Would be really embarrassing if Liverpool don't win it now...
The Premier League have tried to stitch us with the fixture calendar, making us play Everton, City, and Villa away in the space of eleven days in February and five matches in fifteen days and leaving us with only one PL match in March, it’s a bloody scandal.
They should have rescheduled the Everton match for right at the end of the season, to be the final game played at Goodison Park.
So the governments pick for Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration lives full time in Finland.....there is hybrid working and then there is hybrid working. Will he be doing his inspections via Zoom?
At least living in a country that more or less works might rub off on him?
Would it be unreasonable to require by law that all public sector employees whose work is in the UK actually live here ? Apart from anything else, it might significantly improve our balance of payments.
It should at least need high level sign-off. Maybe it already does.
That would just mean the most highly paid individuals would get permission. As our NU10Kers would confirm.
As a civil servant* I have to say things seem a lot less intense since covid and more working from home. My guess is people are nowhere near as productive now but that's just my one small branch of a very big tree.
Do you, perchance, work in the Foreign Tax Exemption Department at HMRC?
Not specifically. Are you struggling to prove you have paid tax elsewhere?
I've been waiting OVER A YEAR for a single form to be stamped. I have rung them half a dozen times, they always say the same thing "Oh we're so sorry, yes this isn't good enough, it will now be done straight away, I will see to it"
It is not done yet
I once got a senior HMRC manager on the line and he straight=up admitted that WFH was a productivity disaster for HMRC. My foreign accounts people have heard the same
Perhaps you find yourself in the hands of people who think everything is an algorithm from which escape is impossible?
The hollowing out of HMRC’s back office is one of the stupidest, most self-defeating pieces of government policy over the last decade, and one that accelerated since Covid.
From 2015 onwards there’s been a programme to close over 100 local tax offices, but without any increase in call centre staff. Since 2021 customer service staff have been cut by a further 5,000 following cuts almost every year since the financial crisis.
Last year the headcount went down yet again, by nearly 4%.
There are some hopeful noises coming out of government but the problem is HMRC desperately wants to automate and go more online and self-serve, but risks creating a service gap in the meantime.
That last has already happened. Like when they toldf us they were shutting down the phones for months on end to iprove their servuce.
Well exactly, this is what I keep saying. If the government is to have a single defining mission it shouldn't be growth it should be reducing inequality. For two reasons. (i) It's more important. (ii) It's more under their control.
A "single defining mission" is a pretty stupid way to run any government.
Sheer self interest ought to militate in favour of reducing inequality, as a failure to do so jeopardises their core vote in a way it might not for the Tories. But rationally, reducing inequality in a sustainable manner means increasing productive investment (not just spending) in the poorer regions of the country. The payoff for that ought to be significant - but in all likelihood not on a timescale which aligns with the electoral process, unfortunately.
Goverment and its agencies, national and local, run about half of all activity of UK plc. This may be a bad idea, but they do. To limit its public targets to this or that project or outcome is both untrue and futile. Government's job is to do all these things competently well, whether its preschool places in Scunthorpe or HMRC answering the phone.
it is the public, not the government who adjudicate, and decide which bits are the most important.
If Tesco said: 'We focus on jam, pickled onions, frozen peas, lager and white bread, and the public must judge us by how we do in these five missions' they would not be in business.
PS How is the Dilnot report implementation getting on?
So the governments pick for Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration lives full time in Finland.....there is hybrid working and then there is hybrid working. Will he be doing his inspections via Zoom?
That's nothing
The Deputy Town Centre Manager for Windsor, Eton and Ascot resides in Kyrgyzstan.
We should do what Trump has done. You work for the government? You work in the office. End of
To be fair, the Police have been making progress on that.
Just need to get the ‘work’ bit cracked now.
I am honestly not sure why some governments and companies have an obsession over office instead of home working. It’s cheaper, more efficient and more versatile. A hybrid insistence of at least two days a week onsite I could understand, but not this ‘five days or the sack’ rubbish.
If you don’t have the systems and methodologies in place, working from home is less efficient.
I work in a bank, where we use Citrix - I can log in from any computer or iPad on the planet and have my fully supported, backed up machine in front of me.
We use Jira, which divides work into traceable chunks, with responsibility for each. Testing is a combination of automation and other people checking the results of the ticket.
We have fully integrated phone/video/desktop sharing.
In short, the tools, technologies and management methods mean that, for us, location is not relevant, 95% of the time.
Absolutely, when you factor in things like the unreliability of the trains, the parking premium in city centres it helps things like with staff retention.
It also boosts productivity.
Nottingham got that reasonably well sorted, and have raised well over £100m from their Workplace Parking Levy, which has gone on alternative forms of transport such as trams and buses.
It did not, unfortunately, stop someone playing silly buggers with the Housing Account.
Nor Central Govt funding being cut to Councils by around 40% in real terms.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 4m That wasn’t just Kemi Badenoch’s worst performance as leader. It was one of the worst performances ever from a leader of the opposition. She had no capacity to readjust after Starmer gave her a clear and direct answer on the Gaza family. It was embarrassing to watch.
It's only fair to warn the forum that I have just done 25 lengths of my hotel pool AND 30 mins in the gym, so in about 40 minutes I will be denouncing Himmler as a feeble Lib Demmy centrist dad
I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my dad. Not wide awake screaming in terror, like his passengers.
And I was trying to get ChatGPT to explain the joke. It seemed to understand that there had been an accident. So I asked
- What caused the accident?
- Ah, I see what you're getting at! The joke doesn't go into the specifics of why the accident happened—it's more about the ironic twist of the dad’s peaceful death versus the terror of his passengers. The humor doesn't rely on the cause of the accident itself, but rather the stark contrast between the peaceful, quiet death of the dad (in his sleep, supposedly) and the chaotic, terrifying experience of his passengers.
Since it’s dark humor, it’s meant to leave some things vague and focus more on the shocking punchline. The joke’s structure relies on making an uncomfortable connection between death, driving, and the unexpected nature of the dad's passing. It’s not meant to be taken literally or too seriously—just a play on the contrast between different ways people can go out.
Does that make sense, or do you want to dive deeper into the logic of the joke?
So it doesn't really get it. It has got a lot better since ChatGPT 3, which completely failed to understand the joke
Did you hear about the potato farmer who won the nobel prize for being outstanding in his field?
ChatGPT 4 manages to explain it: Haha, that’s a classic! It’s a clever pun. The phrase "outstanding in his field" is usually a metaphor for someone excelling in their profession, but in this case, it’s taken literally—because he’s a potato farmer, so he’s literally standing out in a field of potatoes.
The joke is a great example of a play on words, and it’s lighthearted and punny. I like it! Got any more?
You said: No I'm not! ChatGPT said: Haha, that’s a good one! Classic "knock-knock" twist with the punchline that catches you off guard. You really got me with that one!
You said: Can you explain the knock knock joke? ChatGPT said: Of course! The humor in this "knock-knock" joke comes from the play on the expectation of a usual "knock-knock" setup, where the person answering would respond to the name or word that’s given.
Here’s the breakdown:
You: "Knock knock!" Me: "Who's there?" You: "Europe." Me: "Europe who?" You: "No, I’m not! (as in, I'm not Europe, you're saying something unexpected instead of just completing the name or word)** The punchline turns the classic "who’s there?" interaction into a surprise response, where instead of continuing with the word, you cleverly turn it into a question of misunderstanding. It’s like you're playing on the idea that I might have misunderstood your "Europe" as you saying you are Europe.
It’s a funny little twist on the classic formula!
Got any other jokes with that kind of twist?
My current test is "calculate the centroid of the Munros". Copilot almost manages it.
I have no idea what that means. Anyway, apologies if posting on a banned subject. Ooops.
It is only a banned subject for one poster, not for the rest of us.
Badenoch having a mare at PMQs. She lets Starmer, who himself is pretty rubbish and vulnerable, completely off the hook.
The problem with getting your info from PB is I watch PMQs ready to see Badenoch do ok and Starmer to set fire to his own head or something. The narrative on here doesn't match reality.
It's difficult to hate Starmer in the way that people some posters do. You can be pretty disappointed though.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 4m That wasn’t just Kemi Badenoch’s worst performance as leader. It was one of the worst performances ever from a leader of the opposition. She had no capacity to readjust after Starmer gave her a clear and direct answer on the Gaza family. It was embarrassing to watch.
I think Dan's wrong. Kemi might not be great, but she was very specific with her questions. Starmer wouldn't confirm whether the government would appeal the decision or not. It seems to me that he wants to say that the judge got it right and it was badly drafted legislation by the Tories. That is obviously bollocks, and there's nothing to stop an activist judge overriding whatever legislation Cooper comes up with.
