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Support for Liz Truss fading in the next CON leader betting – politicalbetting.com

SystemSystem Posts: 11,002
edited January 2022 in General
imageSupport for Liz Truss fading in the next CON leader betting – politicalbetting.com

With just the possibility that Boris Johnson might not survive the year there continues to be a fair amount of interest in the next leader betting market on the betting exchanges.

Read the full story here

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Comments

  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,771
    Is it me, or is Bairstow looking a little... chunky?
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,517
    A question: is the Conservative Party the same one that was insane enough to vote BJ to be leader and PM? If it is, expect them to choose someone of a similar ilk. Or have the influx of new MPs / the change in membership / Brexit being 'done' changed the balance of power within the party?
  • pigeonpigeon Posts: 4,087
    IanB2 said:

    Andy_JS said:

    US inflation is currently 6.8%. Had no idea it was as high as this. Why isn't this bigger news? Highest since 1982.

    https://ycharts.com/indicators/us_inflation_rate
    https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/dec/10/us-inflation-rate-rise-2021-highest-increase-since-1982

    The pandemic is taking a lot of bandwidth.

    UK is not far behind. Anyone under say about 50 has no idea what is coming down the tracks...
    Many are predicting inflation around 6% for us later this year.

    It’s only a year or so since I flagged the likelihood of a spell of inflation heading our way, with many here suggesting it wouldn’t happen because the economy was flat on its back in terms of demand. Even now, ‘official’ view from many experts is that we’ll have a brief spell of inflation but by 2023 we’ll be back down to 2% or so. Let’s see….
    It'll be fascinating to see if historically high levels of inflation lead to a big return of industrial action - especially given a combination of labour shortages in many sectors and the new-found taste amongst many workers for quitting and looking for something else if they are dissatisfied.

    Employees have been made to put up with crap wages and below inflation raises (i.e. real terms cuts) for many years by both governments and private sector employers pleading poverty and the need to maximise taxpayer/shareholder value. Perhaps this year we'll finally see patience snapping?

    In my case, our firm offered us yet another stingy deal last year, pleading IIRC the need to invest and throw cash at the shareholders. That only just got past the union ballot. This year I expect the union to dig its heels in and demand an above inflation settlement, and if that means 8% or 10% then that's what I expect my employer to cough up. If that's not forthcoming I will vote to strike.
  • Rishi and Truss both down a bit, presumably because it looks like Boris might hang around.
  • A question: is the Conservative Party the same one that was insane enough to vote BJ to be leader and PM? If it is, expect them to choose someone of a similar ilk. Or have the influx of new MPs / the change in membership / Brexit being 'done' changed the balance of power within the party?

    Watch the polls. The next leader will be whoever looks like saving Tory seats.
  • pigeonpigeon Posts: 4,087
    edited January 2022
    Dutch lockdown watch:

    The Netherlands has been in a hard lockdown since December 19th, yet cases have been steadily increasing since the 28th (i.e. approximately the same time as Omicron became dominant in the country.) At this stage, it looks a lot like all the suffering of lockdown has achieved is to delay the Omicron wave by about two-and-a-half weeks relative to the UK trajectory. It would appear that the experiment has failed.

    Details available here: https://ourworldindata.org/covid-cases
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,574
    rcs1000 said:

    Is it me, or is Bairstow looking a little... chunky?

    So long as his scores are similarly chunky, who cares ?
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,771
    Nigelb said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Is it me, or is Bairstow looking a little... chunky?

    So long as his scores are similarly chunky, who cares ?
    Oh yeah. I'm enjoying this.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,718
    Nigelb said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Is it me, or is Bairstow looking a little... chunky?

    So long as his scores are similarly chunky, who cares ?
    One does wonder what Foakes and Lawrence have to do to get a game.

    And Good Morning all. Some relief in part of the Cole household that my hospital visit of yesterday seems to have worked out well. Now we wait to see whether Mrs C's GP visit will work out well. Hre hospital visit of Tuesday was OK.
    The problem we have is that these visits are also of benefit to the local taxi companies!
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,771
    Wood needs to be VERY careful here.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,771
    Is it me, or is Wood being a bit selfish with the strike here?
  • tlg86tlg86 Posts: 25,165
    I did my bit!
    tlg86 said:

    All out for 150 incoming....

    They’d do well to get that. Back to bed for me.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 49,614
    rcs1000 said:

    You know, I'm beginning to think this game might make it past lunch on the fourth day.

    That's like an England win, from where I am sitting.

    If we all do our little rain dance…
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,771
    DRS... hmm...
  • On topic, Truss clearly needs more time in a top cabinet job. Listening to her yesterday talking about Kazakhstan she doesn't have the gravitas and fancy photoshoots can't alter that. She needs more time at the crease to develop. Hopefully her batting technique is better than the English batters.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 49,614
    pigeon said:

    Dutch lockdown watch:

    The Netherlands has been in a hard lockdown since December 19th, yet cases have been steadily increasing since the 28th (i.e. approximately the same time as Omicron became dominant in the country.) At this stage, it looks a lot like all the suffering of lockdown has achieved is to delay the Omicron wave by about two-and-a-half weeks relative to the UK trajectory. It would appear that the experiment has failed.

    Details available here: https://ourworldindata.org/covid-cases

    It does look like the new variant can’t be held back, by anything the Western world would tolerate in terms of restrictions. That couple of weeks might have given the Dutch time to get a few more people vaccinated, but it’s come at a huge cost.

    England is taking the right approach here, with pretty much everyone vaccinated there’s little left that can be done except to isolate the vulnerable.

    Even former Welsh rugby internationals are now wanting to play in England, rather than an empty Cardiff stadium https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2022/01/06/jonathan-davies-exclusive-move-wales-six-nations-home-games/
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,771
    I'm still not convinced that ball hit Wood's bat.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 49,614
    edited January 2022
    rcs1000 said:

    I'm still not convinced that ball hit Wood's bat.

    The pictures were definitely inconclusive (do they still run cameras at 25fps in Australia?), but the noise on Snicko came from somewhere. Harsh to make him walk, there should be more evidence required to overturn the on-field decision.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 50,769
    100 up for YJB. I feel a bit discombobulated. Waking up to something less than a disaster at the cricket. Doesn't feel right.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,771
    Sandpit said:

    rcs1000 said:

    I'm still not convinced that ball hit Wood's bat.

    The pictures were definitely inconclusive (do they still run cameras at 25fps in Australia?), but the noise on Snicko came from somewhere. Harsh to make him walk, there should be more evidence required to overturn the on-field decision.
    Hotspot showed nothing on the bat from two angles.

