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Sleepless Knights of the Shires – politicalbetting.com

SystemSystem Posts: 11,002
edited September 2022 in General
imageSleepless Knights of the Shires – politicalbetting.com

Political maps of England, whether parliamentary or council, often resemble multi-coloured archipelagos in a sea of blue. While urban areas are battlegrounds contested by all the larger parties, rural areas tilt strongly towards the Conservatives.

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Comments

  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 49,959
    A very long, detailed and well-informed thread on what has gone wrong for the Russians in Ukraine. None of it suggests anything will get better for them any time soon.

    https://twitter.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1571255027775291392
  • A very long, detailed and well-informed thread on what has gone wrong for the Russians in Ukraine. None of it suggests anything will get better for them any time soon.

    https://twitter.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1571255027775291392

    The notion that rather than just the Russian army, the invaders are several disparate groups, differently equipped and fighting independently of each other.
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 12,880
    Here's an excellent article for the Futon Fusiliers here on the US weapon deliveries to Ukraine.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/16/f-16s-patriots-ukraine-negotiations-00057262

    Summary: Ukraine want F-16, MQ-1C and MIM-104 but are no longer stridently asking on Snapchat. F-16 isn't a near term possibility because it would involve dicking over Slovakia, Bahrain and/or The Breakaway Province of China. MIM-104 is possible because it's viewed as a solely defensive system but it will have to be new builds off the Raytheon line paid for by ???. MQ-1C is being cockblocked by the US Army (article incorrectly states USAF) because they want to retire it so the last thing they need is a bravura performance from it in the SMO.

    On the whole, the US response is a masterclass in cynical self-interest.
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 14,884
    We are also at the end of 12 years of Tory ‘government’ as coalition or sole party. People are fed up up. The corruption is rising to the top just like it did in the nineties. We have just been through an awful pandemic where at best the government got some stuff right and some stuff wrong (some will fell that should be a lot wrong). Now there is a CoL crisis, partly because of the pandemic and partly due to the War in Ukraine. We are at war with Russia, just not in the same way we were with Germany in 1939. There is far less sense of national unity because the war is fa4 away and it’s not out troops and citizens dying, but we are at war with Russia.

    So frankly it would be amazing if the Tories weren’t suffering in the polls, everywhere.

    Right now we need Labour and the Lib Dems to show the nation what they would do with 5 years in power. Give hope, and then the nation may just change tack significantly. Don’t forget, the Tories legitimately won the 2019 election. They have the right to be in power right now. Labour and/or the Lib Dems need to earn their right too.

  • We are also at the end of 12 years of Tory ‘government’ as coalition or sole party. People are fed up up. The corruption is rising to the top just like it did in the nineties. We have just been through an awful pandemic where at best the government got some stuff right and some stuff wrong (some will fell that should be a lot wrong). Now there is a CoL crisis, partly because of the pandemic and partly due to the War in Ukraine. We are at war with Russia, just not in the same way we were with Germany in 1939. There is far less sense of national unity because the war is fa4 away and it’s not out troops and citizens dying, but we are at war with Russia.

    So frankly it would be amazing if the Tories weren’t suffering in the polls, everywhere.

    Right now we need Labour and the Lib Dems to show the nation what they would do with 5 years in power. Give hope, and then the nation may just change tack significantly. Don’t forget, the Tories legitimately won the 2019 election. They have the right to be in power right now. Labour and/or the Lib Dems need to earn their right too.

    There is an "end of days" feel out there, and the sudden death of the Queen after appointing Truss hasn't helped that. Politics has been suspended during the period of national hysteria, but the lobby hacks are increasingly reporting serious concerns in the Tory Party about what impact Trussnomics will have.

    In essence when it feels like the wrong approach the market is very good at ramming that perception home. With 18 months of economic contraction now forecast we're into the "government breaks the economy and sneeringly insists its dogma is right and the people's suffering can be ignored" scenario.

    Thats not to say its gift week for the opposition parties. But even if all they show is empathy that would be a huge step forward. Brexit's reception in rural shires was mentioned in the piece, and I have seen here in Banff and Buchan what happens when the MP says "everything is marvellous" and the farming and fishing voters say "no it isn't and why aren't you listening to us"?
  • IcarusIcarus Posts: 885
    "From May to August this year, there have been 36 council by-elections across England in seats held by the Conservatives: 15 urban, 21 rural. Looking just at wins, the results are similar: the Cons successfully defended 4 (36%) urban seats, and 6 (40%) rural seats."

    I do not understand the percentages of seats held. 4 out of 15 is 27% - 6 out of 21 is 29%. The Conservatives lost 26 seat out of 36 defended - May 2023 is going to be bloodbath for the Conservatives.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 49,959
    Dura_Ace said:

    Here's an excellent article for the Futon Fusiliers here on the US weapon deliveries to Ukraine.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/16/f-16s-patriots-ukraine-negotiations-00057262

    Summary: Ukraine want F-16, MQ-1C and MIM-104 but are no longer stridently asking on Snapchat. F-16 isn't a near term possibility because it would involve dicking over Slovakia, Bahrain and/or The Breakaway Province of China. MIM-104 is possible because it's viewed as a solely defensive system but it will have to be new builds off the Raytheon line paid for by ???. MQ-1C is being cockblocked by the US Army (article incorrectly states USAF) because they want to retire it so the last thing they need is a bravura performance from it in the SMO.

    On the whole, the US response is a masterclass in cynical self-interest.

    What are you hearing about the Ukrainians training on A-10 Warthogs, the final batch of which were due to go get parked in an Arizona desert...
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670

    Dura_Ace said:

    Here's an excellent article for the Futon Fusiliers here on the US weapon deliveries to Ukraine.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/16/f-16s-patriots-ukraine-negotiations-00057262

    Summary: Ukraine want F-16, MQ-1C and MIM-104 but are no longer stridently asking on Snapchat. F-16 isn't a near term possibility because it would involve dicking over Slovakia, Bahrain and/or The Breakaway Province of China. MIM-104 is possible because it's viewed as a solely defensive system but it will have to be new builds off the Raytheon line paid for by ???. MQ-1C is being cockblocked by the US Army (article incorrectly states USAF) because they want to retire it so the last thing they need is a bravura performance from it in the SMO.

    On the whole, the US response is a masterclass in cynical self-interest.

    What are you hearing about the Ukrainians training on A-10 Warthogs, the final batch of which were due to go get parked in an Arizona desert...
    Zero chance.

    For both practical and political reasons.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,575
    edited September 2022
    Dura_Ace said:

    Here's an excellent article for the Futon Fusiliers here on the US weapon deliveries to Ukraine.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/16/f-16s-patriots-ukraine-negotiations-00057262

    Summary: Ukraine want F-16, MQ-1C and MIM-104 but are no longer stridently asking on Snapchat. F-16 isn't a near term possibility because it would involve dicking over Slovakia, Bahrain and/or The Breakaway Province of China. MIM-104 is possible because it's viewed as a solely defensive system but it will have to be new builds off the Raytheon line paid for by ???. MQ-1C is being cockblocked by the US Army (article incorrectly states USAF) because they want to retire it so the last thing they need is a bravura performance from it in the SMO.

    On the whole, the US response is a masterclass in cynical self-interest.

