This is incredible, folks. Balakliya has been retaken. I think the next main goal is Kupyansk — the key railroad and automobile transportation center between Russia and northern and central Donbas. Sever this GLOC and Russians are in the world of shit. https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1567909502770462720
When does the weather change in Ukraine, such that you wouldn’t want to be an occupying force with crap logistics lines?
It’ll be back to mud by the end of this month, and freezing by the middle of November.
Dare we hope that this is the beginning of the end?
I don’t get my hopes up any more, but it does look like we might be seeing the start of a withdrawal around Kharkiv and Kherson. The enemy appears to be running out of men and materiel, and as we saw in April it needs to withdraw, regroup, and concentrate on their more strategic areas of objective.
Ukrainians clearly very confident. This is an adviser to Zelenksy:
Currently, Russia is getting a perfect real time history lesson in various directions, including Kharkiv. A lesson that should be imprinted in future generations at the level of an unconditional reflex. It has only one clause: 1. Never look towards the Ukrainian border. Never… https://twitter.com/Podolyak_M/status/1567914337255452672
Maybe while Meghan and Kate are staying at Windsor without their husbands they might meet up and start trying to sort out some of this nonsense.
Would you want to have talks with someone who insinuated on Prime time TV in America that bigotry was alive and well in your extended family?
Many people would, yes, to ensure the bigotry was dealt with and didn't happen again.
Shooting the messenger is the alternative.
Recollections may vary. Meghan isn't a trustworthy source, we know that.
The problem to the ongoing rift is less which side is being entirely truthful, since recollections do indeed vary, but that the rift is in the interests of Harry and Meghan as it keeps focus on them, and the others have no benefit to healing it either since to meet Harry and Meghan halfway would involve them in an issue they don't want to open up.
Meanwhile any attention on members of the family who aren't Prince Andrew won't be on Prince Andrew.
YouGov 80% in favour of the energy proposals but 54% say too little help and 68% want more windfall
Sir Keir speaks for the nation.
Keir hasn't explained how he intends to tax Norway and Qatar, until he does it's bullshit.
Doesn’t matter, the public likes it.
Think of it like the bull crap Boris Johnson used to come out with and public loved.
We saw how that worked out for Boris, though.
He got to be Prime Minister for three years. I'd call that a success.
I was thinking about this the other day. He got Brexit over the line and bedded in (like it or not) and in doing so he outlasted PMs like Eden, Bannerman, Brown, Chamberlain, and Callaghan. He lasted only a year less than Heath.
Basically, he gets his history book chapter and will be viewed as having made the weather from 2016-2022. I think that, in time, he’ll be ok with that.
Heath won an election against the odds, got us into the EU, made the political weather, steered the country through a coal strike, and outlasted Eden, Chamberlain, Bonar Law, Baldwin and Derby.
Was his career a success? Was he, in time, 'OK with that?'
YouGov 80% in favour of the energy proposals but 54% say too little help and 68% want more windfall
Sir Keir speaks for the nation.
Keir hasn't explained how he intends to tax Norway and Qatar, until he does it's bullshit.
Doesn’t matter, the public likes it.
Think of it like the bull crap Boris Johnson used to come out with and public loved.
We saw how that worked out for Boris, though.
He got to be Prime Minister for three years. I'd call that a success.
I was thinking about this the other day. He got Brexit over the line and bedded in (like it or not) and in doing so he outlasted PMs like Eden, Bannerman, Brown, Chamberlain, and Callaghan. He lasted only a year less than Heath.
Basically, he gets his history book chapter and will be viewed as having made the weather from 2016-2022. I think that, in time, he’ll be ok with that.
Heath won an election against the odds, got us into the EU, made the political weather, steered the country through a coal strike, and outlasted Eden, Chamberlain, Bonar Law, Baldwin and Derby.
Was his career a success? Was he, in time, 'OK with that?'
The news must get a little less "newsy" soon. Mustn't it?
The family arrived half an hour ago. The idea of the 6pm announcement doesn’t seem particularly implausible.
I think it will be something like. 'We have just received news from Buckingham Palace that, at 3:43 pm the Queen has died, surrounded by her family, the Duke of etc etc'.
Probably sound a bit better than that, but I think that will be it.
This is incredible, folks. Balakliya has been retaken. I think the next main goal is Kupyansk — the key railroad and automobile transportation center between Russia and northern and central Donbas. Sever this GLOC and Russians are in the world of shit. https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1567909502770462720
When does the weather change in Ukraine, such that you wouldn’t want to be an occupying force with crap logistics lines?
It’ll be back to mud by the end of this month, and freezing by the middle of November.
Dare we hope that this is the beginning of the end?
I don’t get my hopes up any more, but it does look like we might be seeing the start of a withdrawal around Kharkiv and Kherson. The enemy appears to be running out of men and materiel, and as we saw in April it needs to withdraw, regroup, and concentrate on their more strategic areas of objective.
Even if things stall a bit after what looks like promising liberations from Ukraine, it does seem to paint a vivid picture that Russia should really have just concentrated on Donetsk and Luhansk in the first place. Even if they take longer to oust from other bits like along the south coast, the cost has been enormous even if you, for example, halve many estimates.