PB should ban me from discussing any topic where I am completely right...
More importantly, where you think you are completely right. It's then when you are at your most tedious.
Well said.
Take just two tedious examples.
Lableak. Asserting that you right are flies in the face of there being no agreed consensus and much contradictory evidence.
On the death of Universities - the evidence is very against you here. Our applications (both institution and course) are up this year. Again. Unis are having financial struggles because costs have gone up while they have not been allowed to charge more. The local coffee shop knows that if it costs more to provide the coffee but the price is fixed, something has to give.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 4m That wasn’t just Kemi Badenoch’s worst performance as leader. It was one of the worst performances ever from a leader of the opposition. She had no capacity to readjust after Starmer gave her a clear and direct answer on the Gaza family. It was embarrassing to watch.
I think Dan's wrong. Kemi might not be great, but she was very specific with her questions. Starmer wouldn't confirm whether the government would appeal the decision or not. It seems to me that he wants to say that the judge got it right and it was badly drafted legislation by the Tories. That is obviously bollocks, and there's nothing to stop an activist judge overriding whatever legislation Cooper comes up with.
Yes, he did not fully answer Kemi's question. But he made it sound like he did address it, if not directly answer it. Instead of leaving it, Kemi pushed the issue- and she doesn't have the fleetness of rhetoric to make that work. She should just have moved on to another issue or angle on that question.
Not sure that's true. Model Y and Model 3 were 1st and 2nd in EV sales in December. A lot of focus on January sales, but Tesla always sell sell at the start of the quarter.
PB should ban me from discussing any topic where I am completely right, and eventually shown to be right, and right in a way which horribly annoys everyone else, not least because I gloat, endlessly, about my clairvoyant genius
Unfortunately, going forward, this will restrict me to commentary about Liz Truss and What3Words. And even What3Words is looking a bit perkier than it was
"Ulaanbaatar, December 24, 2024 /MONTSAME/. The National Emergency Management Agency of Mongolia has launched a campaign to encourage every citizen to install the location-identifying What3Words application on their mobile phones. As part of this effort, the app has been installed and implemented for use on the mobile phones of 636,876 Mongolian citizens across 21 aimags of Mongolia."
I have to admit that we used W3W a fair bit on my watch in my old job. Leicestershire is a very rural county and W3W enabled us to locate incidents quickly if it was used. Even just using it to identify to other crews where we were using a portable pump for water or the best gate to use to traverse a field was a regular occurrence. I haven't used it since, but a couple of Amazon drivers said it helps if people in remote or complex locations put it in their delivery notes on orders.
Yes it is very useful for identifying gates. Especially gates in the middle of nowhere blocking Rights of Way.
Trouble is lack of error checking/sensing. I'm just working with a paper which has a NGR obviously out - but given the area it looks as if a 6 has been typed for a 0 which makes complete sense. With What Three Words, if Leon mistyped 'tart' for 'tarn' you'd probably be 5000 km rather than 500m out ...
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 4m That wasn’t just Kemi Badenoch’s worst performance as leader. It was one of the worst performances ever from a leader of the opposition. She had no capacity to readjust after Starmer gave her a clear and direct answer on the Gaza family. It was embarrassing to watch.
I think Dan's wrong. Kemi might not be great, but she was very specific with her questions. Starmer wouldn't confirm whether the government would appeal the decision or not. It seems to me that he wants to say that the judge got it right and it was badly drafted legislation by the Tories. That is obviously bollocks, and there's nothing to stop an activist judge overriding whatever legislation Cooper comes up with.
Even if we accept that on the specific point she didn’t get a clear answer, she’s completely unable to pivot or to follow up with, you know, a point. It’s all just throwing random crap and hoping something sticks.
There’s plenty to expose the government on at the moment, but Badenoch seems to find it very difficult to land a blow.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 4m That wasn’t just Kemi Badenoch’s worst performance as leader. It was one of the worst performances ever from a leader of the opposition. She had no capacity to readjust after Starmer gave her a clear and direct answer on the Gaza family. It was embarrassing to watch.
I think Dan's wrong. Kemi might not be great, but she was very specific with her questions. Starmer wouldn't confirm whether the government would appeal the decision or not. It seems to me that he wants to say that the judge got it right and it was badly drafted legislation by the Tories. That is obviously bollocks, and there's nothing to stop an activist judge overriding whatever legislation Cooper comes up with.
One of the things I'm, hoping for if/when Farage gets in is a wholesale clearout of the immigration tribunal system. It's clearly not fit for purpose.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 4m That wasn’t just Kemi Badenoch’s worst performance as leader. It was one of the worst performances ever from a leader of the opposition. She had no capacity to readjust after Starmer gave her a clear and direct answer on the Gaza family. It was embarrassing to watch.
I think Dan's wrong. Kemi might not be great, but she was very specific with her questions. Starmer wouldn't confirm whether the government would appeal the decision or not. It seems to me that he wants to say that the judge got it right and it was badly drafted legislation by the Tories. That is obviously bollocks, and there's nothing to stop an activist judge overriding whatever legislation Cooper comes up with.
Yes, he did not fully answer Kemi's question. But he made it sound like he did address it, if not directly answer it. Instead of leaving it, Kemi pushed the issue- and she doesn't have the fleetness of rhetoric to make that work. She should just have moved on to another issue or angle on that question.
I think a follow-up of "does the PM think the judge got it right, or does he agree with me that the judge was overriding democracy?"
Those chats aren't too dissimilar to the stuff we[1] get up to on here. Should we be concerned?
[1] Not me, obvs. I'm perfect, and I will instruct my lawyer accordingly...
Oh, I think we hold politicians to far too high a standard on this stuff. But I also love gossip. File me under hypocrite.
If they're stupid enough to write this stuff in a whatsapp group chat then it should be an automatic "too stupid to be an MP" disqualifying criteria with some reasonable statute of limitation. Astounding that they passed candidate vetting, unless Labour's vetting is not scrupulously transparent in which case they should be firing some people in vetting. Looking pretty stupid to have suspended candidates for humanitarian sympathies but allowed these idiots through.
How could she or her team not know that the reply would be 'you lot appointed him in 2019 and after five years we have now made him work from UK'???
Its completely bonkers. Someone must have fed the story to the Daily Heil as well - did they think it was a biog gotcha?
Same with her repeat of the same question. "Are you appealing" - "we're closing the loophole" - "but are you appealing" etc etc
Two things done. Demonstrating that the Tories screwed up the law. And that Labour are fixing it. And she let him hammer that point over and over and over.
PB should ban me from discussing any topic where I am completely right...
More importantly, where you think you are completely right. It's then when you are at your most tedious.
You mean - just as an example - like when I pointed out that Sleepy Joe Biden was gaga from about 2022, and I said "this will be a massive problem for the Dems if they don't fix it", and you kept saying, for another 2 years, "No no no, he just likes dribbling and falling over"
It's only fair to warn the forum that I have just done 25 lengths of my hotel pool AND 30 mins in the gym, so in about 40 minutes I will be denouncing Himmler as a feeble Lib Demmy centrist dad
Those chats aren't too dissimilar to the stuff we[1] get up to on here. Should we be concerned?
[1] Not me, obvs. I'm perfect, and I will instruct my lawyer accordingly...
Oh, I think we hold politicians to far too high a standard on this stuff. But I also love gossip. File me under hypocrite.
If they're stupid enough to write this stuff in a whatsapp group chat then it should be an automatic "too stupid to be an MP" disqualifying criteria with some reasonable statute of limitation. Astounding that they passed candidate vetting, unless Labour's vetting is not scrupulously transparent in which case they should be firing some people in vetting. Looking pretty stupid to have suspended candidates for humanitarian sympathies but allowed these idiots through.
Party vetting is crap. Please supply your social media links. WhatsApp isn't social media. Have you done anything which will bring the party into dispute? No.
I know from experience that the AI bots don't capture past dodgy posts made on the social media you've let them trawl through. And if you have undeclared stuff? How can they look, especially with closed loop stuff like WhatsApp?
I think the point Badenoch was trying to make was that the government need to be open to derogating from the ECHR. But then she started talking about some bloke in Finland.
There are 6 local by-elections tomorrow. We have Lab defences in Barnet, Torfaen, and Warwick; LD defences in East Dunbartonshire and Stevenage; and a Green defence in New Forest. Probably not the same upsets as in Pembrokeshire yesterday but I can see at least one change.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 4m That wasn’t just Kemi Badenoch’s worst performance as leader. It was one of the worst performances ever from a leader of the opposition. She had no capacity to readjust after Starmer gave her a clear and direct answer on the Gaza family. It was embarrassing to watch.
