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Dame Andrea Jenkyns your time has come – politicalbetting.com

SystemSystem Posts: 12,433
edited April 25 in General
Dame Andrea Jenkyns your time has come – politicalbetting.com

Greater Lincolnshire mayoral voting intention (9-23 April) – Andrea Jenkyns has 15pt leadAndrea Jenkyns (Ref): 40%Rob Waltham (Con): 25%Jason Stockwood (Lab): 15%Sally Horscroft (Grn): 8%Marianne Overton (Ind): 7%Trevor Young (LD): 5%yougov.co.uk/politics/art…

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Comments

  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 121,688
    Helping Andrea Jenkyns become a MP is a political mark of Cain.
  • noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 24,280
    TheScreamingEagles said:

    Helping Andrea Jenkyns become a MP is a political mark of Cain.

    Will she be able to repay the favour if elected mayor perhaps?
  • CatManCatMan Posts: 3,228
    Wonder what the polling would show if it was under the old system before it became FPTP
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 54,859
    TheScreamingEagles said:

    Helping Andrea Jenkyns become a MP is a political mark of Cain.

    First elected in 2015, so anyone associated with the Cameron project is guilty.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 38,151
    The FBI director just posted that they arrested a judge

    Then deleted the post
  • LeonLeon Posts: 59,840
    Reform are going to sweep to victory in the GE. Unless something radical changes

    Labour AND the Tories will be destroyed. Deservedly
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 30,846
    I like Andrea Jenkyns.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 13,730
    Would any of these be different under the old voting system? Maybe West of England, but probably not the others...?
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 13,730
    Scott_xP said:

    The FBI director just posted that they arrested a judge

    Then deleted the post

    A bit more from Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fbi-director-says-arrested-judge-obstructing-immigration-operation-2025-04-25/
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 65,570
    Aaron Rupar
    @atrupar
    ·
    1h
    Trump: "I think the tariff plan is doing very well. We're resetting the table. We're gonna make our country very rich. Very, very rich. It's already happening. Thank you very much."
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 20,177
    Scott_xP said:

    The FBI director just posted that they arrested a judge

    Then deleted the post

    WTF
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 30,846
    Leon said:

    Reform are going to sweep to victory in the GE. Unless something radical changes

    Labour AND the Tories will be destroyed. Deservedly

    I would somewhat prefer a Refcon coalition. I am all for gutting the system, but only 4 of Reforms MPs will even have been MPs before let alone Ministers. That will present a very real challenge.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 38,520
    Those numbers seem quite plausible.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 98,601
    CatMan said:

    Wonder what the polling would show if it was under the old system before it became FPTP

    Tories regretting their choices perhaps. They wouldn't necessarily win more but it might have prevented Reform victories.

    Plus they lied and said it was a manifesto commitment (they said they'd support FPTP it didn't say theyd make mayors be elected that way - no issue with them doing it, a political choice validly made, hence no need to lie.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 38,520
    Gallowgate said:

    Scott_xP said:

    The FBI director just posted that they arrested a judge

    Then deleted the post

    WTF
    How soon before people are "shot, while attempting to resist arrest?"
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 38,520
    bondegezou said:

    Would any of these be different under the old voting system? Maybe West of England, but probably not the others...?

    I expect not. I don't think the leader would be overhauled in any of those cases.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 13,730
    Luckyguy1983 said:

    Leon said:

    Reform are going to sweep to victory in the GE. Unless something radical changes

    Labour AND the Tories will be destroyed. Deservedly

    I would somewhat prefer a Refcon coalition. I am all for gutting the system, but only 4 of Reforms MPs will even have been MPs before let alone Ministers. That will present a very real challenge.
    They might stand other ex-MP candidates, who then win, e.g. Marco Longhi. There could be a dozen Reform MPs with prior experience! If Andrea Jenkyns wants to give up being mayor, there's some ministerial experience.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 31,333
    Scott_xP said:

    The FBI director just posted that they arrested a judge

    Then deleted the post

    It has started...
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 98,601
    Scott_xP said:

    The FBI director just posted that they arrested a judge

    Then deleted the post

    Officials feeling the need to posture on twitter is bloody stupid. I get it for the elected but as political as positions are there there's still no benefit to seeking twitter acclaim for the things you do.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 38,520
    bondegezou said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    Leon said:

    Reform are going to sweep to victory in the GE. Unless something radical changes

    Labour AND the Tories will be destroyed. Deservedly

    I would somewhat prefer a Refcon coalition. I am all for gutting the system, but only 4 of Reforms MPs will even have been MPs before let alone Ministers. That will present a very real challenge.
    They might stand other ex-MP candidates, who then win, e.g. Marco Longhi. There could be a dozen Reform MPs with prior experience! If Andrea Jenkyns wants to give up being mayor, there's some ministerial experience.
    They could always recruit ex-ministers, like Brooks Newmark, Owen Paterson, Nadine Dorries, and Grant Shapps, to show them how things should be done.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 54,859
    Sean_F said:

    bondegezou said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    Leon said:

