Well done Starmer, fishing is worth feck all, we need to focus on the big issues, I will never forgive Boris Johnson for prioritising fish over financial services when it came to the Brexit deal.
Starmer close to EU arms deal — at the expense of fishermen
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund after the UK makes concessions on fishing quotas
Sir Keir Starmer is close to striking a major trade deal with the EU that would allow British arms companies to sell billions of pounds of weapons to European allies.
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund as part of Starmer’s reset with the bloc after the UK made significant concessions to Brussels on fishing rights.
The prime minister will host an EU-UK summit on May 19 in London as he seeks to ease trade barriers with Brussels.
It’s a stupid deal. He’s giving away something concrete - fishing rights - for something possible - the right to bid for arms deals
It’s exactly the same as Blair. Giving away something concrete - half the Rebate - for something possible - the promise to reform CAP (which never happened)
It’s classic bad British EU negotiation. Plus ca change….
It's like a bet.
You give away something concrete - your stake - in return for a possible return.
Whether it is a good bet depends on the size of the stake and the probability and size of the return.
Blair's bet was a poor bet.
This one looks OK to me. The total value of sea fish landings by UK vessels is about £1 billion. We lose a proportion of that for a proportion (perhaps small) of £150 billion.
A trawler was landing mackerel on the harbour at Ullapool. At this stage in the food cycle they're worth sfa and the fisherpersons - after God knows how long at sea - couldn't be arsed to pick up the strays, so my mate and I gathered half a dozen, took them back to the youth hostel across the street, and fried them whole for supper. The kitchen smelled like a dingo's jockstrap.*
We then went to the pub for a session of gnat's piss - no wonder True Scots prefer their beer with a whisky chaser. On returning to the hostel the malodour had spread throughout the building, even to the rafters in the men's dorm. We were not very popular.
Next day we climbed Ben More Assynt as a penance, en route to Durness.
Well done Starmer, fishing is worth feck all, we need to focus on the big issues, I will never forgive Boris Johnson for prioritising fish over financial services when it came to the Brexit deal.
Starmer close to EU arms deal — at the expense of fishermen
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund after the UK makes concessions on fishing quotas
Sir Keir Starmer is close to striking a major trade deal with the EU that would allow British arms companies to sell billions of pounds of weapons to European allies.
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund as part of Starmer’s reset with the bloc after the UK made significant concessions to Brussels on fishing rights.
The prime minister will host an EU-UK summit on May 19 in London as he seeks to ease trade barriers with Brussels.
It’s a stupid deal. He’s giving away something concrete - fishing rights - for something possible - the right to bid for arms deals
It’s exactly the same as Blair. Giving away something concrete - half the Rebate - for something possible - the promise to reform CAP (which never happened)
It’s classic bad British EU negotiation. Plus ca change….
It's like a bet.
You give away something concrete - your stake - in return for a possible return.
Whether it is a good bet depends on the size of the stake and the probability and size of the return.
Blair's bet was a poor bet.
This one looks OK to me. The total value of sea fish landings by UK vessels is about £1 billion. We lose a proportion of that for a proportion (perhaps small) of £150 billion.
But you classically miss the point, as you often do
The emotional value of these fishing rights TO THE FRENCH - and to others in the EU - is far in advance of what they are actually worth in basic numbers. I’ve witnessed this for myself in France. It really really matters to them. That gives us enormous leverage should we choose to use it
A sharper politician than starmer would realise this but he’s a fool and a berk and he has no Theory of Mind so he’s giving up the rights in return for vague promises. Twat
Well done Starmer, fishing is worth feck all, we need to focus on the big issues, I will never forgive Boris Johnson for prioritising fish over financial services when it came to the Brexit deal.
Starmer close to EU arms deal — at the expense of fishermen
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund after the UK makes concessions on fishing quotas
Sir Keir Starmer is close to striking a major trade deal with the EU that would allow British arms companies to sell billions of pounds of weapons to European allies.
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund as part of Starmer’s reset with the bloc after the UK made significant concessions to Brussels on fishing rights.
The prime minister will host an EU-UK summit on May 19 in London as he seeks to ease trade barriers with Brussels.
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
Stop it. That sounds fantastic, but as I have said before I am not a fan of fish and I am a foodie. I wish I were, because the description is mouthwatering. Every tme I see it I want it. It also sounds like a great breakfast. I agree with you on a full English. I love them, but regret it for the rest of the day.
Also the comments made about offal. Sad that it is so uncommon now. I love liver, kidneys, tongue and heart. I haven't had stuffed heart for decades. I ordered a plate of kidneys in France and the waiter double checked I knew what I was ordering (obviously mad Englishman who can't read the menu) it has become so not normal.
PS Don't know what happened there. That was supposed to be 2 separate posts.
This one looks OK to me. The total value of sea fish landings by UK vessels is about £1 billion. We lose a proportion of that for a proportion (perhaps small) of £150 billion.
There's probably an instrumental aspect to all this. NATO is on its death bed and the UK government doesn't want to be folornly wanking in a hedge while looking at whatever structure succeeds it indulges in an orgy of debt fuelled defence spending.
Of course there is no certainty it will be EUTO but there is a chance it might be. If it is, the UK would be preferred to be involved from inception rather than stood in a queue making awkward conversation with the likes of Iceland and North Macedonia at a later date when it's fully formed.
Well done Starmer, fishing is worth feck all, we need to focus on the big issues, I will never forgive Boris Johnson for prioritising fish over financial services when it came to the Brexit deal.
Starmer close to EU arms deal — at the expense of fishermen
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund after the UK makes concessions on fishing quotas
Sir Keir Starmer is close to striking a major trade deal with the EU that would allow British arms companies to sell billions of pounds of weapons to European allies.
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund as part of Starmer’s reset with the bloc after the UK made significant concessions to Brussels on fishing rights.
The prime minister will host an EU-UK summit on May 19 in London as he seeks to ease trade barriers with Brussels.
It’s a stupid deal. He’s giving away something concrete - fishing rights - for something possible - the right to bid for arms deals
It’s exactly the same as Blair. Giving away something concrete - half the Rebate - for something possible - the promise to reform CAP (which never happened)
It’s classic bad British EU negotiation. Plus ca change….
It's like a bet.
You give away something concrete - your stake - in return for a possible return.
Whether it is a good bet depends on the size of the stake and the probability and size of the return.
Blair's bet was a poor bet.
This one looks OK to me. The total value of sea fish landings by UK vessels is about £1 billion. We lose a proportion of that for a proportion (perhaps small) of £150 billion.
But you classically miss the point, as you often do
The emotional value of these fishing rights TO THE FRENCH - and to others in the EU - is far in advance of what they are actually worth in basic numbers. I’ve witnessed this for myself in France. It really really matters to them. That gives us enormous leverage should we choose to use it
A sharper politician than starmer would realise this but he’s a fool and a berk and he has no Theory of Mind so he’s giving up the rights in return for vague promises. Twat
French fishing is worth roughly 5 times more to their economy than the equivalent to the UK so on last figures 0.14 v 0.03 .
Still relatively small but the fish issue is likely to be connected to other trade issues so it might not just be fish and defence contracts .
Well done Starmer, fishing is worth feck all, we need to focus on the big issues, I will never forgive Boris Johnson for prioritising fish over financial services when it came to the Brexit deal.
Starmer close to EU arms deal — at the expense of fishermen
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund after the UK makes concessions on fishing quotas
Given - ironically - bungled EU policies on fishing* it's not as though our fishing industry is actually worth saving at more than a hobby level anyway.
*Admittedly it wasn't the only factor but it was a major one.
The biggest problem with our fishing industry is that Brits don't eat fish (yes, I know fish & chips but thats peripheral and doesn't even really come from British waters) , unlike the French and Spanish. We prefer pizza, burgers, steak and fried chicken etc.
If we did, then we'd have a much bigger one and far less going to export.
That, to be fair, is also true but there was a time when it wasn't. Certainly until the 1960s fish formed a very important part of ordinary peoples' diets precisely because it was cheap. In the war years, as well, it was important as it wasn't rationed.
I'm not sure why it changed, or exactly when. Was it maybe because of overfishing that caused prices to rise and supply to plummet? Or was it simply a change in tastes?
Fish mainly seems to be eaten by older people, so maybe it has fallen out of fashion. The same applies to offal.
Not sure that’s true. Lot of people I know are pescatarian - and they tend to be younger
Also I know people who generally opt for fish as it is more healthy and less cruel in its farming methods. Like, er, me
I eat fish basically as often as I can. 3-4 times a week given the chance? More sometimes?
One of the great drawbacks of Central Asia is the lack of fish
You could start up Salmon Farming in the Yemen Yerevan...
(I know, geographically a bit of a stretch, but best I could do to a deadline.)
This one looks OK to me. The total value of sea fish landings by UK vessels is about £1 billion. We lose a proportion of that for a proportion (perhaps small) of £150 billion.
There's probably an instrumental aspect to all this. NATO is on its death bed and the UK government doesn't want to be folornly wanking in a hedge while looking at whatever structure succeeds it indulges in an orgy of debt fuelled defence spending.
Of course there is no certainty it will be EUTO but there is a chance it might be. If it is, the UK would be preferred to be involved from inception rather than stood in a queue making awkward conversation with the likes of Iceland and North Macedonia at a later date when it's fully formed.
Why would we want to do that? It can fuck off as far as I'm concerned. By all means band together to defend the continent against Mad Vlad if you wish to - we will be lucky it we have a Government that can defend these Islands competently.
Well done Starmer, fishing is worth feck all, we need to focus on the big issues, I will never forgive Boris Johnson for prioritising fish over financial services when it came to the Brexit deal.
Starmer close to EU arms deal — at the expense of fishermen
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund after the UK makes concessions on fishing quotas
Sir Keir Starmer is close to striking a major trade deal with the EU that would allow British arms companies to sell billions of pounds of weapons to European allies.
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund as part of Starmer’s reset with the bloc after the UK made significant concessions to Brussels on fishing rights.
The prime minister will host an EU-UK summit on May 19 in London as he seeks to ease trade barriers with Brussels.
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
Stop it. That sounds fantastic, but as I have said before I am not a fan of fish and I am a foodie. I wish I were, because the description is mouthwatering. Every tme I see it I want it. It also sounds like a great breakfast. I agree with you on a full English. I love them, but regret it for the rest of the day.
Also the comments made about offal. Sad that it is so uncommon now. I love liver, kidneys, tongue and heart. I haven't had stuffed heart for decades. I ordered a plate of kidneys in France and the waiter double checked I knew what I was ordering (obviously mad Englishman who can't read the menu) it has become so not normal.
PS Don't know what happened there. That was supposed to be 2 separate posts.
Given we are a heretic nation of Protestant heritage I would have thought the appointment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury would be even more relevant here
This one looks OK to me. The total value of sea fish landings by UK vessels is about £1 billion. We lose a proportion of that for a proportion (perhaps small) of £150 billion.
There's probably an instrumental aspect to all this. NATO is on its death bed and the UK government doesn't want to be folornly wanking in a hedge while looking at whatever structure succeeds it indulges in an orgy of debt fuelled defence spending.
Of course there is no certainty it will be EUTO but there is a chance it might be. If it is, the UK would be preferred to be involved from inception rather than stood in a queue making awkward conversation with the likes of Iceland and North Macedonia at a later date when it's fully formed.
