieHBNews · 1m Wednesday’s Daily TELEGRAPH: “Macron may offer up UN seat in push for EU army” #TomorrowsPapersToday
==
Definitely trying to lose the presidential race next year me thinks
I don't believe that at all but its a massive, massive step if that is done.
And its something that could only have been facilitated post-Brexit. The idea of Britain giving up its seat to the EU was unthinkable, and the idea of two seats going to one was also pretty unthinkable. But one going up to its next federal level - that just makes sense.
I wonder if Macron's plan is to get the UK kicked out in favour of India.
How could that ever happen? We have a veto on being ejected. It's why the 5 permanent members are permanent. I'm actually not sure is there's a mechanism to give the French one to the EU. All 5 members have to vote the EU into it and then all 6 then need to vote France out, and the EU isn't a recognised sovereign state so can it even hold a SC seat? What they're really saying is that they'll keep the seat but allow some EU input into votes.
Also the Americans wouldn't want it.
And I'm sure that even the French would eventually realise that kicking us out, while leaving Russia and China in, wouldn't be in their interests, however annoyed they are with us at the moment..
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
More to the point where is he
I have not seen or heard from him for quite some time
What Starmer is doing repealing Miilbands failed madness is absolutely right - though hardly a Clause 4 moment.
Tough on Corbyn, tough on the causes of Corbyn. You say you don’t support that? What are you, Toby Young?
Then again the clause 4 moment wasn’t a clause 4 moment either, completely manufactured and bigged up piece of substance lacking trash.
Strikes me Labour might be better with the Tory system of MPs picking two leader candidates to go through to the membership vote.
Pulling the unions back into the leadership race takes them back to exactly the f*ck up that elected the wrong brother.
There’s three constituencies in the Labour Party marriage. MPs need a Parliamentary leader. That effectively is what the Role of Labour Party leader is. Allowing members a say is only okay in a college system, otherwise there is too much risk the leader is not backed by enough of the PLP. Electing the wrong brother was not a f up, because it’s absolutely right they have a college vote as the financiers of the party. Miliband should never have tampered with it. Look how many MPs the party has today because of it.
Allie Hodgkins-Brown @AllieHBNews · 1m Wednesday’s Daily TELEGRAPH: “Macron may offer up UN seat in push for EU army” #TomorrowsPapersToday
==
Definitely trying to lose the presidential race next year me thinks
I don't believe that at all but its a massive, massive step if that is done.
And its something that could only have been facilitated post-Brexit. The idea of Britain giving up its seat to the EU was unthinkable, and the idea of two seats going to one was also pretty unthinkable. But one going up to its next federal level - that just makes sense.
I wonder if Macron's plan is to get the UK kicked out in favour of India.
How could that ever happen? We have a veto on being ejected. It's why the 5 permanent members are permanent. I'm actually not sure is there's a mechanism to give the French one to the EU. All 5 members have to vote the EU into it and then all 6 then need to vote France out, and the EU isn't a recognised sovereign state so can it even hold a SC seat? What they're really saying is that they'll keep the seat but allow some EU input into votes.
Yes, but that would allow him to pose as a reformer and champion of the countries who think they should be permanent members now.
But surely the first question is "why are you asking for the UK to give us their seat when you can give is your seat?" from any nation with whom they try that idea. Nah, this is more likely to try and get German support for the fabled EU army.
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
More to the point where is he
I have not seen or heard from him for quite some time
What Starmer is doing repealing Miilbands failed madness is absolutely right - though hardly a Clause 4 moment.
Tough on Corbyn, tough on the causes of Corbyn. You say you don’t support that? What are you, Toby Young?
Then again the clause 4 moment wasn’t a clause 4 moment either, completely manufactured and bigged up piece of substance lacking trash.
Strikes me Labour might be better with the Tory system of MPs picking two leader candidates to go through to the membership vote.
Pulling the unions back into the leadership race takes them back to exactly the f*ck up that elected the wrong brother.