    Reform are going to sweep to victory in the GE. Unless something radical changes

    Labour AND the Tories will be destroyed. Deservedly

    I would somewhat prefer a Refcon coalition. I am all for gutting the system, but only 4 of Reforms MPs will even have been MPs before let alone Ministers. That will present a very real challenge.
    They might stand other ex-MP candidates, who then win, e.g. Marco Longhi. There could be a dozen Reform MPs with prior experience! If Andrea Jenkyns wants to give up being mayor, there's some ministerial experience.
    They could always recruit ex-ministers, like Brooks Newmark, Owen Paterson, Nadine Dorries, and Grant Shapps, to show them how things should be done.
    It would have saved so much time if John Redwood had won the Tory leadership in 1995.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 53,688
    edited April 25
    Sean_F said:

    Gallowgate said:

    Scott_xP said:

    The FBI director just posted that they arrested a judge

    Then deleted the post

    WTF
    How soon before people are "shot, while attempting to resist arrest?"
    "How many of them were wounded? HOW MANY OF THE 50 WERE WOUNDED?"
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 54,572
    Greater Lincolnshire? Does that imply there is a Lesser Lincolnshire? How?
  • turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 18,630
    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    Is it because the vast majority were graduating on degrees such as Chemistry of Drugs, or Analytical Chemistry? So pure chemistry is a minor degree?
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 54,859
    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    Without China, we'd be facing the risk of a new Dark Ages.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 13,730
    edited April 25
    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    Source? Seems implausible.

    EDIT: https://chemistry.mit.edu/chemistry-news/congratulations-to-the-class-of-2024/ "On Friday, May 31, a lovely spring morning, 26 chemistry majors were awarded their undergraduate degrees as members of the Class of 2024."
  • noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 24,280
    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    https://chemistry.mit.edu/about/#:~:text=Our department is comprised of,Postdoctoral Associates and Visiting Fellows

    Our department is comprised of:

    Over 65 Undergraduate Chemistry Majors
    Over 235 Graduate Students
    Approximately 120 Postdoctoral Associates and Visiting Fellows
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 59,419
    edited April 25
    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    According to MIT's website, it's 65 chemistry majors.

    https://chemistry.mit.edu/about/

    Edit to add: that's what ChatGPT says, and that's the source it gives, but when I go to the website, I don't see any student numbers.
  • FlatlanderFlatlander Posts: 4,924
    edited April 25
    MarqueeMark said:

    Greater Lincolnshire? Does that imply there is a Lesser Lincolnshire? How?

    There was North Lincs (Scunthorpe etc), NE Lincs (Grimsby etc) and the rest of Lincolnshire - including Lincoln - originally wanted nothing to do with either.

    [I think in the past the rest of Lincs was also split into Kesteven and Lindsey, not sure about Holland. Its a big county.]
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 30,846
    williamglenn said:

    Sean_F said:

    bondegezou said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    Leon said:

    Reform are going to sweep to victory in the GE. Unless something radical changes

    Labour AND the Tories will be destroyed. Deservedly

    I would somewhat prefer a Refcon coalition. I am all for gutting the system, but only 4 of Reforms MPs will even have been MPs before let alone Ministers. That will present a very real challenge.
    They might stand other ex-MP candidates, who then win, e.g. Marco Longhi. There could be a dozen Reform MPs with prior experience! If Andrea Jenkyns wants to give up being mayor, there's some ministerial experience.
    They could always recruit ex-ministers, like Brooks Newmark, Owen Paterson, Nadine Dorries, and Grant Shapps, to show them how things should be done.
    It would have saved so much time if John Redwood had won the Tory leadership in 1995.
    It would have saved the country.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 30,221
    Intel customers are buying up all its older CPUs to beat tariffs
    https://www.pcworld.com/article/2763684/intel-customers-are-buying-up-all-its-older-cpus-to-beat-tariffs.html
  • noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 24,280
    Luckyguy1983 said:

    williamglenn said:

    Sean_F said:

    bondegezou said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    Leon said:

    Reform are going to sweep to victory in the GE. Unless something radical changes

    Labour AND the Tories will be destroyed. Deservedly

    I would somewhat prefer a Refcon coalition. I am all for gutting the system, but only 4 of Reforms MPs will even have been MPs before let alone Ministers. That will present a very real challenge.
    They might stand other ex-MP candidates, who then win, e.g. Marco Longhi. There could be a dozen Reform MPs with prior experience! If Andrea Jenkyns wants to give up being mayor, there's some ministerial experience.
    They could always recruit ex-ministers, like Brooks Newmark, Owen Paterson, Nadine Dorries, and Grant Shapps, to show them how things should be done.
    It would have saved so much time if John Redwood had won the Tory leadership in 1995.
    It would have saved the country.
    Gotta love the humour.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 54,235
    edited April 25
    rcs1000 said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    According to MIT's website, it's 65 chemistry majors.

    https://chemistry.mit.edu/about/
    https://registrar.mit.edu/stats-reports/majors-count

    Total majors (2024-2025)....

    Chemical Biological Engineering 59
    Chemical Engineering 37
    Chemistry 26
    Chemistry and Biology 20
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 30,221
    rcs1000 said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    According to MIT's website, it's 65 chemistry majors.

    https://chemistry.mit.edu/about/

    Edit to add: that's what ChatGPT says, and that's the source it gives, but when I go to the website, I don't see any student numbers.
    65 majors spread over 4 years is 15 per year. Would the 7 have started during the pandemic which might have reduced numbers?
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 53,688
    edited April 25
    Flatlander said:

    MarqueeMark said:

    Greater Lincolnshire? Does that imply there is a Lesser Lincolnshire? How?

