The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
There are some bizarre people coming out in support of him - citing the mainstream media - but that doesn’t work if any of these allegations are proven true (if it does come to court)
There’s a bizarre mindset of far right nutters who’ll support anyone blindly if it meant one up on this blob called “mainstream media”
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
Just to be really clear here, at least some of the allegations relate to events in the United States. I can't comment on whether the US criminal justice system is "failing", and no do I intend to imply that the UK one is succeeding, but as long as we keep in mind that this is wholly or partially outside UK jurisdiction. Indeed it might be part of the problem that accusers are in different jurisdictions.
Without implying any guilt on anyone's part, it must be easier to get away with patterns of criminal behaviour if you have the resources to do it across many jurisdictions.
In DC, some dog owners are helping out -- and having a little fun: "It’s Saturday night. Flavia and Jigs, a duo of mother-daughter border terriers, are shaking a rat. It is already dead. On one side of the alley wall in a tony part of Northwest Washington, young people are drinking espresso martinis. On the other, a rogue group of dog owners is taking the city’s rat problem into their own hands, and their dogs’ mouths." suorce$: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/interactive/2023/rat-hunters-dc-dogs/
I'm sure the "rogue group" would welcome dog owners who brought dogs from Britain. And I'm sure the British dogs would love it. There's a opportunity for a travel writer.
(For the record: I have no strong opinion on the question of bad dogs in Britain -- but I do hope you don't ban corgis immediately, out of respect for your late queen.)
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
Yes. Extremely messy. If there is evidence and there are willing witnesses let it go to court
Otherwise it is disquieting
I’m not defending Brand, he seems at the least to be highly sexually predatory. But that is not a crime per se
He reminds me psychologically and visually quite overtly of Rasputin
Never forget the time Rasputin sent a telegram to Pyotr Stolypin saying "I fucked your granddaughter"
"Anyone who wants to get from Africa to Poland goes to our embassy, buys a stamped visa at a special stand, fills in their details and off they go! PiS [governing party] migration policy," wrote Donald Tusk, the leader of the opposition Civic Platform party, on X (formerly Twitter).
So why does US government work better at a state level than a national level ?
And is that pattern followed in other countries ?
Though nearly every state models the Federal government in structure, with governor, state House of Representatives and State Senate and Supreme Court. Take Georgia for example:
"Anyone who wants to get from Africa to Poland goes to our embassy, buys a stamped visa at a special stand, fills in their details and off they go! PiS [governing party] migration policy," wrote Donald Tusk, the leader of the opposition Civic Platform party, on X (formerly Twitter).
Right in the centre of Ljubljana, under the main bridge, there’s a beaver. Just chewing sticks and licking itself. Seems highly unlikely it lived there, presumably lost?
So for what it is worth I have had the following feed back from Mid Beds from an experienced PPC in a top Lib Dems target seat who was there on Friday:
The independent thinks he is going to win. Nobody else does The Tory vote had collapsed but they don't know who to vote for Labour have consolidated their support but the soft Tory vote does not want to vote for them. They are not moving. There is a huge opportunity for the LDs but they need to convince the soft Tories to vote for them. At the moment the LDs are not getting the Labour vote
Conclusion: Anything could happen, but Tories coming 3rd is not inconceivable. Tending to think the LDs have the best opportunity but I'm biased
I suspect it will be LD who win. It's always easier for unhappy CON to vote for Liberal/LD than LAB. By election history since the War tells us this.
Probably a 1 year job for the winning LD candidate!
I agree with all of that and in particular the LDs difficulty in holding it if they win. It is much much harder for the LDs to win though if there is no tactical voting from Labour so it is not inconceivable that the Tory vote goes to the LDs but the Tories hold on or Lab just win with the Tory vote dropping but the LD vote not going up enough.
However I think you are right and the soft Tory vote will enable the LDs to win even without the Lab tactical vote.
Question is what proportion of those former/annoyed Tory voters can be arsed to actually turn out to vote for LibDems. I suspect not as many as the LibDems might hope.
Given half the previous Conservative vote has abandoned the party, I think you've got a lot more to worry about than whether the annoyed, angry and disillusioned will vote LD, Labour or stay at home.
We're getting a bit blase about mega by-election swings again. Tamworth and Mid Beds are both the sort of seats where, even with a General Election losing swing, the Conservatives ought to be able to hold on. If not, we're in Colourful Analogy territory.
Indeed, Tamworth is for example is the Conservatives' 311th most marginal seat out of 365 seats won in December 2019. IF Labour win it, they almost certainly won't hold it but winning it forces the Conservatives to divert more resources back into that seat than they might otherwise done so.
For the LDs, winning a seat means 24-48 hours in the media spotlight which can only help after years in obscurity. It gets Davey on to the tv screens and while most people still won't know who he is, perhaps a few more will not only see who he is but listen to what he has to say.
That basically is what all the hours and days and weeks of work to win a seat represents - the chance to get noticed, the chance to be heard, the oxygen of publicity.
The LibDems problem isn't the voters not knowing who Davey is. Their problem is the voters not knowing what they are. If they are an obvious "kick Bishop Brennan up the arse" candidate in a by-election, that is one thing. But in the General they look likely to be a minor coalition party for Labour, behind the SNP and all that might entail.
That's all a bit premature to be honest but it's clearly going to be a Conservative "attack line" as it always has been. Vote LD, get Labour or something similar. Didn't make any difference in 1997 of course and if the electorate is determined to give the Conservatives a "kick up the arse" at the next GE, it won't matter then either.
For the LDs, it's about those 30-50 seats where they start a clear if often distant second and whether a combination of Conservative switching, Conservative abstention and Labour tactical voting can get the candidate across the line.
Of course the "Vote LD, Get Labour" attack line is a two edged sword. It might be exactly what Labour voters want to hear in LD target seats.
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
There are some bizarre people coming out in support of him - citing the mainstream media - but that doesn’t work if any of these allegations are proven true (if it does come to court)
There’s a bizarre mindset of far right nutters who’ll support anyone blindly if it meant one up on this blob called “mainstream media”
It's definitely not just the far right. Anyone who's on the political fringes is wont to complain about it. Corbynistas, Brexiters of earlier times, independence supporters in Scotland and so on have all been known to indulge in this kind of talk. And it shouldn't be dismissed out of hand, either. Sometimes there is a conspiracy of likemindedness that keeps legitimate alternatives from being fairly aired. But most of the time people talk like this they are fringe voices because they don't represent anything more than a weird sliver of a self-obsessed subculture.
"Anyone who wants to get from Africa to Poland goes to our embassy, buys a stamped visa at a special stand, fills in their details and off they go! PiS [governing party] migration policy," wrote Donald Tusk, the leader of the opposition Civic Platform party, on X (formerly Twitter).
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
I'm not sure I agree.
The bar to a successful criminal conviction for sexual assault and rape are, rightly, very high as they result in loss of liberty. In many cases the evidence is his word against hers, as the defence is about whether or not consent was given rather than whether the act occured (much easier to prove).
I don't think victims of sexual assault should be prevented from making accusations publicly, just because they have not achieved a criminal conviction.
