It's in the sliding approval figures, e.g. approval of the Government down to 32%, vs 45% disapproving. The Conservative lead is actually just 1% point with normal weighting, but goes up to 5 when weighted for likelihood to vote, for the usual age-related factors.
I noticed that but labour are not closing yet, but as I said earlier the polls that may indicate a change will only show after Boris's conference speech next week and the budget on the 27th, though we will then be heading into COP26
Labour are not closing. But petrol stations are!
Not round here, back to near normal and confirmed by our Asda delivery driver this morning and by my trip into town this pm
This debate over HGV drivers made me look up the salary limits for other jobs. It turns out that we are letting in people for a huge range of jobs at close to minimum wage as long as you are under 26.
Some of them are as low as 10k! And for clearly non-critical jobs like fitness instructor. This seems completely nuts. Partially this is because we are setting these numbers at 70% of the "going rate" for UK workers, which is explicitly letting companies undercut the market rate with foreign labour.
Reading a bit more it seems you have to be studying for a degree at the same time. So will be paying many thousands to UK plc and unlikely to have a full time job, whereas might be able to do a few hours as a fitness instructor.
No, you don't. You need to EITHER be in training OR be under 26. The training bit seems reasonable but the under 26 bit does not. I can understand some reduced salary for younger people, but now jobs at 11k a year! And can be less if you are pro rated!
But it insists that apart from this it will not require government subsidy or financing, and will still be able to deliver electricity at the £48/MWh CfD – below the central forecast for energy prices proposed by the UK Department for Business, Energy & Strategy (BEIS).
The aptly named Morocco – UK Power Project will, in addition to its 3,800km HVDC sub-sea cable, build its wind and solar capacity across an area of approximately 1,500 square km in Morocco’s Guelmim Oued Noun region.
“Xlinks is a Morocco – British first,” said Sir Dave Lewis, the the executive chair of Xlinks and a former Tesco CEO. “Using proven technology, it will deliver clean power to over 7 million British homes in this decade....
Interesting. How much does that cable cost per km, I wonder?
Also, I appreciate the middle of the Bay of Biscay is deep but why do they choose to lay the cable around the coast, why not in a direct line from Morroco to Finisterre to Cornwall?
My first thought was I don't know how useful such a zoomed out map is of such a route, as if its main purpose was just to remind us all where Morocco and the UK are in relation to each other.
Which surely isn't necessary now Raab is not Foreign Minister.
I see the map is not touching on the Western Sahara controversy.
The map very clearly shows that the route hugs the coast and is mentioned as being 3,800km. It would only be about 2,300km if it took the shortest sea route.
I wasn't disputing any of that, its just that there's probably a lot of fine detail in exactly how to hug the coast, so I'm not sure how much is gained in understanding from the diagram.
Ok but if the map is to be believed a decision has been taken that it's more advantageous to add 1,500km to the length in order to avoid dropping the cable to depths of greater than circa 300m. Maybe it's to do with the ablility to repair and future breaks or damage?
It may be to avoid shallowish areas where seabed trawling goes on. Also, we've had 150 years experience of repairing communication cables in massively deep oceanic waters. I *assume* the power cables will be thicker, and have greater armour, but the same tech should work.
Reading the article, that 600mW cable weighs 55kg per metre and had to be laid in two sections and joined in the middle because no ship is big enough to carry the full length (250km in this case - which if my maths is right would be 13,750 tonnes). 13,750 t doesn't sound that huge for a ship but as a single reel maybe that's too big?
But the Morocco – UK Power Project cale is 10.5gW over 3,800km. If the weight per m is proportional to the capacity that's nearly a ton per metre so presumably it's just made up of multiple small cables (e.g. 18 x the 55kg/m cable). But the weight of a single 2,300km cable (for the direct route) even at 55kg/m would be over 125,000 tonnes... So quite a lot!
Hence I reckon thats the reason they hug the coast: to join the multiple sections.
Might be a volume thing: you have to fit in the reel, or a file of reels, into the ship with space to work around and deploy the cable. Some ships are limited by the mass of their load (e.g. iron ore carriers, Dreadnoughts with their armour and gun turrets). Others are limited by the volume of their upper works (e.g. car ferries, pax ships, modern warships with lots of lightweight electronics and comfort for the matelots).
Interestingly, one of the first (and the first successful) transatlantic cable was laid by Brunel's SS Great Eastern in 1865, which was the only ship afloat large enough to carry the entire cable. The guy in charge was Daniel Gooch, once the Great Western Railway's chief mechanical engineer.
An earlier attempt used two ships, sailing from both coasts; the cables were joined in the middle. It only operated for three weeks, because the cable burnt out.
This debate over HGV drivers made me look up the salary limits for other jobs. It turns out that we are letting in people for a huge range of jobs at close to minimum wage as long as you are under 26.
Some of them are as low as 10k! And for clearly non-critical jobs like fitness instructor. This seems completely nuts. Partially this is because we are setting these numbers at 70% of the "going rate" for UK workers, which is explicitly letting companies undercut the market rate with foreign labour.
Reading a bit more it seems you have to be studying for a degree at the same time. So will be paying many thousands to UK plc and unlikely to have a full time job, whereas might be able to do a few hours as a fitness instructor.
No, you don't. You need to EITHER be in training OR be under 26. The training bit seems reasonable but the under 26 bit does not. I can understand some reduced salary for younger people, but now jobs at 11k a year! And can be less if you are pro rated!
Also how is fitness instructor a shortage occupation? Bloody yoga mums can just pay more.
For what it's worth, my experience: We had extensive work done several years ago. We took the architects advice as to builder. He recommended someone he had worked with several times over a number of years. Their quote was the highest of three or four. We went with them.