There’s three constituencies in the Labour Party marriage. MPs need a Parliamentary leader. That effectively is what the Role of Labour Party leader is. Allowing members a say is only okay in a college system, otherwise there is too much risk the leader is not backed by enough of the PLP. Electing the wrong brother was not a f up, because it’s absolutely right they have a college vote as the financiers of the party. Miliband should never have tampered with it. Look how many MPs the party has today because of it.
Corbyn didn't happen because of the system in place. He happened because MPs ignored their concerns to let him run, making a mockery of the point of the system.
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Really? Gaps on a few shelves are not people going short of food. The main loss seems to be bottled water. Lucky we’ve got safe drinking water out of the fecking tap then...
Look, I don't want to get into this too much because there are alternatives. But every time I've been to a supermarket lately there have been noticeable gaps. One shop I wanted ingredients for a stew, beef or lamb, didn't mind which. Whole shop was out of BOTH, fresh and frozen. Not the end of the world since I was able to get chicken, so that's why I've not pitched in to moan about this before, but you have to get over the idea that it's just bottled water.
I haven't seen either missing in my shop. I wonder what it is about your shop that made it so much worse at its stock management?
Which brand was it, out of curiosity?
Both Tesco and Asda, those are the only two supermarkets I've got near me. The lamb & beef was Tesco.
Do you have a butchers? Ours is superb. Used to have two, now down to one, and really hoping it keeps going. Also have a greengrocer most days. Both seem to have no stock issues.
No, I live in a pretty small place, just a pub and newsagent. Probably a butchers somewhere in one of the bigger towns but I haven't looked for one. Probably worth checking out what's about, good idea.
Our butchers meat is excellent and locally sourced. Vastly better than our Waitrose.
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
More to the point where is he
I have not seen or heard from him for quite some time
Because you've been spending 23.5 hours a day locked in the bathroom with What Sub? magazine.
It is not me on that tweet and your answer about me is just silly and does not help find Starmer
I... don't really care where Starmer is. All we know is he's not in your bathroom.
I have no idea why you thought he was
He is HM leader of the official opposition and with everything that is going on he is absent without leave
There's a four page interview with him in last week's NewStatesman, so he's not being doing nothing.
Apparently the leaders speech will be "surprisingly bold".
Talking to the New Statesman will win Labour precisely zero new voters. Blair would have got his interview with The Times or Telegraph.
It's pre-conference stuff for the faithful.
I am assuming the big media interviews will come when Labour conference kicks off in a couple of days or so.
Let's hope. Sure he needs to get non-Labour people interested. An interview with The Sun telling people he's going to stab Jez love on stage would generate a fair bit of interest, I'd wager.
Starmer needs to use the coming mics, camera’s and stage to do the most important thing he can do this autumn - address his disastrous Lexit problem by talking directly to this particular group and winning them back from Boris.
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Really? Gaps on a few shelves are not people going short of food. The main loss seems to be bottled water. Lucky we’ve got safe drinking water out of the fecking tap then...
Look, I don't want to get into this too much because there are alternatives. But every time I've been to a supermarket lately there have been noticeable gaps. One shop I wanted ingredients for a stew, beef or lamb, didn't mind which. Whole shop was out of BOTH, fresh and frozen. Not the end of the world since I was able to get chicken, so that's why I've not pitched in to moan about this before, but you have to get over the idea that it's just bottled water.
I don't do a lot of shopping (Mrs BigRich wont let me as I get the wrong things) but a few times I've asked her if there are any gaps on shelves or things not in stock, and she looks at me as if I'm an idiot, saying that everything is normal. (that's Sainsburys if anybody is tabulating) I also dropped it in to conversation at work and got a similar response.
I'm not saying that there are no gaps, there will always be some gaps, somewhere, there may well be slightly more at the moment. I have no way of assessing that. but, but I suspect there is a big dollop of confirmation bias here, i.e. politically aware people see gaps on shelves trending on twitter, then walk passed a shelf and decide that's all the confederation they need. where as pre pandemic, it would not have even registered, or just been dismissed as a one off. I'm not ruling out that there are a few more gaps than normal, or that things may get worse, but until I here at least one person who is not a political junky talk about it I don't think its serious.