Warfare is well worth going to see on a big screen btw.
Well done Starmer, fishing is worth feck all, we need to focus on the big issues, I will never forgive Boris Johnson for prioritising fish over financial services when it came to the Brexit deal.
Starmer close to EU arms deal — at the expense of fishermen
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund after the UK makes concessions on fishing quotas
Sir Keir Starmer is close to striking a major trade deal with the EU that would allow British arms companies to sell billions of pounds of weapons to European allies.
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund as part of Starmer’s reset with the bloc after the UK made significant concessions to Brussels on fishing rights.
The prime minister will host an EU-UK summit on May 19 in London as he seeks to ease trade barriers with Brussels.
Well done Starmer, fishing is worth feck all, we need to focus on the big issues, I will never forgive Boris Johnson for prioritising fish over financial services when it came to the Brexit deal.
Starmer close to EU arms deal — at the expense of fishermen
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund after the UK makes concessions on fishing quotas
Sir Keir Starmer is close to striking a major trade deal with the EU that would allow British arms companies to sell billions of pounds of weapons to European allies.
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund as part of Starmer’s reset with the bloc after the UK made significant concessions to Brussels on fishing rights.
The prime minister will host an EU-UK summit on May 19 in London as he seeks to ease trade barriers with Brussels.
Why can’t the Tories just leave woke alone. They’ve managed to put out an announcement attacking hate crimes on the anniversary of Stephen Lawrence’s death.
Why can’t the Tories just leave woke alone. They’ve managed to put out an announcement attacking hate crimes on the anniversary of Stephen Lawrence’s death.
Have you thought of reducing your five comments per day to a more austere and demanding zero? It would really concentrate your mind
Euch, is there any group of people worse than the French? Negotiating with us, asking that we give them something in return for them giving something to us? What next? When will this perfidy end?
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
Stop it. That sounds fantastic, but as I have said before I am not a fan of fish and I am a foodie. I wish I were, because the description is mouthwatering. Every tme I see it I want it. It also sounds like a great breakfast. I agree with you on a full English. I love them, but regret it for the rest of the day.
Also the comments made about offal. Sad that it is so uncommon now. I love liver, kidneys, tongue and heart. I haven't had stuffed heart for decades. I ordered a plate of kidneys in France and the waiter double checked I knew what I was ordering (obviously mad Englishman who can't read the menu) it has become so not normal.
PS Don't know what happened there. That was supposed to be 2 separate posts.
Given we are a heretic nation of Protestant heritage I would have thought the appointment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury would be even more relevant here
Don't get me wrong. I expect the pope dying should be breaking news and the headlines on all news programmes and due a big section and for there to be specific programmes on him and in the news when there are developments eg funeral arrangements.
However hour after hour of no news whatsoever is ridiculous.
If you are going to put in "subtle" Father Ted references, get them right.
"That would be an ecumenical matter..."
I'm afraid the Father Ted references, like those from Blackadder, Python and Fawlty Towers, are never that subtle. It's almost a sub language for those of a certain age.
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
Stop it. That sounds fantastic, but as I have said before I am not a fan of fish and I am a foodie. I wish I were, because the description is mouthwatering. Every tme I see it I want it. It also sounds like a great breakfast. I agree with you on a full English. I love them, but regret it for the rest of the day.
Also the comments made about offal. Sad that it is so uncommon now. I love liver, kidneys, tongue and heart. I haven't had stuffed heart for decades. I ordered a plate of kidneys in France and the waiter double checked I knew what I was ordering (obviously mad Englishman who can't read the menu) it has become so not normal.
PS Don't know what happened there. That was supposed to be 2 separate posts.
Given we are a heretic nation of Protestant heritage I would have thought the appointment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury would be even more relevant here
Most people in this country won’t care who is the next Pope or the next Archbishop of Canterbury, although the Pope is a world leader. The AoC isn’t.
Well done Starmer, fishing is worth feck all, we need to focus on the big issues, I will never forgive Boris Johnson for prioritising fish over financial services when it came to the Brexit deal.
Starmer close to EU arms deal — at the expense of fishermen
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund after the UK makes concessions on fishing quotas
Sir Keir Starmer is close to striking a major trade deal with the EU that would allow British arms companies to sell billions of pounds of weapons to European allies.
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund as part of Starmer’s reset with the bloc after the UK made significant concessions to Brussels on fishing rights.
The prime minister will host an EU-UK summit on May 19 in London as he seeks to ease trade barriers with Brussels.
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
It's Bond's favourite meal of the day.
"Breakfast is prepared by May, his Scottish housekeeper and she takes it to him on a tray with a copy of the Times. At home his breakfast consists of: Two cups of very strong coffee from De Bry in New Oxford Street brewed in an American Chemex and drunk black without sugar. A brown speckled egg from a French Marans hen boiled for 3 1/3 minutes served in a dark blue egg cup with a gold ring round the top. Two thick slices of wholewheat toast with Jersey butter and the choice of Tiptree “Little Scarlet” strawberry jam, Cooper’s vintage oxford marmalade and Norwegian Heather Honey from Fortnum’s. We also learn that the eggs are provided by a friend of May and that Bond dislikes white eggs. The coffee pot and the silver on the tray are Queen Anne, and the china is Minton, of the same dark blue and gold and white as the egg-cup."
Well done Starmer, fishing is worth feck all, we need to focus on the big issues, I will never forgive Boris Johnson for prioritising fish over financial services when it came to the Brexit deal.
Starmer close to EU arms deal — at the expense of fishermen
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund after the UK makes concessions on fishing quotas
Sir Keir Starmer is close to striking a major trade deal with the EU that would allow British arms companies to sell billions of pounds of weapons to European allies.
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund as part of Starmer’s reset with the bloc after the UK made significant concessions to Brussels on fishing rights.
The prime minister will host an EU-UK summit on May 19 in London as he seeks to ease trade barriers with Brussels.
It’s a stupid deal. He’s giving away something concrete - fishing rights - for something possible - the right to bid for arms deals
It’s exactly the same as Blair. Giving away something concrete - half the Rebate - for something possible - the promise to reform CAP (which never happened)
It’s classic bad British EU negotiation. Plus ca change….
It's like a bet.
You give away something concrete - your stake - in return for a possible return.
Whether it is a good bet depends on the size of the stake and the probability and size of the return.
Blair's bet was a poor bet.
This one looks OK to me. The total value of sea fish landings by UK vessels is about £1 billion. We lose a proportion of that for a proportion (perhaps small) of £150 billion.
Whether it's agriculture or defence if you trust the French to play with a straight bat in free and open competition then you have more faith than me.
Our greatest hope is that Europe is so desperate for defence contracts and supplies that they have to give us work.
Euch, is there any group of people worse than the French? Negotiating with us, asking that we give them something in return for them giving something to us? What next? When will this perfidy end?
The French are the most reliable people in the world.
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
Stop it. That sounds fantastic, but as I have said before I am not a fan of fish and I am a foodie. I wish I were, because the description is mouthwatering. Every tme I see it I want it. It also sounds like a great breakfast. I agree with you on a full English. I love them, but regret it for the rest of the day.
Also the comments made about offal. Sad that it is so uncommon now. I love liver, kidneys, tongue and heart. I haven't had stuffed heart for decades. I ordered a plate of kidneys in France and the waiter double checked I knew what I was ordering (obviously mad Englishman who can't read the menu) it has become so not normal.
PS Don't know what happened there. That was supposed to be 2 separate posts.
Given we are a heretic nation of Protestant heritage I would have thought the appointment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury would be even more relevant here
Most people in this country won’t care who is the next Pope or the next Archbishop of Canterbury, although the Pope is a world leader. The AoC isn’t.
46% who are Christian are.
The AoC is still primus inter pares of the global Anglican communion if not head and leader of it with formal power in the way the Pope has over the global Roman Catholic church
This one looks OK to me. The total value of sea fish landings by UK vessels is about £1 billion. We lose a proportion of that for a proportion (perhaps small) of £150 billion.
There's probably an instrumental aspect to all this. NATO is on its death bed and the UK government doesn't want to be folornly wanking in a hedge while looking at whatever structure succeeds it indulges in an orgy of debt fuelled defence spending.
Of course there is no certainty it will be EUTO but there is a chance it might be. If it is, the UK would be preferred to be involved from inception rather than stood in a queue making awkward conversation with the likes of Iceland and North Macedonia at a later date when it's fully formed.
Which is what happened the first time round with Europe, and we spent the next six decades trying to play catch up.
Leon, who is a better judge of these things, voted for Boris, Brexit, and Starmer. I think we can dismiss his opinion in relative safety.
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
Stop it. That sounds fantastic, but as I have said before I am not a fan of fish and I am a foodie. I wish I were, because the description is mouthwatering. Every tme I see it I want it. It also sounds like a great breakfast. I agree with you on a full English. I love them, but regret it for the rest of the day.
Also the comments made about offal. Sad that it is so uncommon now. I love liver, kidneys, tongue and heart. I haven't had stuffed heart for decades. I ordered a plate of kidneys in France and the waiter double checked I knew what I was ordering (obviously mad Englishman who can't read the menu) it has become so not normal.
PS Don't know what happened there. That was supposed to be 2 separate posts.
Given we are a heretic nation of Protestant heritage I would have thought the appointment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury would be even more relevant here
Don't get me wrong. I expect the pope dying should be breaking news and the headlines on all news programmes and due a big section and for there to be specific programmes on him and in the news when there are developments eg funeral arrangements.
However hour after hour of no news whatsoever is ridiculous.
Still not as much as the Queen's death got here too. She was of course supreme governor and effective head of the church of England and our national church not the Pope and protector of the Church of Scotland as well as being UK and commonwealth realm head of state
Euch, is there any group of people worse than the French? Negotiating with us, asking that we give them something in return for them giving something to us? What next? When will this perfidy end?
The French are the most reliable people in the world.
They will always be there when they need you.
As you must know, the French value fishing more than we do. We can exploit that. Theory of mind I'm told.
This one looks OK to me. The total value of sea fish landings by UK vessels is about £1 billion. We lose a proportion of that for a proportion (perhaps small) of £150 billion.
There's probably an instrumental aspect to all this. NATO is on its death bed and the UK government doesn't want to be folornly wanking in a hedge while looking at whatever structure succeeds it indulges in an orgy of debt fuelled defence spending.
Of course there is no certainty it will be EUTO but there is a chance it might be. If it is, the UK would be preferred to be involved from inception rather than stood in a queue making awkward conversation with the likes of Iceland and North Macedonia at a later date when it's fully formed.
Which is what happened the first time round with Europe, and we spent the next six decades trying to play catch up.
Leon, who is a better judge of these things, voted for Boris, Brexit, and Starmer. I think we can dismiss his opinion in relative safety.
And in entirely different times for an entirely different concept that was based around pooling the common resources of war, coal and steel, so France and Germany could never go to war again and the Benelux countries not trampled over. That's where the concept of "European Union" comes from.
A European Alliance will be built entirely and pragmatically defensive and based on who has the relative weights of hard power, and money and men will talk, not ideology.
That gives Britain, France and Poland the upper hand.
Germany should be the ones worried about missing out this time.