    Snicko, however, showed a noise just after the ball passed the bat. The problem is that if Wood's foot hits the floor as the ball passes the bat... well that's going to make a noise too.

    It's perfectly possible he feathered it, and it simply didn't show up on hotspot. But it's also perfectly possible the noise was something other than the ball hitting the bat,
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,771
    The next target for England is 298, which would be a record score for them this series.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 50,769
    rcs1000 said:

    Sandpit said:

    rcs1000 said:

    I'm still not convinced that ball hit Wood's bat.

    The pictures were definitely inconclusive (do they still run cameras at 25fps in Australia?), but the noise on Snicko came from somewhere. Harsh to make him walk, there should be more evidence required to overturn the on-field decision.
    Hotspot showed nothing on the bat from two angles.

    Snicko, however, showed a noise just after the ball passed the bat. The problem is that if Wood's foot hits the floor as the ball passes the bat... well that's going to make a noise too.

    It's perfectly possible he feathered it, and it simply didn't show up on hotspot. But it's also perfectly possible the noise was something other than the ball hitting the bat,
    Hotspot has always struck me as a much better tool than snicko. Its very difficult to even feather something without leaving a heat mark, especially against a fast bowler.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 49,614
    Jonny Bairstow with one small glimmer of hope at the end of the day. Sadly, an innings defeat could still be on the cards for England here.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,517
    edited January 2022
    This made me laugh, in a tragicomic way:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YetpSUbhrUI
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 113,968
    edited January 2022
    DavidL said:

    100 up for YJB. I feel a bit discombobulated. Waking up to something less than a disaster at the cricket. Doesn't feel right.

    I woke up in the middle of night to see this and went back to bed.



    At least I saw Johnny score his ton.
  • moonshinemoonshine Posts: 5,226
    Shocking videos from Almaty. Rarely have I had more humble and welcoming hosts than in Kazakhstan.

    As for China and Taiwan, whether China is successful there rather depends on whether you think this is the Chinese Century.

    I look at the foreign policy behaviour of China and Russia and see a lashing out from positions of severe and terminal domestic weakness. The trouble is that the West isn’t in good shape either.

    China has always been prepared to play the long game with everything it does. The CCP is not slaughtering the Uighers, it’s slowly and patiently tilting the demographic trends its way and dismantling the Uigher cultural heritage in favour of Hanification. Equally the policy with Taiwan has always been similar. Steady as she goes. It’s blown of course recently but a growing economic blockade of the island would do the trick eventually.

    Because does the West really have the strength and solidarity to do much about it? Well for starters it’s not going to sink a Chinese carrier group over it.

    Someone mentioned the selective default on bonds held by the Chinese government. Ok. But what’s the worth of the assets (both physical and IP) held by corporate America in China? And corporate Europe for that matter? Are we prepared to switch off exports to China? Penury for Germany lies down that road. And switch off imports?? No.

    Only the really simple minded should by now not have realised the mortal danger for Western society to be so economically interdependent on China, and specifically energy dependent on Russia. You’d like to think power brokers in the West are quietly figuring out how to undo it, piece by piece. And reminding Xi that all their fates are tied together. But we all know they’re not.

    So where does that leave us? At a guess, in a period where it looks like the globe is tilting on its axis eastwards and obituaries will be written for Western democracy and Pax Americana. And at a hope, shortly thereafter in a new era where the innovation and optimism of the Western system puts us back on course as the contradictions of the autocrats implode.

    Might not work out that way though. We might be seeing the decay of all the great empires simultaneously with civilisation about to enter a sustained period of regression in technology, prosperity and population. I’d be tempted to give that scenario greater odds than a global Pax Sinica frankly. All fascinating viewing from those UAPs no doubt.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 50,769

    DavidL said:

    100 up for YJB. I feel a bit discombobulated. Waking up to something less than a disaster at the cricket. Doesn't feel right.

    I woke up in the middle of night to see this and went back to bed.



    At least I saw Johnny score his ton.
    And yet, thanks to Wood and YJB, their run rate is actually rather good for the innings. 258 off 70 overs is not bad at all.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,718

    DavidL said:

    100 up for YJB. I feel a bit discombobulated. Waking up to something less than a disaster at the cricket. Doesn't feel right.

    I woke up in the middle of night to see this and went back to bed.



    At least I saw Johnny score his ton.
    Watched something like that at Chelmsford once. Lancashire were trying to beat Essex, Essex trying to save the game. Last two Essex players held on and on, with 10 fielders round the bat. Not Crash Bang Wallop cricket, but absorbing.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 50,769
    moonshine said:

    Shocking videos from Almaty. Rarely have I had more humble and welcoming hosts than in Kazakhstan.

    As for China and Taiwan, whether China is successful there rather depends on whether you think this is the Chinese Century.

    I look at the foreign policy behaviour of China and Russia and see a lashing out from positions of severe and terminal domestic weakness. The trouble is that the West isn’t in good shape either.

    China has always been prepared to play the long game with everything it does. The CCP is not slaughtering the Uighers, it’s slowly and patiently tilting the demographic trends its way and dismantling the Uigher cultural heritage in favour of Hanification. Equally the policy with Taiwan has always been similar. Steady as she goes. It’s blown of course recently but a growing economic blockade of the island would do the trick eventually.

    Because does the West really have the strength and solidarity to do much about it? Well for starters it’s not going to sink a Chinese carrier group over it.

    Someone mentioned the selective default on bonds held by the Chinese government. Ok. But what’s the worth of the assets (both physical and IP) held by corporate America in China? And corporate Europe for that matter? Are we prepared to switch off exports to China? Penury for Germany lies down that road. And switch off imports?? No.

    Only the really simple minded should by now not have realised the mortal danger for Western society to be so economically interdependent on China, and specifically energy dependent on Russia. You’d like to think power brokers in the West are quietly figuring out how to undo it, piece by piece. And reminding Xi that all their fates are tied together. But we all know they’re not.

    So where does that leave us? At a guess, in a period where it looks like the globe is tilting on its axis eastwards and obituaries will be written for Western democracy and Pax Americana. And at a hope, shortly thereafter in a new era where the innovation and optimism of the Western system puts us back on course as the contradictions of the autocrats implode.

    Might not work out that way though. We might be seeing the decay of all the great empires simultaneously with civilisation about to enter a sustained period of regression in technology, prosperity and population. I’d be tempted to give that scenario greater odds than a global Pax Sinica frankly. All fascinating viewing from those UAPs no doubt.