    There was North Lincs (Scunthorpe etc), NE Lincs (Grimsby etc) and the rest of Lincolnshire - including Lincoln - originally wanted nothing to do with either.

    [I think in the past the rest of Lincs was also split into Kesteven and Lindsey, not sure about Holland. Its a big county.]
    Oh, Holland was definitely one of the divisions.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincolnshire#/media/File:Lincolnshire1832_Map.png
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 54,235
    DecrepiterJohnL said:

    rcs1000 said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    According to MIT's website, it's 65 chemistry majors.

    https://chemistry.mit.edu/about/

    Edit to add: that's what ChatGPT says, and that's the source it gives, but when I go to the website, I don't see any student numbers.
    65 majors spread over 4 years is 15 per year. Would the 7 have started during the pandemic which might have reduced numbers?
    See https://registrar.mit.edu/stats-reports/majors-count

    26 Chemistry majors in 2024-25 plus lots more in near related majors.
  • DM_AndyDM_Andy Posts: 1,261
    https://registrar.mit.edu/stats-reports/degrees-awarded

    7 batchelors degrees for Chemistry, but 19 for Chemistry and Biology. Remember MIT is a very small university, barely over 1,000 SB graduates per year in total.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 59,840
    williamglenn said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    Without China, we'd be facing the risk of a new Dark Ages.
    We ARE

    I read a convincing essay today which argued that Rome experienced a grave cognitive decline and we are experiencing the same
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 83,550
    edited April 25
    rcs1000 said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    According to MIT's website, it's 65 chemistry majors.

    https://chemistry.mit.edu/about/

    Edit to add: that's what ChatGPT says, and that's the source it gives, but when I go to the website, I don't see any student numbers.
    Not how many were on the programme at various staged, i said graduated in a single year, and it is for straight chemsitry major not chemistry with ...

    https://registrar.mit.edu/stats-reports/degrees-awarded
  • FishingFishing Posts: 5,511
    edited April 25
    Luckyguy1983 said:

    williamglenn said:

    Sean_F said:

    bondegezou said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    Leon said:

    Reform are going to sweep to victory in the GE. Unless something radical changes

    Labour AND the Tories will be destroyed. Deservedly

    I would somewhat prefer a Refcon coalition. I am all for gutting the system, but only 4 of Reforms MPs will even have been MPs before let alone Ministers. That will present a very real challenge.
    They might stand other ex-MP candidates, who then win, e.g. Marco Longhi. There could be a dozen Reform MPs with prior experience! If Andrea Jenkyns wants to give up being mayor, there's some ministerial experience.
    They could always recruit ex-ministers, like Brooks Newmark, Owen Paterson, Nadine Dorries, and Grant Shapps, to show them how things should be done.
    It would have saved so much time if John Redwood had won the Tory leadership in 1995.
    It would have saved the country.
    Probably not. John Redwood was a good man but had no popular appeal and the Conservatives were already too far gone by 1995 for 1997 to have been salvageable.

    If he or someone like him had won in 1990, taken us out of the ERM and not signed the Maastricht Treaty, OTOH, our history since then (and maybe Europe's) would have probably been dramatically different.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 13,730
    Malmesbury said:

    DecrepiterJohnL said:

    rcs1000 said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    According to MIT's website, it's 65 chemistry majors.

    https://chemistry.mit.edu/about/

    Edit to add: that's what ChatGPT says, and that's the source it gives, but when I go to the website, I don't see any student numbers.
    65 majors spread over 4 years is 15 per year. Would the 7 have started during the pandemic which might have reduced numbers?
    See https://registrar.mit.edu/stats-reports/majors-count

    26 Chemistry majors in 2024-25 plus lots more in near related majors.
    I was surprised how small the number is, but it is very definitely not 7.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 54,859
    noneoftheabove said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    williamglenn said:

    Sean_F said:

    bondegezou said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    Leon said:

    Reform are going to sweep to victory in the GE. Unless something radical changes

    Labour AND the Tories will be destroyed. Deservedly

    I would somewhat prefer a Refcon coalition. I am all for gutting the system, but only 4 of Reforms MPs will even have been MPs before let alone Ministers. That will present a very real challenge.
    They might stand other ex-MP candidates, who then win, e.g. Marco Longhi. There could be a dozen Reform MPs with prior experience! If Andrea Jenkyns wants to give up being mayor, there's some ministerial experience.
    They could always recruit ex-ministers, like Brooks Newmark, Owen Paterson, Nadine Dorries, and Grant Shapps, to show them how things should be done.
    It would have saved so much time if John Redwood had won the Tory leadership in 1995.
    It would have saved the country.
    Gotta love the humour.
    Even if you regard the idea of Redwood as PM as a bit of a joke, that alternative timeline would have been so much better. Blair wouldn't have won a bigger landslide and the Tories would have avoided the wasted years of Hague and IDS.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 53,688
    bondegezou said:

    Malmesbury said:

    DecrepiterJohnL said:

    rcs1000 said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    According to MIT's website, it's 65 chemistry majors.

    https://chemistry.mit.edu/about/

    Edit to add: that's what ChatGPT says, and that's the source it gives, but when I go to the website, I don't see any student numbers.
    65 majors spread over 4 years is 15 per year. Would the 7 have started during the pandemic which might have reduced numbers?
    See https://registrar.mit.edu/stats-reports/majors-count