    It is a good article, though your reading of it is a touch partial.
    For example:
    … There is also a prioritization problem: existing NATO allies want these systems too. As more Eastern European countries ditch their older Russian or even Soviet-era aircraft, they’re looking to the U.S. to begin selling or financing F-16s for their own defense. Already, the delivery of 14 F-16s to Slovakia has been delayed a year — to 2024 — due to supply chain issues, and Taiwan remains high on the priority list for the jets and their spare parts.

    Some of these more complex systems — including the F-16s slated for retirement by the U.S. Air Force — “are likely to arrive after this conflict is over,” said a congressional staffer with knowledge of the discussions.

    As for the request for Patriot missile batteries, the U.S. has agreed to finance the sale of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, or NASAMS, for Ukraine. Officials warn that Ukraine’s capacity to train on and put to use both systems at once would be limited, at best…


    Is that “cynical self-interest”, or practical reality ? It’s not entirely clear cut.

    As I’ve noted previously, Poland was anxious to purchase F-16s, and the US keen to sell them. Supply constraints have led Poland to sound several billion dollars on the Korean FA-50 instead, as deliveries can me made almost straight away.
    NASAMS isn’t Patriot, but it’s a pretty capable system (assuming they get the AMRAAM version), again available now, and at least a couple of batteries financed by the US are already being delivered.

    As for the Grey Eagle, the Ukraine airforce also publicly lobbied against it, too, so it’s little wonder that ran into the sand.

    FWIW, and I’m not pretending any particular expertise, so you can FO with the Futon Fusiliers stuff, it seems to me that the “cynical self-interest” is more a plain desire to avoid nuclear war with Russia.

    You can certainly argue that Biden has been overly hesitant in the rate of weapon supplies (and I have), but you have to acknowledge both that consideration, and the fact that he’s governing with an extremely fragile majority in Congress.

    Against that you have to give serious credit for marshalling a coordinated NATO response, and consistent strong advocacy and support for Ukraine from before Putin’s gamble kicked off, the face of scepticism from many at the time.

    Self- interest, absolutely.
    But how many were arguing that back in February ?
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 32,739
    There seems to be an increasing likelihood that the Truss government is about to emulate James May in the latest Grand Tour special...
  • kjhkjh Posts: 10,458
    Just a comment on Cookie's post on the last thread: I'm not a monarchist and I hated all the inane interviews when the Queen died, but the lying in state has been brilliant. Excellent TV, beautifully done, and the public queueing have been brilliant. Excellent post by Cookie (mainly because I agree, but also well written).
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 66,758
    I've never come across this before, but it's quite good:

    https://youtu.be/iLHMrnRX4Io
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 32,739
    Biden cancels his meeting with Truss.

    In unrelated news, the FBI are investigating Truss's Downing Street chief of staff for an election bribe in Puerto Rico.

    https://twitter.com/implausibleblog/status/1571263352147509249


    Truss’s first big diplomatic meeting cancelled by Biden https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/18/prime-minister-trusss-first-big-diplomatic-meeting-cancelled-joe-biden?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1663477969
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 24,587
    Scott_xP said:

    There seems to be an increasing likelihood that the Truss government is about to emulate James May in the latest Grand Tour special...

    ...but you know what that means Scott. Da,da,da...BigDog returns!

    Be careful what you wish for.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 66,758
    Scott_xP said:

    There seems to be an increasing likelihood that the Truss government is about to emulate James May in the latest Grand Tour special...

    The bit where he sinks through the ice or the bit where he hits the wall at 40mph?
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,281
    Very interesting header - thanks!

    Point 4. in particular had not occurred to me but sounds vey plausible.
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 8,480
    edited September 2022
    Morning all. Interesting that the FT article thinks the average Slovenian household will be better off than the UK's as soon as 18 months, and the average Polish family within six or seven years or so, if the current trends continue. I hadn't originally picked that up from the article yesterday.

    https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/the-average-polish-family-will-be-better-off-than-a-uk-household-by-end-of-the-decade-335338/
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,575
    Russian social media spin on the mass graves being discovered.
    https://twitter.com/VoldemortessaLJ/status/1571314811853570048
  • Very interesting header - thanks!

    Point 4. in particular had not occurred to me but sounds vey plausible.

    I can understand why the Tories have seen WFH as such a threat. Their donors and patrons make £lots from commercial property which is devalued. Individuals lose the concept of subservience where they have to come and go as the Man tells them.

    And yet, the opportunities presented far outweigh these for the majority. Its yet another issue where the Tories are the problem without even knowing the question.
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 14,884

    Morning all. Interesting that the FT article thinks the average Slovenian household will be better off than the UK's as soon as 18 months, and the average Polish within six or seven years or so, if the current trends continue. I hadn't originally picked that up from the article yesterday.

    https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/the-average-polish-family-will-be-better-off-than-a-uk-household-by-end-of-the-decade-335338/

    Get ready for the exodus of all the Poles who have come to U.K. for a better standard of living then.

    I’m not convinced.
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 12,880

    Dura_Ace said:

    Here's an excellent article for the Futon Fusiliers here on the US weapon deliveries to Ukraine.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/16/f-16s-patriots-ukraine-negotiations-00057262

    Summary: Ukraine want F-16, MQ-1C and MIM-104 but are no longer stridently asking on Snapchat. F-16 isn't a near term possibility because it would involve dicking over Slovakia, Bahrain and/or The Breakaway Province of China. MIM-104 is possible because it's viewed as a solely defensive system but it will have to be new builds off the Raytheon line paid for by ???. MQ-1C is being cockblocked by the US Army (article incorrectly states USAF) because they want to retire it so the last thing they need is a bravura performance from it in the SMO.

    On the whole, the US response is a masterclass in cynical self-interest.

    What are you hearing about the Ukrainians training on A-10 Warthogs, the final batch of which were due to go get parked in an Arizona desert...
    Doesn't make a lot of sense. The USAF has just spent billions re-winging them and they will be on active duty until the 2030s so as much as they would love to give them away and get rid of them, Congress will not allow it.

    Also, they are s-l-o-w and easy to kill in a turning fight so the Su-30/Archer combo would have them for breakfast. (If RuAF don't mysteriously have their phones turned off when called to action.)
  • Alistair said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Here's an excellent article for the Futon Fusiliers here on the US weapon deliveries to Ukraine.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/16/f-16s-patriots-ukraine-negotiations-00057262

    Summary: Ukraine want F-16, MQ-1C and MIM-104 but are no longer stridently asking on Snapchat. F-16 isn't a near term possibility because it would involve dicking over Slovakia, Bahrain and/or The Breakaway Province of China. MIM-104 is possible because it's viewed as a solely defensive system but it will have to be new builds off the Raytheon line paid for by ???. MQ-1C is being cockblocked by the US Army (article incorrectly states USAF) because they want to retire it so the last thing they need is a bravura performance from it in the SMO.

    On the whole, the US response is a masterclass in cynical self-interest.

    What are you hearing about the Ukrainians training on A-10 Warthogs, the final batch of which were due to go get parked in an Arizona desert...
    Zero chance.