But it insists that apart from this it will not require government subsidy or financing, and will still be able to deliver electricity at the £48/MWh CfD – below the central forecast for energy prices proposed by the UK Department for Business, Energy & Strategy (BEIS).
The aptly named Morocco – UK Power Project will, in addition to its 3,800km HVDC sub-sea cable, build its wind and solar capacity across an area of approximately 1,500 square km in Morocco’s Guelmim Oued Noun region.
“Xlinks is a Morocco – British first,” said Sir Dave Lewis, the the executive chair of Xlinks and a former Tesco CEO. “Using proven technology, it will deliver clean power to over 7 million British homes in this decade....
Interesting. How much does that cable cost per km, I wonder?
Also, I appreciate the middle of the Bay of Biscay is deep but why do they choose to lay the cable around the coast, why not in a direct line from Morroco to Finisterre to Cornwall?
My first thought was I don't know how useful such a zoomed out map is of such a route, as if its main purpose was just to remind us all where Morocco and the UK are in relation to each other.
Which surely isn't necessary now Raab is not Foreign Minister.
I see the map is not touching on the Western Sahara controversy.
The map very clearly shows that the route hugs the coast and is mentioned as being 3,800km. It would only be about 2,300km if it took the shortest sea route.
I wasn't disputing any of that, its just that there's probably a lot of fine detail in exactly how to hug the coast, so I'm not sure how much is gained in understanding from the diagram.
Ok but if the map is to be believed a decision has been taken that it's more advantageous to add 1,500km to the length in order to avoid dropping the cable to depths of greater than circa 300m. Maybe it's to do with the ablility to repair and future breaks or damage?
It may be to avoid shallowish areas where seabed trawling goes on. Also, we've had 150 years experience of repairing communication cables in massively deep oceanic waters. I *assume* the power cables will be thicker, and have greater armour, but the same tech should work.
Reading the article, that 600mW cable weighs 55kg per metre and had to be laid in two sections and joined in the middle because no ship is big enough to carry the full length (250km in this case - which if my maths is right would be 13,750 tonnes). 13,750 t doesn't sound that huge for a ship but as a single reel maybe that's too big?
But the Morocco – UK Power Project cale is 10.5gW over 3,800km. If the weight per m is proportional to the capacity that's nearly a ton per metre so presumably it's just made up of multiple small cables (e.g. 18 x the 55kg/m cable). But the weight of a single 2,300km cable (for the direct route) even at 55kg/m would be over 125,000 tonnes... So quite a lot!
Hence I reckon thats the reason they hug the coast: to join the multiple sections.
Might be a volume thing: you have to fit in the reel, or a file of reels, into the ship with space to work around and deploy the cable. Some ships are limited by the mass of their load (e.g. iron ore carriers, Dreadnoughts with their armour and gun turrets). Others are limited by the volume of their upper works (e.g. car ferries, pax ships, modern warships with lots of lightweight electronics and comfort for the matelots).
How much weight a ship can carry is called deadweight tonnage, dwt. Cable laying ships are highly specialised. Googling cable layer dwt is highly informative.
This debate over HGV drivers made me look up the salary limits for other jobs. It turns out that we are letting in people for a huge range of jobs at close to minimum wage as long as you are under 26.
Some of them are as low as 10k! And for clearly non-critical jobs like fitness instructor. This seems completely nuts. Partially this is because we are setting these numbers at 70% of the "going rate" for UK workers, which is explicitly letting companies undercut the market rate with foreign labour.
Reading a bit more it seems you have to be studying for a degree at the same time. So will be paying many thousands to UK plc and unlikely to have a full time job, whereas might be able to do a few hours as a fitness instructor.
No, you don't. You need to EITHER be in training OR be under 26. The training bit seems reasonable but the under 26 bit does not. I can understand some reduced salary for younger people, but now jobs at 11k a year! And can be less if you are pro rated!
Apologies, you are correct:
"You can be paid 70% of your job’s usual going rate if one of the following applies:
you’re under 26 on the date you apply you’re currently in the UK on a Student visa studying at bachelor’s degree level or above - or you have been in the last 2 years, and a Student or visit visa was your most recent visa you’re currently in the UK on a Graduate Entrepreneur visa you’ll be working towards a recognised qualification in a UK regulated profession you’ll be working towards full registration or chartered status in the job you’re being sponsored for"
I had a trial yesterday where a 17 year old black girl (who had committed NO crime and has no criminal record) was grabbed and wrestled to the floor and handcuffed by two officers for “talking back” when she (correctly) said to them “you can’t do this” and asked them to step back
The officers were caught on CCTV stepping up to her right in her face (August last year - height of the pandemic) with no masks on and loudly telling her off (for something that isn’t a crime). After she backed off the third time whilst repeatedly saying “back off” they pounced.
This happened in broad daylight in Birmingham New Street station and everyone assumed the officers were in the right and a member of the public even came over to help the two officers who were sitting on top of her to restrain her.
She screamed out in pain and asked 21 times either “Why are you doing this to me?” or “What have I done?” and they didn’t reply to tell her why they were doing it or what she was said to have done.
Eventually one of them says she’s under arrest for assaulting them.
They lied throughout their evidence and said she had moved towards them aggressively and tried to hit one of them.
Two separate angles on the video show she does no such thing and is continuously backing off from them and looks scared.
Thankfully the case against her was thrown out, but quite frankly it’s theofficers who should’ve been prosecuted for assault. Had I not been able to get CCTV camera footage from the station it would’ve been her word against theirs and she would no doubt have been convicted.....