    26 Chemistry majors in 2024-25 plus lots more in near related majors.
    I was surprised how small the number is, but it is very definitely not 7.
    Not sure about Chemsitry, I was in Biochemistry at Imperial, Class of 1997, but there was must have been close to 100 in our year.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 38,520
    Leon said:

    williamglenn said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    Without China, we'd be facing the risk of a new Dark Ages.
    We ARE

    I read a convincing essay today which argued that Rome experienced a grave cognitive decline and we are experiencing the same
    The East remained an intellectual powerhouse, until the Persian invasions after 600.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 83,550
    edited April 25
    bondegezou said:

    Malmesbury said:

    DecrepiterJohnL said:

    rcs1000 said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    According to MIT's website, it's 65 chemistry majors.

    https://chemistry.mit.edu/about/

    Edit to add: that's what ChatGPT says, and that's the source it gives, but when I go to the website, I don't see any student numbers.
    65 majors spread over 4 years is 15 per year. Would the 7 have started during the pandemic which might have reduced numbers?
    See https://registrar.mit.edu/stats-reports/majors-count

    26 Chemistry majors in 2024-25 plus lots more in near related majors.
    I was surprised how small the number is, but it is very definitely not 7.
    It is 7 for straight chemistry, it is 20 odd if you include chemsitry with another subject.

    Even 20 odd, i was shocked how small that is.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 54,235
    edited April 25
    FrancisUrquhart said:

    rcs1000 said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    According to MIT's website, it's 65 chemistry majors.

    https://chemistry.mit.edu/about/

    Edit to add: that's what ChatGPT says, and that's the source it gives, but when I go to the website, I don't see any student numbers.
    Not how many were on the programme at various staged, i said graduated in a single year

    https://registrar.mit.edu/stats-reports/degrees-awarded
    That's undergrad "Chemistry" only - note the 5 masters & 50 PhDs awarded and the multiple other degrees in "Chemical Engineering" and the like.

    Also see https://registrar.mit.edu/stats-reports/majors-count for the count of majors.
  • noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 24,280
    williamglenn said:

    noneoftheabove said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    williamglenn said:

    Sean_F said:

    bondegezou said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    Leon said:

    Reform are going to sweep to victory in the GE. Unless something radical changes

    Labour AND the Tories will be destroyed. Deservedly

    I would somewhat prefer a Refcon coalition. I am all for gutting the system, but only 4 of Reforms MPs will even have been MPs before let alone Ministers. That will present a very real challenge.
    They might stand other ex-MP candidates, who then win, e.g. Marco Longhi. There could be a dozen Reform MPs with prior experience! If Andrea Jenkyns wants to give up being mayor, there's some ministerial experience.
    They could always recruit ex-ministers, like Brooks Newmark, Owen Paterson, Nadine Dorries, and Grant Shapps, to show them how things should be done.
    It would have saved so much time if John Redwood had won the Tory leadership in 1995.
    It would have saved the country.
    Gotta love the humour.
    Even if you regard the idea of Redwood as PM as a bit of a joke, that alternative timeline would have been so much better. Blair wouldn't have won a bigger landslide and the Tories would have avoided the wasted years of Hague and IDS.
    And the trolling!
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 83,550
    edited April 25
    Malmesbury said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    rcs1000 said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    According to MIT's website, it's 65 chemistry majors.

    https://chemistry.mit.edu/about/

    Edit to add: that's what ChatGPT says, and that's the source it gives, but when I go to the website, I don't see any student numbers.
    Not how many were on the programme at various staged, i said graduated in a single year

    https://registrar.mit.edu/stats-reports/degrees-awarded
    That's undergrad only - note the 5 masters & 50 PhDs awarded....

    Also see https://registrar.mit.edu/stats-reports/majors-count for the count of majors.
    Sure. I said degree,.not masters or PhD. 5 masters is still tiny number.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 13,730
    FrancisUrquhart said:

    bondegezou said:

    Malmesbury said:

    DecrepiterJohnL said:

    rcs1000 said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    According to MIT's website, it's 65 chemistry majors.

    https://chemistry.mit.edu/about/

    Edit to add: that's what ChatGPT says, and that's the source it gives, but when I go to the website, I don't see any student numbers.
    65 majors spread over 4 years is 15 per year. Would the 7 have started during the pandemic which might have reduced numbers?
    See https://registrar.mit.edu/stats-reports/majors-count

    26 Chemistry majors in 2024-25 plus lots more in near related majors.
    I was surprised how small the number is, but it is very definitely not 7.
    It is 7 for straight chemistry, it is 20 odd if you include chemsitry with another subject.

    Even 20 odd, i was shocked how small that is.
    I've not seen anything saying it's 7 for straight Chemistry.

    I presume MIT just has small classes, because it's all elite and such.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 83,550
    edited April 25
    bondegezou said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    bondegezou said:

    Malmesbury said:

    DecrepiterJohnL said:

    rcs1000 said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    According to MIT's website, it's 65 chemistry majors.

    https://chemistry.mit.edu/about/

    Edit to add: that's what ChatGPT says, and that's the source it gives, but when I go to the website, I don't see any student numbers.
    65 majors spread over 4 years is 15 per year. Would the 7 have started during the pandemic which might have reduced numbers?
    See https://registrar.mit.edu/stats-reports/majors-count

    26 Chemistry majors in 2024-25 plus lots more in near related majors.
    I was surprised how small the number is, but it is very definitely not 7.
    It is 7 for straight chemistry, it is 20 odd if you include chemsitry with another subject.