    For both practical and political reasons.
    Aren't they essentially [slow] flying coffins on a modern battlefield? I reality don't understand the obsession done people have with them.
  • When the period of national hysteria ends on Monday, what will the press find to fill all that space?
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,575

    Morning all. Interesting that the FT article thinks the average Slovenian household will be better off than the UK's as soon as 18 months, and the average Polish within six or seven years or so, if the current trends continue. I hadn't originally picked that up from the article yesterday.

    https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/the-average-polish-family-will-be-better-off-than-a-uk-household-by-end-of-the-decade-335338/

    Get ready for the exodus of all the Poles who have come to U.K. for a better standard of living then.

    I’m not convinced.
    Interesting reaction.
    Mine was rather that freedom of movement might have been far less of a issue for us had we stayed in the EU. Different perspectives.

    What’s certainly true is that much of Europe’s new industrial production (battery and EV plants, for example) is being built in the former Soviet satellites.

    Here, not so much.

  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 12,880

    Very interesting header - thanks!

    Point 4. in particular had not occurred to me but sounds vey plausible.

    I can understand why the Tories have seen WFH as such a threat. Their donors and patrons make £lots from commercial property which is devalued. Individuals lose the concept of subservience where they have to come and go as the Man tells them.

    And yet, the opportunities presented far outweigh these for the majority. Its yet another issue where the Tories are the problem without even knowing the question.
    According to DomCum, who is an unimpeachable source, WFH meant reduced newspaper sales (less commuters). So the scabrous Logan Roy types who inhabit the media landscape, and at whose pleasure the tories serve, have told them to put a stop to it.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,069
    ydoethur said:

    Scott_xP said:

    There seems to be an increasing likelihood that the Truss government is about to emulate James May in the latest Grand Tour special...

    The bit where he sinks through the ice or the bit where he hits the wall at 40mph?
    Though he did manage to finish in time...
  • Good morning, everyone.

    A year or so ago I read a fantastic article about working from home in some American magazine... The Atlantic, maybe? I don't think it was Forbes.

    Anyway, it actually predated (or much of the info did) the pandemic. One major US firm had adopted the measure and had few in-office days, and found that (with support) this led to a significant improvement. However, management were less keen (the kudos of being the manager was diminished) and changes at the top saw the support withdrawn and then a gradual shift back towards working in the office, which saw a consequent decline.

    Working from home is not for every business, nor for every individual, but it does offer a lot for many people. Any instinctive, broad brush "This is wonderful/appalling" approach is too simplistic.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 32,739
    Foxy said:

    ydoethur said:

    Scott_xP said:

    There seems to be an increasing likelihood that the Truss government is about to emulate James May in the latest Grand Tour special...

    The bit where he sinks through the ice or the bit where he hits the wall at 40mph?
    Though he did manage to finish in time...
    Limped to the finish in a vehicle no longer roadworthy

    Also a fitting metaphor for the current Tory party reaching the next election...
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 14,884

    Good morning, everyone.

    A year or so ago I read a fantastic article about working from home in some American magazine... The Atlantic, maybe? I don't think it was Forbes.

    Anyway, it actually predated (or much of the info did) the pandemic. One major US firm had adopted the measure and had few in-office days, and found that (with support) this led to a significant improvement. However, management were less keen (the kudos of being the manager was diminished) and changes at the top saw the support withdrawn and then a gradual shift back towards working in the office, which saw a consequent decline.

    Working from home is not for every business, nor for every individual, but it does offer a lot for many people. Any instinctive, broad brush "This is wonderful/appalling" approach is too simplistic.

    After the enforced WFH of the pandemic my wife and I have settled into one day a week at home, four at work. I have Mondays, she has Fridays. One reason is we pay a lot for doggy daycare, so two days fewer a week is worth 160 a month. But I also value the day wfh. I get less distractions. At work I operate an open door policy and people are constantly asking advice, help etc, and just dropping in for a chat. That’s fine, but sometimes it disrupts. WFH, I still get Teams calls, but far fewer interruptions.
    You could argue I could close the door at work, but part of my role is to support others, so I don’t like too.
    As you say, it shouldn’t be polarised. Take the good points of both options.
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901
    edited September 2022
    ydoethur said:

    I've never come across this before, but it's quite good:

    https://youtu.be/iLHMrnRX4Io

    These days it’s good to have a side hustle if your main line of work runs into difficulty.
  • The Sunday Times estimates that over 4.1 billion people will watch the funeral of HMQEII tomorrow.

    That's over half of the world's population.
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 8,480
    edited September 2022
    Re; the article, I find it staggering that the average UK household was only about 8% poorer than the North-West European average in 2007, according to the FT's chief writer, and is now 20% poorer.

    That is a staggering indictment of the last 15 years, both the tail-end of New Labour failing to properly socially rebalance after the crash, and then 12 years of first the Coalition, Osborne's particular form of austerity, the Tories governing on their own, and then Brexit.
  • Russia is now entirely defenseless against NATO--by its own choice as it tries to fight in Ukraine. Putin showing how really unconcerned he is about a possible NATO threat--he is happy to leave Russia undefended.

    https://twitter.com/PhillipsPOBrien/status/1571405919358943232

  • Scott_xP said:

    Biden cancels his meeting with Truss.

    In unrelated news, the FBI are investigating Truss's Downing Street chief of staff for an election bribe in Puerto Rico.

    https://twitter.com/implausibleblog/status/1571263352147509249


    Truss’s first big diplomatic meeting cancelled by Biden https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/18/prime-minister-trusss-first-big-diplomatic-meeting-cancelled-joe-biden?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1663477969

    That trade deal seems further off than ever.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 32,739

    Scott_xP said:

    There seems to be an increasing likelihood that the Truss government is about to emulate James May in the latest Grand Tour special...

    ...but you know what that means Scott. Da,da,da...BigDog returns!

    Be careful what you wish for.
    Who?

    Boris Johnson, already the forgotten PM @indypremium @IndyVoices https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/editors-letters/boris-johnson-forgotten-prime-minister-b2169395.html
  • When the period of national hysteria ends on Monday, what will the press find to fill all that space?

    Write unflattering pieces aboutx Liz Truss. PB is leading the way, the media will follow!!
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 32,739

    When the period of national hysteria ends on Monday, what will the press find to fill all that space?

    Write unflattering pieces aboutx Liz Truss. PB is leading the way, the media will follow!!
    The media isn't far behind

    Liz Truss warned of mass bankruptcies if firms left in limbo over energy bills https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/17/liz-truss-warned-of-mass-bankruptcies-if-firms-left-in-limbo-over-energy-bills?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

    Tory MPs fear Liz Truss’s policies will create a ‘complete open goal’ for Labour https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/18/liz-truss-policies-tory-mps-open-goal-labour?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1663481536

    Short version: I don’t think the Truss-Kwarteng cunning plan is going to work https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/keir-starmer-liz-truss-labour-winning-b2169370.html https://twitter.com/JohnRentoul/status/1571178798162317312/photo/1
  • CD13CD13 Posts: 6,349
    Interesting perspectives on the mass graves. Ukraine invites in the world's press, the Russians would never do that. They can't allow them to form their own opinions. But the Russians have form. The Katyn Forest one of many.

    Where's Mr Dynamo?
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901
    Liz Truss is unsuited to this moment and the times to come, the nation wants a pragmatic unifier, where her dna is intrinsically ideological and divisively partisan.

