Make your predictions – politicalbetting.com

System · September 17

Make your predictions – politicalbetting.com

In seven weeks time is election day, my prediction is that as things stand that Kamala Harris will win the popular but Donald Trump will win the electoral college vote although overnight 538 says Harris wins 61 times out of 100 in our simulations of the 2024 presidential election.

Read the full story here

FrancisUrquhart · September 17

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.

I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.

Nigelb · September 17

I've stuck my neck out and said big Harris win.

Don't put the house on it, though.

Scott_xP · September 17

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.

In my case my former boss ended up as a director at RBS, so there was no conflict of interest

He was also offered a track day at Goodwood by BT and gave it to me instead.

TheScreamingEagles · September 17

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.

Going corporate hospitality is the only way I get to see Liverpool live.

In most circumstances I pay my own way.

It is nice when somebody pays for me but I am incorruptible

TheScreamingEagles · September 17

Nigelb said:
I've stuck my neck out and said big Harris win.

Don't put the house on it, though.

I did say to a friend last night, if Harris wins, then she will win big (sort of Obama 2008 in the electoral college.)

Nigelb · September 17

Regarding the brief discussion with @rcs1000 last night, this sort of thing isn'tdirectly captured in the trade figures, but it's part of German exports getting crucified in China.

Denza - Wow.

2010: Mercedes and BYD form 50-50 JV creating the Denza brand.
Sales: 132

2021: BYD increases to 90% - Mercedes 10%
Sales: 4,800

Sept 2024: BYD 100% - Mercedes out
Sales: 125,000 (f)

Pic Denza D9 luxury MPV.
Price range $48-84,000
https://x.com/dunne_insights/status/1835826148842062194P

Monksfield · September 17

The momentum is with Harris and Trump is a deeply flawed candidate.

Harris wins the Popular vote by 8%, takes all states that Biden took in 2020 and narrowly adds NC, possibly a random one from left field like IA.

I honestly don’t think US polling is worth jack shit.

That’s my bold prediction.

Scott_xP · September 17

Surely we need to wait for full implications of this to play out...

@claytoonz

Breaking news! Trump uninjured after nobody shot at him.

Sandpit · September 17

TheScreamingEagles said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
Going corporate hospitality is the only way I get to see Liverpool live.

In most circumstances I pay my own way.

It is nice when somebody pays for me but I am incorruptible

Would I be right in saying that it’s now pretty much impossible to get tickets to Prem League matches except through hospitality? Asking for a friend who might be somewhere close to Liverpool for a couple of weeks over Christmas.

kamski · September 17

Header:

"Nate Silver says Harris wins 61 times out of 100 in our simulations of the 2024 presidential election."

That links to 538. Silver has his own forecast now.

Fishing · September 17

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.

I think it shows another aspect to Starmer's political tin ear. We've already seen his insensitivity in cancelling the winter fuel allowance for most pensioners to fund massive pay increases for his public sector union paymasters and now we see his hypocrisy in having clothes paid for him despite having objected to Boris's wallpaper.

Whenever challeneged, rather than defusing the story by returning the trivial gifts, he goes into prickly lawyer mode, never really explaining convincingly or apologising.

It's why his government has had such a quick collapse in YouGov approval ratings.

TheScreamingEagles · September 17

Sandpit said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
Going corporate hospitality is the only way I get to see Liverpool live.

In most circumstances I pay my own way.

It is nice when somebody pays for me but I am incorruptible
Would I be right in saying that it’s now pretty much impossible to get tickets to Prem League matches except through hospitality? Asking for a friend who might be somewhere close to Liverpool for a couple of weeks over Christmas.

Yup, particularly as we play Manchester United on the 4th of January.

Morris_Dancer · September 17

Good morning, everyone.

F1: quick rundown of the last race and title stuff, plus a pun in the title: https://medium.com/@rkilner/oscar-for-best-driver-d8cae6837b3e

Scott_xP · September 17

Fishing said:
Whenever challeneged, rather than defusing the story by returning the trivial gifts, he goes into prickly lawyer mode, never really explaining convincingly or apologising.

c.f. BoZo. Never apologise, never explain.

Which is worse?

TheScreamingEagles · September 17

kamski said:
Header:

"Nate Silver says Harris wins 61 times out of 100 in our simulations of the 2024 presidential election."

That links to 538. Silver has his own forecast now.

Fixed now.

Foxy · September 17

Is the contest winner and number of EV?

Or how else do we adjudicate the winner?

TheScreamingEagles · September 17

Lawyers working for banks and bankers working for lawyers always benefits humanity.

Dame Alison Rose has accepted a job at the City law firm that reportedly helped her navigate last year’s debanking scandal.

The former banking chief was confirmed as a new adviser to Mishcon de Reya on Tuesday, where she will steer its equality, diversity and inclusion efforts and mentor a small number of partners.

It is the second job Dame Alison has taken since stepping down as NatWest’s chief executive in July 2023, having also joined private equity firm Charterhouse Capital earlier this summer.

Mishcon partner and chief people officer Vanessa Dewhurst said: “Advisors of Alison’s calibre and leadership are rare and we couldn’t be happier that we will enjoy the benefit of her expertise.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/09/17/dame-alison-rose-accepts-job-at-city-law-firm-that-helped/

Mexicanpete · September 17

As usual you are right! Harris wins the popular vote Trump wins the College.

Trump could win bigger if MAGA increase the frequency of these faux assassination attempts.

Is it me or do those adult diapers make Trump's arse look enormous?

FrancisUrquhart · September 17

TheScreamingEagles said:
Lawyers working for banks and bankers working for lawyers always benefits humanity.

Dame Alison Rose has accepted a job at the City law firm that reportedly helped her navigate last year’s debanking scandal.

The former banking chief was confirmed as a new adviser to Mishcon de Reya on Tuesday, where she will steer its equality, diversity and inclusion efforts and mentor a small number of partners.

It is the second job Dame Alison has taken since stepping down as NatWest’s chief executive in July 2023, having also joined private equity firm Charterhouse Capital earlier this summer.

Mishcon partner and chief people officer Vanessa Dewhurst said: “Advisors of Alison’s calibre and leadership are rare and we couldn’t be happier that we will enjoy the benefit of her expertise.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/09/17/dame-alison-rose-accepts-job-at-city-law-firm-that-helped/

These people, always failing upwards.

moonshine · September 17

More so than usual, the logical voter in this election goes for a split White House / Congress vote, to constrain the loonier aspects of both candidates agendas. If so, be interesting to see what way that split falls.

As per the header, Silver by the way indicates a growing chance (25%) of Harris winning the popular vote but losing the EV. “Stolen I tell ya!”.

Foxy · September 17

Sandpit said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
Going corporate hospitality is the only way I get to see Liverpool live.

In most circumstances I pay my own way.

It is nice when somebody pays for me but I am incorruptible
Would I be right in saying that it’s now pretty much impossible to get tickets to Prem League matches except through hospitality? Asking for a friend who might be somewhere close to Liverpool for a couple of weeks over Christmas.

Yes, every Leicester City PL match sells out to season tickets and members.

Cup matches generally are easier, particularly the early rounds.

DavidL · September 17

I think the only thing that I am reasonably confident about at the moment is that whoever wins Pennsylvania wins. As it is a toss up with several reputable polls in recent days having a tie that makes the race a toss up too, albeit a toss up in which Harris currently has the edge.

I really want Harris to win but the question is whether the pollsters have reset their tendency to understate Trump's support or, possibly, over corrected. If his vote is underestimated as much as it has been in the past he can still win.

Monksfield · September 17

moonshine said:
More so than usual, the logical voter in this election goes for a split White House / Congress vote, to constrain the loonier aspects of both candidates agendas. If so, be interesting to see what way that split falls.

As per the header, Silver by the way indicates a growing chance (25%) of Harris winning the popular vote but losing the EV. “Stolen I tell ya!”.

Yes of course. Because Government that can’t achieve anything is always great….

Mexicanpete · September 17

FrancisUrquhart said:

TheScreamingEagles said:
Lawyers working for banks and bankers working for lawyers always benefits humanity.

Dame Alison Rose has accepted a job at the City law firm that reportedly helped her navigate last year’s debanking scandal.

The former banking chief was confirmed as a new adviser to Mishcon de Reya on Tuesday, where she will steer its equality, diversity and inclusion efforts and mentor a small number of partners.

It is the second job Dame Alison has taken since stepping down as NatWest’s chief executive in July 2023, having also joined private equity firm Charterhouse Capital earlier this summer.

Mishcon partner and chief people officer Vanessa Dewhurst said: “Advisors of Alison’s calibre and leadership are rare and we couldn’t be happier that we will enjoy the benefit of her expertise.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/09/17/dame-alison-rose-accepts-job-at-city-law-firm-that-helped/
These people, always failing upwards.

She'll be out on her arse after Brave Sir Nigel of Jaywick becomes PM.

Nigelb · September 17

TheScreamingEagles said:

kamski said:
Header:

"Nate Silver says Harris wins 61 times out of 100 in our simulations of the 2024 presidential election."

That links to 538. Silver has his own forecast now.
Fixed now.

Nate is the arguably the Bunbury of poll modelling; "he is quite exploded".

Nigelb · September 17

Foxy said:
Is the contest winner and number of EV?

