I'm not a big fan of MRP constituency numbers. They don't account for the variables of what's going on in a particular area.
We need some proper constituency polling - no one is going to poll East Ham (MRP says the Labour vote will be DOWN to 70% with Green and Reform rising). However, there are plenty of potential bellweather constituencies which could be polled and we know that polling does have an impact (remember Portillo?).
This isn't a national election but 650 simultaenous by-elections and as we saw in 1997, an average UNS of 10% disguises swings of all shapes and sizes ranging from a couple of seats (Bradford West?) where there was a swing AGAINST Labour to Crosby which saw an 18% swing.
Even in 2019, UNS on the day would not have given you Labour's gain in Putney.The YouGov MRP (from 4th to the 10th December) which gave Putney at 40-37 to Labour also predicted Labour would win 231 seats rather than the 202 they did win so if you start from inaccurate base figures the MRP isn't going to be accurate. The Electoral Calculus MRP from mid November got the Conservative and Labour seat totals spot on (365-202).
Confusing what will happen with what could happen is an easy mistake - two questions can be asked after the election on the polling - what happened and why did it happen? followed by what might have happened and why did it not?
The second question challenges the preconceptions going into the election such as the Conservatives could never win fewer than 150 seats or Labour could never win more than 420 seats or whatever (based on the actual result). At the moment, I sense preconceptions being used to interpret the figures (and let's never forget the preconceptions of the polling organisations in terms of their methodology, sampling and weighting).
In truth, we're blowing smoke into a room shrouded in fog if we want to play the constituency betting markets (unless you are so close to the campaign you have visibility). Overall, we can say Labour in the mid 40s and the Conservatives in the mid 20s means a big Labour majority but that's where we are now and if we are still in this place four weeks today we can be more confident of an outcome but even then constituency variation will play a big part.
They account for some of the variables of what's going on in a particular area. Constituency polling has also proved to be of limited reliability in the past. In both cases it's similar problems - you can get a 'representative' sample on a set of characteristics (and with MRP adjust for those characteristics, too) but in both cases there are other things going on that are not in the weighting or in the model.
I agree though, that local knowledge is key. I assume (and hope) that a few local party workers make a killing in places where the results are bucking national trends. It's one of the reasons I tend to stay away from constituency contests - at least on exchanges - as I assume there are people betting who know a lot more than me. The bookies sometimes mis-price things initially, but tend to sort it once people notice and begin to pile on.
I’ve taken down the photo of the canvasser that knock on my door on Sunday. I realise that in my anger I made the wrong decision, even though you couldn’t see their face. This person does know me, so I don’t believe it was accidental but part of efforts to harass and hurt me.
Faiza Shaheen has been replaced as Labour candidate against IDS by Shama Tatler, formerly of Watford. https://x.com/ShamaTatler
Somewhat defuses the left's allegation that minority ethnic women are being victimised, given Tatler's (apparent) ethnic origin.
A woman of colour, but apparently not one with the 'correct' opinions. Much of the backlash and graffiti has come AFTER Shama Tatler was known to be the new candidate.
My favourite was Daisy Cooper and her gang on the boat behind Rishi Sunak. As I said yesterday we might not be going to win the election but we are having great fun not doing so and I have to say the local campaign I have been involved in has been a huge amount of fun with lots of laughs. The most enjoyable so far and I have been involved in a lot.
I am going to miss it for the next 10 days as I cycle along the banks of the Loire. 7 days cycling, 400+ km to go. I might post some pictures but I don't have a Jess the cat or a dog for scale.
The Loire is lovely. I did it upstream as far as Cosne Cours sur Loire a couple of years back. Easy to make good progress and also easy to get utterly diverted and stop off in every town along the way. Enjoy. https://cycle.travel/route/loire
Yep same here I did Cycling for Softies there some time ago. Fantastic popping into out of the way chateaux to be greeted by the owners sitting outside in their faded cotton trousers offering you a glass of rosé.
I will use my one daily photo to show a lovely lady I met in my journey down the Loire. She owned this tiny chateau and these remarkable birds and she expertly flirted over her own wine as we lunched in her bucolic garden. Bliss
Gorgeous! It is very hard to beat France.
It is. Its a close contest between France and Italy for the most beautiful country in the world
We are lucky to have them on our doorstep
They also have different strengths as destinations. France is much better organised and has better infra, but the Italians are much more charming and affable - a serious positive
Britain beats them both hollow on noom but I accept most people aren’t looking for intense spiritual experiences of rhapsody or human bleakness when choosing a holiday; or even a home
The fact that Biden is not miles ahead against this apology for a human being shows how god awful he is.
I pity the US - they are being asked to choose between two flavours of turd.
I'm not sure it does show what you say. I think shows how utterly divided America is. Each side is convinced the other will destroy the country completely.
It used to be that each side had its own opinions. Now, each side has its own facts.
Nope. It all started under Bush.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality-based_community ...The aide said that guys like me were 'in what we call the reality-based community,' which he defined as people who 'believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.' [...] 'That's not the way the world really works anymore,' he continued. 'We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors...and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do'..
Yes, it's another step in the process of civilisation. Once upon a time animal torture was regarded as acceptable, but nowadays people aren't so keen. Long may the trend continue.
Except for deer.
Yeah - I'm a veggie but we do need to cull wild deer in this country. Personally I'd like to see this happen by bringing back predator species, because wolves and bears are cool, but failing that letting people eat deer is reasonable.
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
The fact that Biden is not miles ahead against this apology for a human being shows how god awful he is.
I pity the US - they are being asked to choose between two flavours of turd.
The US is very much a place of haves and have nots - those have nots seem to trend Trump at the moment. And the last 4 years haven't been good for a lot of people with inflation being very obvious to them.
I suspect if it wasn't Trump on the Republican ballot, the Republicans would be coasting into the White House..
This is what is so annoying of the many annoying things about Trump. The USA - and the West - desperately needs a capable, clever, charismatic Republican president to rull back the Woke and unite us all in the coming struggle against ChiRussia. Instead the GOP and America offers us this warmed-over lunatic villain, fighting a Democrat who is actually a revived cadaver: AGAIN
The POTUS elex are the Decline of the West, encapsulated
That's the problem generally across the West.
The boring centrists, and the angry populists are just selling different versions of snake oil.
But Biden is certainly preferable to Trump.
Imagine how grateful we’d be for Bush II now.
Somewhat amazingly, given that he was first elected President 24 years ago, GWB is younger than both of this year’s contenders.
Even better.
Bill Clinton was first elected thirty-two years ago and he's younger than both Biden and Trump.
I wouldn't want either Clinton or Bush back again. Though either would be preferable to Trump.
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
This is not news. Have you checked out the opinion polls recently.
Agreed this is not news. But there are still really important questions. The first is: What are the range of reasons for long time Tory voters (I am one of millions) wanting them to lose and lose badly? So, for example, is it mostly 'moral' - they are a shower of corrupt lying chancers; is it mostly they are not populist right wing enough (ECHR, boats, foreigners); is it mostly they are too right wing; is it mostly about competence....and so on.
I suspect they have lost in every direction and more. We shall find out much more about the motive once Labour have a go at the same exam questions and see the reactions of the ex-Tories.
There's been an electoral earthquake in the world's largest democracy and it could well have major global geo-political implications. As yet, no-one in Europe seems to have noticed!
As far as I can work out the BJP's alliance will get a majority and Modi will remain in power, what am I missing?
Listening to Farage this morning on R4 Today, I noticed one tiny thing. He didn't want to dwell at all on the fact that his policy of Zero Net Migration = 500,000+ new arrivals every year (matching the departures). That's 5 million per decade. He minimally acknowledged and moved away immediately.
For the right there are two big issues about inward migration; the numbers causing housing/services problems, and secondly the 'cultural' issues.
Net Zero migration may address the Reform voter's problem with the first, but not the second. Has anyone noticed this? I don't think Farage wants it mentioned. Which of course means no-one in the political domain does.
I mean, it's also because nobody wants to make the argument for solving the first crisis without worrying about immigration - investment. We could invest in better infrastructure, more schools, doctors, houses etc. and still have immigration.
Farage is happy to push on those issues because that is what has been gifted to him by the neoliberal turn. People seem to forget that Corbyn's policies were still quite popular with a large portion of the population - he was just so unpopular that negative polarisation held together a coalition for the Tories. When Johnson said he'd turn on the spending spigot with Levelling Up, the Tories won in Labour heartlands. As long as the state keeps arguing it has no resources to care for average people, people will grow resentful.
Someone like Farage will aim that resentment towards the foreigner, people like Leon towards "wokeness". I would argue the left (correctly) turns that ire on capitalists - as they are the dragons of fable sitting on their hordes of wealth. The immigrant doing what humans have always done, move around the world when they need to, is not in a position of power to affect the poor state of our country. The "woke" who are just asking for historic injustice to be recognised, acknowledged and no longer perpetuated don't hold the levers of power. Those who do have power and influence in our politic are those who are wealthy, who own companies, who demand less regulation etc. etc. They are the ones who have been catered to in the last 30-40 years, and that is the reason for our decline. And no one who benefits from that system is going to stand up and point that out. So Farage is a useful tool - because when he points at shadows and calls them phantoms people don't look at the real causes of the problem.
The 100,000+ white underage English girls raped by racist Muslim grooming gangs might have a claim they were *a tiny bit affected* by migration
Yes, it's another step in the process of civilisation. Once upon a time animal torture was regarded as acceptable, but nowadays people aren't so keen. Long may the trend continue.
Except for deer.
Yeah - I'm a veggie but we do need to cull wild deer in this country. Personally I'd like to see this happen by bringing back predator species, because wolves and bears are cool, but failing that letting people eat deer is reasonable.
I seem to remember reading here that venison is in fact vegan. Or was it woke? I'm not sure now.
My favourite was Daisy Cooper and her gang on the boat behind Rishi Sunak. As I said yesterday we might not be going to win the election but we are having great fun not doing so and I have to say the local campaign I have been involved in has been a huge amount of fun with lots of laughs. The most enjoyable so far and I have been involved in a lot.
I am going to miss it for the next 10 days as I cycle along the banks of the Loire. 7 days cycling, 400+ km to go. I might post some pictures but I don't have a Jess the cat or a dog for scale.
The Loire is lovely. I did it upstream as far as Cosne Cours sur Loire a couple of years back. Easy to make good progress and also easy to get utterly diverted and stop off in every town along the way. Enjoy. https://cycle.travel/route/loire
Yep same here I did Cycling for Softies there some time ago. Fantastic popping into out of the way chateaux to be greeted by the owners sitting outside in their faded cotton trousers offering you a glass of rosé.
I will use my one daily photo to show a lovely lady I met in my journey down the Loire. She owned this tiny chateau and these remarkable birds and she expertly flirted over her own wine as we lunched in her bucolic garden. Bliss
Gorgeous! It is very hard to beat France.
It is. Its a close contest between France and Italy for the most beautiful country in the world
We are lucky to have them on our doorstep
They also have different strengths as destinations. France is much better organised and has better infra, but the Italians are much more charming and affable - a serious positive
Britain beats them both hollow on noom but I accept most people aren’t looking for intense spiritual experiences of rhapsody or human bleakness when choosing a holiday; or even a home
I have just returned from France and the way the towns, roads – oh my the roads! – are presented and maintained is quite extraordinarily better than we have here, to the point of being embarrassing. Made me think that road charging is the way forward, such is the pleasure of sticking the Audi on cruise at 130kph (and maybe a bit more) for 160km of perfect road that is seemingly fashioned from slate and crystal.
The Italians are more gregarious but the French are friendly enough, if you speak a bit of French (which I do), and are more like their Italian cousins in the south of France, while avoiding being too loud and annoying. I love both countries but I would vote for France.
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
This is not news. Have you checked out the opinion polls recently.
Agreed this is not news. But there are still really important questions. The first is: What are the range of reasons for long time Tory voters (like me) wanting them to lose and lose badly? So, for example, is it mostly 'moral' - they are a shower of corrupt lying chancers; is it mostly they are not populist right wing enough (ECHR, boats, foreigners); is it mostly they are too right wing; is it mostly about competence....and so on.
I suspect they have lost in every direction and more. We shall find out much more about the motive once Labour have a go at the same exam questions and see the reactions of the ex-Tories.
Small c conservatives want things to be predictable and safe. They do not like chaos and uncertainty. Truss' mini budget broke the ability for the Tories to project predictability and safety to people - mortgage rates rose, pensioners started to get worried, and inflation spiked. Once spooked, they ran to the next party promising "nothing will change in a scary way, we'll make everything safe again" and they now look at the Tories as a dog that bit them. They want the Tories to lose badly because if they don't they fear they could do the scary thing again.
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
I do not know anyone who has any real interest in it. No one discusses it, no one volunteers any views on the election.
I suspect the audience for tonights leaders debate will not be especially large.