Maybe while Meghan and Kate are staying at Windsor without their husbands they might meet up and start trying to sort out some of this nonsense.
Would you want to have talks with someone who insinuated on Prime time TV in America that bigotry was alive and well in your extended family?
Many people would, yes, to ensure the bigotry was dealt with and didn't happen again.
Shooting the messenger is the alternative.
Recollections may vary. Meghan isn't a trustworthy source, we know that.
The problem to the ongoing rift is less which side is being entirely truthful, since recollections do indeed vary, but that the rift is in the interests of Harry and Meghan as it keeps focus on them, and the others have no benefit to healing it either since to meet Harry and Meghan halfway would involve them in an issue they don't want to open up.
That's the trust issue. Having not been able to monetise the Royal Family for their personal gain, it will now feel to some that they are seeking to monetise the rift with the RF for personal gain. That may or may not be true but once trust has gone, everything tends to be looked at through a dark lens.
The difficulty for H&M is that it is their royal connections which make them interesting until they do something else equally interesting. So far they have not really managed that. A shame because both have some talent and could use them well and, tbf, Invictus is a great achievement. But even wonderful documentaries about that or other charitable works is not going to earn them the megabucks. So they are in a bit of a bind. The problem - as with too many in public life - is that the ambition and self-regard may be greater than the actual talent. With a good organisation / family / support network, that may not matter too much. Without it, your weaknesses tend to - eventually - show you up.
HMQ has achieved what she has partly because of her own character and sense of duty but also because of the support she has had (the example from her parents, Philip) and the structures around her and her family.
We often forget that, however good we are, we rarely achieve anything on our own or purely because of our own efforts.
All Net Approval Ratings (7 August): Liz Truss: -1% (NEW) Keir Starmer: -3% (+2)
Changes +/- 4 September
In our first poll since Liz Truss became Prime Minister, the Labour Party maintains its 12-point lead over the Conservatives, the joint-highest lead for Labour that we’ve recorded. However, perhaps in part due to a willingness to see how she will fare, Truss has reclaimed a marginal 2% lead in head-to-head polling against Labour Leader Keir Starmer for better PM of the UK.
So far, the majority of voters have yet to make up their mind on their new Prime Minister. 54% of voters say they are neutral or undecided about her performance thus far, suggesting that her opening speech on Tuesday and yesterday’s PMQs have not yet swung the electorate in one direction or another. Her net approval stands at a narrow -1%.
How Liz Truss fares will depend largely on how well she navigates the country through the difficult months ahead. Illustrative of the urgency of the problem, an astonishing 78% of voters say they are ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ concerned (as opposed to only ‘somewhat’ or ‘not at all’ concerned) about their ability to pay their energy bills this winter, up from 63% who said so only two weeks ago.
The scale of Government intervention to help alleviate the worst effects of increasing energy prices and how those interventions are to be paid for will be a key dividing line between the Conservatives and Labour. As such, yesterday’s first encounter between Truss and Starmer at Prime Ministers Question’s was instructive, as it illuminated a key ideological difference between the two on tax
The news must get a little less "newsy" soon. Mustn't it?
The family arrived half an hour ago. The idea of the 6pm announcement doesn’t seem particularly implausible.
I think it will be something like. 'We have just received news from Buckingham Palace that, at 3:43 pm the Queen has died, surrounded by her family, the Duke of etc etc'.
Probably sound a bit better than that, but I think that will be it.
She won't be pronounced dead until they are all there.
The news must get a little less "newsy" soon. Mustn't it?
The family arrived half an hour ago. The idea of the 6pm announcement doesn’t seem particularly implausible.
I think it will be something like. 'We have just received news from Buckingham Palace that, at 3:43 pm the Queen has died, surrounded by her family, the Duke of etc etc'.
Probably sound a bit better than that, but I think that will be it.
She won't be pronounced dead until they are all there.
Good job they didn't bother with that for her Dad. She was in Kenya. I take it you mean announced?
The news must get a little less "newsy" soon. Mustn't it?
The family arrived half an hour ago. The idea of the 6pm announcement doesn’t seem particularly implausible.
I think it will be something like. 'We have just received news from Buckingham Palace that, at 3:43 pm the Queen has died, surrounded by her family, the Duke of etc etc'.
Probably sound a bit better than that, but I think that will be it.
She won't be pronounced dead until they are all there.
I imagine she will be/has been pronounced dead when she’s dead. Will be majorly awkward if they pronounce her dead when they are all there and she’s not dead.
You have to feel for the news reporters having to fill all this time with no further updates .
Especially given they clearly know more but can't say it. Anyone who accidentally lets the news slip will have the footage go viral for the rest of their life
The news must get a little less "newsy" soon. Mustn't it?
The family arrived half an hour ago. The idea of the 6pm announcement doesn’t seem particularly implausible.
I think it will be something like. 'We have just received news from Buckingham Palace that, at 3:43 pm the Queen has died, surrounded by her family, the Duke of etc etc'.