    Not her fault, but she became out-of-date two days into the job. If you don’t believe me, just imagine if Ben Wallace we’re leader now.
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670

    Alistair said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Here's an excellent article for the Futon Fusiliers here on the US weapon deliveries to Ukraine.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/16/f-16s-patriots-ukraine-negotiations-00057262

    Summary: Ukraine want F-16, MQ-1C and MIM-104 but are no longer stridently asking on Snapchat. F-16 isn't a near term possibility because it would involve dicking over Slovakia, Bahrain and/or The Breakaway Province of China. MIM-104 is possible because it's viewed as a solely defensive system but it will have to be new builds off the Raytheon line paid for by ???. MQ-1C is being cockblocked by the US Army (article incorrectly states USAF) because they want to retire it so the last thing they need is a bravura performance from it in the SMO.

    On the whole, the US response is a masterclass in cynical self-interest.

    What are you hearing about the Ukrainians training on A-10 Warthogs, the final batch of which were due to go get parked in an Arizona desert...
    Zero chance.

    For both practical and political reasons.
    Aren't they essentially [slow] flying coffins on a modern battlefield? I reality don't understand the obsession done people have with them.
    They have a role (in non-mountinous terrain) in US Air doctrine. The plains of Ukraine are almost as good as the desserts of Iraq for a long loiter time, instant human judgement with a 270 degree view weapon platform.

    Eventually, and probably soon, drones wil replace them, but not yet.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 23,926
    edited September 2022

    Very interesting header - thanks!

    Point 4. in particular had not occurred to me but sounds vey plausible.

    I can understand why the Tories have seen WFH as such a threat. Their donors and patrons make £lots from commercial property which is devalued. Individuals lose the concept of subservience where they have to come and go as the Man tells them.

    And yet, the opportunities presented far outweigh these for the majority. Its yet another issue where the Tories are the problem without even knowing the question.
    How will WFH interact with regional income tax? If this is in Kwasi's red box, will we pay tax according to where we dial in from or where we hot-desk?
  • When the period of national hysteria ends on Monday, what will the press find to fill all that space?

    Write unflattering pieces aboutx Liz Truss. PB is leading the way, the media will follow!!
    Going off which parts of the media are mouth-foaming the most, would have thought the opposite. Its clear people like me - who genuinely admired and respected the Queen - are the enemy because we can't understand the absolute hysteria out there.

    The Heil, the Express, GBeebies - they're all going to go all-in backing Truss despite the growing economic damage which even they won't be able to hide. Indeed, the only reason we will suffer this economic damage is because people like me didn't believe in Trussnomics strongly enough, thus repeating our treachery in failing to Believe in Brexit properly.
  • Mr. JohnL, regional income tax sounds insane.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,281

    Mr. JohnL, regional income tax sounds insane.

    Works ok across the EU ;-)
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,149

    When the period of national hysteria ends on Monday, what will the press find to fill all that space?

    Intervikewing that rather endearing couple who got together in the queue?
  • CD13CD13 Posts: 6,349
    BoJo was a lucky politician, Liz isn't. Her launch torpedoed by the Queen.

    I'm not a fan of either, but you can't blame her ... yet.
  • Jonathan said:

    Liz Truss is unsuited to this moment and the times to come, the nation wants a pragmatic unifier, where her dna is intrinsically ideological and divisively partisan.

    Not her fault, but she became out-of-date two days into the job. If you don’t believe me, just imagine if Ben Wallace we’re leader now.

    Easy to say she's unsuited but with nothing to back it up.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 49,959
    Dura_Ace said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Here's an excellent article for the Futon Fusiliers here on the US weapon deliveries to Ukraine.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/16/f-16s-patriots-ukraine-negotiations-00057262

    Summary: Ukraine want F-16, MQ-1C and MIM-104 but are no longer stridently asking on Snapchat. F-16 isn't a near term possibility because it would involve dicking over Slovakia, Bahrain and/or The Breakaway Province of China. MIM-104 is possible because it's viewed as a solely defensive system but it will have to be new builds off the Raytheon line paid for by ???. MQ-1C is being cockblocked by the US Army (article incorrectly states USAF) because they want to retire it so the last thing they need is a bravura performance from it in the SMO.

    On the whole, the US response is a masterclass in cynical self-interest.

    What are you hearing about the Ukrainians training on A-10 Warthogs, the final batch of which were due to go get parked in an Arizona desert...
    Doesn't make a lot of sense. The USAF has just spent billions re-winging them and they will be on active duty until the 2030s so as much as they would love to give them away and get rid of them, Congress will not allow it.

    Also, they are s-l-o-w and easy to kill in a turning fight so the Su-30/Archer combo would have them for breakfast. (If RuAF don't mysteriously have their phones turned off when called to action.)
    I certainly think there would be big issues about hitting Russian kit with DU shells whilst telling Russia "If you go nuclear...."

    But I'd park a bunch of the in Poland on a runway, just in case. They'd stop any thought of anther attempt on Kyiv through Belarus, for instance.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,149

    We are also at the end of 12 years of Tory ‘government’ as coalition or sole party. People are fed up up. The corruption is rising to the top just like it did in the nineties. We have just been through an awful pandemic where at best the government got some stuff right and some stuff wrong (some will fell that should be a lot wrong). Now there is a CoL crisis, partly because of the pandemic and partly due to the War in Ukraine. We are at war with Russia, just not in the same way we were with Germany in 1939. There is far less sense of national unity because the war is fa4 away and it’s not out troops and citizens dying, but we are at war with Russia.

    So frankly it would be amazing if the Tories weren’t suffering in the polls, everywhere.

    Right now we need Labour and the Lib Dems to show the nation what they would do with 5 years in power. Give hope, and then the nation may just change tack significantly. Don’t forget, the Tories legitimately won the 2019 election. They have the right to be in power right now. Labour and/or the Lib Dems need to earn their right too.

    There is an "end of days" feel out there, and the sudden death of the Queen after appointing Truss hasn't helped that. Politics has been suspended during the period of national hysteria, but the lobby hacks are increasingly reporting serious concerns in the Tory Party about what impact Trussnomics will have.

    In essence when it feels like the wrong approach the market is very good at ramming that perception home. With 18 months of economic contraction now forecast we're into the "government breaks the economy and sneeringly insists its dogma is right and the people's suffering can be ignored" scenario.

    Thats not to say its gift week for the opposition parties. But even if all they show is empathy that would be a huge step forward. Brexit's reception in rural shires was mentioned in the piece, and I have seen here in Banff and Buchan what happens when the MP says "everything is marvellous" and the farming and fishing voters say "no it isn't and why aren't you listening to us"?
    Which way would the farming and fishing folk vote, do you think? Or will they stay home?
  • ydoethur said:

    I've never come across this before, but it's quite good:

    https://youtu.be/iLHMrnRX4Io

    That guy does a superb Charles impression.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,281
    edited September 2022
    O/T

    I wonder if the results from the BEIS Imperial measurements survey will ever be published, given how widely it has been discredited?

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/18/metric-system-imperial-measures-consultation-brexit

    Is it possible to find out how much pursuing this off-manifesto whim cost, through a FoI request?
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 24,587

    Morning all. Interesting that the FT article thinks the average Slovenian household will be better off than the UK's as soon as 18 months, and the average Polish within six or seven years or so, if the current trends continue. I hadn't originally picked that up from the article yesterday.

    https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/the-average-polish-family-will-be-better-off-than-a-uk-household-by-end-of-the-decade-335338/

    Get ready for the exodus of all the Poles who have come to U.K. for a better standard of living then.

