Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

How the PM’s leader ratings are moving – politicalbetting.com

12346

Comments

  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 16,261

    Do a bit of research into Coulport. Go and visit the area and drive around. Look at the fuzzed out areas on Google Maps. Those are immense concrete silos in them thar hills. Housing most of the nuclear warheads. Only a few are ever out at sea at any one time.

    Now, ask yourself, which southern English national park is going to be the new home for those concrete silos?
    Put them in Buckinghamshire. They've already dug up the hills for HS2 and they can't piss off the locals more than they have already.
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 17,774
    Charles said:

    Fundamentally trusted trader schemes are the only way to square this particular circle
    I think there is a trusted trader scheme, but maybe it doesn't do enough.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-trader-scheme-launched-to-support-businesses-moving-goods-from-great-britain-to-northern-ireland
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 42,973

    Didn't take GB News long to become Nigel Farage TV.

    Can believe Andrew Neil will want to be involved too much longer.
    Gives Brillo a good escape pod tho'..

    ''GBNews is no longer the high minded project concerned with EU lunacy, immigration and the war on woke that I intended it to be. While I wish them well, it is with deep regret I must end our association and make my six week holiday permanent..'
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 75,213

    Doesn't that fail in the assumption that GOP politicians want wealthy tax-avoiders to get caught? 😕
    Republican voters and their representatives might differ on this.
    Which is why the politicians framed the argument as one about 'audits'.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 37,081
    French President Macron: "I no longer have any intention of sacrificing my life, my time, my freedom and the adolescence of my daughters, as well as their right to study properly, for those who refuse to be vaccinated. This time you are staying at home, not us.”

    Bien dit 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

    https://twitter.com/gardenjardinage/status/1417705360538800129
  • TazTaz Posts: 16,911

    Farage is like Partridge without Alan's small scrap of humanity that makes him funny, tragic and not a monster.
    Partridge under the Gibbons brothers is actually an okay person underneath it all. There is more than a scrap of humanity there. He is someone who has a high degree of vulnerability. Probably because the gibbons brothers are fans as well as good writers.

    Under Ianucci and Baynham he was a far less developed character.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 75,213

    I thought contrarian had told us that there was no covid in Florida ?

    But then he also told us the pubs would not be opened.
    More that he takes the Boris view on the expendability of those most likely to die ?
  • noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 23,935
    eek said:

    image

    Ignoring the fact this is already in UK law, exactly what did Guto Harri do that resulted in him being suspended by GB News...

    They want "freedom of speech" to include freedom from consequences or judgment if they agree with what you say, but to judge and be able to ostracise those they disagree with, like Guto Harri. That is not yet enshrined in law, but if we keep electing authoritarians, who knows, perhaps they will get their wish at some point.
  • eekeek Posts: 29,399
    edited July 2021

    Put them in Buckinghamshire. They've already dug up the hills for HS2 and they can't piss off the locals more than they have already.
    And given what used to be sat around that area - it wouldn't move the area any higher up the list of priority nuclear bomb targets (NATO strike command was there for years but I can't remember if it still is).
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 16,261
    eek said:

    The international language of trade is English - and we are the only accessible country where English is the default language.

    Other parts of Europe use fluency of local language as an employment filter in a way we cannot...
    Easy solution: revert to Welsh as the national language.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 75,213

    Norway fined for not wearing bikini bottoms at European beach handball competition

    https://www.euronews.com/2021/07/20/norway-fined-for-not-wearing-bikini-bottoms-at-european-beach-handball-competition

    For wearing shorts instead, you ought to point out.
    Otherwise the fine might sound reasonable...
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 126,278
    edited July 2021

    Do a bit of research into Coulport. Go and visit the area and drive around. Look at the fuzzed out areas on Google Maps. Those are immense concrete silos in them thar hills. Housing most of the nuclear warheads. Only a few are ever out at sea at any one time.

    Now, ask yourself, which southern English national park is going to be the new home for those concrete silos?
    We will find one with plenty of space, Cumbria likes nuclear power and subs which give them lots of jobs so round Barrow would be a choice.

    Of course once the SNP have given up nukes and withdrawn from NATO we in England can then watch as Putin enters an independent Scotland without barely a fight and takes all the oil you are boasting about so much
  • noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 23,935
    maaarsh said:

    The leadership of M&S raise Brexit everytime they have to face investors as they know it'll get the headline rather than their continued poor performance.
    Their food offering has declined and risen in price over the last year, first time I can remember a decline in their food quality. Might be a coincidence, Covid or Ocado related but feels significantly Brexit driven to me.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 29,641
    HYUFD said:

    It would be disappointing of course but if Starmer gave in to the SNP because he needed their support to stay PM in a hung parliament and gave them a legal indyref2 and lost, even after offering Scots devomax then he would immediately lose power.