I'm not on Twitter, and we both noticed gaps before reading anything on the news. I'm not a news junkie, so it might have been going on before. Who knows, it could even be panic buying because of talk of shortages. All I can say is that the gaps I've seen have been noticeable, on staple food items, but low-impact because, well, you just adapt.
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
More to the point where is he
I have not seen or heard from him for quite some time
Allie Hodgkins-Brown @AllieHBNews · 1m Wednesday’s Daily TELEGRAPH: “Macron may offer up UN seat in push for EU army” #TomorrowsPapersToday
==
Definitely trying to lose the presidential race next year me thinks
I don't believe that at all but its a massive, massive step if that is done.
And its something that could only have been facilitated post-Brexit. The idea of Britain giving up its seat to the EU was unthinkable, and the idea of two seats going to one was also pretty unthinkable. But one going up to its next federal level - that just makes sense.
I wonder if Macron's plan is to get the UK kicked out in favour of India.
How could that ever happen? We have a veto on being ejected. It's why the 5 permanent members are permanent. I'm actually not sure is there's a mechanism to give the French one to the EU. All 5 members have to vote the EU into it and then all 6 then need to vote France out, and the EU isn't a recognised sovereign state so can it even hold a SC seat? What they're really saying is that they'll keep the seat but allow some EU input into votes.
The UK being kicked out is [next to] impossible*.
The French one going to the EU is easily done, if the French are happy with it. Just recognise the EU as a sovereign state and the continuation of the French state and it takes the French place. But then the French [and the other 26] all leave the UN altogether, which would only be right if this is happening.
If this happens it won't be the first exchange it'd be the third. Republic of China (Taiwan) was replaced as a permanent member by [People's Republic of] China. The USSR was replaced as a permanent member by Russia. And if the UK ever dissolved the UK would be replaced with England. There's no reason France can't be replaced with the EU if they make a federal unified country official.
* Its technically possible but its not going to happen.
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
More to the point where is he
I have not seen or heard from him for quite some time
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
More to the point where is he
I have not seen or heard from him for quite some time
What Starmer is doing repealing Miilbands failed madness is absolutely right - though hardly a Clause 4 moment.
Tough on Corbyn, tough on the causes of Corbyn. You say you don’t support that? What are you, Toby Young?
Then again the clause 4 moment wasn’t a clause 4 moment either, completely manufactured and bigged up piece of substance lacking trash.
Strikes me Labour might be better with the Tory system of MPs picking two leader candidates to go through to the membership vote.
Pulling the unions back into the leadership race takes them back to exactly the f*ck up that elected the wrong brother.
There’s three constituencies in the Labour Party marriage. MPs need a Parliamentary leader. That effectively is what the Role of Labour Party leader is. Allowing members a say is only okay in a college system, otherwise there is too much risk the leader is not backed by enough of the PLP. Electing the wrong brother was not a f up, because it’s absolutely right they have a college vote as the financiers of the party. Miliband should never have tampered with it. Look how many MPs the party has today because of it.
Corbyn didn't happen because of the system in place. He happened because MPs ignored their concerns to let him run, making a mockery of the point of the system.
Right in terms of the Beckets who thought it fair the left should have skin in the contest to represent their fringe views, without that he couldn’t have won.
Wrong, because you are missing main point here. He could only have won because of Millibands disastrous OMOV. Without OMOV he would not have won.
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Really? Gaps on a few shelves are not people going short of food. The main loss seems to be bottled water. Lucky we’ve got safe drinking water out of the fecking tap then...
Look, I don't want to get into this too much because there are alternatives. But every time I've been to a supermarket lately there have been noticeable gaps. One shop I wanted ingredients for a stew, beef or lamb, didn't mind which. Whole shop was out of BOTH, fresh and frozen. Not the end of the world since I was able to get chicken, so that's why I've not pitched in to moan about this before, but you have to get over the idea that it's just bottled water.
I haven't seen either missing in my shop. I wonder what it is about your shop that made it so much worse at its stock management?
Which brand was it, out of curiosity?
Both Tesco and Asda, those are the only two supermarkets I've got near me. The lamb & beef was Tesco.
Do you have a butchers? Ours is superb. Used to have two, now down to one, and really hoping it keeps going. Also have a greengrocer most days. Both seem to have no stock issues.