My family is quite political and we discuss politics on the fam WhatsApp group
@Heathener is right. The Tories are viscerally hated. My family tends right (but not universally so) and generally votes Tory. Don’t think any of them will vote Tory this time. Expect Cornwall to switch
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
This is not news. Have you checked out the opinion polls recently.
Agreed this is not news. But there are still really important questions. The first is: What are the range of reasons for long time Tory voters (I am one of millions) wanting them to lose and lose badly? So, for example, is it mostly 'moral' - they are a shower of corrupt lying chancers; is it mostly they are not populist right wing enough (ECHR, boats, foreigners); is it mostly they are too right wing; is it mostly about competence....and so on.
I suspect they have lost in every direction and more. We shall find out much more about the motive once Labour have a go at the same exam questions and see the reactions of the ex-Tories.
The thing most political parties struggle to understand is that most voters aren’t attached to parties - they vote for policy platforms. The majority have zero emotional attachment to parties in the way members and activists do. Even more so for the Tories than Labour, where there is at least the union link.
My favourite was Daisy Cooper and her gang on the boat behind Rishi Sunak. As I said yesterday we might not be going to win the election but we are having great fun not doing so and I have to say the local campaign I have been involved in has been a huge amount of fun with lots of laughs. The most enjoyable so far and I have been involved in a lot.
I am going to miss it for the next 10 days as I cycle along the banks of the Loire. 7 days cycling, 400+ km to go. I might post some pictures but I don't have a Jess the cat or a dog for scale.
The Loire is lovely. I did it upstream as far as Cosne Cours sur Loire a couple of years back. Easy to make good progress and also easy to get utterly diverted and stop off in every town along the way. Enjoy. https://cycle.travel/route/loire
Yep same here I did Cycling for Softies there some time ago. Fantastic popping into out of the way chateaux to be greeted by the owners sitting outside in their faded cotton trousers offering you a glass of rosé.
I will use my one daily photo to show a lovely lady I met in my journey down the Loire. She owned this tiny chateau and these remarkable birds and she expertly flirted over her own wine as we lunched in her bucolic garden. Bliss
Gorgeous! It is very hard to beat France.
It is. Its a close contest between France and Italy for the most beautiful country in the world
We are lucky to have them on our doorstep
They also have different strengths as destinations. France is much better organised and has better infra, but the Italians are much more charming and affable - a serious positive
Britain beats them both hollow on noom but I accept most people aren’t looking for intense spiritual experiences of rhapsody or human bleakness when choosing a holiday; or even a home
I have just returned from France and the way the towns, roads – oh my the roads! – are presented and maintained is quite extraordinarily better than we have here, to the point of being embarrassing. Made me think that road charging is the way forward, such is the pleasure of sticking the Audi on cruise at 130kph (and maybe a bit more) for 160km of perfect road that is seemingly fashioned from slate and crystal.
The Italians are more gregarious but the French are friendly enough, if you speak a bit of French (which I do), and are more like their Italian cousins in the south of France, while avoiding being too loud and annoying. I love both countries but I would vote for France.
That may be true but Britain is still better than Moldova. I’m in Chisinau now and frankly london knocks it into a cocked hat. London has better restaurants and cafes and is generally more interesting whatever the pro-Chisinau types always claim. Chisinau is better for historical pogroms. And ridiculous traffic jams
Banning foie gras today, they'll ban fish and chips next.
I’m guessing they will be banning everything that is unethical and or dangerous from big engined cars to alcohol?
Otherwise someone might think they are going for an easy target that will have so little effect on the world but make them feel all warm and glowing inside.
"so little effect on the world" - one might feel that, but just consider if you were a goose. First people on PB discussing how to use your neck during a No. 2. Now this.
Oh I’m all for the happiness of the goose, I used to eat it a lot, I used to love that in the lead up to Christmas in the Swiss supermarkets there would be cabinets full of big juicy goose livers waiting for me to fry and serve with a nice Sauterne and some fig jelly however I now don’t eat it because of my vague ethics (much as I no longer eat octopus however much I love it).
There is “ethical” foie grass where they provide geese with crazy amounts of food at their usual sticking up period of the year ore migration but that’s still a tiny part of the industry.
I just think it’s funny that they ban something that is of so little relevance to the greater population knowing it gets good traction because it annoys the rich (because only the rich eat it of course) but they would be terrified of banning things that are worse for society but maybe popular with different groups.
Some people think, for example, that Halal slaughter is cruel, I don’t know the answer, but if it was banned for ethical reasons by Labour wouldn’t that be a good thing for society too?
Kosher slaughter is of course very similar to Halal slaughter, but I can't see Labour banning that!
I'm not sure where banning Kosher/Halal slaughter stands on the wokeness scale.
Or angling. Or eating sentient beings such as pigs and whatnot.
I suppose we draw a line somewhere with no universally agreed place for that line.
I don't mind that but to suggest that banning foie gras represents some kind of fundamental right-thinking truth is asinine.
We have certain rules that reduce animal cruelty generally, and in agriculture specifically. Obviously there's some debate about how strict to make such rules, but whether foie gras is on one side of that line, or the other, doesn't seem like it should be massively controversial.
Listening to Farage this morning on R4 Today, I noticed one tiny thing. He didn't want to dwell at all on the fact that his policy of Zero Net Migration = 500,000+ new arrivals every year (matching the departures). That's 5 million per decade. He minimally acknowledged and moved away immediately.
For the right there are two big issues about inward migration; the numbers causing housing/services problems, and secondly the 'cultural' issues.
Net Zero migration may address the Reform voter's problem with the first, but not the second. Has anyone noticed this? I don't think Farage wants it mentioned. Which of course means no-one in the political domain does.
I mean, it's also because nobody wants to make the argument for solving the first crisis without worrying about immigration - investment. We could invest in better infrastructure, more schools, doctors, houses etc. and still have immigration.
Farage is happy to push on those issues because that is what has been gifted to him by the neoliberal turn. People seem to forget that Corbyn's policies were still quite popular with a large portion of the population - he was just so unpopular that negative polarisation held together a coalition for the Tories. When Johnson said he'd turn on the spending spigot with Levelling Up, the Tories won in Labour heartlands. As long as the state keeps arguing it has no resources to care for average people, people will grow resentful.
Someone like Farage will aim that resentment towards the foreigner, people like Leon towards "wokeness". I would argue the left (correctly) turns that ire on capitalists - as they are the dragons of fable sitting on their hordes of wealth. The immigrant doing what humans have always done, move around the world when they need to, is not in a position of power to affect the poor state of our country. The "woke" who are just asking for historic injustice to be recognised, acknowledged and no longer perpetuated don't hold the levers of power. Those who do have power and influence in our politic are those who are wealthy, who own companies, who demand less regulation etc. etc. They are the ones who have been catered to in the last 30-40 years, and that is the reason for our decline. And no one who benefits from that system is going to stand up and point that out. So Farage is a useful tool - because when he points at shadows and calls them phantoms people don't look at the real causes of the problem.
The 100,000+ white underage English girls raped by racist Muslim grooming gangs might have a claim they were *a tiny bit affected* by migration
Flagged. Why? Because it’s not true? No, it’s true
So I presume it is flagged because it’s true but people can’t cope with it
My favourite was Daisy Cooper and her gang on the boat behind Rishi Sunak. As I said yesterday we might not be going to win the election but we are having great fun not doing so and I have to say the local campaign I have been involved in has been a huge amount of fun with lots of laughs. The most enjoyable so far and I have been involved in a lot.
I am going to miss it for the next 10 days as I cycle along the banks of the Loire. 7 days cycling, 400+ km to go. I might post some pictures but I don't have a Jess the cat or a dog for scale.
The Loire is lovely. I did it upstream as far as Cosne Cours sur Loire a couple of years back. Easy to make good progress and also easy to get utterly diverted and stop off in every town along the way. Enjoy. https://cycle.travel/route/loire
Yep same here I did Cycling for Softies there some time ago. Fantastic popping into out of the way chateaux to be greeted by the owners sitting outside in their faded cotton trousers offering you a glass of rosé.
I will use my one daily photo to show a lovely lady I met in my journey down the Loire. She owned this tiny chateau and these remarkable birds and she expertly flirted over her own wine as we lunched in her bucolic garden. Bliss
Gorgeous! It is very hard to beat France.
It is. Its a close contest between France and Italy for the most beautiful country in the world
We are lucky to have them on our doorstep
They also have different strengths as destinations. France is much better organised and has better infra, but the Italians are much more charming and affable - a serious positive
Britain beats them both hollow on noom but I accept most people aren’t looking for intense spiritual experiences of rhapsody or human bleakness when choosing a holiday; or even a home
I have just returned from France and the way the towns, roads – oh my the roads! – are presented and maintained is quite extraordinarily better than we have here, to the point of being embarrassing. Made me think that road charging is the way forward, such is the pleasure of sticking the Audi on cruise at 130kph (and maybe a bit more) for 160km of perfect road that is seemingly fashioned from slate and crystal.
The Italians are more gregarious but the French are friendly enough, if you speak a bit of French (which I do), and are more like their Italian cousins in the south of France, while avoiding being too loud and annoying. I love both countries but I would vote for France.
That may be true but Britain is still better than Moldova. I’m in Chisinau now and frankly london knocks it into a cocked hat. London has better restaurants and cafes and is generally more interesting whatever the pro-Chisinau types always claim. Chisinau is better for historical pogroms. And ridiculous traffic jams
Should be the Tory election slogan: "Britain is still better than Moldova". Beats whatever their three-phrase thing is.
My favourite was Daisy Cooper and her gang on the boat behind Rishi Sunak. As I said yesterday we might not be going to win the election but we are having great fun not doing so and I have to say the local campaign I have been involved in has been a huge amount of fun with lots of laughs. The most enjoyable so far and I have been involved in a lot.
I am going to miss it for the next 10 days as I cycle along the banks of the Loire. 7 days cycling, 400+ km to go. I might post some pictures but I don't have a Jess the cat or a dog for scale.
The Loire is lovely. I did it upstream as far as Cosne Cours sur Loire a couple of years back. Easy to make good progress and also easy to get utterly diverted and stop off in every town along the way. Enjoy. https://cycle.travel/route/loire
Yep same here I did Cycling for Softies there some time ago. Fantastic popping into out of the way chateaux to be greeted by the owners sitting outside in their faded cotton trousers offering you a glass of rosé.
I will use my one daily photo to show a lovely lady I met in my journey down the Loire. She owned this tiny chateau and these remarkable birds and she expertly flirted over her own wine as we lunched in her bucolic garden. Bliss
Gorgeous! It is very hard to beat France.
It is. Its a close contest between France and Italy for the most beautiful country in the world
We are lucky to have them on our doorstep
They also have different strengths as destinations. France is much better organised and has better infra, but the Italians are much more charming and affable - a serious positive
Britain beats them both hollow on noom but I accept most people aren’t looking for intense spiritual experiences of rhapsody or human bleakness when choosing a holiday; or even a home
I have just returned from France and the way the towns, roads – oh my the roads! – are presented and maintained is quite extraordinarily better than we have here, to the point of being embarrassing. Made me think that road charging is the way forward, such is the pleasure of sticking the Audi on cruise at 130kph (and maybe a bit more) for 160km of perfect road that is seemingly fashioned from slate and crystal.
The Italians are more gregarious but the French are friendly enough, if you speak a bit of French (which I do), and are more like their Italian cousins in the south of France, while avoiding being too loud and annoying. I love both countries but I would vote for France.
That may be true but Britain is still better than Moldova. I’m in Chisinau now and frankly london knocks it into a cocked hat. London has better restaurants and cafes and is generally more interesting whatever the pro-Chisinau types always claim. Chisinau is better for historical pogroms. And ridiculous traffic jams
Should be the Tory election slogan: "Britain is still better than Moldova". Beats whatever their three-phrase thing is.
Moldova is catching up tho
“Britain under the Tories: not overtaken by Moldova, yet”
Listening to Farage this morning on R4 Today, I noticed one tiny thing. He didn't want to dwell at all on the fact that his policy of Zero Net Migration = 500,000+ new arrivals every year (matching the departures). That's 5 million per decade. He minimally acknowledged and moved away immediately.
For the right there are two big issues about inward migration; the numbers causing housing/services problems, and secondly the 'cultural' issues.
Net Zero migration may address the Reform voter's problem with the first, but not the second. Has anyone noticed this? I don't think Farage wants it mentioned. Which of course means no-one in the political domain does.
I mean, it's also because nobody wants to make the argument for solving the first crisis without worrying about immigration - investment. We could invest in better infrastructure, more schools, doctors, houses etc. and still have immigration.
Farage is happy to push on those issues because that is what has been gifted to him by the neoliberal turn. People seem to forget that Corbyn's policies were still quite popular with a large portion of the population - he was just so unpopular that negative polarisation held together a coalition for the Tories. When Johnson said he'd turn on the spending spigot with Levelling Up, the Tories won in Labour heartlands. As long as the state keeps arguing it has no resources to care for average people, people will grow resentful.