    As soon as Scottish MPs left the Commons after a Scexit vote we Tories would return to power without an election as we would still have a majority in England, Wales and NI alone. We would then shift to an English Nationalist agenda and take as hard a line as possible with the SNP in Scexit talks. We would also dominate English politics for a further generation.

    Labour meanwhile having lost Scotland would be utterly screwed. Only 5 times since 1945 have Labour won a majority without Scottish MPs, in 1945, 1966, 1997, 2001 and 2005 and most of those were under Blair
    So by your reckoning, the last three times Labour won an election, it did not rely on Scottish seats to do so. Why then would Labour be "utterly screwed"?
  • MattWMattW Posts: 25,737
    edited July 2021
    Scott_xP said:

    A reminder that Boris Johnson sold his Brexit deal to the public on the absolute promise of NO CHECKS on goods going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland - A BAREFACED LIE https://twitter.com/peterstefanovi2/status/1416693911138013185

    Peter Stefanovic saying what he normally says.

    Day with D in it?
    Scott_xP said:

    French President Macron: "I no longer have any intention of sacrificing my life, my time, my freedom and the adolescence of my daughters, as well as their right to study properly, for those who refuse to be vaccinated. This time you are staying at home, not us.”

    Bien dit 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

    https://twitter.com/gardenjardinage/status/1417705360538800129

    Mons. Macaron one man Punch and Judy Show episode 394.
  • StuartDicksonStuartDickson Posts: 12,146
    HYUFD said:

    You are an English Labour voter so irrelevant, the Tories had a majority of 157 in England alone in 2019.

    Scottish independence would not only end the Union but also the Conservative and Unionist Party, which would become the English Nationalist Party and dominate English politics as much as the SNP dominated Scottish politics.

    List of people FUDHY defines as “irrelevant”:

    English Labour voters
    English Lib Dem voters
    English Green voters
    One Nation Tories
    The Scots
    The Welsh
    Irish people who don’t vote DUP
    The rest of the world

    His universe is exceedingly small.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 75,213
    FF43 said:

    Don't know what Archie Norman's point is. Brexit is his party's policy. Deal with it.

    And as chaiman of M&S it is up to people in his company to manage the rules as they are and/or lobby for possible change - eg a Swiss style veterinary agreement is available now if the UK government didn't have such an irredentist view of sovereignty. Publicly moaning about regulation being ridiculous isn't useful in either getting rid of them or managing them...
    Does that not count as lobbying, then ?
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,554

    Good joint initiative with Scotland and England border counties

    BBC News - Cross-border City of Culture bid is launched
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-57901216

    One of the problems with Cumbria County Council being based in Carlisle and getting involved in schemes like this is that it ignores the large parts of Cumbria which are not close to the Scottish borders eg South Lakeland where I live.

    The money and efforts are focused on a very small area and the rest is ignored. Some of the people responsible for waste services in our area, for instance, haven't even visited here. Having a unitary authority for Cumbria is a disaster and I have said as much in response to the recent consultation.
  • TazTaz Posts: 16,911

    Their food offering has declined and risen in price over the last year, first time I can remember a decline in their food quality. Might be a coincidence, Covid or Ocado related but feels significantly Brexit driven to me.
    They are actually going to start paying dividends again.
  • squareroot2squareroot2 Posts: 6,976
    maaarsh said:

    The leadership of M&S raise Brexit everytime they have to face investors as they know it'll get the headline rather than their continued poor performance.
    Their clothing is v poor and unstylish...
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 126,278
    edited July 2021
    Taz said:

    True, but he can huff and puff but can’t stop them. They aren’t likely to care and they will regard a progressive alliance govt to be far more,kind to them than a Tory one.
    No guarantee even PR would give a progressive alliance minus Scotland.

    As said in 2015 the Tories and UKIP got 54% of the vote combined in England and even in 2019 the 49% the Tories and BXP and UKIP got combined in England may well have been enough for a combined majority too, especially under an AMS or MMS, even PR is rarely pure PR.

  • StuartDicksonStuartDickson Posts: 12,146
    Charles said:

    I don’t know without checking but I suspect he can stop them. Can he designate something as a piece of English law, fir example? (Although I think the government is abandoning EVEL)
    Yepp. Gone.

    https://nation.cymru/news/england-is-completely-ignored-campaigners-call-for-english-parliament-as-evel-is-scrapped/

  • Daveyboy1961Daveyboy1961 Posts: 4,333

    If you're going for the "much of NI voted Leave" line I will throw in "much of England voted Remain". (England 47% Remain vs NI 44% Leave).
    Wow, something's triggered the Boris fanbois today!!
  • TheWhiteRabbitTheWhiteRabbit Posts: 12,454
    Scott_xP said:

    French President Macron: "I no longer have any intention of sacrificing my life, my time, my freedom and the adolescence of my daughters, as well as their right to study properly, for those who refuse to be vaccinated. This time you are staying at home, not us.”

    Bien dit 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

    https://twitter.com/gardenjardinage/status/1417705360538800129

    In a country where people are quick to take to the streets, he's signalled that that's what they should do.