No, I live in a pretty small place, just a pub and newsagent. Probably a butchers somewhere in one of the bigger towns but I haven't looked for one. Probably worth checking out what's about, good idea.
Our butchers meat is excellent and locally sourced. Vastly better than our Waitrose.
I think my nearest Waitrose is more than 100 miles away. Struggling to think of a time I've ever been in one. Maybe on holiday somewhere. Are they only in posh places?
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
More to the point where is he
I have not seen or heard from him for quite some time
What Starmer is doing repealing Miilbands failed madness is absolutely right - though hardly a Clause 4 moment.
Tough on Corbyn, tough on the causes of Corbyn. You say you don’t support that? What are you, Toby Young?
Then again the clause 4 moment wasn’t a clause 4 moment either, completely manufactured and bigged up piece of substance lacking trash.
Strikes me Labour might be better with the Tory system of MPs picking two leader candidates to go through to the membership vote.
Pulling the unions back into the leadership race takes them back to exactly the f*ck up that elected the wrong brother.
There’s three constituencies in the Labour Party marriage. MPs need a Parliamentary leader. That effectively is what the Role of Labour Party leader is. Allowing members a say is only okay in a college system, otherwise there is too much risk the leader is not backed by enough of the PLP. Electing the wrong brother was not a f up, because it’s absolutely right they have a college vote as the financiers of the party. Miliband should never have tampered with it. Look how many MPs the party has today because of it.
We have SLAB and Len McCluskey to thank for that particular rule change given what happened in Falkirk. Given the 'transitivity' of causation, you can basically blame SLAB for us leaving the EU if you believe - as Vote Leave do - the referendum would have gone differently if Labour had actually had a pro-EU leader at the time.
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Really? Gaps on a few shelves are not people going short of food. The main loss seems to be bottled water. Lucky we’ve got safe drinking water out of the fecking tap then...
Look, I don't want to get into this too much because there are alternatives. But every time I've been to a supermarket lately there have been noticeable gaps. One shop I wanted ingredients for a stew, beef or lamb, didn't mind which. Whole shop was out of BOTH, fresh and frozen. Not the end of the world since I was able to get chicken, so that's why I've not pitched in to moan about this before, but you have to get over the idea that it's just bottled water.
It is gradually getting worse too. My local Morrisons has a pretty thin selection of fruit and veg, hasn't had fruit juice (fresh or carton) for around a month, and the fresh meat section can be patchy. The staff seem to have given up on spreading stuff thinly and are just leaving shelves empty.
It's very much at the "first world problems" level, I'm not going to die of starvation any time soon, but it's gradually getting from "trivial" to "annoying" as it goes on longer.
Allie Hodgkins-Brown @AllieHBNews · 1m Wednesday’s Daily TELEGRAPH: “Macron may offer up UN seat in push for EU army” #TomorrowsPapersToday
==
Definitely trying to lose the presidential race next year me thinks
My thoughts:
if it happens, its more lily to be a halfway step, i.e. the other nations will keep there seats on the GA, but and France only sort of gives its SC seat, i.e. It will speak on behalf of the 500 million people when it suits them, but for France only when it souts France.
But, its probably only 'kite flying' looking for supportive comments, form the rest of the EU of France/macron in the run up to the French GE.
A timely reminder that whilst I might go on strike from voting Conservative I'm not going to vote for that tosspot.
I'm genuinely curious - Davey says something you don't like and he's automatically a "tosspot".
In all honesty, for a forum which occasionally talks about politics, the widespread contempt for almost all politicians is perhaps predictable but it's not sensible.
Who or what would make a good politician in your eyes? Inasmuch as no politician would run the country directly for your benefit (or mine), what is it you are looking for in a political figure?
Do you want a "strong" leader - lots of people enjoy being told what to do after all - or just someone who does the things you want?
I've dabbled in politics in my time - it's hard and often thankless work. You set off with noble intentions around public service and "wanting to do good" and it just wears you down - not the system but the ingratitude. Yet if, at any point, you sound off and reference that, out comes the abuse and vitriol.
It's often said a country gets the politicians it deserves - the more I see that, both here and round the world, the more accurate I think it is.