    I’m not convinced.
    Anecdote Alert.

    That ship has sailed, the exodus has already happened.

    I meet a lot of Eastern Europeans in my work. The ones I see arrived here working on waste picking lines for minimum wage, some have been promoted to supervisory and managerial roles and their future lies here. The less ambitious ones in many cases left after Brexit. The same was true of the farming and hospitality industries. As a nation we told them they were no longer required (they were bunging up our health and education systems with their snot-faced children, and we no longer cared for their tax pounds) and they left.

    There was some excitement on these pages that now we could concentrate on post-Brexit British jobs for British people. In the industry I work in the English and the Welsh workers couldn't cut it. Long hours, unpleasant working conditions, hard, back breaking work, and poor pay, no thank you!

    My customers are now looking to the Indian subcontinent, and with some success it has to be said
  • Jonathan said:

    Liz Truss is unsuited to this moment and the times to come, the nation wants a pragmatic unifier, where her dna is intrinsically ideological and divisively partisan.

    Not her fault, but she became out-of-date two days into the job. If you don’t believe me, just imagine if Ben Wallace we’re leader now.

    He'd have been completely hopeless.

    I wonder what the meeting cancellation is about. I suppose there's an outside chance it's Biden 'punishing' Truss. Seems likelier it's a Biden health issue.
  • When the period of national hysteria ends on Monday, what will the press find to fill all that space?

    Good morning

    The coronation ?
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,281

    Jonathan said:

    Liz Truss is unsuited to this moment and the times to come, the nation wants a pragmatic unifier, where her dna is intrinsically ideological and divisively partisan.

    Not her fault, but she became out-of-date two days into the job. If you don’t believe me, just imagine if Ben Wallace we’re leader now.

    He'd have been completely hopeless.

    I wonder what the meeting cancellation is about. I suppose there's an outside chance it's Biden 'punishing' Truss. Seems likelier it's a Biden health issue.
    A bizarre conclusion to reach. If he had a health issue he'd send VP Harris over to the funeral.
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901
    edited September 2022

    Jonathan said:

    Liz Truss is unsuited to this moment and the times to come, the nation wants a pragmatic unifier, where her dna is intrinsically ideological and divisively partisan.

    Not her fault, but she became out-of-date two days into the job. If you don’t believe me, just imagine if Ben Wallace we’re leader now.

    Easy to say she's unsuited but with nothing to back it up.
    The nation needs someone to bring people together, a reassuring figure not someone like Truss that relishes division and controversy. If Ben Wallace had been elected, he and the government would be in a far stronger position today.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,281

    When the period of national hysteria ends on Monday, what will the press find to fill all that space?

    Good morning

    The coronation ?
    That's not going to happen until next May/June surely?

    I suspect the CoL crisis may fill the news a bit before that.
  • Jonathan said:

    Liz Truss is unsuited to this moment and the times to come, the nation wants a pragmatic unifier, where her dna is intrinsically ideological and divisively partisan.

    Not her fault, but she became out-of-date two days into the job. If you don’t believe me, just imagine if Ben Wallace we’re leader now.

    He'd have been completely hopeless.

    I wonder what the meeting cancellation is about. I suppose there's an outside chance it's Biden 'punishing' Truss. Seems likelier it's a Biden health issue.
    A bizarre conclusion to reach. If he had a health issue he'd send VP Harris over to the funeral.
    Unimpressed by all the dicking around with the NI protocol is the most likely explanation.
  • Icarus said:

    "From May to August this year, there have been 36 council by-elections across England in seats held by the Conservatives: 15 urban, 21 rural. Looking just at wins, the results are similar: the Cons successfully defended 4 (36%) urban seats, and 6 (40%) rural seats."

    I do not understand the percentages of seats held. 4 out of 15 is 27% - 6 out of 21 is 29%. The Conservatives lost 26 seat out of 36 defended - May 2023 is going to be bloodbath for the Conservatives.

    Sorry, you're correct and that's my fault. My original piece was May to August, but because of delays in me getting it to TSE, I offered some updated figures including the by-elections in September so far. And somehow I ended up with a merged set of data which was incorrect. The percentages were correctfor the May-August, but the 4 and 15 are are up to September.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 14,089
    edited September 2022

    Very interesting header - thanks!

    Point 4. in particular had not occurred to me but sounds vey plausible.

    I can understand why the Tories have seen WFH as such a threat. Their donors and patrons make £lots from commercial property which is devalued. Individuals lose the concept of subservience where they have to come and go as the Man tells them.

    And yet, the opportunities presented far outweigh these for the majority. Its yet another issue where the Tories are the problem without even knowing the question.
    How will WFH interact with regional income tax? If this is in Kwasi's red box, will we pay tax according to where we dial in from or where we hot-desk?
    You think they've thought that far ahead? This smells of something doodled on the back page of a think-tank pamphlet.

    And given the costs firms currently swallow to be based in London, the bribe to disperse will have to be huge.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 32,739
    Alleged criminal conspiracy aside, Fullbrook faces Qs:

    Why was he working for millionaire Venezuelan — foreign national — in the US?

    Did he know his client was a long time fugitive from his home country?

    Why did he work w/disgraced ex-FBI agent convicted of crimes in the role?


    https://twitter.com/gabriel_pogrund/status/1571183835609534466
  • LeonLeon Posts: 46,261
    Talking of exciting new politics, here’s a BBC report on the unrest in Leicester

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-62943952

    It’s impressive journalism because it manages to go the whole length of the article without mentioning that it’s Hindi v Muslim rioting. It does mention the
    “India V Pakistan” cricket match, so the casual reader might think people are unhappy about the LBW rule

    Presumably this is deliberate so as to “not inflame tensions” but it looks ridiculous and devious
  • kjhkjh Posts: 10,458

    Jonathan said:

    Liz Truss is unsuited to this moment and the times to come, the nation wants a pragmatic unifier, where her dna is intrinsically ideological and divisively partisan.

    Not her fault, but she became out-of-date two days into the job. If you don’t believe me, just imagine if Ben Wallace we’re leader now.

    Easy to say she's unsuited but with nothing to back it up.
    Must be the most ironic pot and kettle post ever. You constantly post snide negative posts about everything and have never said anything constructive. As you have been challenged by several before why don't you get off your arse and actually write a thread rather than snipping all the time.
  • Jonathan said:

    Jonathan said:

    Liz Truss is unsuited to this moment and the times to come, the nation wants a pragmatic unifier, where her dna is intrinsically ideological and divisively partisan.

    Not her fault, but she became out-of-date two days into the job. If you don’t believe me, just imagine if Ben Wallace we’re leader now.

    Easy to say she's unsuited but with nothing to back it up.
    The nation needs someone to bring people together, a reassuring figure not someone like Truss that relishes division and controversy. If Ben Wallace had been elected, he and the government would be in a far stronger position today.
    Why do we need someone to bring people together? Anyone trying to change the direction of the country will necessarily be divisive.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 18,088
    edited September 2022
    Scott_xP said:
    The Guardian really are making a play for the Twitter f*ckwit demographic with these headlines, in the hope that they will repeat just the headline.

