Jason Kenny becomes the 30% favourite for this year BBC SPOTY election – politicalbetting.com

FrancisUrquhart said:

RobD said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Scuffles as anti lockdown protestors attempt to storm Television Centre in London #londonprotest #antilockdown https://t.co/gP1h8Cv2Lx

https://twitter.com/DisorderBritain/status/1424717088082604039?s=19

Apparently the group is called "Official Voice".

Anti-lockdown? Er, did they not get the memo?

I think their take is vaccines / vaccine passports / any demands for testing etc is akin to lockdown. Maybe I am overthinking the antivaxxer nutter position.

RobD said:

Sandpit said:

Daveyboy1961 said:

OT
I've just seen the medallists arrive off the plane on Sky News. Very enjoyable. I wonder where the non-medallists were. Do they have to travel by containership for 6 weeks?

Flying back economy from Tokyo is probably punishment enough, it’s a 13 or 14 hour flight, to then be bundled out of the back of the plane onto a bus, with no ceremony….

I can only assume someone is following them ringing a handbell chanting "shame... shame..."

MaxPB said:

Daveyboy1961 said:

OT
I've just seen the medallists arrive off the plane on Sky News. Very enjoyable. I wonder where the non-medallists were. Do they have to travel by containership for 6 weeks?

They're on a Wizz Air flight that connects to a Ryanair one and flies them into Southend!

MaxPB said:

Extracting and reprocessing lithium seems like a huge, huge opportunity in the next 5-7 years. It's a tiny market right now but it could become really competitive with newly extracted lithium in the near future.

kinabalu said:

eek said:

MaxPB said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

RobD said:

isam said:

From Twitter, not sure of the source, but if it’s true, the HGV problem isn’t due to Brexit

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8VuTBiXEAcNKqS?format=jpg&name=large

It's referencing something from 2018.

The article is from December 2018.

https://www.bifa.org/news/articles/2018/dec/truck-driver-shortage-crisis-now-spreading-across-the-whole-of-europe

So easy to check stuff like this.

That doesn't mean it isn't still true. In fact I'd be shocked if it wasn't given the market dynamics and boom in home delivery and general lack of investment in supply chain logistics across the whole continent. The solution has always been to throw cheap labour at it, it's well past time to look at a new way of doing business.

The solution for a lot of years was it's not a problem because the drivers albeit old existed.

Then the older drivers started to retire and the younger ones found that local parcel delivery paid nearly the same while allowing you to go home every night.

I have always fancied being a long distance lorry driver. I suppose the reality is nothing like this but in my mind’s eye it’s a great occupation. Pulling in and pulling out of places, forever transient, the freedom of the open road, lots of thinking time, no uniform, eat what you like when you like, a large and powerful machine at your beck and call, and (key point) the knowledge that your job is of value, you’re doing something that genuinely needs doing, that somebody else would have to do if you weren’t there, and on top of all this you’re getting paid. Too old now though. If there is a shortage I won't be helping fill it.

Malmesbury said:

kinabalu said:

eek said:

MaxPB said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

RobD said:

isam said:

From Twitter, not sure of the source, but if it’s true, the HGV problem isn’t due to Brexit

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8VuTBiXEAcNKqS?format=jpg&name=large

It's referencing something from 2018.

The article is from December 2018.

https://www.bifa.org/news/articles/2018/dec/truck-driver-shortage-crisis-now-spreading-across-the-whole-of-europe

So easy to check stuff like this.

That doesn't mean it isn't still true. In fact I'd be shocked if it wasn't given the market dynamics and boom in home delivery and general lack of investment in supply chain logistics across the whole continent. The solution has always been to throw cheap labour at it, it's well past time to look at a new way of doing business.

The solution for a lot of years was it's not a problem because the drivers albeit old existed.

Then the older drivers started to retire and the younger ones found that local parcel delivery paid nearly the same while allowing you to go home every night.

I have always fancied being a long distance lorry driver. I suppose the reality is nothing like this but in my mind’s eye it’s a great occupation. Pulling in and pulling out of places, forever transient, the freedom of the open road, lots of thinking time, no uniform, eat what you like when you like, a large and powerful machine at your beck and call, and (key point) the knowledge that your job is of value, you’re doing something that genuinely needs doing, that somebody else would have to do if you weren’t there, and on top of all this you’re getting paid. Too old now though. If there is a shortage I won't be helping fill it.

Asside from mind-numbing boredom of cruising down motorways, sitting in car parks and being paid shit for the same.,..

Sandpit said:

MaxPB said:

Extracting and reprocessing lithium seems like a huge, huge opportunity in the next 5-7 years. It's a tiny market right now but it could become really competitive with newly extracted lithium in the near future.

Yes, there’s very quickly going to be billions of waste batteries to be recycled from EVs, and whoever can set up an efficient way of doing it in the West, is going to make a fortune. It’s not sexy, but there will be huge demand for it.

MattW said:

Leon said:

eek said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

tlg86 said:

Dura_Ace said:

Daveyboy1961 said:

tlg86 said:

Philip_Thompson said:

Selebian said:

It would be fun to go back to PB - had it existed - in the mid nineties and read the discussion on how mobile phones would never take off due to being expensive and the complete lack of needed infrastructure meaning they were useless for people who lived in or travelled to places outside the main population centres due to a complete lack of network coverage

I don't think anyone's saying electric cars won't take off.

Just that a lot needs to be done before they're universally adoptable. Which was true in the 90s to get universal coverage for mobiles too.