You're a Lib Dem loyalist, so you just can't or won't see it, but there's no doubt Ed Davey is a tosspot.
I don't like his Wokeness, his attitude to gender self-identification, his europhilia, and I've never liked him personally. He's a classroom snitch who makes things needlessly antagonistic and personal.
I did like David Laws, Jeremy Browne, Steve Webb and Nick Clegg and there are plenty other liberal orange-bookers I might vote for but him?
No.
How convenient for you that none of them are standing.
I guess it’s another tick for the face-eating leopard party, aka the “Burn the National Trust Now” campaign.
Nah, the Lib Dems have become infected with Woke. Labour can't seem to make their minds up about it and the Tories aren't. Ultimately if you have a red line over self-ID men going into female only spaces (which a lot of small c conservative voters do) then what are the options?
Ed Davey just tried to blame the Lib Dems kicking out a feminist from their party on the Tories. It's completely ridiculous. They're a joke.
Yes it has been obvious for some time that PB Tories will swallow increased taxes on young workers to featherbed pensioners as long as they are chucked a bit of red meat from the culture war. That is the Johnson strategy for 2024.
That's an aspersion on me, @MaxPB and @Philip_Thompson and none of us have said we'd fall for that.
If Liz Truss took over as PM by 2024 it might be a very different story.
Except that each of you, having harrumphed about tax rises, are all now fulminating about semi-imagined wokery in the LDs (and you’re obviously not going to vote for Labour).
It reminds me of the old Harry Enfield sketch, “the Self Righteous Brothers”.
Davey! No!
Boris’a strategy is working, so far as I can tell.
I don't really care about any wokery in the LDs. I've said I'd like to see what their economic policy is and all I see from Davey there is a call for more taxes but without saying what taxes they are he'd raise. Not exactly what I'm looking for there.
If Labour were too embrace low taxes then of course I could be tempted to vote Labour. I'm not holding my breath on that though.
What about similar overall levels but with Labour a shift from poor to rich, young to old, personal to corporate, income to wealth?
Tempting?
If you mean by the first two similar levels overall but taxes would be equalised between earned and unearned income and the poverty trap is fixed then yes I'd vote for that. I said that before.
On the final two it would really depend upon what is suggested. "Corporate" taxes are generally a very bad idea since corporate taxes like employers NI are really a tax on wages, and corporation tax leads to companies relocating profits abroad so don't raise revenues.
As for wealth, it depends again on what you propose. Since most wealth taxes ever tried have been dismal failures that lead to wealth fleeing overseas then that's a terrible idea. You'd have to be very smart with any proposal, pretty much the only thing that could work is a tax on property that is levied on the owners. Almost any other wealth taxes are a terrible idea that lead to flight (property can't flee) but I'd listen to your proposals.
What I mean is the overall tax burden about the same but under Labour more of it raised from wealth and less from income, and more from corporates and less from individuals. Does this have you taking a very close look and voting for it unless you find a catch?
As I said I am very suspicious about claimed taxes from wealth and corporates because most such taxes are very counterproductive. Any such tax that will just see immediate capital flight is an awful idea.
Taxes that are low but consistently applied, so lower rates but evenly to everyone (so those not paying their share see rises, the rest of us cuts) that I'm happy with.
Ok, I see. No, that will not be forthcoming from Labour. You can stop agonizing. Stay with the magnificent muscly one.
That's a shame.
A Labour Party that was true to its name and became the party of working people, that equalised taxes between earned and unearned income would be a party that was worth voting for.
It would also do more for raising the prospects of the 'working poor' etc than any amount of stupid capital flight inducing taxes ever could.
Ah no we can do that, equalizing CGT and income tax, earned v unearned. Fact, we WILL be doing that. Thought you were talking about that 'flat rate' income tax nonsense. Apols. So, ok, welcome comrade.
So just for clarification you are going to apply full NI to all pensions as is @Philip_Thompson hopes
Abolish NI is what I hope for. Have one income tax that yes is paid the same whether by pensioners or employees.
I am sorry I misunderstood.