    Looks like it is gong to be a disaster. Let's hope not.

  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826
    Alistair said:

    Ah, so you are abandoning your old forecast that "the country is simply running out of people who can get sick and die from infection faster than the virus can spread." then? From back in early June when everyone was calling peak Covid.
    No, I stand by it.

    The number of people who can get sick and die is shrinking by hundreds of thousands per day, faster than the virus can spread. Yesterday the virus spread to 46k people, while over 180k were vaccinated.

    That doesn't mean the virus can't spread - and its worth noting that vaccination numbers are well down on what they were in early June precisely because most people have already been vaccinated, twice. So the virus can spread but it can't make many people sick or die because vaccinations have won the race.
  • squareroot2squareroot2 Posts: 6,976

    List of people FUDHY defines as “irrelevant”:

    English Labour voters
    English Lib Dem voters
    English Green voters
    One Nation Tories
    The Scots
    The Welsh
    Irish people who don’t vote DUP
    The rest of the world

    His universe is exceedingly small.
    Not as small as Scotland.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 126,278

    So by your reckoning, the last three times Labour won an election, it did not rely on Scottish seats to do so. Why then would Labour be "utterly screwed"?
    As it is no longer a Blairite party
  • eekeek Posts: 29,399
    edited July 2021
    Cyclefree said:

    One of the problems with Cumbria County Council being based in Carlisle and getting involved in schemes like this is that it ignores the large parts of Cumbria which are not close to the Scottish borders eg South Lakeland where I live.

    The money and efforts are focused on a very small area and the rest is ignored. Some of the people responsible for waste services in our area, for instance, haven't even visited here. Having a unitary authority for Cumbria is a disaster and I have said as much in response to the recent consultation.
    Local authorities do need to be small enough that you can get from one place within it to any other place within a sensible time frame.

    I'm not sure what the optimum time frame is but it has to be way less than the 3 hours I suspect it takes to get from Carlisle to parts of the Southern Lakes.

    North Yorkshire has similar issues - how do you split a county with very few east west and north south routes.

    And in County Durham they destroyed Bishop Auckland in one swoop by allowing an out of town centre to be built on the outskirts via votes from councillors who had never visited the place.
  • CandyCandy Posts: 51
    eek said:



    The international language of trade is English - and we are the only accessible country where English is the default language.

    Other parts of Europe use fluency of local language as an employment filter in a way we cannot...

    English is the default language of Ireland too. And they're in the supposed paradise of the EU too!

    The refugees should go there - English speaking and in the EU, what more could they want.
  • CD13CD13 Posts: 6,375
    Boris seems to be current Aunt Sally for the terminally angry. As my daughter used to say "Get over it."

    Boris is self-obsessed, extremely lazy, and for once I'd disagree slightly with Mr Dancer. I'd say he's amoral, but if he gained any morals, he'd be immoral. He's reached his exalted position through bluff and connections.

    Therefore an excellent PM.

    Lacking principles, he concentrates on survival. His only hope is to appoint competent deputies, and as long as he wins more than he loses, he will succeed. He will irritate those with delusions of their own competence. Cummings is an example. In his own mind, he can do a much better job, but he misunderstands the point of being a PM.

    First, do no harm. Make your enemies angry and they will appear obsessed. Angry people convince no one.

    Do not micro-manage. You are not an expert, but you don't need to be. We have plenty of those.

    Model yourself on JFK. Surround yourself with competent advisors, but stand to one side and make your own decisions. It's your own survival that ranks first. Take advantage when you're in a strong position. Know your enemy. Lie when necessary. October 1962 was his finest hour. Jupiter rockets in Turkey were merely symbolic but a potent lever to out-manoeuvre Mr K during the Cuban missile crisis.

    By comparison, the EU vaccine minister was a seven-year-old child Job done.

    Revel in your opponents bile - but this is optional.
  • noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 23,935
    Taz said:

    They are actually going to start paying dividends again.
    At the higher price and lower quality mix I am not surprised! Will customers remain loyal as standards drop though?
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 19,118

    Does Boris Johnson run the risk of breaking apart his Brexit coalition by continuously bringing the issue up again, when he specifically said Brexit would be "done" if people voted for him?

    Well, Brexit is done. We have Brexited. I'd expect the overwhelming majority of Brexit supporters to think this is the EU trying to cause trouble.

    It enables Johnson to campaign at the next election on protecting Brexit - because the only solution to the NI trade issues that doesn't upset either side in NI is for Britain to have a closer economic relationship with the EU.

    At some point Starmer will be unable to resist stating the obvious, and there you have a rallying call for the next general election:

    "Labour still don't get it. They won't accept that we voted for Brexit. Vote Boris to save Brexit"
  • Northern_AlNorthern_Al Posts: 8,712
    I sense an opportunity for Boris.