Well done Starmer, fishing is worth feck all, we need to focus on the big issues, I will never forgive Boris Johnson for prioritising fish over financial services when it came to the Brexit deal.
Starmer close to EU arms deal — at the expense of fishermen
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund after the UK makes concessions on fishing quotas
Sir Keir Starmer is close to striking a major trade deal with the EU that would allow British arms companies to sell billions of pounds of weapons to European allies.
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund as part of Starmer’s reset with the bloc after the UK made significant concessions to Brussels on fishing rights.
The prime minister will host an EU-UK summit on May 19 in London as he seeks to ease trade barriers with Brussels.
So that is Falmouth, Grimsby, Lowestoft, Hastings, Scarborough going Reform then
No Peterhead or Fraserburgh (or Peterburgh & Fraserhead as Scotch fishing expert Gove called them)?
Banff and Buchan Reform will have a shot at too
Or Aberdeenshire North and Moray East as it now is. Reform got 14.6% there at the general election so slightly higher than they got UK wide
Yes, yes, all very well and good, but how many actual fishermen live in those constituencies? There are fewer full-time fishermen than there are Fellows of the Royal Society, and most of those places will be full of financial intermediaries, accountants, estate agents, teachers, health service professionals and the unemployed. Very few fishermen, who will count for very little in electoral terms.
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
Stop it. That sounds fantastic, but as I have said before I am not a fan of fish and I am a foodie. I wish I were, because the description is mouthwatering. Every tme I see it I want it. It also sounds like a great breakfast. I agree with you on a full English. I love them, but regret it for the rest of the day.
Also the comments made about offal. Sad that it is so uncommon now. I love liver, kidneys, tongue and heart. I haven't had stuffed heart for decades. I ordered a plate of kidneys in France and the waiter double checked I knew what I was ordering (obviously mad Englishman who can't read the menu) it has become so not normal.
PS Don't know what happened there. That was supposed to be 2 separate posts.
Given we are a heretic nation of Protestant heritage I would have thought the appointment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury would be even more relevant here
Don't get me wrong. I expect the pope dying should be breaking news and the headlines on all news programmes and due a big section and for there to be specific programmes on him and in the news when there are developments eg funeral arrangements.
However hour after hour of no news whatsoever is ridiculous.
The BBC and ITV have huge operations set up to bullshit for days and days on the death of a monarch, no way are they going to let them sit idle.
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
Smoked haddock and poached eggs (free range with bright orange, runny yolks) is one of the most simple - yet divine - meals known to man.
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
It's Bond's favourite meal of the day.
"Breakfast is prepared by May, his Scottish housekeeper and she takes it to him on a tray with a copy of the Times. At home his breakfast consists of: Two cups of very strong coffee from De Bry in New Oxford Street brewed in an American Chemex and drunk black without sugar. A brown speckled egg from a French Marans hen boiled for 3 1/3 minutes served in a dark blue egg cup with a gold ring round the top. Two thick slices of wholewheat toast with Jersey butter and the choice of Tiptree “Little Scarlet” strawberry jam, Cooper’s vintage oxford marmalade and Norwegian Heather Honey from Fortnum’s. We also learn that the eggs are provided by a friend of May and that Bond dislikes white eggs. The coffee pot and the silver on the tray are Queen Anne, and the china is Minton, of the same dark blue and gold and white as the egg-cup."
The reason why Bond works so well here is that it goes further than just sex and violence: it's sex, sadism and snobbery, which explains precisely why it's so intoxicating to us Brits.
This one looks OK to me. The total value of sea fish landings by UK vessels is about £1 billion. We lose a proportion of that for a proportion (perhaps small) of £150 billion.
There's probably an instrumental aspect to all this. NATO is on its death bed and the UK government doesn't want to be folornly wanking in a hedge while looking at whatever structure succeeds it indulges in an orgy of debt fuelled defence spending.
Of course there is no certainty it will be EUTO but there is a chance it might be. If it is, the UK would be preferred to be involved from inception rather than stood in a queue making awkward conversation with the likes of Iceland and North Macedonia at a later date when it's fully formed.
Which is what happened the first time round with Europe, and we spent the next six decades trying to play catch up.
Leon, who is a better judge of these things, voted for Boris, Brexit, and Starmer. I think we can dismiss his opinion in relative safety.
Can we? I see the Spectator has plagiarised my idea that “democracy is doomed” because we are all getting too dumb - and it is one of the most read articles on the site. So clearly someone admires my insights
Why can’t the Tories just leave woke alone. They’ve managed to put out an announcement attacking hate crimes on the anniversary of Stephen Lawrence’s death.
Have you thought of reducing your five comments per day to a more austere and demanding zero? It would really concentrate your mind
I think @BatteryCorrectHorse makes a good point, although to be fair to the Tories they probably didn't know it was the anniversary. I didn't. And it would be unreasonable for them to check every time also.
Being a liberal I was never a Blair supporter, but one of the first things he did was announce the Stephen Lawrence enquiry for which I applauded him.
This one looks OK to me. The total value of sea fish landings by UK vessels is about £1 billion. We lose a proportion of that for a proportion (perhaps small) of £150 billion.
There's probably an instrumental aspect to all this. NATO is on its death bed and the UK government doesn't want to be folornly wanking in a hedge while looking at whatever structure succeeds it indulges in an orgy of debt fuelled defence spending.
Of course there is no certainty it will be EUTO but there is a chance it might be. If it is, the UK would be preferred to be involved from inception rather than stood in a queue making awkward conversation with the likes of Iceland and North Macedonia at a later date when it's fully formed.
Which is what happened the first time round with Europe, and we spent the next six decades trying to play catch up.
Leon, who is a better judge of these things, voted for Boris, Brexit, and Starmer. I think we can dismiss his opinion in relative safety.
Can we? I see the Spectator has plagiarised my idea that “democracy is doomed” because we are all getting too dumb - and it is one of the most read articles on the site. So clearly someone admires my insights
'Leon, who is a better judge of these things, voted for Boris, Brexit, and Starmer."
I wrote about how we may, now, be getting too dumb for democracy to work
This one looks OK to me. The total value of sea fish landings by UK vessels is about £1 billion. We lose a proportion of that for a proportion (perhaps small) of £150 billion.
There's probably an instrumental aspect to all this. NATO is on its death bed and the UK government doesn't want to be folornly wanking in a hedge while looking at whatever structure succeeds it indulges in an orgy of debt fuelled defence spending.
Of course there is no certainty it will be EUTO but there is a chance it might be. If it is, the UK would be preferred to be involved from inception rather than stood in a queue making awkward conversation with the likes of Iceland and North Macedonia at a later date when it's fully formed.
Which is what happened the first time round with Europe, and we spent the next six decades trying to play catch up.
Leon, who is a better judge of these things, voted for Boris, Brexit, and Starmer. I think we can dismiss his opinion in relative safety.
Can we? I see the Spectator has plagiarised my idea that “democracy is doomed” because we are all getting too dumb - and it is one of the most read articles on the site. So clearly someone admires my insights
Your voting record is certainly a contribution to the “democracy is doomed” narrative.
This one looks OK to me. The total value of sea fish landings by UK vessels is about £1 billion. We lose a proportion of that for a proportion (perhaps small) of £150 billion.
There's probably an instrumental aspect to all this. NATO is on its death bed and the UK government doesn't want to be folornly wanking in a hedge while looking at whatever structure succeeds it indulges in an orgy of debt fuelled defence spending.
Of course there is no certainty it will be EUTO but there is a chance it might be. If it is, the UK would be preferred to be involved from inception rather than stood in a queue making awkward conversation with the likes of Iceland and North Macedonia at a later date when it's fully formed.
Which is what happened the first time round with Europe, and we spent the next six decades trying to play catch up.
Leon, who is a better judge of these things, voted for Boris, Brexit, and Starmer. I think we can dismiss his opinion in relative safety.
Can we? I see the Spectator has plagiarised my idea that “democracy is doomed” because we are all getting too dumb - and it is one of the most read articles on the site. So clearly someone admires my insights
"Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…"
Euch, is there any group of people worse than the French? Negotiating with us, asking that we give them something in return for them giving something to us? What next? When will this perfidy end?
The French are the most reliable people in the world.
They will always be there when they need you.
As you must know, the French value fishing more than we do. We can exploit that. Theory of mind I'm told.
I'm sure we CAN.
But one thing we should have learned over the last century, and I saw during several years negotiating with them and others in the EU, is that, while our Foreign Office prioritises "good relations" and "goodwill" with other countries over tangible national interests, we WON'T.
The only time we got something big and tangible in my lifetime was when Mrs Thatcher stuck her heels in over the rebate, against Foreign Office advice.
But with the useless Starmer and Lammy in charge, we'll give in in exchange for warm words and nothing tangible and our fishing industry will resume its vertiginous decline.
This one looks OK to me. The total value of sea fish landings by UK vessels is about £1 billion. We lose a proportion of that for a proportion (perhaps small) of £150 billion.
There's probably an instrumental aspect to all this. NATO is on its death bed and the UK government doesn't want to be folornly wanking in a hedge while looking at whatever structure succeeds it indulges in an orgy of debt fuelled defence spending.
Of course there is no certainty it will be EUTO but there is a chance it might be. If it is, the UK would be preferred to be involved from inception rather than stood in a queue making awkward conversation with the likes of Iceland and North Macedonia at a later date when it's fully formed.
Which is what happened the first time round with Europe, and we spent the next six decades trying to play catch up.
Leon, who is a better judge of these things, voted for Boris, Brexit, and Starmer. I think we can dismiss his opinion in relative safety.
Can we? I see the Spectator has plagiarised my idea that “democracy is doomed” because we are all getting too dumb - and it is one of the most read articles on the site. So clearly someone admires my insights
You are mistaking reading the article (or even accidentally opening it) with agreeing with the article. They could be reading it for a laugh or that Sean Thomas chap posted it ironically (I wonder why I assume he posted it?)
Euch, is there any group of people worse than the French? Negotiating with us, asking that we give them something in return for them giving something to us? What next? When will this perfidy end?
The French are the most reliable people in the world.
They will always be there when they need you.
As you must know, the French value fishing more than we do. We can exploit that. Theory of mind I'm told.
I'm sure we CAN.
But one thing we should have learned over the last century, and I saw during several years negotiating with them and others in the EU, is that, while our Foreign Office prioritises "good relations" and "goodwill" with other countries over tangible national interests, we WON'T.
We'll give in in exchange for warm words and nothing tangible and our fishing industry will resume its vertiginous decline.
Is the Foreign Office even aware that we have any tangible national interests? The problem may simply be ignorance.
Euch, is there any group of people worse than the French? Negotiating with us, asking that we give them something in return for them giving something to us? What next? When will this perfidy end?
The French are the most reliable people in the world.
They will always be there when they need you.
As you must know, the French value fishing more than we do. We can exploit that. Theory of mind I'm told.
I'm sure we CAN.
But one thing we should have learned over the last century, and I saw during several years negotiating with them and others in the EU, is that, while our Foreign Office prioritises "good relations" and "goodwill" with other countries over tangible national interests, we WON'T.
The only time we got something big and tangible in my lifetime was when Mrs Thatcher stuck her heels in over the rebate, against Foreign Office advice.
But with the useless Starmer and Lammy in charge, we'll give in in exchange for warm words and nothing tangible and our fishing industry will resume its vertiginous decline.