    Both the standfirst, and first sentence in the article, say it has been rescheduled (for 2 days later at the UN).



  • Jonathan said:

    Liz Truss is unsuited to this moment and the times to come, the nation wants a pragmatic unifier, where her dna is intrinsically ideological and divisively partisan.

    Not her fault, but she became out-of-date two days into the job. If you don’t believe me, just imagine if Ben Wallace we’re leader now.

    What evidence is there that the nation actually wants a pragmatic unifier?

    I get that Twitter isn't Britain but I don't see much evidence of that here either let alone Twitter etc
  • Scott_xP said:

    There seems to be an increasing likelihood that the Truss government is about to emulate James May in the latest Grand Tour special...

    ...but you know what that means Scott. Da,da,da...BigDog returns!

    Be careful what you wish for.
    HYUFD did counsel us that the successor to Johnson might be worse. Seems he was right. I think I’d be glad to see Johnson back at the moment. Having said that, in my more optimistic moments I think Truss all but guarantees a non-Tory government next time. I’d be happy with a coalition. We need a grown up government that at least acknowledges the economic impact Brexit is having. The current lot simply ignores it, along with their client media.

    In my more despairing moments I think the Tories will manage to scrape in by peddling more unicorns and kulturkampf.

    Incidentally, well done to HYUFD and CR for doing the whole queue thing. Personally I wouldn’t have done it for all the tea in China. I think I would’ve grudgingly agreed to queue for 10 mins max but that would be my limit. But I have to respect that strength of belief, even if it leaves me cold personally.

    I suspect I’ll watch the shenanigans tomorrow. But then I might not. I might well think bollocks to it all. There’s the possibility of going down the boozer instead, so I might end up doing that.

    Interesting header. It’s like Newton’s Third Law of Motion is finally imposing itself post-Brexit. We’re gradually seeing the real world implications of the whole thing manifesting themselves in lots of different ways. And it doesn’t seem to be popular.
  • Leon said:

    Talking of exciting new politics, here’s a BBC report on the unrest in Leicester

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-62943952

    It’s impressive journalism because it manages to go the whole length of the article without mentioning that it’s Hindi v Muslim rioting. It does mention the
    “India V Pakistan” cricket match, so the casual reader might think people are unhappy about the LBW rule

    Presumably this is deliberate so as to “not inflame tensions” but it looks ridiculous and devious

    It probably inflames tensions more in the long-run not to be open & honest about things.

    If we have a challenge with internecine strife in Leicester between two different religious communities then let's discuss it openly, and discuss how we can resolve it.
  • Jonathan said:

    Liz Truss is unsuited to this moment and the times to come, the nation wants a pragmatic unifier, where her dna is intrinsically ideological and divisively partisan.

    Not her fault, but she became out-of-date two days into the job. If you don’t believe me, just imagine if Ben Wallace we’re leader now.

    He'd have been completely hopeless.

    I wonder what the meeting cancellation is about. I suppose there's an outside chance it's Biden 'punishing' Truss. Seems likelier it's a Biden health issue.
    The meeting has been moved to the UN on Wednesday and is a bilateral one

    The reporting that this is a snub to Truss is pure politics and it seems perfect sense to delay it by 3 days
  • Good morning, everyone.

    A year or so ago I read a fantastic article about working from home in some American magazine... The Atlantic, maybe? I don't think it was Forbes.

    Anyway, it actually predated (or much of the info did) the pandemic. One major US firm had adopted the measure and had few in-office days, and found that (with support) this led to a significant improvement. However, management were less keen (the kudos of being the manager was diminished) and changes at the top saw the support withdrawn and then a gradual shift back towards working in the office, which saw a consequent decline.

    Working from home is not for every business, nor for every individual, but it does offer a lot for many people. Any instinctive, broad brush "This is wonderful/appalling" approach is too simplistic.

    I totally agree with you that it isn't for every individual or every business - but for some it's been fantastic. Within my own family, my brother (who is a manager), told me this week he goes into the office about 1 day every 3 weeks, and that's purely for social interaction and catchups - work meetings are done entirely on zoom. One of my nieces nominally works on the Isle of Wight, where she grew up, but for nearly a year now hasbeen WFH from Edinburgh, with her employer's approval and support. And another niece is working in London but is planning to move - her 'workplace' remains London, but she'll be living in Berlin. Her company is helping to fund the relocation. She wants to do a year or two there, and then move to another new site.
    It's a different world for some!
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901

    Jonathan said:

    Jonathan said:

    Liz Truss is unsuited to this moment and the times to come, the nation wants a pragmatic unifier, where her dna is intrinsically ideological and divisively partisan.

    Not her fault, but she became out-of-date two days into the job. If you don’t believe me, just imagine if Ben Wallace we’re leader now.

    Easy to say she's unsuited but with nothing to back it up.
    The nation needs someone to bring people together, a reassuring figure not someone like Truss that relishes division and controversy. If Ben Wallace had been elected, he and the government would be in a far stronger position today.
    Why do we need someone to bring people together? Anyone trying to change the direction of the country will necessarily be divisive.
    I am not sure for the country will have an appetite for yet more radical change for the next one to two years. Just a hunch.

    A PM like Wallace (or even Mourdant) who would have looked dignified with a few medals on their chest and able to help reassure the nation through a difficult period, might have hit the spot and been unassailable. Truss is not that, despite her other strengths.
  • MattW said:

    Scott_xP said:
    The Guardian really are making a play for the Twitter f*ckwit demographic with these headlines, in the hope that they will repeat just the headline.

    Both the standfirst, and first sentence in the article, say it has been rescheduled (for 2 days later at the UN).



    Headlines are designed to attract readers into stories. That is their purpose. It's a great headline.

  • LeonLeon Posts: 46,261

    Leon said:

    Talking of exciting new politics, here’s a BBC report on the unrest in Leicester

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-62943952

    It’s impressive journalism because it manages to go the whole length of the article without mentioning that it’s Hindi v Muslim rioting. It does mention the
    “India V Pakistan” cricket match, so the casual reader might think people are unhappy about the LBW rule

    Presumably this is deliberate so as to “not inflame tensions” but it looks ridiculous and devious

    It probably inflames tensions more in the long-run not to be open & honest about things.

    If we have a challenge with internecine strife in Leicester between two different religious communities then let's discuss it openly, and discuss how we can resolve it.
    It’s also bad for the BBC. Makes them look like liars. Another little nail in their ultimate coffin as they lose the trust of minority ethnic communities

  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 32,739
    MattW said:

    Both the standfirst, and first sentence in the article, say it has been rescheduled (for 2 days later at the UN).

    Oh, the meeting her chief of staff is explicitly not attending.

    Right.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 46,261
    I have just discovered that accredited journalists can skip THE QUEUE

    A moral dilemma indeed
  • IcarusIcarus Posts: 885
    Surely the most impressive own goal is that during the period of mourning when the Government is powerless to do anything and even McDonalds closes on the day of the funeral they manage to let it be known that banker's bonuses will be allowed to increase.
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 20,901

    Jonathan said:

    Liz Truss is unsuited to this moment and the times to come, the nation wants a pragmatic unifier, where her dna is intrinsically ideological and divisively partisan.

    Not her fault, but she became out-of-date two days into the job. If you don’t believe me, just imagine if Ben Wallace we’re leader now.