    If it is confirmed that fresh foods are being left to rot undelivered because of pinging, he will be able to litter his public utterances with references to 'ping pong'. Would be in character.
  • CiceroCicero Posts: 3,292
    Cyclefree said:

    One of the problems with Cumbria County Council being based in Carlisle and getting involved in schemes like this is that it ignores the large parts of Cumbria which are not close to the Scottish borders eg South Lakeland where I live.

    The money and efforts are focused on a very small area and the rest is ignored. Some of the people responsible for waste services in our area, for instance, haven't even visited here. Having a unitary authority for Cumbria is a disaster and I have said as much in response to the recent consultation.
    So a restoration of Cumberland, Westmoreland and Furness?
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 17,774
    Nigelb said:

    Does that not count as lobbying, then ?
    Publicly denouncing rules as ridiculous is not sensible lobbying of states that impose those rules. Particularly when the EU rules are the same as those imposed by other countries including the UK.

    Maybe Norman is lobbying the UK government for something unrelated by being Brexiteer-than-thou. That might make some sense.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 64,785
    Cyclefree said:

    One of the problems with Cumbria County Council being based in Carlisle and getting involved in schemes like this is that it ignores the large parts of Cumbria which are not close to the Scottish borders eg South Lakeland where I live.

    The money and efforts are focused on a very small area and the rest is ignored. Some of the people responsible for waste services in our area, for instance, haven't even visited here. Having a unitary authority for Cumbria is a disaster and I have said as much in response to the recent consultation.
    But hopefully the benefits will accrue across all the regions

    The other interesting point is once the Scots and English border counties come together for the benefit of the whole region, independence becomes far more problematic for them
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 16,261
    Taz said:

    Partridge under the Gibbons brothers is actually an okay person underneath it all. There is more than a scrap of humanity there. He is someone who has a high degree of vulnerability. Probably because the gibbons brothers are fans as well as good writers.

    Under Ianucci and Baynham he was a far less developed character.
    I think his Travel Tavern days were peak Partridge though.
  • StuartDicksonStuartDickson Posts: 12,146
    edited July 2021

    Easy solution: revert to Welsh as the national language.
    Err… other indigenous languages are available, if we’re going to ditch the Germanic one.
  • another_richardanother_richard Posts: 27,275
    Nigelb said:

    More that he takes the Boris view on the expendability of those most likely to die ?
    No, Boris thought the sick oldies were expendable - which is what the NHS effectively does in its treatments in any case.

    Contrarian thinks the anti-vaxxers are the heroic people and they're the ones most likely to die.

    Maybe he fancies becoming an antivax martyr himself.
  • kjhkjh Posts: 12,314
    HYUFD said:

    We will find one with plenty of space, Cumbria likes nuclear power and subs which give them lots of jobs so round Barrow would be a choice.

    Of course once the SNP have given up nukes and withdrawn from NATO we in England can then watch as Putin enters an independent Scotland without barely a fight and takes all the oil you are boasting about so much
    HYUFD are you really predicting that if Scotland went indy and left NATO Russia would invade? Really?
  • eekeek Posts: 29,399

    At the higher price and lower quality mix I am not surprised! Will customers remain loyal as standards drop though?
    Depends if you can find replacement options that aren't even more expensive.
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 16,261

    Err… other indigenous languages are available, if we’re going to ditch the Germanic one.
    No offense to Gaelic speakers intended!
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 64,785
    HYUFD said:

    We will find one with plenty of space, Cumbria likes nuclear power and subs which give them lots of jobs so round Barrow would be a choice.

    Of course once the SNP have given up nukes and withdrawn from NATO we in England can then watch as Putin enters an independent Scotland without barely a fight and takes all the oil you are boasting about so much
    Do you ever think before you write such utter rubbish, as evidenced in your last paragraph

    I am all for respecting different views but this is meant to be a forum for intelligent debate, not wild fantasy

  • StuartDicksonStuartDickson Posts: 12,146
    HYUFD said:

    We will find one with plenty of space, Cumbria likes nuclear power and subs which give them lots of jobs so round Barrow would be a choice.

    Of course once the SNP have given up nukes and withdrawn from NATO we in England can then watch as Putin enters an independent Scotland without barely a fight and takes all the oil you are boasting about so much
    Yes Jim, we feel the love.

    image
    "/>
  • Northern_AlNorthern_Al Posts: 8,712

    No, I stand by it.

    The number of people who can get sick and die is shrinking by hundreds of thousands per day, faster than the virus can spread. Yesterday the virus spread to 46k people, while over 180k were vaccinated.

    That doesn't mean the virus can't spread - and its worth noting that vaccination numbers are well down on what they were in early June precisely because most people have already been vaccinated, twice. So the virus can spread but it can't make many people sick or die because vaccinations have won the race.
    I remember the good old days when folk said we shouldn't worry about case numbers at all - the only metrics that counted were hospitalisations, ICU and deaths. All of which are inexorably rising, as expected after a lag with cases rising, with 96 deaths 'reported' yesterday and daily deaths rising quite rapidly. Hardly mentioned on here, unless I've missed it.
  • eekeek Posts: 29,399
    Candy said:

    English is the default language of Ireland too. And they're in the supposed paradise of the EU too!