...The officers continued to assert throughout the trial that their actions were justified.
This is the problem.
This is the culture we have to deal with.
THIS IS WHY I GET SICK OF PEOPLE ASKING ME HOW I CAN “DEFEND CRIMINALS”.
P.S. A good illustration of the level of arrogance of one of the officers and their feeling that they are above the law: the Judge had to warn the officer about their conduct IN COURT and it continued so the Judge THREATENED TO LOCK THE OFFICER UP FOR CONTEMPT OF COURT.
The prosecutor, the clerk, the Judge, me - and several of my colleagues I spoke to - all of us with over 20 years experience in criminal trials - have NEVER seen an officer behave so badly that they were threatened with contempt.
Yet they are on patrol in New Street again today
If it’s any consolation our civil team are now going to take action against the police and I suspect one or both of them won’t be officers for much longer but hey - we represented the De Menezes family and no fucker lost their job when they killed a lad.
That is the key. The bad cops have to lose their jobs and be open to both civil and criminal prosecution. And their bosses, if they serially fail to attend to such failures, should lose their jobs and, depending on their own level of negligence, be open to similar prosecution.
A part of the problem runs thus -
The cops on the ground are convinced that if something goes wrong, their superiors will stitch them up. There is no trust in the Senior Management Team.
In turn there is a widespread belief that there is no way that a senior officer would end up carrying the can - that they would pass the buck to junior officers.
In the case of De Mendes, the odd bit is that the police on the ground, who actually shot him were blameless. They were carrying out orders which they had reason to believe were lawful and necessary. It was the fuck up with the surveillance and the control of the operation which was the problem.
Which comes back to the doctrine of command responsibility. Where someone in authority can be guilty, but the subordinates who carried out what they thought were lawful orders are not.
The problem is that the police have been convinced that either they all hang together or they all hang separately. Hence the omertà...
How to deal with that?
Wholesale removal of the top commanders who are ultimately responsible for their command's culture.
Prosecute those police who commit crimes. Fire their superiors (and their superior's superiors).
That should encourage them to take a greater interest in how their subordinates behave.
I thought we were trying to recruit 50,000 police officers, not fire 50,000 police officers!
But it insists that apart from this it will not require government subsidy or financing, and will still be able to deliver electricity at the £48/MWh CfD – below the central forecast for energy prices proposed by the UK Department for Business, Energy & Strategy (BEIS).
The aptly named Morocco – UK Power Project will, in addition to its 3,800km HVDC sub-sea cable, build its wind and solar capacity across an area of approximately 1,500 square km in Morocco’s Guelmim Oued Noun region.
“Xlinks is a Morocco – British first,” said Sir Dave Lewis, the the executive chair of Xlinks and a former Tesco CEO. “Using proven technology, it will deliver clean power to over 7 million British homes in this decade....
Interesting. How much does that cable cost per km, I wonder?
Also, I appreciate the middle of the Bay of Biscay is deep but why do they choose to lay the cable around the coast, why not in a direct line from Morroco to Finisterre to Cornwall?
My first thought was I don't know how useful such a zoomed out map is of such a route, as if its main purpose was just to remind us all where Morocco and the UK are in relation to each other.
Which surely isn't necessary now Raab is not Foreign Minister.
I see the map is not touching on the Western Sahara controversy.
The map very clearly shows that the route hugs the coast and is mentioned as being 3,800km. It would only be about 2,300km if it took the shortest sea route.
I wasn't disputing any of that, its just that there's probably a lot of fine detail in exactly how to hug the coast, so I'm not sure how much is gained in understanding from the diagram.
Ok but if the map is to be believed a decision has been taken that it's more advantageous to add 1,500km to the length in order to avoid dropping the cable to depths of greater than circa 300m. Maybe it's to do with the ablility to repair and future breaks or damage?
It may be to avoid shallowish areas where seabed trawling goes on. Also, we've had 150 years experience of repairing communication cables in massively deep oceanic waters. I *assume* the power cables will be thicker, and have greater armour, but the same tech should work.
Reading the article, that 600mW cable weighs 55kg per metre and had to be laid in two sections and joined in the middle because no ship is big enough to carry the full length (250km in this case - which if my maths is right would be 13,750 tonnes). 13,750 t doesn't sound that huge for a ship but as a single reel maybe that's too big?
But the Morocco – UK Power Project cale is 10.5gW over 3,800km. If the weight per m is proportional to the capacity that's nearly a ton per metre so presumably it's just made up of multiple small cables (e.g. 18 x the 55kg/m cable). But the weight of a single 2,300km cable (for the direct route) even at 55kg/m would be over 125,000 tonnes... So quite a lot!
Hence I reckon thats the reason they hug the coast: to join the multiple sections.
Might be a volume thing: you have to fit in the reel, or a file of reels, into the ship with space to work around and deploy the cable. Some ships are limited by the mass of their load (e.g. iron ore carriers, Dreadnoughts with their armour and gun turrets). Others are limited by the volume of their upper works (e.g. car ferries, pax ships, modern warships with lots of lightweight electronics and comfort for the matelots).
Interestingly, one of the first (and the first successful) transatlantic cable was laid by Brunel's SS Great Eastern in 1865, which was the only ship afloat large enough to carry the entire cable. The guy in charge was Daniel Gooch, once the Great Western Railway's chief mechanical engineer.
An earlier attempt used two ships, sailing from both coasts; the cables were joined in the middle. It only operated for three weeks, because the cable burnt out.
I think there is a vast difference between communication cables and high tension power cables when it comes to insulation etc.
This is a paper from the National Grid on burying high tension cables. The picture on the front is amazing although I am not sure how representative it is of the normal buried cables. The main issues appear to be insulation.