People can choose who they wish to believe. And Brand can choose whether or not to sue for libel.
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
I have never liked Brand, and am not entirely surprised at the allegations, but this should not be a trial by media, and it is hard to justify a special despatches.
"Show biz star is a sexual predator" is hardly a shock after all.
Right in the centre of Ljubljana, under the main bridge, there’s a beaver. Just chewing sticks and licking itself. Seems highly unlikely it lived there, presumably lost?
You get beavers in Slovenia anyway, so why shouldn't it live there? (Could of course be a youngster moving out from the family territory and getting a bit lost, like that walrus in Scarborough.) Seems mote likely than a zoo escape.
Apart from being Russell Brand, what did Russell Brand ever actually do?
I think a lot of people are going to be staggered tonight when they find out his past - he’s managed to keep his role in the remake of Arthur and St Trinian’s out of the public realm for a long time but tonight the truth comes out.
The US government designed and constructed a satellite in a year. They gave a launch company notice of a launch sometime within six months, and the satellite was mated to the rocket and ready for launch within a day of the 'go' being received. It was launched 27 hours after the 'go'.
These are all *really* quick timescales; something the US military is becoming very keen on.
Well done to Firefly for getting their first payload to orbit (on their third attempt).
You and I both know a month is an eternity in a by-election and there's a lot which can and will change before polling day. The view the weekend before may be of more interest.
The Brand revelations are squalid but not actually very revelatory.
Bit of a damp squib, and not obvious why Channel 4 wants to clear the schedules, unless there is more to follow.
Is it just about him though tonight? I heard it was about a number of comedians, male and female, and a load of different criminal acts but looking wrong as the talk seems to be only about Brand.
The sensible range for when America became a superpower is between 1898 and 1945. And date outside those ranges is wrong, and any date within those ranges is justifiable.
It's perhaps helpful to think of it as a gradual becoming rather than happening one bright April morning.
The Brand revelations are squalid but not actually very revelatory.
Bit of a damp squib, and not obvious why Channel 4 wants to clear the schedules, unless there is more to follow.
Is it just about him though tonight? I heard it was about a number of comedians, male and female, and a load of different criminal acts but looking wrong as the talk seems to be only about Brand.
They were supposedly still editing the story yesterday so some of the allegations may have been lawyered out.
Right in the centre of Ljubljana, under the main bridge, there’s a beaver. Just chewing sticks and licking itself. Seems highly unlikely it lived there, presumably lost?
Quite likely it lives there. Several Swiss cities have beavers living in the middle of the action. The rewilding of beavers has - according to some - been TOO successful
Don’t some UK towns now have otters living in the urban area? Perhaps they are escaping the sewage in the countryside
In DC, some dog owners are helping out -- and having a little fun: "It’s Saturday night. Flavia and Jigs, a duo of mother-daughter border terriers, are shaking a rat. It is already dead. On one side of the alley wall in a tony part of Northwest Washington, young people are drinking espresso martinis. On the other, a rogue group of dog owners is taking the city’s rat problem into their own hands, and their dogs’ mouths." suorce$: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/interactive/2023/rat-hunters-dc-dogs/
I'm sure the "rogue group" would welcome dog owners who brought dogs from Britain. And I'm sure the British dogs would love it. There's a opportunity for a travel writer.
(For the record: I have no strong opinion on the question of bad dogs in Britain -- but I do hope you don't ban corgis immediately, out of respect for your late queen.)
Rat-baiting was quite a popular gambling "sport" in Bitish Cities in Victorian times. Smaller terriers were favoured and 15 rats killed per minute an achievable rate of killing.
The sensible range for when America became a superpower is between 1898 and 1945. And date outside those ranges is wrong, and any date within those ranges is justifiable.
It's perhaps helpful to think of it as a gradual becoming rather than happening one bright April morning.
Western Hemisphere and Pacific domination before the rest, too. Also, maritime power preceded land power. The US Navy - with the expeditionary soldiers of the US Marines - was strong while the Army was still keeping the First Nations and the Mexicans under control.
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
I'm not sure I agree.
The bar to a successful criminal conviction for sexual assault and rape are, rightly, very high as they result in loss of liberty. In many cases the evidence is his word against hers, as the defence is about whether or not consent was given rather than whether the act occured (much easier to prove).
I don't think victims of sexual assault should be prevented from making accusations publicly, just because they have not achieved a criminal conviction.
People can choose who they wish to believe. And Brand can choose whether or not to sue for libel.
What if you can’t afford to sue for libel? Admittedly, Brand easily can
Hmm. Mixed feelings about this
Far better for it to be done in court than on TV: what they are for
In DC, some dog owners are helping out -- and having a little fun: "It’s Saturday night. Flavia and Jigs, a duo of mother-daughter border terriers, are shaking a rat. It is already dead. On one side of the alley wall in a tony part of Northwest Washington, young people are drinking espresso martinis. On the other, a rogue group of dog owners is taking the city’s rat problem into their own hands, and their dogs’ mouths." suorce$: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/interactive/2023/rat-hunters-dc-dogs/
I'm sure the "rogue group" would welcome dog owners who brought dogs from Britain. And I'm sure the British dogs would love it. There's a opportunity for a travel writer.
(For the record: I have no strong opinion on the question of bad dogs in Britain -- but I do hope you don't ban corgis immediately, out of respect for your late queen.)
Rat-baiting was quite a popular gambling "sport" in Bitish Cities in Victorian times. Smaller terriers were favoured and 15 rats killed per minute an achievable rate of killing.
The sensible range for when America became a superpower is between 1898 and 1945. And date outside those ranges is wrong, and any date within those ranges is justifiable.
It's perhaps helpful to think of it as a gradual becoming rather than happening one bright April morning.
Western Hemisphere and Pacific domination before the rest, too. Also, maritime power preceded land power. The US Navy - with the expeditionary soldiers of the US Marines - was strong while the Army was still keeping the First Nations and the Mexicans under control.
Look to industrial and economic power as well as military.
The sensible range for when America became a superpower is between 1898 and 1945. And date outside those ranges is wrong, and any date within those ranges is justifiable.
It's perhaps helpful to think of it as a gradual becoming rather than happening one bright April morning.
Fair to say though that immigration peaked either before or shortly after that period. As a MAGA Republican supporter, @williamglenn should see current rates a sign that America is on the starting blocks for a similar boost.
The sensible range for when America became a superpower is between 1898 and 1945. And date outside those ranges is wrong, and any date within those ranges is justifiable.
It's perhaps helpful to think of it as a gradual becoming rather than happening one bright April morning.
Western Hemisphere and Pacific domination before the rest, too. Also, maritime power preceded land power. The US Navy - with the expeditionary soldiers of the US Marines - was strong while the Army was still keeping the First Nations and the Mexicans under control.
Look to industrial and economic power as well as military.
Key fact: "Even before the administration’s announcement, refugee resettlement in the U.S. had dropped to historic lows during Donald Trump’s presidency, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of State Department data. As a result, the U.S. is no longer the world’s top country for refugee admissions. It had previously led the world on this measure for decades, admitting more refugees each year than all other countries combined." (Links omitted.)