I think Dan's wrong. Kemi might not be great, but she was very specific with her questions. Starmer wouldn't confirm whether the government would appeal the decision or not. It seems to me that he wants to say that the judge got it right and it was badly drafted legislation by the Tories. That is obviously bollocks, and there's nothing to stop an activist judge overriding whatever legislation Cooper comes up with.
One of the things I'm, hoping for if/when Farage gets in is a wholesale clearout of the immigration tribunal system. It's clearly not fit for purpose.
I do think that a lot of judges in the Immigration Tribunal system need to be dismissed. They take a kind of wilful delight in frustrating the will of Parliament, whilst pretending to uphold it.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 4m That wasn’t just Kemi Badenoch’s worst performance as leader. It was one of the worst performances ever from a leader of the opposition. She had no capacity to readjust after Starmer gave her a clear and direct answer on the Gaza family. It was embarrassing to watch.
I think Dan's wrong. Kemi might not be great, but she was very specific with her questions. Starmer wouldn't confirm whether the government would appeal the decision or not. It seems to me that he wants to say that the judge got it right and it was badly drafted legislation by the Tories. That is obviously bollocks, and there's nothing to stop an activist judge overriding whatever legislation Cooper comes up with.
The days of Dan Hodges being right on anything have long gone, if they ever existed. He has a pick and mix of bad and dreadful takes, this being another. Starmer didn't answer the questions and looked liked an arrogant twat. It's not a good look, but I understand why Hodges likes it.
A great day recently for democracy as servant of the people, Sue Gray was inducted, or whatever the term is, into the House of Lords.
It is great to get rid of all those hereditary peers who only got into the Lords based on their connections and we are replacing them with a true meritocracy.
The reason people think that growth does not benefit them is that it is used for services that they take for granted (since they are "free") such as the NHS.
There is a disconnect between growth and the money government has to spend. This is, in part, because large parts of the media, the third sector and indeed the Labour party, persuaded people that the government was not spending enough on the likes of health because they were mean or uncaring, as opposed to the reality that the tax take from our economy is simply insufficient to meet our aspirations.
That's true but not the only reason. Green propaganda has persuaded a significant part of the population that growth isn't worth it because, well, plastic waste and ugly housing and smokey air and stuff. Old people see there's nothing in it for them because they're on fixed incomes. And many of the young think it's all a capitalist ramp anyway.
Only an idiot denies there are some downsides to economic growth. But it takes a much worse idiot to prefer stagnation or recession.
Not to mention that we're continually told that we need more immigrants to get growth.
With many of the places that then get immigrants not seeing, let alone benefitting, from the promised growth.
Many people believe that the pre-industrial world was The Shire, rather than a place of backbreaking labour, terrible housing, and a tiny elite living it up, at their expense.
Anyone who's read about the Tolpuddle Martyrs and the Speenhamland System in Dorset will have a very jaundiced idea of any one on PB or otherwise who seriously claims that shire society is the ideal condition of society. That is, inevitably, wish fulfilment and in reality if one were born at that time it was much more likely to be a matter of the short straw even if one survived infancy.
Mind, Austen didn't have it as nice as some folk might like. There's a savage vein of wish fulfilment and terror of poverty in those novels.
"Terror of poverty" is most apt in the stuff I've read from that period, both fiction and non-fiction.
Less important now there is a social welfare safety net.
There was a safety net of sorts from the church, Parish Poor Relief and later the workhouse even then
I think the point Badenoch was trying to make was that the government need to be open to derogating from the ECHR. But then she started talking about some bloke in Finland.
If Kemi backed withdrawal from the ECHR is there any significant policy difference between her and Farage then apart from Reform are a bit more Nimby?
Not sure that's true. Model Y and Model 3 were 1st and 2nd in EV sales in December. A lot of focus on January sales, but Tesla always sell sell at the start of the quarter.
I have had two. I will not be buying another while that twat is still in charge. Hopefully for the good of the brand he will step down, but he is just not self aware enough
The reason people think that growth does not benefit them is that it is used for services that they take for granted (since they are "free") such as the NHS.
There is a disconnect between growth and the money government has to spend. This is, in part, because large parts of the media, the third sector and indeed the Labour party, persuaded people that the government was not spending enough on the likes of health because they were mean or uncaring, as opposed to the reality that the tax take from our economy is simply insufficient to meet our aspirations.
That's true but not the only reason. Green propaganda has persuaded a significant part of the population that growth isn't worth it because, well, plastic waste and ugly housing and smokey air and stuff. Old people see there's nothing in it for them because they're on fixed incomes. And many of the young think it's all a capitalist ramp anyway.
Only an idiot denies there are some downsides to economic growth. But it takes a much worse idiot to prefer stagnation or recession.
Not to mention that we're continually told that we need more immigrants to get growth.
With many of the places that then get immigrants not seeing, let alone benefitting, from the promised growth.
Many people believe that the pre-industrial world was The Shire, rather than a place of backbreaking labour, terrible housing, and a tiny elite living it up, at their expense.
Anyone who's read about the Tolpuddle Martyrs and the Speenhamland System in Dorset will have a very jaundiced idea of any one on PB or otherwise who seriously claims that shire society is the ideal condition of society. That is, inevitably, wish fulfilment and in reality if one were born at that time it was much more likely to be a matter of the short straw even if one survived infancy.
Mind, Austen didn't have it as nice as some folk might like. There's a savage vein of wish fulfilment and terror of poverty in those novels.
"Terror of poverty" is most apt in the stuff I've read from that period, both fiction and non-fiction.
Less important now there is a social welfare safety net.
There was a safety net of sorts from the church, Parish Poor Relief and later the workhouse even then
That's a dire post, even by your standards.
Have you ever read any Dickens?
People like the Bennetts, and middle class families, would have rather starved than apply for poor relief, or go into a workhouse.
The reason people think that growth does not benefit them is that it is used for services that they take for granted (since they are "free") such as the NHS.
There is a disconnect between growth and the money government has to spend. This is, in part, because large parts of the media, the third sector and indeed the Labour party, persuaded people that the government was not spending enough on the likes of health because they were mean or uncaring, as opposed to the reality that the tax take from our economy is simply insufficient to meet our aspirations.
That's true but not the only reason. Green propaganda has persuaded a significant part of the population that growth isn't worth it because, well, plastic waste and ugly housing and smokey air and stuff. Old people see there's nothing in it for them because they're on fixed incomes. And many of the young think it's all a capitalist ramp anyway.
Only an idiot denies there are some downsides to economic growth. But it takes a much worse idiot to prefer stagnation or recession.
Not to mention that we're continually told that we need more immigrants to get growth.
With many of the places that then get immigrants not seeing, let alone benefitting, from the promised growth.
Many people believe that the pre-industrial world was The Shire, rather than a place of backbreaking labour, terrible housing, and a tiny elite living it up, at their expense.
Anyone who's read about the Tolpuddle Martyrs and the Speenhamland System in Dorset will have a very jaundiced idea of any one on PB or otherwise who seriously claims that shire society is the ideal condition of society. That is, inevitably, wish fulfilment and in reality if one were born at that time it was much more likely to be a matter of the short straw even if one survived infancy.
Mind, Austen didn't have it as nice as some folk might like. There's a savage vein of wish fulfilment and terror of poverty in those novels.
"Terror of poverty" is most apt in the stuff I've read from that period, both fiction and non-fiction.
Less important now there is a social welfare safety net.
There was a safety net of sorts from the church, Parish Poor Relief and later the workhouse even then
That's a dire post, even by your standards.
Have you ever read any Dickens?
Historically accurate though, even Oliver Twist got fed gruel not nothing at all
Not sure the Liberals calling for end to free trading seems quite right?
Yes, populist, but not great policy.
One which imposed tariffs on any EV manufacturers who don't set up manufacturing in the UK might be better. You could have a sliding scale, or even give an exemption on (eg) the first 30k/50k cars a given manufacturer imported, to give them a chance to establish a presence here. Tesla would hit that wall pretty rapidly.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 4m That wasn’t just Kemi Badenoch’s worst performance as leader. It was one of the worst performances ever from a leader of the opposition. She had no capacity to readjust after Starmer gave her a clear and direct answer on the Gaza family. It was embarrassing to watch.
I think Dan's wrong. Kemi might not be great, but she was very specific with her questions. Starmer wouldn't confirm whether the government would appeal the decision or not. It seems to me that he wants to say that the judge got it right and it was badly drafted legislation by the Tories. That is obviously bollocks, and there's nothing to stop an activist judge overriding whatever legislation Cooper comes up with.
The days of Dan Hodges being right on anything have long gone, if they ever existed. He has a pick and mix of bad and dreadful takes, this being another. Starmer didn't answer the questions and looked liked an arrogant twat. It's not a good look, but I understand why Hodges likes it.