Or how else do we adjudicate the winner?

Not sure it's a contest.
More a call to make a call.

Foxy · September 17

TheScreamingEagles said:

Nigelb said:
I've stuck my neck out and said big Harris win.

Don't put the house on it, though.
I did say to a friend last night, if Harris wins, then she will win big (sort of Obama 2008 in the electoral college.)

Yes, I think so too. I think 12 states are on a knife edge, but they are highly correlated, so nearly all will go to the winner. Either narrow Trump win or Harris landslide.

Taz · September 17

Fishing said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
I think it shows another aspect to Starmer's political tin ear. We've already seen his insensitivity in cancelling the winter fuel allowance for most pensioners to fund massive pay increases for his public sector union paymasters and now we see his hypocrisy in having clothes paid for him despite having objected to Boris's wallpaper.

Whenever challeneged, rather than defusing the story by returning the trivial gifts, he goes into prickly lawyer mode, never really explaining convincingly or apologising.

It's why his government has had such a quick collapse in YouGov approval ratings.

Especially when Starmer made such a play about cleaning up politics.

He's a wealthy man, why could he not pay for the hospitality at his Soccer club instead of just taking freebies.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/starmer-will-keep-taking-gifts-from-labour-peer-amid-row-over-clothes-donations/ar-AA1qFrMD?ocid=BingNewsSerp

"Giving the example of football tickets, which the Prime Minister is known to accept as gifts, he said: “I’m a massive Arsenal fan. I can’t go into the stands because of security reasons. Therefore, if I don’t accept a gift of hospitality, I can’t go to a game. You could say, ‘well, bad luck’. That’s why gifts have to be registered.

“But, you know, never going to an Arsenal game again because I can’t accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far.”"

Morris_Dancer · September 17

Betting Post

F1: just backed (with boosted odds) Sainz at 8.5 to win in Singapore, each way.

It should be Ferrari fastest with McLaren close behind, I think. Sainz, it will be remembered, was the only non-Red Bull driver to win last year, at Singapore, which should be a dreadful circuit for the Red Bulls again this year.

StillWaters · September 17

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.

When I was a young whippersnapper I had a rule that I was happy to accept a coffee from a service provider (I think I once accepted lunch). One colleague, in particular, took ski weekends and a trip to Vegas for a boxing match.

It wasn’t against the rules. But it was noticed.

SandyRentool · September 17

Designer lends Victoria Starmer a dress.

Photos of her wearing the dress feature on the front pages of three national newspapers.

That designer is one smart person!

Barnesian · September 17

Harris wins bigly. PV and EC. Tsunami.

rottenborough · September 17

Mexicanpete said:
As usual you are right! Harris wins the popular vote Trump wins the College.

Trump could win bigger if MAGA increase the frequency of these faux assassination attempts.

Is it me or do those adult diapers make Trump's arse look enormous?

Needs a dog for scale.

Malmesbury · September 17

StillWaters said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
When I was a young whippersnapper I had a rule that I was happy to accept a coffee from a service provider (I think I once accepted lunch). One colleague, in particular, took ski weekends and a trip to Vegas for a boxing match.

It wasn’t against the rules. But it was noticed.

Nowadays, there are detailed *laws*. Coffee is OK. Lunch *can* be an issue - if it goes over about £25, you are into reporting it.

The ski weekends and Vegas are straight up banned, for nearly all purposes.

Edit: a friend, in private banking, saw the reasons why. He had to clean up some messes. Young, impressionable kids at the bank had been taken out for expensive meals by the clients. After the champagne, the topic of the loans had come up…

Sandpit · September 17

TheScreamingEagles said:

Sandpit said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
Going corporate hospitality is the only way I get to see Liverpool live.

In most circumstances I pay my own way.

It is nice when somebody pays for me but I am incorruptible
Would I be right in saying that it’s now pretty much impossible to get tickets to Prem League matches except through hospitality? Asking for a friend who might be somewhere close to Liverpool for a couple of weeks over Christmas.
Yup, particularly as we play Manchester United on the 4th of January.

Thanks, I had a feeling that might be the case. How bad is it, would my guess £300-400 be miles off?

Mexicanpete · September 17

...

Taz said:

Fishing said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
I think it shows another aspect to Starmer's political tin ear. We've already seen his insensitivity in cancelling the winter fuel allowance for most pensioners to fund massive pay increases for his public sector union paymasters and now we see his hypocrisy in having clothes paid for him despite having objected to Boris's wallpaper.

Whenever challeneged, rather than defusing the story by returning the trivial gifts, he goes into prickly lawyer mode, never really explaining convincingly or apologising.

It's why his government has had such a quick collapse in YouGov approval ratings.
Especially when Starmer made such a play about cleaning up politics.

He's a wealthy man, why could he not pay for the hospitality at his Soccer club instead of just taking freebies.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/starmer-will-keep-taking-gifts-from-labour-peer-amid-row-over-clothes-donations/ar-AA1qFrMD?ocid=BingNewsSerp

"Giving the example of football tickets, which the Prime Minister is known to accept as gifts, he said: “I’m a massive Arsenal fan. I can’t go into the stands because of security reasons. Therefore, if I don’t accept a gift of hospitality, I can’t go to a game. You could say, ‘well, bad luck’. That’s why gifts have to be registered.

“But, you know, never going to an Arsenal game again because I can’t accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far.”"

I don't agree with the clothing issue. Our last incorruptible Prime Minister, David Cameron never took freebies on behalf of himself or his wife, but I believe there are practical reasons why he is entitled to take the footie tickets. A contribution in lieu of payment to a bone fide charity might be acceptable recompense.

moonshine · September 17

Monksfield said:

moonshine said:
More so than usual, the logical voter in this election goes for a split White House / Congress vote, to constrain the loonier aspects of both candidates agendas. If so, be interesting to see what way that split falls.

As per the header, Silver by the way indicates a growing chance (25%) of Harris winning the popular vote but losing the EV. “Stolen I tell ya!”.
Yes of course. Because Government that can’t achieve anything is always great….

It is perfectly great, if the executive is extreme. You’d want a senate brake on Trump Supreme Court appointments for example. And you’d certainly want a moderating House against the quasi communist aspects of Kamala’s pursuit of “equality of outcome, not of opportunity”.

Just extraordinary that America has landed itself with perhaps the two worst candidates ever in the same election. The Democrats couldn’t get it right even after a second bite of the cherry!

TheScreamingEagles · September 17

Sandpit said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Sandpit said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
Going corporate hospitality is the only way I get to see Liverpool live.

In most circumstances I pay my own way.

It is nice when somebody pays for me but I am incorruptible
Would I be right in saying that it’s now pretty much impossible to get tickets to Prem League matches except through hospitality? Asking for a friend who might be somewhere close to Liverpool for a couple of weeks over Christmas.
Yup, particularly as we play Manchester United on the 4th of January.
Thanks, I had a feeling that might be the case. How bad is it, would my guess £300-400 be miles off?

It's around £400 for a match against the likes of Leicester.

You're looking at over £1,000 for a ticket for Manchester United.

It's £336 to £906 a ticket for a Champions League match against Bologna.

https://ticketing.liverpoolfc.com/en-GB/hospitality/liverpool v bologna fc 1901/2024-10-2_20.00/anfield

Stocky · September 17

Barnesian said:
Harris wins bigly. PV and EC. Tsunami.

If this happens I'd be thinking 'darn it that was predictable'.

If Trump lost the popular vote but squeaked the EC and won I'd be thinking 'darn it that was predictable'.

Malmesbury · September 17

Taz said:

Fishing said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
I think it shows another aspect to Starmer's political tin ear. We've already seen his insensitivity in cancelling the winter fuel allowance for most pensioners to fund massive pay increases for his public sector union paymasters and now we see his hypocrisy in having clothes paid for him despite having objected to Boris's wallpaper.

Whenever challeneged, rather than defusing the story by returning the trivial gifts, he goes into prickly lawyer mode, never really explaining convincingly or apologising.

It's why his government has had such a quick collapse in YouGov approval ratings.
Especially when Starmer made such a play about cleaning up politics.

He's a wealthy man, why could he not pay for the hospitality at his Soccer club instead of just taking freebies.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/starmer-will-keep-taking-gifts-from-labour-peer-amid-row-over-clothes-donations/ar-AA1qFrMD?ocid=BingNewsSerp

"Giving the example of football tickets, which the Prime Minister is known to accept as gifts, he said: “I’m a massive Arsenal fan. I can’t go into the stands because of security reasons. Therefore, if I don’t accept a gift of hospitality, I can’t go to a game. You could say, ‘well, bad luck’. That’s why gifts have to be registered.

“But, you know, never going to an Arsenal game again because I can’t accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far.”"

I’ve seen it suggested that a 10 person Arsenal box is £10k.

Buy one, a couple of places for security. Then flog the other 7 seats to politicians who are rich. Charge them £1500 each.

kamski · September 17

My bold prediction:

Harris wins the Electoral College by the narrowest of margins, after a recount in the decisive state (probably Pennsylvania or North Carolina). Weeks of chaos follow as Trump claims it was rigged, launches lawsuits, gets fake electors to vote for him, tries to get the House (last time 139 Republican representatives voted to overturn Biden's win in the House - I guess it will be more this time, but probably still won't get a majority as 6 Republicans have already promised to uphold the 2024 result).