If you glance at the graph, you will see that -- in some years -- the US has admitted more than two times as many refugees as "all other countries combined". (No doubt the Guardian gave the US credit for those policies, in those years.)
In DC, some dog owners are helping out -- and having a little fun: "It’s Saturday night. Flavia and Jigs, a duo of mother-daughter border terriers, are shaking a rat. It is already dead. On one side of the alley wall in a tony part of Northwest Washington, young people are drinking espresso martinis. On the other, a rogue group of dog owners is taking the city’s rat problem into their own hands, and their dogs’ mouths." suorce$: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/interactive/2023/rat-hunters-dc-dogs/
I'm sure the "rogue group" would welcome dog owners who brought dogs from Britain. And I'm sure the British dogs would love it. There's a opportunity for a travel writer.
(For the record: I have no strong opinion on the question of bad dogs in Britain -- but I do hope you don't ban corgis immediately, out of respect for your late queen.)
Rat-baiting was quite a popular gambling "sport" in Bitish Cities in Victorian times. Smaller terriers were favoured and 15 rats killed per minute an achievable rate of killing.
So why does US government work better at a state level than a national level ?
And is that pattern followed in other countries ?
Though nearly every state models the Federal government in structure, with governor, state House of Representatives and State Senate and Supreme Court. Take Georgia for example:
Right in the centre of Ljubljana, under the main bridge, there’s a beaver. Just chewing sticks and licking itself. Seems highly unlikely it lived there, presumably lost?
Quite likely it lives there. Several Swiss cities have beavers living in the middle of the action. The rewilding of beavers has - according to some - been TOO successful
Don’t some UK towns now have otters living in the urban area? Perhaps they are escaping the sewage in the countryside
There's a great video of a rescue beaver living in a house instinctively trying to build a dam out of stuffed toys:
Right in the centre of Ljubljana, under the main bridge, there’s a beaver. Just chewing sticks and licking itself. Seems highly unlikely it lived there, presumably lost?
Quite likely it lives there. Several Swiss cities have beavers living in the middle of the action. The rewilding of beavers has - according to some - been TOO successful
Don’t some UK towns now have otters living in the urban area? Perhaps they are escaping the sewage in the countryside
They do. Even in Leeds.
Despite all the (legitimate) complaints about sewage the rivers are much much cleaner than they used to be.
I was just watching A Haunting in Venice - I've never seen other screen adaptions of Poirot, just read a couple a long time ago, so is Poirot meant to be such a depressing sad sack of a character? Branagh is a great actor, but these movies make Poitot seem like he's so glum he's about to slit his wrists at any moment.
@Leon. Sorry been out all day, but you responded to my post where I said having a dog gets you to meet lots of people and you replied with, yes but only other dog owners.
Not true. If you have a cute dog, like we have, you get a lot of attention from lots of non dog owners. In particular young ladies who go soppy over a cute playful dog..
Classic strategy of at least one serial murderer, mind. (a) pooch is fine camouflage and a good excuse for being out and about at night (b) acts as bait.
Edit: I hasten to add that I don't think you are one! And it reinforces your point very well indeed.
It never crossed my mind what I was setting myself up for there. Thank goodness you don't think I am one. Phew!
"Anyone who wants to get from Africa to Poland goes to our embassy, buys a stamped visa at a special stand, fills in their details and off they go! PiS [governing party] migration policy," wrote Donald Tusk, the leader of the opposition Civic Platform party, on X (formerly Twitter).
"Anyone who wants to get from Africa to Poland goes to our embassy, buys a stamped visa at a special stand, fills in their details and off they go! PiS [governing party] migration policy," wrote Donald Tusk, the leader of the opposition Civic Platform party, on X (formerly Twitter).
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
I have never liked Brand, and am not entirely surprised at the allegations, but this should not be a trial by media, and it is hard to justify a special despatches.
"Show biz star is a sexual predator" is hardly a shock after all.
"Russell Brand is a sexual predator" is no shock at all.
"Anyone who wants to get from Africa to Poland goes to our embassy, buys a stamped visa at a special stand, fills in their details and off they go! PiS [governing party] migration policy," wrote Donald Tusk, the leader of the opposition Civic Platform party, on X (formerly Twitter).
I remember when Donald Tusk was idolised as the ideal statesman by various PBers.
It seems he's now race baiting about immigrants.
There was me naively thinking he was boasting about a great new initiative to encourage immigration into a demographically ageing society.
It seems a very good policy to me. Like America when it was on the way to becoming a superpower.
That's fake history. The USA had extremely low immigration in the period when it became a superpower, and before that was highly selective.
That graph looks off - has immigration to the US really collapsed that much between 2010 and 2020?
If that's only measuring 2020 to date versus complete decades, without accounting for the fact its a partial decade, then yes because ~70% of the data for the 2020s isn't in yet.
EDIT: Or its literally 2020 and that's a Covid effect.
Right in the centre of Ljubljana, under the main bridge, there’s a beaver. Just chewing sticks and licking itself. Seems highly unlikely it lived there, presumably lost?
Quite likely it lives there. Several Swiss cities have beavers living in the middle of the action. The rewilding of beavers has - according to some - been TOO successful
Don’t some UK towns now have otters living in the urban area? Perhaps they are escaping the sewage in the countryside
Some Canadian friends were astonished that we were rewilding beavers as the local beavers kept trashing their gardens on Vancouver Island.
So for what it is worth I have had the following feed back from Mid Beds from an experienced PPC in a top Lib Dems target seat who was there on Friday:
The independent thinks he is going to win. Nobody else does The Tory vote had collapsed but they don't know who to vote for Labour have consolidated their support but the soft Tory vote does not want to vote for them. They are not moving. There is a huge opportunity for the LDs but they need to convince the soft Tories to vote for them. At the moment the LDs are not getting the Labour vote
Conclusion: Anything could happen, but Tories coming 3rd is not inconceivable. Tending to think the LDs have the best opportunity but I'm biased
I suspect it will be LD who win. It's always easier for unhappy CON to vote for Liberal/LD than LAB. By election history since the War tells us this.
Probably a 1 year job for the winning LD candidate!
I agree with all of that and in particular the LDs difficulty in holding it if they win. It is much much harder for the LDs to win though if there is no tactical voting from Labour so it is not inconceivable that the Tory vote goes to the LDs but the Tories hold on or Lab just win with the Tory vote dropping but the LD vote not going up enough.
However I think you are right and the soft Tory vote will enable the LDs to win even without the Lab tactical vote.
Question is what proportion of those former/annoyed Tory voters can be arsed to actually turn out to vote for LibDems. I suspect not as many as the LibDems might hope.
Given half the previous Conservative vote has abandoned the party, I think you've got a lot more to worry about than whether the annoyed, angry and disillusioned will vote LD, Labour or stay at home.
We're getting a bit blase about mega by-election swings again. Tamworth and Mid Beds are both the sort of seats where, even with a General Election losing swing, the Conservatives ought to be able to hold on. If not, we're in Colourful Analogy territory.