Precisely. If electric cars were such a certainty, why is our government having to ban the ICE?

They aren't banning the engine, only the sale of new cars etc. There will be a lot of legacy cars about up to 10 years after the ban. I also think the car companies need a push in the right direction, as it is so easy for them to remain in a rut. I also suspect that you won't be able to buy a new ICE car well before the ban takes place, the companies will not want to be landed with a stock of useless cars.

Even 3 - 5 years before the ban comes in sales of ICE cars will crater. You wouldn't want to be holding on to one that wasn't somehow collectible.

How many people actually buy new cars these days? Doesn't everyone just lease them for three years and then get a new one? So the end consumers won't care about the value of the cars crashing as they don't own them.

Your monthly lease cost is dependent on what the leasing company can get out of the car in 3 years. If it is going to be worth square root of f all, the consumer is going to be the one paying for that, not the leasing company.

This.

Prior to purchasing my JCW Mini, I had a top of the range VW Passat estate that cost me £120 a month because VW leasing had entered the wrong value in the value at 3 years box.

About 300 people were able to get orders through to the extent that VW couldn't turn them down before they fixed the error.

I have a brand new JCW Mini. Fabulous cars. Mine has a 70s roof which shades from black to blue like the hues of a classic rock Les Paul guitar. GORGEOUS

30k for a Mini, which the reviews describe as "Sanitised fun"?

Sorry, but ... no.

TheScreamingEagles said:

I was speaking to my friend who works high up at Asda and he Brexit has paid a part, in descending order,

1) A shortage of drivers due to Brexit as drivers decide to stay in the EU.

2) Plenty of drivers don't want to sit in customs for ages, especially when you can (and did) seamlessly cross the EU border until last December and still can if your destination isn't to and/or from GB.

3) Because we test so much (much more than our EU neighbours) we're losing more drivers to isolation than anywhere else.

4) There's only so many hours a driver can drive, given the shortage, there's not enough slack in the system to pick up. It's not easy to train from scratch, there's a world of difference between driving refrigerated stuff vs. dry stuff vs. electronics etc. It isn't a case of hurrah you've passed your HGV test now go and drive hundreds of miles, you have to build up the knowledge and experience.

5) He expects the Army to be called up, apparently the government is scared shitless about empty shelves, it destroys their narrative.

FrancisUrquhart said:

RobD said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Scuffles as anti lockdown protestors attempt to storm Television Centre in London #londonprotest #antilockdown https://t.co/gP1h8Cv2Lx

https://twitter.com/DisorderBritain/status/1424717088082604039?s=19

Apparently the group is called "Official Voice".

Anti-lockdown? Er, did they not get the memo?

I think their take is vaccines / vaccine passports / any demands for testing etc is akin to lockdown. Maybe I am overthinking the antivaxxer nutter position.

FrancisUrquhart said:

Shakes head...shades of COVID is being exaggerated due to false positives.

Geronimo the alpaca: Protesters march on Downing Street

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-58143100

IshmaelZ said:

Philip_Thompson said:

IshmaelZ said:

YoungTurk said:

Duckspeak heard today on the BBC (said in earnest tone): "The science shows that climate change is already here."

Er yes mate. As if nobody in their 40s would notice that blossom appears on trees about two months earlier now than it did when they were children, unless they had some d*ckhead on the radio to invoke the great god "Science" in their lughole. And as if nobody has heard about things like the, duh, ice ages either, or the ice fairs on the Thames. The climate has always changed. It's as if those who speak in front of microphones have vanishingly little care for meaning - just gob off the buzzphrases and do it with exhortation and a sense of urgency.

I bet your grandmother smoked 60 capstan a day and lived to 98. Your point presumably is that the ice ages and indeed the little ice age happened and caused no notable damage or suffering to humanity whatever, so what is the fuss about? And that you don't understand they are specific named events because they stand out from much longer periods of relative climatic stability, so that a period of similar climactic change is, by pretty much any definition, news?

And why do you suppose the BBC target audience is exclusively in its 40s?

Because Millenials and younger watch Netflix/YouTube etc

For news?

MattW said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

RobD said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Scuffles as anti lockdown protestors attempt to storm Television Centre in London #londonprotest #antilockdown https://t.co/gP1h8Cv2Lx

https://twitter.com/DisorderBritain/status/1424717088082604039?s=19

Apparently the group is called "Official Voice".

Anti-lockdown? Er, did they not get the memo?

I think their take is vaccines / vaccine passports / any demands for testing etc is akin to lockdown. Maybe I am overthinking the antivaxxer nutter position.

Looking at the Beeb video, it does not look large - a few thousand, and it does not look especially "anti-vax" - the slogans are all "Kill the Bill", "not fit to govern", "Tories Out", and so on.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57623110

I wonder if Patsy Stevenson is there?

StuartDickson said:

MattW said:

NorthofStoke said:

MattW said:

Philip_Thompson said:

Pulpstar said:

JosiasJessop said:

FeersumEnjineeya said:

JosiasJessop said:

Dura_Ace said:

Philip_Thompson said:

And when are solar panels rather useless? In the winter, when heating is needed. Solar panels cease to work well just when our demand peaks. They're a great alternative to coal but if you want year-round zero carbon they're completely nonsensical.

Obviously you are the world's fucking expert on solar systems but photovoltaic cells work on light not heat and are more efficient in colder temperatures. I usually get about 10kWh from both of my systems in the winter. It only stops being effective when it's covered in snow.

Just adding to the posts from other people to say that your post is absolutely effing clueless.