‘Sparta Prague fans racially abused Monaco's Aurelien Tchouameni so faced a stadium closure tonight vs Rangers.
The only exception is that 10,000 local kids under 14 years are in but Glen Kamara, racially abused by Slavia’s Ondrej Kudela, is now being booed with every touch.’
At least 116 people have died in Ecuador's worst-ever prison riot as rival drug gangs fought for two days using guns, grenades and knives, the country's president has revealed.
They must be lying. Philip_Thompson assured us that it'd all be over in 2-3 days.
Both appear to be right. Things have improved overall. Things have not improved with some independents especially BP ones.
"improved overall" != "all over"
Sure it is. There's always been some stations at some times without fuel which is why this mass hysteria over a few not having it was so utterly irresponsible.
Largely stations are back to normal and anyone who wants fuel can get it.
According the the PRA, over a quarter of their members are still without fuel. That is not a normal situation, and it's weird of you to make out that it is. Every other country in the world is pointing and laughing at us.
Are you sure you are not over egging it, every country in the world !!!
True, some have a little more consideration. They are merely smirking behind their hands.
You don't think other countries have their own issues they ought to be concerned about rather than worrying about us? Yours seems rather an egocentric viewpoint.
They're not worrying about us; they're laughing at us. We provide a little light relief from their own problems. You can't tell me you wouldn't be doing the same if it were French drivers queuing for petrol.
I absolutely can say that.
The French have issues and protests and violence on a weekly violence with the Gilets Jaunes etc
I don't mention them at all, its none of my business and I don't especially care. Let them sort their own issues out and we can sort our own out.
You seem rather obsessed though. Not me.
I'm merely pointing out your detachment from the reality that the rest of the world can see. We are not, as you seem to imagine, back to normal. A quarter of our petrol stations still have no fuel. This is not normal and it's delusional for you to claim otherwise.
That was due to a scare leading to panic buying though. Not a shortage.
There was a shortage of drivers AIUI. Or was that just fake news.
But enough fuel.
Yes. At the refineries. Do you accept there was a shortage of drivers? And if you do, do you think that a shortage of drivers might cause a shortage of fuel at the pumps.
Affecting less than 100 petrol stations out of 8300 (and all of those BP) and with only 5 having to actually shut.
Until some fuckwit in the media decided to turn it into a crisis.
There was a shortage of fuel at the pumps. 100 stations if that's what it was. Who knew it wouldn't be 500 within the week?
There is always a shortage of petrol at some stations even in the best of times. If they had not mentioned it then no one would ever have known beyond those who had to drive to the next petrol station a few miles further along.
They must be lying. Philip_Thompson assured us that it'd all be over in 2-3 days.
Both appear to be right. Things have improved overall. Things have not improved with some independents especially BP ones.
"improved overall" != "all over"
Sure it is. There's always been some stations at some times without fuel which is why this mass hysteria over a few not having it was so utterly irresponsible.
Largely stations are back to normal and anyone who wants fuel can get it.
According the the PRA, over a quarter of their members are still without fuel. That is not a normal situation, and it's weird of you to make out that it is. Every other country in the world is pointing and laughing at us.
Are you sure you are not over egging it, every country in the world !!!
True, some have a little more consideration. They are merely smirking behind their hands.
You don't think other countries have their own issues they ought to be concerned about rather than worrying about us? Yours seems rather an egocentric viewpoint.
They're not worrying about us; they're laughing at us. We provide a little light relief from their own problems. You can't tell me you wouldn't be doing the same if it were French drivers queuing for petrol.
I absolutely can say that.
The French have issues and protests and violence on a weekly violence with the Gilets Jaunes etc
I don't mention them at all, its none of my business and I don't especially care. Let them sort their own issues out and we can sort our own out.
You seem rather obsessed though. Not me.
I'm merely pointing out your detachment from the reality that the rest of the world can see. We are not, as you seem to imagine, back to normal. A quarter of our petrol stations still have no fuel. This is not normal and it's delusional for you to claim otherwise.
That was due to a scare leading to panic buying though. Not a shortage.
There was a shortage of drivers AIUI. Or was that just fake news.
But enough fuel.
Yes. At the refineries. Do you accept there was a shortage of drivers? And if you do, do you think that a shortage of drivers might cause a shortage of fuel at the pumps.
Affecting less than 100 petrol stations out of 8300 (and all of those BP) and with only 5 having to actually shut.
Until some fuckwit in the media decided to turn it into a crisis.
There was a shortage of fuel at the pumps. 100 stations if that's what it was. Who knew it wouldn't be 500 within the week?
There is always a shortage of petrol at some stations even in the best of times. If they had not mentioned it then no one would ever have known beyond those who had to drive to the next petrol station a few miles further along.
Interesting take from you and Philip. No shortage at all everything manufactured by the media.
They must be lying. Philip_Thompson assured us that it'd all be over in 2-3 days.
Both appear to be right. Things have improved overall. Things have not improved with some independents especially BP ones.
"improved overall" != "all over"
Sure it is. There's always been some stations at some times without fuel which is why this mass hysteria over a few not having it was so utterly irresponsible.
Largely stations are back to normal and anyone who wants fuel can get it.
According the the PRA, over a quarter of their members are still without fuel. That is not a normal situation, and it's weird of you to make out that it is. Every other country in the world is pointing and laughing at us.
Are you sure you are not over egging it, every country in the world !!!
True, some have a little more consideration. They are merely smirking behind their hands.
You don't think other countries have their own issues they ought to be concerned about rather than worrying about us? Yours seems rather an egocentric viewpoint.