Indeed, Tamworth is for example is the Conservatives' 311th most marginal seat out of 365 seats won in December 2019. IF Labour win it, they almost certainly won't hold it but winning it forces the Conservatives to divert more resources back into that seat than they might otherwise done so.
For the LDs, winning a seat means 24-48 hours in the media spotlight which can only help after years in obscurity. It gets Davey on to the tv screens and while most people still won't know who he is, perhaps a few more will not only see who he is but listen to what he has to say.
That basically is what all the hours and days and weeks of work to win a seat represents - the chance to get noticed, the chance to be heard, the oxygen of publicity.
The LibDems problem isn't the voters not knowing who Davey is. Their problem is the voters not knowing what they are. If they are an obvious "kick Bishop Brennan up the arse" candidate in a by-election, that is one thing. But in the General they look likely to be a minor coalition party for Labour, behind the SNP and all that might entail.
They want and need the publicity for a few days to get the poll ratings up which means a few more marginals fall in the GE. Simple as that.
In gambling related news, a shame neither of these two could manage a win today:
Chaz risked the trip up to watch but only got third.
The King arrived in an Audi, which surprised me since I am not au fait with royal jam jars. I suppose Rolls-Royce and Bentley are German-owned too, and Range Rover Indian, so maybe it's OK.
Labour now betting favourite in Mid Beds after Survation poll has them ahead with the LDs in third
It's a two-horse race?
The Liberal Democrats can't win here?
And they will fade pretty quickly if that perception takes hold. After all, other than embarrassing the government by losing a safe seat in a by election what is the point of the Lib Dems?
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
I have never liked Brand, and am not entirely surprised at the allegations, but this should not be a trial by media, and it is hard to justify a special despatches.
"Show biz star is a sexual predator" is hardly a shock after all.
"Russell Brand is a sexual predator" is no shock at all.
The revelations are so flaccid they’ll likely have the opposite effects that that intentioned, and Brand is likely to actually garner some sympathy.
Amember of Margaret Thatcher’s government sexually abused vulnerable young girls at a residential home at the centre of a police investigation, former residents have claimed.
Between 1960 and 1993 thousands of “deprived girls” from Glasgow housing estates were sent on summer breaks to Fornethy House in the idyllic Angus countryside, north of Dundee.
Detectives and government ministers are already examining claims that the supposed holiday home, operated by Glasgow council, was run like a prison, with children as young as six being routinely beaten, force-fed and stripped naked for minor misdemeanours.
Now six women who visited in the 1970s have alleged they were molested at the sprawling 16th-century mansion by a group of “well-spoken men”, including Sir Nicholas Fairbairn QC, the disgraced former solicitor-general for Scotland.
The survivors, now in their fifties and sixties, claim they were attacked after being ordered to sit on the knee of a florid, kilted man, who they now recognise as the late former Conservative MP for Perth and Kinross.
They allege they were taken to drink-fuelled parties where they were abused by men wearing tweed suits, tartan and formal dress.
It is claimed that another person who attended was Robert Henderson QC, a close friend of Fairbairn. In 2014 his daughter, Susie Henderson, now 56, waived her right to anonymity to reveal that she was raped by her late father, Fairbairn and other senior members of the Edinburgh legal establishment.
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
I have never liked Brand, and am not entirely surprised at the allegations, but this should not be a trial by media, and it is hard to justify a special despatches.
"Show biz star is a sexual predator" is hardly a shock after all.
Er, he's famous and its about sexual allegations, of course it's big news in the media landscape, even if he is c-list at best.
Really cannot grasp your surprise at the way its been investigated and now reported.
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
I have never liked Brand, and am not entirely surprised at the allegations, but this should not be a trial by media, and it is hard to justify a special despatches.
"Show biz star is a sexual predator" is hardly a shock after all.
Unpleasant attitude that seems awfully close to that anaesthetists letter a few days ago.
Whether something's a shock or not, sexual assault is still wrong.
And the only way we're going to have women be treated with respect is if these concerns get aired, even when they're not shocking. Until they are.
Labour now betting favourite in Mid Beds after Survation poll has them ahead with the LDs in third
It's a two-horse race?
The Liberal Democrats can't win here?
And they will fade pretty quickly if that perception takes hold. After all, other than embarrassing the government by losing a safe seat in a by election what is the point of the Lib Dems?
A question to which they have singularly failed to posit any answer.
"Anyone who wants to get from Africa to Poland goes to our embassy, buys a stamped visa at a special stand, fills in their details and off they go! PiS [governing party] migration policy," wrote Donald Tusk, the leader of the opposition Civic Platform party, on X (formerly Twitter).
I remember when Donald Tusk was idolised as the ideal statesman by various PBers.
It seems he's now race baiting about immigrants.
There was me naively thinking he was boasting about a great new initiative to encourage immigration into a demographically ageing society.
It seems a very good policy to me. Like America when it was on the way to becoming a superpower.
That's fake history. The USA had extremely low immigration in the period when it became a superpower, and before that was highly selective.
That graph looks off - has immigration to the US really collapsed that much between 2010 and 2020?
If that's only measuring 2020 to date versus complete decades, without accounting for the fact its a partial decade, then yes because ~70% of the data for the 2020s isn't in yet.
EDIT: Or its literally 2020 and that's a Covid effect.
I think it's the first explanation. The source is here:
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
I have never liked Brand, and am not entirely surprised at the allegations, but this should not be a trial by media, and it is hard to justify a special despatches.
"Show biz star is a sexual predator" is hardly a shock after all.
Er, he's famous and its about sexual allegations, of course it's big news in the media landscape, even if he is c-list at best.
Really cannot grasp your surprise at the way its been investigated and now reported.
He’s really not C list. He has 6m followers. Online he’s A list for sure
Labour now betting favourite in Mid Beds after Survation poll has them ahead with the LDs in third
It's a two-horse race?
The Liberal Democrats can't win here?
And they will fade pretty quickly if that perception takes hold. After all, other than embarrassing the government by losing a safe seat in a by election what is the point of the Lib Dems?
The last really distinctive thing the Lib Dems stood for was in 2010 - putting the Tories into government in return for a referendum on an electoral reform they thought would benefit them, which they lost anyway.
Labour now betting favourite in Mid Beds after Survation poll has them ahead with the LDs in third
It's a two-horse race?
The Liberal Democrats can't win here?
And they will fade pretty quickly if that perception takes hold. After all, other than embarrassing the government by losing a safe seat in a by election what is the point of the Lib Dems?
Providing a non extreme option for those not wanting to vote Labour or Tory. It's a ten-twenty percent strategy, currently, more on the lower end.
Labour now betting favourite in Mid Beds after Survation poll has them ahead with the LDs in third
It's a two-horse race?
The Liberal Democrats can't win here?
And they will fade pretty quickly if that perception takes hold. After all, other than embarrassing the government by losing a safe seat in a by election what is the point of the Lib Dems?
A question to which they have singularly failed to posit any answer.
Every single election they put out a manifesto. That is their point. You might find the policies wrong, but more people care about what the Lib Dems think than what you think, so there's always that.
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
I have never liked Brand, and am not entirely surprised at the allegations, but this should not be a trial by media, and it is hard to justify a special despatches.