It might get ugly, but all Trump's attempts fail, and Harris becomes president.

I have very little confidence in my prediction, but I thought I may as well be bold!

Mexicanpete · September 17

Malmesbury said:

StillWaters said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
When I was a young whippersnapper I had a rule that I was happy to accept a coffee from a service provider (I think I once accepted lunch). One colleague, in particular, took ski weekends and a trip to Vegas for a boxing match.

It wasn’t against the rules. But it was noticed.
Nowadays, there are detailed *laws*. Coffee is OK. Lunch *can* be an issue - if it goes over about £25, you are into reporting it.

The ski weekends and Vegas are straight up banned, for nearly all purposes.

Edit: a friend, in private banking, saw the reasons why. He had to clean up some messes. Young, impressionable kids at the bank had been taken out for expensive meals by the clients. After the champagne, the topic of the loans had come up…

The fortnight at the villa in Spain seems to remain popular and is often seen as a favour rather than a bribe. The Mini Clubman for the wife less popular than it once was. Brown envelopes? That'll do nicely.

No one has ever offered me such temptations.

rcs1000 · September 17

Monksfield said:
The momentum is with Harris and Trump is a deeply flawed candidate.

Harris wins the Popular vote by 8%, takes all states that Biden took in 2020 and narrowly adds NC, possibly a random one from left field like IA.

I honestly don’t think US polling is worth jack shit.

That’s my bold prediction.

I can think of half a dozen Republican States more likely to flip than Iowa: indeed, I'd think Texas and Florida are both likelier to go Blue.

My current prediction: Trump by a whisker, but with a surprising set of state by state results:

Dem Holds: Nevada, Arizona and Georgia
Rep Pickups: Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania
Dem Pickups: North Carolina

And both Florida and Texas are surprisingly close.

Why?

Because demographics are pushing those sunshine States towards the Democrats at breakneck pace, just as the loss of the White Non-Graduate vote is making the entirety of the rustbelt look like Ohio.

rcs1000 · September 17

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.

I would like to say I never accept gifts, but our reinsurance broker did send me a very nice bottle of wine for Christmas last year.

Mexicanpete · September 17

moonshine said:

Monksfield said:

moonshine said:
More so than usual, the logical voter in this election goes for a split White House / Congress vote, to constrain the loonier aspects of both candidates agendas. If so, be interesting to see what way that split falls.

As per the header, Silver by the way indicates a growing chance (25%) of Harris winning the popular vote but losing the EV. “Stolen I tell ya!”.
Yes of course. Because Government that can’t achieve anything is always great….
It is perfectly great, if the executive is extreme. You’d want a senate brake on Trump Supreme Court appointments for example. And you’d certainly want a moderating House against the quasi communist aspects of Kamala’s pursuit of “equality of outcome, not of opportunity”.

Just extraordinary that America has landed itself with perhaps the two worst candidates ever in the same election. The Democrats couldn’t get it right even after a second bite of the cherry!

Kamala has been a revelation. Economic circumstances and immigration are not her friend, Trump being as mad as a March hare, might be.

DecrepiterJohnL · September 17

Taz said:

Fishing said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
I think it shows another aspect to Starmer's political tin ear. We've already seen his insensitivity in cancelling the winter fuel allowance for most pensioners to fund massive pay increases for his public sector union paymasters and now we see his hypocrisy in having clothes paid for him despite having objected to Boris's wallpaper.

Whenever challeneged, rather than defusing the story by returning the trivial gifts, he goes into prickly lawyer mode, never really explaining convincingly or apologising.

It's why his government has had such a quick collapse in YouGov approval ratings.
Especially when Starmer made such a play about cleaning up politics.

He's a wealthy man, why could he not pay for the hospitality at his Soccer club instead of just taking freebies.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/starmer-will-keep-taking-gifts-from-labour-peer-amid-row-over-clothes-donations/ar-AA1qFrMD?ocid=BingNewsSerp

"Giving the example of football tickets, which the Prime Minister is known to accept as gifts, he said: “I’m a massive Arsenal fan. I can’t go into the stands because of security reasons. Therefore, if I don’t accept a gift of hospitality, I can’t go to a game. You could say, ‘well, bad luck’. That’s why gifts have to be registered.

“But, you know, never going to an Arsenal game again because I can’t accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far.”"

Presumably Starmer means he needs a box for security reasons (also so he does not bump into fellow-Gooner Jeremy Corbyn). On the one hand, these are piffling amounts. On the other hand, many of us have to sit through annual training on the dangers and illegality of bribery, and Starmer himself had a front row seat for Boris's expense scandals.

rcs1000 · September 17

Sandpit said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
Going corporate hospitality is the only way I get to see Liverpool live.

In most circumstances I pay my own way.

It is nice when somebody pays for me but I am incorruptible
Would I be right in saying that it’s now pretty much impossible to get tickets to Prem League matches except through hospitality? Asking for a friend who might be somewhere close to Liverpool for a couple of weeks over Christmas.

When I lived in London and was an active Arsenal fan, I just bought through the Arsenal ticket exchange every week. Now, sure, I was usually having to pay a premium and get Club Level seats, but I don't think I ever missed a match due to not being able to get tickets.

algarkirk · September 17

Trump to be next POTUS is my only prediction about this election.

another_richard · September 17

rcs1000 said:

Monksfield said:
The momentum is with Harris and Trump is a deeply flawed candidate.

Harris wins the Popular vote by 8%, takes all states that Biden took in 2020 and narrowly adds NC, possibly a random one from left field like IA.

I honestly don’t think US polling is worth jack shit.

That’s my bold prediction.
I can think of half a dozen Republican States more likely to flip than Iowa: indeed, I'd think Texas and Florida are both likelier to go Blue.

My current prediction: Trump by a whisker, but with a surprising set of state by state results:

Dem Holds: Nevada, Arizona and Georgia
Rep Pickups: Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania
Dem Pickups: North Carolina

And both Florida and Texas are surprisingly close.

Why?

Because demographics are pushing those sunshine States towards the Democrats at breakneck pace, just as the loss of the White Non-Graduate vote is making the entirety of the rustbelt look like Ohio.

One of the things rarely mentioned is how well Trump did among Hispanic voters in Florida and Texas in 2020.

Whether that continues or reverses will likely affect the results there and possibly also in Arizona and Nevada.

kamski · September 17

TheScreamingEagles said:

Sandpit said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Sandpit said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
Going corporate hospitality is the only way I get to see Liverpool live.

In most circumstances I pay my own way.

It is nice when somebody pays for me but I am incorruptible
Would I be right in saying that it’s now pretty much impossible to get tickets to Prem League matches except through hospitality? Asking for a friend who might be somewhere close to Liverpool for a couple of weeks over Christmas.
Yup, particularly as we play Manchester United on the 4th of January.
Thanks, I had a feeling that might be the case. How bad is it, would my guess £300-400 be miles off?
It's around £400 for a match against the likes of Leicester.

You're looking at over £1,000 for a ticket for Manchester United.

It's £336 to £906 a ticket for a Champions League match against Bologna.

https://ticketing.liverpoolfc.com/en-GB/hospitality/liverpool v bologna fc 1901/2024-10-2_20.00/anfield

Blimey. I paid 30 euros to see Bayer Leverkusen play at home. And Leverkusen are currently champions!

Stocky · September 17

rcs1000 said:

Monksfield said:
The momentum is with Harris and Trump is a deeply flawed candidate.

Harris wins the Popular vote by 8%, takes all states that Biden took in 2020 and narrowly adds NC, possibly a random one from left field like IA.

I honestly don’t think US polling is worth jack shit.

That’s my bold prediction.
I can think of half a dozen Republican States more likely to flip than Iowa: indeed, I'd think Texas and Florida are both likelier to go Blue.

My current prediction: Trump by a whisker, but with a surprising set of state by state results:

Dem Holds: Nevada, Arizona and Georgia
Rep Pickups: Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania
Dem Pickups: North Carolina

And both Florida and Texas are surprisingly close.

Why?

Because demographics are pushing those sunshine States towards the Democrats at breakneck pace, just as the loss of the White Non-Graduate vote is making the entirety of the rustbelt look like Ohio.

My biggest state bet is Reps to win Michigan.

Why? I have a diary note that has come up, written months ago, saying 'Reps will DEFINITELY win Michigan'. I have no recollection why I made that note but will be kicking myself bigly if Reps win Michigan and I haven't backed it.

rcs1000 · September 17

StillWaters said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
When I was a young whippersnapper I had a rule that I was happy to accept a coffee from a service provider (I think I once accepted lunch). One colleague, in particular, took ski weekends and a trip to Vegas for a boxing match.

It wasn’t against the rules. But it was noticed.

British Airways used to be notorious for treating analysts who gave it Buy ratings exceptionally well (and vice versa). If you wrote glowing things about the stock, you would be on the Suitable for Upgrade list, and could expect to cross the Atlantic in comfort, almost irrespective of what ticket you booked in.

It was pretty sordid.

Sandpit · September 17

TheScreamingEagles said:

Sandpit said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Sandpit said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
Going corporate hospitality is the only way I get to see Liverpool live.