An entertaining take, and one which highlights why the Tories continue to slide away towards coming 3rd or worse in the next election.
To start a recovery process you have to accept reality. Where you are now. As you can't do that, you're sunk.
I think the point Badenoch was trying to make was that the government need to be open to derogating from the ECHR. But then she started talking about some bloke in Finland.
If Kemi backed withdrawal from the ECHR is there any significant policy difference between her and Farage then apart from Reform are a bit more Nimby?
It really is astonishing how bad Badenoch is at PMQs, it's like she's been paid off to make Starmer - who is far from good at it in normal circumstances - look great.
PB should ban me from discussing any topic where I am completely right...
More importantly, where you think you are completely right. It's then when you are at your most tedious.
You mean - just as an example - like when I pointed out that Sleepy Joe Biden was gaga from about 2022, and I said "this will be a massive problem for the Dems if they don't fix it", and you kept saying, for another 2 years, "No no no, he just likes dribbling and falling over"
Times like that?
Thing is, you make so many pronouncements the likelihood that the "even fools are right sometimes" maxim comes into play. Thankfully you were wrong to suggest that I should cancel my skiing holidays because Putin was going to nuke us (I'd probably have still gone anyway even if I'd been vapourised) and we are still waiting for the inevitable alien invasion. I can't remember the other ridiculous predictions, but perhaps other PBers will be able to remind us.
PB should ban me from discussing any topic where I am completely right, and eventually shown to be right, and right in a way which horribly annoys everyone else, not least because I gloat, endlessly, about my clairvoyant genius
Unfortunately, going forward, this will restrict me to commentary about Liz Truss and What3Words. And even What3Words is looking a bit perkier than it was
"Ulaanbaatar, December 24, 2024 /MONTSAME/. The National Emergency Management Agency of Mongolia has launched a campaign to encourage every citizen to install the location-identifying What3Words application on their mobile phones. As part of this effort, the app has been installed and implemented for use on the mobile phones of 636,876 Mongolian citizens across 21 aimags of Mongolia."
I have to admit that we used W3W a fair bit on my watch in my old job. Leicestershire is a very rural county and W3W enabled us to locate incidents quickly if it was used. Even just using it to identify to other crews where we were using a portable pump for water or the best gate to use to traverse a field was a regular occurrence. I haven't used it since, but a couple of Amazon drivers said it helps if people in remote or complex locations put it in their delivery notes on orders.
Yes it is very useful for identifying gates. Especially gates in the middle of nowhere blocking Rights of Way.
Trouble is lack of error checking/sensing. I'm just working with a paper which has a NGR obviously out - but given the area it looks as if a 6 has been typed for a 0 which makes complete sense. With What Three Words, if Leon mistyped 'tart' for 'tarn' you'd probably be 5000 km rather than 500m out ...
I suspect that Leon would only type tart for tart, though he might do tarn for tart. What would he want a tarn for? .
But What3Words is worth it - I do quite like that Larry the Cat's address is "indoor, myself rather."
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 4m That wasn’t just Kemi Badenoch’s worst performance as leader. It was one of the worst performances ever from a leader of the opposition. She had no capacity to readjust after Starmer gave her a clear and direct answer on the Gaza family. It was embarrassing to watch.
I think Dan's wrong. Kemi might not be great, but she was very specific with her questions. Starmer wouldn't confirm whether the government would appeal the decision or not. It seems to me that he wants to say that the judge got it right and it was badly drafted legislation by the Tories. That is obviously bollocks, and there's nothing to stop an activist judge overriding whatever legislation Cooper comes up with.
The days of Dan Hodges being right on anything have long gone, if they ever existed. He has a pick and mix of bad and dreadful takes, this being another. Starmer didn't answer the questions and looked liked an arrogant twat. It's not a good look, but I understand why Hodges likes it.
He's not the only jouno:
Ava-Santina
@AvaSantina · 13m Striking how poorly researched Kemi Badenoch's PMQs are. Best line was about Labour's new borders watchdog that will apparently WFH in Finland, knocked back by Starmer explaining he was hired and worked from home since 2019 under the Tories. Lack of fact-checking extraordinary.
I think the point Badenoch was trying to make was that the government need to be open to derogating from the ECHR. But then she started talking about some bloke in Finland.
If Kemi backed withdrawal from the ECHR is there any significant policy difference between her and Farage then apart from Reform are a bit more Nimby?
On the Chagos thing, is there any valid reason why the Tories are (a) refusing to be briefed and (b) throwing mud other than not caring what the facts are?
I think the point Badenoch was trying to make was that the government need to be open to derogating from the ECHR. But then she started talking about some bloke in Finland.
If Kemi backed withdrawal from the ECHR is there any significant policy difference between her and Farage then apart from Reform are a bit more Nimby?
Farage wants an insurance based health service.
Perhaps, though so do some Tory MPs and that is not official Reform policy
The reason people think that growth does not benefit them is that it is used for services that they take for granted (since they are "free") such as the NHS.
There is a disconnect between growth and the money government has to spend. This is, in part, because large parts of the media, the third sector and indeed the Labour party, persuaded people that the government was not spending enough on the likes of health because they were mean or uncaring, as opposed to the reality that the tax take from our economy is simply insufficient to meet our aspirations.
That's true but not the only reason. Green propaganda has persuaded a significant part of the population that growth isn't worth it because, well, plastic waste and ugly housing and smokey air and stuff. Old people see there's nothing in it for them because they're on fixed incomes. And many of the young think it's all a capitalist ramp anyway.
Only an idiot denies there are some downsides to economic growth. But it takes a much worse idiot to prefer stagnation or recession.
Not to mention that we're continually told that we need more immigrants to get growth.
With many of the places that then get immigrants not seeing, let alone benefitting, from the promised growth.
Many people believe that the pre-industrial world was The Shire, rather than a place of backbreaking labour, terrible housing, and a tiny elite living it up, at their expense.
Anyone who's read about the Tolpuddle Martyrs and the Speenhamland System in Dorset will have a very jaundiced idea of any one on PB or otherwise who seriously claims that shire society is the ideal condition of society. That is, inevitably, wish fulfilment and in reality if one were born at that time it was much more likely to be a matter of the short straw even if one survived infancy.
Mind, Austen didn't have it as nice as some folk might like. There's a savage vein of wish fulfilment and terror of poverty in those novels.
"Terror of poverty" is most apt in the stuff I've read from that period, both fiction and non-fiction.
Less important now there is a social welfare safety net.
There was a safety net of sorts from the church, Parish Poor Relief and later the workhouse even then
That's a dire post, even by your standards.
Have you ever read any Dickens?
People like the Bennetts, and middle class families, would have rather starved than apply for poor relief, or go into a workhouse.
They just married off their daughters to wealthy heirs, merchants, army officers or clergymen
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 4m That wasn’t just Kemi Badenoch’s worst performance as leader. It was one of the worst performances ever from a leader of the opposition. She had no capacity to readjust after Starmer gave her a clear and direct answer on the Gaza family. It was embarrassing to watch.
I think Dan's wrong. Kemi might not be great, but she was very specific with her questions. Starmer wouldn't confirm whether the government would appeal the decision or not. It seems to me that he wants to say that the judge got it right and it was badly drafted legislation by the Tories. That is obviously bollocks, and there's nothing to stop an activist judge overriding whatever legislation Cooper comes up with.
Yes, he did not fully answer Kemi's question. But he made it sound like he did address it, if not directly answer it. Instead of leaving it, Kemi pushed the issue- and she doesn't have the fleetness of rhetoric to make that work. She should just have moved on to another issue or angle on that question.
I think a follow-up of "does the PM think the judge got it right, or does he agree with me that the judge was overriding democracy?"
To which the answer should be, “The Government respects judicial independence and the rule of law. This isn’t the United States.”
Not sure that's true. Model Y and Model 3 were 1st and 2nd in EV sales in December. A lot of focus on January sales, but Tesla always sell sell at the start of the quarter.
I have had two. I will not be buying another while that twat is still in charge. Hopefully for the good of the brand he will step down, but he is just not self aware enough
The share price being ten times what it should be, even now, even with everything, is because of Musk. He goes and it's just another car company, valued like the others.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 4m That wasn’t just Kemi Badenoch’s worst performance as leader. It was one of the worst performances ever from a leader of the opposition. She had no capacity to readjust after Starmer gave her a clear and direct answer on the Gaza family. It was embarrassing to watch.
I think Dan's wrong. Kemi might not be great, but she was very specific with her questions. Starmer wouldn't confirm whether the government would appeal the decision or not. It seems to me that he wants to say that the judge got it right and it was badly drafted legislation by the Tories. That is obviously bollocks, and there's nothing to stop an activist judge overriding whatever legislation Cooper comes up with.