They're not worrying about us; they're laughing at us. We provide a little light relief from their own problems. You can't tell me you wouldn't be doing the same if it were French drivers queuing for petrol.
I absolutely can say that.
The French have issues and protests and violence on a weekly violence with the Gilets Jaunes etc
I don't mention them at all, its none of my business and I don't especially care. Let them sort their own issues out and we can sort our own out.
You seem rather obsessed though. Not me.
I'm merely pointing out your detachment from the reality that the rest of the world can see. We are not, as you seem to imagine, back to normal. A quarter of our petrol stations still have no fuel. This is not normal and it's delusional for you to claim otherwise.
That was due to a scare leading to panic buying though. Not a shortage.
There was a shortage of drivers AIUI. Or was that just fake news.
But enough fuel.
Yes. At the refineries. Do you accept there was a shortage of drivers? And if you do, do you think that a shortage of drivers might cause a shortage of fuel at the pumps.
Affecting less than 100 petrol stations out of 8300 (and all of those BP) and with only 5 having to actually shut.
Until some fuckwit in the media decided to turn it into a crisis.
There was a shortage of fuel at the pumps. 100 stations if that's what it was. Who knew it wouldn't be 500 within the week?
There is always a shortage of petrol at some stations even in the best of times. If they had not mentioned it then no one would ever have known beyond those who had to drive to the next petrol station a few miles further along.
Interesting take from you and Philip. No shortage at all everything manufactured by the media.
Weren't the leaked minutes already 3-4 weeks old by the time they were released last week? There were no reported shortages in the interim, so I think it is safe to say it was blown all out of proportion by the media.
They must be lying. Philip_Thompson assured us that it'd all be over in 2-3 days.
Both appear to be right. Things have improved overall. Things have not improved with some independents especially BP ones.
"improved overall" != "all over"
Sure it is. There's always been some stations at some times without fuel which is why this mass hysteria over a few not having it was so utterly irresponsible.
Largely stations are back to normal and anyone who wants fuel can get it.
According the the PRA, over a quarter of their members are still without fuel. That is not a normal situation, and it's weird of you to make out that it is. Every other country in the world is pointing and laughing at us.
Are you sure you are not over egging it, every country in the world !!!
True, some have a little more consideration. They are merely smirking behind their hands.
You don't think other countries have their own issues they ought to be concerned about rather than worrying about us? Yours seems rather an egocentric viewpoint.
They're not worrying about us; they're laughing at us. We provide a little light relief from their own problems. You can't tell me you wouldn't be doing the same if it were French drivers queuing for petrol.
I absolutely can say that.
The French have issues and protests and violence on a weekly violence with the Gilets Jaunes etc
I don't mention them at all, its none of my business and I don't especially care. Let them sort their own issues out and we can sort our own out.
You seem rather obsessed though. Not me.
I'm merely pointing out your detachment from the reality that the rest of the world can see. We are not, as you seem to imagine, back to normal. A quarter of our petrol stations still have no fuel. This is not normal and it's delusional for you to claim otherwise.
That was due to a scare leading to panic buying though. Not a shortage.
There was a shortage of drivers AIUI. Or was that just fake news.
But enough fuel.
Yes. At the refineries. Do you accept there was a shortage of drivers? And if you do, do you think that a shortage of drivers might cause a shortage of fuel at the pumps.
Affecting less than 100 petrol stations out of 8300 (and all of those BP) and with only 5 having to actually shut.
Until some fuckwit in the media decided to turn it into a crisis.
There was a shortage of fuel at the pumps. 100 stations if that's what it was. Who knew it wouldn't be 500 within the week?
There is always a shortage of petrol at some stations even in the best of times. If they had not mentioned it then no one would ever have known beyond those who had to drive to the next petrol station a few miles further along.
Interesting take from you and Philip. No shortage at all everything manufactured by the media.
But it insists that apart from this it will not require government subsidy or financing, and will still be able to deliver electricity at the £48/MWh CfD – below the central forecast for energy prices proposed by the UK Department for Business, Energy & Strategy (BEIS).
The aptly named Morocco – UK Power Project will, in addition to its 3,800km HVDC sub-sea cable, build its wind and solar capacity across an area of approximately 1,500 square km in Morocco’s Guelmim Oued Noun region.
“Xlinks is a Morocco – British first,” said Sir Dave Lewis, the the executive chair of Xlinks and a former Tesco CEO. “Using proven technology, it will deliver clean power to over 7 million British homes in this decade....
Interesting. How much does that cable cost per km, I wonder?
Also, I appreciate the middle of the Bay of Biscay is deep but why do they choose to lay the cable around the coast, why not in a direct line from Morroco to Finisterre to Cornwall?
My first thought was I don't know how useful such a zoomed out map is of such a route, as if its main purpose was just to remind us all where Morocco and the UK are in relation to each other.
Which surely isn't necessary now Raab is not Foreign Minister.
I see the map is not touching on the Western Sahara controversy.
The map very clearly shows that the route hugs the coast and is mentioned as being 3,800km. It would only be about 2,300km if it took the shortest sea route.
I wasn't disputing any of that, its just that there's probably a lot of fine detail in exactly how to hug the coast, so I'm not sure how much is gained in understanding from the diagram.
Ok but if the map is to be believed a decision has been taken that it's more advantageous to add 1,500km to the length in order to avoid dropping the cable to depths of greater than circa 300m. Maybe it's to do with the ablility to repair and future breaks or damage?
It may be to avoid shallowish areas where seabed trawling goes on. Also, we've had 150 years experience of repairing communication cables in massively deep oceanic waters. I *assume* the power cables will be thicker, and have greater armour, but the same tech should work.