    What evidence is there that the nation actually wants a pragmatic unifier?

    I get that Twitter isn't Britain but I don't see much evidence of that here either let alone Twitter etc
    My hunch is that it’s going to feel weird without HM and there will be a period of adjustment, before the UK figures out what comes next. A reassuring presence in no10 might have hit the spot. Just a hunch.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 24,587

    Scott_xP said:

    There seems to be an increasing likelihood that the Truss government is about to emulate James May in the latest Grand Tour special...

    ...but you know what that means Scott. Da,da,da...BigDog returns!

    Be careful what you wish for.
    HYUFD did counsel us that the successor to Johnson might be worse. Seems he was right. I think I’d be glad to see Johnson back at the moment. Having said that, in my more optimistic moments I think Truss all but guarantees a non-Tory government next time. I’d be happy with a coalition. We need a grown up government that at least acknowledges the economic impact Brexit is having. The current lot simply ignores it, along with their client media.

    In my more despairing moments I think the Tories will manage to scrape in by peddling more unicorns and kulturkampf.

    Incidentally, well done to HYUFD and CR for doing the whole queue thing. Personally I wouldn’t have done it for all the tea in China. I think I would’ve grudgingly agreed to queue for 10 mins max but that would be my limit. But I have to respect that strength of belief, even if it leaves me cold personally.

    I suspect I’ll watch the shenanigans tomorrow. But then I might not. I might well think bollocks to it all. There’s the possibility of going down the boozer instead, so I might end up doing that.

    Interesting header. It’s like Newton’s Third Law of Motion is finally imposing itself post-Brexit. We’re gradually seeing the real world implications of the whole thing manifesting themselves in lots of different ways. And it doesn’t seem to be popular.
    An unpopular Government? Surely that just means the electorate must be plain wrong and something must be done about them.

    Stop them voting?
  • ydoethur said:

    I've never come across this before, but it's quite good:

    https://youtu.be/iLHMrnRX4Io

    That guy does a superb Charles impression.
    Good enough to fool Camilla.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,408
    Obviously there are limitations when it comes to looking at local by-elections, but I still like to see it, so good to have thos from JamesDoyle. Still worth keeping an eye on.
  • Excellent article, thanks. Of course we have to remember that in the 1990s, the Tory hegemony over rural councils was much less marked - the LibDems were often Winning Here. So it's not a given that they are Tory strongholds.

    Of the four possible explanations James suggests for the shift he identified, I think we can discount 3 (it's unusual for there to be much further scope for tactical anti-Tory voting in rural seats), and 4 (it's too soon for demographic change caused by WFH to be having such a big effect.

    On 1, Brexit: it's plausible, but I'm not sure there's much evidence for it, at least to the extent required to be a major factor.

    So I think explanation 2 is the most likely. Of course Brexit is part of, and the major cause, of the Conservative Party losing its marbles, and alienating a large chunk of its traditional support.
  • tlg86tlg86 Posts: 25,165
    edited September 2022
    Leon said:

    I have just discovered that accredited journalists can skip THE QUEUE

    A moral dilemma indeed

    https://twitter.com/MrsKatGroves/status/1571169816529993728

    Will @ITV do the right thing and pull Holly and Phil from #ThisMorning? No reason why other presenters like Rylan or Alison couldn't fill in. Nobody wants to see these #queuejumpers right now

    And...

    https://twitter.com/JoanneN93443664/status/1571173651990331392

    Phil an Holly should never be seen on TV ever again thay think thay are better than the British public, DISGRACEFUL.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,540
    edited September 2022
    MattW said:

    Scott_xP said:
    The Guardian really are making a play for the Twitter f*ckwit demographic with these headlines, in the hope that they will repeat just the headline.

    Both the standfirst, and first sentence in the article, say it has been rescheduled (for 2 days later at the UN).



    “Truss’s first big diplomatic meeting with Biden postponed by 3 days” doesn’t have the same newsworthy ring to it….
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 12,880
    Jonathan said:

    If Ben Wallace had been elected, he and the government would be in a far stronger position today.

    Fat Legolas.



  • A lot of my kids' friends are going to be dressing up to watch tomorrow's funeral and having a cream tea while it takes place. I am not sure what I make of it. But I think it's a really interesting Gen Z response. What's clear is that current events are not passing them by.
  • Alistair said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Here's an excellent article for the Futon Fusiliers here on the US weapon deliveries to Ukraine.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/16/f-16s-patriots-ukraine-negotiations-00057262

    Summary: Ukraine want F-16, MQ-1C and MIM-104 but are no longer stridently asking on Snapchat. F-16 isn't a near term possibility because it would involve dicking over Slovakia, Bahrain and/or The Breakaway Province of China. MIM-104 is possible because it's viewed as a solely defensive system but it will have to be new builds off the Raytheon line paid for by ???. MQ-1C is being cockblocked by the US Army (article incorrectly states USAF) because they want to retire it so the last thing they need is a bravura performance from it in the SMO.

    On the whole, the US response is a masterclass in cynical self-interest.

    What are you hearing about the Ukrainians training on A-10 Warthogs, the final batch of which were due to go get parked in an Arizona desert...
    Zero chance.

    For both practical and political reasons.
    Aren't they essentially [slow] flying coffins on a modern battlefield? I reality don't understand the obsession done people have with them.
    I think middle aged blokes can imagine themselves flying them. I may even have done it myself, though my fantasies tend to have a more piston engined vibe.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 24,587

    Jonathan said:

    Liz Truss is unsuited to this moment and the times to come, the nation wants a pragmatic unifier, where her dna is intrinsically ideological and divisively partisan.

    Not her fault, but she became out-of-date two days into the job. If you don’t believe me, just imagine if Ben Wallace we’re leader now.

    He'd have been completely hopeless.

    I wonder what the meeting cancellation is about. I suppose there's an outside chance it's Biden 'punishing' Truss. Seems likelier it's a Biden health issue.
    The meeting has been moved to the UN on Wednesday and is a bilateral one

    The reporting that this is a snub to Truss is pure politics and it seems perfect sense to delay it by 3 days
    Even some Tory minded papers have picked the story up and are running with it.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 49,959
    Jonathan said:

    Jonathan said:

    Jonathan said:

    Liz Truss is unsuited to this moment and the times to come, the nation wants a pragmatic unifier, where her dna is intrinsically ideological and divisively partisan.

    Not her fault, but she became out-of-date two days into the job. If you don’t believe me, just imagine if Ben Wallace we’re leader now.

    Easy to say she's unsuited but with nothing to back it up.
    The nation needs someone to bring people together, a reassuring figure not someone like Truss that relishes division and controversy. If Ben Wallace had been elected, he and the government would be in a far stronger position today.
    Why do we need someone to bring people together? Anyone trying to change the direction of the country will necessarily be divisive.
    I am not sure for the country will have an appetite for yet more radical change for the next one to two years. Just a hunch.

    A PM like Wallace (or even Mourdant) who would have looked dignified with a few medals on their chest and able to help reassure the nation through a difficult period, might have hit the spot and been unassailable. Truss is not that, despite her other strengths.
    "her other strengths"

    Citation required.....
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,408

    Jonathan said:

    Jonathan said:

    Liz Truss is unsuited to this moment and the times to come, the nation wants a pragmatic unifier, where her dna is intrinsically ideological and divisively partisan.