The days of Dan Hodges being right on anything have long gone, if they ever existed. He has a pick and mix of bad and dreadful takes, this being another. Starmer didn't answer the questions and looked liked an arrogant twat. It's not a good look, but I understand why Hodges likes it.
He's not the only jouno:
Ava-Santina
@AvaSantina · 13m Striking how poorly researched Kemi Badenoch's PMQs are. Best line was about Labour's new borders watchdog that will apparently WFH in Finland, knocked back by Starmer explaining he was hired and worked from home since 2019 under the Tories. Lack of fact-checking extraordinary.
I honestly don't get the PB Tory position. Many of us are partisan, but not blind and stupid. Its self-evident that Badenoch has utterly destroyed herself this week. The Finland scoop fed to the Heil being a prime example.
You - the Tories - hired this person to work from home in Finland. How on earth can you not know that when you try and line it up as a gotcha against the government?
I used to think that Badenoch was safe until the next GE.
I now think Bobby J or Cleverly are going to be leader by the middle of the parliament.
They won't, it would be Stride or Philp who replaced her if she did go likely by MPs coronation as when Howard replaced IDS or Sunak replaced Truss. Jenrick and Cleverly failed to win either the Tory MPs vote or members vote
I think the point Badenoch was trying to make was that the government need to be open to derogating from the ECHR. But then she started talking about some bloke in Finland.
If Kemi backed withdrawal from the ECHR is there any significant policy difference between her and Farage then apart from Reform are a bit more Nimby?
In theory, at least she's not pledged to £150bn in unfunded spending/tax cuts. Which will probably be her bad argument up until the next election. "We have lots of Reform's policies but vote for us as we're not completely mental".
One doubts it will work as if you think Reform are crackers you probably have plenty of room to vote Lab or Lib Dem over Diet Reform. While if you think they are not, why would you not vote for Reform?
Not sure that's true. Model Y and Model 3 were 1st and 2nd in EV sales in December. A lot of focus on January sales, but Tesla always sell sell at the start of the quarter.
I have had two. I will not be buying another while that twat is still in charge. Hopefully for the good of the brand he will step down, but he is just not self aware enough
The share price being ten times what it should be, even now, even with everything, is because of Musk. He goes and it's just another car company, valued like the others.
It isn't. A stack of things that make Tesla stand out, not least of which is that they build cars in a way thats almost unique which means they make money per vehicle in ways that many legacy manufacturers can only dream of.
I remain a skeptic of a lot of the automation stuff. But gigacasting and vertical integration? They're a long way ahead of the western competition.
My good deed for the day - I sorted out all ConHome, from their “Starmer should gift the Chagos Islands to Trump, and end our grand delusion of ‘Global Britain” Click bait piece, by relaying our agreed PB understanding.
“But for last 60 years US had 100% control with 0% of hassle that comes with ownership. In 60’s USA told us to carve it up so they can have Garcia base, and we did. USA told us to ethnically cleanse Chagos of Chagouns, and as owners we did it. It’s both those things deemed much too naughty that’s dropped us in it, but with UK in the dock of course, not USA. (Though US did quietly compensate us all these years we can assume).
Even if handing all responsibility for Chagos and Garcia USA was possible, it couldn’t happen without USA saying “okay, bubble screen it on to us” - why upon earth would they want to make such a painful plunge from the current arrangement? Do we have a special relationship with them? Are they our friends?
There’s this pretty girl, at highschool, who is in the habit of going out on dates where she can drink vodka, she also has a bit of tempestuous relationship going on with a flatmate she shares Chinese food with. She’s not got lots of money, but she might in the future, as her daddy’s business is on the up. She’s also popular with everyone around her, they look up to her, so she’s a leader of the pack. Now there’s these two other young bucks - I picture OC and Stiggs in all sorts of guises and situations - who want her to come to a party and hang out with them. She plays hard to get. What’s it going to take for them to woo her away from the others?
By the way, the girls name is India - key player why UK Conservative government and Biden White House u-turned from stalling at UN in 2022, and jointly negotiated this deal over last 2 years - deal waiting for UK election out the way, with Washington on our case to finalise asap - so a deal not all about the pressure from UN over our morality misstep 50 years ago - it’s the courting of India.”
I’m so clever at sussing out politics and coming to the right understanding. Just like my amazeballs election day analysis and July 4th prediction 😇
I noted this was to gain favour with about two months ago.
Not sure the Liberals calling for end to free trading seems quite right?
Yes, populist, but not great policy.
One which imposed tariffs on any EV manufacturers who don't set up manufacturing in the UK might be better. You could have a sliding scale, or even give an exemption on (eg) the first 30k/50k cars a given manufacturer imported, to give them a chance to establish a presence here. Tesla would hit that wall pretty rapidly.
While Trump remains POTUS global free trade is effectively over anyway, especially with the USA
Not sure that's true. Model Y and Model 3 were 1st and 2nd in EV sales in December. A lot of focus on January sales, but Tesla always sell sell at the start of the quarter.
I have had two. I will not be buying another while that twat is still in charge. Hopefully for the good of the brand he will step down, but he is just not self aware enough
The share price being ten times what it should be, even now, even with everything, is because of Musk. He goes and it's just another car company, valued like the others.
Sorry, while partially true, that statement also shows a misunderstanding of the vehicles they make. As EVs (particularly combined with the excellent charger network) they are miles ahead of everything else. For the time being at least. I am hoping that in a few years when I come to replace mine, there is an equally good alternative.
Not sure that's true. Model Y and Model 3 were 1st and 2nd in EV sales in December. A lot of focus on January sales, but Tesla always sell sell at the start of the quarter.
I'm sure there will be an overlap between the woke, rich, tree huggers and fans of the occassional nazi salute, but it seems a quite small market segment to aim for. Might work in East Germany or Alabama perhaps.
Not sure that's true. Model Y and Model 3 were 1st and 2nd in EV sales in December. A lot of focus on January sales, but Tesla always sell sell at the start of the quarter.
I have had two. I will not be buying another while that twat is still in charge. Hopefully for the good of the brand he will step down, but he is just not self aware enough
The share price being ten times what it should be, even now, even with everything, is because of Musk. He goes and it's just another car company, valued like the others.
It isn't. A stack of things that make Tesla stand out, not least of which is that they build cars in a way thats almost unique which means they make money per vehicle in ways that many legacy manufacturers can only dream of.
I remain a skeptic of a lot of the automation stuff. But gigacasting and vertical integration? They're a long way ahead of the western competition.
Sure. But you can still value it as a multiple of its profits, as a mature company not a startup. That's what I mean by "valued like".
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 4m That wasn’t just Kemi Badenoch’s worst performance as leader. It was one of the worst performances ever from a leader of the opposition. She had no capacity to readjust after Starmer gave her a clear and direct answer on the Gaza family. It was embarrassing to watch.
I think Dan's wrong. Kemi might not be great, but she was very specific with her questions. Starmer wouldn't confirm whether the government would appeal the decision or not. It seems to me that he wants to say that the judge got it right and it was badly drafted legislation by the Tories. That is obviously bollocks, and there's nothing to stop an activist judge overriding whatever legislation Cooper comes up with.
The days of Dan Hodges being right on anything have long gone, if they ever existed. He has a pick and mix of bad and dreadful takes, this being another. Starmer didn't answer the questions and looked liked an arrogant twat. It's not a good look, but I understand why Hodges likes it.
He's not the only jouno:
Ava-Santina
@AvaSantina · 13m Striking how poorly researched Kemi Badenoch's PMQs are. Best line was about Labour's new borders watchdog that will apparently WFH in Finland, knocked back by Starmer explaining he was hired and worked from home since 2019 under the Tories. Lack of fact-checking extraordinary.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 4m That wasn’t just Kemi Badenoch’s worst performance as leader. It was one of the worst performances ever from a leader of the opposition. She had no capacity to readjust after Starmer gave her a clear and direct answer on the Gaza family. It was embarrassing to watch.
I think Dan's wrong. Kemi might not be great, but she was very specific with her questions. Starmer wouldn't confirm whether the government would appeal the decision or not. It seems to me that he wants to say that the judge got it right and it was badly drafted legislation by the Tories. That is obviously bollocks, and there's nothing to stop an activist judge overriding whatever legislation Cooper comes up with.
The days of Dan Hodges being right on anything have long gone, if they ever existed. He has a pick and mix of bad and dreadful takes, this being another. Starmer didn't answer the questions and looked liked an arrogant twat. It's not a good look, but I understand why Hodges likes it.
He's not the only jouno:
Ava-Santina
@AvaSantina · 13m Striking how poorly researched Kemi Badenoch's PMQs are. Best line was about Labour's new borders watchdog that will apparently WFH in Finland, knocked back by Starmer explaining he was hired and worked from home since 2019 under the Tories. Lack of fact-checking extraordinary.