In most circumstances I pay my own way.

It is nice when somebody pays for me but I am incorruptible
Would I be right in saying that it’s now pretty much impossible to get tickets to Prem League matches except through hospitality? Asking for a friend who might be somewhere close to Liverpool for a couple of weeks over Christmas.
Yup, particularly as we play Manchester United on the 4th of January.
Thanks, I had a feeling that might be the case. How bad is it, would my guess £300-400 be miles off?
It's around £400 for a match against the likes of Leicester.

You're looking at over £1,000 for a ticket for Manchester United.

It's £336 to £906 a ticket for a Champions League match against Bologna.

https://ticketing.liverpoolfc.com/en-GB/hospitality/liverpool v bologna fc 1901/2024-10-2_20.00/anfield

Perhaps I’ll look at Leicester rather than MU.

Not been to Anfield in about two decades, but not sure I can stomach dropping two bags on a pair of tickets for a football match - I can get three days’ hospitality at the F1 in Abu Dhabi for that much money!

eek · September 17

DecrepiterJohnL said:

Taz said:

Fishing said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
I think it shows another aspect to Starmer's political tin ear. We've already seen his insensitivity in cancelling the winter fuel allowance for most pensioners to fund massive pay increases for his public sector union paymasters and now we see his hypocrisy in having clothes paid for him despite having objected to Boris's wallpaper.

Whenever challeneged, rather than defusing the story by returning the trivial gifts, he goes into prickly lawyer mode, never really explaining convincingly or apologising.

It's why his government has had such a quick collapse in YouGov approval ratings.
Especially when Starmer made such a play about cleaning up politics.

He's a wealthy man, why could he not pay for the hospitality at his Soccer club instead of just taking freebies.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/starmer-will-keep-taking-gifts-from-labour-peer-amid-row-over-clothes-donations/ar-AA1qFrMD?ocid=BingNewsSerp

"Giving the example of football tickets, which the Prime Minister is known to accept as gifts, he said: “I’m a massive Arsenal fan. I can’t go into the stands because of security reasons. Therefore, if I don’t accept a gift of hospitality, I can’t go to a game. You could say, ‘well, bad luck’. That’s why gifts have to be registered.

“But, you know, never going to an Arsenal game again because I can’t accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far.”"
Presumably Starmer means he needs a box for security reasons (also so he does not bump into fellow-Gooner Jeremy Corbyn). On the one hand, these are piffling amounts. On the other hand, many of us have to sit through annual training on the dangers and illegality of bribery, and Starmer himself had a front row seat for Boris's expense scandals.

The thing is a don't see either getting a seat at the football or those clothes as bribery.

1) the football is because everyone in Football wants the publicity that comes from pointing the camera at him watching a match once in a while (or even at every match). Now you could argue it's football trying to bribe him but it's a big industry in the UK
2) the clothing is again - companies want fancy people wearing their clothes because a photo in a newspaper is worth £x0,000 in advertising. So giving some clothes to the PM's wife makes sense on a cheap advertising basis alone...

kamski · September 17

Stocky said:

rcs1000 said:

Monksfield said:
The momentum is with Harris and Trump is a deeply flawed candidate.

Harris wins the Popular vote by 8%, takes all states that Biden took in 2020 and narrowly adds NC, possibly a random one from left field like IA.

I honestly don’t think US polling is worth jack shit.

That’s my bold prediction.
I can think of half a dozen Republican States more likely to flip than Iowa: indeed, I'd think Texas and Florida are both likelier to go Blue.

My current prediction: Trump by a whisker, but with a surprising set of state by state results:

Dem Holds: Nevada, Arizona and Georgia
Rep Pickups: Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania
Dem Pickups: North Carolina

And both Florida and Texas are surprisingly close.

Why?

Because demographics are pushing those sunshine States towards the Democrats at breakneck pace, just as the loss of the White Non-Graduate vote is making the entirety of the rustbelt look like Ohio.
My biggest state bet is Reps to win Michigan.

Why? I have a diary note that has come up, written months ago, saying 'Reps will DEFINITELY win Michigan'. I have no recollection why I made that note but will be kicking myself bigly if Reps win Michigan and I haven't backed it.

There was a theory a few months ago that Arab Americans in Michigan who would normally be voting mostly Biden were going to stay at home or even vote Trump because of Biden's support for Israel.

another_richard · September 17

So does everyone agree that Sunak has been proved right in not agreeing to the doctors 35% pay demand ?

Aside from the extra money that would have cost taxpayers it would very likely had to a wage spiral across the whole public sector.

Stocky · September 17

another_richard said:

rcs1000 said:

Monksfield said:
The momentum is with Harris and Trump is a deeply flawed candidate.

Harris wins the Popular vote by 8%, takes all states that Biden took in 2020 and narrowly adds NC, possibly a random one from left field like IA.

I honestly don’t think US polling is worth jack shit.

That’s my bold prediction.
I can think of half a dozen Republican States more likely to flip than Iowa: indeed, I'd think Texas and Florida are both likelier to go Blue.

My current prediction: Trump by a whisker, but with a surprising set of state by state results:

Dem Holds: Nevada, Arizona and Georgia
Rep Pickups: Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania
Dem Pickups: North Carolina

And both Florida and Texas are surprisingly close.

Why?

Because demographics are pushing those sunshine States towards the Democrats at breakneck pace, just as the loss of the White Non-Graduate vote is making the entirety of the rustbelt look like Ohio.
One of the things rarely mentioned is how well Trump did among Hispanic voters in Florida and Texas in 2020.

Whether that continues or reverses will likely affect the results there and possibly also in Arizona and Nevada.

I travel to Arizona every May and this year chatted to a few locals who were all surprisingly far more ignorant of their politics than I am. E.g. no idea who Kari Lake is. I suspect they skew Trump but don't want to say so. They may not vote at all. There are an awful lot of folk like that.

rcs1000 · September 17

another_richard said:

rcs1000 said:

Monksfield said:
The momentum is with Harris and Trump is a deeply flawed candidate.

Harris wins the Popular vote by 8%, takes all states that Biden took in 2020 and narrowly adds NC, possibly a random one from left field like IA.

I honestly don’t think US polling is worth jack shit.

That’s my bold prediction.
I can think of half a dozen Republican States more likely to flip than Iowa: indeed, I'd think Texas and Florida are both likelier to go Blue.

My current prediction: Trump by a whisker, but with a surprising set of state by state results:

Dem Holds: Nevada, Arizona and Georgia
Rep Pickups: Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania
Dem Pickups: North Carolina

And both Florida and Texas are surprisingly close.

Why?

Because demographics are pushing those sunshine States towards the Democrats at breakneck pace, just as the loss of the White Non-Graduate vote is making the entirety of the rustbelt look like Ohio.
One of the things rarely mentioned is how well Trump did among Hispanic voters in Florida and Texas in 2020.

Whether that continues or reverses will likely affect the results there and possibly also in Arizona and Nevada.

Arizona and Nevada are interesting, because they have seen dramatic increases in the number of graduates in them. NPR did an article showing that - since 2016 - the proprtion of voters who are graduates in those States has increased from about 30% to 48%.

Stocky · September 17

another_richard said:
So does everyone agree that Sunak has been proved right in not agreeing to the doctors 35% pay demand ?

Aside from the extra money that would have cost taxpayers it would very likely had to a wage spiral across the whole public sector.

Of course. It was an absurd demand.

algarkirk · September 17

Malmesbury said:

Taz said:

Fishing said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
I think it shows another aspect to Starmer's political tin ear. We've already seen his insensitivity in cancelling the winter fuel allowance for most pensioners to fund massive pay increases for his public sector union paymasters and now we see his hypocrisy in having clothes paid for him despite having objected to Boris's wallpaper.

Whenever challeneged, rather than defusing the story by returning the trivial gifts, he goes into prickly lawyer mode, never really explaining convincingly or apologising.

It's why his government has had such a quick collapse in YouGov approval ratings.
Especially when Starmer made such a play about cleaning up politics.

He's a wealthy man, why could he not pay for the hospitality at his Soccer club instead of just taking freebies.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/starmer-will-keep-taking-gifts-from-labour-peer-amid-row-over-clothes-donations/ar-AA1qFrMD?ocid=BingNewsSerp

"Giving the example of football tickets, which the Prime Minister is known to accept as gifts, he said: “I’m a massive Arsenal fan. I can’t go into the stands because of security reasons. Therefore, if I don’t accept a gift of hospitality, I can’t go to a game. You could say, ‘well, bad luck’. That’s why gifts have to be registered.

“But, you know, never going to an Arsenal game again because I can’t accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far.”"
I’ve seen it suggested that a 10 person Arsenal box is £10k.

Buy one, a couple of places for security. Then flog the other 7 seats to politicians who are rich. Charge them £1500 each.

Lots of people would really like to go to top flight football and can't or won't because of its ludicrous cost. (My long ago Arsenal attending days were when you paid well under £1 to stand in the North Bank and listen to racist chanting).

It is reasonable for our PM to be able to attend, just as our PM should generally be an Arsenal, Middlesex (or Surrey) and Saracens supporter.

In general he should be very clearly paying for his ticket; the fact that the totality would also cost loads extra because of his security situation should be borne by the taxpayer.