Unless Farage becomes PM next time which is certainly possible on current polls
It would be good if schools (secondary, mostly) did more to teach kids about healthy food and cooking. Should it be seen as essential a skill as maths?
But the limited funding and time schools work under must be a problem.
I'm a fairly good baker, but a barely-competent cook. I just about make meals that keep my family alive. I wish I knew how to cook better, but I am rather set in my ways now.
Wasn’t the shift away from cooking in schools a Thatcher thing?
This one looks OK to me. The total value of sea fish landings by UK vessels is about £1 billion. We lose a proportion of that for a proportion (perhaps small) of £150 billion.
There's probably an instrumental aspect to all this. NATO is on its death bed and the UK government doesn't want to be folornly wanking in a hedge while looking at whatever structure succeeds it indulges in an orgy of debt fuelled defence spending.
Of course there is no certainty it will be EUTO but there is a chance it might be. If it is, the UK would be preferred to be involved from inception rather than stood in a queue making awkward conversation with the likes of Iceland and North Macedonia at a later date when it's fully formed.
Which is what happened the first time round with Europe, and we spent the next six decades trying to play catch up.
Leon, who is a better judge of these things, voted for Boris, Brexit, and Starmer. I think we can dismiss his opinion in relative safety.
Can we? I see the Spectator has plagiarised my idea that “democracy is doomed” because we are all getting too dumb - and it is one of the most read articles on the site. So clearly someone admires my insights
'Leon, who is a better judge of these things, voted for Boris, Brexit, and Starmer."
I wrote about how we may, now, be getting too dumb for democracy to work
It's a dataset of one, but you can see his point.
The only vote I regret is Starmer
However even there I still submit my logic was sound. It was just overly hopeful - that he was hiding a brilliant secret plan to reform everything and make it great. And he needed a solid majority to do it
Turned out he had no plan whatsoever and he’s completely thick
Sir Keir has confirmed a woman is an adult female and the Supreme Court judgement was right. Can we put this issue to bed now?
Thanks for the heads-up. I looked up a news item about his statement. He says, we need to ... ensure that all guidance is in the right place according to that judgment. (Can't post a link, sorry.)
I've wondered whether his response would be that they need to change the law so that it means what (some) people thought it meant.
My wife and I have spent Easter in bed with the most dreadful respiratory infection which tested negative for covid but as my wife said it seemed worse than the two covid infections we have had
We are slowly recovering but we would not wish it on our worst enemy
As a result, I have not posted for a few days but would like to express my wife and my sincere condolences to all Catholics on losing their Pope who seemed an excellent choice
We did watch him in his motorcade, and blessing to the crowd, and to be honest it looked far too much for his frail body but then his dedication to duty no doubt was the reason he put himself through that ordeal
I notice Spurs lost last night and with United they are having a terrible campaign, but surprisingly one of them could be playing in the Champions league next year if they win the Europa league
Well done Starmer, fishing is worth feck all, we need to focus on the big issues, I will never forgive Boris Johnson for prioritising fish over financial services when it came to the Brexit deal.
Starmer close to EU arms deal — at the expense of fishermen
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund after the UK makes concessions on fishing quotas
Sir Keir Starmer is close to striking a major trade deal with the EU that would allow British arms companies to sell billions of pounds of weapons to European allies.
British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund as part of Starmer’s reset with the bloc after the UK made significant concessions to Brussels on fishing rights.
The prime minister will host an EU-UK summit on May 19 in London as he seeks to ease trade barriers with Brussels.
So that is Falmouth, Grimsby, Lowestoft, Hastings, Scarborough going Reform then
No Peterhead or Fraserburgh (or Peterburgh & Fraserhead as Scotch fishing expert Gove called them)?
Banff and Buchan Reform will have a shot at too
Or Aberdeenshire North and Moray East as it now is. Reform got 14.6% there at the general election so slightly higher than they got UK wide
Yes, yes, all very well and good, but how many actual fishermen live in those constituencies? There are fewer full-time fishermen than there are Fellows of the Royal Society, and most of those places will be full of financial intermediaries, accountants, estate agents, teachers, health service professionals and the unemployed. Very few fishermen, who will count for very little in electoral terms.
I think the symbolism in those constituencies is quite important, though there is a lot of nuance given the nature of fishing in Scotland - in the east it's not some local dropping creels off the side of a wee 8m boat, but more like the farming barons you get in some parts of England.
Across Scotland, I'd guess 4x - 5x more people are employed in defence than in fishing.
My wife and I have spent Easter in bed with the most dreadful respiratory infection which tested negative for covid but as my wife said it seemed worse than the two covid infections we have had
We are slowly recovering but we would not wish it on our worst enemy
As a result, I have not posted for a few days but would like to express my wife and my sincere condolences to all Catholics on losing their Pope who seemed an excellent choice
We did watch him in his motorcade, and blessing to the crowd, and to be honest it looked far too much for his frail body but then his dedication to duty no doubt was the reason he put himself through that ordeal
I notice Spurs lost last night and with United they are having a terrible campaign, but surprisingly one of them could be playing in the Champions league next year if they win the Europa league
My wife and I have spent Easter in bed with the most dreadful respiratory infection which tested negative for covid but as my wife said it seemed worse than the two covid infections we have had
We are slowly recovering but we would not wish it on our worst enemy
As a result, I have not posted for a few days but would like to express my wife and my sincere condolences to all Catholics on losing their Pope who seemed an excellent choice
We did watch him in his motorcade, and blessing to the crowd, and to be honest it looked far too much for his frail body but then his dedication to duty no doubt was the reason he put himself through that ordeal
I notice Spurs lost last night and with United they are having a terrible campaign, but surprisingly one of them could be playing in the Champions league next year if they win the Europa league
My wife and I have spent Easter in bed with the most dreadful respiratory infection which tested negative for covid but as my wife said it seemed worse than the two covid infections we have had
We are slowly recovering but we would not wish it on our worst enemy
As a result, I have not posted for a few days but would like to express my wife and my sincere condolences to all Catholics on losing their Pope who seemed an excellent choice
We did watch him in his motorcade, and blessing to the crowd, and to be honest it looked far too much for his frail body but then his dedication to duty no doubt was the reason he put himself through that ordeal
I notice Spurs lost last night and with United they are having a terrible campaign, but surprisingly one of them could be playing in the Champions league next year if they win the Europa league
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
It's Bond's favourite meal of the day.
"Breakfast is prepared by May, his Scottish housekeeper and she takes it to him on a tray with a copy of the Times. At home his breakfast consists of: Two cups of very strong coffee from De Bry in New Oxford Street brewed in an American Chemex and drunk black without sugar. A brown speckled egg from a French Marans hen boiled for 3 1/3 minutes served in a dark blue egg cup with a gold ring round the top. Two thick slices of wholewheat toast with Jersey butter and the choice of Tiptree “Little Scarlet” strawberry jam, Cooper’s vintage oxford marmalade and Norwegian Heather Honey from Fortnum’s. We also learn that the eggs are provided by a friend of May and that Bond dislikes white eggs. The coffee pot and the silver on the tray are Queen Anne, and the china is Minton, of the same dark blue and gold and white as the egg-cup."
The reason why Bond works so well here is that it goes further than just sex and violence: it's sex, sadism and snobbery, which explains precisely why it's so intoxicating to us Brits.
It’s such a weird dated snobbery. We’re meant to be impressed that he takes Tiptree jam, and Cooper’s marmalade. Lol
I believe in one bond book he has steak chips and Liebfraumilch wine
Of course it was all exotic to impoverished Brits in the postwar era
Superb news that Starmer will (hopefully) get access to EU defence procurement contracts for UK. I think it's an industry where lack of orders means companies forget how to manufacture efficiently at scale. Missing out on this defence bonanza could have permanently damaged UK defence.
I assume while the finance comes from EU, each member state chooses what they buy. If that's right, then sure the French will likely pick French arms, but many other countries will choose British if they are competitive.
This one looks OK to me. The total value of sea fish landings by UK vessels is about £1 billion. We lose a proportion of that for a proportion (perhaps small) of £150 billion.
There's probably an instrumental aspect to all this. NATO is on its death bed and the UK government doesn't want to be folornly wanking in a hedge while looking at whatever structure succeeds it indulges in an orgy of debt fuelled defence spending.
Of course there is no certainty it will be EUTO but there is a chance it might be. If it is, the UK would be preferred to be involved from inception rather than stood in a queue making awkward conversation with the likes of Iceland and North Macedonia at a later date when it's fully formed.
Which is what happened the first time round with Europe, and we spent the next six decades trying to play catch up.
Leon, who is a better judge of these things, voted for Boris, Brexit, and Starmer. I think we can dismiss his opinion in relative safety.
Can we? I see the Spectator has plagiarised my idea that “democracy is doomed” because we are all getting too dumb - and it is one of the most read articles on the site. So clearly someone admires my insights
'Leon, who is a better judge of these things, voted for Boris, Brexit, and Starmer."
I wrote about how we may, now, be getting too dumb for democracy to work
It's a dataset of one, but you can see his point.
The only vote I regret is Starmer
However even there I still submit my logic was sound. It was just overly hopeful - that he was hiding a brilliant secret plan to reform everything and make it great. And he needed a solid majority to do it
Turned out he had no plan whatsoever and he’s completely thick
Oh well. Thus democracy is doomed
If democracy is doomed in the UK it means eternal government led by bureaucrats like Starmer and May with no option of voting for oiks like Farage and populist rabble rousers like Johnson and Corbyn short of revolution
My wife and I have spent Easter in bed with the most dreadful respiratory infection which tested negative for covid but as my wife said it seemed worse than the two covid infections we have had
We are slowly recovering but we would not wish it on our worst enemy
As a result, I have not posted for a few days but would like to express my wife and my sincere condolences to all Catholics on losing their Pope who seemed an excellent choice
We did watch him in his motorcade, and blessing to the crowd, and to be honest it looked far too much for his frail body but then his dedication to duty no doubt was the reason he put himself through that ordeal
I notice Spurs lost last night and with United they are having a terrible campaign, but surprisingly one of them could be playing in the Champions league next year if they win the Europa league
Glad to have you back, Big_G.
Thank you
Maybe at our ages, and with our underlying heath conditions,we struggle more but certainly this infection has absolutely drained us of our energy so continuing rest with warm drinks is the way for us
This one looks OK to me. The total value of sea fish landings by UK vessels is about £1 billion. We lose a proportion of that for a proportion (perhaps small) of £150 billion.
There's probably an instrumental aspect to all this. NATO is on its death bed and the UK government doesn't want to be folornly wanking in a hedge while looking at whatever structure succeeds it indulges in an orgy of debt fuelled defence spending.
Of course there is no certainty it will be EUTO but there is a chance it might be. If it is, the UK would be preferred to be involved from inception rather than stood in a queue making awkward conversation with the likes of Iceland and North Macedonia at a later date when it's fully formed.
Which is what happened the first time round with Europe, and we spent the next six decades trying to play catch up.
Leon, who is a better judge of these things, voted for Boris, Brexit, and Starmer. I think we can dismiss his opinion in relative safety.