    Even 20 odd, i was shocked how small that is.
    I've not seen anything saying it's 7 for straight Chemistry.

    I presume MIT just has small classes, because it's all elite and such.
    I posted the link below to official website. MIT is elite but not that elite e.g. see computer science numbers. They are struggling to get people to do a major in chemistry at undergrad level.

    Be interesting to know if this is true across other elite US institutions.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 13,730
    Mike Lindell's lawyers used AI. It was shit and they are now in trouble: https://www.rawstory.com/lindell-dominion-2671843170/
  • RogerRoger Posts: 20,471
    edited April 25


    I haven't played this game before and I won't again but in this photo are two people who will get a big mention this week end. For a clue it is taken on the hills behind Beaulieu which is near where they live. The reason I didn't take it from the front is because I'm not a street photographer and they're entitled to privacy.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 38,151
    George Santos sentenced to 87 months, with 2 years supervised release

    Santos sentenced to 63 months on wire fraud charge, plus 24 months on aggravated identity theft.

    He covered his face and was sobbing as the sentence was read.

    Judge Seybert said she did not believe Santos had shown remorse or contrition.

    https://x.com/migold/status/1915799574729396244
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 59,419
    FrancisUrquhart said:

    rcs1000 said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    According to MIT's website, it's 65 chemistry majors.

    https://chemistry.mit.edu/about/

    Edit to add: that's what ChatGPT says, and that's the source it gives, but when I go to the website, I don't see any student numbers.
    Not how many were on the programme at various staged, i said graduated in a single year, and it is for straight chemsitry major not chemistry with ...

    https://registrar.mit.edu/stats-reports/degrees-awarded
    One of the things that tells you, though, is just how few students the elite US schools have.

    Just 1,000 people graduated from MIT with Bachelors, and a further 700 with Masters.

    And the annual Harvard class size is only something like 750.

    The US degree system is also has people doing degrees that span multiple subjects in a way that doesn't really happen in the UK.

    So, while straight chemistry had just 7 Bachelors and 5 Masters degrees awarded, there were a further 19 Chemistry and Biology degrees, and almost 50 in Chemical Engineering, and another 17 in Chemical Biological Engineering.
  • Stark_DawningStark_Dawning Posts: 9,985
    edited April 25
    FrancisUrquhart said:

    bondegezou said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    bondegezou said:

    Malmesbury said:

    DecrepiterJohnL said:

    rcs1000 said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    According to MIT's website, it's 65 chemistry majors.

    https://chemistry.mit.edu/about/

    Edit to add: that's what ChatGPT says, and that's the source it gives, but when I go to the website, I don't see any student numbers.
    65 majors spread over 4 years is 15 per year. Would the 7 have started during the pandemic which might have reduced numbers?
    See https://registrar.mit.edu/stats-reports/majors-count

    26 Chemistry majors in 2024-25 plus lots more in near related majors.
    I was surprised how small the number is, but it is very definitely not 7.
    It is 7 for straight chemistry, it is 20 odd if you include chemsitry with another subject.

    Even 20 odd, i was shocked how small that is.
    I've not seen anything saying it's 7 for straight Chemistry.

    I presume MIT just has small classes, because it's all elite and such.
    I posted the link below to official website. MIT is elite but not that elite e.g. see computer science numbers. They are struggling to get people to do a major in chemistry at undergrad level.

    Be interesting to know if this is true across other elite US institutions.
    They had one fewer in 2017/18 and almost four times as many last year at they got in 2020/2021.

    https://registrar.mit.edu/stats-reports/degrees-awarded/all/536

    All seems rather fluctuating to me. Not sure anything that profound about civilizational decline can be read into it.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 13,730
    Scott_xP said:

    George Santos sentenced to 87 months, with 2 years supervised release

    Santos sentenced to 63 months on wire fraud charge, plus 24 months on aggravated identity theft.

    He covered his face and was sobbing as the sentence was read.

    Judge Seybert said she did not believe Santos had shown remorse or contrition.

    https://x.com/migold/status/1915799574729396244

    Poor Santos. His grifting and corruption was just slightly too early. He'd be a titan of competence and probity in Trump's current Cabinet.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 76,782
    Luckyguy1983 said:

    williamglenn said:

    Sean_F said:

    bondegezou said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    Leon said:

    Reform are going to sweep to victory in the GE. Unless something radical changes

    Labour AND the Tories will be destroyed. Deservedly

    I would somewhat prefer a Refcon coalition. I am all for gutting the system, but only 4 of Reforms MPs will even have been MPs before let alone Ministers. That will present a very real challenge.
    They might stand other ex-MP candidates, who then win, e.g. Marco Longhi. There could be a dozen Reform MPs with prior experience! If Andrea Jenkyns wants to give up being mayor, there's some ministerial experience.
    They could always recruit ex-ministers, like Brooks Newmark, Owen Paterson, Nadine Dorries, and Grant Shapps, to show them how things should be done.
    It would have saved so much time if John Redwood had won the Tory leadership in 1995.
    It would have saved the country.
    By destroying the party three decades earlier ?
    Seems implausible, even if the most likely interpretation.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 83,550
    edited April 25
    The enrollment rate for chemistry programs across the US decreased by an astonishing 23.2% since 2019.
  • numbertwelvenumbertwelve Posts: 7,309
    Andrea Jenkyns is our answer to MTG. She is nowhere near as bonkers (the Americans always go bigger) but bonkers enough.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 38,151
    numbertwelve said:

    Andrea Jenkyns is our answer to MTG. She is nowhere near as bonkers (the Americans always go bigger) but bonkers enough.