    As I have said a couple of times the big threat to me this year is a major recession in China. I read recently that there are currently 137m housing units in China unsold. That is enough to house the entire population of America. It is the biggest housing boom the world has ever seen by several orders of magnitude. Even in relation to the economy it is well beyond what we saw in Ireland, Spain or Portugal. Construction remains 25% of their economy and it is surely going to collapse.

    The debts of Evergrande and the other construction giants are truly massive. China has been running a large surplus for a long time (somewhat smaller of late) and the state has staggering resources available to it. But this will make 2008 look like a passing zephyr compared to a hurricane as the debts of the construction giants threaten systemic failure in the banking sector.

    None of this makes China less of a threat, of course. Indeed it probably increases the risk of something foolish involving Taiwan. It is too early to say whether this is the China century or not but there is no doubt at all that world history is now being shaped in the Pacific.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 50,769
    Nigelb said:
    Apologies. I think America will pay a terrible price for not taking more active steps to respond to such a clear threat to its democracy. It is getting close to too late. The Rubicon has already been crossed.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,718
    DavidL said:

    moonshine said:

    Shocking videos from Almaty. Rarely have I had more humble and welcoming hosts than in Kazakhstan.

    As for China and Taiwan, whether China is successful there rather depends on whether you think this is the Chinese Century.

    I look at the foreign policy behaviour of China and Russia and see a lashing out from positions of severe and terminal domestic weakness. The trouble is that the West isn’t in good shape either.

    China has always been prepared to play the long game with everything it does. The CCP is not slaughtering the Uighers, it’s slowly and patiently tilting the demographic trends its way and dismantling the Uigher cultural heritage in favour of Hanification. Equally the policy with Taiwan has always been similar. Steady as she goes. It’s blown of course recently but a growing economic blockade of the island would do the trick eventually.

    Because does the West really have the strength and solidarity to do much about it? Well for starters it’s not going to sink a Chinese carrier group over it.

    Someone mentioned the selective default on bonds held by the Chinese government. Ok. But what’s the worth of the assets (both physical and IP) held by corporate America in China? And corporate Europe for that matter? Are we prepared to switch off exports to China? Penury for Germany lies down that road. And switch off imports?? No.

    Only the really simple minded should by now not have realised the mortal danger for Western society to be so economically interdependent on China, and specifically energy dependent on Russia. You’d like to think power brokers in the West are quietly figuring out how to undo it, piece by piece. And reminding Xi that all their fates are tied together. But we all know they’re not.

    So where does that leave us? At a guess, in a period where it looks like the globe is tilting on its axis eastwards and obituaries will be written for Western democracy and Pax Americana. And at a hope, shortly thereafter in a new era where the innovation and optimism of the Western system puts us back on course as the contradictions of the autocrats implode.

    Might not work out that way though. We might be seeing the decay of all the great empires simultaneously with civilisation about to enter a sustained period of regression in technology, prosperity and population. I’d be tempted to give that scenario greater odds than a global Pax Sinica frankly. All fascinating viewing from those UAPs no doubt.

    As I have said a couple of times the big threat to me this year is a major recession in China. I read recently that there are currently 137m housing units in China unsold. That is enough to house the entire population of America. It is the biggest housing boom the world has ever seen by several orders of magnitude. Even in relation to the economy it is well beyond what we saw in Ireland, Spain or Portugal. Construction remains 25% of their economy and it is surely going to collapse.

    The debts of Evergrande and the other construction giants are truly massive. China has been running a large surplus for a long time (somewhat smaller of late) and the state has staggering resources available to it. But this will make 2008 look like a passing zephyr compared to a hurricane as the debts of the construction giants threaten systemic failure in the banking sector.

    None of this makes China less of a threat, of course. Indeed it probably increases the risk of something foolish involving Taiwan. It is too early to say whether this is the China century or not but there is no doubt at all that world history is now being shaped in the Pacific.
    If something doesn't go badly awry with Trump, the Pax Americana is done for. The US will be far too busy fighting itself to worry about anyone else.
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,933
    Good morning, everyone.

    Off for a booster fairly shortly. No idea if I'll have to queue outside... hoping not, as it'll be 1C feel likes -4C with a 50/50 chance of snowfall.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,771
    Sandpit said:

    Jonny Bairstow with one small glimmer of hope at the end of the day. Sadly, an innings defeat could still be on the cards for England here.

    How?

    Australia has to bat again, so I don't see how they can win by an innings.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,574
    A rather sharper dispute over statues than our somewhat self indulgent one.
    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/07/something-wrong-something-good-taiwan-grapples-with-remembering-chiang-kai-shek

    The parallels between S Korea and Taiwan - both colonial oppressed for decades by the Japanese, and both US maintained, economically successful but repressive dictatorships which transitioned to democracy in the 80s - are interesting.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 49,614
    rcs1000 said:

    Sandpit said:

    Jonny Bairstow with one small glimmer of hope at the end of the day. Sadly, an innings defeat could still be on the cards for England here.

    How?

    Australia has to bat again, so I don't see how they can win by an innings.
    Damn you Robert, bringing rules into it again. ;)

    It’ll be the same ‘innings defeat’ as the one in the second Test, where we can’t get past their first innings score in total.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,574
    DavidL said:

    Nigelb said:
    Apologies. I think America will pay a terrible price for not taking more active steps to respond to such a clear threat to its democracy. It is getting close to too late. The Rubicon has already been crossed.
    The problem is that many of the steps being taken to seize control of the electoral apparatus are entirely constitutional. It won't be until they are used in 2024 that there will be any cause of action - and the current Supreme Court will likely avert its gaze anyway.
    Absent an inspiring Democrat who wins big enough to render manipulation irrelevant, the odds are on a Trump 'win' in 2024 even if he loses.
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901
    As Putin ready his troops for battle, ours are sent to prop up the NHS.

    Not sure what to feel about that.
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 5,781
    edited January 2022
    Has anyone got any insight on Humza Yousaf's claim that we are currently matching the worse case scenario for Scotland?

    Looking at the Scotland data, it roughly tracks that across RUK (in hospital & cases). So are we also on a worse case scenario for UK?

    I begs the question of why we didn't lock down harder yesterday (not that I agree with that).

    Edit: and what the point was of our extra restrictions up here. I'm coming to the conclusion (based on Dutch experience) that you either go big or go home when it comes to NPIs.
  • SelebianSelebian Posts: 7,257
    edited January 2022
    Sandpit said:

    pigeon said:

    Dutch lockdown watch:

    The Netherlands has been in a hard lockdown since December 19th, yet cases have been steadily increasing since the 28th (i.e. approximately the same time as Omicron became dominant in the country.) At this stage, it looks a lot like all the suffering of lockdown has achieved is to delay the Omicron wave by about two-and-a-half weeks relative to the UK trajectory. It would appear that the experiment has failed.