    The refugees should go there - English speaking and in the EU, what more could they want.
    Ireland is not a 20 mile boat ride from France.
  • CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,554

    But hopefully the benefits will accrue across all the regions

    The other interesting point is once the Scots and English border counties come together for the benefit of the whole region, independence becomes far more problematic for them
    The latter may be the case.

    But the point is that the benefits won't accrue across the region because the current Cumbria County Council leadership is obsessed with extending links with Scotland and ignoring the rest of the county.

    So there is a current project to extend cycling routes down the West coast of Cumbria to South Lakeland and join it up with existing cycle paths. Husband is working on this. This would be beneficial for all sorts of reasons. Does the Council care or help? Bollocks it does. It is only interested in cycling routes into Scotland.
  • another_richardanother_richard Posts: 27,275

    If only there was some agreement that would allow migrants to be taken back to France.

    We could make a union of European countries and we could enforce it as one of the conditions

    Pity that's not what happened then isn't it.

    You had your chance.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 34,262
    edited July 2021

    List of people FUDHY defines as “irrelevant”:

    English Labour voters
    English Lib Dem voters
    English Green voters
    One Nation Tories
    The Scots
    The Welsh
    Irish people who don’t vote DUP
    The rest of the world

    His universe is exceedingly small.
    IIRC there used to be a very good pork pie shop in Epping. Otherwise not particularly notable, except as a service unit for the Forest, and, I am reminded, the Market.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,281
    Just caught up with @bbclaurak interview with Dom Cummings. Always thought he was much more nuanced than painted. But he comes across as a would-be Caudillo. If his analysis is right we should all say Thank You Carrie.

    https://twitter.com/DamianGreen/status/1417610497038356483?s=20
  • noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 23,935
    eek said:

    Depends if you can find replacement options that aren't even more expensive.
    You can imo, but not in a single store, multiple shops would be needed. Also some people will be quite willing to take a small drop in quality for a big drop in price at the likes of Sainsburys if they feel like they are getting taken for granted.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 126,278

    Do you ever think before you write such utter rubbish, as evidenced in your last paragraph

    I am all for respecting different views but this is meant to be a forum for intelligent debate, not wild fantasy

    Just facts, there is a large contingent in the SNP that not only wants to give up nuclear weapons but withdraw from NATO too
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_debate_in_the_Scottish_National_Party
  • StuartDicksonStuartDickson Posts: 12,146

    Do you ever think before you write such utter rubbish, as evidenced in your last paragraph

    I am all for respecting different views but this is meant to be a forum for intelligent debate, not wild fantasy

    Wild fantasy is what Boris fanboys do. It is their raison d’être.
  • RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 29,522
    eek said:

    You clearly haven't looked further north. The North East is not so not heating up as dying of heat exhaustion.
    Less so up here in the North East of Scotland. Last few days has had us sat under a wall of cloud. Warm but not roasting.
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 42,973
    kjh said:

    HYUFD are you really predicting that if Scotland went indy and left NATO Russia would invade? Really?
    An English Conservative cheering on the idea of Russia invading & occupying the only country with which England has a land border is pretty much the definition of cutting your nose off to spite your face. Also add on geopolitical nitwittedness of course.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 64,785
    Cyclefree said:

    The latter may be the case.

    But the point is that the benefits won't accrue across the region because the current Cumbria County Council leadership is obsessed with extending links with Scotland and ignoring the rest of the county.

    So there is a current project to extend cycling routes down the West coast of Cumbria to South Lakeland and join it up with existing cycle paths. Husband is working on this. This would be beneficial for all sorts of reasons. Does the Council care or help? Bollocks it does. It is only interested in cycling routes into Scotland.
    I really hope you do receive benefits, but of course you know the issues and I wish you and your husband well in your endeavours
  • StuartDicksonStuartDickson Posts: 12,146
    HYUFD said:

    We will find one with plenty of space, Cumbria likes nuclear power and subs which give them lots of jobs so round Barrow would be a choice.

    Of course once the SNP have given up nukes and withdrawn from NATO we in England can then watch as Putin enters an independent Scotland without barely a fight and takes all the oil you are boasting about so much
    Considering that Falmouth is the only English port deep enough to house Trident, placing the concrete silos in Cumbria might be a bit… err… sub-optimal.
  • noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 23,935

    I sense an opportunity for Boris.

    If it is confirmed that fresh foods are being left to rot undelivered because of pinging, he will be able to litter his public utterances with references to 'ping pong'. Would be in character.

    I smell a bit of a wiff about that post.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,281
    Interesting thread from the ONS:

    We’ve published new analysis of the impacts that long COVID has on adults in Great Britain.