    Just as unpleasant
  • TazTaz Posts: 17,635
    Leon said:

    williamglenn said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    Random factoid - Only 7 students graduated from MIT with a chemistry degree last year.

    I found this astonishing particularly as things like battery chemistry is vitally important.

    Without China, we'd be facing the risk of a new Dark Ages.
    We ARE

    I read a convincing essay today which argued that Rome experienced a grave cognitive decline and we are experiencing the same
    We deserve everything that’s coming to us
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 59,419
    On topic... those numbers tell you how interesting FPTP becomes when voter fragmentation is high.

    The West of England Mayoral election could be won on less than a quarter of the share of the vote.

    I also wonder if the Conservatives will rue getting rid of AV for these elections.
  • carnforthcarnforth Posts: 5,711
    Turns out the man mistakenly deported to El Salvador was a human-trafficker:

    https://dailycaller.com/2025/04/23/abrego-garcia-drove-human-smuggler-car/

    Not that that makes the abuse of due process any better, but does hurt his case in the court of public opinion somewhat.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 83,550
    edited April 25
    In her strongest criticisms of the tax to date, Ms Nandy went on to insist that a “fairer” and “more sustainable” funding model must be found, declaring the current system “unenforceable”.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/25/bbc-licence-fee-targets-women-lisa-nandy-culture-secretary/

    When a politician talks about fairer, that normally results in anything but and at increased cost...her comments scream some sort of media tax on your council tax bill.
  • noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 24,280
    Roger said:



    I haven't played this game before and I won't again but in this photo are two people who will get a big mention this week end. For a clue it is taken on the hills behind Beaulieu which is near where they live. The reason I didn't take it from the front is because I'm not a street photographer and they're entitled to privacy.

    Is it the new Pope and Ronnie O'Sullivan training together for the marathon?
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 83,550
    edited April 25
    carnforth said:

    Turns out the man mistakenly deported to El Salvador was a human-trafficker:

    https://dailycaller.com/2025/04/23/abrego-garcia-drove-human-smuggler-car/

    Not that that makes the abuse of due process any better, but does hurt his case in the court of public opinion somewhat.

    Along with being a wife beater. The politicians who championed his case look like they are going to have egg on their face.

    But as you say, Trump is ignoring any due process and the courts reaction to it. A smarter politician would follow a legal based approach and if the courts keep stopping them deporting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes in the US, then move to faster deportation (its what previous presidents in the past have done).
  • carnforthcarnforth Posts: 5,711
    edited April 25
    FrancisUrquhart said:

    In her strongest criticisms of the tax to date, Ms Nandy went on to insist that a “fairer” and “more sustainable” funding model must be found, declaring the current system “unenforceable”.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/25/bbc-licence-fee-targets-women-lisa-nandy-culture-secretary/

    When a politician talks about fairer, that normally results in anything but and at increased cost...her comments scream some sort of media tax on your council tax bill.

    I'd prefer a voluntary subscription à la Netflix, but anything which puts license inspectors out of work and stops the junk mail is fine by me.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 83,550
    edited April 25
    carnforth said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    In her strongest criticisms of the tax to date, Ms Nandy went on to insist that a “fairer” and “more sustainable” funding model must be found, declaring the current system “unenforceable”.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/25/bbc-licence-fee-targets-women-lisa-nandy-culture-secretary/

    When a politician talks about fairer, that normally results in anything but and at increased cost...her comments scream some sort of media tax on your council tax bill.

    I'd prefer a voluntary subscription à la Netflix, but anything which puts license inspectors out of work and stops the junk mail is fine by me.
    You definitely aren't getting that, the BBC will fight tooth and nail against it. Despite many of the arguments now being invalid e.g. the BBC is ad supported all over the place outside the UK and were planning to add them to podcasts including inside the UK, they own loads of commercial ventures that are ad supported e.g. UKTV....the only remaining claim is they make shows others won't, which is nowhere near as strong as previously.
  • numbertwelvenumbertwelve Posts: 7,309
    FrancisUrquhart said:

    In her strongest criticisms of the tax to date, Ms Nandy went on to insist that a “fairer” and “more sustainable” funding model must be found, declaring the current system “unenforceable”.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/25/bbc-licence-fee-targets-women-lisa-nandy-culture-secretary/

    When a politician talks about fairer, that normally results in anything but and at increased cost...her comments scream some sort of media tax on your council tax bill.

    Why do we need to dress this up as being because it unfairly targets one group or the other? Whatever the merits of that, the reason we shouldn’t have a license fee is that the funding model is deeply anachronistic.