I thought you wanted NI applied to all earned income including pensions
If you want a single tax to take its place what would your suggest basic and higher rates should be
Ideally we shouldn't have basic and higher rates, the rate should be flat rather than creating issues with thresholds that makes it change.
Obviously need to work on numbers to make it work but something along the lines of a UBI of £8,000 per adult over 18, £4,000 per dependent under 18, with a single unitary flat tax rate of 40%
For a 2 adult, 2 child household that would be a UBI of £24,000. If both parents had a £30k salary on average then that would be the breakeven point so there would be not a penny in benefits and not a penny in tax either. Take home pay would be £60k.
Change the numbers to suit to make it work, but the tax rate should never as a matter of principle to me be over 50%.
I'm all in favour of a flat rate tax. Not so sure about UBI. I'd like to see another country try it out first to see if it worked. But I cant see any system where a couple earning 60k pays no tax at all. If their UBI allowance was 24k under your numbers shouldn't they start paying tax from 24001 up?
Glen O'Hara @gsoh31 · 12h Government: faces sea of troubles, could be looking at a winter of crises. Labour: we'll just have a fight amongst ourselves over here then. Face with rolling eyesGrimacing faceConfounded face
It rather confirms my fear that Starmer lacks a political brain.
More to the point where is he
I have not seen or heard from him for quite some time
What Starmer is doing repealing Miilbands failed madness is absolutely right - though hardly a Clause 4 moment.
Tough on Corbyn, tough on the causes of Corbyn. You say you don’t support that? What are you, Toby Young?
Then again the clause 4 moment wasn’t a clause 4 moment either, completely manufactured and bigged up piece of substance lacking trash.
Strikes me Labour might be better with the Tory system of MPs picking two leader candidates to go through to the membership vote.
Pulling the unions back into the leadership race takes them back to exactly the f*ck up that elected the wrong brother.
There’s three constituencies in the Labour Party marriage. MPs need a Parliamentary leader. That effectively is what the Role of Labour Party leader is. Allowing members a say is only okay in a college system, otherwise there is too much risk the leader is not backed by enough of the PLP. Electing the wrong brother was not a f up, because it’s absolutely right they have a college vote as the financiers of the party. Miliband should never have tampered with it. Look how many MPs the party has today because of it.
We have SLAB and Len McCluskey to thank for that particular rule change given what happened in Falkirk. Given the 'transitivity' of causation, you can basically blame SLAB for us leaving the EU if you believe - as Vote Leave do - the referendum would have gone differently if Labour had actually had a pro-EU leader at the time.
So as long as we have a Tory government there will be no indyref2 allowed, it would need a Starmer premiership after the next UK general election, probably with SNP confidence and supply, for it to be allowed
SCUP voters are against independence referenda, democracy, etc.? Who knew?
Incidentally that shows how it is futile to assume that all Labour voters are pro-union.
Or that all SNP or Green voters are pro-independence
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Really? Gaps on a few shelves are not people going short of food. The main loss seems to be bottled water. Lucky we’ve got safe drinking water out of the fecking tap then...
Look, I don't want to get into this too much because there are alternatives. But every time I've been to a supermarket lately there have been noticeable gaps. One shop I wanted ingredients for a stew, beef or lamb, didn't mind which. Whole shop was out of BOTH, fresh and frozen. Not the end of the world since I was able to get chicken, so that's why I've not pitched in to moan about this before, but you have to get over the idea that it's just bottled water.
I haven't seen either missing in my shop. I wonder what it is about your shop that made it so much worse at its stock management?
Which brand was it, out of curiosity?
Both Tesco and Asda, those are the only two supermarkets I've got near me. The lamb & beef was Tesco.
Do you have a butchers? Ours is superb. Used to have two, now down to one, and really hoping it keeps going. Also have a greengrocer most days. Both seem to have no stock issues.
No, I live in a pretty small place, just a pub and newsagent. Probably a butchers somewhere in one of the bigger towns but I haven't looked for one. Probably worth checking out what's about, good idea.
Our butchers meat is excellent and locally sourced. Vastly better than our Waitrose.
I think my nearest Waitrose is more than 100 miles away. Struggling to think of a time I've ever been in one. Maybe on holiday somewhere. Are they only in posh places?