It's PoliticsJoe. Are you trying to tell me that they are some kind of independent journalists, not a group of young left wing metropolitan commentators? Jesus.
Not sure that's true. Model Y and Model 3 were 1st and 2nd in EV sales in December. A lot of focus on January sales, but Tesla always sell sell at the start of the quarter.
I have had two. I will not be buying another while that twat is still in charge. Hopefully for the good of the brand he will step down, but he is just not self aware enough
The share price being ten times what it should be, even now, even with everything, is because of Musk. He goes and it's just another car company, valued like the others.
It isn't. A stack of things that make Tesla stand out, not least of which is that they build cars in a way thats almost unique which means they make money per vehicle in ways that many legacy manufacturers can only dream of.
I remain a skeptic of a lot of the automation stuff. But gigacasting and vertical integration? They're a long way ahead of the western competition.
"Almost unique" is something of exaggeration by now, as several Chinese manufacturers operate in a very similar manner. And note that the leaders in battery manufacturing technology, which is the biggest individual cost of production, are currently (and have been for a while) the Chinese.
I used to think that Badenoch was safe until the next GE.
I now think Bobby J or Cleverly are going to be leader by the middle of the parliament.
They won't, it would be Stride or Philp who replaced her if she did go likely by MPs coronation as when Howard replaced IDS or Sunak replaced Truss. Jenrick and Cleverly failed to win either the Tory MPs vote or members vote
I used to think that Badenoch was safe until the next GE.
I now think Bobby J or Cleverly are going to be leader by the middle of the parliament.
I doubt it matters any more. The Conservatives have lost the ability to appeal to voters aged under 65, so they'll just fade out, in favour of Reform.
On the latest Yougov Reform lead the Conservatives with over 50s and over 65s, though the Conservatives lead Reform with 25-49s. On the previous Yougov the Conservatives led Reform with 18-24s but Reform led the Conservatives with 50-64s so that is out of date since Kemi took over and Farage surged
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 4m That wasn’t just Kemi Badenoch’s worst performance as leader. It was one of the worst performances ever from a leader of the opposition. She had no capacity to readjust after Starmer gave her a clear and direct answer on the Gaza family. It was embarrassing to watch.
I think Dan's wrong. Kemi might not be great, but she was very specific with her questions. Starmer wouldn't confirm whether the government would appeal the decision or not. It seems to me that he wants to say that the judge got it right and it was badly drafted legislation by the Tories. That is obviously bollocks, and there's nothing to stop an activist judge overriding whatever legislation Cooper comes up with.
The days of Dan Hodges being right on anything have long gone, if they ever existed. He has a pick and mix of bad and dreadful takes, this being another. Starmer didn't answer the questions and looked liked an arrogant twat. It's not a good look, but I understand why Hodges likes it.
He's not the only jouno:
Ava-Santina
@AvaSantina · 13m Striking how poorly researched Kemi Badenoch's PMQs are. Best line was about Labour's new borders watchdog that will apparently WFH in Finland, knocked back by Starmer explaining he was hired and worked from home since 2019 under the Tories. Lack of fact-checking extraordinary.
It's PoliticsJoe. Are you trying to tell me that they are some kind of independent journalists, not a group of young left wing metropolitan commentators? Jesus.
How about the political editor of The Sun?
Tory benches look like someone has pissed on their chips
On the Chagos thing, is there any valid reason why the Tories are (a) refusing to be briefed and (b) throwing mud other than not caring what the facts are?
I saw a suggestion that if you don't know the details, you can get away with repeating speculation, and quoting whatever panic the Telegraph has printed that day.
Much of Farage's "outrage" over the years has been based on pretending to have less knowledge of a subject. He is then "just asking the question".
I'd imagine Badenoch is trying something similar, but whereas it might work in a 2 minute media interview, it doesn't work at PMQs. It's quite possible, however, that what breaks through to the public, is the outrage and speculation, rather than the refusal to be briefed, and she may be better off just not bringing it up in PMQs.
Not sure the Liberals calling for end to free trading seems quite right?
Yes, populist, but not great policy.
One which imposed tariffs on any EV manufacturers who don't set up manufacturing in the UK might be better. You could have a sliding scale, or even give an exemption on (eg) the first 30k/50k cars a given manufacturer imported, to give them a chance to establish a presence here. Tesla would hit that wall pretty rapidly.
Tesla would be more likely to up production at Berlin, where there is capacity, I would say. It is mainly Model Ys, which are the main one here, and Tesla German sales are in the toilet.
But UK sales may go the same way.
I don't see us whacking big tariffs on European cars at a time when we are smooching them.
I've been quite surprised at how widely that Led by Donkeys assisted projection of Heil Musky ! onto the Berlin Factory has been appearing. It's all over anti-Tesla anything in the USA.
I used to think that Badenoch was safe until the next GE.
I now think Bobby J or Cleverly are going to be leader by the middle of the parliament.
They won't, it would be Stride or Philp who replaced her if she did go likely by MPs coronation as when Howard replaced IDS or Sunak replaced Truss. Jenrick and Cleverly failed to win either the Tory MPs vote or members vote
Philp?
You cannot be serious!!!!
It’ll be Hunt.
Don’t let the oiks have a vote, leave it to the PCP.
Not sure that's true. Model Y and Model 3 were 1st and 2nd in EV sales in December. A lot of focus on January sales, but Tesla always sell sell at the start of the quarter.
I have had two. I will not be buying another while that twat is still in charge. Hopefully for the good of the brand he will step down, but he is just not self aware enough
The share price being ten times what it should be, even now, even with everything, is because of Musk. He goes and it's just another car company, valued like the others.
It isn't. A stack of things that make Tesla stand out, not least of which is that they build cars in a way thats almost unique which means they make money per vehicle in ways that many legacy manufacturers can only dream of.
I remain a skeptic of a lot of the automation stuff. But gigacasting and vertical integration? They're a long way ahead of the western competition.
"Almost unique" is something of exaggeration by now, as several Chinese manufacturers operate in a very similar manner. And note that the leaders in battery manufacturing technology, which is the biggest individual cost of production, are currently (and have been for a while) the Chinese.
Hence my use of the word "almost". From a western manufacturer perspective they are unique. The threat to Tesla as everyone else is from China. They are set up out of the box with the same vertical integration that Tesla have and can churn out new models across multiple brands at an almost ludicrous speed.
Tesla will stand whilst the likes of VAG fall (as Ford and GM et al have fallen before them) - but after that the future is Chinese.
I used to think that Badenoch was safe until the next GE.
I now think Bobby J or Cleverly are going to be leader by the middle of the parliament.
They won't, it would be Stride or Philp who replaced her if she did go likely by MPs coronation as when Howard replaced IDS or Sunak replaced Truss. Jenrick and Cleverly failed to win either the Tory MPs vote or members vote
Philp?
You cannot be serious!!!!
It’ll be Hunt.
Don’t let the oiks have a vote, leave it to the PCP.
Who the fuck is gonna vote for Jeremy Hunt as PM? lol!
It's a suicide note
I actively want the Tories to drop dead but people like you are speeding the process
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 4m That wasn’t just Kemi Badenoch’s worst performance as leader. It was one of the worst performances ever from a leader of the opposition. She had no capacity to readjust after Starmer gave her a clear and direct answer on the Gaza family. It was embarrassing to watch.
I think Dan's wrong. Kemi might not be great, but she was very specific with her questions. Starmer wouldn't confirm whether the government would appeal the decision or not. It seems to me that he wants to say that the judge got it right and it was badly drafted legislation by the Tories. That is obviously bollocks, and there's nothing to stop an activist judge overriding whatever legislation Cooper comes up with.
The days of Dan Hodges being right on anything have long gone, if they ever existed. He has a pick and mix of bad and dreadful takes, this being another. Starmer didn't answer the questions and looked liked an arrogant twat. It's not a good look, but I understand why Hodges likes it.
He's not the only jouno:
Ava-Santina
@AvaSantina · 13m Striking how poorly researched Kemi Badenoch's PMQs are. Best line was about Labour's new borders watchdog that will apparently WFH in Finland, knocked back by Starmer explaining he was hired and worked from home since 2019 under the Tories. Lack of fact-checking extraordinary.
It's PoliticsJoe. Are you trying to tell me that they are some kind of independent journalists, not a group of young left wing metropolitan commentators? Jesus.
How about the political editor of The Sun?
Tory benches look like someone has pissed on their chips
I used to think that Badenoch was safe until the next GE.
I now think Bobby J or Cleverly are going to be leader by the middle of the parliament.