Can we? I see the Spectator has plagiarised my idea that “democracy is doomed” because we are all getting too dumb - and it is one of the most read articles on the site. So clearly someone admires my insights
'Leon, who is a better judge of these things, voted for Boris, Brexit, and Starmer."
I wrote about how we may, now, be getting too dumb for democracy to work
It's a dataset of one, but you can see his point.
The only vote I regret is Starmer
However even there I still submit my logic was sound. It was just overly hopeful - that he was hiding a brilliant secret plan to reform everything and make it great. And he needed a solid majority to do it
Turned out he had no plan whatsoever and he’s completely thick
Oh well. Thus democracy is doomed
Boris "hiding a brilliant secret plan to reform everything and make it great" (is there an 'again' missing?), in the same sentence as "my logic was sound". Boris and Brexit were obviously bad choices at the time and have been proven to be so since. Starmer? Well do you wish you'd voted Sunak?
This one looks OK to me. The total value of sea fish landings by UK vessels is about £1 billion. We lose a proportion of that for a proportion (perhaps small) of £150 billion.
There's probably an instrumental aspect to all this. NATO is on its death bed and the UK government doesn't want to be folornly wanking in a hedge while looking at whatever structure succeeds it indulges in an orgy of debt fuelled defence spending.
Of course there is no certainty it will be EUTO but there is a chance it might be. If it is, the UK would be preferred to be involved from inception rather than stood in a queue making awkward conversation with the likes of Iceland and North Macedonia at a later date when it's fully formed.
Which is what happened the first time round with Europe, and we spent the next six decades trying to play catch up.
Leon, who is a better judge of these things, voted for Boris, Brexit, and Starmer. I think we can dismiss his opinion in relative safety.
And in entirely different times for an entirely different concept that was based around pooling the common resources of war, coal and steel, so France and Germany could never go to war again and the Benelux countries not trampled over. That's where the concept of "European Union" comes from.
A European Alliance will be built entirely and pragmatically defensive and based on who has the relative weights of hard power, and money and men will talk, not ideology.
That gives Britain, France and Poland the upper hand.
Germany should be the ones worried about missing out this time.
On 3 January 1963, ITN interviewed former Prime Minister Clement Attlee on the occasion of his 80th birthday. The former Labour leader reflected on his greatest achievements in government, including Indian independence, and revealed which of the world statesmen he met in his time impressed him the most. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHJYLB-5fmE
Euch, is there any group of people worse than the French? Negotiating with us, asking that we give them something in return for them giving something to us? What next? When will this perfidy end?
The French are the most reliable people in the world.
They will always be there when they need you.
As you must know, the French value fishing more than we do. We can exploit that. Theory of mind I'm told.
I'm sure we CAN.
But one thing we should have learned over the last century, and I saw during several years negotiating with them and others in the EU, is that, while our Foreign Office prioritises "good relations" and "goodwill" with other countries over tangible national interests, we WON'T.
The only time we got something big and tangible in my lifetime was when Mrs Thatcher stuck her heels in over the rebate, against Foreign Office advice.
But with the useless Starmer and Lammy in charge, we'll give in in exchange for warm words and nothing tangible and our fishing industry will resume its vertiginous decline.
Unless Farage becomes PM next time which is certainly possible on current polls
And then we get taken over by Trump's USA and Putin's Russia...
Euch, is there any group of people worse than the French? Negotiating with us, asking that we give them something in return for them giving something to us? What next? When will this perfidy end?
The French are the most reliable people in the world.
They will always be there when they need you.
As you must know, the French value fishing more than we do. We can exploit that. Theory of mind I'm told.
I'm sure we CAN.
But one thing we should have learned over the last century, and I saw during several years negotiating with them and others in the EU, is that, while our Foreign Office prioritises "good relations" and "goodwill" with other countries over tangible national interests, we WON'T.
We'll give in in exchange for warm words and nothing tangible and our fishing industry will resume its vertiginous decline.
Is the Foreign Office even aware that we have any tangible national interests? The problem may simply be ignorance.
The Foreign Office is populated by globalists, and has been for decades.
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
It's Bond's favourite meal of the day.
"Breakfast is prepared by May, his Scottish housekeeper and she takes it to him on a tray with a copy of the Times. At home his breakfast consists of: Two cups of very strong coffee from De Bry in New Oxford Street brewed in an American Chemex and drunk black without sugar. A brown speckled egg from a French Marans hen boiled for 3 1/3 minutes served in a dark blue egg cup with a gold ring round the top. Two thick slices of wholewheat toast with Jersey butter and the choice of Tiptree “Little Scarlet” strawberry jam, Cooper’s vintage oxford marmalade and Norwegian Heather Honey from Fortnum’s. We also learn that the eggs are provided by a friend of May and that Bond dislikes white eggs. The coffee pot and the silver on the tray are Queen Anne, and the china is Minton, of the same dark blue and gold and white as the egg-cup."
The reason why Bond works so well here is that it goes further than just sex and violence: it's sex, sadism and snobbery, which explains precisely why it's so intoxicating to us Brits.
It’s such a weird dated snobbery. We’re meant to be impressed that he takes Tiptree jam, and Cooper’s marmalade. Lol
I believe in one bond book he has steak chips and Liebfraumilch wine
Of course it was all exotic to impoverished Brits in the postwar era
It was. In the 1950s no-one had any of that stuff.
It would be good if schools (secondary, mostly) did more to teach kids about healthy food and cooking. Should it be seen as essential a skill as maths?
But the limited funding and time schools work under must be a problem.
I'm a fairly good baker, but a barely-competent cook. I just about make meals that keep my family alive. I wish I knew how to cook better, but I am rather set in my ways now.
Wasn’t the shift away from cooking in schools a Thatcher thing?
One supposes anything that ever has happened or ever will happen you don't like will be a "Thatcher thing".
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
It's Bond's favourite meal of the day.
"Breakfast is prepared by May, his Scottish housekeeper and she takes it to him on a tray with a copy of the Times. At home his breakfast consists of: Two cups of very strong coffee from De Bry in New Oxford Street brewed in an American Chemex and drunk black without sugar. A brown speckled egg from a French Marans hen boiled for 3 1/3 minutes served in a dark blue egg cup with a gold ring round the top. Two thick slices of wholewheat toast with Jersey butter and the choice of Tiptree “Little Scarlet” strawberry jam, Cooper’s vintage oxford marmalade and Norwegian Heather Honey from Fortnum’s. We also learn that the eggs are provided by a friend of May and that Bond dislikes white eggs. The coffee pot and the silver on the tray are Queen Anne, and the china is Minton, of the same dark blue and gold and white as the egg-cup."
The reason why Bond works so well here is that it goes further than just sex and violence: it's sex, sadism and snobbery, which explains precisely why it's so intoxicating to us Brits.
It’s such a weird dated snobbery. We’re meant to be impressed that he takes Tiptree jam, and Cooper’s marmalade. Lol
I believe in one bond book he has steak chips and Liebfraumilch wine
Of course it was all exotic to impoverished Brits in the postwar era
Euch, is there any group of people worse than the French? Negotiating with us, asking that we give them something in return for them giving something to us? What next? When will this perfidy end?
The French are the most reliable people in the world.
They will always be there when they need you.
As you must know, the French value fishing more than we do. We can exploit that. Theory of mind I'm told.
I'm sure we CAN.
But one thing we should have learned over the last century, and I saw during several years negotiating with them and others in the EU, is that, while our Foreign Office prioritises "good relations" and "goodwill" with other countries over tangible national interests, we WON'T.
The only time we got something big and tangible in my lifetime was when Mrs Thatcher stuck her heels in over the rebate, against Foreign Office advice.
But with the useless Starmer and Lammy in charge, we'll give in in exchange for warm words and nothing tangible and our fishing industry will resume its vertiginous decline.
Unless Farage becomes PM next time which is certainly possible on current polls
Whatever Farage wants to do in government, he is going to be greatly hindered by the constellation of chavs, Strasserites, crayon eating dunces and the simply mentally ill from whom he will be forced to people his 'cabinet'.
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
It's Bond's favourite meal of the day.
"Breakfast is prepared by May, his Scottish housekeeper and she takes it to him on a tray with a copy of the Times. At home his breakfast consists of: Two cups of very strong coffee from De Bry in New Oxford Street brewed in an American Chemex and drunk black without sugar. A brown speckled egg from a French Marans hen boiled for 3 1/3 minutes served in a dark blue egg cup with a gold ring round the top. Two thick slices of wholewheat toast with Jersey butter and the choice of Tiptree “Little Scarlet” strawberry jam, Cooper’s vintage oxford marmalade and Norwegian Heather Honey from Fortnum’s. We also learn that the eggs are provided by a friend of May and that Bond dislikes white eggs. The coffee pot and the silver on the tray are Queen Anne, and the china is Minton, of the same dark blue and gold and white as the egg-cup."
The reason why Bond works so well here is that it goes further than just sex and violence: it's sex, sadism and snobbery, which explains precisely why it's so intoxicating to us Brits.
It’s such a weird dated snobbery. We’re meant to be impressed that he takes Tiptree jam, and Cooper’s marmalade. Lol
I believe in one bond book he has steak chips and Liebfraumilch wine
Of course it was all exotic to impoverished Brits in the postwar era
Euch, is there any group of people worse than the French? Negotiating with us, asking that we give them something in return for them giving something to us? What next? When will this perfidy end?
Nothing to do with the French, they are acting in their own interests as any decent Government should do. The problem is on our side.
Euch, is there any group of people worse than the French? Negotiating with us, asking that we give them something in return for them giving something to us? What next? When will this perfidy end?
The French are the most reliable people in the world.
They will always be there when they need you.
As you must know, the French value fishing more than we do. We can exploit that. Theory of mind I'm told.
I'm sure we CAN.
But one thing we should have learned over the last century, and I saw during several years negotiating with them and others in the EU, is that, while our Foreign Office prioritises "good relations" and "goodwill" with other countries over tangible national interests, we WON'T.
The only time we got something big and tangible in my lifetime was when Mrs Thatcher stuck her heels in over the rebate, against Foreign Office advice.
But with the useless Starmer and Lammy in charge, we'll give in in exchange for warm words and nothing tangible and our fishing industry will resume its vertiginous decline.
Unless Farage becomes PM next time which is certainly possible on current polls
Whatever Farage wants to do in government, he is going to be greatly hindered by the constellation of chavs, Strasserites, crayon eating dunces and the simply mentally ill from whom he will be forced to people his 'cabinet'.
On the plus side, at least there won't be any mental vegans.
Euch, is there any group of people worse than the French? Negotiating with us, asking that we give them something in return for them giving something to us? What next? When will this perfidy end?
The French are the most reliable people in the world.
They will always be there when they need you.
As you must know, the French value fishing more than we do. We can exploit that. Theory of mind I'm told.
I'm sure we CAN.
But one thing we should have learned over the last century, and I saw during several years negotiating with them and others in the EU, is that, while our Foreign Office prioritises "good relations" and "goodwill" with other countries over tangible national interests, we WON'T.
The only time we got something big and tangible in my lifetime was when Mrs Thatcher stuck her heels in over the rebate, against Foreign Office advice.
But with the useless Starmer and Lammy in charge, we'll give in in exchange for warm words and nothing tangible and our fishing industry will resume its vertiginous decline.