Reading the article, that 600mW cable weighs 55kg per metre and had to be laid in two sections and joined in the middle because no ship is big enough to carry the full length (250km in this case - which if my maths is right would be 13,750 tonnes). 13,750 t doesn't sound that huge for a ship but as a single reel maybe that's too big?
But the Morocco – UK Power Project cale is 10.5gW over 3,800km. If the weight per m is proportional to the capacity that's nearly a ton per metre so presumably it's just made up of multiple small cables (e.g. 18 x the 55kg/m cable). But the weight of a single 2,300km cable (for the direct route) even at 55kg/m would be over 125,000 tonnes... So quite a lot!
Hence I reckon thats the reason they hug the coast: to join the multiple sections.
Might be a volume thing: you have to fit in the reel, or a file of reels, into the ship with space to work around and deploy the cable. Some ships are limited by the mass of their load (e.g. iron ore carriers, Dreadnoughts with their armour and gun turrets). Others are limited by the volume of their upper works (e.g. car ferries, pax ships, modern warships with lots of lightweight electronics and comfort for the matelots).
Interestingly, one of the first (and the first successful) transatlantic cable was laid by Brunel's SS Great Eastern in 1865, which was the only ship afloat large enough to carry the entire cable. The guy in charge was Daniel Gooch, once the Great Western Railway's chief mechanical engineer.
An earlier attempt used two ships, sailing from both coasts; the cables were joined in the middle. It only operated for three weeks, because the cable burnt out.
I think there is a vast difference between communication cables and high tension power cables when it comes to insulation etc.
This is a paper from the National Grid on burying high tension cables. The picture on the front is amazing although I am not sure how representative it is of the normal buried cables. The main issues appear to be insulation.
The old Woodhead railway tunnels carry 400-kv cables under the Pennines. From memory, they are laid in a trough, and water runs alongside them for cooling. By the time the water emerges it is considerably warmer than it started!
Initially the cables were in the old, Victorian tunnels. However a decade ago National Grid decided to place them in the modern (but disused) tunnel, meaning another significant barrier to reopening the old Woodhead railway.
They must be lying. Philip_Thompson assured us that it'd all be over in 2-3 days.
Both appear to be right. Things have improved overall. Things have not improved with some independents especially BP ones.
"improved overall" != "all over"
Sure it is. There's always been some stations at some times without fuel which is why this mass hysteria over a few not having it was so utterly irresponsible.
Largely stations are back to normal and anyone who wants fuel can get it.
According the the PRA, over a quarter of their members are still without fuel. That is not a normal situation, and it's weird of you to make out that it is. Every other country in the world is pointing and laughing at us.
Are you sure you are not over egging it, every country in the world !!!
True, some have a little more consideration. They are merely smirking behind their hands.
You don't think other countries have their own issues they ought to be concerned about rather than worrying about us? Yours seems rather an egocentric viewpoint.
They're not worrying about us; they're laughing at us. We provide a little light relief from their own problems. You can't tell me you wouldn't be doing the same if it were French drivers queuing for petrol.
I absolutely can say that.
The French have issues and protests and violence on a weekly violence with the Gilets Jaunes etc
I don't mention them at all, its none of my business and I don't especially care. Let them sort their own issues out and we can sort our own out.
You seem rather obsessed though. Not me.
I'm merely pointing out your detachment from the reality that the rest of the world can see. We are not, as you seem to imagine, back to normal. A quarter of our petrol stations still have no fuel. This is not normal and it's delusional for you to claim otherwise.
That was due to a scare leading to panic buying though. Not a shortage.
There was a shortage of drivers AIUI. Or was that just fake news.
But enough fuel.
Yes. At the refineries. Do you accept there was a shortage of drivers? And if you do, do you think that a shortage of drivers might cause a shortage of fuel at the pumps.
Affecting less than 100 petrol stations out of 8300 (and all of those BP) and with only 5 having to actually shut.
Until some fuckwit in the media decided to turn it into a crisis.
There was a shortage of fuel at the pumps. 100 stations if that's what it was. Who knew it wouldn't be 500 within the week?
There is always a shortage of petrol at some stations even in the best of times. If they had not mentioned it then no one would ever have known beyond those who had to drive to the next petrol station a few miles further along.
I think this week that would be true. What would happen if the driver situation did not improve quickly and we got a weeks worth of snow in the winter? Or even just more workers returning to commuting to the office and travelling around the country for meetings. This was going to happen sooner or later, the media brought it forward, but our infrastructure was crumbling and under pressure, with a government unwilling to help.
For what it's worth, my experience: We had extensive work done several years ago. We took the architects advice as to builder. He recommended someone he had worked with several times over a number of years. Their quote was the highest of three or four. We went with them.
At least 116 people have died in Ecuador's worst-ever prison riot as rival drug gangs fought for two days using guns, grenades and knives, the country's president has revealed.
Six beheaded
D Mail.
There were riots earlier in the year that led to 79 deaths so things obviously haven't improved.
They must be lying. Philip_Thompson assured us that it'd all be over in 2-3 days.
Both appear to be right. Things have improved overall. Things have not improved with some independents especially BP ones.
"improved overall" != "all over"
Sure it is. There's always been some stations at some times without fuel which is why this mass hysteria over a few not having it was so utterly irresponsible.
Largely stations are back to normal and anyone who wants fuel can get it.
According the the PRA, over a quarter of their members are still without fuel. That is not a normal situation, and it's weird of you to make out that it is. Every other country in the world is pointing and laughing at us.
Are you sure you are not over egging it, every country in the world !!!
True, some have a little more consideration. They are merely smirking behind their hands.