Someone like Farage will aim that resentment towards the foreigner, people like Leon towards "wokeness". I would argue the left (correctly) turns that ire on capitalists - as they are the dragons of fable sitting on their hordes of wealth. The immigrant doing what humans have always done, move around the world when they need to, is not in a position of power to affect the poor state of our country. The "woke" who are just asking for historic injustice to be recognised, acknowledged and no longer perpetuated don't hold the levers of power. Those who do have power and influence in our politic are those who are wealthy, who own companies, who demand less regulation etc. etc. They are the ones who have been catered to in the last 30-40 years, and that is the reason for our decline. And no one who benefits from that system is going to stand up and point that out. So Farage is a useful tool - because when he points at shadows and calls them phantoms people don't look at the real causes of the problem.
The 100,000+ white underage English girls raped by racist Muslim grooming gangs might have a claim they were *a tiny bit affected* by migration
The idea that there are 100s of thousands of young girls victimised by immigrants is another right wing fantasy -
We know who is actually the most likely perpetrator of sexual assault - someone within the close family or a family friend of the victim, followed by someone with a position of authority in their community (a priest, a teacher, etc.). Again - this is a projection of the right who look at patriarchal family structure as something that must be protected and, unwilling to accept that that structure leads to more sexual assault, says it must be the foreigner, the outsider, the Other who is really to blame. Is that to say there are literally 0 cases of immigrants committing sexual assault or rape? Of course not. But the idea that it is endemic, or even common, is preposterous. It's the same old "got to keep our white women safe" rhetoric of days gone by.
And even if it were true - this would still be an infrastructure problem because the justice system is part of the social infrastructure that has been destroyed by austerity. Do the police take sexual assault or rape seriously? No.
And then when it comes to getting a court date and a trial, of course, the massive backlog of serious crimes is largely due to massive underfunding by central government
Now the likes of you may want to save money by doing away with "lefty lawyers" and "fair trials" and just flog and hang anyone who looks shifty - I personally think it matters to have things like evidence and proof and due process. And those things take resources.
Yes, it's another step in the process of civilisation. Once upon a time animal torture was regarded as acceptable, but nowadays people aren't so keen. Long may the trend continue.
Except for deer.
Yeah - I'm a veggie but we do need to cull wild deer in this country. Personally I'd like to see this happen by bringing back predator species, because wolves and bears are cool, but failing that letting people eat deer is reasonable.
I seem to remember reading here that venison is in fact vegan. Or was it woke? I'm not sure now.
My favourite was Daisy Cooper and her gang on the boat behind Rishi Sunak. As I said yesterday we might not be going to win the election but we are having great fun not doing so and I have to say the local campaign I have been involved in has been a huge amount of fun with lots of laughs. The most enjoyable so far and I have been involved in a lot.
I am going to miss it for the next 10 days as I cycle along the banks of the Loire. 7 days cycling, 400+ km to go. I might post some pictures but I don't have a Jess the cat or a dog for scale.
The Loire is lovely. I did it upstream as far as Cosne Cours sur Loire a couple of years back. Easy to make good progress and also easy to get utterly diverted and stop off in every town along the way. Enjoy. https://cycle.travel/route/loire
Yep same here I did Cycling for Softies there some time ago. Fantastic popping into out of the way chateaux to be greeted by the owners sitting outside in their faded cotton trousers offering you a glass of rosé.
I will use my one daily photo to show a lovely lady I met in my journey down the Loire. She owned this tiny chateau and these remarkable birds and she expertly flirted over her own wine as we lunched in her bucolic garden. Bliss
Gorgeous! It is very hard to beat France.
It is. Its a close contest between France and Italy for the most beautiful country in the world
We are lucky to have them on our doorstep
They also have different strengths as destinations. France is much better organised and has better infra, but the Italians are much more charming and affable - a serious positive
Britain beats them both hollow on noom but I accept most people aren’t looking for intense spiritual experiences of rhapsody or human bleakness when choosing a holiday; or even a home
I must be immune to the charms of France. I don't think I've ever been in France and not thought 'nice enough, but on balance I'd rather be in the British equivalent' (unless I am attempting to snowboard).
I think it is the gwlad of it. I was in Malham last week. Utterly wonderful. And I was reflecting that France has limestone scenery at least as spectacular - but it would be MY limestone scenery. The drystone walls would not be there; the architecture would be different; the light would be wrong; the birdsong would be subtly different; the cheery little pubs would be cheery little French cafes. And I appreciate that there are millions of Frenchmen who feel just as strongly about their land as I feel about mine - but there is something which stirs the soul about the land which is your own.
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
This is not news. Have you checked out the opinion polls recently.
Agreed this is not news. But there are still really important questions. The first is: What are the range of reasons for long time Tory voters (I am one of millions) wanting them to lose and lose badly? So, for example, is it mostly 'moral' - they are a shower of corrupt lying chancers; is it mostly they are not populist right wing enough (ECHR, boats, foreigners); is it mostly they are too right wing; is it mostly about competence....and so on.
I suspect they have lost in every direction and more. We shall find out much more about the motive once Labour have a go at the same exam questions and see the reactions of the ex-Tories.
The thing most political parties struggle to understand is that most voters aren’t attached to parties - they vote for policy platforms. The majority have zero emotional attachment to parties in the way members and activists do. Even more so for the Tories than Labour, where there is at least the union link.
Policy platforms is a bit generous, its more about vague perceptions apart from "Get Brexit done" and "levelling up" (both of whuch are debateable) I am not sure there was much at all voters could tell you about the Tory platform of 2019
Listening to Farage this morning on R4 Today, I noticed one tiny thing. He didn't want to dwell at all on the fact that his policy of Zero Net Migration = 500,000+ new arrivals every year (matching the departures). That's 5 million per decade. He minimally acknowledged and moved away immediately.
For the right there are two big issues about inward migration; the numbers causing housing/services problems, and secondly the 'cultural' issues.
Net Zero migration may address the Reform voter's problem with the first, but not the second. Has anyone noticed this? I don't think Farage wants it mentioned. Which of course means no-one in the political domain does.
I mean, it's also because nobody wants to make the argument for solving the first crisis without worrying about immigration - investment. We could invest in better infrastructure, more schools, doctors, houses etc. and still have immigration.
Farage is happy to push on those issues because that is what has been gifted to him by the neoliberal turn. People seem to forget that Corbyn's policies were still quite popular with a large portion of the population - he was just so unpopular that negative polarisation held together a coalition for the Tories. When Johnson said he'd turn on the spending spigot with Levelling Up, the Tories won in Labour heartlands. As long as the state keeps arguing it has no resources to care for average people, people will grow resentful.
Someone like Farage will aim that resentment towards the foreigner, people like Leon towards "wokeness". I would argue the left (correctly) turns that ire on capitalists - as they are the dragons of fable sitting on their hordes of wealth. The immigrant doing what humans have always done, move around the world when they need to, is not in a position of power to affect the poor state of our country. The "woke" who are just asking for historic injustice to be recognised, acknowledged and no longer perpetuated don't hold the levers of power. Those who do have power and influence in our politic are those who are wealthy, who own companies, who demand less regulation etc. etc. They are the ones who have been catered to in the last 30-40 years, and that is the reason for our decline. And no one who benefits from that system is going to stand up and point that out. So Farage is a useful tool - because when he points at shadows and calls them phantoms people don't look at the real causes of the problem.
The 100,000+ white underage English girls raped by racist Muslim grooming gangs might have a claim they were *a tiny bit affected* by migration
Flagged. Why? Because it’s not true? No, it’s true
So I presume it is flagged because it’s true but people can’t cope with it
It's literally not true - a citation would be welcome for us to at least inspect - but I know it is untrue.
I turn sixty today and start to get my hands on the goodies the two main parties shower the older voters with.
Starting with free prescriptions apparently!
Meh, prescriptions are already free in some parts of the country
Happy birthday!
I'm not sure of the full stats but I think 90% of prescriptions are free in England too. When you consider that by far and away the most prescriptions are for the elderly with many on at least six medications daily, and then add in diabetic patients, pregnant women and those who have given birth in the last year and so on, its not a surprise.
...and children.
One wonders why they bother with the admin and paperwork. Slashed in Scotland, with ensuing savings on that side of the equation.
A friend of ours lives in England. She's middle-aged with several conditions but has to pay for prescriptions for them all. Not easy as she is not rich.
She should go down the prepayment route (see post above). I'm surprised her pharmacy haven't already pushed her to do this - they do with me (although I am borderline).
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
This is not news. Have you checked out the opinion polls recently.
Agreed this is not news. But there are still really important questions. The first is: What are the range of reasons for long time Tory voters (like me) wanting them to lose and lose badly? So, for example, is it mostly 'moral' - they are a shower of corrupt lying chancers; is it mostly they are not populist right wing enough (ECHR, boats, foreigners); is it mostly they are too right wing; is it mostly about competence....and so on.
I suspect they have lost in every direction and more. We shall find out much more about the motive once Labour have a go at the same exam questions and see the reactions of the ex-Tories.
Small c conservatives want things to be predictable and safe. They do not like chaos and uncertainty. Truss' mini budget broke the ability for the Tories to project predictability and safety to people - mortgage rates rose, pensioners started to get worried, and inflation spiked. Once spooked, they ran to the next party promising "nothing will change in a scary way, we'll make everything safe again" and they now look at the Tories as a dog that bit them. They want the Tories to lose badly because if they don't they fear they could do the scary thing again.
The bit of this that is true is a universal. Almost no-one likes chaos and uncertainty about things over which they have no personal autonomy. Those who think they do mostly like it from a personal position of safety.
FWIW it seems to me, in an eight year saga, major steps in the Tory story are: Cameron's resignation, no preparation or plan for Brexit, the social care disaster in the 2017 election, Brexit deal obviously a cobbled together fudge, Cummings and Boris morally unravelling, Truss, continuing competence issues, Sunak no good at politics. Apart from that they are fine.
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
This is not news. Have you checked out the opinion polls recently.
Agreed this is not news. But there are still really important questions. The first is: What are the range of reasons for long time Tory voters (I am one of millions) wanting them to lose and lose badly? So, for example, is it mostly 'moral' - they are a shower of corrupt lying chancers; is it mostly they are not populist right wing enough (ECHR, boats, foreigners); is it mostly they are too right wing; is it mostly about competence....and so on.
I suspect they have lost in every direction and more. We shall find out much more about the motive once Labour have a go at the same exam questions and see the reactions of the ex-Tories.
The thing most political parties struggle to understand is that most voters aren’t attached to parties - they vote for policy platforms. The majority have zero emotional attachment to parties in the way members and activists do. Even more so for the Tories than Labour, where there is at least the union link.
Policy platforms is a bit generous, its more about vague perceptions apart from "Get Brexit done" and "levelling up" (both of whuch are debateable) I am not sure there was much at all voters could tell you about the Tory platform of 2019
Yes, that’s fair. Most of them went with “I like Boris, he’s fun and will make all this politics go away” I think.
My favourite was Daisy Cooper and her gang on the boat behind Rishi Sunak. As I said yesterday we might not be going to win the election but we are having great fun not doing so and I have to say the local campaign I have been involved in has been a huge amount of fun with lots of laughs. The most enjoyable so far and I have been involved in a lot.
I am going to miss it for the next 10 days as I cycle along the banks of the Loire. 7 days cycling, 400+ km to go. I might post some pictures but I don't have a Jess the cat or a dog for scale.
The Loire is lovely. I did it upstream as far as Cosne Cours sur Loire a couple of years back. Easy to make good progress and also easy to get utterly diverted and stop off in every town along the way. Enjoy. https://cycle.travel/route/loire
Yep same here I did Cycling for Softies there some time ago. Fantastic popping into out of the way chateaux to be greeted by the owners sitting outside in their faded cotton trousers offering you a glass of rosé.
I will use my one daily photo to show a lovely lady I met in my journey down the Loire. She owned this tiny chateau and these remarkable birds and she expertly flirted over her own wine as we lunched in her bucolic garden. Bliss
Gorgeous! It is very hard to beat France.
It is. Its a close contest between France and Italy for the most beautiful country in the world
We are lucky to have them on our doorstep
They also have different strengths as destinations. France is much better organised and has better infra, but the Italians are much more charming and affable - a serious positive
Britain beats them both hollow on noom but I accept most people aren’t looking for intense spiritual experiences of rhapsody or human bleakness when choosing a holiday; or even a home
I must be immune to the charms of France. I don't think I've ever been in France and not thought 'nice enough, but on balance I'd rather be in the British equivalent' (unless I am attempting to snowboard).
I think it is the gwlad of it. I was in Malham last week. Utterly wonderful. And I was reflecting that France has limestone scenery at least as spectacular - but it would be MY limestone scenery. The drystone walls would not be there; the architecture would be different; the light would be wrong; the birdsong would be subtly different; the cheery little pubs would be cheery little French cafes. And I appreciate that there are millions of Frenchmen who feel just as strongly about their land as I feel about mine - but there is something which stirs the soul about the land which is your own.