They won't, it would be Stride or Philp who replaced her if she did go likely by MPs coronation as when Howard replaced IDS or Sunak replaced Truss. Jenrick and Cleverly failed to win either the Tory MPs vote or members vote
Philp?
You cannot be serious!!!!
It’ll be Hunt.
Don’t let the oiks have a vote, leave it to the PCP.
Who the fuck is gonna vote for Jeremy Hunt as PM? lol!
It's a suicide note
I actively want the Tories to drop dead but people like you are speeding the process
TSE backs the LDs now anyway.
Hunt would be OK but he wouldn't win, he had little MP support when he stood last term, as I said it would be Shadow Chancellor Stride or Shadow HS Philp
I used to think that Badenoch was safe until the next GE.
I now think Bobby J or Cleverly are going to be leader by the middle of the parliament.
They won't, it would be Stride or Philp who replaced her if she did go likely by MPs coronation as when Howard replaced IDS or Sunak replaced Truss. Jenrick and Cleverly failed to win either the Tory MPs vote or members vote
Philp?
You cannot be serious!!!!
It’ll be Hunt.
Don’t let the oiks have a vote, leave it to the PCP.
Who the fuck is gonna vote for Jeremy Hunt as PM? lol!
It's a suicide note
I actively want the Tories to drop dead but people like you are speeding the process
He’s a canny operator, long serving if not the longest serving Health Secretary, reassured the markets when Truss shat the bed, defeated the Lib Dems in July when most thought he’d be a goner.
I used to think that Badenoch was safe until the next GE.
I now think Bobby J or Cleverly are going to be leader by the middle of the parliament.
They won't, it would be Stride or Philp who replaced her if she did go likely by MPs coronation as when Howard replaced IDS or Sunak replaced Truss. Jenrick and Cleverly failed to win either the Tory MPs vote or members vote
Philp?
You cannot be serious!!!!
He is intelligent, comes across well on TV and has more gravitas than Kemi.
He is also a Kemi loyalist so if she did go would be an acceptable alternative for Kemi voting party members too (unlike Hunt) as would Stride. Last time the Tories replaced a LOTO midterm it was by their Shadow Chancellor when Howard replaced IDS and Howard of course had also backed IDS over Clarke in 2001 so was also acceptable to IDS voting members
I used to think that Badenoch was safe until the next GE.
I now think Bobby J or Cleverly are going to be leader by the middle of the parliament.
They won't, it would be Stride or Philp who replaced her if she did go likely by MPs coronation as when Howard replaced IDS or Sunak replaced Truss. Jenrick and Cleverly failed to win either the Tory MPs vote or members vote
Philp?
You cannot be serious!!!!
It’ll be Hunt.
Don’t let the oiks have a vote, leave it to the PCP.
Who the fuck is gonna vote for Jeremy Hunt as PM? lol!
It's a suicide note
I actively want the Tories to drop dead but people like you are speeding the process
TSE backs the LDs now anyway.
Hunt would be OK but he wouldn't win, he had little MP support when he stood last term, as I said it would be Shadow Chancellor Stride or Shadow HS Philp
I voted Tory at the last election, I am still a member of the party.
Not sure that's true. Model Y and Model 3 were 1st and 2nd in EV sales in December. A lot of focus on January sales, but Tesla always sell sell at the start of the quarter.
I have had two. I will not be buying another while that twat is still in charge. Hopefully for the good of the brand he will step down, but he is just not self aware enough
The share price being ten times what it should be, even now, even with everything, is because of Musk. He goes and it's just another car company, valued like the others.
It isn't. A stack of things that make Tesla stand out, not least of which is that they build cars in a way thats almost unique which means they make money per vehicle in ways that many legacy manufacturers can only dream of.
I remain a skeptic of a lot of the automation stuff. But gigacasting and vertical integration? They're a long way ahead of the western competition.
"Almost unique" is something of exaggeration by now, as several Chinese manufacturers operate in a very similar manner. And note that the leaders in battery manufacturing technology, which is the biggest individual cost of production, are currently (and have been for a while) the Chinese.
Hence my use of the word "almost". From a western manufacturer perspective they are unique. The threat to Tesla as everyone else is from China. They are set up out of the box with the same vertical integration that Tesla have and can churn out new models across multiple brands at an almost ludicrous speed.
Tesla will stand whilst the likes of VAG fall (as Ford and GM et al have fallen before them) - but after that the future is Chinese.
Or Korean or Japanese (Toyota is wealthy enough to buy itself back into the game, if it moves quickly).
You mean - just as an example - like when I pointed out that Sleepy Joe Biden was gaga from about 2022, and I said "this will be a massive problem for the Dems if they don't fix it", and you kept saying, for another 2 years, "No no no, he just likes dribbling and falling over"
Times like that?
But you weren’t brave enough to predict way back in January 2024 that he’d be replaced before the election, for the PB new year competition, unlike some of us.
Gives Labour 187 seats, Reform 178, Conservatives 167 and LDs 60.
So Kemi Kingmaker who could make Starmer or Farage PM
With this trend as it is there is no way that an intervention will not be made. Kemi's replacement may arrest the slide or may not, but it is coming.
Your problem with these snapshots is that by the time we get to an election the Tory seat count is more like 67 than 167 with the trend as it is...
No, neither Starmer nor Farage can become PM without Badenoch's support at the moment on the most recent poll.
For all the hand wringing Kemi is on the latest poll potentially the most powerful party leader after the next GE in terms of deciding the next government, IDS had no chance of deciding who would become PM by contrast, nor did Hague
I used to think that Badenoch was safe until the next GE.
I now think Bobby J or Cleverly are going to be leader by the middle of the parliament.
They won't, it would be Stride or Philp who replaced her if she did go likely by MPs coronation as when Howard replaced IDS or Sunak replaced Truss. Jenrick and Cleverly failed to win either the Tory MPs vote or members vote
Philp?
You cannot be serious!!!!
He is intelligent, comes across well on TV and has more gravitas than Kemi.
He is also a Kemi loyalist so if she did go would be an acceptable alternative for Kemi voting party members too (unlike Hunt) as would Stride. Last time the Tories replaced a LOTO midterm it was by their Shadow Chancellor when Howard replaced IDS and Howard of course had also backed IDS over Clarke in 2001 so was also acceptable to IDS voting members
Jenrick, Cleverly, Hunt, Stride, Philp = Bunch of bald men fighting over a comb
I used to think that Badenoch was safe until the next GE.
I now think Bobby J or Cleverly are going to be leader by the middle of the parliament.
They won't, it would be Stride or Philp who replaced her if she did go likely by MPs coronation as when Howard replaced IDS or Sunak replaced Truss. Jenrick and Cleverly failed to win either the Tory MPs vote or members vote
Philp?
You cannot be serious!!!!
It’ll be Hunt.
Don’t let the oiks have a vote, leave it to the PCP.
Who the fuck is gonna vote for Jeremy Hunt as PM? lol!
It's a suicide note
I actively want the Tories to drop dead but people like you are speeding the process
TSE backs the LDs now anyway.
Hunt would be OK but he wouldn't win, he had little MP support when he stood last term, as I said it would be Shadow Chancellor Stride or Shadow HS Philp
I voted Tory at the last election, I am still a member of the party.
Maybe but you voted LD in 2017 and 2019 and basically want the Tories to merge with Davey's LDs, whereas Leon wants them to merge with Farage and Reform
I used to think that Badenoch was safe until the next GE.
I now think Bobby J or Cleverly are going to be leader by the middle of the parliament.
They won't, it would be Stride or Philp who replaced her if she did go likely by MPs coronation as when Howard replaced IDS or Sunak replaced Truss. Jenrick and Cleverly failed to win either the Tory MPs vote or members vote
Philp?
You cannot be serious!!!!
It’ll be Hunt.
Don’t let the oiks have a vote, leave it to the PCP.
Who the fuck is gonna vote for Jeremy Hunt as PM? lol!
It's a suicide note
I actively want the Tories to drop dead but people like you are speeding the process
He’s a canny operator, long serving if not the longest serving Health Secretary, reassured the markets when Truss shat the bed, defeated the Lib Dems in July when most thought he’d be a goner.
Yes, Hunt would probably claw back a sizeable chunk of the Rest-is-Politics faction, which, despite all the din we hear about Farage, Musk etc., is probably something of the silent majority in British politics.
Gives Labour 187 seats, Reform 178, Conservatives 167 and LDs 60.
So Kemi Kingmaker who could make Starmer or Farage PM
With this trend as it is there is no way that an intervention will not be made. Kemi's replacement may arrest the slide or may not, but it is coming.
Your problem with these snapshots is that by the time we get to an election the Tory seat count is more like 67 than 167 with the trend as it is...
No, neither Starmer nor Farage can become PM without Badenoch's support at the moment on the most recent poll.