"Show biz star is a sexual predator" is hardly a shock after all.
Er, he's famous and its about sexual allegations, of course it's big news in the media landscape, even if he is c-list at best.
Really cannot grasp your surprise at the way its been investigated and now reported.
He’s really not C list. He has 6m followers. Online he’s A list for sure
If your only fanbase is online, you're not A-list. Tom Cruise does not have a podcast
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
I have never liked Brand, and am not entirely surprised at the allegations, but this should not be a trial by media, and it is hard to justify a special despatches.
"Show biz star is a sexual predator" is hardly a shock after all.
Er, he's famous and its about sexual allegations, of course it's big news in the media landscape, even if he is c-list at best.
Really cannot grasp your surprise at the way its been investigated and now reported.
I’ve always thought it would be better if the paper or tv show went to the police and CPS with their evidence ad said along the lines of “we have put together a huge story/programme on this and so in return for giving you our evidence you keep us informed of the investigation, give us exclusive news of any charges and then if you charge we release the story. If you share with anyone else we publish.”
I am not keen on them being the investigators, jury, judge because if it turns out later that their story wasn’t as it appeared it’s too late to take it back and the damage is done. There isn’t any point the truth even putting his shoes on as the lie will already be running away.
Amember of Margaret Thatcher’s government sexually abused vulnerable young girls at a residential home at the centre of a police investigation, former residents have claimed.
Between 1960 and 1993 thousands of “deprived girls” from Glasgow housing estates were sent on summer breaks to Fornethy House in the idyllic Angus countryside, north of Dundee.
Detectives and government ministers are already examining claims that the supposed holiday home, operated by Glasgow council, was run like a prison, with children as young as six being routinely beaten, force-fed and stripped naked for minor misdemeanours.
Now six women who visited in the 1970s have alleged they were molested at the sprawling 16th-century mansion by a group of “well-spoken men”, including Sir Nicholas Fairbairn QC, the disgraced former solicitor-general for Scotland.
The survivors, now in their fifties and sixties, claim they were attacked after being ordered to sit on the knee of a florid, kilted man, who they now recognise as the late former Conservative MP for Perth and Kinross.
They allege they were taken to drink-fuelled parties where they were abused by men wearing tweed suits, tartan and formal dress.
It is claimed that another person who attended was Robert Henderson QC, a close friend of Fairbairn. In 2014 his daughter, Susie Henderson, now 56, waived her right to anonymity to reveal that she was raped by her late father, Fairbairn and other senior members of the Edinburgh legal establishment.
"Anyone who wants to get from Africa to Poland goes to our embassy, buys a stamped visa at a special stand, fills in their details and off they go! PiS [governing party] migration policy," wrote Donald Tusk, the leader of the opposition Civic Platform party, on X (formerly Twitter).
I remember when Donald Tusk was idolised as the ideal statesman by various PBers.
It seems he's now race baiting about immigrants.
There was me naively thinking he was boasting about a great new initiative to encourage immigration into a demographically ageing society.
It seems a very good policy to me. Like America when it was on the way to becoming a superpower.
That's fake history. The USA had extremely low immigration in the period when it became a superpower, and before that was highly selective.
That graph looks off - has immigration to the US really collapsed that much between 2010 and 2020?
If that's only measuring 2020 to date versus complete decades, without accounting for the fact its a partial decade, then yes because ~70% of the data for the 2020s isn't in yet.
EDIT: Or its literally 2020 and that's a Covid effect.
I think it's the first explanation. The source is here:
Seems like its both. The chart for individual years shows a dramatic fall for 2020 and a minor rebound for 2021 (and the data seems to stop there), so that presumably is a Covid effect.
I don't see a data table to match the chart, just the charts.
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
I have never liked Brand, and am not entirely surprised at the allegations, but this should not be a trial by media, and it is hard to justify a special despatches.
"Show biz star is a sexual predator" is hardly a shock after all.
Er, he's famous and its about sexual allegations, of course it's big news in the media landscape, even if he is c-list at best.
Really cannot grasp your surprise at the way its been investigated and now reported.
He’s really not C list. He has 6m followers. Online he’s A list for sure
6m followers doesn't sound that much. Big youtubers have channels with tens or even a hundred million subscribers for example.
In any case I was referring to general profile, he's not a big moviestar or major political force, though he has a decent audience and online following.
It isn't denigrating him or the power of those with online focused audiences to note he's not mainstream big - guys like him are deliberately not mainstream. Gary Linekar has more followers, and I wouldn't call him A-list.
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
I have never liked Brand, and am not entirely surprised at the allegations, but this should not be a trial by media, and it is hard to justify a special despatches.
"Show biz star is a sexual predator" is hardly a shock after all.
Er, he's famous and its about sexual allegations, of course it's big news in the media landscape, even if he is c-list at best.
Really cannot grasp your surprise at the way its been investigated and now reported.
He’s really not C list. He has 6m followers. Online he’s A list for sure
If your only fanbase is online, you're not A-list. Tom Cruise does not have a podcast
A fundamental misreading of modern culture. He’s a massive online influencer: that’s his shtick and he’s BIG within that
He’s not trying to be a Tom Cruise type celeb. He’s a new type
Many people will listen to what he says about Political issue X or Y, and reflect on it, and maybe act on it; Tom Cruise can’t do that
So, currently, it is probably around 50 million. No doubt there are more precise estimates, but given the number of illegals in the US, I think it unwise to put much faith in any of them.
This part surprised me, recently: "Roughly 4.6 million, or one-in-ten, Black people in the U.S. were born in a different country as of 2019, up from 3% in 1980. By 2060, the U.S. Census Bureau projects that this number will increase to 9.5 million, or more than double the current level (the Census Bureau only offers projections for single race groups)." source: https://www.pewresearch.org/race-ethnicity/2022/01/20/one-in-ten-black-people-living-in-the-u-s-are-immigrants/
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
I have never liked Brand, and am not entirely surprised at the allegations, but this should not be a trial by media, and it is hard to justify a special despatches.
"Show biz star is a sexual predator" is hardly a shock after all.
Er, he's famous and its about sexual allegations, of course it's big news in the media landscape, even if he is c-list at best.
Really cannot grasp your surprise at the way its been investigated and now reported.
He’s really not C list. He has 6m followers. Online he’s A list for sure
If your only fanbase is online, you're not A-list. Tom Cruise does not have a podcast
He does though. He pods about the worst cars he’s ever had to drive on film. It’s called “Transmission impossible”.
Labour now betting favourite in Mid Beds after Survation poll has them ahead with the LDs in third
It's a two-horse race?
The Liberal Democrats can't win here?
And they will fade pretty quickly if that perception takes hold. After all, other than embarrassing the government by losing a safe seat in a by election what is the point of the Lib Dems?
The last really distinctive thing the Lib Dems stood for was in 2010 - putting the Tories into government in return for a referendum on an electoral reform they thought would benefit them, which they lost anyway.
You may have missed 2019 when they put "STOP BREXIT" literally on the front cover of their manifesto. How much clearer do you need?