    Details available here: https://ourworldindata.org/covid-cases

    It does look like the new variant can’t be held back, by anything the Western world would tolerate in terms of restrictions. That couple of weeks might have given the Dutch time to get a few more people vaccinated, but it’s come at a huge cost.

    England is taking the right approach here, with pretty much everyone vaccinated there’s little left that can be done except to isolate the vulnerable.

    Even former Welsh rugby internationals are now wanting to play in England, rather than an empty Cardiff stadium https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2022/01/06/jonathan-davies-exclusive-move-wales-six-nations-home-games/
    The Dutch lockdown is a bit of a funny one (we have friends in the Netherlands). Most things closed, advice to work from home (but anecdotally, more people in workplaces than in earlier lockdowns). Household visits are permitted, only restriction is no more than two people over 13 per day, so you could still see quite a few people in a week. Children can still mix relatively freely.

    So, in summary: a massive pain in the arse, particularly over Christmas, but lacking the kind of hard restrictions on household mixing that might really have helped to stop the spread. Most of the pain, with limited efficacy.

    (I agree on the England approach being the right one here)

    Edit: Also, anecdotally, much reduced compliance compared to previous lockdowns
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,933
    Mr. Jonathan, be grateful the national religion doesn't yet extend to having Knights Hospitaller.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,574

    Good morning, everyone.

    Off for a booster fairly shortly. No idea if I'll have to queue outside... hoping not, as it'll be 1C feel likes -4C with a 50/50 chance of snowfall.

    Wrap up warm, and good luck.
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 12,880
    moonshine said:



    China has always been prepared to play the long game with everything it does. The CCP is not slaughtering the Uighers, it’s slowly and patiently tilting the demographic trends its way and dismantling the Uigher cultural heritage in favour of Hanification. Equally the policy with Taiwan has always been similar. Steady as she goes. It’s blown of course recently but a growing economic blockade of the island would do the trick eventually.

    There won't be a mass amphibious invasion of Taiwan so the military Top Trumps is irrelevant. They have already had a beta test of how they'll do it in Hong Kong. They will foment domestic unrest in Taiwan (it doesn't really matter if it is anti or pro Beijing) while gradually exerting more and more political, economic and territorial dominance.

    When the Chinese built seven massive military bases on reclaimed reefs to dominate the South China Sea the West did nothing except buy more iPhones and sell them more McLarens.

    Taiwan are fucked.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,081
    Sandpit said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Sandpit said:

    Jonny Bairstow with one small glimmer of hope at the end of the day. Sadly, an innings defeat could still be on the cards for England here.

    How?

    Australia has to bat again, so I don't see how they can win by an innings.
    Damn you Robert, bringing rules into it again. ;)

    It’ll be the same ‘innings defeat’ as the one in the second Test, where we can’t get past their first innings score in total.
    It's our fault for sending over a bunch of tourists, rather than people who can actually play cricket
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,933
    Mr. B, cheers. To be honest, I have zero concern about the jab it's the bloody weather that's aggravating me. Could be anything from in and out with only waiting in a nice reception, or a longer wait in the snow.

    Anyway, I am off. Play nicely, everyone.
  • This made me laugh, in a tragicomic way:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YetpSUbhrUI

    Lucky the camera got a clear shot of the door passcode. Memo to airline: change it.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,718
    Jonathan said:

    As Putin ready his troops for battle, ours are sent to prop up the NHS.

    Not sure what to feel about that.

    Certainly doesn't feel like 'Global Britain'! But then I don't see what we could do in Khazakstan, useful or otherwise!
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,574
    LOL.

    Novak Djokovic not being held ‘captive’ and free to leave whenever he chooses, Australia says
    Serbia’s foreign ministry claims the world No 1 was ‘lured to travel to Australia in order to be humiliated’
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jan/07/australian-open-players-given-exemptions-similar-to-novak-djokovic-under-investigation
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,081
    The minister is struggling to explain away Boris's text that appears to link the donation for his wallpaper to other government business
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901
    edited January 2022

    Jonathan said:

    As Putin ready his troops for battle, ours are sent to prop up the NHS.

    Not sure what to feel about that.

    Certainly doesn't feel like 'Global Britain'! But then I don't see what we could do in Khazakstan, useful or otherwise!
    “Speak softly and carry a big stick”. Isn’t it abundantly clear that we urgently need a bigger stick?
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,718
    IanB2 said:

    The minister is struggling to explain away Boris's text that appears to link the donation for his wallpaper to other government business

    There's a surprise.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 18,891
    DavidL said:
    ...an excellent photo leading the article. An interesting piece that reminds those who haven't made the connection that the parallels between Hitlers rise to power in the 30's with a sophisticated state apparatus and population and Trumps are too close for comfort.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,574
    edited January 2022
    Dura_Ace said:

    moonshine said:



    China has always been prepared to play the long game with everything it does. The CCP is not slaughtering the Uighers, it’s slowly and patiently tilting the demographic trends its way and dismantling the Uigher cultural heritage in favour of Hanification. Equally the policy with Taiwan has always been similar. Steady as she goes. It’s blown of course recently but a growing economic blockade of the island would do the trick eventually.

    There won't be a mass amphibious invasion of Taiwan so the military Top Trumps is irrelevant. They have already had a beta test of how they'll do it in Hong Kong. They will foment domestic unrest in Taiwan (it doesn't really matter if it is anti or pro Beijing) while gradually exerting more and more political, economic and territorial dominance.

    When the Chinese built seven massive military bases on reclaimed reefs to dominate the South China Sea the West did nothing except buy more iPhones and sell them more McLarens.

    Taiwan are fucked.
    So far they've mainly fomented greater opposition to Chinese interference.
    While their situation is a bit precarious, they are far from fucked. Though that might change under a Trump presidency.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,081

    Jonathan said:

    As Putin ready his troops for battle, ours are sent to prop up the NHS.

    Not sure what to feel about that.

    Certainly doesn't feel like 'Global Britain'! But then I don't see what we could do in Khazakstan, useful or otherwise!
    I hear that Borat has fled the country?
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    rcs1000 said:

    moonshine said:

    Only the really simple minded should by now not have realised the mortal danger for Western society to be so economically interdependent on China, and specifically energy dependent on Russia.

    There are two separate points here, but the second one is the easier: Western Europe has never been less dependent on Russia.