1) There are fewer hours of daylight in winter.
2) Winters tend to be more overcast. Whilst panels do not require direct sunlight, the energy delivered is still lower.
3) The sun is lower in the sky in winter, meaning the angle of incidence is lower.

Whilst you are correct that they work better in lower (reasonable) temperatures, this is more than offset by the factors above. At a guess, you'd be lucky to get 20% of average July power in December.

(I daresay someone else will point out I've got this wrong and I'm effing clueless as well...)

On the plus side, solar panels are a good complement to wind power, helping to cover the daytime peaks in consumption.

Oh, there's certainly a place for solar panels. It's just that we're not in an ideal part of the world for them. In the UK, wind makes much more sense.

I wish there was more openness on the figures, and we could see how much power is generated at any time by individual wind or solar farms. There's a windfarm and solarfarm very near our village, and I've no idea how much they generate.

As an aside, the wind farm's turbines are placed in two rows. The other day I noticed that the blades of each row turn in opposite direction. I assume that increases efficiency if they're in the wind 'shadow' of the other row?

29/3/18
31/3/18 / 17.2
5/7/18 / 17.3
7/10/18 / 15.1
8/1/19 / 6.3
31/3/19 / 10
1/4/19 / 20.1
11/7/19 / 16.4
9/10/19 / 15
6/1/20 / 5.6
31/3/20 / 9.3
1/4/20 / 18.6
20/7/20 / 17.7
27/10/20 / 12.4
17/1/21 / 4.4
31/3/21 / 10.7
20/4/21 / 11.2
26/7/21 / 17

Average daily generation for my system (Period ending)

That's precisely my point.

As a country that requires a lot of heating and not air conditioning, energy demand surges in the winter and drops in the summer. As we switch from gas central heating, to electric powered central heating, that's only going to be exaggerated.

Solar output collapses exactly when we need it most. It may be economically productive for you, but its not environmentally a solution for the UK as a whole.

If you build highly energy efficient houses, cooling in summer and solar heat gain in the spring/autumn is the bigger problem. When we get there, developers will need simple ways to manage it.

It is quite straightforward to reduce the winter heating requirement to a couple of kw in the winter. Talking near-passive spec here. To the extent that some people heat their whole house in winter with 1-2kW of direct resistance heating (ie immersion type heater) driving under-floor heating on an Economy 7 tariff. Rather than flubbing around with 5-10k on a heat pump.

So all we have to do as well is replace tens of millions of houses?

No - more like improving them all to C on the EPC scale, which halves the energy demand from an E/F. Even that will be a huge contribution.

In England there is already a regulatory escalator pretty much in place by 2030 for Private Rental to reach that - it is now an offence to privately rent an EPC F property (with exceptions for eg listed buildings). Council and Housing Association are largely there already due to Governments throwing money at them since approx 2000.

There is nothing in place for Owner Occupied which is why I keep shouting about it.

In 5 years time Owner Occupied will be firmly established as the slum sector for energy efficiency - but Mr Sharma mentioned it on R4 Today this morning, so expect something from Rishi in the autumn. Perhaps following Scotland.

Scotland doing something right? Surely impossible.

Scott_xP said:

Anti-Vaxx protestors storming the old BBC Television Centre to hold the BBC responsible for... vaccine passports?

Either way the studios they attacked are... mainly leased by ITV to make Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, and Loose Women, so that showed them.
https://twitter.com/jimwaterson/status/1424741693035851776

StuartDickson said:

I’m aware of vast, roaming herds of PB Tories, a few PB Labourites and Farage fans, some Lib Dems (although far fewer than at the start), a handful of SNP and an Alba, but I honestly cannot think of a single Green PBer. Is there one?

(I think there was an N Ireland Green guy a while back?)

Malmesbury said:

kinabalu said:

eek said:

MaxPB said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

RobD said:

isam said:

From Twitter, not sure of the source, but if it’s true, the HGV problem isn’t due to Brexit

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8VuTBiXEAcNKqS?format=jpg&name=large

It's referencing something from 2018.

The article is from December 2018.

https://www.bifa.org/news/articles/2018/dec/truck-driver-shortage-crisis-now-spreading-across-the-whole-of-europe

So easy to check stuff like this.

That doesn't mean it isn't still true. In fact I'd be shocked if it wasn't given the market dynamics and boom in home delivery and general lack of investment in supply chain logistics across the whole continent. The solution has always been to throw cheap labour at it, it's well past time to look at a new way of doing business.

The solution for a lot of years was it's not a problem because the drivers albeit old existed.

Then the older drivers started to retire and the younger ones found that local parcel delivery paid nearly the same while allowing you to go home every night.

I have always fancied being a long distance lorry driver. I suppose the reality is nothing like this but in my mind’s eye it’s a great occupation. Pulling in and pulling out of places, forever transient, the freedom of the open road, lots of thinking time, no uniform, eat what you like when you like, a large and powerful machine at your beck and call, and (key point) the knowledge that your job is of value, you’re doing something that genuinely needs doing, that somebody else would have to do if you weren’t there, and on top of all this you’re getting paid. Too old now though. If there is a shortage I won't be helping fill it.

Asside from mind-numbing boredom of cruising down motorways, sitting in car parks and being paid shit for the same.,..

Pulpstar said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

MattW said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

RobD said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Scuffles as anti lockdown protestors attempt to storm Television Centre in London #londonprotest #antilockdown https://t.co/gP1h8Cv2Lx

https://twitter.com/DisorderBritain/status/1424717088082604039?s=19

Apparently the group is called "Official Voice".