Russell Brand has always been a total berk. Even going way back to when he was on MTV part of his shtick was to make people very uncomfortable with his behaviour and questioning. So these latest allegations are very plausible. If someone is a creep in public there is a fair chance that it isn't an act and they are at least as bad in private.
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
There are some bizarre people coming out in support of him - citing the mainstream media - but that doesn’t work if any of these allegations are proven true (if it does come to court)
There’s a bizarre mindset of far right nutters who’ll support anyone blindly if it meant one up on this blob called “mainstream media”
Russel Brand being a (former?) sleazebag isn't exactly news. News Corp really has had it if this is what passes for a scoop there these days.
There’s an old (2006) GQ interview of Brand by Piers Morgan, who asks whether being teetotal helps him be a “more successful sexual predator”.
According to the Times, one of the victims - just 16 at the time - was allowed to date Brand because her mother “didn’t feel she could control who her daughter was meeting”. That was in…2006…
No wonder the documentary is called “In Plain Sight”.
Have just seen the poll in Mid Beds. Con 20 / Lab 20 / LD 15. As I said previously, whichever party is polling in the lead needs to be given the run. LibDems need to back off. We're trying to remove the Tories, not empower them.
If your only fanbase is online, you're not A-list. Tom Cruise does not have a podcast
That's really not true. Some of the biggest stars for kids today are people who are almost entirely online. Nobody over 30 will have heard of them but they can still be hugely popular and make a lot of money across social media and streaming platforms.
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
I have never liked Brand, and am not entirely surprised at the allegations, but this should not be a trial by media, and it is hard to justify a special despatches.
"Show biz star is a sexual predator" is hardly a shock after all.
Unpleasant attitude that seems awfully close to that anaesthetists letter a few days ago.
Whether something's a shock or not, sexual assault is still wrong.
And the only way we're going to have women be treated with respect is if these concerns get aired, even when they're not shocking. Until they are.
I have no problem with such a portfolio of evidence being handed over to appropriate police forces and courts, but a trial by media risks prejudicing a fair trial.
In gambling related news, a shame neither of these two could manage a win today:
Chaz risked the trip up to watch but only got third.
The King arrived in an Audi, which surprised me since I am not au fait with royal jam jars. I suppose Rolls-Royce and Bentley are German-owned too, and Range Rover Indian, so maybe it's OK.
I missed that - I was out on the course (as you can see). Did he take the train, I wonder? Might explain it.
Security was a bit more mental than usual, as you'd expect, with police scrambler bikes buzzing about the local woods. I don't think they liked scallies like us standing by the rails but as it is a common there is sod all they could do about it.
I presume they were expecting the orange paint crew.
Amember of Margaret Thatcher’s government sexually abused vulnerable young girls at a residential home at the centre of a police investigation, former residents have claimed.
Between 1960 and 1993 thousands of “deprived girls” from Glasgow housing estates were sent on summer breaks to Fornethy House in the idyllic Angus countryside, north of Dundee.
Detectives and government ministers are already examining claims that the supposed holiday home, operated by Glasgow council, was run like a prison, with children as young as six being routinely beaten, force-fed and stripped naked for minor misdemeanours.
Now six women who visited in the 1970s have alleged they were molested at the sprawling 16th-century mansion by a group of “well-spoken men”, including Sir Nicholas Fairbairn QC, the disgraced former solicitor-general for Scotland.
The survivors, now in their fifties and sixties, claim they were attacked after being ordered to sit on the knee of a florid, kilted man, who they now recognise as the late former Conservative MP for Perth and Kinross.
They allege they were taken to drink-fuelled parties where they were abused by men wearing tweed suits, tartan and formal dress.
It is claimed that another person who attended was Robert Henderson QC, a close friend of Fairbairn. In 2014 his daughter, Susie Henderson, now 56, waived her right to anonymity to reveal that she was raped by her late father, Fairbairn and other senior members of the Edinburgh legal establishment.
Labour now betting favourite in Mid Beds after Survation poll has them ahead with the LDs in third
It's a two-horse race?
The Liberal Democrats can't win here?
And they will fade pretty quickly if that perception takes hold. After all, other than embarrassing the government by losing a safe seat in a by election what is the point of the Lib Dems?
The last really distinctive thing the Lib Dems stood for was in 2010 - putting the Tories into government in return for a referendum on an electoral reform they thought would benefit them, which they lost anyway.
You may have missed 2019 when they put "STOP BREXIT" literally on the front cover of their manifesto. How much clearer do you need?
You made it as far as the cover? More than most, well done.
The Green Party got plaudits from me because their manifesto had working internal hyperlinks, which most do not bother with.
Their cover is a question, and which is pretty funny in its boldness and unrealistic expectations
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
I have never liked Brand, and am not entirely surprised at the allegations, but this should not be a trial by media, and it is hard to justify a special despatches.
"Show biz star is a sexual predator" is hardly a shock after all.
Er, he's famous and its about sexual allegations, of course it's big news in the media landscape, even if he is c-list at best.
Really cannot grasp your surprise at the way its been investigated and now reported.
He’s really not C list. He has 6m followers. Online he’s A list for sure
If your only fanbase is online, you're not A-list. Tom Cruise does not have a podcast
A fundamental misreading of modern culture. He’s a massive online influencer: that’s his shtick and he’s BIG within that
He’s not trying to be a Tom Cruise type celeb. He’s a new type
Many people will listen to what he says about Political issue X or Y, and reflect on it, and maybe act on it; Tom Cruise can’t do that
Social Media "Influencers" really aren't A-Listers.
Its pathetic like saying that a video has a million views. It really doesn't mean much.
Besides on YouTube channels get into the hundreds of millions, and most of those with tens of millions I really wouldn't consider A Listers either. 6 million sounds pathetic for "A List" claims.
Have just seen the poll in Mid Beds. Con 20 / Lab 20 / LD 15. As I said previously, whichever party is polling in the lead needs to be given the run. LibDems need to back off. We're trying to remove the Tories, not empower them.
Many thanks - not something I can say but I hope will be remembered when the LibDems are second in a constituency.
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
I have never liked Brand, and am not entirely surprised at the allegations, but this should not be a trial by media, and it is hard to justify a special despatches.
"Show biz star is a sexual predator" is hardly a shock after all.
Er, he's famous and its about sexual allegations, of course it's big news in the media landscape, even if he is c-list at best.
Really cannot grasp your surprise at the way its been investigated and now reported.
He’s really not C list. He has 6m followers. Online he’s A list for sure
If your only fanbase is online, you're not A-list. Tom Cruise does not have a podcast
A fundamental misreading of modern culture. He’s a massive online influencer: that’s his shtick and he’s BIG within that
He’s not trying to be a Tom Cruise type celeb. He’s a new type
Many people will listen to what he says about Political issue X or Y, and reflect on it, and maybe act on it; Tom Cruise can’t do that
Whilst I am uncomfortably unsure about your general case, I am more certain about the specific case of Russell Brand. When he had the whole dont-vote-dont-vote thing followed by Ed Miliband popping round for a quick chat in 2015(?), it was generally thought to have made zero difference. I don't think he's gotten more influential since then.