Unless Farage becomes PM next time which is certainly possible on current polls
Whatever Farage wants to do in government, he is going to be greatly hindered by the constellation of chavs, Strasserites, crayon eating dunces and the simply mentally ill from whom he will be forced to people his 'cabinet'.
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
It's Bond's favourite meal of the day.
"Breakfast is prepared by May, his Scottish housekeeper and she takes it to him on a tray with a copy of the Times. At home his breakfast consists of: Two cups of very strong coffee from De Bry in New Oxford Street brewed in an American Chemex and drunk black without sugar. A brown speckled egg from a French Marans hen boiled for 3 1/3 minutes served in a dark blue egg cup with a gold ring round the top. Two thick slices of wholewheat toast with Jersey butter and the choice of Tiptree “Little Scarlet” strawberry jam, Cooper’s vintage oxford marmalade and Norwegian Heather Honey from Fortnum’s. We also learn that the eggs are provided by a friend of May and that Bond dislikes white eggs. The coffee pot and the silver on the tray are Queen Anne, and the china is Minton, of the same dark blue and gold and white as the egg-cup."
The reason why Bond works so well here is that it goes further than just sex and violence: it's sex, sadism and snobbery, which explains precisely why it's so intoxicating to us Brits.
It’s such a weird dated snobbery. We’re meant to be impressed that he takes Tiptree jam, and Cooper’s marmalade. Lol
I believe in one bond book he has steak chips and Liebfraumilch wine
Of course it was all exotic to impoverished Brits in the postwar era
Perhaps similar to telling everyone that you're having a shakshuka without realising you can get them in Wetherspoons.
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
It's Bond's favourite meal of the day.
"Breakfast is prepared by May, his Scottish housekeeper and she takes it to him on a tray with a copy of the Times. At home his breakfast consists of: Two cups of very strong coffee from De Bry in New Oxford Street brewed in an American Chemex and drunk black without sugar. A brown speckled egg from a French Marans hen boiled for 3 1/3 minutes served in a dark blue egg cup with a gold ring round the top. Two thick slices of wholewheat toast with Jersey butter and the choice of Tiptree “Little Scarlet” strawberry jam, Cooper’s vintage oxford marmalade and Norwegian Heather Honey from Fortnum’s. We also learn that the eggs are provided by a friend of May and that Bond dislikes white eggs. The coffee pot and the silver on the tray are Queen Anne, and the china is Minton, of the same dark blue and gold and white as the egg-cup."
The reason why Bond works so well here is that it goes further than just sex and violence: it's sex, sadism and snobbery, which explains precisely why it's so intoxicating to us Brits.
It’s such a weird dated snobbery. We’re meant to be impressed that he takes Tiptree jam, and Cooper’s marmalade. Lol
I believe in one bond book he has steak chips and Liebfraumilch wine
Of course it was all exotic to impoverished Brits in the postwar era
The Kremlin is in full gear to achieve 🇺🇸 🇷🇺 rapprochement with the aim of marginalizing 🇪🇺🇬🇧 influence and possibilities, particularly but not only related to 🇺🇦. And they undoubtedly have an audience on the other side of the Atlantic as well. @BBCSteveR [Video]
My wife and I have spent Easter in bed with the most dreadful respiratory infection which tested negative for covid but as my wife said it seemed worse than the two covid infections we have had
We are slowly recovering but we would not wish it on our worst enemy
As a result, I have not posted for a few days but would like to express my wife and my sincere condolences to all Catholics on losing their Pope who seemed an excellent choice
We did watch him in his motorcade, and blessing to the crowd, and to be honest it looked far too much for his frail body but then his dedication to duty no doubt was the reason he put himself through that ordeal
I notice Spurs lost last night and with United they are having a terrible campaign, but surprisingly one of them could be playing in the Champions league next year if they win the Europa league
Sorry to hear you and Mrs G have been unwell, Big G. I hope you both feel better soon.
One tariff effect has been to bring some capital investments in the US to a halt.
https://x.com/Jukanlosreve/status/1914588793128280104 According to Korean media, construction on Samsung Electronics’ Taylor, Texas, campus is 99.6% complete—essentially ready for equipment installation. Under normal circumstances, toolsets would already be crossing the threshold, yet Samsung has reportedly held off on placing orders. Officially, Samsung maintains a 2026 start‑up date for Taylor, but both inside and outside the company, the consensus is that, depending on market conditions and booking opportunities, revenues there will fall short of initial forecasts.
The inbound ramp‑up itself also faces headwinds. The U.S. government has signaled at least a 25% tariff on semiconductor imports—and, given semiconductors’ status as a national‑security priority, little room remains for negotiation. As a result, high‑precision tools could incur duties exceeding 25%, driving tariff bills into the hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars. To compound matters, ASML’s extreme‑ultraviolet (EUV) systems can cost up to KRW 500 billion (approximately USD 380 million) apiece, meaning a single machine could attract tariffs on the order of KRW 100 billion.
Comparisons with TSMC underscore the long‑term profitability risks of overseas fabs. Although TSMC’s U.S. facility has already gone live, it has struggled with margin erosion—U.S. labor costs run higher than in Taiwan, and the company faces further multibillion‑dollar equipment investments. After Washington unveiled its tariff policy, TSMC CEO C. C. Wei met with former President Trump on May 3 to announce an additional USD 100 billion (roughly KRW 146 trillion) investment plan...
Samsung is having problems competing with TSMC owing to very poor yields on the latest 2nm processes, so it's not impossible the write off the entire investment in Texas.
I'd eat much more fish if I had access to a proper fishmonger. There used to be loads of fish shops - a quick google tells me that there are now only 950 independent fishmongers in the UK, compared with several thousand a few decades ago. Most fish is sold in supermarkets, and it's often bland and tasteless, for whatever reason.
A good fishmonger’s is worth its weight in gold. Fish is only worth eating if it’s fresh.
We lost F. Berndes in Enfield, five years ago, although Waitrose still does fresh fish. There is a mobile fish van at the market, once a week, which does wonderful crab and smoked salmon.
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
It's Bond's favourite meal of the day.
"Breakfast is prepared by May, his Scottish housekeeper and she takes it to him on a tray with a copy of the Times. At home his breakfast consists of: Two cups of very strong coffee from De Bry in New Oxford Street brewed in an American Chemex and drunk black without sugar. A brown speckled egg from a French Marans hen boiled for 3 1/3 minutes served in a dark blue egg cup with a gold ring round the top. Two thick slices of wholewheat toast with Jersey butter and the choice of Tiptree “Little Scarlet” strawberry jam, Cooper’s vintage oxford marmalade and Norwegian Heather Honey from Fortnum’s. We also learn that the eggs are provided by a friend of May and that Bond dislikes white eggs. The coffee pot and the silver on the tray are Queen Anne, and the china is Minton, of the same dark blue and gold and white as the egg-cup."
The reason why Bond works so well here is that it goes further than just sex and violence: it's sex, sadism and snobbery, which explains precisely why it's so intoxicating to us Brits.
It’s such a weird dated snobbery. We’re meant to be impressed that he takes Tiptree jam, and Cooper’s marmalade. Lol
I believe in one bond book he has steak chips and Liebfraumilch wine
Of course it was all exotic to impoverished Brits in the postwar era
Perhaps similar to telling everyone that you're having a shakshuka without realising you can get them in Wetherspoons.
Although their miners benedict is better.
But Leon's shakshuka is better than your shakshuka from Wetherspoons'. In much the same way as Leon's black cat is blacker than your black cat or my black cat.
The Kremlin is in full gear to achieve 🇺🇸 🇷🇺 rapprochement with the aim of marginalizing 🇪🇺🇬🇧 influence and possibilities, particularly but not only related to 🇺🇦. And they undoubtedly have an audience on the other side of the Atlantic as well. @BBCSteveR [Video]
Which won't work unless UK and EU and Canada aligned Ukraine is also involved. China too is now engaged in a trade war with the US and thus may move away from Trump aligned Putin and closer to the EU
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
It's Bond's favourite meal of the day.
"Breakfast is prepared by May, his Scottish housekeeper and she takes it to him on a tray with a copy of the Times. At home his breakfast consists of: Two cups of very strong coffee from De Bry in New Oxford Street brewed in an American Chemex and drunk black without sugar. A brown speckled egg from a French Marans hen boiled for 3 1/3 minutes served in a dark blue egg cup with a gold ring round the top. Two thick slices of wholewheat toast with Jersey butter and the choice of Tiptree “Little Scarlet” strawberry jam, Cooper’s vintage oxford marmalade and Norwegian Heather Honey from Fortnum’s. We also learn that the eggs are provided by a friend of May and that Bond dislikes white eggs. The coffee pot and the silver on the tray are Queen Anne, and the china is Minton, of the same dark blue and gold and white as the egg-cup."
The reason why Bond works so well here is that it goes further than just sex and violence: it's sex, sadism and snobbery, which explains precisely why it's so intoxicating to us Brits.
It’s such a weird dated snobbery. We’re meant to be impressed that he takes Tiptree jam, and Cooper’s marmalade. Lol
I believe in one bond book he has steak chips and Liebfraumilch wine
Of course it was all exotic to impoverished Brits in the postwar era
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
It's Bond's favourite meal of the day.
"Breakfast is prepared by May, his Scottish housekeeper and she takes it to him on a tray with a copy of the Times. At home his breakfast consists of: Two cups of very strong coffee from De Bry in New Oxford Street brewed in an American Chemex and drunk black without sugar. A brown speckled egg from a French Marans hen boiled for 3 1/3 minutes served in a dark blue egg cup with a gold ring round the top. Two thick slices of wholewheat toast with Jersey butter and the choice of Tiptree “Little Scarlet” strawberry jam, Cooper’s vintage oxford marmalade and Norwegian Heather Honey from Fortnum’s. We also learn that the eggs are provided by a friend of May and that Bond dislikes white eggs. The coffee pot and the silver on the tray are Queen Anne, and the china is Minton, of the same dark blue and gold and white as the egg-cup."
The reason why Bond works so well here is that it goes further than just sex and violence: it's sex, sadism and snobbery, which explains precisely why it's so intoxicating to us Brits.
It’s such a weird dated snobbery. We’re meant to be impressed that he takes Tiptree jam, and Cooper’s marmalade. Lol
I believe in one bond book he has steak chips and Liebfraumilch wine
Of course it was all exotic to impoverished Brits in the postwar era
It was. In the 1950s no-one had any of that stuff.
Arguably they didn't really here until the 1990s.
Back then, a piece of cheese and pineapple on a cocktail stick was exotic.
Euch, is there any group of people worse than the French? Negotiating with us, asking that we give them something in return for them giving something to us? What next? When will this perfidy end?
The French are the most reliable people in the world.
They will always be there when they need you.
As you must know, the French value fishing more than we do. We can exploit that. Theory of mind I'm told.
I'm sure we CAN.
But one thing we should have learned over the last century, and I saw during several years negotiating with them and others in the EU, is that, while our Foreign Office prioritises "good relations" and "goodwill" with other countries over tangible national interests, we WON'T.
The only time we got something big and tangible in my lifetime was when Mrs Thatcher stuck her heels in over the rebate, against Foreign Office advice.
But with the useless Starmer and Lammy in charge, we'll give in in exchange for warm words and nothing tangible and our fishing industry will resume its vertiginous decline.