Anti-lockdown? Er, did they not get the memo?

I think their take is vaccines / vaccine passports / any demands for testing etc is akin to lockdown. Maybe I am overthinking the antivaxxer nutter position.

Looking at the Beeb video, it does not look large - a few thousand, and it does not look especially "anti-vax" - the slogans are all "Kill the Bill", "not fit to govern", "Tories Out", and so on.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57623110

I wonder if Patsy Stevenson is there?

These are the same people...

Over 500 “Official Voice” at Shepherds Bush, protesting against vaccine passports and vaccine for kids - their goal today is to take over a key London Building …. Eyes

https://twitter.com/PaulBrown_UK/status/1424696493848596492?s=20

Their existence is a most compelling argument for vaccine passports.

StuartDickson said:

MattW said:

NorthofStoke said:

MattW said:

Philip_Thompson said:

Pulpstar said:

JosiasJessop said:

FeersumEnjineeya said:

JosiasJessop said:

Dura_Ace said:

Philip_Thompson said:

And when are solar panels rather useless? In the winter, when heating is needed. Solar panels cease to work well just when our demand peaks. They're a great alternative to coal but if you want year-round zero carbon they're completely nonsensical.

Obviously you are the world's fucking expert on solar systems but photovoltaic cells work on light not heat and are more efficient in colder temperatures. I usually get about 10kWh from both of my systems in the winter. It only stops being effective when it's covered in snow.

Just adding to the posts from other people to say that your post is absolutely effing clueless.

1) There are fewer hours of daylight in winter.
2) Winters tend to be more overcast. Whilst panels do not require direct sunlight, the energy delivered is still lower.
3) The sun is lower in the sky in winter, meaning the angle of incidence is lower.

Whilst you are correct that they work better in lower (reasonable) temperatures, this is more than offset by the factors above. At a guess, you'd be lucky to get 20% of average July power in December.

(I daresay someone else will point out I've got this wrong and I'm effing clueless as well...)

On the plus side, solar panels are a good complement to wind power, helping to cover the daytime peaks in consumption.

Oh, there's certainly a place for solar panels. It's just that we're not in an ideal part of the world for them. In the UK, wind makes much more sense.

I wish there was more openness on the figures, and we could see how much power is generated at any time by individual wind or solar farms. There's a windfarm and solarfarm very near our village, and I've no idea how much they generate.

As an aside, the wind farm's turbines are placed in two rows. The other day I noticed that the blades of each row turn in opposite direction. I assume that increases efficiency if they're in the wind 'shadow' of the other row?

29/3/18
31/3/18 / 17.2
5/7/18 / 17.3
7/10/18 / 15.1
8/1/19 / 6.3
31/3/19 / 10
1/4/19 / 20.1
11/7/19 / 16.4
9/10/19 / 15
6/1/20 / 5.6
31/3/20 / 9.3
1/4/20 / 18.6
20/7/20 / 17.7
27/10/20 / 12.4
17/1/21 / 4.4
31/3/21 / 10.7
20/4/21 / 11.2
26/7/21 / 17

Average daily generation for my system (Period ending)

That's precisely my point.

As a country that requires a lot of heating and not air conditioning, energy demand surges in the winter and drops in the summer. As we switch from gas central heating, to electric powered central heating, that's only going to be exaggerated.

Solar output collapses exactly when we need it most. It may be economically productive for you, but its not environmentally a solution for the UK as a whole.

If you build highly energy efficient houses, cooling in summer and solar heat gain in the spring/autumn is the bigger problem. When we get there, developers will need simple ways to manage it.

It is quite straightforward to reduce the winter heating requirement to a couple of kw in the winter. Talking near-passive spec here. To the extent that some people heat their whole house in winter with 1-2kW of direct resistance heating (ie immersion type heater) driving under-floor heating on an Economy 7 tariff. Rather than flubbing around with 5-10k on a heat pump.

So all we have to do as well is replace tens of millions of houses?

No - more like improving them all to C on the EPC scale, which halves the energy demand from an E/F. Even that will be a huge contribution.

In England there is already a regulatory escalator pretty much in place by 2030 for Private Rental to reach that - it is now an offence to privately rent an EPC F property (with exceptions for eg listed buildings). Council and Housing Association are largely there already due to Governments throwing money at them since approx 2000.

There is nothing in place for Owner Occupied which is why I keep shouting about it.

In 5 years time Owner Occupied will be firmly established as the slum sector for energy efficiency - but Mr Sharma mentioned it on R4 Today this morning, so expect something from Rishi in the autumn. Perhaps following Scotland.

Scotland doing something right? Surely impossible.

MattW said:

StuartDickson said:

MattW said:

NorthofStoke said:

MattW said:

Philip_Thompson said:

Pulpstar said:

JosiasJessop said:

FeersumEnjineeya said:

JosiasJessop said:

Dura_Ace said:

Philip_Thompson said:

And when are solar panels rather useless? In the winter, when heating is needed. Solar panels cease to work well just when our demand peaks. They're a great alternative to coal but if you want year-round zero carbon they're completely nonsensical.

Obviously you are the world's fucking expert on solar systems but photovoltaic cells work on light not heat and are more efficient in colder temperatures. I usually get about 10kWh from both of my systems in the winter. It only stops being effective when it's covered in snow.

Just adding to the posts from other people to say that your post is absolutely effing clueless.

1) There are fewer hours of daylight in winter.
2) Winters tend to be more overcast. Whilst panels do not require direct sunlight, the energy delivered is still lower.
3) The sun is lower in the sky in winter, meaning the angle of incidence is lower.