    In the old days (say 2007), apart from a few small fields, there were exactly three places Europe got natural gas from: Norway, the UK (which was in serious decline) and Russia.

    Now, the UK has disappeared, but the gas supply situation has completely changed. If you were Centrica in 2007, and you wanted to enter into a gas supply contract, there was Statoil in Norway and Gazprom in Russia... and that chap from BG who was jumping up and down and gesticulating about LNG, but what did he know?

    Fourteen years later, the US has gone from natural gas importer to massive exporter. Qatar has built more LNG export capacity in the last two decades than existed in 2000. PNG and Peru have started exporting gas. And Australia is maybe 5% into development of the Northwest Shelf.

    That chap at Centrica now has a dozen firms offering him long term supply contracts at good prices.

    I used to be one of the largest energy investors in London. There are another two dozen countries with massive gas fields who simply can't get funding, because buyers in the West have had plenty of options. (Mozambique's discoveries are enormous: it could be the Saudi Arabia of gas.)

    The UK, Italy and the Baltic states were first. We built LNG import facilities so we could bring natural gas in from these new exporters. But everyone is now jumping on the train. If I were doing my old job, I would be salivating at the opportunity to finance Hamburg LNG, because those buyers can't trust Russia any more. (And, for the record, we in the UK have been complicit too: the pipeline may go through Germany, but there have been no shortage of UK purchasers of Nordstream 2 gas.)

    Simply: LNG changes the world. Russia's whole hold on the West disappears when they can simply order cargoes from the US, Australia and Qatar.
    Thr thing i think people (including myself) find hard to grasp is the sheer mind bending capacity of cargo ships.

    It seems intuitively completely impossible for us to be able to transpprt sufficient gas by ship to power us but we totally can.
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901
    While Putin plays chess moving towards checkmate, Boris plays the fool moving towards Peppa pig world.

    We need a better PM.
  • StuartDicksonStuartDickson Posts: 12,146
    rcs1000 said:

    You know, I'm beginning to think this game might make it past lunch on the fourth day.

    That's like an England win, from where I am sitting.

    You sound like a Tartan Army fan celebrating our nil - nil victory over the Auld Enemy.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,620
    Nigelb said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    moonshine said:



    China has always been prepared to play the long game with everything it does. The CCP is not slaughtering the Uighers, it’s slowly and patiently tilting the demographic trends its way and dismantling the Uigher cultural heritage in favour of Hanification. Equally the policy with Taiwan has always been similar. Steady as she goes. It’s blown of course recently but a growing economic blockade of the island would do the trick eventually.

    There won't be a mass amphibious invasion of Taiwan so the military Top Trumps is irrelevant. They have already had a beta test of how they'll do it in Hong Kong. They will foment domestic unrest in Taiwan (it doesn't really matter if it is anti or pro Beijing) while gradually exerting more and more political, economic and territorial dominance.

    When the Chinese built seven massive military bases on reclaimed reefs to dominate the South China Sea the West did nothing except buy more iPhones and sell them more McLarens.

    Taiwan are fucked.
    So far they've mainly fomented greater opposition to Chinese interference.
    While their situation is a bit precarious, they are far from fucked. Though that might change under a Trump presidency.
    What was hilarious was the campaign that was tried n Germany (that kind of fizzled) that LNG by ship was un-environmental, dangerous, bad, evil, etc etc.

    Unlike that nice Nordstream stuff....

  • StuartDicksonStuartDickson Posts: 12,146
    Nigelb said:

    DavidL said:

    Nigelb said:
    Apologies. I think America will pay a terrible price for not taking more active steps to respond to such a clear threat to its democracy. It is getting close to too late. The Rubicon has already been crossed.
    The problem is that many of the steps being taken to seize control of the electoral apparatus are entirely constitutional. It won't be until they are used in 2024 that there will be any cause of action - and the current Supreme Court will likely avert its gaze anyway.
    Absent an inspiring Democrat who wins big enough to render manipulation irrelevant, the odds are on a Trump 'win' in 2024 even if he loses.
    Trump is 7/2 to win next POTUS election, so how much have you put on?
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 24,585
    IanB2 said:

    The minister is struggling to explain away Boris's text that appears to link the donation for his wallpaper to other government business

    ...but Browlow's "Great Exhibition" will be fantastic!

    Anyway, I'm off. I have some invisible Garden Bridges to sell to Lord Geidt.
  • SelebianSelebian Posts: 7,257
    Andy_JS said:
    Any link to the study? Most of the story is paywalled for me and I'm always interested in mask studies for Covid (as an epidemiologist, because estimating efficacy is an interesting epidemiological problem - there's lots of confounding, potential misclassification bias and the benefits are at the population level more than the individual level)
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,038
    "Unless saved by rising wages, ministers are about to stumble out of Covid straight into the path of an oncoming lorry marked “Lower Living Standards”."

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/01/07/tories-cant-escape-cost-living-disaster/


    As I think I have said before, the next GE is going to be far closer than many people think at the moment. Starmer and Reeves have all to play for as the Tories get into an almighty economic mess.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 18,891
    moonshine said:

    Shocking videos from Almaty. Rarely have I had more humble and welcoming hosts than in Kazakhstan.

    As for China and Taiwan, whether China is successful there rather depends on whether you think this is the Chinese Century.

    I look at the foreign policy behaviour of China and Russia and see a lashing out from positions of severe and terminal domestic weakness. The trouble is that the West isn’t in good shape either.

    China has always been prepared to play the long game with everything it does. The CCP is not slaughtering the Uighers, it’s slowly and patiently tilting the demographic trends its way and dismantling the Uigher cultural heritage in favour of Hanification. Equally the policy with Taiwan has always been similar. Steady as she goes. It’s blown of course recently but a growing economic blockade of the island would do the trick eventually.

    Because does the West really have the strength and solidarity to do much about it? Well for starters it’s not going to sink a Chinese carrier group over it.

    Someone mentioned the selective default on bonds held by the Chinese government. Ok. But what’s the worth of the assets (both physical and IP) held by corporate America in China? And corporate Europe for that matter? Are we prepared to switch off exports to China? Penury for Germany lies down that road. And switch off imports?? No.

    Only the really simple minded should by now not have realised the mortal danger for Western society to be so economically interdependent on China, and specifically energy dependent on Russia. You’d like to think power brokers in the West are quietly figuring out how to undo it, piece by piece. And reminding Xi that all their fates are tied together. But we all know they’re not.

    So where does that leave us? At a guess, in a period where it looks like the globe is tilting on its axis eastwards and obituaries will be written for Western democracy and Pax Americana. And at a hope, shortly thereafter in a new era where the innovation and optimism of the Western system puts us back on course as the contradictions of the autocrats implode.