Way off topic - in Austin, Texas State Senate is voting to acquit disgraced state attorney general Ken Paxton, mega Grifter-On-Parade of all impeachment charges.
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
I have never liked Brand, and am not entirely surprised at the allegations, but this should not be a trial by media, and it is hard to justify a special despatches.
"Show biz star is a sexual predator" is hardly a shock after all.
Er, he's famous and its about sexual allegations, of course it's big news in the media landscape, even if he is c-list at best.
Really cannot grasp your surprise at the way its been investigated and now reported.
He’s really not C list. He has 6m followers. Online he’s A list for sure
If your only fanbase is online, you're not A-list. Tom Cruise does not have a podcast
He does though. He pods about the worst cars he’s ever had to drive on film. It’s called “Transmission impossible”.
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
I have never liked Brand, and am not entirely surprised at the allegations, but this should not be a trial by media, and it is hard to justify a special despatches.
"Show biz star is a sexual predator" is hardly a shock after all.
Er, he's famous and its about sexual allegations, of course it's big news in the media landscape, even if he is c-list at best.
Really cannot grasp your surprise at the way its been investigated and now reported.
He’s really not C list. He has 6m followers. Online he’s A list for sure
If your only fanbase is online, you're not A-list. Tom Cruise does not have a podcast
A fundamental misreading of modern culture. He’s a massive online influencer: that’s his shtick and he’s BIG within that
He’s not trying to be a Tom Cruise type celeb. He’s a new type
Many people will listen to what he says about Political issue X or Y, and reflect on it, and maybe act on it; Tom Cruise can’t do that
Social Media "Influencers" really aren't A-Listers.
Its pathetic like saying that a video has a million views. It really doesn't mean much.
Besides on YouTube channels get into the hundreds of millions, and most of those with tens of millions I really wouldn't consider A Listers either. 6 million sounds pathetic for "A List" claims.
I can understand taking issue with me calling Brand C list. He's reasonably well known, and for whatever reason has some notable presence in online circles. But A list, whilst not a scientifically defined term by any means, surely means people of truly significant profile and influence, not people who get some good views on podcasts sometimes. Are the Triggernometry guys A-list?
If it is elevated by one's online profile, then as you note there are far better candidates than Brand. If he's A list who are the B list?!
Amember of Margaret Thatcher’s government sexually abused vulnerable young girls at a residential home at the centre of a police investigation, former residents have claimed.
Between 1960 and 1993 thousands of “deprived girls” from Glasgow housing estates were sent on summer breaks to Fornethy House in the idyllic Angus countryside, north of Dundee.
Detectives and government ministers are already examining claims that the supposed holiday home, operated by Glasgow council, was run like a prison, with children as young as six being routinely beaten, force-fed and stripped naked for minor misdemeanours.
Now six women who visited in the 1970s have alleged they were molested at the sprawling 16th-century mansion by a group of “well-spoken men”, including Sir Nicholas Fairbairn QC, the disgraced former solicitor-general for Scotland.
The survivors, now in their fifties and sixties, claim they were attacked after being ordered to sit on the knee of a florid, kilted man, who they now recognise as the late former Conservative MP for Perth and Kinross.
They allege they were taken to drink-fuelled parties where they were abused by men wearing tweed suits, tartan and formal dress.
It is claimed that another person who attended was Robert Henderson QC, a close friend of Fairbairn. In 2014 his daughter, Susie Henderson, now 56, waived her right to anonymity to reveal that she was raped by her late father, Fairbairn and other senior members of the Edinburgh legal establishment.
The Russell brand story is in the Times. Tallies with what I’ve heard in one instance but is way more detailed over many more years
Doesn’t look good for him
However he is no longer reliant on big publishers or broadcasters. He just needs an online presence. TwitterX can give him that if YouTube pulls the plug
Then it comes down to whether there will be court proceedings. An interesting test of modern media power (leaving aside the morality)
I find this troubling. The allegations - if true - are horrible and any man committing them should face the legal consequences. But if not true a man's character has been trashed.
A failing criminal justice system and trial by media are not a happy combination.
I have never liked Brand, and am not entirely surprised at the allegations, but this should not be a trial by media, and it is hard to justify a special despatches.
"Show biz star is a sexual predator" is hardly a shock after all.
Unpleasant attitude that seems awfully close to that anaesthetists letter a few days ago.
Whether something's a shock or not, sexual assault is still wrong.
And the only way we're going to have women be treated with respect is if these concerns get aired, even when they're not shocking. Until they are.
I have no problem with such a portfolio of evidence being handed over to appropriate police forces and courts, but a trial by media risks prejudicing a fair trial.
That's upto the alleged victims, which do they prefer?
Too often victims are "encouraged" to keep the abuse quiet or dismissed or not taken seriously, and the same perpetrator abuses many people none of whom make the connection as they're all staying quiet.
The Me Too movement did a good job by letting people know they're not alone. That's a good thing, not something to be frowned upon.
When the allegations about Weinstein, or Harris, or other predators made it to light it encouraged other victims to step forward. That is a good thing.
If your only fanbase is online, you're not A-list. Tom Cruise does not have a podcast
That's really not true. Some of the biggest stars for kids today are people who are almost entirely online. Nobody over 30 will have heard of them but they can still be hugely popular and make a lot of money across social media and streaming platforms.
Oh, I acknowledge the money, it's the influence over voting behavior I question.
Comments
There’s a bizarre mindset of far right nutters who’ll support anyone blindly if it meant one up on this blob called “mainstream media”
I can't comment on whether the US criminal justice system is "failing", and no do I intend to imply that the UK one is succeeding, but as long as we keep in mind that this is wholly or partially outside UK jurisdiction. Indeed it might be part of the problem that accusers are in different jurisdictions.
Without implying any guilt on anyone's part, it must be easier to get away with patterns of criminal behaviour if you have the resources to do it across many jurisdictions.
"It’s Saturday night. Flavia and Jigs, a duo of mother-daughter border terriers, are shaking a rat. It is already dead. On one side of the alley wall in a tony part of Northwest Washington, young people are drinking espresso martinis. On the other, a rogue group of dog owners is taking the city’s rat problem into their own hands, and their dogs’ mouths."
suorce$: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/interactive/2023/rat-hunters-dc-dogs/
I'm sure the "rogue group" would welcome dog owners who brought dogs from Britain. And I'm sure the British dogs would love it. There's a opportunity for a travel writer.
(For the record: I have no strong opinion on the question of bad dogs in Britain -- but I do hope you don't ban corgis immediately, out of respect for your late queen.)
Even if you choose an earlier date, it's an ideologically-motivated lie to compare the US's immigration policies then with the contemporary West.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Georgia_(U.S._state)#:~:text=The state government of Georgia,legislature, executive, and judiciary.
It might or might not be true to say that the policies were the same, and that might be ideologically motivated, but that's another matter.
And it shouldn't be dismissed out of hand, either. Sometimes there is a conspiracy of likemindedness that keeps legitimate alternatives from being fairly aired. But most of the time people talk like this they are fringe voices because they don't represent anything more than a weird sliver of a self-obsessed subculture.