Whilst you are correct that they work better in lower (reasonable) temperatures, this is more than offset by the factors above. At a guess, you'd be lucky to get 20% of average July power in December.

(I daresay someone else will point out I've got this wrong and I'm effing clueless as well...)

On the plus side, solar panels are a good complement to wind power, helping to cover the daytime peaks in consumption.

Oh, there's certainly a place for solar panels. It's just that we're not in an ideal part of the world for them. In the UK, wind makes much more sense.

I wish there was more openness on the figures, and we could see how much power is generated at any time by individual wind or solar farms. There's a windfarm and solarfarm very near our village, and I've no idea how much they generate.

As an aside, the wind farm's turbines are placed in two rows. The other day I noticed that the blades of each row turn in opposite direction. I assume that increases efficiency if they're in the wind 'shadow' of the other row?

29/3/18
31/3/18 / 17.2
5/7/18 / 17.3
7/10/18 / 15.1
8/1/19 / 6.3
31/3/19 / 10
1/4/19 / 20.1
11/7/19 / 16.4
9/10/19 / 15
6/1/20 / 5.6
31/3/20 / 9.3
1/4/20 / 18.6
20/7/20 / 17.7
27/10/20 / 12.4
17/1/21 / 4.4
31/3/21 / 10.7
20/4/21 / 11.2
26/7/21 / 17

Average daily generation for my system (Period ending)

That's precisely my point.

As a country that requires a lot of heating and not air conditioning, energy demand surges in the winter and drops in the summer. As we switch from gas central heating, to electric powered central heating, that's only going to be exaggerated.

Solar output collapses exactly when we need it most. It may be economically productive for you, but its not environmentally a solution for the UK as a whole.

If you build highly energy efficient houses, cooling in summer and solar heat gain in the spring/autumn is the bigger problem. When we get there, developers will need simple ways to manage it.

It is quite straightforward to reduce the winter heating requirement to a couple of kw in the winter. Talking near-passive spec here. To the extent that some people heat their whole house in winter with 1-2kW of direct resistance heating (ie immersion type heater) driving under-floor heating on an Economy 7 tariff. Rather than flubbing around with 5-10k on a heat pump.

So all we have to do as well is replace tens of millions of houses?

No - more like improving them all to C on the EPC scale, which halves the energy demand from an E/F. Even that will be a huge contribution.

In England there is already a regulatory escalator pretty much in place by 2030 for Private Rental to reach that - it is now an offence to privately rent an EPC F property (with exceptions for eg listed buildings). Council and Housing Association are largely there already due to Governments throwing money at them since approx 2000.

There is nothing in place for Owner Occupied which is why I keep shouting about it.

In 5 years time Owner Occupied will be firmly established as the slum sector for energy efficiency - but Mr Sharma mentioned it on R4 Today this morning, so expect something from Rishi in the autumn. Perhaps following Scotland.

Scotland doing something right? Surely impossible.

I've been praising them for a couple of years on that one.

I think the Tories are too tied up in being scared of property owners.

One other big difference is that I think Scotland does not aiui have an exception from Energy Efficiency requirements for PRS rented property which is listed. Someone I was talking too was having minor kittens about how to upgrade a flat in the New Town without getting into trouble with Conservation Officers.

I'm not sure what impact that has on the National Trust for Scotland - the English Version has a large number of rented out listed buildings.

StuartDickson said:

I’m aware of vast, roaming herds of PB Tories, a few PB Labourites and Farage fans, some Lib Dems (although far fewer than at the start), a handful of SNP and an Alba, but I honestly cannot think of a single Green PBer. Is there one?

(I think there was an N Ireland Green guy a while back?)

Carnyx said:

Malmesbury said:

kinabalu said:

eek said:

MaxPB said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

RobD said:

isam said:

From Twitter, not sure of the source, but if it’s true, the HGV problem isn’t due to Brexit

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8VuTBiXEAcNKqS?format=jpg&name=large

It's referencing something from 2018.

The article is from December 2018.

https://www.bifa.org/news/articles/2018/dec/truck-driver-shortage-crisis-now-spreading-across-the-whole-of-europe

So easy to check stuff like this.

That doesn't mean it isn't still true. In fact I'd be shocked if it wasn't given the market dynamics and boom in home delivery and general lack of investment in supply chain logistics across the whole continent. The solution has always been to throw cheap labour at it, it's well past time to look at a new way of doing business.

The solution for a lot of years was it's not a problem because the drivers albeit old existed.

Then the older drivers started to retire and the younger ones found that local parcel delivery paid nearly the same while allowing you to go home every night.

I have always fancied being a long distance lorry driver. I suppose the reality is nothing like this but in my mind’s eye it’s a great occupation. Pulling in and pulling out of places, forever transient, the freedom of the open road, lots of thinking time, no uniform, eat what you like when you like, a large and powerful machine at your beck and call, and (key point) the knowledge that your job is of value, you’re doing something that genuinely needs doing, that somebody else would have to do if you weren’t there, and on top of all this you’re getting paid. Too old now though. If there is a shortage I won't be helping fill it.

Asside from mind-numbing boredom of cruising down motorways, sitting in car parks and being paid shit for the same.,..

Not to mention the problem of finding somewhere clean, dry and civilised to shit.