    Might not work out that way though. We might be seeing the decay of all the great empires simultaneously with civilisation about to enter a sustained period of regression in technology, prosperity and population. I’d be tempted to give that scenario greater odds than a global Pax Sinica frankly. All fascinating viewing from those UAPs no doubt.

    Can anyone think of a more ridiculous time to have cut our ties with the EU or have in power the people who orchestrated it?
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,081

    "Unless saved by rising wages, ministers are about to stumble out of Covid straight into the path of an oncoming lorry marked “Lower Living Standards”."

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/01/07/tories-cant-escape-cost-living-disaster/


    As I think I have said before, the next GE is going to be far closer than many people think at the moment. Starmer and Reeves have all to play for as the Tories get into an almighty economic mess.

    It's going to be a peculiar mix of full employment, inflation and business failures
  • darkagedarkage Posts: 4,746
    edited January 2022
    Worth following the progress of Nationality and Borders Bill. This is terrible legislation, bought forward by this government, undoubtedly targetted at removing the citizenship of black and ethnic minority people. As I have said before, it makes me ashamed to be British.

    It is an example of actual structural racism. As explained by Lord Wooley in this linkedin post here.

    https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lord-simon-woolley-387611119_yesterday-i-waited-6-hours-to-speak-in-chamber-ugcPost-6884803153154383872-C2gx

    For anyone who is sympathetic to the cause of the statue removers and hate speech tyrants -
    where are the protests now? Why have they disappeared from view???
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 43,620
    Jonathan said:

    Jonathan said:

    As Putin ready his troops for battle, ours are sent to prop up the NHS.

    Not sure what to feel about that.

    Certainly doesn't feel like 'Global Britain'! But then I don't see what we could do in Khazakstan, useful or otherwise!
    “Speak softly and carry a big stick”. Isn’t it abundantly clear that we urgently need a bigger stick?
    I can't think of time, in vaguely recent history, where any power , outside Russia, had the capability to intervene militarily in Khazakstan.

    The other issue is that the UN recognised government is inviting the Russians to "help" - it's a Russian client state.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,278
    edited January 2022
    darkage said:


    Worth following the progress of Nationality and Borders Bill. This is terrible legislation, bought forward by this government, undoubtedly targetted at removing the citizenship of black and ethnic minority people. As I have said before, it makes me ashamed to be British.

    It is an example of actual structural racism. As explained by Lord Wooley in this linkedin post here.

    https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lord-simon-woolley-387611119_yesterday-i-waited-6-hours-to-speak-in-chamber-ugcPost-6884803153154383872-C2gx

    For anyone who is sympathetic to the cause of the statue removers and hate speech tyrants -
    where are the riots now? Why have they disappeared from view???

    I don't know the answers to your questions but well said @darkage.

    Edit: there are some protests apparently:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-59651523

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/protest-nationality-borders-bill-parliament-b1987492.html
  • StuartDicksonStuartDickson Posts: 12,146
    Roger said:

    DavidL said:
    ...an excellent photo leading the article. An interesting piece that reminds those who haven't made the connection that the parallels between Hitlers rise to power in the 30's with a sophisticated state apparatus and population and Trumps are too close for comfort.
    Ditto.

    I’ve come to wonder if Godwin’s Law wasn’t specifically propagated for this purpose: to diminish people pointing out what’s actually happening.

    We should never be afraid to point out nascent totalitarianism.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,145
    Re the Colston statue-swimming trial - it appears that GB News tried to stick their oar into the trial

    https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/jan/07/gb-news-accused-of-prejudicing-colston-four-trial

    'The rightwing news channel was summoned to Bristol crown court halfway through the trial in relation to an article and video monologue by the presenter Mercy Muroki titled “I’m in favour of white people calling out racism … but the Colston saga reeks of white guilt”.

    In the piece Muroki commented on the ongoing trial and suggested that Bristol council and local police officers might have colluded with a “bunch of anarchic protesters” to tear down the statue of the slave trader Edward Colston. She added: “I don’t need a bunch of white hippies crippled by white guilt to throw a largely irrelevant statue in a river to prove they’re not racist.”'

    GBN seemingly only avoided a contempt charge by sending a suit to cringe and roll over on back with paws in the air. What I'm not sure is if the jury were in court for the summoning and bollocksing.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,709
    Tory MPs would be unlikely to even put Truss in the final 2 if the Tories would be 16% behind Starmer Labour under her

    https://twitter.com/OpiniumResearch/status/1475566541273980929?s=20
  • rkrkrkrkrkrk Posts: 7,881
    Selebian said:

    Andy_JS said:
    Any link to the study? Most of the story is paywalled for me and I'm always interested in mask studies for Covid (as an epidemiologist, because estimating efficacy is an interesting epidemiological problem - there's lots of confounding, potential misclassification bias and the benefits are at the population level more than the individual level)
    Pretty sure it's this -> evidence review: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1044767/Evidence_summary_-_face_coverings.pdf

    Annex A.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,278
    edited January 2022

    "Unless saved by rising wages, ministers are about to stumble out of Covid straight into the path of an oncoming lorry marked “Lower Living Standards”."

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/01/07/tories-cant-escape-cost-living-disaster/


    As I think I have said before, the next GE is going to be far closer than many people think at the moment. Starmer and Reeves have all to play for as the Tories get into an almighty economic mess.


    "Unless saved by rising wages..." is not even a solution is it?

    Rising wages = even higher inflation => an inflationary spiral, those of us who lived through the 1970s understand very well.

    The structural damage done by Brexit is now unavoidable.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,709

    A question: is the Conservative Party the same one that was insane enough to vote BJ to be leader and PM? If it is, expect them to choose someone of a similar ilk. Or have the influx of new MPs / the change in membership / Brexit being 'done' changed the balance of power within the party?

    Hardly insane, BJ won the Conservatives their biggest election victory in 2019 since Thatcher in 1987.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,279
    "Colston judge was worried about pressure on jury: Defence lawyers were told off for urging jury to be on 'right side of history' in statue-toppling case

    'Colston Four' were all cleared of causing criminal damage to Bristol statue
    Judge feared defence lawyers may have placed jury under 'wrongful' pressure
    Barrister Liam Walker apologised for urging jury to 'be on right side of history'"

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10377203/Colston-statue-trial-judge-worried-pressure-jury.html
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,718
    IanB2 said:

    "Unless saved by rising wages, ministers are about to stumble out of Covid straight into the path of an oncoming lorry marked “Lower Living Standards”."