To govern is to choose. To choose to go to football is to make a personal economic choice, and this should be true for PMs too.

Starmer has got it wrong and should move to get it right.

Stuartinromford · September 17

eek said:

DecrepiterJohnL said:

Taz said:

Fishing said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
I think it shows another aspect to Starmer's political tin ear. We've already seen his insensitivity in cancelling the winter fuel allowance for most pensioners to fund massive pay increases for his public sector union paymasters and now we see his hypocrisy in having clothes paid for him despite having objected to Boris's wallpaper.

Whenever challeneged, rather than defusing the story by returning the trivial gifts, he goes into prickly lawyer mode, never really explaining convincingly or apologising.

It's why his government has had such a quick collapse in YouGov approval ratings.
Especially when Starmer made such a play about cleaning up politics.

He's a wealthy man, why could he not pay for the hospitality at his Soccer club instead of just taking freebies.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/starmer-will-keep-taking-gifts-from-labour-peer-amid-row-over-clothes-donations/ar-AA1qFrMD?ocid=BingNewsSerp

"Giving the example of football tickets, which the Prime Minister is known to accept as gifts, he said: “I’m a massive Arsenal fan. I can’t go into the stands because of security reasons. Therefore, if I don’t accept a gift of hospitality, I can’t go to a game. You could say, ‘well, bad luck’. That’s why gifts have to be registered.

“But, you know, never going to an Arsenal game again because I can’t accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far.”"
Presumably Starmer means he needs a box for security reasons (also so he does not bump into fellow-Gooner Jeremy Corbyn). On the one hand, these are piffling amounts. On the other hand, many of us have to sit through annual training on the dangers and illegality of bribery, and Starmer himself had a front row seat for Boris's expense scandals.
The thing is a don't see either getting a seat at the football or those clothes as bribery.

1) the football is because everyone in Football wants the publicity that comes from pointing the camera at him watching a match once in a while (or even at every match). Now you could argue it's football trying to bribe him but it's a big industry in the UK
2) the clothing is again - companies want fancy people wearing their clothes because a photo in a newspaper is worth £x0,000 in advertising. So giving some clothes to the PM's wife makes sense on a cheap advertising basis alone...

Two big factors driving it.

It allows those carrying a flame for Boris to say "look, Boris wasn't so bad". Largely tosh- what did for Boris was the lying and evasion, every single time.

It also provides some balm for the fact that Conservatives, and their cheerleaders are out. The thing they are still in denial about is that, however mediocre the new government is, it's better than the old one.

Stocky · September 17

another_richard said:
So does everyone agree that Sunak has been proved right in not agreeing to the doctors 35% pay demand ?

Aside from the extra money that would have cost taxpayers it would very likely had to a wage spiral across the whole public sector.

Plus a 35% increase, plus future annual increases from this new base, equals nicely inflated earnings for an even more absurdly generous DB pension on retirement. Let's not forget that.

JosiasJessop · September 17

eek said:

DecrepiterJohnL said:

Taz said:

Fishing said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
I think it shows another aspect to Starmer's political tin ear. We've already seen his insensitivity in cancelling the winter fuel allowance for most pensioners to fund massive pay increases for his public sector union paymasters and now we see his hypocrisy in having clothes paid for him despite having objected to Boris's wallpaper.

Whenever challeneged, rather than defusing the story by returning the trivial gifts, he goes into prickly lawyer mode, never really explaining convincingly or apologising.

It's why his government has had such a quick collapse in YouGov approval ratings.
Especially when Starmer made such a play about cleaning up politics.

He's a wealthy man, why could he not pay for the hospitality at his Soccer club instead of just taking freebies.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/starmer-will-keep-taking-gifts-from-labour-peer-amid-row-over-clothes-donations/ar-AA1qFrMD?ocid=BingNewsSerp

"Giving the example of football tickets, which the Prime Minister is known to accept as gifts, he said: “I’m a massive Arsenal fan. I can’t go into the stands because of security reasons. Therefore, if I don’t accept a gift of hospitality, I can’t go to a game. You could say, ‘well, bad luck’. That’s why gifts have to be registered.

“But, you know, never going to an Arsenal game again because I can’t accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far.”"
Presumably Starmer means he needs a box for security reasons (also so he does not bump into fellow-Gooner Jeremy Corbyn). On the one hand, these are piffling amounts. On the other hand, many of us have to sit through annual training on the dangers and illegality of bribery, and Starmer himself had a front row seat for Boris's expense scandals.
The thing is a don't see either getting a seat at the football or those clothes as bribery.

1) the football is because everyone in Football wants the publicity that comes from pointing the camera at him watching a match once in a while (or even at every match). Now you could argue it's football trying to bribe him but it's a big industry in the UK
2) the clothing is again - companies want fancy people wearing their clothes because a photo in a newspaper is worth £x0,000 in advertising. So giving some clothes to the PM's wife makes sense on a cheap advertising basis alone...

Except the clothes donor got a No.10 pass that (AIUI) he should not have got. Odd, isn't it, that of all people, a donor gets a pass to the highest levels of power.

Corruption: plain and simple.

And Labour supporters would be screeching about this if it was a Tory PM.

another_richard · September 17

The other side to the Starmer 'gifts', how textile workers are exploited in Leicester:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4ng1y78wppo

Stuartinromford · September 17

Stocky said:

another_richard said:
So does everyone agree that Sunak has been proved right in not agreeing to the doctors 35% pay demand ?

Aside from the extra money that would have cost taxpayers it would very likely had to a wage spiral across the whole public sector.
Of course. It was an absurd demand.

But it was also making an excessive initial pitch so that the landing spot was something acceptable.

I thought Conservatives understood business and negotiation.

Mexicanpete · September 17

another_richard said:
The other side to the Starmer 'gifts', how textile workers are exploited in Leicester:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4ng1y78wppo

I don't agree with Mrs Starmer accepting freebies, but you've made one hell of a leap there.

eek · September 17

JosiasJessop said:

eek said:

DecrepiterJohnL said:

Taz said:

Fishing said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
I think it shows another aspect to Starmer's political tin ear. We've already seen his insensitivity in cancelling the winter fuel allowance for most pensioners to fund massive pay increases for his public sector union paymasters and now we see his hypocrisy in having clothes paid for him despite having objected to Boris's wallpaper.

Whenever challeneged, rather than defusing the story by returning the trivial gifts, he goes into prickly lawyer mode, never really explaining convincingly or apologising.

It's why his government has had such a quick collapse in YouGov approval ratings.
Especially when Starmer made such a play about cleaning up politics.

He's a wealthy man, why could he not pay for the hospitality at his Soccer club instead of just taking freebies.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/starmer-will-keep-taking-gifts-from-labour-peer-amid-row-over-clothes-donations/ar-AA1qFrMD?ocid=BingNewsSerp

"Giving the example of football tickets, which the Prime Minister is known to accept as gifts, he said: “I’m a massive Arsenal fan. I can’t go into the stands because of security reasons. Therefore, if I don’t accept a gift of hospitality, I can’t go to a game. You could say, ‘well, bad luck’. That’s why gifts have to be registered.

“But, you know, never going to an Arsenal game again because I can’t accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far.”"
Presumably Starmer means he needs a box for security reasons (also so he does not bump into fellow-Gooner Jeremy Corbyn). On the one hand, these are piffling amounts. On the other hand, many of us have to sit through annual training on the dangers and illegality of bribery, and Starmer himself had a front row seat for Boris's expense scandals.
The thing is a don't see either getting a seat at the football or those clothes as bribery.

1) the football is because everyone in Football wants the publicity that comes from pointing the camera at him watching a match once in a while (or even at every match). Now you could argue it's football trying to bribe him but it's a big industry in the UK
2) the clothing is again - companies want fancy people wearing their clothes because a photo in a newspaper is worth £x0,000 in advertising. So giving some clothes to the PM's wife makes sense on a cheap advertising basis alone...
Except the clothes donor got a No.10 pass that (AIUI) he should not have got. Odd, isn't it, that of all people, a donor gets a pass to the highest levels of power.

Corruption: plain and simple.

And Labour supporters would be screeching about this if it was a Tory PM.

oh in which case - that's wrong - SKS and Grey should have a lot more sense...

Stuartinromford · September 17

JosiasJessop said:

eek said:

DecrepiterJohnL said:

Taz said:

Fishing said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
I think it shows another aspect to Starmer's political tin ear. We've already seen his insensitivity in cancelling the winter fuel allowance for most pensioners to fund massive pay increases for his public sector union paymasters and now we see his hypocrisy in having clothes paid for him despite having objected to Boris's wallpaper.

Whenever challeneged, rather than defusing the story by returning the trivial gifts, he goes into prickly lawyer mode, never really explaining convincingly or apologising.

It's why his government has had such a quick collapse in YouGov approval ratings.
Especially when Starmer made such a play about cleaning up politics.

He's a wealthy man, why could he not pay for the hospitality at his Soccer club instead of just taking freebies.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/starmer-will-keep-taking-gifts-from-labour-peer-amid-row-over-clothes-donations/ar-AA1qFrMD?ocid=BingNewsSerp

"Giving the example of football tickets, which the Prime Minister is known to accept as gifts, he said: “I’m a massive Arsenal fan. I can’t go into the stands because of security reasons. Therefore, if I don’t accept a gift of hospitality, I can’t go to a game. You could say, ‘well, bad luck’. That’s why gifts have to be registered.