The bar to a successful criminal conviction for sexual assault and rape are, rightly, very high as they result in loss of liberty. In many cases the evidence is his word against hers, as the defence is about whether or not consent was given rather than whether the act occured (much easier to prove).
I don't think victims of sexual assault should be prevented from making accusations publicly, just because they have not achieved a criminal conviction.
People can choose who they wish to believe. And Brand can choose whether or not to sue for libel.
"Show biz star is a sexual predator" is hardly a shock after all.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/sep/16/lib-dems-mid-bedfordshire-tories-labour-nadine-dorries-seat
Bit of a damp squib, and not obvious why Channel 4 wants to clear the schedules, unless there is more to follow.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mam.12216
The US government designed and constructed a satellite in a year. They gave a launch company notice of a launch sometime within six months, and the satellite was mated to the rocket and ready for launch within a day of the 'go' being received. It was launched 27 hours after the 'go'.
These are all *really* quick timescales; something the US military is becoming very keen on.
Well done to Firefly for getting their first payload to orbit (on their third attempt).
https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/09/firefly-and-space-force-demonstrate-ability-to-rapidly-launch-a-satellite/
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/french-gynaecologist-trans-woman-transition-gender-89lb5k0pl
It's perhaps helpful to think of it as a gradual becoming rather than happening one bright April morning.
Don’t some UK towns now have otters living in the urban area? Perhaps they are escaping the sewage in the countryside
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat-baiting
Possibly done in the USA too? But a Bully XL wouldn't be a great choice, better for the rival "sport" of dog fighting.
Hmm. Mixed feelings about this
Far better for it to be done in court than on TV: what they are for
https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/our-history/stories-from-the-archives/refugee-timeline
Those interested in recent refugee policies will want to study this Pew report: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/10/07/key-facts-about-refugees-to-the-u-s/
Key fact: "Even before the administration’s announcement, refugee resettlement in the U.S. had dropped to historic lows during Donald Trump’s presidency, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of State Department data. As a result, the U.S. is no longer the world’s top country for refugee admissions. It had previously led the world on this measure for decades, admitting more refugees each year than all other countries combined."
(Links omitted.)
If you glance at the graph, you will see that -- in some years -- the US has admitted more than two times as many refugees as "all other countries combined". (No doubt the Guardian gave the US credit for those policies, in those years.)
(Most admitted refugees have been great people, though there are exceptions, for example, the Tsarnaev brothers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dzhokhar_Tsarnaev )
But it seemingly works better, or at least those involved are more highly thought of, than the corresponding national system.
I wonder if different types of people are attracted to national politics rather than various levels of local politics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ImdlZtOU80
Despite all the (legitimate) complaints about sewage the rivers are much much cleaner than they used to be.
Chaz risked the trip up to watch but only got third.
EDIT: Or its literally 2020 and that's a Covid effect.
Between 1960 and 1993 thousands of “deprived girls” from Glasgow housing estates were sent on summer breaks to Fornethy House in the idyllic Angus countryside, north of Dundee.
Detectives and government ministers are already examining claims that the supposed holiday home, operated by Glasgow council, was run like a prison, with children as young as six being routinely beaten, force-fed and stripped naked for minor misdemeanours.
Now six women who visited in the 1970s have alleged they were molested at the sprawling 16th-century mansion by a group of “well-spoken men”, including Sir Nicholas Fairbairn QC, the disgraced former solicitor-general for Scotland.
The survivors, now in their fifties and sixties, claim they were attacked after being ordered to sit on the knee of a florid, kilted man, who they now recognise as the late former Conservative MP for Perth and Kinross.
They allege they were taken to drink-fuelled parties where they were abused by men wearing tweed suits, tartan and formal dress.
It is claimed that another person who attended was Robert Henderson QC, a close friend of Fairbairn. In 2014 his daughter, Susie Henderson, now 56, waived her right to anonymity to reveal that she was raped by her late father, Fairbairn and other senior members of the Edinburgh legal establishment.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/scots-minister-linked-to-abuse-of-poor-girls-gjhzb58fb
Really cannot grasp your surprise at the way its been investigated and now reported.
Whether something's a shock or not, sexual assault is still wrong.
And the only way we're going to have women be treated with respect is if these concerns get aired, even when they're not shocking. Until they are.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_immigration_to_the_United_States
You might find the policies wrong, but more people care about what the Lib Dems think than what you think, so there's always that.
I am not keen on them being the investigators, jury, judge because if it turns out later that their story wasn’t as it appeared it’s too late to take it back and the damage is done. There isn’t any point the truth even putting his shoes on as the lie will already be running away.
I don't see a data table to match the chart, just the charts.
In any case I was referring to general profile, he's not a big moviestar or major political force, though he has a decent audience and online following.
It isn't denigrating him or the power of those with online focused audiences to note he's not mainstream big - guys like him are deliberately not mainstream. Gary Linekar has more followers, and I wouldn't call him A-list.
He’s not trying to be a Tom Cruise type celeb. He’s a new type
Many people will listen to what he says about Political issue X or Y, and reflect on it, and maybe act on it; Tom Cruise can’t do that
So, currently, it is probably around 50 million. No doubt there are more precise estimates, but given the number of illegals in the US, I think it unwise to put much faith in any of them.
This part surprised me, recently: "Roughly 4.6 million, or one-in-ten, Black people in the U.S. were born in a different country as of 2019, up from 3% in 1980. By 2060, the U.S. Census Bureau projects that this number will increase to 9.5 million, or more than double the current level (the Census Bureau only offers projections for single race groups)."
source: https://www.pewresearch.org/race-ethnicity/2022/01/20/one-in-ten-black-people-living-in-the-u-s-are-immigrants/
According to the Times, one of the victims - just 16 at the time - was allowed to date Brand because her mother “didn’t feel she could control who her daughter was meeting”. That was in…2006…
No wonder the documentary is called “In Plain Sight”.
Security was a bit more mental than usual, as you'd expect, with police scrambler bikes buzzing about the local woods. I don't think they liked scallies like us standing by the rails but as it is a common there is sod all they could do about it.
I presume they were expecting the orange paint crew.
The Green Party got plaudits from me because their manifesto had working internal hyperlinks, which most do not bother with.
Their cover is a question, and which is pretty funny in its boldness and unrealistic expectations
The answer is never.
Its pathetic like saying that a video has a million views. It really doesn't mean much.
Besides on YouTube channels get into the hundreds of millions, and most of those with tens of millions I really wouldn't consider A Listers either. 6 million sounds pathetic for "A List" claims.
So far anyway, their almost done.
live broadcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-LvndlWc90
If it is elevated by one's online profile, then as you note there are far better candidates than Brand. If he's A list who are the B list?!
Too often victims are "encouraged" to keep the abuse quiet or dismissed or not taken seriously, and the same perpetrator abuses many people none of whom make the connection as they're all staying quiet.
The Me Too movement did a good job by letting people know they're not alone. That's a good thing, not something to be frowned upon.
When the allegations about Weinstein, or Harris, or other predators made it to light it encouraged other victims to step forward. That is a good thing.
Sunlight is one of the best disinfectants.