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/01/07/tories-cant-escape-cost-living-disaster/


    As I think I have said before, the next GE is going to be far closer than many people think at the moment. Starmer and Reeves have all to play for as the Tories get into an almighty economic mess.

    It's going to be a peculiar mix of full employment, inflation and business failures
    Medium to small business failures, I suspect. Large, and primarily off-shore owned ones will be OK. Not too sure about 'full' employment, though. Even allowing for recent decisions, I suspect there'll be a lot more zero hours and similar short-term contracts.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 18,086
    Hmmm.

    LT peaked after Christmas.

    Hasn't she just disappeared from view? I haven't noted any news events.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,081
    HYUFD said:

    A question: is the Conservative Party the same one that was insane enough to vote BJ to be leader and PM? If it is, expect them to choose someone of a similar ilk. Or have the influx of new MPs / the change in membership / Brexit being 'done' changed the balance of power within the party?

    Hardly insane, BJ won the Conservatives their biggest election victory in 2019 since Thatcher in 1987.
    Whether it is sane or not rests upon the outcome for the country, not the party. Trump won election but making him president was hardly a sensible thing to do.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,718
    edited January 2022

    darkage said:


    Worth following the progress of Nationality and Borders Bill. This is terrible legislation, bought forward by this government, undoubtedly targetted at removing the citizenship of black and ethnic minority people. As I have said before, it makes me ashamed to be British.

    It is an example of actual structural racism. As explained by Lord Wooley in this linkedin post here.

    https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lord-simon-woolley-387611119_yesterday-i-waited-6-hours-to-speak-in-chamber-ugcPost-6884803153154383872-C2gx

    For anyone who is sympathetic to the cause of the statue removers and hate speech tyrants -
    where are the riots now? Why have they disappeared from view???

    I don't know the answers to your questions but well said @darkage.

    Edit: there are some protests apparently:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-59651523

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/protest-nationality-borders-bill-parliament-b1987492.html
    It's not only businesses that close down for Christmas and New Year!
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,038
    IanB2 said:

    "Unless saved by rising wages, ministers are about to stumble out of Covid straight into the path of an oncoming lorry marked “Lower Living Standards”."

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/01/07/tories-cant-escape-cost-living-disaster/


    As I think I have said before, the next GE is going to be far closer than many people think at the moment. Starmer and Reeves have all to play for as the Tories get into an almighty economic mess.

    It's going to be a peculiar mix of full employment, inflation and business failures
    Not sure business failures equates with full employment.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,081
    edited January 2022
    MattW said:

    Hmmm.

    LT peaked after Christmas.

    Hasn't she just disappeared from view? I haven't noted any news events.

    She's off looking for the Holy Grail solution to Brexit
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,145
    HYUFD said:

    A question: is the Conservative Party the same one that was insane enough to vote BJ to be leader and PM? If it is, expect them to choose someone of a similar ilk. Or have the influx of new MPs / the change in membership / Brexit being 'done' changed the balance of power within the party?

    Hardly insane, BJ won the Conservatives their biggest election victory in 2019 since Thatcher in 1987.
    What does it matter if he couldn't run a clockwork train set, sorry bus set?
  • MattWMattW Posts: 18,086
    Carnyx said:

    Re the Colston statue-swimming trial - it appears that GB News tried to stick their oar into the trial

    https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/jan/07/gb-news-accused-of-prejudicing-colston-four-trial

    'The rightwing news channel was summoned to Bristol crown court halfway through the trial in relation to an article and video monologue by the presenter Mercy Muroki titled “I’m in favour of white people calling out racism … but the Colston saga reeks of white guilt”.

    In the piece Muroki commented on the ongoing trial and suggested that Bristol council and local police officers might have colluded with a “bunch of anarchic protesters” to tear down the statue of the slave trader Edward Colston. She added: “I don’t need a bunch of white hippies crippled by white guilt to throw a largely irrelevant statue in a river to prove they’re not racist.”'

    GBN seemingly only avoided a contempt charge by sending a suit to cringe and roll over on back with paws in the air. What I'm not sure is if the jury were in court for the summoning and bollocksing.

    They should have argued: "What's the chance of any jury member having seen it, Judge. We have x viewers."
  • StuartDicksonStuartDickson Posts: 12,146
    Alistair said:

    rcs1000 said:

    moonshine said:

    Only the really simple minded should by now not have realised the mortal danger for Western society to be so economically interdependent on China, and specifically energy dependent on Russia.

    There are two separate points here, but the second one is the easier: Western Europe has never been less dependent on Russia.

    In the old days (say 2007), apart from a few small fields, there were exactly three places Europe got natural gas from: Norway, the UK (which was in serious decline) and Russia.

    Now, the UK has disappeared, but the gas supply situation has completely changed. If you were Centrica in 2007, and you wanted to enter into a gas supply contract, there was Statoil in Norway and Gazprom in Russia... and that chap from BG who was jumping up and down and gesticulating about LNG, but what did he know?

    Fourteen years later, the US has gone from natural gas importer to massive exporter. Qatar has built more LNG export capacity in the last two decades than existed in 2000. PNG and Peru have started exporting gas. And Australia is maybe 5% into development of the Northwest Shelf.

    That chap at Centrica now has a dozen firms offering him long term supply contracts at good prices.

    I used to be one of the largest energy investors in London. There are another two dozen countries with massive gas fields who simply can't get funding, because buyers in the West have had plenty of options. (Mozambique's discoveries are enormous: it could be the Saudi Arabia of gas.)

    The UK, Italy and the Baltic states were first. We built LNG import facilities so we could bring natural gas in from these new exporters. But everyone is now jumping on the train. If I were doing my old job, I would be salivating at the opportunity to finance Hamburg LNG, because those buyers can't trust Russia any more. (And, for the record, we in the UK have been complicit too: the pipeline may go through Germany, but there have been no shortage of UK purchasers of Nordstream 2 gas.)

    Simply: LNG changes the world. Russia's whole hold on the West disappears when they can simply order cargoes from the US, Australia and Qatar.
    Thr thing i think people (including myself) find hard to grasp is the sheer mind bending capacity of cargo ships.

    It seems intuitively completely impossible for us to be able to transpprt sufficient gas by ship to power us but we totally can.
    The maritime industry is truly astonishing, and almost totally absent from the general public’s consciousness. Bizarre.

    If you know any youngsters looking for a great career, give them a helpful nudge.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,718
    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    A question: is the Conservative Party the same one that was insane enough to vote BJ to be leader and PM? If it is, expect them to choose someone of a similar ilk. Or have the influx of new MPs / the change in membership / Brexit being 'done' changed the balance of power within the party?