Unless Farage becomes PM next time which is certainly possible on current polls
Whatever Farage wants to do in government, he is going to be greatly hindered by the constellation of chavs, Strasserites, crayon eating dunces and the simply mentally ill from whom he will be forced to people his 'cabinet'.
Given he would almost certainly fall short of a Reform majority and need Tory confidence and supply half his Cabinet would have to be Tories
My wife and I have spent Easter in bed with the most dreadful respiratory infection which tested negative for covid but as my wife said it seemed worse than the two covid infections we have had
We are slowly recovering but we would not wish it on our worst enemy
As a result, I have not posted for a few days but would like to express my wife and my sincere condolences to all Catholics on losing their Pope who seemed an excellent choice
We did watch him in his motorcade, and blessing to the crowd, and to be honest it looked far too much for his frail body but then his dedication to duty no doubt was the reason he put himself through that ordeal
I notice Spurs lost last night and with United they are having a terrible campaign, but surprisingly one of them could be playing in the Champions league next year if they win the Europa league
Sorry to hear you and Mrs G have been unwell, Big G. I hope you both feel better soon.
My wife and I have spent Easter in bed with the most dreadful respiratory infection which tested negative for covid but as my wife said it seemed worse than the two covid infections we have had
We are slowly recovering but we would not wish it on our worst enemy
As a result, I have not posted for a few days but would like to express my wife and my sincere condolences to all Catholics on losing their Pope who seemed an excellent choice
We did watch him in his motorcade, and blessing to the crowd, and to be honest it looked far too much for his frail body but then his dedication to duty no doubt was the reason he put himself through that ordeal
I notice Spurs lost last night and with United they are having a terrible campaign, but surprisingly one of them could be playing in the Champions league next year if they win the Europa league
Glad to have you back, Big_G.
Thank you
Maybe at our ages, and with our underlying heath conditions,we struggle more but certainly this infection has absolutely drained us of our energy so continuing rest with warm drinks is the way for us
Trade war is still hotting up. And China is refusing US requests to talk.
China Imposes Controls on Rare Earth Exports… First Target Is South Korea
“Don’t Export Products Containing Rare Earths to the U.S.” … Korea and Others Face Intensified Pressure
Transformers Manufacturers Asked to Give Guarantees… Battery and Aerospace Sectors on High Alert Warning of “No Transshipment”—Violators Likely to See Rare Earth Supplies Cut Off
It has been confirmed that the Chinese government sent Korean companies a warning notice stating that it would impose sanctions if they exported products made with Chinese rare earths to U.S. defense contractors. Just as the U.S. has controlled indirect exports of American-made semiconductors to China, China is now actively enforcing “third-country export controls” on the strategic mineral rare earths. Concerns are growing that Korean firms are being forced to choose sides in the U.S.–China struggle for dominance.
According to industry sources on April 22, transformer manufacturer Company A recently received an official letter from China’s Ministry of Commerce declaring, “You must guarantee that power equipment such as transformers containing Chinese medium rare earths will not be exported to U.S. defense firms or the U.S. military, and bear in mind that any violations may incur sanctions.”
Although the notice did not specify the exact penalties, industry insiders interpret it to mean that if any indirect exports are uncovered, China will halt shipments of its medium rare earths. Transformer manufacturer Company B is also reported to have received the same notice.
The government has determined that, in addition to transformer makers, most companies in sectors that import and use Chinese strategic minerals—such as secondary batteries, displays, electric vehicles, aerospace, and medical equipment—have received identical warnings. A government official commented, “It appears that China has begun to implement third-country export controls across all of its strategic minerals.” .. https://x.com/Jukanlosreve/status/1914613174323884308
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
It's Bond's favourite meal of the day.
"Breakfast is prepared by May, his Scottish housekeeper and she takes it to him on a tray with a copy of the Times. At home his breakfast consists of: Two cups of very strong coffee from De Bry in New Oxford Street brewed in an American Chemex and drunk black without sugar. A brown speckled egg from a French Marans hen boiled for 3 1/3 minutes served in a dark blue egg cup with a gold ring round the top. Two thick slices of wholewheat toast with Jersey butter and the choice of Tiptree “Little Scarlet” strawberry jam, Cooper’s vintage oxford marmalade and Norwegian Heather Honey from Fortnum’s. We also learn that the eggs are provided by a friend of May and that Bond dislikes white eggs. The coffee pot and the silver on the tray are Queen Anne, and the china is Minton, of the same dark blue and gold and white as the egg-cup."
The reason why Bond works so well here is that it goes further than just sex and violence: it's sex, sadism and snobbery, which explains precisely why it's so intoxicating to us Brits.
It’s such a weird dated snobbery. We’re meant to be impressed that he takes Tiptree jam, and Cooper’s marmalade. Lol
I believe in one bond book he has steak chips and Liebfraumilch wine
Of course it was all exotic to impoverished Brits in the postwar era
Misplaced snobbery as well, Tiptree thick cut is a better marmalade than Coopers.
This is news. Are there really marmalades apart from the home made variety created in small batches during January and February from Seville oranges, and occasionally available on church fete stalls if you are in the know?
PB is remarkably informative. I must give it a try.
On topic: smoked haddock with poached egg and proper crunchy wholemeal toast - lavished with salty butter - is the breakfast of emperors
I always have it at posh hotels if it’s available
Great breakfast. My summer lunch alternative with Smoked Haddock is SH with new potatoes crushed with salty butter and pepper, beetroot and horseradish. Perfect flavour mix.
Mmm. Sounds good. Smoked haddock is lush
When you have that breakfast and you break the yolk and the golden goodness mixes with the fishy umami and you mop it up with salty crunchy toast. Then a gulp of strong tea?
Omg
Sets you up for the whole day but in a brilliant healthy way that a full English does not. A full English weighs you down and you need a nap
It's Bond's favourite meal of the day.
"Breakfast is prepared by May, his Scottish housekeeper and she takes it to him on a tray with a copy of the Times. At home his breakfast consists of: Two cups of very strong coffee from De Bry in New Oxford Street brewed in an American Chemex and drunk black without sugar. A brown speckled egg from a French Marans hen boiled for 3 1/3 minutes served in a dark blue egg cup with a gold ring round the top. Two thick slices of wholewheat toast with Jersey butter and the choice of Tiptree “Little Scarlet” strawberry jam, Cooper’s vintage oxford marmalade and Norwegian Heather Honey from Fortnum’s. We also learn that the eggs are provided by a friend of May and that Bond dislikes white eggs. The coffee pot and the silver on the tray are Queen Anne, and the china is Minton, of the same dark blue and gold and white as the egg-cup."
The reason why Bond works so well here is that it goes further than just sex and violence: it's sex, sadism and snobbery, which explains precisely why it's so intoxicating to us Brits.
It’s such a weird dated snobbery. We’re meant to be impressed that he takes Tiptree jam, and Cooper’s marmalade. Lol
I believe in one bond book he has steak chips and Liebfraumilch wine
Of course it was all exotic to impoverished Brits in the postwar era
The Kremlin is in full gear to achieve 🇺🇸 🇷🇺 rapprochement with the aim of marginalizing 🇪🇺🇬🇧 influence and possibilities, particularly but not only related to 🇺🇦. And they undoubtedly have an audience on the other side of the Atlantic as well. @BBCSteveR [Video]
Yep. The standard Russian approach is to flatter Trump by talking of him and Putin as the great leaders leading the two great powers. They can sort things out together. Don't need to bother with the minnows.
Detaching the US from Europe had been the dream of Russian leaders for decades. But even they can't have imagined that one day there would be a US President as pliable, gullible, naive, self-regarding and ignorant as Trump.
I'd eat much more fish if I had access to a proper fishmonger. There used to be loads of fish shops - a quick google tells me that there are now only 950 independent fishmongers in the UK, compared with several thousand a few decades ago. Most fish is sold in supermarkets, and it's often bland and tasteless, for whatever reason.
A good fishmonger’s is worth its weight in gold. Fish is only worth eating if it’s fresh.
We lost F. Berndes in Enfield, five years ago, although Waitrose still does fresh fish. There is a mobile fish van at the market, once a week, which does wonderful crab and smoked salmon.
We have Mark Lobb in Dartmouth, whose fish is brought in straight from Brixham. Quite a character, but one of the best purveyors of fresh fish you could hope to find.
Trade war is still hotting up. And China is refusing US requests to talk.
China Imposes Controls on Rare Earth Exports… First Target Is South Korea
“Don’t Export Products Containing Rare Earths to the U.S.” … Korea and Others Face Intensified Pressure
Transformers Manufacturers Asked to Give Guarantees… Battery and Aerospace Sectors on High Alert Warning of “No Transshipment”—Violators Likely to See Rare Earth Supplies Cut Off
It has been confirmed that the Chinese government sent Korean companies a warning notice stating that it would impose sanctions if they exported products made with Chinese rare earths to U.S. defense contractors. Just as the U.S. has controlled indirect exports of American-made semiconductors to China, China is now actively enforcing “third-country export controls” on the strategic mineral rare earths. Concerns are growing that Korean firms are being forced to choose sides in the U.S.–China struggle for dominance.
According to industry sources on April 22, transformer manufacturer Company A recently received an official letter from China’s Ministry of Commerce declaring, “You must guarantee that power equipment such as transformers containing Chinese medium rare earths will not be exported to U.S. defense firms or the U.S. military, and bear in mind that any violations may incur sanctions.”
Although the notice did not specify the exact penalties, industry insiders interpret it to mean that if any indirect exports are uncovered, China will halt shipments of its medium rare earths. Transformer manufacturer Company B is also reported to have received the same notice.
The government has determined that, in addition to transformer makers, most companies in sectors that import and use Chinese strategic minerals—such as secondary batteries, displays, electric vehicles, aerospace, and medical equipment—have received identical warnings. A government official commented, “It appears that China has begun to implement third-country export controls across all of its strategic minerals.” .. https://x.com/Jukanlosreve/status/1914613174323884308
What’s sauce for the goose…..wonder how Trump will react to a taste of his own medicine?
Trade war is still hotting up. And China is refusing US requests to talk.
China Imposes Controls on Rare Earth Exports… First Target Is South Korea
“Don’t Export Products Containing Rare Earths to the U.S.” … Korea and Others Face Intensified Pressure
Transformers Manufacturers Asked to Give Guarantees… Battery and Aerospace Sectors on High Alert Warning of “No Transshipment”—Violators Likely to See Rare Earth Supplies Cut Off
It has been confirmed that the Chinese government sent Korean companies a warning notice stating that it would impose sanctions if they exported products made with Chinese rare earths to U.S. defense contractors. Just as the U.S. has controlled indirect exports of American-made semiconductors to China, China is now actively enforcing “third-country export controls” on the strategic mineral rare earths. Concerns are growing that Korean firms are being forced to choose sides in the U.S.–China struggle for dominance.
According to industry sources on April 22, transformer manufacturer Company A recently received an official letter from China’s Ministry of Commerce declaring, “You must guarantee that power equipment such as transformers containing Chinese medium rare earths will not be exported to U.S. defense firms or the U.S. military, and bear in mind that any violations may incur sanctions.”
Although the notice did not specify the exact penalties, industry insiders interpret it to mean that if any indirect exports are uncovered, China will halt shipments of its medium rare earths. Transformer manufacturer Company B is also reported to have received the same notice.