Carnyx said:

MattW said:

StuartDickson said:

MattW said:

NorthofStoke said:

MattW said:

Philip_Thompson said:

Pulpstar said:

JosiasJessop said:

FeersumEnjineeya said:

JosiasJessop said:

Dura_Ace said:

Philip_Thompson said:

And when are solar panels rather useless? In the winter, when heating is needed. Solar panels cease to work well just when our demand peaks. They're a great alternative to coal but if you want year-round zero carbon they're completely nonsensical.

Obviously you are the world's fucking expert on solar systems but photovoltaic cells work on light not heat and are more efficient in colder temperatures. I usually get about 10kWh from both of my systems in the winter. It only stops being effective when it's covered in snow.

Just adding to the posts from other people to say that your post is absolutely effing clueless.

1) There are fewer hours of daylight in winter.
2) Winters tend to be more overcast. Whilst panels do not require direct sunlight, the energy delivered is still lower.
3) The sun is lower in the sky in winter, meaning the angle of incidence is lower.

Whilst you are correct that they work better in lower (reasonable) temperatures, this is more than offset by the factors above. At a guess, you'd be lucky to get 20% of average July power in December.

(I daresay someone else will point out I've got this wrong and I'm effing clueless as well...)

On the plus side, solar panels are a good complement to wind power, helping to cover the daytime peaks in consumption.

Oh, there's certainly a place for solar panels. It's just that we're not in an ideal part of the world for them. In the UK, wind makes much more sense.

I wish there was more openness on the figures, and we could see how much power is generated at any time by individual wind or solar farms. There's a windfarm and solarfarm very near our village, and I've no idea how much they generate.

As an aside, the wind farm's turbines are placed in two rows. The other day I noticed that the blades of each row turn in opposite direction. I assume that increases efficiency if they're in the wind 'shadow' of the other row?

29/3/18
31/3/18 / 17.2
5/7/18 / 17.3
7/10/18 / 15.1
8/1/19 / 6.3
31/3/19 / 10
1/4/19 / 20.1
11/7/19 / 16.4
9/10/19 / 15
6/1/20 / 5.6
31/3/20 / 9.3
1/4/20 / 18.6
20/7/20 / 17.7
27/10/20 / 12.4
17/1/21 / 4.4
31/3/21 / 10.7
20/4/21 / 11.2
26/7/21 / 17

Average daily generation for my system (Period ending)

That's precisely my point.

As a country that requires a lot of heating and not air conditioning, energy demand surges in the winter and drops in the summer. As we switch from gas central heating, to electric powered central heating, that's only going to be exaggerated.

Solar output collapses exactly when we need it most. It may be economically productive for you, but its not environmentally a solution for the UK as a whole.

If you build highly energy efficient houses, cooling in summer and solar heat gain in the spring/autumn is the bigger problem. When we get there, developers will need simple ways to manage it.

It is quite straightforward to reduce the winter heating requirement to a couple of kw in the winter. Talking near-passive spec here. To the extent that some people heat their whole house in winter with 1-2kW of direct resistance heating (ie immersion type heater) driving under-floor heating on an Economy 7 tariff. Rather than flubbing around with 5-10k on a heat pump.

So all we have to do as well is replace tens of millions of houses?

No - more like improving them all to C on the EPC scale, which halves the energy demand from an E/F. Even that will be a huge contribution.

In England there is already a regulatory escalator pretty much in place by 2030 for Private Rental to reach that - it is now an offence to privately rent an EPC F property (with exceptions for eg listed buildings). Council and Housing Association are largely there already due to Governments throwing money at them since approx 2000.

There is nothing in place for Owner Occupied which is why I keep shouting about it.

In 5 years time Owner Occupied will be firmly established as the slum sector for energy efficiency - but Mr Sharma mentioned it on R4 Today this morning, so expect something from Rishi in the autumn. Perhaps following Scotland.

Scotland doing something right? Surely impossible.

I've been praising them for a couple of years on that one.

I think the Tories are too tied up in being scared of property owners.

One other big difference is that I think Scotland does not aiui have an exception from Energy Efficiency requirements for PRS rented property which is listed. Someone I was talking too was having minor kittens about how to upgrade a flat in the New Town without getting into trouble with Conservation Officers.

I'm not sure what impact that has on the National Trust for Scotland - the English Version has a large number of rented out listed buildings.

The NTS do rent out stuff. So does the Landmark Trust, in Scotland as elswehere, and probably Historic Scotland [English Heritage is the southron equivalent].

tlg86 said:

StuartDickson said:

Peaty and Laura Kenny drifting.

Daley 5/2
J Kenny 3/1
Peaty 21/2
L Kenny 15/1
Hamilton 16/1
Cavendish 19/1
Whitlock 20/1
Johnson-Thompson 22/1
Brownlee 40/1
50 bar

Might Brownlee be value, if the Scots get behind him?

Why would Scots get behind a Yorkshireman?

FrancisUrquhart said:

Johnson-Thompson 22/1

22/1....more like 2222222222/1....on offense to her, she is a great athlete and terrible that she broke down injured again, but she isn't winning SPOTY in an Olympic year when all those gold medallists (and Cav equalling the stage win record), some of which are the absolute GOAT of their events.

Taz said:

TOPPING said:

isam said:

…

TOPPING said:

MaxPB said:

TOPPING said:

Philip_Thompson said:

TOPPING said:

Philip_Thompson said:

TOPPING said:

MaxPB said:

TOPPING said:

Philip_Thompson said:

TOPPING said:

Philip_Thompson said:

TOPPING said:

Philip_Thompson said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

RochdalePioneers said:

another_richard said:

RochdalePioneers said:

another_richard said:

RochdalePioneers said:

another_richard said:

So the 'food shortages' turn out to be Waitrose not paying its drivers enough.