My favourite was Daisy Cooper and her gang on the boat behind Rishi Sunak. As I said yesterday we might not be going to win the election but we are having great fun not doing so and I have to say the local campaign I have been involved in has been a huge amount of fun with lots of laughs. The most enjoyable so far and I have been involved in a lot.
I am going to miss it for the next 10 days as I cycle along the banks of the Loire. 7 days cycling, 400+ km to go. I might post some pictures but I don't have a Jess the cat or a dog for scale.
The Loire is lovely. I did it upstream as far as Cosne Cours sur Loire a couple of years back. Easy to make good progress and also easy to get utterly diverted and stop off in every town along the way. Enjoy. https://cycle.travel/route/loire
Yep same here I did Cycling for Softies there some time ago. Fantastic popping into out of the way chateaux to be greeted by the owners sitting outside in their faded cotton trousers offering you a glass of rosé.
I will use my one daily photo to show a lovely lady I met in my journey down the Loire. She owned this tiny chateau and these remarkable birds and she expertly flirted over her own wine as we lunched in her bucolic garden. Bliss
Gorgeous! It is very hard to beat France.
It is. Its a close contest between France and Italy for the most beautiful country in the world
We are lucky to have them on our doorstep
They also have different strengths as destinations. France is much better organised and has better infra, but the Italians are much more charming and affable - a serious positive
Britain beats them both hollow on noom but I accept most people aren’t looking for intense spiritual experiences of rhapsody or human bleakness when choosing a holiday; or even a home
I have just returned from France and the way the towns, roads – oh my the roads! – are presented and maintained is quite extraordinarily better than we have here, to the point of being embarrassing. Made me think that road charging is the way forward, such is the pleasure of sticking the Audi on cruise at 130kph (and maybe a bit more) for 160km of perfect road that is seemingly fashioned from slate and crystal.
The Italians are more gregarious but the French are friendly enough, if you speak a bit of French (which I do), and are more like their Italian cousins in the south of France, while avoiding being too loud and annoying. I love both countries but I would vote for France.
That may be true but Britain is still better than Moldova. I’m in Chisinau now and frankly london knocks it into a cocked hat. London has better restaurants and cafes and is generally more interesting whatever the pro-Chisinau types always claim. Chisinau is better for historical pogroms. And ridiculous traffic jams
A relief to hear. I have taken representations to abandon north London for a "new life" in Cricova, a satellite town that is on the trunk road to Chisinau. So far I have resisted the urge, although it has been hard to do so, at times.
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
This is not news. Have you checked out the opinion polls recently.
Agreed this is not news. But there are still really important questions. The first is: What are the range of reasons for long time Tory voters (like me) wanting them to lose and lose badly? So, for example, is it mostly 'moral' - they are a shower of corrupt lying chancers; is it mostly they are not populist right wing enough (ECHR, boats, foreigners); is it mostly they are too right wing; is it mostly about competence....and so on.
I suspect they have lost in every direction and more. We shall find out much more about the motive once Labour have a go at the same exam questions and see the reactions of the ex-Tories.
Small c conservatives want things to be predictable and safe. They do not like chaos and uncertainty. Truss' mini budget broke the ability for the Tories to project predictability and safety to people - mortgage rates rose, pensioners started to get worried, and inflation spiked. Once spooked, they ran to the next party promising "nothing will change in a scary way, we'll make everything safe again" and they now look at the Tories as a dog that bit them. They want the Tories to lose badly because if they don't they fear they could do the scary thing again.
The bit of this that is true is a universal. Almost no-one likes chaos and uncertainty about things over which they have no personal autonomy. Those who think they do mostly like it from a personal position of safety.
FWIW it seems to me, in an eight year saga, major steps in the Tory story are: Cameron's resignation, no preparation or plan for Brexit, the social care disaster in the 2017 election, Brexit deal obviously a cobbled together fudge, Cummings and Boris morally unravelling, Truss, continuing competence issues, Sunak no good at politics. Apart from that they are fine.
In a parallel universe Covid never happened, Boris survived Pincher, Cummings went but was replaced with an ok team, and Boris is about to limp home to a second term, during which the Tories will become hated and get to where they are for us. I think Covid just pressed the “fast forward” button.
Everyone in Britain should just emigrate. Seriously. Whole place is a shithole now and the only tolerable bits are certain nice parts of london and the inner Hebrides
Just get out. It’s ruined. The lefties ruined it
Join me on my endless travels around the world. There is a lot of world out here and it’s fun!
Narrator: In 45 years, since 1979, the Tories have been in government for 32 years.
Britain today is a country made by right-wing politics. It's your failure. Own it. Have a think about where you went wrong.
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
There was an interesting Newsnight last night with a young Tory MP. Diana Davidson (sp?) and a similarly aged SNP MP Mairi Black (sp?). DD made the same points you're making. She said one of her friends that morning had said she'd never vote Tory again because she was so disgusted by Kemi Badenoch and her trans and culture wars. It's now a Party for old people.
She said she joined the party because they'd changed and now they were worse than ever.
I turn sixty today and start to get my hands on the goodies the two main parties shower the older voters with.
Starting with free prescriptions apparently!
Meh, prescriptions are already free in some parts of the country
Happy birthday!
I'm not sure of the full stats but I think 90% of prescriptions are free in England too. When you consider that by far and away the most prescriptions are for the elderly with many on at least six medications daily, and then add in diabetic patients, pregnant women and those who have given birth in the last year and so on, its not a surprise.
...and children.
One wonders why they bother with the admin and paperwork. Slashed in Scotland, with ensuing savings on that side of the equation.
A friend of ours lives in England. She's middle-aged with several conditions but has to pay for prescriptions for them all. Not easy as she is not rich.
She should go down the prepayment route (see post above). I'm surprised her pharmacy haven't already pushed her to do this - they do with me (although I am borderline).
Indeed, as others have said, though it was not well known early on which is when I was told of the issue.
That’s what happens in sw France . I have tried the pate , and delicious it is with a sweet wine , lots of crusty bread and a nice onion chutney .
It’s quite rich and I wouldn’t lose any sleep if I didn’t have it again but if you eat meat I don’t think you can moralize too much about people eating it.
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
This is not news. Have you checked out the opinion polls recently.
Agreed this is not news. But there are still really important questions. The first is: What are the range of reasons for long time Tory voters (like me) wanting them to lose and lose badly? So, for example, is it mostly 'moral' - they are a shower of corrupt lying chancers; is it mostly they are not populist right wing enough (ECHR, boats, foreigners); is it mostly they are too right wing; is it mostly about competence....and so on.
I suspect they have lost in every direction and more. We shall find out much more about the motive once Labour have a go at the same exam questions and see the reactions of the ex-Tories.
Small c conservatives want things to be predictable and safe. They do not like chaos and uncertainty. Truss' mini budget broke the ability for the Tories to project predictability and safety to people - mortgage rates rose, pensioners started to get worried, and inflation spiked. Once spooked, they ran to the next party promising "nothing will change in a scary way, we'll make everything safe again" and they now look at the Tories as a dog that bit them. They want the Tories to lose badly because if they don't they fear they could do the scary thing again.
The bit of this that is true is a universal. Almost no-one likes chaos and uncertainty about things over which they have no personal autonomy. Those who think they do mostly like it from a personal position of safety.
FWIW it seems to me, in an eight year saga, major steps in the Tory story are: Cameron's resignation, no preparation or plan for Brexit, the social care disaster in the 2017 election, Brexit deal obviously a cobbled together fudge, Cummings and Boris morally unravelling, Truss, continuing competence issues, Sunak no good at politics. Apart from that they are fine.
I would personally argue that Johnson would have survived his moral unravelling if he also didn't have to contend with the fact his MPs didn't like him using government powers and money to do things. The Tories were sceptical of covid measures, they were sceptical of levelling up and, towards the end, whilst many MPs willingly openly spoke about his moral failures protecting an alleged sexual abuser and for Partygate, the underlying reason was that they thought he was being too "left wing" with the spending. Hence Truss (who was too far the opposite direction) and Sunak (the loyal treasury suit) being the favourites to take over after him.
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
Congratulations on posting yet another anecdote of someone taking to you about politics, posted on an anonymous forum. Who are all these people you meet up with talk about politics? I just had coffee with two colleagues for 45 minutes. We talked about my extension roof, Bath rugby and the new ground, the A303, pubs I used to work in, Nigel Owens... The election and politics didn't come up.
Real world people are excited about Love Island, Britains Got (no) Talent, their summer holidaysbobs...
Yes, it's another step in the process of civilisation. Once upon a time animal torture was regarded as acceptable, but nowadays people aren't so keen. Long may the trend continue.
Except for deer.
Yeah - I'm a veggie but we do need to cull wild deer in this country. Personally I'd like to see this happen by bringing back predator species, because wolves and bears are cool, but failing that letting people eat deer is reasonable.
Moggies first. The medium-sized cat predators are much less scary and threatening than wolves and bears.
On Chump, he may be headed for charges in Michigan. There exists video of Republican Impostor Electors trying to enter the counting house in 2020 to manipulate the Election.
Police Lieutenant: 'They are already here and checked in.'
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
There was an interesting Newsnight last night with a young Tory MP. Diana Davidson (sp?) and a similarly aged SNP MP Mairi Black (sp?). DD made the same points you're making. She said one of her friends that morning had said she'd never vote Tory again because she was so disgusted by Kemi Badenoch and her trans and culture wars. It's now a Party for old people.
She said she joined the party because they'd changed and now they were worse than ever.
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
I do not know anyone who has any real interest in it. No one discusses it, no one volunteers any views on the election.
I suspect the audience for tonights leaders debate will not be especially large.
My family is quite political and we discuss politics on the fam WhatsApp group
@Heathener is right. The Tories are viscerally hated. My family tends right (but not universally so) and generally votes Tory. Don’t think any of them will vote Tory this time. Expect Cornwall to switch
Are they, in the country as a whole. Really ?
Not seeing it.
I think people will dump them, rightly so, and we will get a labour govt. I sense a weariness with them but I see no hatred and I see no hatred for politicians in general apart from deranged accounts on social media both right and left.
Look outside your bubble. As you say your family are quite political. Mine aren't. Neither are my friends or co-workers. Topic of conversation in the office today. England Soccer match in the toon last night, Love Island and plans for the weekend.
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
This is not news. Have you checked out the opinion polls recently.
Agreed this is not news. But there are still really important questions. The first is: What are the range of reasons for long time Tory voters (like me) wanting them to lose and lose badly? So, for example, is it mostly 'moral' - they are a shower of corrupt lying chancers; is it mostly they are not populist right wing enough (ECHR, boats, foreigners); is it mostly they are too right wing; is it mostly about competence....and so on.
I suspect they have lost in every direction and more. We shall find out much more about the motive once Labour have a go at the same exam questions and see the reactions of the ex-Tories.
Small c conservatives want things to be predictable and safe. They do not like chaos and uncertainty. Truss' mini budget broke the ability for the Tories to project predictability and safety to people - mortgage rates rose, pensioners started to get worried, and inflation spiked. Once spooked, they ran to the next party promising "nothing will change in a scary way, we'll make everything safe again" and they now look at the Tories as a dog that bit them. They want the Tories to lose badly because if they don't they fear they could do the scary thing again.
The bit of this that is true is a universal. Almost no-one likes chaos and uncertainty about things over which they have no personal autonomy. Those who think they do mostly like it from a personal position of safety.
FWIW it seems to me, in an eight year saga, major steps in the Tory story are: Cameron's resignation, no preparation or plan for Brexit, the social care disaster in the 2017 election, Brexit deal obviously a cobbled together fudge, Cummings and Boris morally unravelling, Truss, continuing competence issues, Sunak no good at politics. Apart from that they are fine.
In a parallel universe Covid never happened, Boris survived Pincher, Cummings went but was replaced with an ok team, and Boris is about to limp home to a second term, during which the Tories will become hated and get to where they are for us. I think Covid just pressed the “fast forward” button.
The surprise is that Boris, having achieved his PM ambition was then incapable of the elementary moral and personal steps required to keep it. This just required very ordinary levels of self control and practising the ethical standards required in public life. It allowed him all the charisma he had and the distortion normal to all party politics - quite enough scope. Patersongate, Partygate, Pinchergate, defending Cummings once he proved useless, were all matters to be avoided completely routinely.
He would still be PM with a chance of carrying on.
That’s what happens in sw France . I have tried the pate , and delicious it is with a sweet wine , lots of crusty bread and a nice onion chutney .
It’s quite rich and I wouldn’t lose any sleep if I didn’t have it again but if you eat meat I don’t think you can moralize too much about people eating it.
Bar Boulud at the Madarin Oriental used to do a burger with a layer of foie gras within. It was exceptional.
I dislike animal cruelty and usually buy higher welfare products, but on foie gras I am a massive hypocrite because it’s so damn tasty.