You don't think other countries have their own issues they ought to be concerned about rather than worrying about us? Yours seems rather an egocentric viewpoint.
They're not worrying about us; they're laughing at us. We provide a little light relief from their own problems. You can't tell me you wouldn't be doing the same if it were French drivers queuing for petrol.
I absolutely can say that.
The French have issues and protests and violence on a weekly violence with the Gilets Jaunes etc
I don't mention them at all, its none of my business and I don't especially care. Let them sort their own issues out and we can sort our own out.
You seem rather obsessed though. Not me.
I'm merely pointing out your detachment from the reality that the rest of the world can see. We are not, as you seem to imagine, back to normal. A quarter of our petrol stations still have no fuel. This is not normal and it's delusional for you to claim otherwise.
That was due to a scare leading to panic buying though. Not a shortage.
There was a shortage of drivers AIUI. Or was that just fake news.
But enough fuel.
Yes. At the refineries. Do you accept there was a shortage of drivers? And if you do, do you think that a shortage of drivers might cause a shortage of fuel at the pumps.
Affecting less than 100 petrol stations out of 8300 (and all of those BP) and with only 5 having to actually shut.
Until some fuckwit in the media decided to turn it into a crisis.
There was a shortage of fuel at the pumps. 100 stations if that's what it was. Who knew it wouldn't be 500 within the week?
There is always a shortage of petrol at some stations even in the best of times. If they had not mentioned it then no one would ever have known beyond those who had to drive to the next petrol station a few miles further along.
I think this week that would be true. What would happen if the driver situation did not improve quickly and we got a weeks worth of snow in the winter? Or even just more workers returning to commuting to the office and travelling around the country for meetings. This was going to happen sooner or later, the media brought it forward, but our infrastructure was crumbling and under pressure, with a government unwilling to help.
You've got the cause completely wrong.
Only one company (Hoyer) were struggling. They have the contract for BP and treat their drivers terribly, even by trucker standards. So they all left and couldn't be replaced, quickly which meant that deliveries failed to around 100 filling stations.
The government didn't say that it was only one firm struggling so people got worried and started buying more petrol than they needed. That depleted stocks in the remaining filling stations which led to more panic buying. Literally one company who can't test their drivers like humans caused this.
They must be lying. Philip_Thompson assured us that it'd all be over in 2-3 days.
Both appear to be right. Things have improved overall. Things have not improved with some independents especially BP ones.
"improved overall" != "all over"
Sure it is. There's always been some stations at some times without fuel which is why this mass hysteria over a few not having it was so utterly irresponsible.
Largely stations are back to normal and anyone who wants fuel can get it.
According the the PRA, over a quarter of their members are still without fuel. That is not a normal situation, and it's weird of you to make out that it is. Every other country in the world is pointing and laughing at us.
Are you sure you are not over egging it, every country in the world !!!
True, some have a little more consideration. They are merely smirking behind their hands.
You don't think other countries have their own issues they ought to be concerned about rather than worrying about us? Yours seems rather an egocentric viewpoint.
They're not worrying about us; they're laughing at us. We provide a little light relief from their own problems. You can't tell me you wouldn't be doing the same if it were French drivers queuing for petrol.
I absolutely can say that.
The French have issues and protests and violence on a weekly violence with the Gilets Jaunes etc
I don't mention them at all, its none of my business and I don't especially care. Let them sort their own issues out and we can sort our own out.
You seem rather obsessed though. Not me.
I'm merely pointing out your detachment from the reality that the rest of the world can see. We are not, as you seem to imagine, back to normal. A quarter of our petrol stations still have no fuel. This is not normal and it's delusional for you to claim otherwise.
That was due to a scare leading to panic buying though. Not a shortage.
There was a shortage of drivers AIUI. Or was that just fake news.
But enough fuel.
Yes. At the refineries. Do you accept there was a shortage of drivers? And if you do, do you think that a shortage of drivers might cause a shortage of fuel at the pumps.
Affecting less than 100 petrol stations out of 8300 (and all of those BP) and with only 5 having to actually shut.
Until some fuckwit in the media decided to turn it into a crisis.
There was a shortage of fuel at the pumps. 100 stations if that's what it was. Who knew it wouldn't be 500 within the week?
There is always a shortage of petrol at some stations even in the best of times. If they had not mentioned it then no one would ever have known beyond those who had to drive to the next petrol station a few miles further along.
I think this week that would be true. What would happen if the driver situation did not improve quickly and we got a weeks worth of snow in the winter? Or even just more workers returning to commuting to the office and travelling around the country for meetings. This was going to happen sooner or later, the media brought it forward, but our infrastructure was crumbling and under pressure, with a government unwilling to help.
You've got the cause completely wrong.
Only one company (Hoyer) were struggling. They have the contract for BP and treat their drivers terribly, even by trucker standards. So they all left and couldn't be replaced, quickly which meant that deliveries failed to around 100 filling stations.
The government didn't say that it was only one firm struggling so people got worried and started buying more petrol than they needed. That depleted stocks in the remaining filling stations which led to more panic buying. Literally one company who can't test their drivers like humans caused this.
If one brand is shit, then shop with other brands. No big deal.
This debate over HGV drivers made me look up the salary limits for other jobs. It turns out that we are letting in people for a huge range of jobs at close to minimum wage as long as you are under 26.
Some of them are as low as 10k! And for clearly non-critical jobs like fitness instructor. This seems completely nuts. Partially this is because we are setting these numbers at 70% of the "going rate" for UK workers, which is explicitly letting companies undercut the market rate with foreign labour.