Probably sound a bit better than that, but I think that will be it.
She won't be pronounced dead until they are all there.
Good job they didn't bother with that for her Dad. She was in Kenya. I take it you mean announced?
Not necessarily. They will all be there today, the doctors may delay declaring her dead until everyone has arrived so they can say she died with the whole family around her. Its like the not being able to die in the HoC thing, the official time of death does not always equals expiration
The news must get a little less "newsy" soon. Mustn't it?
The family arrived half an hour ago. The idea of the 6pm announcement doesn’t seem particularly implausible.
I think it will be something like. 'We have just received news from Buckingham Palace that, at 3:43 pm the Queen has died, surrounded by her family, the Duke of etc etc'.
Probably sound a bit better than that, but I think that will be it.
She won't be pronounced dead until they are all there.
I imagine she will be/has been pronounced dead when she’s dead. Will be majorly awkward if they pronounce her dead when they are all there and she’s not dead.
Strange proposals by certain figures to mediate between 🇺🇦 and 🇷🇺 should be considered as an attempt to use 🇺🇦 topic in order to recover their name in their own countries. Any mediator must have trust, authority, relevance. For sure neither Berlusconi nor Merkel has it. For what?
If it's only WHO the mediator will be that's the problem, he should find an acceptable one within the hour. Antonio Guterres's office would be able to suggest some names.
Apparently body will lay at Holyrood first, then by rail, East Coast line to London. Thought it might have come West Coast line and proceed through the conurbations in Lancashire and the West Midlands. I remember the funeral of George VI, that was a very morbid, sombre affair, somehow I do not think the Queen will have requested that, it may be a lighter affair. Understand London has issued the Local authorities with the protocols to be followed. I am a republican but understand and respect the general consensus, she has done a good job and I suspect at times advised the odd prime minister in a sensible manner, Boris Johnson ouch.
Thoughts and prayers with the Queen and her family at this time.
Of course if the worst happens Charles will become King immediately with preparations for his coronation waiting until after the period of national mourning and state funeral
This is incredible, folks. Balakliya has been retaken. I think the next main goal is Kupyansk — the key railroad and automobile transportation center between Russia and northern and central Donbas. Sever this GLOC and Russians are in the world of shit. https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1567909502770462720
When does the weather change in Ukraine, such that you wouldn’t want to be an occupying force with crap logistics lines?
It’ll be back to mud by the end of this month, and freezing by the middle of November.
Dare we hope that this is the beginning of the end?
I don’t get my hopes up any more, but it does look like we might be seeing the start of a withdrawal around Kharkiv and Kherson. The enemy appears to be running out of men and materiel, and as we saw in April it needs to withdraw, regroup, and concentrate on their more strategic areas of objective.
There's been some talk in recent weeks about how it would help Ukraine to demonstrate that they can defeat Russia on the battlefield and liberate occupied territory before winter sets in and the pressure to stop the war with the current front lines grows.
They are looking good for that at the moment, provided they don't end up overextending themselves in Kharkiv.
BBC Radio 4 busy telling us about how the monarchy is "at odds with society", which values "equality, diversity, inclusivity", while the monarchy is "about white inherited privilege", at odds with our "multi-faith, multi-ethnic society".
BBC Radio 4 busy telling us about how the monarchy is "at odds with society", which values "equality, diversity, inclusivity", while the monarchy is "about white inherited privilege", at odds with our "multi-faith, multi-ethnic society".
Is there any political impact do we think? Will Liz Truss’s Premiership be indelibly marked?
We have often talked about the psychological rupture about to be experienced, the sense of “falling into the future”. Will that colour how people think of Liz Truss?
Quite the opposite, it could be the making of her politically if she plays it well. It's exactly the kind of event that marks a reset in people's opinions and Liz Truss could come out of the other side with a lot of credit she may not have otherwise got. Crises, inevitably, play well for politicians, even Boris got a COVID bounce despite all of the disorganisation and confusion surrounding lockdowns, PPE and the rest of it. The reason it didn't stick was Boris. If Liz can avoid partying on the Queen's grave I think she'll do well and can show she's a serious leader, not a comedian.
It would be nice if it drew a line under the lazy, NYT-style "Britain is a laughing stock" era of international coverage too.
If someone doesn't want to be viewed as something, it's advisable that they not be it.
Absolutely right - if for example someone didn’t want to be seen as a Russian troll then it’s advisable that they not be one.
4 "likes" from the girls. You are so witty and have such a penetrating mind, @Boulay.
Another bit of energy stuff, it seems as though the proposal is to decouple gas prices from electricity, that immediately brings a lot of relief and will act as an effective "windfall tax" on domestic electricity producers who have been charging at the marginal cost of gas. I'd like to see a European approach to this, the UK has been invited by the EU into a temporary energy pricing alliance which to me seems like a good idea.
There's going to be some interesting contract law with all this I guess? Lawyers having a field day? But we are at war so stuff must be done.
Luckily in this country parliament is sovereign and primary legislation does mean something. If the government uses an act of Parliament to amend contracts then there's really not much that the likes of SSE can do about it.