I’ve taken down the photo of the canvasser that knock on my door on Sunday. I realise that in my anger I made the wrong decision, even though you couldn’t see their face. This person does know me, so I don’t believe it was accidental but part of efforts to harass and hurt me.
Faiza Shaheen has been replaced as Labour candidate against IDS by Shama Tatler, formerly of Watford. https://x.com/ShamaTatler
Somewhat defuses the left's allegation that minority ethnic women are being victimised, given Tatler's (apparent) ethnic origin.
A woman of colour, but apparently not one with the 'correct' opinions. Much of the backlash and graffiti has come AFTER Shama Tatler was known to be the new candidate.
Yes, it's another step in the process of civilisation. Once upon a time animal torture was regarded as acceptable, but nowadays people aren't so keen. Long may the trend continue.
Except for deer.
Yeah - I'm a veggie but we do need to cull wild deer in this country. Personally I'd like to see this happen by bringing back predator species, because wolves and bears are cool, but failing that letting people eat deer is reasonable.
Moggies first. The medium-sized cat predators are much less scary and threatening than wolves and bears.
Yes, it's another step in the process of civilisation. Once upon a time animal torture was regarded as acceptable, but nowadays people aren't so keen. Long may the trend continue.
Except for deer.
Yeah - I'm a veggie but we do need to cull wild deer in this country. Personally I'd like to see this happen by bringing back predator species, because wolves and bears are cool, but failing that letting people eat deer is reasonable.
Moggies first. The medium-sized cat predators are much less scary and threatening than wolves and bears.
But I don't think they would predate on the deer enough. We need big predators that would not only cull numbers but change deer behaviour and make them more worried around open spaces and watering holes and such. The issue of deer is not just their numbers, but their grazing habits and the erosion they cause by not really acting in ways they would of when they did have predators. Their numbers alongside this behaviour change is what makes the impact so much worse.
My favourite was Daisy Cooper and her gang on the boat behind Rishi Sunak. As I said yesterday we might not be going to win the election but we are having great fun not doing so and I have to say the local campaign I have been involved in has been a huge amount of fun with lots of laughs. The most enjoyable so far and I have been involved in a lot.
I am going to miss it for the next 10 days as I cycle along the banks of the Loire. 7 days cycling, 400+ km to go. I might post some pictures but I don't have a Jess the cat or a dog for scale.
The Loire is lovely. I did it upstream as far as Cosne Cours sur Loire a couple of years back. Easy to make good progress and also easy to get utterly diverted and stop off in every town along the way. Enjoy. https://cycle.travel/route/loire
Yep same here I did Cycling for Softies there some time ago. Fantastic popping into out of the way chateaux to be greeted by the owners sitting outside in their faded cotton trousers offering you a glass of rosé.
I will use my one daily photo to show a lovely lady I met in my journey down the Loire. She owned this tiny chateau and these remarkable birds and she expertly flirted over her own wine as we lunched in her bucolic garden. Bliss
Gorgeous! It is very hard to beat France.
It is. Its a close contest between France and Italy for the most beautiful country in the world
We are lucky to have them on our doorstep
They also have different strengths as destinations. France is much better organised and has better infra, but the Italians are much more charming and affable - a serious positive
Britain beats them both hollow on noom but I accept most people aren’t looking for intense spiritual experiences of rhapsody or human bleakness when choosing a holiday; or even a home
I must be immune to the charms of France. I don't think I've ever been in France and not thought 'nice enough, but on balance I'd rather be in the British equivalent' (unless I am attempting to snowboard).
I think it is the gwlad of it. I was in Malham last week. Utterly wonderful. And I was reflecting that France has limestone scenery at least as spectacular - but it would be MY limestone scenery. The drystone walls would not be there; the architecture would be different; the light would be wrong; the birdsong would be subtly different; the cheery little pubs would be cheery little French cafes. And I appreciate that there are millions of Frenchmen who feel just as strongly about their land as I feel about mine - but there is something which stirs the soul about the land which is your own.
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
I do not know anyone who has any real interest in it. No one discusses it, no one volunteers any views on the election.
I suspect the audience for tonights leaders debate will not be especially large.
My family is quite political and we discuss politics on the fam WhatsApp group
@Heathener is right. The Tories are viscerally hated. My family tends right (but not universally so) and generally votes Tory. Don’t think any of them will vote Tory this time. Expect Cornwall to switch
Are they, in the country as a whole. Really ?
Not seeing it.
I think people will dump them, rightly so, and we will get a labour govt. I sense a weariness with them but I see no hatred and I see no hatred for politicians in general apart from deranged accounts on social media both right and left.
Look outside your bubble. As you say your family are quite political. Mine aren't. Neither are my friends or co-workers. Topic of conversation in the office today. England Soccer match in the toon last night, Love Island and plans for the weekend.
I just see a great deal of indifference.
It's a bit like the bubble media's idea that the nation has been weeping with joy since Farage returned yesterday surrounded by the Angels. Everyone was waiting on Nigel.
My favourite was Daisy Cooper and her gang on the boat behind Rishi Sunak. As I said yesterday we might not be going to win the election but we are having great fun not doing so and I have to say the local campaign I have been involved in has been a huge amount of fun with lots of laughs. The most enjoyable so far and I have been involved in a lot.
I am going to miss it for the next 10 days as I cycle along the banks of the Loire. 7 days cycling, 400+ km to go. I might post some pictures but I don't have a Jess the cat or a dog for scale.
The Loire is lovely. I did it upstream as far as Cosne Cours sur Loire a couple of years back. Easy to make good progress and also easy to get utterly diverted and stop off in every town along the way. Enjoy. https://cycle.travel/route/loire
Yep same here I did Cycling for Softies there some time ago. Fantastic popping into out of the way chateaux to be greeted by the owners sitting outside in their faded cotton trousers offering you a glass of rosé.
I will use my one daily photo to show a lovely lady I met in my journey down the Loire. She owned this tiny chateau and these remarkable birds and she expertly flirted over her own wine as we lunched in her bucolic garden. Bliss
Gorgeous! It is very hard to beat France.
It is. Its a close contest between France and Italy for the most beautiful country in the world
We are lucky to have them on our doorstep
They also have different strengths as destinations. France is much better organised and has better infra, but the Italians are much more charming and affable - a serious positive
Britain beats them both hollow on noom but I accept most people aren’t looking for intense spiritual experiences of rhapsody or human bleakness when choosing a holiday; or even a home
I have just returned from France and the way the towns, roads – oh my the roads! – are presented and maintained is quite extraordinarily better than we have here, to the point of being embarrassing. Made me think that road charging is the way forward, such is the pleasure of sticking the Audi on cruise at 130kph (and maybe a bit more) for 160km of perfect road that is seemingly fashioned from slate and crystal.
The Italians are more gregarious but the French are friendly enough, if you speak a bit of French (which I do), and are more like their Italian cousins in the south of France, while avoiding being too loud and annoying. I love both countries but I would vote for France.
That may be true but Britain is still better than Moldova. I’m in Chisinau now and frankly london knocks it into a cocked hat. London has better restaurants and cafes and is generally more interesting whatever the pro-Chisinau types always claim. Chisinau is better for historical pogroms. And ridiculous traffic jams
Lincoln is pretty good on the last two counts, to be fair.
Everyone in Britain should just emigrate. Seriously. Whole place is a shithole now and the only tolerable bits are certain nice parts of london and the inner Hebrides
Just get out. It’s ruined. The lefties ruined it
Join me on my endless travels around the world. There is a lot of world out here and it’s fun!
Narrator: In 45 years, since 1979, the Tories have been in government for 32 years.
Britain today is a country made by right-wing politics. It's your failure. Own it. Have a think about where you went wrong.
Truth is, Leon doesn't really want to live anywhere. Though I can sort of see the appeal of an endless jolly.
I turn sixty today and start to get my hands on the goodies the two main parties shower the older voters with.
Starting with free prescriptions apparently!
Meh, prescriptions are already free in some parts of the country
Happy birthday!
I'm not sure of the full stats but I think 90% of prescriptions are free in England too. When you consider that by far and away the most prescriptions are for the elderly with many on at least six medications daily, and then add in diabetic patients, pregnant women and those who have given birth in the last year and so on, its not a surprise.
...and children.
One wonders why they bother with the admin and paperwork. Slashed in Scotland, with ensuing savings on that side of the equation.
A friend of ours lives in England. She's middle-aged with several conditions but has to pay for prescriptions for them all. Not easy as she is not rich.
She should go down the prepayment route (see post above). I'm surprised her pharmacy haven't already pushed her to do this - they do with me (although I am borderline).
Prescription costs in England are capped at £32 per quarter or £115 per annum by the season ticket. It breaks even at 3 items per quarter. That is not free, but nor is it that substantial for most people.
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
I do not know anyone who has any real interest in it. No one discusses it, no one volunteers any views on the election.
I suspect the audience for tonights leaders debate will not be especially large.
My family is quite political and we discuss politics on the fam WhatsApp group
@Heathener is right. The Tories are viscerally hated. My family tends right (but not universally so) and generally votes Tory. Don’t think any of them will vote Tory this time. Expect Cornwall to switch
Are they, in the country as a whole. Really ?
Not seeing it.
I think people will dump them, rightly so, and we will get a labour govt. I sense a weariness with them but I see no hatred and I see no hatred for politicians in general apart from deranged accounts on social media both right and left.
Look outside your bubble. As you say your family are quite political. Mine aren't. Neither are my friends or co-workers. Topic of conversation in the office today. England Soccer match in the toon last night, Love Island and plans for the weekend.
I just see a great deal of indifference.
Its both. Half the country is indifferent. Of the half that cares, a third will always hate the Tories, a third probably never will and the remaining third hates them at the moment but don't always. So it is about 10-20% who feel strongly and differently this time around - enough to be decisive but far from universal.
Everyone in Britain should just emigrate. Seriously. Whole place is a shithole now and the only tolerable bits are certain nice parts of london and the inner Hebrides
Just get out. It’s ruined. The lefties ruined it
Join me on my endless travels around the world. There is a lot of world out here and it’s fun!
Aberdeenshire. Mild and dry climate with plenty of sunshine (genuinely, ask the Met Office). Fresh air, mountains, cliffs, castles, whisky, long sandy beaches. Farming, fishing, energy, tourism. My own village has a fantastic community spirit, food, shops, events - and easy access to Aberdeen city and the airport.
Despite being there for 15 years I never felt like Teesside was home - it was just where I lived. Aberdeenshire is home. Genuinely love the place.
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
This is not news. Have you checked out the opinion polls recently.
Agreed this is not news. But there are still really important questions. The first is: What are the range of reasons for long time Tory voters (like me) wanting them to lose and lose badly? So, for example, is it mostly 'moral' - they are a shower of corrupt lying chancers; is it mostly they are not populist right wing enough (ECHR, boats, foreigners); is it mostly they are too right wing; is it mostly about competence....and so on.
I suspect they have lost in every direction and more. We shall find out much more about the motive once Labour have a go at the same exam questions and see the reactions of the ex-Tories.
Small c conservatives want things to be predictable and safe. They do not like chaos and uncertainty. Truss' mini budget broke the ability for the Tories to project predictability and safety to people - mortgage rates rose, pensioners started to get worried, and inflation spiked. Once spooked, they ran to the next party promising "nothing will change in a scary way, we'll make everything safe again" and they now look at the Tories as a dog that bit them. They want the Tories to lose badly because if they don't they fear they could do the scary thing again.
The bit of this that is true is a universal. Almost no-one likes chaos and uncertainty about things over which they have no personal autonomy. Those who think they do mostly like it from a personal position of safety.
FWIW it seems to me, in an eight year saga, major steps in the Tory story are: Cameron's resignation, no preparation or plan for Brexit, the social care disaster in the 2017 election, Brexit deal obviously a cobbled together fudge, Cummings and Boris morally unravelling, Truss, continuing competence issues, Sunak no good at politics. Apart from that they are fine.
In a parallel universe Covid never happened, Boris survived Pincher, Cummings went but was replaced with an ok team, and Boris is about to limp home to a second term, during which the Tories will become hated and get to where they are for us. I think Covid just pressed the “fast forward” button.
The surprise is that Boris, having achieved his PM ambition was then incapable of the elementary moral and personal steps required to keep it. This just required very ordinary levels of self control and practising the ethical standards required in public life. It allowed him all the charisma he had and the distortion normal to all party politics - quite enough scope. Patersongate, Partygate, Pinchergate, defending Cummings once he proved useless, were all matters to be avoided completely routinely.
He would still be PM with a chance of carrying on.
Many would not have cared about morals or lying if not for the personal feelings around Covid and missing funerals etc. This forum often overestimates how much the public cares about politicians telling lies and has done since the speculation about Blair being charged over cash for honours.
Banning foie gras today, they'll ban fish and chips next.
A slippery slope to licensing grouse moors.
Did you know that they employ tens of people in the Highlands?
Why not convert them to Goose Moors?