The south?😀 Best shop for me is Booths, but only encounter them in the Lake District.
Bit "crisis, what crisis", from Johnson on that BBC News at 10 report.
"No one will go short of food".
They are already are.
Really? Gaps on a few shelves are not people going short of food. The main loss seems to be bottled water. Lucky we’ve got safe drinking water out of the fecking tap then...
Look, I don't want to get into this too much because there are alternatives. But every time I've been to a supermarket lately there have been noticeable gaps. One shop I wanted ingredients for a stew, beef or lamb, didn't mind which. Whole shop was out of BOTH, fresh and frozen. Not the end of the world since I was able to get chicken, so that's why I've not pitched in to moan about this before, but you have to get over the idea that it's just bottled water.
I haven't seen either missing in my shop. I wonder what it is about your shop that made it so much worse at its stock management?
Which brand was it, out of curiosity?
Both Tesco and Asda, those are the only two supermarkets I've got near me. The lamb & beef was Tesco.
Do you have a butchers? Ours is superb. Used to have two, now down to one, and really hoping it keeps going. Also have a greengrocer most days. Both seem to have no stock issues.
No, I live in a pretty small place, just a pub and newsagent. Probably a butchers somewhere in one of the bigger towns but I haven't looked for one. Probably worth checking out what's about, good idea.
Our butchers meat is excellent and locally sourced. Vastly better than our Waitrose.
How much more expensive is local butchers v supermarket?
Surely this should be the key measure going forward:
In hospital numbers down 13% on last Tuesday. Another week of that (which is possible based on case rates in older groups to now) puts England comfortably under 5000 for first since end of July.
Question is what happens next with current case rise (predominantly young atm)
Comments
Leaked documents reveal researchers applied for $14m to fund controversial project in 2018"
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/09/21/wuhan-scientists-planned-releaseskin-penetrating-nanoparticles/
Tough on Corbyn, tough on the causes of Corbyn. You say you don’t support that? What are you, Toby Young?
Then again the clause 4 moment wasn’t a clause 4 moment either, completely manufactured and bigged up piece of substance lacking trash.
If I save for my retirement in a pension scheme, I should receive those payments tax free?
But if I save for my retirement by buying shares in Microsoft, I should be taxed on those payments?
What's the difference?
(Especially given that the pension scheme will have bought shares in Microsoft to pay the pensions with.)
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jun/20/co2-shortage-could-hit-uk-beer-and-chicken-supplies-during-world-cup
https://twitter.com/hodgeamanda/status/1440149781590917126
Pulling the unions back into the leadership race takes them back to exactly the f*ck up that elected the wrong brother.
You got to remember the people posting here it’s not a government problem wouldn’t be posting this after the last 11 years of Labour government. We are not daft or open to being patronised in that regard thanks.
All we know is he's not in your bathroom.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=Sunil060902+Nine+Elms&title=Special:MediaSearch&go=Go&type=image
Based on past experience, wind power will have significantly recovered going into the autumn. The deep dip at this point is unusual.
Also, the projections for repair of the interconnector were "mid October". Though that is perhaps some capacity restored by October, and full repair over a longer period. National Grid said 1000MW is due to come back on by Sept 25, and the other 1000MW by March,
The Frenchies will be keen for repair, as 1 Gw of lost capacity is £10 million per week. Ish. At a wholesale price of £70 per MWh.
The two together will be worth about 5-7% capacity in the elec market if wind returns to it's autumn average. So electricity prices may have stabilised by then.
Plus I guess Vladimir may have stopped throttling the gas supply.
How that feeds through to fertiliser and CO2 depends on what balance of elec and gas are used in the process.
They will take a check and extend it if they need to.
Any action taken to stop food manufacture depending on two factories puts all “crisis what crisis” and “it’s no big deal” and other pro government spin into perspective.
Though I figure the Philippines were referring to the collective military strength of the nations with I that bloc.
Is that because they're awful at stock management? Or because their customers are whiny people on Twitter who'll complain if their brand of bottled water is missing from the shelves?
Not the end of the world since I was able to get chicken, so that's why I've not pitched in to moan about this before, but you have to get over the idea that it's just bottled water.