Isn’t it more a negotiation to forestall a windfall tax ? I get the impression that the energy companies have been leading rather than being led ? There was talk of long term agreements in exchange for cutting the price.
And in any event, a voluntary modification of contacts is far preferable (on both sides) to Parliament legislating to set them aside.
Ardent Republicans should have the decency to crawl under a stone at times such as these.
Piss off Walty, entirely unnecessary and inappropriate.
Getting a ghost of the ghost of Harry Flashman vibe here, smarting from his team’s bleaching by Ajax nae doot.
Not all royalists support Rangers.
I like your avatar. The sort of dog that if you run it over on the way in to work, you know that whatever happens your day has not been completely wasted.
BBC Radio 4 busy telling us about how the monarchy is "at odds with society", which values "equality, diversity, inclusivity", while the monarchy is "about white inherited privilege", at odds with our "multi-faith, multi-ethnic society".
Is there any political impact do we think? Will Liz Truss’s Premiership be indelibly marked?
We have often talked about the psychological rupture about to be experienced, the sense of “falling into the future”. Will that colour how people think of Liz Truss?
Quite the opposite, it could be the making of her politically if she plays it well. It's exactly the kind of event that marks a reset in people's opinions and Liz Truss could come out of the other side with a lot of credit she may not have otherwise got. Crises, inevitably, play well for politicians, even Boris got a COVID bounce despite all of the disorganisation and confusion surrounding lockdowns, PPE and the rest of it. The reason it didn't stick was Boris. If Liz can avoid partying on the Queen's grave I think she'll do well and can show she's a serious leader, not a comedian.
It would be nice if it drew a line under the lazy, NYT-style "Britain is a laughing stock" era of international coverage too.
If someone doesn't want to be viewed as something, it's advisable that they not be it.
Absolutely right - if for example someone didn’t want to be seen as a Russian troll then it’s advisable that they not be one.
4 "likes" from the girls. You are so witty and have such a penetrating mind, @Boulay.
BBC Radio 4 busy telling us about how the monarchy is "at odds with society", which values "equality, diversity, inclusivity", while the monarchy is "about white inherited privilege", at odds with our "multi-faith, multi-ethnic society".
BBC Radio 4 busy telling us about how the monarchy is "at odds with society", which values "equality, diversity, inclusivity", while the monarchy is "about white inherited privilege", at odds with our "multi-faith, multi-ethnic society".
Maybe there's no news. Her Majesty is ill but thankfully still with us, and Leon is sheltering from the desert winds in a cave house, arabic-style bandana round his mouth, managing to build his strength for the return journey home.
The news must get a little less "newsy" soon. Mustn't it?
The family arrived half an hour ago. The idea of the 6pm announcement doesn’t seem particularly implausible.
I think it will be something like. 'We have just received news from Buckingham Palace that, at 3:43 pm the Queen has died, surrounded by her family, the Duke of etc etc'.
Probably sound a bit better than that, but I think that will be it.
She won't be pronounced dead until they are all there.
Good job they didn't bother with that for her Dad. She was in Kenya. I take it you mean announced?
Not necessarily. They will all be there today, the doctors may delay declaring her dead until everyone has arrived so they can say she died with the whole family around her. Its like the not being able to die in the HoC thing, the official time of death does not always equals expiration
I listened to TRIGGERnometry last night, with Andrew Doyle.
This is a curious example of an institution strongly associated with the traditional right, redefining the meaning of word “died” to suit their own agenda.
Redefining the meaning of words is, ironically, what a decent chunk of the right get unreasonably angry about when trans people “redefine gender.”
Left and right, traditional and progressive, everyone is playing the game. Perhaps ‘‘twas ever thus?
BBC Radio 4 busy telling us about how the monarchy is "at odds with society", which values "equality, diversity, inclusivity", while the monarchy is "about white inherited privilege", at odds with our "multi-faith, multi-ethnic society".
If I were you, I'd check *when* that was broadcast - and indeed if. And who did. It might be quoting someone else.
You don't want to be too quick off the mark with your wokefinding, after the last time.
I was listening to it (about 17:20 or so I think) - it was some professor of history or other. A little jarring in the circumstances, but whatever.
If the last few years have taught us anything, it is that nothing - global pandemics, war, death, football - should ever distract us from the urgent task of calling everyone racist.
The news must get a little less "newsy" soon. Mustn't it?
The family arrived half an hour ago. The idea of the 6pm announcement doesn’t seem particularly implausible.
I think it will be something like. 'We have just received news from Buckingham Palace that, at 3:43 pm the Queen has died, surrounded by her family, the Duke of etc etc'.
Probably sound a bit better than that, but I think that will be it.
She won't be pronounced dead until they are all there.
Good job they didn't bother with that for her Dad. She was in Kenya. I take it you mean announced?
Not necessarily. They will all be there today, the doctors may delay declaring her dead until everyone has arrived so they can say she died with the whole family around her. Its like the not being able to die in the HoC thing, the official time of death does not always equals expiration
I listened to TRIGGERnometry last night, with Andrew Doyle.