Or grousing moors, where tweed clad gammons can gather together for a good old moan. Oh, that's what happens already you say? At least there'd be fewer poisoned raptors without the shootin'.
That’s what happens in sw France . I have tried the pate , and delicious it is with a sweet wine , lots of crusty bread and a nice onion chutney .
It’s quite rich and I wouldn’t lose any sleep if I didn’t have it again but if you eat meat I don’t think you can moralize too much about people eating it.
Bar Boulud at the Madarin Oriental used to do a burger with a layer of foie gras within. It was exceptional.
I dislike animal cruelty and usually buy higher welfare products, but on foie gras I am a massive hypocrite because it’s so damn tasty.
I’ve never eaten the liver cooked only had the pate but I can imagine it would be lovely on a burger. I wouldn’t worry about the hypocrite bit , we’re all guilty of that at times with the things we eat, or where we shop etc .
OT - This is really disturbing, 3 babies found abandoned in East London in recent years are all siblings. Police really need a breakthrough to find the parents. There has to be something quite seriously amiss if a family is doing this repeatedly.
Listening to Farage this morning on R4 Today, I noticed one tiny thing. He didn't want to dwell at all on the fact that his policy of Zero Net Migration = 500,000+ new arrivals every year (matching the departures). That's 5 million per decade. He minimally acknowledged and moved away immediately.
For the right there are two big issues about inward migration; the numbers causing housing/services problems, and secondly the 'cultural' issues.
Net Zero migration may address the Reform voter's problem with the first, but not the second. Has anyone noticed this? I don't think Farage wants it mentioned. Which of course means no-one in the political domain does.
I mean, it's also because nobody wants to make the argument for solving the first crisis without worrying about immigration - investment. We could invest in better infrastructure, more schools, doctors, houses etc. and still have immigration.
Farage is happy to push on those issues because that is what has been gifted to him by the neoliberal turn. People seem to forget that Corbyn's policies were still quite popular with a large portion of the population - he was just so unpopular that negative polarisation held together a coalition for the Tories. When Johnson said he'd turn on the spending spigot with Levelling Up, the Tories won in Labour heartlands. As long as the state keeps arguing it has no resources to care for average people, people will grow resentful.
Someone like Farage will aim that resentment towards the foreigner, people like Leon towards "wokeness". I would argue the left (correctly) turns that ire on capitalists - as they are the dragons of fable sitting on their hordes of wealth. The immigrant doing what humans have always done, move around the world when they need to, is not in a position of power to affect the poor state of our country. The "woke" who are just asking for historic injustice to be recognised, acknowledged and no longer perpetuated don't hold the levers of power. Those who do have power and influence in our politic are those who are wealthy, who own companies, who demand less regulation etc. etc. They are the ones who have been catered to in the last 30-40 years, and that is the reason for our decline. And no one who benefits from that system is going to stand up and point that out. So Farage is a useful tool - because when he points at shadows and calls them phantoms people don't look at the real causes of the problem.
The 100,000+ white underage English girls raped by racist Muslim grooming gangs might have a claim they were *a tiny bit affected* by migration
The idea that there are 100s of thousands of young girls victimised by immigrants is another right wing fantasy -
We know who is actually the most likely perpetrator of sexual assault - someone within the close family or a family friend of the victim, followed by someone with a position of authority in their community (a priest, a teacher, etc.). Again - this is a projection of the right who look at patriarchal family structure as something that must be protected and, unwilling to accept that that structure leads to more sexual assault, says it must be the foreigner, the outsider, the Other who is really to blame. Is that to say there are literally 0 cases of immigrants committing sexual assault or rape? Of course not. But the idea that it is endemic, or even common, is preposterous. It's the same old "got to keep our white women safe" rhetoric of days gone by.
And even if it were true - this would still be an infrastructure problem because the justice system is part of the social infrastructure that has been destroyed by austerity. Do the police take sexual assault or rape seriously? No.
And then when it comes to getting a court date and a trial, of course, the massive backlog of serious crimes is largely due to massive underfunding by central government
Now the likes of you may want to save money by doing away with "lefty lawyers" and "fair trials" and just flog and hang anyone who looks shifty - I personally think it matters to have things like evidence and proof and due process. And those things take resources.
Except that the LABOUR MP for Rotherham thinks it may be as high as a million. And I have a tiny idea she might know more than you. Don’t you?
So 100,000 is actually and tragically conservative
My favourite was Daisy Cooper and her gang on the boat behind Rishi Sunak. As I said yesterday we might not be going to win the election but we are having great fun not doing so and I have to say the local campaign I have been involved in has been a huge amount of fun with lots of laughs. The most enjoyable so far and I have been involved in a lot.
I am going to miss it for the next 10 days as I cycle along the banks of the Loire. 7 days cycling, 400+ km to go. I might post some pictures but I don't have a Jess the cat or a dog for scale.
The Loire is lovely. I did it upstream as far as Cosne Cours sur Loire a couple of years back. Easy to make good progress and also easy to get utterly diverted and stop off in every town along the way. Enjoy. https://cycle.travel/route/loire
Yep same here I did Cycling for Softies there some time ago. Fantastic popping into out of the way chateaux to be greeted by the owners sitting outside in their faded cotton trousers offering you a glass of rosé.
I will use my one daily photo to show a lovely lady I met in my journey down the Loire. She owned this tiny chateau and these remarkable birds and she expertly flirted over her own wine as we lunched in her bucolic garden. Bliss
Gorgeous! It is very hard to beat France.
It is. Its a close contest between France and Italy for the most beautiful country in the world
We are lucky to have them on our doorstep
They also have different strengths as destinations. France is much better organised and has better infra, but the Italians are much more charming and affable - a serious positive
Britain beats them both hollow on noom but I accept most people aren’t looking for intense spiritual experiences of rhapsody or human bleakness when choosing a holiday; or even a home
Finding the Noom next door, in your patch, round the corner, can be done all the time and is mostly free.
I turn sixty today and start to get my hands on the goodies the two main parties shower the older voters with.
Starting with free prescriptions apparently!
Meh, prescriptions are already free in some parts of the country
Happy birthday!
I'm not sure of the full stats but I think 90% of prescriptions are free in England too. When you consider that by far and away the most prescriptions are for the elderly with many on at least six medications daily, and then add in diabetic patients, pregnant women and those who have given birth in the last year and so on, its not a surprise.
...and children.
One wonders why they bother with the admin and paperwork. Slashed in Scotland, with ensuing savings on that side of the equation.
A friend of ours lives in England. She's middle-aged with several conditions but has to pay for prescriptions for them all. Not easy as she is not rich.
She should go down the prepayment route (see post above). I'm surprised her pharmacy haven't already pushed her to do this - they do with me (although I am borderline).
Prescription costs in England are capped at £32 per quarter or £115 per annum by the season ticket. It breaks even at 3 items per quarter. That is not free, but nor is it that substantial for most people.
I'm not sure how much that raises for the NHS.
The charge isn’t here to raise cash any more really, so much as to disincentivise unnecessary prescriptions (hence saving cash).
Boris started the stratification of the party. Centre right ousted. Replaced by Brexiteer morons. Now the party has followed the Farage dog whistle and is heading for E.L.E. trying to out-whistle him.
Farage is the future of the Tory party. And of course other Tories will jump ship. As their voters already have.
Listening to Farage this morning on R4 Today, I noticed one tiny thing. He didn't want to dwell at all on the fact that his policy of Zero Net Migration = 500,000+ new arrivals every year (matching the departures). That's 5 million per decade. He minimally acknowledged and moved away immediately.
For the right there are two big issues about inward migration; the numbers causing housing/services problems, and secondly the 'cultural' issues.
Net Zero migration may address the Reform voter's problem with the first, but not the second. Has anyone noticed this? I don't think Farage wants it mentioned. Which of course means no-one in the political domain does.
I mean, it's also because nobody wants to make the argument for solving the first crisis without worrying about immigration - investment. We could invest in better infrastructure, more schools, doctors, houses etc. and still have immigration.
Farage is happy to push on those issues because that is what has been gifted to him by the neoliberal turn. People seem to forget that Corbyn's policies were still quite popular with a large portion of the population - he was just so unpopular that negative polarisation held together a coalition for the Tories. When Johnson said he'd turn on the spending spigot with Levelling Up, the Tories won in Labour heartlands. As long as the state keeps arguing it has no resources to care for average people, people will grow resentful.
Someone like Farage will aim that resentment towards the foreigner, people like Leon towards "wokeness". I would argue the left (correctly) turns that ire on capitalists - as they are the dragons of fable sitting on their hordes of wealth. The immigrant doing what humans have always done, move around the world when they need to, is not in a position of power to affect the poor state of our country. The "woke" who are just asking for historic injustice to be recognised, acknowledged and no longer perpetuated don't hold the levers of power. Those who do have power and influence in our politic are those who are wealthy, who own companies, who demand less regulation etc. etc. They are the ones who have been catered to in the last 30-40 years, and that is the reason for our decline. And no one who benefits from that system is going to stand up and point that out. So Farage is a useful tool - because when he points at shadows and calls them phantoms people don't look at the real causes of the problem.
The 100,000+ white underage English girls raped by racist Muslim grooming gangs might have a claim they were *a tiny bit affected* by migration
Flagged. Why? Because it’s not true? No, it’s true
So I presume it is flagged because it’s true but people can’t cope with it
It's literally not true - a citation would be welcome for us to at least inspect - but I know it is untrue.
Just gave you it. From a Labour MP. A woman who is deeply involved with the grooming gang tragedy and has done more to tackle it than most. Especially craven fools like you
I turn sixty today and start to get my hands on the goodies the two main parties shower the older voters with.
Starting with free prescriptions apparently!
Meh, prescriptions are already free in some parts of the country
Happy birthday!
I'm not sure of the full stats but I think 90% of prescriptions are free in England too. When you consider that by far and away the most prescriptions are for the elderly with many on at least six medications daily, and then add in diabetic patients, pregnant women and those who have given birth in the last year and so on, its not a surprise.
...and children.
One wonders why they bother with the admin and paperwork. Slashed in Scotland, with ensuing savings on that side of the equation.
A friend of ours lives in England. She's middle-aged with several conditions but has to pay for prescriptions for them all. Not easy as she is not rich.
She should go down the prepayment route (see post above). I'm surprised her pharmacy haven't already pushed her to do this - they do with me (although I am borderline).
Prescription costs in England are capped at £32 per quarter or £115 per annum by the season ticket. It breaks even at 3 items per quarter. That is not free, but nor is it that substantial for most people.
I'm not sure how much that raises for the NHS.
Seem to recall that prescription charges raise something like £0.5 Billion
Whilst I think that Farage is also flailing a bit in his media appearances so far in this campaign, the people who are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt will and he has higher approval ratings amongst Tory voters than Rishi does. Could be an interesting case where between the two of them they poll 30-35% but, because it's split, representation in Parliament is near flatline...
My favourite was Daisy Cooper and her gang on the boat behind Rishi Sunak. As I said yesterday we might not be going to win the election but we are having great fun not doing so and I have to say the local campaign I have been involved in has been a huge amount of fun with lots of laughs. The most enjoyable so far and I have been involved in a lot.
I am going to miss it for the next 10 days as I cycle along the banks of the Loire. 7 days cycling, 400+ km to go. I might post some pictures but I don't have a Jess the cat or a dog for scale.
The Loire is lovely. I did it upstream as far as Cosne Cours sur Loire a couple of years back. Easy to make good progress and also easy to get utterly diverted and stop off in every town along the way. Enjoy. https://cycle.travel/route/loire
Yep same here I did Cycling for Softies there some time ago. Fantastic popping into out of the way chateaux to be greeted by the owners sitting outside in their faded cotton trousers offering you a glass of rosé.
I will use my one daily photo to show a lovely lady I met in my journey down the Loire. She owned this tiny chateau and these remarkable birds and she expertly flirted over her own wine as we lunched in her bucolic garden. Bliss
Gorgeous! It is very hard to beat France.
It is. Its a close contest between France and Italy for the most beautiful country in the world
We are lucky to have them on our doorstep
They also have different strengths as destinations. France is much better organised and has better infra, but the Italians are much more charming and affable - a serious positive
Britain beats them both hollow on noom but I accept most people aren’t looking for intense spiritual experiences of rhapsody or human bleakness when choosing a holiday; or even a home
I have just returned from France and the way the towns, roads – oh my the roads! – are presented and maintained is quite extraordinarily better than we have here, to the point of being embarrassing. Made me think that road charging is the way forward, such is the pleasure of sticking the Audi on cruise at 130kph (and maybe a bit more) for 160km of perfect road that is seemingly fashioned from slate and crystal.
The Italians are more gregarious but the French are friendly enough, if you speak a bit of French (which I do), and are more like their Italian cousins in the south of France, while avoiding being too loud and annoying. I love both countries but I would vote for France.