Not really Leningrad during the siege is it.

Still good for a bit of schadenfreude among those whose custom Waitrose doesn't want.

Now if you want a story which might damage Boris then try the new baby - he looks like one of those feckless fathers on poverty porn programs.

Not a good look when you're going to preach about environmental sustainability.

How have you reached that conclusion? There are tens of thousands fewer drivers than are required, with more retiring every month than are being replaced. So we now have some desperate companies like Tesco offering big dollah to entice drivers to defect, but that doesn't fix the problem either - the industry would be better served by Tesco spending the money on driver training.

What's wrong with pay rates rising for skilled workers ?

Nothing at all - there has been a race to the bottom over the last decade and more for truck drivers and a whole load of other industries.

My points are simple: they will drive costs and thus inflation, and it does not solve the driver crisis in the short to medium term. "Pay the drivers more" is not a solution for tens of thousands of vacancies you cannot fill. It is a strategy for 3 years hence which is fine, but needs to go hand in hand with a solution to the crisis - which has to be imported drivers.

And then the solution of get some cheap immigrants for the 'temporary crisis' becomes the permanent strategy.

There will never be any train more or pay more it will ALWAYS be get some cheap immigrants.

This is newly brexited Britain. We don't have to give migrant truck drivers a long term right to work here. The industry needs 18 months, so grant that long a work visa. Great opportunity for Romanian truck drivers to come over, make a bomb, then move on to the next gig.

The free market solution to a shortage of truck drivers is hire more truck drivers. It is only Brexit stubbornness preventing us from doing so.

The only time this will become salient is when and if it becomes obvious to the public

Right now I do not know anyone who is not receiving their orders either by food home delivery or through Amazon and other delivery companies

Because Amazon are willing to pay what it needs to pay in order to attract drivers they require. That is the free market solution.

Other companies whinging that there aren't enough drivers is a bit odd when so many people work on the roads in this country. There's no shortage of people willing to drive for a living, if they're not paying enough to attract drivers to work for them then there's a solution to that.

Does the free market stop at Dover, Phil?

Yes.

Past Dover there's no free movement of people, so if you want people to work for you then you need to either pay enough to get someone in the UK working for you - or pay enough that you can sponsor somebody for a visa.

You are a libertarian. You should surely want anyone to be an HGV driver here who decides they want to be an HGV driver here. Whether from Rotherham or Romania.

Yes absolutely if anyone wants to migrate here then I have no qualms with them doing so. The same rules should be consistently applied on that, I believe that currently if a company is offering a £30k salary plus they can sponsor a visa? I have no issues with that whatsoever, if a company wants to do that then they should do that.

If a company wants special privileges to hire people at low wages without meeting the salary requirements for a visa then I see no reason why we should do that.

Visas are an unwanted administrative tool to control the labour market aren't they?

I guess it depends on whether or not it's your job that's getting its wages depressed.

Oh absolutely but Philip is a man of principle and it is his political philosophy that is being discussed here.

My principle is I'm in favour of consistent reasonably free movement globally. I'd like the same rules applied globally and consistently.

I would be happy to see immigration go up not down, but I'd like to see restrictions on land usage eased tied to that so that we can have adequate house building etc to go with the increased population demands.

We've been through the land thing. You can't have people build anywhere because the taxes to address the negative externalities would be prohibitive.

But glad to see you are against restrictions on free movement. Can't say the same for all your Brexit fellow travellers.

An "Australian style points immigration system" quite literally applied could see immigration double. Australia has about twice as much immigration as the UK does.

What I see no reason to do is to put onerous demands for visas should apply for Australians, Canadians, Indians, Americans, Japanese, Mexicans etc - but that they shouldn't for French, Germans, Portugese, Polish or Romanians.

I grew up in Australia, if any of my classmates wanted to come to the UK they'd need a visa.

If visas are an issue then that issue should be fixed consistently. Do you disagree?

Depends. Preferred immigration treatment for our neighbours was part of a package of measures which we decided overall were beneficial for the country.

Correction - which we decided was not beneficial to the country. There was a referendum, not sure if you remember it.

Oh absolutely. We decided it was good for the country and then decided it was not good for the country.

Phil seemed to think there was an inconsistency in it all. He wants a come all ye immigration policy. Which is his right.

Not sure how many fellow Brexiters he will take along with him but that is his view.

The first “we” is Tony Blair & Gordon Brown & the second the majority of voters at the referendum?

Weren't they both elected by the British people?

Brown wasn’t

Leon said:

TOPPING said:

Selebian said:

It would be fun to go back to PB - had it existed - in the mid nineties and read the discussion on how mobile phones would never take off due to being expensive and the complete lack of needed infrastructure meaning they were useless for people who lived in or travelled to places outside the main population centres due to a complete lack of network coverage

We had a flashback of and insight into such thinking with Burnergate last week.

Jesus yes. Burnergate. I was just this morning trying to work out why Labour have smashed through the polling into this sudden, incredible lead. And then I remembered, with a chilly shiver


BURNERGATE

Carnyx said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Some time ago there was an extremely controversial discussion re the RNLI rescuing migrants in the English Channel and I said I would contact my local MP, who is also a personal friend, about the issue. He promised to seek clarification from the Home Office, and he has sent their reply to me today.

I promised I would publish the Home Office response on receipt and accordingly I note it below

From The Home Office 4th August 2021

Thank you for your letter of the 15th July to the Home Secretary on behalf of one of your constituents about the Nationality and Borders Bill and the role of the RNLI. I am replying as Minister for Immigration Compliance and Justice.