This is a curious example of an institution strongly associated with the traditional right, redefining the meaning of word “death” to suit their own agenda.
Which is, ironically, what a decent chunk of the right get unreasonably angry about when trans people “redefine gender.”
Left and right, traditional and progressive, everyone is playing the game. Perhaps ‘‘twas ever thus.
The news must get a little less "newsy" soon. Mustn't it?
The family arrived half an hour ago. The idea of the 6pm announcement doesn’t seem particularly implausible.
I think it will be something like. 'We have just received news from Buckingham Palace that, at 3:43 pm the Queen has died, surrounded by her family, the Duke of etc etc'.
Probably sound a bit better than that, but I think that will be it.
She won't be pronounced dead until they are all there.
Good job they didn't bother with that for her Dad. She was in Kenya. I take it you mean announced?
Not necessarily. They will all be there today, the doctors may delay declaring her dead until everyone has arrived so they can say she died with the whole family around her. Its like the not being able to die in the HoC thing, the official time of death does not always equals expiration
I listened to TRIGGERnometry last night, with Andrew Doyle.
This is a curious example of an institution strongly associated with the traditional right, redefining the meaning of word “death” to suit their own agenda.
Which is, ironically, what a decent chunk of the right get unreasonably angry about when trans people “redefine gender.”
Left and right, traditional and progressive, everyone is playing the game. Perhaps ‘‘twas ever thus.
Does truth matter to anyone any more?
Just reflecxting, coincidentally, that the Royal Birthdays are also redefined. Though I have not had enough interest in the matter to understand quite how or why. You know, such things as firing off old Great War 18-pounders in Hyde Park or the river frontage of the Tower of London.
The news must get a little less "newsy" soon. Mustn't it?
The family arrived half an hour ago. The idea of the 6pm announcement doesn’t seem particularly implausible.
I think it will be something like. 'We have just received news from Buckingham Palace that, at 3:43 pm the Queen has died, surrounded by her family, the Duke of etc etc'.
Probably sound a bit better than that, but I think that will be it.
She won't be pronounced dead until they are all there.
Good job they didn't bother with that for her Dad. She was in Kenya. I take it you mean announced?
Not necessarily. They will all be there today, the doctors may delay declaring her dead until everyone has arrived so they can say she died with the whole family around her. Its like the not being able to die in the HoC thing, the official time of death does not always equals expiration
I listened to TRIGGERnometry last night, with Andrew Doyle.
This is a curious example of an institution strongly associated with the traditional right, redefining the meaning of word “death” to suit their own agenda.
Which is, ironically, what a decent chunk of the right get unreasonably angry about when trans people “redefine gender.”
Left and right, traditional and progressive, everyone is playing the game. Perhaps ‘‘twas ever thus?
Does truth matter to anyone any more?
Nobody is dead until declared dead by a doctor. Hence millions die every year some time before reaching hospital and being declared 'dead on arrival' etc
I've just returned from a long and rather lovely liquid lunch to find PB awash with posts. Is something occurring?
Her Majesty isn’t dead.
Bloody hell, there's a lot of posts for a not-happened-yet event.
The news broke around midday that there is no news, and there has continued to be live reporting on the lack of news ever since. The BBC is so sure there will continue to be no news that it has cancelled all other programming on BBC1 in order to keep us informed that there is no news.
BBC Radio 4 busy telling us about how the monarchy is "at odds with society", which values "equality, diversity, inclusivity", while the monarchy is "about white inherited privilege", at odds with our "multi-faith, multi-ethnic society".
I've caught up now. It would appear that HMQ's demise is imminent.
It is sad. But she is 96, and it's better that she dies at this splendid age than that she struggles on for longer in pain and suffering. RIP (when it comes).
BBC Radio 4 busy telling us about how the monarchy is "at odds with society", which values "equality, diversity, inclusivity", while the monarchy is "about white inherited privilege", at odds with our "multi-faith, multi-ethnic society".
If I were you, I'd check *when* that was broadcast - and indeed if. And who did. It might be quoting someone else.
You don't want to be too quick off the mark with your wokefinding, after the last time.
R4 - this evening. It’s a fairly accurate quote - except it was from the middle of an account of how HMQ has managed to retain the respect and affection of the majority of the nation, throughout her reign, even as society has changed in ways completely at odds with the idea of inherited position.
I did feel a palpable sense of relief - even if only temporary - when the clock ticked over to 1 minute past 6 and there had been no change in the BBC coverage.
It is daft I suppose because I am not an emotional monarchist. I don't get all gooey eyed about it and although slightly saddened for a life passed when the DoE died, I was not really upset. But all day I have been feeling genuinely upset by the news about the Queen. For all the reasons SouthamObserver and others have expressed so eloquently today. This is a part of my life, my country and my history. Others might quite reasonably argue that it shouldn't matter but for reasons I can't really explain, it does.
BBC Radio 4 busy telling us about how the monarchy is "at odds with society", which values "equality, diversity, inclusivity", while the monarchy is "about white inherited privilege", at odds with our "multi-faith, multi-ethnic society".