For all the hand wringing Kemi is on the latest poll potentially the most powerful party leader after the next GE in terms of deciding the next government, IDS had no chance of deciding who would become PM by contrast, nor did Hague
Yes. *The most recent poll* will not be frozen in time so that its a likely result in 2028/9. The most recent poll shows that you are sliding every further away. Even assuming that Kemi stays leader she would be very lucky to be kingmaker. And remember how that worked out for Clegg and the LDs.
Gives Labour 187 seats, Reform 178, Conservatives 167 and LDs 60.
So Kemi Kingmaker who could make Starmer or Farage PM
With this trend as it is there is no way that an intervention will not be made. Kemi's replacement may arrest the slide or may not, but it is coming.
Your problem with these snapshots is that by the time we get to an election the Tory seat count is more like 67 than 167 with the trend as it is...
What can an alternative leader really do though? And do any of the potentials have much about them?
Yes they will change at some point, but it won't help them. They are floating off to irrelevance.
It increasingly feels to me like the next GE is shaping up to be a Labour/Reform battle.
The Tories might have a part to play, but I don’t think in current form they’re likely to be in any fit state to really challenge for government next time. Of course, things can change, but I am starting to think the only way that happens is by circumstances outside their control - the main one being a Farage flounce.
Comments
As our NU10Kers would confirm.
it is the public, not the government who adjudicate, and decide which bits are the most important.
If Tesco said: 'We focus on jam, pickled onions, frozen peas, lager and white bread, and the public must judge us by how we do in these five missions' they would not be in business.
PS How is the Dilnot report implementation getting on?
It did not, unfortunately, stop someone playing silly buggers with the Housing Account.
Nor Central Govt funding being cut to Councils by around 40% in real terms.
(((Dan Hodges)))
@DPJHodges
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4m
That wasn’t just Kemi Badenoch’s worst performance as leader. It was one of the worst performances ever from a leader of the opposition. She had no capacity to readjust after Starmer gave her a clear and direct answer on the Gaza family. It was embarrassing to watch.
It's difficult to hate Starmer in the way that people some posters do. You can be pretty disappointed though.
iirc it was a rule.
How could she or her team not know that the reply would be 'you lot appointed him in 2019 and after five years we have now made him work from UK'???
So this seems a tad harsh:
"We could go on, but there no point as you are currently probably jerking yourself off about how you pwned PB yet again with the your brilliance"
There’s plenty to expose the government on at the moment, but Badenoch seems to find it very difficult to land a blow.
Astounding that they passed candidate vetting, unless Labour's vetting is not scrupulously transparent in which case they should be firing some people in vetting. Looking pretty stupid to have suspended candidates for humanitarian sympathies but allowed these idiots through.
Same with her repeat of the same question. "Are you appealing" - "we're closing the loophole" - "but are you appealing" etc etc
Two things done. Demonstrating that the Tories screwed up the law. And that Labour are fixing it. And she let him hammer that point over and over and over.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/boris-johnson-says-mar-a-lago-is-a-great-place-for-people-of-gaza-to-settle/ar-AA1ySRg6?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=7ae963dec9d5444f8a632b019e32149d&ei=9
It's then when you are at your most tedious.
You mean - just as an example - like when I pointed out that Sleepy Joe Biden was gaga from about 2022, and I said "this will be a massive problem for the Dems if they don't fix it", and you kept saying, for another 2 years, "No no no, he just likes dribbling and falling over"
Times like that?
Not *that* sort of water boarding, anyway.
I know from experience that the AI bots don't capture past dodgy posts made on the social media you've let them trawl through. And if you have undeclared stuff? How can they look, especially with closed loop stuff like WhatsApp?
If you go into the details of Partygate, it is apparent that Gray’s report is, if anything, overly discrete and mealy-mouthed.
Have you ever read any Dickens?
One which imposed tariffs on any EV manufacturers who don't set up manufacturing in the UK might be better.
You could have a sliding scale, or even give an exemption on (eg) the first 30k/50k cars a given manufacturer imported, to give them a chance to establish a presence here.
Tesla would hit that wall pretty rapidly.
I now think Bobby J or Cleverly are going to be leader by the middle of the parliament.
To start a recovery process you have to accept reality. Where you are now. As you can't do that, you're sunk.
Times like that?
Thing is, you make so many pronouncements the likelihood that the "even fools are right sometimes" maxim comes into play. Thankfully you were wrong to suggest that I should cancel my skiing holidays because Putin was going to nuke us (I'd probably have still gone anyway even if I'd been vapourised) and we are still waiting for the inevitable alien invasion. I can't remember the other ridiculous predictions, but perhaps other PBers will be able to remind us.
But What3Words is worth it - I do quite like that Larry the Cat's address is "indoor, myself rather."
https://what3words.com/indoor.myself.rather
My habit is to use two references.
Ava-Santina
@AvaSantina
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13m
Striking how poorly researched Kemi Badenoch's PMQs are. Best line was about Labour's new borders watchdog that will apparently WFH in Finland, knocked back by Starmer explaining he was hired and worked from home since 2019 under the Tories. Lack of fact-checking extraordinary.
https://x.com/AvaSantina/status/1889651749339685029
You - the Tories - hired this person to work from home in Finland. How on earth can you not know that when you try and line it up as a gotcha against the government?
One doubts it will work as if you think Reform are crackers you probably have plenty of room to vote Lab or Lib Dem over Diet Reform. While if you think they are not, why would you not vote for Reform?
I remain a skeptic of a lot of the automation stuff. But gigacasting and vertical integration? They're a long way ahead of the western competition.
https://x.com/PolymarketIntel/status/1889650714072272993
So Kemi Kingmaker who could make Starmer or Farage PM
https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/usercode.py?scotcontrol=N&CON=23&LAB=25&LIB=12&Reform=25&Green=8&UKIP=&TVCON=&TVLAB=&TVLIB=&TVReform=&TVGreen=&TVUKIP=&SCOTCON=&SCOTLAB=&SCOTLIB=&SCOTReform=&SCOTGreen=&SCOTUKIP=&SCOTNAT=&display=AllChanged&regorseat=(none)&boundary=2024base
She walked into her own elephant traps.
And note that the leaders in battery manufacturing technology, which is the biggest individual cost of production, are currently (and have been for a while) the Chinese.
You cannot be serious!!!!
https://ygo-assets-websites-editorial-emea.yougov.net/documents/VotingIntention_MRP_250210_w.pdf
https://d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net/documents/VotingIntention_MRP_250203_w.pdf
Your problem with these snapshots is that by the time we get to an election the Tory seat count is more like 67 than 167 with the trend as it is...
Tory benches look like someone has pissed on their chips
https://x.com/mrharrycole/status/1889651606624317493?s=61&t=c6bcp0cjChLfQN5Tc8A_6g
Much of Farage's "outrage" over the years has been based on pretending to have less knowledge of a subject. He is then "just asking the question".
I'd imagine Badenoch is trying something similar, but whereas it might work in a 2 minute media interview, it doesn't work at PMQs. It's quite possible, however, that what breaks through to the public, is the outrage and speculation, rather than the refusal to be briefed, and she may be better off just not bringing it up in PMQs.
But UK sales may go the same way.
I don't see us whacking big tariffs on European cars at a time when we are smooching them.
I've been quite surprised at how widely that Led by Donkeys assisted projection of Heil Musky ! onto the Berlin Factory has been appearing. It's all over anti-Tesla anything in the USA.
Don’t let the oiks have a vote, leave it to the PCP.
Tesla will stand whilst the likes of VAG fall (as Ford and GM et al have fallen before them) - but after that the future is Chinese.
It's a suicide note
I actively want the Tories to drop dead but people like you are speeding the process
Yes they will change at some point, but it won't help them. They are floating off to irrelevance.
Hunt would be OK but he wouldn't win, he had little MP support when he stood last term, as I said it would be Shadow Chancellor Stride or Shadow HS Philp
He is also a Kemi loyalist so if she did go would be an acceptable alternative for Kemi voting party members too (unlike Hunt) as would Stride. Last time the Tories replaced a LOTO midterm it was by their Shadow Chancellor when Howard replaced IDS and Howard of course had also backed IDS over Clarke in 2001 so was also acceptable to IDS voting members
For all the hand wringing Kemi is on the latest poll potentially the most powerful party leader after the next GE in terms of deciding the next government, IDS had no chance of deciding who would become PM by contrast, nor did Hague
The Court found he did it to shore up his immigration position to stay here. The Family Court named him.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yer90xpzno
The Tories might have a part to play, but I don’t think in current form they’re likely to be in any fit state to really challenge for government next time. Of course, things can change, but I am starting to think the only way that happens is by circumstances outside their control - the main one being a Farage flounce.