“But, you know, never going to an Arsenal game again because I can’t accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far.”"
Presumably Starmer means he needs a box for security reasons (also so he does not bump into fellow-Gooner Jeremy Corbyn). On the one hand, these are piffling amounts. On the other hand, many of us have to sit through annual training on the dangers and illegality of bribery, and Starmer himself had a front row seat for Boris's expense scandals.
The thing is a don't see either getting a seat at the football or those clothes as bribery.

1) the football is because everyone in Football wants the publicity that comes from pointing the camera at him watching a match once in a while (or even at every match). Now you could argue it's football trying to bribe him but it's a big industry in the UK
2) the clothing is again - companies want fancy people wearing their clothes because a photo in a newspaper is worth £x0,000 in advertising. So giving some clothes to the PM's wife makes sense on a cheap advertising basis alone...
Except the clothes donor got a No.10 pass that (AIUI) he should not have got. Odd, isn't it, that of all people, a donor gets a pass to the highest levels of power.

Corruption: plain and simple.

And Labour supporters would be screeching about this if it was a Tory PM.

He's a Labour peer, and a longstanding Labour fixer and donor, going back to the Blair days.

Doesn't mean he should have had the pass, but it had little to do with the clothes.

moonshine · September 17

Mexicanpete said:

moonshine said:

Monksfield said:

moonshine said:
More so than usual, the logical voter in this election goes for a split White House / Congress vote, to constrain the loonier aspects of both candidates agendas. If so, be interesting to see what way that split falls.

As per the header, Silver by the way indicates a growing chance (25%) of Harris winning the popular vote but losing the EV. “Stolen I tell ya!”.
Yes of course. Because Government that can’t achieve anything is always great….
It is perfectly great, if the executive is extreme. You’d want a senate brake on Trump Supreme Court appointments for example. And you’d certainly want a moderating House against the quasi communist aspects of Kamala’s pursuit of “equality of outcome, not of opportunity”.

Just extraordinary that America has landed itself with perhaps the two worst candidates ever in the same election. The Democrats couldn’t get it right even after a second bite of the cherry!
Kamala has been a revelation. Economic circumstances and immigration are not her friend, Trump being as mad as a March hare, might be.

There is a difference between her gaining voting intention points that Biden did not, and if she wins, governing well in the interests of Western civ.

nico679 · September 17

Cornel West will not appear on the ballot in Pennsylvania the State Supreme Court ruled .

The progressive candidate could have taken some votes from Harris so a small boost for her campaign .

mercator · September 17

Harris PV

EC 2C2C but I am going with Harris by a nose and me cursing about cashing out on her

rottenborough · September 17

WTF!!!

"Nearly 4m smart meters are malfunctioning in the UK"

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/sep/17/uk-smart-meter-targets-energy-users-martin-lewis

rottenborough · September 17

nico679 said:
Cornel West will not appear on the ballot in Pennsylvania the State Supreme Court ruled .

The progressive candidate could have taken some votes from Harris so a small boost for her campaign .

Hurrah!

Stocky · September 17

Stuartinromford said:

Stocky said:

another_richard said:
So does everyone agree that Sunak has been proved right in not agreeing to the doctors 35% pay demand ?

Aside from the extra money that would have cost taxpayers it would very likely had to a wage spiral across the whole public sector.
Of course. It was an absurd demand.
But it was also making an excessive initial pitch so that the landing spot was something acceptable.

I thought Conservatives understood business and negotiation.

Sure, so Another Richard was correct when he said 'Sunak has been proved right in not agreeing to the doctors 35% pay demand'.

Mexicanpete · September 17

moonshine said:

Mexicanpete said:

moonshine said:

Monksfield said:

moonshine said:
More so than usual, the logical voter in this election goes for a split White House / Congress vote, to constrain the loonier aspects of both candidates agendas. If so, be interesting to see what way that split falls.

As per the header, Silver by the way indicates a growing chance (25%) of Harris winning the popular vote but losing the EV. “Stolen I tell ya!”.
Yes of course. Because Government that can’t achieve anything is always great….
It is perfectly great, if the executive is extreme. You’d want a senate brake on Trump Supreme Court appointments for example. And you’d certainly want a moderating House against the quasi communist aspects of Kamala’s pursuit of “equality of outcome, not of opportunity”.

Just extraordinary that America has landed itself with perhaps the two worst candidates ever in the same election. The Democrats couldn’t get it right even after a second bite of the cherry!
Kamala has been a revelation. Economic circumstances and immigration are not her friend, Trump being as mad as a March hare, might be.
There is a difference between her gaining voting intention points that Biden did not, and if she wins, governing well in the interests of Western civ.

Yes but should she win the chances are she will be a mediocre status quo President, although she may, as she has as candidate, surprise on the upside. A second Trump presidency looks to have the hallmarks of a dumpster fire.

rottenborough · September 17

Barnesian said:
Harris wins bigly. PV and EC. Tsunami.

Wow. Brave minister, brave...

TOPPING · September 17

No idea. But interested to read PB's analysis. Sounds like it'll be very close.

Verulamius · September 17

Good poll for Harris in Pennsylvania from Suffolk

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/09/16/harris-trump-pennsylvania-poll/75236006007/

Penn Harris 49 Trump 46
Northampton County Harris 50 Trump 45
Erie County Harris 48 Trump 44

Malmesbury · September 17

moonshine said:

Monksfield said:

moonshine said:
More so than usual, the logical voter in this election goes for a split White House / Congress vote, to constrain the loonier aspects of both candidates agendas. If so, be interesting to see what way that split falls.

As per the header, Silver by the way indicates a growing chance (25%) of Harris winning the popular vote but losing the EV. “Stolen I tell ya!”.
Yes of course. Because Government that can’t achieve anything is always great….
It is perfectly great, if the executive is extreme. You’d want a senate brake on Trump Supreme Court appointments for example. And you’d certainly want a moderating House against the quasi communist aspects of Kamala’s pursuit of “equality of outcome, not of opportunity”.

Just extraordinary that America has landed itself with perhaps the two worst candidates ever in the same election. The Democrats couldn’t get it right even after a second bite of the cherry!

Harris was picked by Biden. Who had bad memories of being treated as irrelevant by the Obama team.

Since he wasn’t an A* president, himself, he picked a B- VP

another_richard · September 17

JosiasJessop said:

eek said:

DecrepiterJohnL said:

Taz said:

Fishing said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
I think it shows another aspect to Starmer's political tin ear. We've already seen his insensitivity in cancelling the winter fuel allowance for most pensioners to fund massive pay increases for his public sector union paymasters and now we see his hypocrisy in having clothes paid for him despite having objected to Boris's wallpaper.

Whenever challeneged, rather than defusing the story by returning the trivial gifts, he goes into prickly lawyer mode, never really explaining convincingly or apologising.

It's why his government has had such a quick collapse in YouGov approval ratings.
Especially when Starmer made such a play about cleaning up politics.

He's a wealthy man, why could he not pay for the hospitality at his Soccer club instead of just taking freebies.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/starmer-will-keep-taking-gifts-from-labour-peer-amid-row-over-clothes-donations/ar-AA1qFrMD?ocid=BingNewsSerp

"Giving the example of football tickets, which the Prime Minister is known to accept as gifts, he said: “I’m a massive Arsenal fan. I can’t go into the stands because of security reasons. Therefore, if I don’t accept a gift of hospitality, I can’t go to a game. You could say, ‘well, bad luck’. That’s why gifts have to be registered.

“But, you know, never going to an Arsenal game again because I can’t accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far.”"
Presumably Starmer means he needs a box for security reasons (also so he does not bump into fellow-Gooner Jeremy Corbyn). On the one hand, these are piffling amounts. On the other hand, many of us have to sit through annual training on the dangers and illegality of bribery, and Starmer himself had a front row seat for Boris's expense scandals.
The thing is a don't see either getting a seat at the football or those clothes as bribery.

1) the football is because everyone in Football wants the publicity that comes from pointing the camera at him watching a match once in a while (or even at every match). Now you could argue it's football trying to bribe him but it's a big industry in the UK
2) the clothing is again - companies want fancy people wearing their clothes because a photo in a newspaper is worth £x0,000 in advertising. So giving some clothes to the PM's wife makes sense on a cheap advertising basis alone...
Except the clothes donor got a No.10 pass that (AIUI) he should not have got. Odd, isn't it, that of all people, a donor gets a pass to the highest levels of power.

Corruption: plain and simple.

And Labour supporters would be screeching about this if it was a Tory PM.

Its a process:

Donations from the outsider gets access to the politicians
Access to the politicians gets contracts for the outsider
Contracts for the outsider gets politicians jobs once they leave office

What is surprising is how cheaply Starmer has sold himself and how easily he has been exposed.

Sandpit · September 17

Okay, so I looked up tickets for Liverpool v Leicester on Boxing Day.

The *only* ticket still available is “Crowne Plaza” hospitality, at £390/person.