The Nationality and Borders Bill targets ruthless criminal gangs who put lives at risk by smuggling people across the Channel. It does not change the Government’s approach to existing obligations under international maritime law, including the duty to protect lives at sea. Organizations such as HM Coastguard and RNLI, and individuals, will be able to continue to rescue those in distress at sea as they do now.

The changes are not intended to punish humanitarian actions or to deter people from seeking help from the authorities where they are being exploited and abused. The Government recognises and welcomes the desire of individuals and community groups to help.

We will fully address these issues in policy guidance to ensure that proper account is taken of the circumstances and motives of any individual offering aid and assistance to someone they know have entered the UK illegally; or to be remaining without permission, and that any punitive action is proportionate and in the public interest.

We have a proud track record of helping those facing persecution, oppression and tyranny and we stand by our moral and legal obligations to help innocent people fleeing cruelty around the world. Since 2015, we have resettled almost 25,000 men, women and children seeking refuge from persecution across the world – more than any EU country. We have also welcomed more than 29,000 close relatives through refugee family reunion. In 2019, the UK received more asylum applications from unaccompanied asylum-seeking children than any country in the EU and we were second in 2020

I hope this response has clarified our proposals. Thank you for sharing your constituent’s concerns on this important matter.

END

Thank you for taking the trouble!

Doesn't exactly rule out the possibility of criminal investigation for RNLI does it, once people have been rescued? I don't like laws that leave it so widely open to interpretation, and so explicitly. But others are lawyers and more clued up on that sort of thing, so we will see what they say.

And congratulations to your son on his first (I think you said) shout, by the way: should have done so before. Good for him.

StuartDickson said:

I’m aware of vast, roaming herds of PB Tories, a few PB Labourites and Farage fans, some Lib Dems (although far fewer than at the start), a handful of SNP and an Alba, but I honestly cannot think of a single Green PBer. Is there one?

(I think there was an N Ireland Green guy a while back?)

isam said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

RobD said:

isam said:

From Twitter, not sure of the source, but if it’s true, the HGV problem isn’t due to Brexit

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8VuTBiXEAcNKqS?format=jpg&name=large

It's referencing something from 2018.

The article is from December 2018.

https://www.bifa.org/news/articles/2018/dec/truck-driver-shortage-crisis-now-spreading-across-the-whole-of-europe

So easy to check stuff like this.

Yes it is from 2018, and yes it is easy to check. I knew it was

The point is that it’s from 2018

kinabalu said:

eek said:

MaxPB said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

RobD said:

isam said:

From Twitter, not sure of the source, but if it’s true, the HGV problem isn’t due to Brexit

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8VuTBiXEAcNKqS?format=jpg&name=large

It's referencing something from 2018.

The article is from December 2018.

https://www.bifa.org/news/articles/2018/dec/truck-driver-shortage-crisis-now-spreading-across-the-whole-of-europe

So easy to check stuff like this.

That doesn't mean it isn't still true. In fact I'd be shocked if it wasn't given the market dynamics and boom in home delivery and general lack of investment in supply chain logistics across the whole continent. The solution has always been to throw cheap labour at it, it's well past time to look at a new way of doing business.

The solution for a lot of years was it's not a problem because the drivers albeit old existed.

Then the older drivers started to retire and the younger ones found that local parcel delivery paid nearly the same while allowing you to go home every night.

I have always fancied being a long distance lorry driver. I suppose the reality is nothing like this but in my mind’s eye it’s a great occupation. Pulling in and pulling out of places, forever transient, the freedom of the open road, lots of thinking time, no uniform, eat what you like when you like, a large and powerful machine at your beck and call, and (key point) the knowledge that your job is of value, you’re doing something that genuinely needs doing, that somebody else would have to do if you weren’t there, and on top of all this you’re getting paid. Too old now though. If there is a shortage I won't be helping fill it.

Stocky said:

kinabalu said:

eek said:

MaxPB said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

RobD said:

isam said:

From Twitter, not sure of the source, but if it’s true, the HGV problem isn’t due to Brexit

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8VuTBiXEAcNKqS?format=jpg&name=large

It's referencing something from 2018.

The article is from December 2018.

https://www.bifa.org/news/articles/2018/dec/truck-driver-shortage-crisis-now-spreading-across-the-whole-of-europe

So easy to check stuff like this.

That doesn't mean it isn't still true. In fact I'd be shocked if it wasn't given the market dynamics and boom in home delivery and general lack of investment in supply chain logistics across the whole continent. The solution has always been to throw cheap labour at it, it's well past time to look at a new way of doing business.

The solution for a lot of years was it's not a problem because the drivers albeit old existed.

Then the older drivers started to retire and the younger ones found that local parcel delivery paid nearly the same while allowing you to go home every night.

I have always fancied being a long distance lorry driver. I suppose the reality is nothing like this but in my mind’s eye it’s a great occupation. Pulling in and pulling out of places, forever transient, the freedom of the open road, lots of thinking time, no uniform, eat what you like when you like, a large and powerful machine at your beck and call, and (key point) the knowledge that your job is of value, you’re doing something that genuinely needs doing, that somebody else would have to do if you weren’t there, and on top of all this you’re getting paid. Too old now though. If there is a shortage I won't be helping fill it.

You've dodged a bullet there. It's bad for the figure. Everyone I know who is a lorry driver is a fatty. Through hours of boredom sitting in the cab munching pies I guess.