I think we’ll get an update after Harry arrives . If the news is bad my best memory of the Queen will be when she showed a real sense of fun . From London 2012 with James Bond and that clip with Paddington Bear for the jubilee .
My saddest memory is of her sitting all alone at Philips funeral .
I've just returned from a long and rather lovely liquid lunch to find PB awash with posts. Is something occurring?
Her Majesty isn’t dead.
Bloody hell, there's a lot of posts for a not-happened-yet event.
The news broke around midday that there is no news, and there has continued to be live reporting on the lack of news ever since. The BBC is so sure there will continue to be no news that it has cancelled all other programming on BBC1 in order to keep us informed that there is no news.
They should run an episode of "Have I Got No News For You".
BBC Radio 4 busy telling us about how the monarchy is "at odds with society", which values "equality, diversity, inclusivity", while the monarchy is "about white inherited privilege", at odds with our "multi-faith, multi-ethnic society".
If I were you, I'd check *when* that was broadcast - and indeed if. And who did. It might be quoting someone else.
You don't want to be too quick off the mark with your wokefinding, after the last time.
R4 - this evening. It’s a fairly accurate quote - except it was from the middle of an account of how HMQ has managed to retain the respect and affection of the majority of the nation, throughout her reign, even as society has changed in ways completely at odds with the idea of inherited position.
Ah - thanks. That's very interesting.
Typical wokefinding. Just like that American children's hospital.
The news must get a little less "newsy" soon. Mustn't it?
The family arrived half an hour ago. The idea of the 6pm announcement doesn’t seem particularly implausible.
I think it will be something like. 'We have just received news from Buckingham Palace that, at 3:43 pm the Queen has died, surrounded by her family, the Duke of etc etc'.
Probably sound a bit better than that, but I think that will be it.
She won't be pronounced dead until they are all there.
Good job they didn't bother with that for her Dad. She was in Kenya. I take it you mean announced?
Not necessarily. They will all be there today, the doctors may delay declaring her dead until everyone has arrived so they can say she died with the whole family around her. Its like the not being able to die in the HoC thing, the official time of death does not always equals expiration
I listened to TRIGGERnometry last night, with Andrew Doyle.
This is a curious example of an institution strongly associated with the traditional right, redefining the meaning of word “died” to suit their own agenda.
Redefining the meaning of words is, ironically, what a decent chunk of the right get unreasonably angry about when trans people “redefine gender.”
Left and right, traditional and progressive, everyone is playing the game. Perhaps ‘‘twas ever thus?
Does truth matter to anyone any more?
What is truth?
Answers on a postcard.
They haven't said she is alive, tbf, they have said she is comfortable which is compatible with death. I assume if she were conscious she would be in good spirits, so she isn't.
I've just returned from a long and rather lovely liquid lunch to find PB awash with posts. Is something occurring?
Her Majesty isn’t dead.
Bloody hell, there's a lot of posts for a not-happened-yet event.
The news broke around midday that there is no news, and there has continued to be live reporting on the lack of news ever since. The BBC is so sure there will continue to be no news that it has cancelled all other programming on BBC1 in order to keep us informed that there is no news.
It's as awkward as the live text of a test match that is inevitably going to be rained out.
The news must get a little less "newsy" soon. Mustn't it?
The family arrived half an hour ago. The idea of the 6pm announcement doesn’t seem particularly implausible.
I think it will be something like. 'We have just received news from Buckingham Palace that, at 3:43 pm the Queen has died, surrounded by her family, the Duke of etc etc'.
Probably sound a bit better than that, but I think that will be it.
She won't be pronounced dead until they are all there.
Good job they didn't bother with that for her Dad. She was in Kenya. I take it you mean announced?
Not necessarily. They will all be there today, the doctors may delay declaring her dead until everyone has arrived so they can say she died with the whole family around her. Its like the not being able to die in the HoC thing, the official time of death does not always equals expiration
I listened to TRIGGERnometry last night, with Andrew Doyle.
This is a curious example of an institution strongly associated with the traditional right, redefining the meaning of word “died” to suit their own agenda.
Redefining the meaning of words is, ironically, what a decent chunk of the right get unreasonably angry about when trans people “redefine gender.”
Left and right, traditional and progressive, everyone is playing the game. Perhaps ‘‘twas ever thus?
Does truth matter to anyone any more?
What is truth?
Answers on a postcard.
They haven't said she is alive, tbf, they have said she is comfortable which is compatible with death. I assume if she were conscious she would be in good spirits, so she isn't.
Or compatible with being alive but sedated and not conscious.
I've just returned from a long and rather lovely liquid lunch to find PB awash with posts. Is something occurring?
Her Majesty isn’t dead.
Bloody hell, there's a lot of posts for a not-happened-yet event.
The news broke around midday that there is no news, and there has continued to be live reporting on the lack of news ever since. The BBC is so sure there will continue to be no news that it has cancelled all other programming on BBC1 in order to keep us informed that there is no news.
They should run an episode of "Have I Got No News For You".
If she doesn't die (which I hope is the case), then we should all sing this:
Oh, the Grand old Queen of England, She had four grand old children, She marched them up to Balmoral Castle, Then marched them down again...