As you might have guessed by the name, this is actually a function room in an hotel in Liverpool City Centre from where you get three hours of brunch, then kicked out half an hour before kick-off, put on a bus to the ground where you get a standard seat in the stand.

https://ticketing.liverpoolfc.com/en-GB/hospitality/liverpool v leicester city/2024-12-26_15.00/anfield

Forgive me for thinking that £400 for a bog-standard match ticket plus £50 (at a push) of F&B taken elsewhere, doesn’t exactly represent much value for money.

Yet it will be totally sold out, as the following match against MU is already totally sold out more than three months in advance.

TOPPING · September 17

.again back order posting weird your have weirdos you Meanwhile

eek · September 17

TOPPING said:
.again back order posting weird your have weirdos you Meanwhile

VF.pb.com chronological order
pb.com - reverse chronological order

It's quite nice to have a choice of options..

TheScreamingEagles · September 17

Sandpit said:
Okay, so I looked up tickets for Liverpool v Leicester on Boxing Day.

The only ticket available is “Crowne Plaza” hospitality, at £390/person.

As you might have guessed by the name, this is actually a function room in an hotel in Liverpool City Centre from where you get three hours of brunch, then kicked out half an hour before kick-off, put on a bus to the ground where you get a standard seat in the stand.

https://ticketing.liverpoolfc.com/en-GB/hospitality/liverpool v leicester city/2024-12-26_15.00/anfield

Forgive me for thinking that £400 for a bog-standard match ticket plus £50 (at a push) of F&B taken elsewhere, doesn’t exactly represent much value for money.

Yet it will be totally sold out, as the following match against MU is already totally sold out more than three months in advance.

Speaking personally, I am glad the working class football fan is being priced out as it is the only way I can get a ticket.

Thanks to me Liverpool can afford to sign world class players.

Wait until you hear how much I paid for a ticket to CL final in Madrid in 2019 and that was even before flights and accommodation.

nico679 · September 17

rottenborough said:

nico679 said:
Cornel West will not appear on the ballot in Pennsylvania the State Supreme Court ruled .

The progressive candidate could have taken some votes from Harris so a small boost for her campaign .
Hurrah!

At the moment there’s two in effect spoiler candidates , the Putin arselicker and alleged Green candidate Stein and Oliver the Libertarian. So you could say that’s a wash with both Harris and Trump effected . All these legal challenges delayed the printing of mail in ballots so now they can go ahead .

Mexicanpete · September 17

JosiasJessop said:

eek said:

DecrepiterJohnL said:

Taz said:

Fishing said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
I think it shows another aspect to Starmer's political tin ear. We've already seen his insensitivity in cancelling the winter fuel allowance for most pensioners to fund massive pay increases for his public sector union paymasters and now we see his hypocrisy in having clothes paid for him despite having objected to Boris's wallpaper.

Whenever challeneged, rather than defusing the story by returning the trivial gifts, he goes into prickly lawyer mode, never really explaining convincingly or apologising.

It's why his government has had such a quick collapse in YouGov approval ratings.
Especially when Starmer made such a play about cleaning up politics.

He's a wealthy man, why could he not pay for the hospitality at his Soccer club instead of just taking freebies.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/starmer-will-keep-taking-gifts-from-labour-peer-amid-row-over-clothes-donations/ar-AA1qFrMD?ocid=BingNewsSerp

"Giving the example of football tickets, which the Prime Minister is known to accept as gifts, he said: “I’m a massive Arsenal fan. I can’t go into the stands because of security reasons. Therefore, if I don’t accept a gift of hospitality, I can’t go to a game. You could say, ‘well, bad luck’. That’s why gifts have to be registered.

“But, you know, never going to an Arsenal game again because I can’t accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far.”"
Presumably Starmer means he needs a box for security reasons (also so he does not bump into fellow-Gooner Jeremy Corbyn). On the one hand, these are piffling amounts. On the other hand, many of us have to sit through annual training on the dangers and illegality of bribery, and Starmer himself had a front row seat for Boris's expense scandals.
The thing is a don't see either getting a seat at the football or those clothes as bribery.

1) the football is because everyone in Football wants the publicity that comes from pointing the camera at him watching a match once in a while (or even at every match). Now you could argue it's football trying to bribe him but it's a big industry in the UK
2) the clothing is again - companies want fancy people wearing their clothes because a photo in a newspaper is worth £x0,000 in advertising. So giving some clothes to the PM's wife makes sense on a cheap advertising basis alone...
Except the clothes donor got a No.10 pass that (AIUI) he should not have got. Odd, isn't it, that of all people, a donor gets a pass to the highest levels of power.

Corruption: plain and simple.

And Labour supporters would be screeching about this if it was a Tory PM.

No I don't think they would. No one minded Sunak's freebie to St Mary's mentioned by Foxy. Labour have chased big ticket corruption. The client media and the PB faithful are trying to equalise Mrs Starmer's frocks with Michelle Mone's PPE contracts.

Now do I believe Mrs Starmer should be getting free frocks when she can afford her own? No.

eek · September 17

Sandpit said:
Okay, so I looked up tickets for Liverpool v Leicester on Boxing Day.

The *only* ticket still available is “Crowne Plaza” hospitality, at £390/person.

As you might have guessed by the name, this is actually a function room in an hotel in Liverpool City Centre from where you get three hours of brunch, then kicked out half an hour before kick-off, put on a bus to the ground where you get a standard seat in the stand.

https://ticketing.liverpoolfc.com/en-GB/hospitality/liverpool v leicester city/2024-12-26_15.00/anfield

Forgive me for thinking that £400 for a bog-standard match ticket plus £50 (at a push) of F&B taken elsewhere, doesn’t exactly represent much value for money.

Yet it will be totally sold out, as the following match against MU is already totally sold out more than three months in advance.

Given that it's boxing day I would but the food costs at £100 rather than £50. i've seen the prices local pubs are charging for Christmas and Boxing day or oh boy even the rubbish pubs are asking for £100 on Christmas day and £60 on boxing day.

Big_G_NorthWales · September 17

Good morning

From little acorns large oak trees grow

https://x.com/CCACllrs/status/1835821832009662634?t=ChJUBh_9bLGX1Y8p3gBW6g&s=19

another_richard · September 17

Stocky said:

Stuartinromford said:

Stocky said:

another_richard said:
So does everyone agree that Sunak has been proved right in not agreeing to the doctors 35% pay demand ?

Aside from the extra money that would have cost taxpayers it would very likely had to a wage spiral across the whole public sector.
Of course. It was an absurd demand.
But it was also making an excessive initial pitch so that the landing spot was something acceptable.

I thought Conservatives understood business and negotiation.
Sure, so Another Richard was correct when he said 'Sunak has been proved right in not agreeing to the doctors 35% pay demand'.

If Sunak had wanted to screw the incoming Labour government he could have agreed to 35% pay demand and then let Labour deal with all the 'follow the leader' pay demands from the other public sector unions.

moonshine · September 17

Mexicanpete said:

moonshine said:

Mexicanpete said:

moonshine said:

Monksfield said:

moonshine said:
More so than usual, the logical voter in this election goes for a split White House / Congress vote, to constrain the loonier aspects of both candidates agendas. If so, be interesting to see what way that split falls.

As per the header, Silver by the way indicates a growing chance (25%) of Harris winning the popular vote but losing the EV. “Stolen I tell ya!”.
Yes of course. Because Government that can’t achieve anything is always great….
It is perfectly great, if the executive is extreme. You’d want a senate brake on Trump Supreme Court appointments for example. And you’d certainly want a moderating House against the quasi communist aspects of Kamala’s pursuit of “equality of outcome, not of opportunity”.

Just extraordinary that America has landed itself with perhaps the two worst candidates ever in the same election. The Democrats couldn’t get it right even after a second bite of the cherry!
Kamala has been a revelation. Economic circumstances and immigration are not her friend, Trump being as mad as a March hare, might be.
There is a difference between her gaining voting intention points that Biden did not, and if she wins, governing well in the interests of Western civ.
Yes but should she win the chances are she will be a mediocre status quo President, although she may, as she has as candidate, surprise on the upside. A second Trump presidency looks to have the hallmarks of a dumpster fire.

Perhaps this is where we split, as I don’t think the status quo has been mediocre but an absolute dumpster fire, both economically and on world affairs.

Instead Americans are offered either continuity 2024 or continuity 2020.

HYUFD · September 17

My prediction is Harris wins 273 to 265. Trump picks up Arizona and Pennsylvania but Harris holds Michigan and Wisconsin and Nebraska 02 helped by Walz and Georgia with the African American vote turning out heavily.

Trump gets a higher national vote though than he did in 2016 or 2020

TOPPING · September 17

Sandpit said:
Okay, so I looked up tickets for Liverpool v Leicester on Boxing Day.

The *only* ticket still available is “Crowne Plaza” hospitality, at £390/person.

As you might have guessed by the name, this is actually a function room in an hotel in Liverpool City Centre from where you get three hours of brunch, then kicked out half an hour before kick-off, put on a bus to the ground where you get a standard seat in the stand.

https://ticketing.liverpoolfc.com/en-GB/hospitality/liverpool v leicester city/2024-12-26_15.00/anfield

Forgive me for thinking that £400 for a bog-standard match ticket plus £50 (at a push) of F&B taken elsewhere, doesn’t exactly represent much value for money.

Yet it will be totally sold out, as the following match against MU is already totally sold out more than three months in advance.