    Hardly insane, BJ won the Conservatives their biggest election victory in 2019 since Thatcher in 1987.
    Whether it is sane or not rests upon the outcome for the country, not the party. Trump won election but making him president was hardly a sensible thing to do.
    With, of course, a smaller share of the popular vote than his opponent.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,145
    MattW said:

    Carnyx said:

    Re the Colston statue-swimming trial - it appears that GB News tried to stick their oar into the trial

    https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/jan/07/gb-news-accused-of-prejudicing-colston-four-trial

    'The rightwing news channel was summoned to Bristol crown court halfway through the trial in relation to an article and video monologue by the presenter Mercy Muroki titled “I’m in favour of white people calling out racism … but the Colston saga reeks of white guilt”.

    In the piece Muroki commented on the ongoing trial and suggested that Bristol council and local police officers might have colluded with a “bunch of anarchic protesters” to tear down the statue of the slave trader Edward Colston. She added: “I don’t need a bunch of white hippies crippled by white guilt to throw a largely irrelevant statue in a river to prove they’re not racist.”'

    GBN seemingly only avoided a contempt charge by sending a suit to cringe and roll over on back with paws in the air. What I'm not sure is if the jury were in court for the summoning and bollocksing.

    They should have argued: "What's the chance of any jury member having seen it, Judge. We have x viewers."
    That strategy would certainly have worked:

    'A local blog called Alternative Bristol was also separately summoned to court for a potential contempt of court during the trial. They were let off with a warning after apologetically telling the judge they were “more a group of activists than journalists” and in any case “the site only has about 150 hits a day”.'
  • darkagedarkage Posts: 4,746

    darkage said:


    Worth following the progress of Nationality and Borders Bill. This is terrible legislation, bought forward by this government, undoubtedly targetted at removing the citizenship of black and ethnic minority people. As I have said before, it makes me ashamed to be British.

    It is an example of actual structural racism. As explained by Lord Wooley in this linkedin post here.

    https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lord-simon-woolley-387611119_yesterday-i-waited-6-hours-to-speak-in-chamber-ugcPost-6884803153154383872-C2gx

    For anyone who is sympathetic to the cause of the statue removers and hate speech tyrants -
    where are the riots now? Why have they disappeared from view???

    I don't know the answers to your questions but well said @darkage.

    Edit: there are some protests apparently:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-59651523

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/protest-nationality-borders-bill-parliament-b1987492.html
    Yes. There are always protests. There are people who protest against the ongoing deportations of dual citizens and people eligible for British citizenship who are convicted of crimes and deported at the end of their jail sentences: banishment and exile as a second punishment. But they are almost certainly different people who protested about Black Lives Matter and tore down the Colston statues. For example, can you see any white faces in the pictures of the protests outside Downing Street, about the Nationality and Immigration Bill?

    I have said that if the energy associated with Black Lives Matter could be focussed on this then there is the prospect of real change and progress on the matter of racism in society. But it doesn't happen. And it is obvious to me why that is the case.
  • StuartDicksonStuartDickson Posts: 12,146

    "Unless saved by rising wages, ministers are about to stumble out of Covid straight into the path of an oncoming lorry marked “Lower Living Standards”."

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/01/07/tories-cant-escape-cost-living-disaster/


    As I think I have said before, the next GE is going to be far closer than many people think at the moment. Starmer and Reeves have all to play for as the Tories get into an almighty economic mess.

    I concur. The Tories are looking at an economic mess for the foreseeable. Governments can survive many setbacks, but a clear fall in living standards after over a decade in power isn’t one of them.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 24,585
    HYUFD said:

    A question: is the Conservative Party the same one that was insane enough to vote BJ to be leader and PM? If it is, expect them to choose someone of a similar ilk. Or have the influx of new MPs / the change in membership / Brexit being 'done' changed the balance of power within the party?

    Hardly insane, BJ won the Conservatives their biggest election victory in 2019 since Thatcher in 1987.
    But does that matter if he subsequently implodes your party, and drives it into the wilderness for a generation.

    That's fine by me, by the way. I'll see my days out with a non-Conservative Government.
  • SirNorfolkPassmoreSirNorfolkPassmore Posts: 6,168
    edited January 2022
    Andy_JS said:

    "Colston judge was worried about pressure on jury: Defence lawyers were told off for urging jury to be on 'right side of history' in statue-toppling case

    'Colston Four' were all cleared of causing criminal damage to Bristol statue
    Judge feared defence lawyers may have placed jury under 'wrongful' pressure
    Barrister Liam Walker apologised for urging jury to 'be on right side of history'"

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10377203/Colston-statue-trial-judge-worried-pressure-jury.html

    It's absolutely commonplace in a criminal trial for a judge to tick a barrister off for a phrase used and for said barrister to apologise and backtrack. It's just not news - it's what presiding judges are there to do, and do regularly.

    It's like saying "Referee was worried about foul play in football match: Player was handed yellow card for a mistimed tackle in 35th minute".
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,709

    HYUFD said:

    A question: is the Conservative Party the same one that was insane enough to vote BJ to be leader and PM? If it is, expect them to choose someone of a similar ilk. Or have the influx of new MPs / the change in membership / Brexit being 'done' changed the balance of power within the party?

    Hardly insane, BJ won the Conservatives their biggest election victory in 2019 since Thatcher in 1987.
    But does that matter if he subsequently implodes your party, and drives it into the wilderness for a generation.

    That's fine by me, by the way. I'll see my days out with a non-Conservative Government.
    He isn't, the Tories are only 3% behind and had he not won by a landslide Brexit would never have been done and Corbyn may now be PM.

    I do not regret my vote for Boris at all.

    After 10 years of their party in power only 1 PM in the last 100 years win another general election, John Major in 1992 and he then lost the 1997 election by a landslide putting the party out of power for a generation anyway
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 14,878
    Andy_JS said:
    If @ydoethur sees/has seen it he will explode/has already exploded...

  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,709
    IanB2 said:

    HYUFD said:

    A question: is the Conservative Party the same one that was insane enough to vote BJ to be leader and PM? If it is, expect them to choose someone of a similar ilk. Or have the influx of new MPs / the change in membership / Brexit being 'done' changed the balance of power within the party?

    Hardly insane, BJ won the Conservatives their biggest election victory in 2019 since Thatcher in 1987.
    Whether it is sane or not rests upon the outcome for the country, not the party. Trump won election but making him president was hardly a sensible thing to do.
    For the party whether GOP or Tory the main thing is having a conservative in power
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