The news must get a little less "newsy" soon. Mustn't it?
The family arrived half an hour ago. The idea of the 6pm announcement doesn’t seem particularly implausible.
I think it will be something like. 'We have just received news from Buckingham Palace that, at 3:43 pm the Queen has died, surrounded by her family, the Duke of etc etc'.
Probably sound a bit better than that, but I think that will be it.
She won't be pronounced dead until they are all there.
Good job they didn't bother with that for her Dad. She was in Kenya. I take it you mean announced?
Not necessarily. They will all be there today, the doctors may delay declaring her dead until everyone has arrived so they can say she died with the whole family around her. Its like the not being able to die in the HoC thing, the official time of death does not always equals expiration
I listened to TRIGGERnometry last night, with Andrew Doyle.
This is a curious example of an institution strongly associated with the traditional right, redefining the meaning of word “died” to suit their own agenda.
Redefining the meaning of words is, ironically, what a decent chunk of the right get unreasonably angry about when trans people “redefine gender.”
Left and right, traditional and progressive, everyone is playing the game. Perhaps ‘‘twas ever thus?
Does truth matter to anyone any more?
What is truth?
Answers on a postcard.
They haven't said she is alive, tbf, they have said she is comfortable which is compatible with death. I assume if she were conscious she would be in good spirits, so she isn't.
Comfort does imply prostrate and probably unconscious, yes, I’m afraid. Not sure it implies dead, I have heard doctors talk about dying patients as being kept “in comfort” or “comfortable” but not ones that have already passed on.
I've just returned from a long and rather lovely liquid lunch to find PB awash with posts. Is something occurring?
Her Majesty isn’t dead.
Bloody hell, there's a lot of posts for a not-happened-yet event.
The news broke around midday that there is no news, and there has continued to be live reporting on the lack of news ever since. The BBC is so sure there will continue to be no news that it has cancelled all other programming on BBC1 in order to keep us informed that there is no news.
They should run an episode of "Have I Got No News For You".
If she doesn't die (which I hope is the case), then we should all sing this:
Oh, the Grand old Queen of England, She had four grand old children, She marched them up to Balmoral Castle, Then marched them down again...
She's decided to start engaging in really intense practical jokes. Such japes, Maam.
Ardent Republicans should have the decency to crawl under a stone at times such as these.
Piss off Walty, entirely unnecessary and inappropriate.
Getting a ghost of the ghost of Harry Flashman vibe here, smarting from his team’s bleaching by Ajax nae doot.
Not all royalists support Rangers.
I like your avatar. The sort of dog that if you run it over on the way in to work, you know that whatever happens your day has not been completely wasted.
I've just returned from a long and rather lovely liquid lunch to find PB awash with posts. Is something occurring?
Her Majesty isn’t dead.
Bloody hell, there's a lot of posts for a not-happened-yet event.
The news broke around midday that there is no news, and there has continued to be live reporting on the lack of news ever since. The BBC is so sure there will continue to be no news that it has cancelled all other programming on BBC1 in order to keep us informed that there is no news.
It's as awkward as the live text of a test match that is inevitably going to be rained out.
They'd better hurry up or it'llend up getting announced on the regional news.
BBC Radio 4 busy telling us about how the monarchy is "at odds with society", which values "equality, diversity, inclusivity", while the monarchy is "about white inherited privilege", at odds with our "multi-faith, multi-ethnic society".
BBC news sounds excruciating. They obviously think or know HM is dead but can't say.
How are they going to fill the time?
Nothing has changed since 1871… “Across the wires the electric message came: He is no better, he is much the same.”
Regrettably we appear to be in serious danger of copying the Queens grandfather's last days. At least with her father although we knew he was very ill, his death came as a surprise. After all his successor was away in foreign parts at the time.
Just had slightly robust words with youngest child who cannot understand why her Uni might cancel Freshers Week events.
I have some sympathy with her there. I don't want the Queen to die. I like the queen. But what good does cancelling everything do anyone? If the death is announced this evening, I will mark the sad occasion by drinking too much.
Comments
Currently, Russia is getting a perfect real time history lesson in various directions, including Kharkiv. A lesson that should be imprinted in future generations at the level of an unconditional reflex. It has only one clause:
1. Never look towards the Ukrainian border. Never…
https://twitter.com/Podolyak_M/status/1567914337255452672
Was his career a success? Was he, in time, 'OK with that?'
Probably sound a bit better than that, but I think that will be it.
The difficulty for H&M is that it is their royal connections which make them interesting until they do something else equally interesting. So far they have not really managed that. A shame because both have some talent and could use them well and, tbf, Invictus is a great achievement. But even wonderful documentaries about that or other charitable works is not going to earn them the megabucks. So they are in a bit of a bind. The problem - as with too many in public life - is that the ambition and self-regard may be greater than the actual talent. With a good organisation / family / support network, that may not matter too much. Without it, your weaknesses tend to - eventually - show you up.
HMQ has achieved what she has partly because of her own character and sense of duty but also because of the support she has had (the example from her parents, Philip) and the structures around her and her family.