This is a conservative government in the 45-79 tradition.
Clearly a temporary problem now as the CO2 will soon be flowing again thanks to the fertilizer people.
Which brand was it, out of curiosity?
He is HM leader of the official opposition and with everything that is going on he is absent without leave
Allie Hodgkins-Brown
@AllieHBNews
·
1m
Wednesday’s Daily TELEGRAPH: “Macron may offer up UN seat in push for EU army” #TomorrowsPapersToday
==
Definitely trying to lose the presidential race next year me thinks
Have you checked in the cistern? Or is that were you hide the "Boats & Buoys" stash?
Apparently the leaders speech will be "surprisingly bold".
And its something that could only have been facilitated post-Brexit. The idea of Britain giving up its seat to the EU was unthinkable, and the idea of two seats going to one was also pretty unthinkable. But one going up to its next federal level - that just makes sense.
They had taken the expiring sandwiches to the foodbank. Just like every day.
(Not having a go at you; just pissed off with all the photos of empty shelves before stocking time, and FBPE twats trying to pretend it is therefore the Euro-apocalypse.)
"China is a constituent bloc in its own right. However, even with its continued pursuit of coal, its pipeline is now 74% smaller, including 484GW of planned capacity that has been cancelled since Paris – more than double the amount that went into operation over that period (198GW)."
https://www.carbonbrief.org/guest-post-how-worlds-coal-power-pipeline-has-shrunk-by-three-quarters
Still a long way to go, but Xi, for all his many faults, seems to get climate change.
"I'll shoot myself !!!!!"
"Go on then."
I'm not saying that there are no gaps, there will always be some gaps, somewhere, there may well be slightly more at the moment. I have no way of assessing that. but, but I suspect there is a big dollop of confirmation bias here, i.e. politically aware people see gaps on shelves trending on twitter, then walk passed a shelf and decide that's all the confederation they need. where as pre pandemic, it would not have even registered, or just been dismissed as a one off. I'm not ruling out that there are a few more gaps than normal, or that things may get worse, but until I here at least one person who is not a political junky talk about it I don't think its serious.
But that Sky journalist eh?
I am assuming the big media interviews will come when Labour conference kicks off in a couple of days or so.
https://twitter.com/Keir_Starmer/status/1439953221078994950?s=20
You are a splendid chap, BigG. But there are times when your curtain-twitching and stirring are really tedious.
If there's to be an EU army then all nations of the EU should decide to they want to be in a country called Europe and if so then get on with it. If they don't, they should invoke Article 50 themselves. Sort it out and get on with it.
And I'm sure that even the French would eventually realise that kicking us out, while leaving Russia and China in, wouldn't be in their interests, however annoyed they are with us at the moment..
Everything else right now, fluff.
However, if labour supporters are happy with the situation then fine
The French one going to the EU is easily done, if the French are happy with it. Just recognise the EU as a sovereign state and the continuation of the French state and it takes the French place. But then the French [and the other 26] all leave the UN altogether, which would only be right if this is happening.
If this happens it won't be the first exchange it'd be the third. Republic of China (Taiwan) was replaced as a permanent member by [People's Republic of] China. The USSR was replaced as a permanent member by Russia. And if the UK ever dissolved the UK would be replaced with England. There's no reason France can't be replaced with the EU if they make a federal unified country official.
* Its technically possible but its not going to happen.
Wrong, because you are missing main point here. He could only have won because of Millibands disastrous OMOV. Without OMOV he would not have won.
It's very much at the "first world problems" level, I'm not going to die of starvation any time soon, but it's gradually getting from "trivial" to "annoying" as it goes on longer.
if it happens, its more lily to be a halfway step, i.e. the other nations will keep there seats on the GA, but and France only sort of gives its SC seat, i.e. It will speak on behalf of the 500 million people when it suits them, but for France only when it souts France.
But, its probably only 'kite flying' looking for supportive comments, form the rest of the EU of France/macron in the run up to the French GE.
Age-sex pyramid today (left) compared to 4 weeks ago (right)
https://twitter.com/kallmemeg/status/1440415496042528772?s=20