That may be true but Britain is still better than Moldova. I’m in Chisinau now and frankly london knocks it into a cocked hat. London has better restaurants and cafes and is generally more interesting whatever the pro-Chisinau types always claim. Chisinau is better for historical pogroms. And ridiculous traffic jams
Should be the Tory election slogan: "Britain is still better than Moldova". Beats whatever their three-phrase thing is.
Moldova is catching up tho
“Britain under the Tories: not overtaken by Moldova, yet”
Labour’s slogan could be “Vote for us to stop Britain being overtaken by Moldova”.
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
This is not news. Have you checked out the opinion polls recently.
Agreed this is not news. But there are still really important questions. The first is: What are the range of reasons for long time Tory voters (like me) wanting them to lose and lose badly? So, for example, is it mostly 'moral' - they are a shower of corrupt lying chancers; is it mostly they are not populist right wing enough (ECHR, boats, foreigners); is it mostly they are too right wing; is it mostly about competence....and so on.
I suspect they have lost in every direction and more. We shall find out much more about the motive once Labour have a go at the same exam questions and see the reactions of the ex-Tories.
Small c conservatives want things to be predictable and safe. They do not like chaos and uncertainty. Truss' mini budget broke the ability for the Tories to project predictability and safety to people - mortgage rates rose, pensioners started to get worried, and inflation spiked. Once spooked, they ran to the next party promising "nothing will change in a scary way, we'll make everything safe again" and they now look at the Tories as a dog that bit them. They want the Tories to lose badly because if they don't they fear they could do the scary thing again.
The bit of this that is true is a universal. Almost no-one likes chaos and uncertainty about things over which they have no personal autonomy. Those who think they do mostly like it from a personal position of safety.
FWIW it seems to me, in an eight year saga, major steps in the Tory story are: Cameron's resignation, no preparation or plan for Brexit, the social care disaster in the 2017 election, Brexit deal obviously a cobbled together fudge, Cummings and Boris morally unravelling, Truss, continuing competence issues, Sunak no good at politics. Apart from that they are fine.
In a parallel universe Covid never happened, Boris survived Pincher, Cummings went but was replaced with an ok team, and Boris is about to limp home to a second term, during which the Tories will become hated and get to where they are for us. I think Covid just pressed the “fast forward” button.
The surprise is that Boris, having achieved his PM ambition was then incapable of the elementary moral and personal steps required to keep it. This just required very ordinary levels of self control and practising the ethical standards required in public life. It allowed him all the charisma he had and the distortion normal to all party politics - quite enough scope. Patersongate, Partygate, Pinchergate, defending Cummings once he proved useless, were all matters to be avoided completely routinely.
He would still be PM with a chance of carrying on.
Many would not have cared about morals or lying if not for the personal feelings around Covid and missing funerals etc. This forum often overestimates how much the public cares about politicians telling lies and has done since the speculation about Blair being charged over cash for honours.
Yes. True. What you can get away with is situational. But you would expect Boris, a fantastic politician, to know exactly what he can and what he can't get away with. It was a huge fail.
Everyone in Britain should just emigrate. Seriously. Whole place is a shithole now and the only tolerable bits are certain nice parts of london and the inner Hebrides
Just get out. It’s ruined. The lefties ruined it
Join me on my endless travels around the world. There is a lot of world out here and it’s fun!
Narrator: In 45 years, since 1979, the Tories have been in government for 32 years.
Britain today is a country made by right-wing politics. It's your failure. Own it. Have a think about where you went wrong.
Truth is, Leon doesn't really want to live anywhere. Though I can sort of see the appeal of an endless jolly.
Yes this is absolutely right. I’ve realised rather late in life that I am a true nomad. I don’t particularly want to live anywhere. I get bored. I want newness all the time
All I need is a base to store shit. My friends are scattered all over the world and I find it easy to make new ones. And now with the internet and smartphones and zoom calls and nomad visas and all that, this kind of lifestyle is not just feasible is is extremely plausible and desirable - if it suits you
That’s what happens in sw France . I have tried the pate , and delicious it is with a sweet wine , lots of crusty bread and a nice onion chutney .
It’s quite rich and I wouldn’t lose any sleep if I didn’t have it again but if you eat meat I don’t think you can moralize too much about people eating it.
Bar Boulud at the Madarin Oriental used to do a burger with a layer of foie gras within. It was exceptional.
I dislike animal cruelty and usually buy higher welfare products, but on foie gras I am a massive hypocrite because it’s so damn tasty.
I’ve never eaten the liver cooked only had the pate but I can imagine it would be lovely on a burger. I wouldn’t worry about the hypocrite bit , we’re all guilty of that at times with the things we eat, or where we shop etc .
I think this tends to be the missing bit in political messaging about stuff like climate change. People respond much more to “do your best but no one is perfect”.
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
I do not know anyone who has any real interest in it. No one discusses it, no one volunteers any views on the election.
I suspect the audience for tonights leaders debate will not be especially large.
My family is quite political and we discuss politics on the fam WhatsApp group
@Heathener is right. The Tories are viscerally hated. My family tends right (but not universally so) and generally votes Tory. Don’t think any of them will vote Tory this time. Expect Cornwall to switch
Are they, in the country as a whole. Really ?
Not seeing it.
I think people will dump them, rightly so, and we will get a labour govt. I sense a weariness with them but I see no hatred and I see no hatred for politicians in general apart from deranged accounts on social media both right and left.
Look outside your bubble. As you say your family are quite political. Mine aren't. Neither are my friends or co-workers. Topic of conversation in the office today. England Soccer match in the toon last night, Love Island and plans for the weekend.
I just see a great deal of indifference.
But the people you talk about, I dare say, are likely less politically engaged, and aren’t going to turn up in their droves and vote Tory as they may have done previously.
Some may stay at home, some may vote Labour, some may vote LD, some Reform…etc.
Given FPTP’s intricacies this could be enough for a 1993 style result even if as you say the prevailing mood from many ppl is one of indifference rather than revolt.
I just spoke to someone about the election. He has "voted Conservative many times." This was not campaigning. I may even be voting LibDem rather than Labour as I’m in a three-way marginal.
Anyway, the chap I spoke to said of the Conservatives, and I quote him verbatim:
“Good riddance to them. They are fucking bastards.”
I didn't say the anger isn't real, I cautioned against your expressions of hate and that politicians lives are at risk whenever hate is involved in politics, as we have seen in 2 mps being murdered
Boris started the stratification of the party. Centre right ousted. Replaced by Brexiteer morons. Now the party has followed the Farage dog whistle and is heading for E.L.E. trying to out-whistle him.
Farage is the future of the Tory party. And of course other Tories will jump ship. As their voters already have.
Their heading to a historic split by looks of things.
Interesting that the number of Tory MPs standing down has dropped in recent days as a number of those who’d abandoned their doomed defence of marginal seats are now being given the opportunity to mount a doomed defence of nominally safe seats.
Whilst I think that Farage is also flailing a bit in his media appearances so far in this campaign, the people who are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt will and he has higher approval ratings amongst Tory voters than Rishi does. Could be an interesting case where between the two of them they poll 30-35% but, because it's split, representation in Parliament is near flatline...
I think the really interesting scenario is if, between the two of them, they get 40-45%, courtesy of Farage taking some former Tories off Labour, maybe just pipping Labour, but (as you say) the seats are minimal. PR will suddenly become a right wing cause celebre.
Everyone in Britain should just emigrate. Seriously. Whole place is a shithole now and the only tolerable bits are certain nice parts of london and the inner Hebrides
Just get out. It’s ruined. The lefties ruined it
Join me on my endless travels around the world. There is a lot of world out here and it’s fun!
Aberdeenshire. Mild and dry climate with plenty of sunshine (genuinely, ask the Met Office). Fresh air, mountains, cliffs, castles, whisky, long sandy beaches. Farming, fishing, energy, tourism. My own village has a fantastic community spirit, food, shops, events - and easy access to Aberdeen city and the airport.
Despite being there for 15 years I never felt like Teesside was home - it was just where I lived. Aberdeenshire is home. Genuinely love the place.
Lossiemouth is my adopted second home, but then our family there are extensive and our main concern is that due to my health the prospects of travelling the 450 miles from Llandudno to Lossiemouth is much diminished
Yes, it's another step in the process of civilisation. Once upon a time animal torture was regarded as acceptable, but nowadays people aren't so keen. Long may the trend continue.
Except for deer.
Yeah - I'm a veggie but we do need to cull wild deer in this country. Personally I'd like to see this happen by bringing back predator species, because wolves and bears are cool, but failing that letting people eat deer is reasonable.
Moggies first. The medium-sized cat predators are much less scary and threatening than wolves and bears.
Yes, it's another step in the process of civilisation. Once upon a time animal torture was regarded as acceptable, but nowadays people aren't so keen. Long may the trend continue.
Except for deer.
Yeah - I'm a veggie but we do need to cull wild deer in this country. Personally I'd like to see this happen by bringing back predator species, because wolves and bears are cool, but failing that letting people eat deer is reasonable.
Moggies first. The medium-sized cat predators are much less scary and threatening than wolves and bears.
But I don't think they would predate on the deer enough. We need big predators that would not only cull numbers but change deer behaviour and make them more worried around open spaces and watering holes and such. The issue of deer is not just their numbers, but their grazing habits and the erosion they cause by not really acting in ways they would of when they did have predators. Their numbers alongside this behaviour change is what makes the impact so much worse.
I've read things from people in the know who think that Lynx would do the job.
The way I'd view it use that Lynx would be the best way to start, and sort out issues to do with livestock predation, and confidence-building with farmers. And then it's easier to make the case for other predators later.
Just spent over an hour trying to buy a train ticket at the station (good job it was for tomorrow). I seem to have broken the system. It is not like it was complicated. A to B with 2 senior railcards.
Whilst I think that Farage is also flailing a bit in his media appearances so far in this campaign, the people who are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt will and he has higher approval ratings amongst Tory voters than Rishi does. Could be an interesting case where between the two of them they poll 30-35% but, because it's split, representation in Parliament is near flatline...
Reform are closer with Yougov non mrp and Redfield but for crossover with most pollsters and the YouGov and MiC MRPs they require between a quarter and a third of all remaining Tories jumping ship. Seems unlikely. And vanishingly unlikely in actual votes at the GE.
I have to wonder how much longer Sunak will carry on going on TV and parroting the line ‘anything but a vote for me is a vote for Starmer’. It is pretty clear that not many people consider he has a hope of winning so it sounds desperate and hollow.
Most people on here know that because of polls etc . You will be surprised at the level of ignorance there is in the general public about politics .
I agree. We're the weirdos. A lot of people:
1. Don't know we're in a GE campaign. 2. Don't know there are more than two political parties. 3. Don't know what seat they either where in, or are going to be in. 4. Don't know the winner of their seat. 5. Don't know who their MP is. 6. Don't know the voting system. 7. Don't know how our government works.
Excepting the last point, it might not be a majority of people but there are a lot of voting age people who really haven't a clue. Many of them might not vote, but I suspect a lot do (women especially out of a sense of duty). I presume they're completely confused when they turn up and see more than two names on the ballot paper before sticking to what they know and vote either Labour or Conservative.
I think a lot of people vote whatever they voted last time too, unless there's been a major event that caused them to change. That hopefully bodes well for Lib Dems in areas where there was local election success in May.
The flaw with your last point is that the turn out for local elections is much lower than for a GE. The "just vote like I did last time" crowd will split disproportionately to the group that only vote in GEs, and their concept of "how I voted last time" will be 2019 not 2024.
Yes. A conversation with a colleague recently:
Me: "You going to vote?" Them: "Of course. I couldn't not. Emmeline Pankhurst demands it! I've got to vote." Me: "You vote in the locals in May, and for the Mayor?" Them: *confused* "We had elections in May?" Me: "When did you last vote?" Them: "You know. Just before Covid. It was 2019 wasn't it?"
Everyone in Britain should just emigrate. Seriously. Whole place is a shithole now and the only tolerable bits are certain nice parts of london and the inner Hebrides
Just get out. It’s ruined. The lefties ruined it
Join me on my endless travels around the world. There is a lot of world out here and it’s fun!
Narrator: In 45 years, since 1979, the Tories have been in government for 32 years.
Britain today is a country made by right-wing politics. It's your failure. Own it. Have a think about where you went wrong.
Jeez. I know I’m quite influential on PB and have a lifelong tenancy in your brains but I didn’t realise I was personally running the country and have been doing so for 32 years!
I’m amazed I got it all done looking back. I must have done Brexit after a boozy lunch. Ah well. Shit happens
OT - This is really disturbing, 3 babies found abandoned in East London in recent years are all siblings. Police really need a breakthrough to find the parents. There has to be something quite seriously amiss if a family is doing this repeatedly.
Banning foie gras today, they'll ban fish and chips next.
A slippery slope to licensing grouse moors.
Did you know that they employ tens of people in the Highlands?
Why not convert them to Goose Moors?
Or grousing moors, where tweed clad gammons can gather together for a good old moan. Oh, that's what happens already you say? At least there'd be fewer poisoned raptors without the shootin'.