    6.2% of adults may have experienced long COVID since the start of the pandemic. This includes 3.6% who said they had and 2.6% who said they were unsure


    https://twitter.com/ONS/status/1417764542206066688?s=20

    There are clearly multiple factors involved
  • RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 29,522
    Charles said:

    Fundamentally trusted trader schemes are the only way to square this particular circle
    No. You cannot use a "trusted trader" scheme for the entirety of GB - NI trade. Or "UK trade" as it used to be until your party lied to NI businesses, politicians and the people by removing them from the UK customs area.
  • StuartDicksonStuartDickson Posts: 12,146

    So by your reckoning, the last three times Labour won an election, it did not rely on Scottish seats to do so. Why then would Labour be "utterly screwed"?
    Please don’t ask him to be logical. It blows his circuits.
  • RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 29,522

    Do a bit of research into Coulport. Go and visit the area and drive around. Look at the fuzzed out areas on Google Maps. Those are immense concrete silos in them thar hills. Housing most of the nuclear warheads. Only a few are ever out at sea at any one time.

    Now, ask yourself, which southern English national park is going to be the new home for those concrete silos?
    Yes I know. I was being sarcastic that HYUFD wants to use the nukes to blow us away.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 34,262
    Cyclefree said:

    The latter may be the case.

    But the point is that the benefits won't accrue across the region because the current Cumbria County Council leadership is obsessed with extending links with Scotland and ignoring the rest of the county.

    So there is a current project to extend cycling routes down the West coast of Cumbria to South Lakeland and join it up with existing cycle paths. Husband is working on this. This would be beneficial for all sorts of reasons. Does the Council care or help? Bollocks it does. It is only interested in cycling routes into Scotland.
    Does the County intend to recreate the Kingdom of Strathclyde, linking up with the SW of Scotland and gain the benefits of forthcoming Scottish independence?

    Could be a winner.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 64,785
    HYUFD said:

    Just facts, there is a large contingent in the SNP that not only wants to give up nuclear weapons but withdraw from NATO too
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_debate_in_the_Scottish_National_Party
    Facts, twisted and bent out of shape and beyond recognition to justify your extraordinary eccentric ramblings
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,281
    Interestingly little/no evidence of long term effects on people who've just had "COVID" vs the uninfected, while Long COVID patients do:



    https://twitter.com/ONS/status/1417765332048023552?s=20
  • another_richardanother_richard Posts: 27,275

    Interesting thread from the ONS:

    We’ve published new analysis of the impacts that long COVID has on adults in Great Britain.

    6.2% of adults may have experienced long COVID since the start of the pandemic. This includes 3.6% who said they had and 2.6% who said they were unsure


    https://twitter.com/ONS/status/1417764542206066688?s=20

    There are clearly multiple factors involved

    And definitions.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 126,278

    An English Conservative cheering on the idea of Russia invading & occupying the only country with which England has a land border is pretty much the definition of cutting your nose off to spite your face. Also add on geopolitical nitwittedness of course.
    You are forgetting England and Wales and NI would still have nuclear weapons and still be in NATO, so safe from Russian invasion in a way a Scotland without nuclear weapons and out of NATO would not be
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 17,774

    Just caught up with @bbclaurak interview with Dom Cummings. Always thought he was much more nuanced than painted. But he comes across as a would-be Caudillo. If his analysis is right we should all say Thank You Carrie.

    https://twitter.com/DamianGreen/status/1417610497038356483?s=20

    This below. I agree with Cummings that Johnson is an unfit person to be anywhere near government, but his government was democratically elected. We are talking here about an attack on democracy:



  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 126,278
    edited July 2021

    Does the County intend to recreate the Kingdom of Strathclyde, linking up with the SW of Scotland and gain the benefits of forthcoming Scottish independence?

    Could be a winner.
    Not if the Scottish borders decided to stay with rUK
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 64,785
    edited July 2021

    Wild fantasy is what Boris fanboys do. It is their raison d’être.
    Even allowing for some of them to do so @HYUFD occupies a position absolutely unique at the top of the tree

    And Brisbane to hold 2032 Summer Olympics
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 29,641
    MattW said:

    The IOC don't seem to agree with you.
    https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/handball/olympic-schedule-and-results.htm

    (Unless I missed something and it has been dropped)
    Handball vs beach handball perhaps? Too tired to care what either of them entails but vaguely recall similar differences in volleyball.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 64,675
    FF43 said:

    This below. I agree with Cummings that Johnson is an unfit person to be anywhere near government, but his government was democratically elected. We are talking here about an attack on democracy:



    Can he be done for planning sedition?
  • Daveyboy1961Daveyboy1961 Posts: 4,333

    Considering that Falmouth is the only English port deep enough to house Trident, placing the concrete silos in Cumbria might be a bit… err… sub-optimal.
    Dare I say Milford Haven is the deepest port in Europe, so I'm sure Tally ho! Simon Hart could oblige for Johnson.
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 42,973
    edited July 2021
    HYUFD said:

    You are forgetting England and Wales and NI would still have nuclear weapons and still be in NATO, so safe from Russian invasion in a way a Scotland without nuclear weapons and out of NATO would not be
    I never thought that the notion of turning Gibraltar into a second Stalingrad would be surpassed. I find I have underestimated you.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 34,262
    HYUFD said:

    Not if the Scottish borders decided to stay with rUK
    If 'Ifs and 'ands' were pots and pans
    We'd have no need of tinkers.
  • eekeek Posts: 29,399
    FF43 said:

    This below. I agree with Cummings that Johnson is an unfit person to be anywhere near government, but his government was democratically elected. We are talking here about an attack on democracy:



    UK Parliament - we technically don't vote for Boris we vote for our MP who then represents us in Parliament.

    That MP then supports his party leader who happens to be Boris - but those MPs can change their mind at any time (see for example T May).
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 29,641

    An English Conservative cheering on the idea of Russia invading & occupying the only country with which England has a land border is pretty much the definition of cutting your nose off to spite your face. Also add on geopolitical nitwittedness of course.
    Russia would not invade. Russia would, however, step up its buzzing of Scottish airspace, forcing the Scottish Air Force to spend a small fortune on interceptions, so either Scotland would arrange for the RAF to carry these out, or invite the USAF. Either way, once they've done that, there is no reason leaving the nuclear weapons where they are could not be part of an agreement, which is where we came in. Similarly, the Russian navy might inspect Scotland's coastal defences.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 19,118

    I remember the good old days when folk said we shouldn't worry about case numbers at all - the only metrics that counted were hospitalisations, ICU and deaths. All of which are inexorably rising, as expected after a lag with cases rising, with 96 deaths 'reported' yesterday and daily deaths rising quite rapidly. Hardly mentioned on here, unless I've missed it.
    Back in June there were regular positive updates on the hospital numbers, because there were times when they were only going up by ~10% week-on-week. For example https://vf.politicalbetting.com/discussion/comment/3457681#Comment_3457681

    I think the current rate of increase of Covid patients in hospital is >30% week-on-week.

    Now, hopefully everything will top out soon. But the situation is much more dicey than I expected it would be a month ago.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 64,785
    HYUFD said:

    You are forgetting England and Wales and NI would still have nuclear weapons and still be in NATO, so safe from Russian invasion in a way a Scotland without nuclear weapons and out of NATO would not be
    As I have said to you before on occasions, maybe time for you to go and enjoy a morning cup of tea
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,281
    Anyone spot the obvious flaw in this Macron "quote" that's doing the rounds on Twitter:

    French President Macron: "I no longer have any intention of sacrificing my life, my time, my freedom and the adolescence of my daughters, as well as their right to study properly, for those who refuse to be vaccinated. This time you are staying at home, not us.”

    https://twitter.com/gardenjardinage/status/1417705360538800129?s=20
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 29,641

    Can he be done for planning sedition?
    You can't arrest the entire Labour Party and half the Conservative Party for wanting rid of Boris.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 33,910
    Brisbane has been awarded the 2032 Olympics. Congratulations to them. But will the Australian border be open by then?
  • If we’d closed the borders and locked down hard as soon as the cases started rising again, we could have been free of COVID almost entirely by now.

    The New Zealand/Taiwan model will always be the best
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    I remember the good old days when folk said we shouldn't worry about case numbers at all - the only metrics that counted were hospitalisations, ICU and deaths. All of which are inexorably rising, as expected after a lag with cases rising, with 96 deaths 'reported' yesterday and daily deaths rising quite rapidly. Hardly mentioned on here, unless I've missed it.
    We shouldn't worry about case numbers at all - the only metrics that counted were hospitalisations, ICU and deaths. All of which are small.

    Happy?
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 34,262
    HYUFD said:

    You are forgetting England and Wales and NI would still have nuclear weapons and still be in NATO, so safe from Russian invasion in a way a Scotland without nuclear weapons and out of NATO would not be
    NI would have re-united with the rest of the island by then, surely. And the way things are going, nuclear weapons in Wales would give rise to strong local objections.
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 17,774
    edited July 2021

    At the higher price and lower quality mix I am not surprised! Will customers remain loyal as standards drop though?
    With the driver shortage, supermarket quality is determined more by who has the more resilient logistics than by their product marketing. I was in Waitrose and it was bad. Hardly any fresh produce, what there was very close to the expiry date in a bad state. I picked up a packet of tomatoes that I had to throw out because they were all rotten. Lidl by contrast has been rather better.

    End of days when Waitrose has gone to pot
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 64,785

    If we’d closed the borders and locked down hard as soon as the cases started rising again, we could have been free of COVID almost entirely by now.

    The New Zealand/Taiwan model will always be the best

    You have not listened to what is happening in Australia then
  • SlackbladderSlackbladder Posts: 9,795

    If we’d closed the borders and locked down hard as soon as the cases started rising again, we could have been free of COVID almost entirely by now.