    If they want to fund it through taxation, they should break up the BBC into commercial and public service wings. The BBC’s commercial arm should not be funded through general taxation. I can at least see some merit to funding some of the other things it does that way, but only if those elements are properly governed and regulated and managed.
  • twistedfirestopper3twistedfirestopper3 Posts: 2,527
    FrancisUrquhart said:

    In her strongest criticisms of the tax to date, Ms Nandy went on to insist that a “fairer” and “more sustainable” funding model must be found, declaring the current system “unenforceable”.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/25/bbc-licence-fee-targets-women-lisa-nandy-culture-secretary/

    When a politician talks about fairer, that normally results in anything but and at increased cost...her comments scream some sort of media tax on your council tax bill.

    They'll just kick the can down the road by announcing some sort of extension to the existing model while a commission is set up to explore other options.
    In related news, I've had my 7th letter in 6 months in our new house. "The Legal Occupier" is under the final stages of investigation.
    What investigation? If they ever do send round a telly licence sales assistant, I'll just say "no thanks" and that'll be it.
    It's just a never ending harrassment, but fortunately I know I'm doing nothing illegal and they just spend licence payers money for nowt.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 59,419
    carnforth said:

    Turns out the man mistakenly deported to El Salvador was a human-trafficker:

    https://dailycaller.com/2025/04/23/abrego-garcia-drove-human-smuggler-car/

    Not that that makes the abuse of due process any better, but does hurt his case in the court of public opinion somewhat.

    Nate Silver did an excellent (albeit overlong) article on just this very issue.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 20,471
    edited April 25
    Time for labour the libs the Greens and even the Cons to get to gether and stop the most repellent politician since the war* from advancing

    *with the possible exception of Powell
  • RobDRobD Posts: 60,364
    FrancisUrquhart said:

    The enrollment rate for chemistry programs across the US decreased by an astonishing 23.2% since 2019.

    Coming down from a high inspired by Breaking Bad?
  • stodgestodge Posts: 14,485
    williamglenn said:

    noneoftheabove said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    williamglenn said:

    Sean_F said:

    bondegezou said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    Leon said:

    Reform are going to sweep to victory in the GE. Unless something radical changes

    Labour AND the Tories will be destroyed. Deservedly

    I would somewhat prefer a Refcon coalition. I am all for gutting the system, but only 4 of Reforms MPs will even have been MPs before let alone Ministers. That will present a very real challenge.
    They might stand other ex-MP candidates, who then win, e.g. Marco Longhi. There could be a dozen Reform MPs with prior experience! If Andrea Jenkyns wants to give up being mayor, there's some ministerial experience.
    They could always recruit ex-ministers, like Brooks Newmark, Owen Paterson, Nadine Dorries, and Grant Shapps, to show them how things should be done.
    It would have saved so much time if John Redwood had won the Tory leadership in 1995.
    It would have saved the country.
    Gotta love the humour.
    Even if you regard the idea of Redwood as PM as a bit of a joke, that alternative timeline would have been so much better. Blair wouldn't have won a bigger landslide and the Tories would have avoided the wasted years of Hague and IDS.
    Just to remind you of what actually happened, the three candidates to succeed Thatcher in 1990 were John Major, Michael Heseltine and Douglas Hurd, all of whom seem to be regarded with contempt by what passes for Conservatives these days. Major was regarded as the "Continuity Thatcher" candidate.

    Redwood's campaign in 1995 was laughable but it showed the divisions in the party as a third of all MPs failed to back Major (that doesn't mean they all supported Redwood).

    This was the same Redwood who did a deal with Ken Clarke to try to stop Hague in 1997 who had the support of Thatcher so "her" candidates won the two elections immedialtely following her defenestration.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 83,550
    numbertwelve said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    In her strongest criticisms of the tax to date, Ms Nandy went on to insist that a “fairer” and “more sustainable” funding model must be found, declaring the current system “unenforceable”.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/25/bbc-licence-fee-targets-women-lisa-nandy-culture-secretary/

    When a politician talks about fairer, that normally results in anything but and at increased cost...her comments scream some sort of media tax on your council tax bill.

    Why do we need to dress this up as being because it unfairly targets one group or the other? Whatever the merits of that, the reason we shouldn’t have a license fee is that the funding model is deeply anachronistic.

    If they want to fund it through taxation, they should break up the BBC into commercial and public service wings. The BBC’s commercial arm should not be funded through general taxation. I can at least see some merit to funding some of the other things it does that way, but only if those elements are properly governed and regulated and managed.
    I don't think people really understand the real structures of the BBC these days and how it operates. I think the majority of the public think the telly tax goes direct to BBC and they still make the vast majority of the programmes in house. Most people are totally unaware that UKTV is 100% BBC owned now.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 83,550
    twistedfirestopper3 said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    In her strongest criticisms of the tax to date, Ms Nandy went on to insist that a “fairer” and “more sustainable” funding model must be found, declaring the current system “unenforceable”.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/25/bbc-licence-fee-targets-women-lisa-nandy-culture-secretary/

    When a politician talks about fairer, that normally results in anything but and at increased cost...her comments scream some sort of media tax on your council tax bill.