And there you have the market functioning perfectly.

Sandpit · September 17

TheScreamingEagles said:

Sandpit said:
Okay, so I looked up tickets for Liverpool v Leicester on Boxing Day.

The only ticket available is “Crowne Plaza” hospitality, at £390/person.

As you might have guessed by the name, this is actually a function room in an hotel in Liverpool City Centre from where you get three hours of brunch, then kicked out half an hour before kick-off, put on a bus to the ground where you get a standard seat in the stand.

https://ticketing.liverpoolfc.com/en-GB/hospitality/liverpool v leicester city/2024-12-26_15.00/anfield

Forgive me for thinking that £400 for a bog-standard match ticket plus £50 (at a push) of F&B taken elsewhere, doesn’t exactly represent much value for money.

Yet it will be totally sold out, as the following match against MU is already totally sold out more than three months in advance.
Speaking personally, I am glad the working class football fan is being priced out as it is the only way I can get a ticket.

Thanks to me Liverpool can afford to sign world class players.

Wait until you hear how much I paid for a ticket to CL final in Madrid in 2019 and that was even before flights and accommodation.

Well at the moment it looks like we’ll be going on a non-match day for the museum tour!

CL or World Cup final tickets I can understand, but regular league games are taking the proverbial.

JosiasJessop · September 17

Mexicanpete said:

JosiasJessop said:

eek said:

DecrepiterJohnL said:

Taz said:

Fishing said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Taz said:

Scott_xP said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

Sandpit said:

williamglenn said:
Tone deaf Starmer strikes again.

https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1835758241952776641

NEW: Keir Starmer says he wouldn't be able to watch Arsenal play if nobody paid for his tickets

"Never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far."
Well the vast majority of the other 60,000 people at each match manage to buy their own tickets just fine, and I’ll take a random guess that most of them get paid considerably less than the Prime Minister.

£10 says he gets to watch Oasis as a guest of the FA at Wembley too.
Sadly the days when a PM could go to a match with no security detail are gone. Though have any ever tried?

Those look awfully like the hospitality seats at the Dell:

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24329091.rishi-sunak-spotted-southampton-game-west-brom/

I had hospitality seats once at The Walkers Stadium, given by one of the directors as a thank you for treating them. Nice bloke, but the only time I have had to wear collar and tie to a match. Sandwiches and drinks at half time, and no queue for the bogs were nice, but a bit soulless compare to my usual seat.
I got the full hospitality experience at the Rugby once. That was fun
I did at Twickenham many moons ago. Thanks to a toolmaker I dealt with. It was ace.

Nowadays I cannot accept anything more than a desk diary from any company I deal with.
I think this touches on a point why it has become more toxic. Lots of jobs you can't accept any gifts personally these days, where as 30-40 years ago it was quite normal part of doing business (and the soft and hard corruption that can come along with it).

There was the story about a lowly street cleaner not even been able to accept a holiday that residents fund raised for.

Waste firm Veolia has refused to let a beloved street cleaner accept nearly £3,000 raised by his neighbours
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13735507/Veolia-street-cleaner-raised-money-holiday-Portugal-offer-cash-charity.html

Where as PM's are having the very fancy wallpaper and suits paid for when they are millionaires and can make multiples of that as soon as they leave office.
I think it shows another aspect to Starmer's political tin ear. We've already seen his insensitivity in cancelling the winter fuel allowance for most pensioners to fund massive pay increases for his public sector union paymasters and now we see his hypocrisy in having clothes paid for him despite having objected to Boris's wallpaper.

Whenever challeneged, rather than defusing the story by returning the trivial gifts, he goes into prickly lawyer mode, never really explaining convincingly or apologising.

It's why his government has had such a quick collapse in YouGov approval ratings.
Especially when Starmer made such a play about cleaning up politics.

He's a wealthy man, why could he not pay for the hospitality at his Soccer club instead of just taking freebies.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/starmer-will-keep-taking-gifts-from-labour-peer-amid-row-over-clothes-donations/ar-AA1qFrMD?ocid=BingNewsSerp

"Giving the example of football tickets, which the Prime Minister is known to accept as gifts, he said: “I’m a massive Arsenal fan. I can’t go into the stands because of security reasons. Therefore, if I don’t accept a gift of hospitality, I can’t go to a game. You could say, ‘well, bad luck’. That’s why gifts have to be registered.

“But, you know, never going to an Arsenal game again because I can’t accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far.”"
Presumably Starmer means he needs a box for security reasons (also so he does not bump into fellow-Gooner Jeremy Corbyn). On the one hand, these are piffling amounts. On the other hand, many of us have to sit through annual training on the dangers and illegality of bribery, and Starmer himself had a front row seat for Boris's expense scandals.
The thing is a don't see either getting a seat at the football or those clothes as bribery.

1) the football is because everyone in Football wants the publicity that comes from pointing the camera at him watching a match once in a while (or even at every match). Now you could argue it's football trying to bribe him but it's a big industry in the UK
2) the clothing is again - companies want fancy people wearing their clothes because a photo in a newspaper is worth £x0,000 in advertising. So giving some clothes to the PM's wife makes sense on a cheap advertising basis alone...
Except the clothes donor got a No.10 pass that (AIUI) he should not have got. Odd, isn't it, that of all people, a donor gets a pass to the highest levels of power.

Corruption: plain and simple.

And Labour supporters would be screeching about this if it was a Tory PM.
No I don't think they would. No one minded Sunak's freebie to St Mary's mentioned by Foxy. Labour have chased big ticket corruption. The client media and the PB faithful are trying to equalise Mrs Starmer's frocks with Michelle Mone's PPE contracts.

Now do I believe Mrs Starmer should be getting free frocks when she can afford her own? No.

Ah "big ticket" corruption.

What utter b/s.

Starmer is meant to be better than this; it sad;y seems he is not. And the rot always starts at the top (*)

(*) Something I said about the Conservatives under Johnson many times...

Mexicanpete · September 17

rottenborough said:
WTF!!!

"Nearly 4m smart meters are malfunctioning in the UK"

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/sep/17/uk-smart-meter-targets-energy-users-martin-lewis

That's peculiar. They were all working fine before July 5th.

darkage · September 17

Stocky said:

another_richard said:
So does everyone agree that Sunak has been proved right in not agreeing to the doctors 35% pay demand ?

Aside from the extra money that would have cost taxpayers it would very likely had to a wage spiral across the whole public sector.
Plus a 35% increase, plus future annual increases from this new base, equals nicely inflated earnings for an even more absurdly generous DB pension on retirement. Let's not forget that.

I work in the public sector. The same problems apply that have existed all my career. For people who are good, the wage isn't competitive enough, they are motivated by a public service obligation, and there aren't really enough of them. But there are many people who shouldn't be in the positions they are, they lack the competence to do the role they are appointed to. There are also lots of jobs that shouldn't exist, but do for some bureaucratic/political reason. Generally speaking the working conditions are unbeatable. Almost no chance of being sacked, pay well above the national average, holiday at 30 days, 42 days with 'flexi time', or a 4 day week. Work remotely, look after your kids while working etc. Conspiracy theories amongst public sector workers are everywhere, ie the idea that they are persecuted by 'far right governments' and that everyone in the private sector has massive bonusses.

Given the general financial situation, it would be deeply unwise for the government to keep feeding this, but they will.

Sandpit · September 17

TOPPING said:

Sandpit said:
Okay, so I looked up tickets for Liverpool v Leicester on Boxing Day.

The *only* ticket still available is “Crowne Plaza” hospitality, at £390/person.

As you might have guessed by the name, this is actually a function room in an hotel in Liverpool City Centre from where you get three hours of brunch, then kicked out half an hour before kick-off, put on a bus to the ground where you get a standard seat in the stand.

https://ticketing.liverpoolfc.com/en-GB/hospitality/liverpool v leicester city/2024-12-26_15.00/anfield

Forgive me for thinking that £400 for a bog-standard match ticket plus £50 (at a push) of F&B taken elsewhere, doesn’t exactly represent much value for money.

Yet it will be totally sold out, as the following match against MU is already totally sold out more than three months in advance.
And there you have the market functioning perfectly.

A perfectly functioning market would have 60,000 tickets available to each match - rather than the actual situation of 53,000 of them sold as annual packages up front at a steep discount, 5,000 sold to people who aren’t even fans of the club, and the final 2,000 priced extortionately.

TimS · September 17

My prediction: Trump wins quite comfortably, and that’s the last free and fair election in American history.

TheScreamingEagles · September 17

rottenborough said:
WTF!!!

"Nearly 4m smart meters are malfunctioning in the UK"

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/sep/17/uk-smart-meter-targets-energy-users-martin-lewis

But most of the 4 million were back communicating within a fortnight.

RobD · September 17

Mexicanpete said:

rottenborough said:
WTF!!!

"Nearly 4m smart meters are malfunctioning in the UK"

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/sep/17/uk-smart-meter-targets-energy-users-martin-lewis
That's peculiar. They were all working fine before July 5th.

Huh? The article even says the report about the number of faulty meters was from earlier this year. Released in March, apparently:

https://amp.theguardian.com/business/2024/mar/26/smart-meter-rollout-number-faulty-machines-leaps-great-britain

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