You surely don’t really want to encourage Farage to come to Scotland?
NEW: Labour's Barking candidate Darren Rodwell has been removed from the list of election candidates being approved by the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) this lunchtime.
The decision follows BBC reports into his conduct.
Just spent over an hour trying to buy a train ticket at the station (good job it was for tomorrow). I seem to have broken the system. It is not like it was complicated. A to B with 2 senior railcards.
Use the Trainline app – far easier than paper tickets.
I turn sixty today and start to get my hands on the goodies the two main parties shower the older voters with.
Starting with free prescriptions apparently!
Meh, prescriptions are already free in some parts of the country
Happy birthday!
I'm not sure of the full stats but I think 90% of prescriptions are free in England too. When you consider that by far and away the most prescriptions are for the elderly with many on at least six medications daily, and then add in diabetic patients, pregnant women and those who have given birth in the last year and so on, its not a surprise.
...and children.
One wonders why they bother with the admin and paperwork. Slashed in Scotland, with ensuing savings on that side of the equation.
A friend of ours lives in England. She's middle-aged with several conditions but has to pay for prescriptions for them all. Not easy as she is not rich.
She should go down the prepayment route (see post above). I'm surprised her pharmacy haven't already pushed her to do this - they do with me (although I am borderline).
Prescription costs in England are capped at £32 per quarter or £115 per annum by the season ticket. It breaks even at 3 items per quarter. That is not free, but nor is it that substantial for most people.
I'm not sure how much that raises for the NHS.
Costs are per item (ie 3 items on one script would be 3x the published cost - so now £29.70 for 3 on 1). For diabetic things, I am on one prescription per month, which has diabetic medications to a value of roughly £150-160 per month to the NHS at their published prices, counting blood glucose monitoring and insulin which dominate.
In the West, UK charges to the Healthcare system are towards the lower end.
In the USA before Joe Biden's insulin out-of-pocket price cap it would be more like $1500-2000 per month to the individual for my prescription.
In the NHS there is a balance between admin costs, not oversupplying or doing many month prescriptions which can waste medication if it expires, and making it difficult for the black market.
My BG sensors last 2 weeks and cost the NHS £35 each, so run at £70 per month to the NHS. On the open market these cost the individual around £50 each.
My insulin cartridges are ~£5-6 each, and I use ~15 per month, and there is a black market for gym-bunnies and body-builders, plus other things I am not well aware of, perhaps diabetic pets * or slimming fads.
* Even in the pages of James Heriott you can read his lamentations at being the only medical professional still required to pass on the full cost to the customer. His experiences were 30s 40s 50s iirc. Real "the horse blew first" days.
Whilst I think that Farage is also flailing a bit in his media appearances so far in this campaign, the people who are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt will and he has higher approval ratings amongst Tory voters than Rishi does. Could be an interesting case where between the two of them they poll 30-35% but, because it's split, representation in Parliament is near flatline...
I think the really interesting scenario is if, between the two of them, they get 40-45%, courtesy of Farage taking some former Tories off Labour, maybe just pipping Labour, but (as you say) the seats are minimal. PR will suddenly become a right wing cause celebre.
My prediction: Reform get a little bump in the polls next week to 16-17%, then fizzle.
Whilst I think that Farage is also flailing a bit in his media appearances so far in this campaign, the people who are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt will and he has higher approval ratings amongst Tory voters than Rishi does. Could be an interesting case where between the two of them they poll 30-35% but, because it's split, representation in Parliament is near flatline...
Reform are closer with Yougov non mrp and Redfield but for crossover with most pollsters and the YouGov and MiC MRPs they require between a quarter and a third of all remaining Tories jumping ship. Seems unlikely. And vanishingly unlikely in actual votes at the GE.
I am of the opinion that conservatives attracted to Reform have already left and the remaining 20-25% in the polls are probably similar to myself who reject Farage and the right totally, and hope that after the carnage on July 4th there will be sufficient conservatives in the country to start the long round back to sanity
Comments
I agree though, that local knowledge is key. I assume (and hope) that a few local party workers make a killing in places where the results are bucking national trends. It's one of the reasons I tend to stay away from constituency contests - at least on exchanges - as I assume there are people betting who know a lot more than me. The bookies sometimes mis-price things initially, but tend to sort it once people notice and begin to pile on.
https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/veteran-journalist-crick-provokes-anger-over-divisive-israel-palestine-election-post/
We are lucky to have them on our doorstep
They also have different strengths as destinations. France is much better organised and has better infra, but the Italians are much more charming and affable - a serious positive
Britain beats them both hollow on noom but I accept most people aren’t looking for intense spiritual experiences of rhapsody or human bleakness when choosing a holiday; or even a home
It all started under Bush.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality-based_community
...The aide said that guys like me were 'in what we call the reality-based community,' which he defined as people who 'believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.' [...] 'That's not the way the world really works anymore,' he continued. 'We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors...and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do'..
I do not know anyone who has any real interest in it. No one discusses it, no one volunteers any views on the election.
I suspect the audience for tonights leaders debate will not be especially large.
Though either would be preferable to Trump.
I suspect they have lost in every direction and more. We shall find out much more about the motive once Labour have a go at the same exam questions and see the reactions of the ex-Tories.
The Italians are more gregarious but the French are friendly enough, if you speak a bit of French (which I do), and are more like their Italian cousins in the south of France, while avoiding being too loud and annoying. I love both countries but I would vote for France.
@Heathener is right. The Tories are viscerally hated. My family tends right (but not universally so) and generally votes Tory. Don’t think any of them will vote Tory this time. Expect Cornwall to switch
So I presume it is flagged because it’s true but people can’t cope with it
“Britain under the Tories: not overtaken by Moldova, yet”
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2020/dec/analysis-new-home-office-report-admits-grooming-gangs-are-not-muslim-problem
We know who is actually the most likely perpetrator of sexual assault - someone within the close family or a family friend of the victim, followed by someone with a position of authority in their community (a priest, a teacher, etc.). Again - this is a projection of the right who look at patriarchal family structure as something that must be protected and, unwilling to accept that that structure leads to more sexual assault, says it must be the foreigner, the outsider, the Other who is really to blame. Is that to say there are literally 0 cases of immigrants committing sexual assault or rape? Of course not. But the idea that it is endemic, or even common, is preposterous. It's the same old "got to keep our white women safe" rhetoric of days gone by.
And even if it were true - this would still be an infrastructure problem because the justice system is part of the social infrastructure that has been destroyed by austerity. Do the police take sexual assault or rape seriously? No.
https://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/almost-half-of-women-have-less-trust-in-police-following-sarah-everard-murder/
And then when it comes to getting a court date and a trial, of course, the massive backlog of serious crimes is largely due to massive underfunding by central government
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64586483
Now the likes of you may want to save money by doing away with "lefty lawyers" and "fair trials" and just flog and hang anyone who looks shifty - I personally think it matters to have things like evidence and proof and due process. And those things take resources.
The key question all Tory contenders will face: will you work with Nigel Farage?
‘If he’s in, I’m out’, says a member of the One Nation Group of 100 Tory MPs. ‘And others would follow.’
https://x.com/JAHeale/status/1797923542933422323
I think it is the gwlad of it. I was in Malham last week. Utterly wonderful. And I was reflecting that France has limestone scenery at least as spectacular - but it would be MY limestone scenery. The drystone walls would not be there; the architecture would be different; the light would be wrong; the birdsong would be subtly different; the cheery little pubs would be cheery little French cafes. And I appreciate that there are millions of Frenchmen who feel just as strongly about their land as I feel about mine - but there is something which stirs the soul about the land which is your own.
FWIW it seems to me, in an eight year saga, major steps in the Tory story are: Cameron's resignation, no preparation or plan for Brexit, the social care disaster in the 2017 election, Brexit deal obviously a cobbled together fudge, Cummings and Boris morally unravelling, Truss, continuing competence issues, Sunak no good at politics. Apart from that they are fine.
Britain today is a country made by right-wing politics. It's your failure. Own it. Have a think about where you went wrong.
She said she joined the party because they'd changed and now they were worse than ever.
Worth watching. Both women impressive
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=newsnight+june+3rd#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:2d91a9f9,vid:QjTrk9rr6u0,st:0
That’s what happens in sw France . I have tried the pate , and delicious it is with a sweet wine , lots of crusty bread and a nice onion chutney .
It’s quite rich and I wouldn’t lose any sleep if I didn’t have it again but if you eat meat I don’t think you can moralize too much about people eating it.
Real world people are excited about Love Island, Britains Got (no) Talent, their summer holi
daysbobs...Thank-you for the header, @TSE .
On Chump, he may be headed for charges in Michigan. There exists video of Republican Impostor Electors trying to enter the counting house in 2020 to manipulate the Election.
Police Lieutenant: 'They are already here and checked in.'
Chump is an as yet uncharged co-conspirator.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/more-unpleasant-legal-surprises-for-trump-possible-newly-revealed-investigations-suggest-212198981762
Not seeing it.
I think people will dump them, rightly so, and we will get a labour govt. I sense a weariness with them but I see no hatred and I see no hatred for politicians in general apart from deranged accounts on social media both right and left.
Look outside your bubble. As you say your family are quite political. Mine aren't. Neither are my friends or co-workers. Topic of conversation in the office today. England Soccer match in the toon last night, Love Island and plans for the weekend.
I just see a great deal of indifference.
He would still be PM with a chance of carrying on.
I dislike animal cruelty and usually buy higher welfare products, but on foie gras I am a massive hypocrite because it’s so damn tasty.
Though I can sort of see the appeal of an endless jolly.
I'm not sure how much that raises for the NHS.
Despite being there for 15 years I never felt like Teesside was home - it was just where I lived. Aberdeenshire is home. Genuinely love the place.
Oh, that's what happens already you say? At least there'd be fewer poisoned raptors without the shootin'.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5115e7k2eno
So 100,000 is actually and tragically conservative
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/child-sex-abuse-gangs-could-5114029
Farage is the future of the Tory party. And of course other Tories will jump ship. As their voters already have.
https://www.politics.co.uk/week-in-review/2024/03/23/week-in-review-sunaks-moment-of-maximum-danger-may-still-await-the-reform-conservative-crossover/
Whilst I think that Farage is also flailing a bit in his media appearances so far in this campaign, the people who are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt will and he has higher approval ratings amongst Tory voters than Rishi does. Could be an interesting case where between the two of them they poll 30-35% but, because it's split, representation in Parliament is near flatline...
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/06/04/devastating-debt-bomb-lurking-inside-royal-mail-takeover/
All I need is a base to store shit. My friends are scattered all over the world and I find it easy to make new ones. And now with the internet and smartphones and zoom calls and nomad visas and all that, this kind of lifestyle is not just feasible is is extremely plausible and desirable - if it suits you
Of course for many it would be a nightmare
Some may stay at home, some may vote Labour, some may vote LD, some Reform…etc.
Given FPTP’s intricacies this could be enough for a 1993 style result even if as you say the prevailing mood from many ppl is one of indifference rather than revolt.
Think he'll be alright though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c13wnjN32Qw
The way I'd view it use that Lynx would be the best way to start, and sort out issues to do with livestock predation, and confidence-building with farmers. And then it's easier to make the case for other predators later.
Me: "You going to vote?"
Them: "Of course. I couldn't not. Emmeline Pankhurst demands it! I've got to vote."
Me: "You vote in the locals in May, and for the Mayor?"
Them: *confused* "We had elections in May?"
Me: "When did you last vote?"
Them: "You know. Just before Covid. It was 2019 wasn't it?"
I’m amazed I got it all done looking back. I must have done Brexit after a boozy lunch. Ah well. Shit happens
Yes. Back to the WAR
The decision follows BBC reports into his conduct.
https://x.com/joepike/status/1797934619360473148?s=46
I'm not sure how much that raises for the NHS.
Costs are per item (ie 3 items on one script would be 3x the published cost - so now £29.70 for 3 on 1). For diabetic things, I am on one prescription per month, which has diabetic medications to a value of roughly £150-160 per month to the NHS at their published prices, counting blood glucose monitoring and insulin which dominate.
In the West, UK charges to the Healthcare system are towards the lower end.
In the USA before Joe Biden's insulin out-of-pocket price cap it would be more like $1500-2000 per month to the individual for my prescription.
In the NHS there is a balance between admin costs, not oversupplying or doing many month prescriptions which can waste medication if it expires, and making it difficult for the black market.
My BG sensors last 2 weeks and cost the NHS £35 each, so run at £70 per month to the NHS. On the open market these cost the individual around £50 each.
My insulin cartridges are ~£5-6 each, and I use ~15 per month, and there is a black market for gym-bunnies and body-builders, plus other things I am not well aware of, perhaps diabetic pets * or slimming fads.
* Even in the pages of James Heriott you can read his lamentations at being the only medical professional still required to pass on the full cost to the customer. His experiences were 30s 40s 50s iirc. Real "the horse blew first" days.