The government has determined that, in addition to transformer makers, most companies in sectors that import and use Chinese strategic minerals—such as secondary batteries, displays, electric vehicles, aerospace, and medical equipment—have received identical warnings. A government official commented, “It appears that China has begun to implement third-country export controls across all of its strategic minerals.” .. https://x.com/Jukanlosreve/status/1914613174323884308
The US is on the wrong end of 20-30 years of Chinese strategic planning.
Trump is stupid enough to end up in a real war with China.
Comments
https://bsky.app/profile/theatlantic.com/post/3lnekldaor424
You give away something concrete - your stake - in return for a possible return.
Whether it is a good bet depends on the size of the stake and the probability and size of the return.
Blair's bet was a poor bet.
This one looks OK to me. The total value of sea fish landings by UK vessels is about £1 billion. We lose a proportion of that for a proportion (perhaps small) of £150 billion.
We then went to the pub for a session of gnat's piss - no wonder True Scots prefer their beer with a whisky chaser. On returning to the hostel the malodour had spread throughout the building, even to the rafters in the men's dorm. We were not very popular.
Next day we climbed Ben More Assynt as a penance, en route to Durness.
*©Barry McKenzie
The emotional value of these fishing rights TO THE FRENCH - and to others in the EU - is far in advance of what they are actually worth in basic numbers. I’ve witnessed this for myself in France. It really really matters to them. That gives us enormous leverage should we choose to use it
A sharper politician than starmer would realise this
but he’s a fool and a berk and he has no Theory of
Mind so he’s giving up the rights in return for vague promises. Twat
Also the comments made about offal. Sad that it is so uncommon now. I love liver, kidneys, tongue and heart. I haven't had stuffed heart for decades. I ordered a plate of kidneys in France and the waiter double checked I knew what I was ordering (obviously mad Englishman who can't read the menu) it has become so not normal.
PS Don't know what happened there. That was supposed to be 2 separate posts.
Of course there is no certainty it will be EUTO but there is a chance it might be. If it is, the UK would be preferred to be involved from inception rather than stood in a queue making awkward conversation with the likes of Iceland and North Macedonia at a later date when it's fully formed.
Still relatively small but the fish issue is likely to be connected to other trade issues so it might not just be fish and defence contracts .
the YemenYerevan...(I know, geographically a bit of a stretch, but best I could do to a deadline.)
Why can’t the Tories just leave woke alone. They’ve managed to put out an announcement attacking hate crimes on the anniversary of Stephen Lawrence’s death.
"That would be an ecumenical matter..."
Sir Keir has confirmed a woman is an adult female and the Supreme Court judgement was right. Can we put this issue to bed now?
However hour after hour of no news whatsoever is ridiculous.
"Breakfast is prepared by May, his Scottish housekeeper and she takes it to him on a tray with a copy of the Times. At home his breakfast consists of: Two cups of very strong coffee from De Bry in New Oxford Street brewed in an American Chemex and drunk black without sugar. A brown speckled egg from a French Marans hen boiled for 3 1/3 minutes served in a dark blue egg cup with a gold ring round the top. Two thick slices of wholewheat toast with Jersey butter and the choice of Tiptree “Little Scarlet” strawberry jam, Cooper’s vintage oxford marmalade and Norwegian Heather Honey from Fortnum’s. We also learn that the eggs are provided by a friend of May and that Bond dislikes white eggs. The coffee pot and the silver on the tray are Queen Anne, and the china is Minton, of the same dark blue and gold and white as the egg-cup."
https://www.thejamesbonddossier.com/books/from-russia-with-love-book/from-russia-with-love-food-and-drink-from-the-novel.htm
Our greatest hope is that Europe is so desperate for defence contracts and supplies that they have to give us work.
They will always be there when they need you.
The AoC is still primus inter pares of the global Anglican communion if not head and leader of it with formal power in the way the Pope has over the global Roman Catholic church
Leon, who is a better judge of these things, voted for Boris, Brexit, and Starmer.
I think we can dismiss his opinion in relative safety.
We can exploit that. Theory of mind I'm told.
A European Alliance will be built entirely and pragmatically defensive and based on who has the relative weights of hard power, and money and men will talk, not ideology.
That gives Britain, France and Poland the upper hand.
Germany should be the ones worried about missing out this time.
Being a liberal I was never a Blair supporter, but one of the first things he did was announce the Stephen Lawrence enquiry for which I applauded him.
I wrote about how we may, now, be getting too dumb for democracy to work
It's a dataset of one, but you can see his point.
'Let's stop voting cos I'm shit at it.'
- Winston S Churchill, 11 November 1947.
But one thing we should have learned over the last century, and I saw during several years negotiating with them and others in the EU, is that, while our Foreign Office prioritises "good relations" and "goodwill" with other countries over tangible national interests, we WON'T.
The only time we got something big and tangible in my lifetime was when Mrs Thatcher stuck her heels in over the rebate, against Foreign Office advice.
But with the useless Starmer and Lammy in charge, we'll give in in exchange for warm words and nothing tangible and our fishing industry will resume its vertiginous decline.
However even there I still submit my logic was sound. It was just overly hopeful - that he was hiding a brilliant secret plan to reform everything and make it great. And he needed a solid majority to do it
Turned out he had no plan whatsoever and he’s completely thick
Oh well. Thus democracy is doomed
I've wondered whether his response would be that they need to change the law so that it means what (some) people thought it meant.
Good morning, everybody
Edit the to they.
My wife and I have spent Easter in bed with the most dreadful respiratory infection which tested negative for covid but as my wife said it seemed worse than the two covid infections we have had
We are slowly recovering but we would not wish it on our worst enemy
As a result, I have not posted for a few days but would like to express my wife and my sincere condolences to all Catholics on losing their Pope who seemed an excellent choice
We did watch him in his motorcade, and blessing to the crowd, and to be honest it looked far too much for his frail body but then his dedication to duty no doubt was the reason he put himself through that ordeal
I notice Spurs lost last night and with United they are having a terrible campaign, but surprisingly one of them could be playing in the Champions league next year if they win the Europa league
Across Scotland, I'd guess 4x - 5x more people are employed in defence than in fishing.
I believe in one bond book he has steak chips and Liebfraumilch wine
Of course it was all exotic to impoverished Brits in the postwar era
This (same place) is from the 7th May, 2016.
I think it's an industry where lack of orders means companies forget how to manufacture efficiently at scale. Missing out on this defence bonanza could have permanently damaged UK defence.
I assume while the finance comes from EU, each member state chooses what they buy. If that's right, then sure the French will likely pick French arms, but many other countries will choose British if they are competitive.
Maybe at our ages, and with our underlying heath conditions,we struggle more but certainly this infection has absolutely drained us of our energy so continuing rest with warm drinks is the way for us
Boris and Brexit were obviously bad choices at the time and have been proven to be so since. Starmer? Well do you wish you'd voted Sunak?
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/c4TWM9dEvdE
A dictatorship of civil servants!
The full ITN Attlee interview is at:-
On 3 January 1963, ITN interviewed former Prime Minister Clement Attlee on the occasion of his 80th birthday. The former Labour leader reflected on his greatest achievements in government, including Indian independence, and revealed which of the world statesmen he met in his time impressed him the most.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHJYLB-5fmE
Arguably they didn't really here until the 1990s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6WiXmPdd3E&t=16s
Although their miners benedict is better.
https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb/product/muffin-jam.html
https://x.com/carlbildt/status/1914615638435287539?
https://x.com/Jukanlosreve/status/1914588793128280104
According to Korean media, construction on Samsung Electronics’ Taylor, Texas, campus is 99.6% complete—essentially ready for equipment installation. Under normal circumstances, toolsets would already be crossing the threshold, yet Samsung has reportedly held off on placing orders. Officially, Samsung maintains a 2026 start‑up date for Taylor, but both inside and outside the company, the consensus is that, depending on market conditions and booking opportunities, revenues there will fall short of initial forecasts.
The inbound ramp‑up itself also faces headwinds. The U.S. government has signaled at least a 25% tariff on semiconductor imports—and, given semiconductors’ status as a national‑security priority, little room remains for negotiation. As a result, high‑precision tools could incur duties exceeding 25%, driving tariff bills into the hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars. To compound matters, ASML’s extreme‑ultraviolet (EUV) systems can cost up to KRW 500 billion (approximately USD 380 million) apiece, meaning a single machine could attract tariffs on the order of KRW 100 billion.
Comparisons with TSMC underscore the long‑term profitability risks of overseas fabs. Although TSMC’s U.S. facility has already gone live, it has struggled with margin erosion—U.S. labor costs run higher than in Taiwan, and the company faces further multibillion‑dollar equipment investments. After Washington unveiled its tariff policy, TSMC CEO C. C. Wei met with former President Trump on May 3 to announce an additional USD 100 billion (roughly KRW 146 trillion) investment plan...
Samsung is having problems competing with TSMC owing to very poor yields on the latest 2nm processes, so it's not impossible the write off the entire investment in Texas.
We lost F. Berndes in Enfield, five years ago, although Waitrose still does fresh fish. There is a mobile fish van at the market, once a week, which does wonderful crab and smoked salmon.
Looks glorious!
And China is refusing US requests to talk.
China Imposes Controls on Rare Earth Exports… First Target Is South Korea
“Don’t Export Products Containing Rare Earths to the U.S.” … Korea and Others Face Intensified Pressure
Transformers Manufacturers Asked to Give Guarantees… Battery and Aerospace Sectors on High Alert
Warning of “No Transshipment”—Violators Likely to See Rare Earth Supplies Cut Off
It has been confirmed that the Chinese government sent Korean companies a warning notice stating that it would impose sanctions if they exported products made with Chinese rare earths to U.S. defense contractors. Just as the U.S. has controlled indirect exports of American-made semiconductors to China, China is now actively enforcing “third-country export controls” on the strategic mineral rare earths. Concerns are growing that Korean firms are being forced to choose sides in the U.S.–China struggle for dominance.
According to industry sources on April 22, transformer manufacturer Company A recently received an official letter from China’s Ministry of Commerce declaring, “You must guarantee that power equipment such as transformers containing Chinese medium rare earths will not be exported to U.S. defense firms or the U.S. military, and bear in mind that any violations may incur sanctions.”
Although the notice did not specify the exact penalties, industry insiders interpret it to mean that if any indirect exports are uncovered, China will halt shipments of its medium rare earths. Transformer manufacturer Company B is also reported to have received the same notice.
The government has determined that, in addition to transformer makers, most companies in sectors that import and use Chinese strategic minerals—such as secondary batteries, displays, electric vehicles, aerospace, and medical equipment—have received identical warnings. A government official commented, “It appears that China has begun to implement third-country export controls across all of its strategic minerals.”
..
https://x.com/Jukanlosreve/status/1914613174323884308
PB is remarkably informative. I must give it a try.
Detaching the US from Europe had been the dream of Russian leaders for decades. But even they can't have imagined that one day there would be a US President as pliable, gullible, naive, self-regarding and ignorant as Trump.
https://x.com/headwarriortwm/status/1914605104478429210?
Until then, no.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdjln7zzz8eo.amp
My disdain is absolutely correct because Philp and Jenrick are on board.
Trump is stupid enough to end up in a real war with China.