We often forget that, however good we are, we rarely achieve anything on our own or purely because of our own efforts.
All Net Approval Ratings
(7 August):
Liz Truss: -1% (NEW)
Keir Starmer: -3% (+2)
Changes +/- 4 September
In our first poll since Liz Truss became Prime Minister, the Labour Party maintains its 12-point lead over the Conservatives, the joint-highest lead for Labour that we’ve recorded. However, perhaps in part due to a willingness to see how she will fare, Truss has reclaimed a marginal 2% lead in head-to-head polling against Labour Leader Keir Starmer for better PM of the UK.
So far, the majority of voters have yet to make up their mind on their new Prime Minister. 54% of voters say they are neutral or undecided about her performance thus far, suggesting that her opening speech on Tuesday and yesterday’s PMQs have not yet swung the electorate in one direction or another. Her net approval stands at a narrow -1%.
How Liz Truss fares will depend largely on how well she navigates the country through the difficult months ahead. Illustrative of the urgency of the problem, an astonishing 78% of voters say they are ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ concerned (as opposed to only ‘somewhat’ or ‘not at all’ concerned) about their ability to pay their energy bills this winter, up from 63% who said so only two weeks ago.
The scale of Government intervention to help alleviate the worst effects of increasing energy prices and how those interventions are to be paid for will be a key dividing line between the Conservatives and Labour. As such, yesterday’s first encounter between Truss and Starmer at Prime Ministers Question’s was instructive, as it illuminated a key ideological difference between the two on tax
She was in Kenya.
I take it you mean announced?
"Queen declared fit to work after Atos work capability assessment"
Its like the not being able to die in the HoC thing, the official time of death does not always equals expiration
I remember the funeral of George VI, that was a very morbid, sombre affair, somehow I do not think the Queen will have requested that, it may be a lighter affair.
Understand London has issued the Local authorities with the protocols to be followed.
I am a republican but understand and respect the general consensus, she has done a good job and I suspect at times advised the odd prime minister in a sensible manner, Boris Johnson ouch.
Of course if the worst happens Charles will become King immediately with preparations for his coronation waiting until after the period of national mourning and state funeral
They are looking good for that at the moment, provided they don't end up overextending themselves in Kharkiv.
Great work from our national broadcaster.
https://twitter.com/sashworthhayes/status/1567913657257918466
You don't want to be too quick off the mark with your wokefinding, after the last time.
I get the impression that the energy companies have been leading rather than being led ?
There was talk of long term agreements in exchange for cutting the price.
And in any event, a voluntary modification of contacts is far preferable (on both sides) to Parliament legislating to set them aside.
This is a curious example of an institution strongly associated with the traditional right, redefining the meaning of word “died” to suit their own agenda.
Redefining the meaning of words is, ironically, what a decent chunk of the right get unreasonably angry about when trans people “redefine gender.”
Left and right, traditional and progressive, everyone is playing the game. Perhaps ‘‘twas ever thus?
Does truth matter to anyone any more?
What is truth?
Answers on a postcard.
https://youtu.be/dGFXGwHsD_A
Is a sovereign's funeral always a weekday (and presumably a national holiday if so)?
How are they going to fill the time?
It is sad. But she is 96, and it's better that she dies at this splendid age than that she struggles on for longer in pain and suffering. RIP (when it comes).
It’s a fairly accurate quote - except it was from the middle of an account of how HMQ has managed to retain the respect and affection of the majority of the nation, throughout her reign, even as society has changed in ways completely at odds with the idea of inherited position.
It is daft I suppose because I am not an emotional monarchist. I don't get all gooey eyed about it and although slightly saddened for a life passed when the DoE died, I was not really upset. But all day I have been feeling genuinely upset by the news about the Queen. For all the reasons SouthamObserver and others have expressed so eloquently today. This is a part of my life, my country and my history. Others might quite reasonably argue that it shouldn't matter but for reasons I can't really explain, it does.
I must be getting old.
My saddest memory is of her sitting all alone at Philips funeral .
Common thinking is that many think she’s already passed?
Huw Edwards wearing his black tie for a false alarm, does appear rather presumptive.
Typical wokefinding. Just like that American children's hospital.
Oh, the Grand old Queen of England,
She had four grand old children,
She marched them up to Balmoral Castle,
Then marched them down again...
“Across the wires the electric message came:
He is no better, he is much the same.”
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/scottish-doctors-approved-breast-removal-for-51-trans-teenagers-qvkmz8r2c
"Scottish doctors approved breast removal for 51 trans teenagers"
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/sep/08/operation-unicorn-plans-if-queen-dies-scotland
'We're just waiting for Harry to arrive' theyve obvs been told an update will follow once everyone is there
https://www.tovima.gr/2022/09/08/world/kyriarxoun-sta-diethni-mesa-enimerosis-oi-ekselikseis-gia-tin-vasilissa-elisavet/
I don't want the Queen to die. I like the queen. But what good does cancelling everything do anyone?
If the death is announced this evening, I will mark the sad occasion by drinking too much.