Reading a bit more it seems you have to be studying for a degree at the same time. So will be paying many thousands to UK plc and unlikely to have a full time job, whereas might be able to do a few hours as a fitness instructor.
No, you don't. You need to EITHER be in training OR be under 26. The training bit seems reasonable but the under 26 bit does not. I can understand some reduced salary for younger people, but now jobs at 11k a year! And can be less if you are pro rated!
Apologies, you are correct:
"You can be paid 70% of your job’s usual going rate if one of the following applies:
you’re under 26 on the date you apply you’re currently in the UK on a Student visa studying at bachelor’s degree level or above - or you have been in the last 2 years, and a Student or visit visa was your most recent visa you’re currently in the UK on a Graduate Entrepreneur visa you’ll be working towards a recognised qualification in a UK regulated profession you’ll be working towards full registration or chartered status in the job you’re being sponsored for"
Yeah doesn't make any sense. You can be a 21 year old with next to no experience coming in as a fitness instructor on 11k a year and use that as your route in. Seems like a big hole in the immigration system with no real advantage.
@Pulpstar Alito is doing a speech thing at Notre Dame (which he forbid from being live streamed). A bunch of journalists are doing live tweets of the event and lets just say i don't think it will improve your opinion of him
Got to say this Chinese F**king Vegan Virus* is pretty shit. I am bloody glad I got double jabbed because even with that it is hard going so far. Not exactly 'hit by bus' but at least 'chased by a lunatic on a unicycle'. My wife, thankfully, is unaffected even though we both tested positive yesterday.
*Chinese F**king Vegan Virus is black humour from my daughter. She had Covid back in July and unfortunately is one of the increasingly large number of people who now have Parosmia - her smell and taste have been damaged so that most things she eats, particularly meat, taste very strongly of rotted meat. She has had to adopt an effective vegetarian diet just to get enough calories and is extremely pissed off about it. We are hoping it passes but no one seems to know any cure as yet.
But it insists that apart from this it will not require government subsidy or financing, and will still be able to deliver electricity at the £48/MWh CfD – below the central forecast for energy prices proposed by the UK Department for Business, Energy & Strategy (BEIS).
The aptly named Morocco – UK Power Project will, in addition to its 3,800km HVDC sub-sea cable, build its wind and solar capacity across an area of approximately 1,500 square km in Morocco’s Guelmim Oued Noun region.
“Xlinks is a Morocco – British first,” said Sir Dave Lewis, the the executive chair of Xlinks and a former Tesco CEO. “Using proven technology, it will deliver clean power to over 7 million British homes in this decade....
Interesting. How much does that cable cost per km, I wonder?
Also, I appreciate the middle of the Bay of Biscay is deep but why do they choose to lay the cable around the coast, why not in a direct line from Morroco to Finisterre to Cornwall?
What are the terrorism risks?
Less than those from hostile powers, probably. And presumably there would be contingency plans to repair breaks, deliberate or otherwise. Much easier in shallower waters.
Comments
An earlier attempt used two ships, sailing from both coasts; the cables were joined in the middle. It only operated for three weeks, because the cable burnt out.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Telegraph_Company
https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-first-transatlantic-telegraph-cable-was-a-bold-beautiful-failure
Beware the Optical Illusion of Net Ratings
http://aboutasfarasdelgados.blogspot.com/2021/03/
For what it's worth, my experience: We had extensive work done several years ago. We took the architects advice as to builder. He recommended someone he had worked with several times over a number of years. Their quote was the highest of three or four. We went with them.
They were superb.
One of the best bits of advice I have ever had.
"You can be paid 70% of your job’s usual going rate if one of the following applies:
you’re under 26 on the date you apply
you’re currently in the UK on a Student visa studying at bachelor’s degree level or above - or you have been in the last 2 years, and a Student or visit visa was your most recent visa
you’re currently in the UK on a Graduate Entrepreneur visa
you’ll be working towards a recognised qualification in a UK regulated profession
you’ll be working towards full registration or chartered status in the job you’re being sponsored for"
This is a paper from the National Grid on burying high tension cables. The picture on the front is amazing although I am not sure how representative it is of the normal buried cables. The main issues appear to be insulation.
https://www.nationalgrid.com/sites/default/files/documents/45349-Undergrounding_high_voltage_electricity_transmission_lines_The_technical_issues_INT.pdf
‘Sparta Prague fans racially abused Monaco's Aurelien Tchouameni so faced a stadium closure tonight vs Rangers.
The only exception is that 10,000 local kids under 14 years are in but Glen Kamara, racially abused by Slavia’s Ondrej Kudela, is now being booed with every touch.’
https://twitter.com/jordanc1107/status/1443622508373192717?s=21
Six beheaded
D Mail.
The old Woodhead railway tunnels carry 400-kv cables under the Pennines. From memory, they are laid in a trough, and water runs alongside them for cooling. By the time the water emerges it is considerably warmer than it started!
Initially the cables were in the old, Victorian tunnels. However a decade ago National Grid decided to place them in the modern (but disused) tunnel, meaning another significant barrier to reopening the old Woodhead railway.
Only one company (Hoyer) were struggling. They have the contract for BP and treat their drivers terribly, even by trucker standards. So they all left and couldn't be replaced, quickly which meant that deliveries failed to around 100 filling stations.
The government didn't say that it was only one firm struggling so people got worried and started buying more petrol than they needed. That depleted stocks in the remaining filling stations which led to more panic buying.
Literally one company who can't test their drivers like humans caused this.
It’s just possible there might be some kind of solution to the anosmia by early next year:
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/959757
If it works, it won’t be hard to get .
And presumably there would be contingency plans to repair breaks, deliberate or otherwise. Much easier in shallower waters.