    The New Zealand/Taiwan model will always be the best

    And entirely unworkable for the UK.
  • eekeek Posts: 29,399
    Andy_JS said:

    Brisbane has been awarded the 2032 Olympics. Congratulations to them. But will the Australian border be open by then?

    Hardly surprising - given the other options https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2032_Summer_Olympics#Interested_parties_which_did_not_advance_to_IOC_board_approval

    I suspect the 2036 olympics will be in Europe somewhere it will be interesting to see whether either of the German or Spanish bids get anywhere.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 50,432

    We shouldn't worry about case numbers at all - the only metrics that counted were hospitalisations, ICU and deaths. All of which are small.

    Happy?
    Not really.

    Cancer and cardiac surgery being cancelled again at my Trust, Emergency Department overloaded.

    Happy days.
  • Philip_ThompsonPhilip_Thompson Posts: 65,826

    If we’d closed the borders and locked down hard as soon as the cases started rising again, we could have been free of COVID almost entirely by now.

    The New Zealand/Taiwan model will always be the best

    Perhaps, though New Zealand is 3,500 miles from its nearest neighbour and has a fraction of the trade with its neighbours that we do.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,281
    Assuming they've opened their borders by then.....

    Australia’s Brisbane to host 2032 Olympic Games
    Australian city was unanimously proposed as the single candidate for 2032 by the International Olympic Committee’s 15-strong executive board in June.


    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/21/australias-brisbane-named-hosts-of-the-2032-olympics
  • NemtynakhtNemtynakht Posts: 2,329

    Their clothing is v poor and unstylish...
    The men's clothing seems to be 'knock offs' of other High St stores. I use quotes because it tends to be a more expensive knock off!
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 126,278

    NI would have re-united with the rest of the island by then, surely. And the way things are going, nuclear weapons in Wales would give rise to strong local objections.
    The Catholic and Nationalist dominated border bits maybe the DUP dominated and Leave voting Antrim and East Londonderry and much of Down would prefer to stay with England and Wales.

    Even Welsh Labour, the largest party in Wales, does not support giving up the nuclear deterrent and leaving NATO as many in the SNP do
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 33,910
    "The Commons Standards Committee has found that Tory MPs Natalie Elphicke, Sir Roger Gale and Theresa Villiers should be suspended for one day over “an improper attempt to influence judicial proceedings”. Colonel Bob Sewart and Adam Holloway will also have to apologise to the house. The findings followed an invstigation into their attempts to lobby judges ahead of a hearing in court of former MP Charlie Elphicke. They stupidly used Commons stationery to lobby the justices…"

    https://order-order.com
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 42,973

    Russia would not invade. Russia would, however, step up its buzzing of Scottish airspace, forcing the Scottish Air Force to spend a small fortune on interceptions, so either Scotland would arrange for the RAF to carry these out, or invite the USAF. Either way, once they've done that, there is no reason leaving the nuclear weapons where they are could not be part of an agreement, which is where we came in. Similarly, the Russian navy might inspect Scotland's coastal defences.
    Is non NATO member Ireland much troubled in this way?
    I'd imagine the continuing presence of Trident in an indy Scotland would exacerbate Russian attention rather than defuse it.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 25,737
    edited July 2021

    Anyone spot the obvious flaw in this Macron "quote" that's doing the rounds on Twitter:

    French President Macron: "I no longer have any intention of sacrificing my life, my time, my freedom and the adolescence of my daughters, as well as their right to study properly, for those who refuse to be vaccinated. This time you are staying at home, not us.”

    https://twitter.com/gardenjardinage/status/1417705360538800129?s=20

    Reverse Blunkett?
    Perhaps he is doing the 'normal for a President of the Republic"'.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 64,785

    Perhaps, though New Zealand is 3,500 miles from its nearest neighbour and has a fraction of the trade with its neighbours that we do.
    And it is two islands with scattered population and no real conurbations in the sense of the UK

    My eldest son lived there from 2003 until leaving to live in Canada in 2015

    It is a wonderful country but miles away from its nearest neighbours in Australia
  • BurgessianBurgessian Posts: 2,929

    Russia would not invade. Russia would, however, step up its buzzing of Scottish airspace, forcing the Scottish Air Force to spend a small fortune on interceptions, so either Scotland would arrange for the RAF to carry these out, or invite the USAF. Either way, once they've done that, there is no reason leaving the nuclear weapons where they are could not be part of an agreement, which is where we came in. Similarly, the Russian navy might inspect Scotland's coastal defences.


    In the event of Scottish independence the Trident subs will not be going anywhere. Any attempt to expel them would cause an enormous crisis in relations between rUK and the newly independent Scotland. In any event, the US would put enormous pressure on the Holyrood Govt.

    Anyone voting for Indy in the belief that Scotland would be "nuclear-free" is likely to be very disappointed.
This discussion has been closed.