    Not her fault, but she became out-of-date two days into the job. If you don’t believe me, just imagine if Ben Wallace we’re leader now.

    Easy to say she's unsuited but with nothing to back it up.
    The nation needs someone to bring people together, a reassuring figure not someone like Truss that relishes division and controversy. If Ben Wallace had been elected, he and the government would be in a far stronger position today.
    Why do we need someone to bring people together? Anyone trying to change the direction of the country will necessarily be divisive.
    Yes, unity is both overrated and explicitly not the goal of our politicians, even though they have to say it is. The fundamental acceptances of the system is where they come together, but not on policy issues.

    Sometimes the radicals are right and you need to change direction. The problem with the Truss's anbd Corbyn's of the world is that they are committed to a radical approach regardless of evidence, guided by ideology only (I base this not so much on Truss's past actions, but on how her boosters have been promoting her since the leadership contest).
  • TimSTimS Posts: 9,169
    4 will be an interesting one. Will young graduates returning from university start work from their family home rather than immediately hotfoot it to the city? Certainly from my anecdotal experience at work that seems to be happening.

    Unaffordable house prices could help this trend too.
  • Jonathan said:

    Jonathan said:

    Jonathan said:

    Liz Truss is unsuited to this moment and the times to come, the nation wants a pragmatic unifier, where her dna is intrinsically ideological and divisively partisan.

    Not her fault, but she became out-of-date two days into the job. If you don’t believe me, just imagine if Ben Wallace we’re leader now.

    Easy to say she's unsuited but with nothing to back it up.
    The nation needs someone to bring people together, a reassuring figure not someone like Truss that relishes division and controversy. If Ben Wallace had been elected, he and the government would be in a far stronger position today.
    Why do we need someone to bring people together? Anyone trying to change the direction of the country will necessarily be divisive.
    I am not sure for the country will have an appetite for yet more radical change for the next one to two years. Just a hunch.

    A PM like Wallace (or even Mourdant) who would have looked dignified with a few medals on their chest and able to help reassure the nation through a difficult period, might have hit the spot and been unassailable. Truss is not that, despite her other strengths.
    "her other strengths"

    Citation required.....
    Interesting jewellery, a hint of the dominatrix/submissive for potential fans such as our Leon.
  • MattW said:

    Scott_xP said:
    The Guardian really are making a play for the Twitter f*ckwit demographic with these headlines, in the hope that they will repeat just the headline.

    Both the standfirst, and first sentence in the article, say it has been rescheduled (for 2 days later at the UN).



    Headlines are designed to attract readers into stories. That is their purpose. It's a great headline.

    It's not true
  • TazTaz Posts: 10,704

    MattW said:

    Scott_xP said:
    The Guardian really are making a play for the Twitter f*ckwit demographic with these headlines, in the hope that they will repeat just the headline.

    Both the standfirst, and first sentence in the article, say it has been rescheduled (for 2 days later at the UN).



    Headlines are designed to attract readers into stories. That is their purpose. It's a great headline.

    It’s misleading and it’s just click bait.

    It is perfect for how the press operates these days.
  • Good morning, everyone.

    A year or so ago I read a fantastic article about working from home in some American magazine... The Atlantic, maybe? I don't think it was Forbes.

    Anyway, it actually predated (or much of the info did) the pandemic. One major US firm had adopted the measure and had few in-office days, and found that (with support) this led to a significant improvement. However, management were less keen (the kudos of being the manager was diminished) and changes at the top saw the support withdrawn and then a gradual shift back towards working in the office, which saw a consequent decline.

    Working from home is not for every business, nor for every individual, but it does offer a lot for many people. Any instinctive, broad brush "This is wonderful/appalling" approach is too simplistic.

    I totally agree with you that it isn't for every individual or every business - but for some it's been fantastic. Within my own family, my brother (who is a manager), told me this week he goes into the office about 1 day every 3 weeks, and that's purely for social interaction and catchups - work meetings are done entirely on zoom. One of my nieces nominally works on the Isle of Wight, where she grew up, but for nearly a year now hasbeen WFH from Edinburgh, with her employer's approval and support. And another niece is working in London but is planning to move - her 'workplace' remains London, but she'll be living in Berlin. Her company is helping to fund the relocation. She wants to do a year or two there, and then move to another new site.
    It's a different world for some!
    That is fine for multinational firms but I worry how smaller companies will cope if they suddenly get a bill from the Spanish tax office because one of their employees spent the summer WFH from Magaluf. What of health entitlements and labour laws?
  • MattWMattW Posts: 18,088
    Scott_xP said:

    Alleged criminal conspiracy aside, Fullbrook faces Qs:

    Why was he working for millionaire Venezuelan — foreign national — in the US?

    Did he know his client was a long time fugitive from his home country?

    Why did he work w/disgraced ex-FBI agent convicted of crimes in the role?


    https://twitter.com/gabriel_pogrund/status/1571183835609534466

    Another one of those Sunday Times scoops.

    In which they translate 'interviewed as a witness' in their article into "involved in an alleged conspiracy" in the couple of paras the public can see.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 91,408
    Jonathan said:

    Liz Truss is unsuited to this moment and the times to come, the nation wants a pragmatic unifier, where her dna is intrinsically ideological and divisively partisan.

    Not her fault, but she became out-of-date two days into the job. If you don’t believe me, just imagine if Ben Wallace we’re leader now.

    It is curious he did not go for it. Front line politicians cannot be said to be unambitious, and his star had never been higher, it was his moment to seize if he wanted it. And yet, nothing.
  • Leon said:

    Talking of exciting new politics, here’s a BBC report on the unrest in Leicester

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-62943952

    It’s impressive journalism because it manages to go the whole length of the article without mentioning that it’s Hindi v Muslim rioting. It does mention the
    “India V Pakistan” cricket match, so the casual reader might think people are unhappy about the LBW rule

    Presumably this is deliberate so as to “not inflame tensions” but it looks ridiculous and devious

    Maybe this bit has just been added ...

    Suleman Nagdi, of the Leicester-based Federation of Muslim Organisations told the BBC: "What we have seen on the streets is very alarming.

    "There have been problems in the community since the India and Pakistan cricket match and while that game often sparks gatherings they have not in the past turned this ugly.

    "We need calm - the disorder has to stop and it has to stop now. There are some very dissatisfied young men who have been causing havoc.

    "We need to get the message out that this must end and try to do this through parents and grand parents talking to their sons."

    Sanjiv Patel, who represents Hindu and Jain temples across Leicester, said he was deeply saddened and shocked by Saturday night's disorder.

  • kjh said:

    Jonathan said:

    Liz Truss is unsuited to this moment and the times to come, the nation wants a pragmatic unifier, where her dna is intrinsically ideological and divisively partisan.

    Not her fault, but she became out-of-date two days into the job. If you don’t believe me, just imagine if Ben Wallace we’re leader now.

    Easy to say she's unsuited but with nothing to back it up.
    Must be the most ironic pot and kettle post ever. You constantly post snide negative posts about everything and have never said anything constructive. As you have been challenged by several before why don't you get off your arse and actually write a thread rather than snipping all the time.
    My stalker is back ...why don't you just take a hike. in any event all the snide comments are coming from the Anti Truss brigade.
This discussion has been closed.