    They'll just kick the can down the road by announcing some sort of extension to the existing model while a commission is set up to explore other options.
    In related news, I've had my 7th letter in 6 months in our new house. "The Legal Occupier" is under the final stages of investigation.
    What investigation? If they ever do send round a telly licence sales assistant, I'll just say "no thanks" and that'll be it.
    It's just a never ending harrassment, but fortunately I know I'm doing nothing illegal and they just spend licence payers money for nowt.
    It is totally unenforceable these days, Nandy is correct about that.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 20,471
    noneoftheabove said:

    Roger said:



    I haven't played this game before and I won't again but in this photo are two people who will get a big mention this week end. For a clue it is taken on the hills behind Beaulieu which is near where they live. The reason I didn't take it from the front is because I'm not a street photographer and they're entitled to privacy.

    Is it the new Pope and Ronnie O'Sullivan training together for the marathon?
    Closer than you think!
  • carnforthcarnforth Posts: 5,711
    rcs1000 said:

    carnforth said:

    Turns out the man mistakenly deported to El Salvador was a human-trafficker:

    https://dailycaller.com/2025/04/23/abrego-garcia-drove-human-smuggler-car/

    Not that that makes the abuse of due process any better, but does hurt his case in the court of public opinion somewhat.

    Nate Silver did an excellent (albeit overlong) article on just this very issue.
    Found & bookmarked, thanks.
  • numbertwelvenumbertwelve Posts: 7,309
    twistedfirestopper3 said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    In her strongest criticisms of the tax to date, Ms Nandy went on to insist that a “fairer” and “more sustainable” funding model must be found, declaring the current system “unenforceable”.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/25/bbc-licence-fee-targets-women-lisa-nandy-culture-secretary/

    When a politician talks about fairer, that normally results in anything but and at increased cost...her comments scream some sort of media tax on your council tax bill.

    They'll just kick the can down the road by announcing some sort of extension to the existing model while a commission is set up to explore other options.
    In related news, I've had my 7th letter in 6 months in our new house. "The Legal Occupier" is under the final stages of investigation.
    What investigation? If they ever do send round a telly licence sales assistant, I'll just say "no thanks" and that'll be it.
    It's just a never ending harrassment, but fortunately I know I'm doing nothing illegal and they just spend licence payers money for nowt.
    If I could get away with not having a TV licence, I really would.

    I very, very rarely watch live TV now, typically only live sport and live events like elections. But of course if you do that, you need one.

    I can’t think of the last time I consumed anything produced by the BBC on television . On occasion I have caught the odd thing on BBC Four maybe, though that is nowhere near as good as it used to be.

    I still cast around desperately for a BBC News substitute, since their website fell off the quality cliff and started prioritising a lot of weird editorialising, human interest frippery and shameless cross-promotion.
  • CatManCatMan Posts: 3,228
    twistedfirestopper3 said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    In her strongest criticisms of the tax to date, Ms Nandy went on to insist that a “fairer” and “more sustainable” funding model must be found, declaring the current system “unenforceable”.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/25/bbc-licence-fee-targets-women-lisa-nandy-culture-secretary/

    When a politician talks about fairer, that normally results in anything but and at increased cost...her comments scream some sort of media tax on your council tax bill.

    They'll just kick the can down the road by announcing some sort of extension to the existing model while a commission is set up to explore other options.
    In related news, I've had my 7th letter in 6 months in our new house. "The Legal Occupier" is under the final stages of investigation.
    What investigation? If they ever do send round a telly licence sales assistant, I'll just say "no thanks" and that'll be it.
    It's just a never ending harrassment, but fortunately I know I'm doing nothing illegal and they just spend licence payers money for nowt.
    We've been getting letters like that for ten years. I think they'll twig one day (or maybe not).
  • CatManCatMan Posts: 3,228
    FrancisUrquhart said:

    twistedfirestopper3 said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    In her strongest criticisms of the tax to date, Ms Nandy went on to insist that a “fairer” and “more sustainable” funding model must be found, declaring the current system “unenforceable”.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/25/bbc-licence-fee-targets-women-lisa-nandy-culture-secretary/

    When a politician talks about fairer, that normally results in anything but and at increased cost...her comments scream some sort of media tax on your council tax bill.

    They'll just kick the can down the road by announcing some sort of extension to the existing model while a commission is set up to explore other options.
    In related news, I've had my 7th letter in 6 months in our new house. "The Legal Occupier" is under the final stages of investigation.
    What investigation? If they ever do send round a telly licence sales assistant, I'll just say "no thanks" and that'll be it.
    It's just a never ending harrassment, but fortunately I know I'm doing nothing illegal and they just spend licence payers money for nowt.
    It is totally unenforceable these days, Nandy is correct about that.
    It's the knowledge that it is unenforceable becoming more widespread that makes it unsustainable.
  • twistedfirestopper3twistedfirestopper3 Posts: 2,527
    CatMan said:

    twistedfirestopper3 said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    In her strongest criticisms of the tax to date, Ms Nandy went on to insist that a “fairer” and “more sustainable” funding model must be found, declaring the current system “unenforceable”.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/25/bbc-licence-fee-targets-women-lisa-nandy-culture-secretary/

    When a politician talks about fairer, that normally results in anything but and at increased cost...her comments scream some sort of media tax on your council tax bill.

    They'll just kick the can down the road by announcing some sort of extension to the existing model while a commission is set up to explore other options.
    In related news, I've had my 7th letter in 6 months in our new house. "The Legal Occupier" is under the final stages of investigation.
    What investigation? If they ever do send round a telly licence sales assistant, I'll just say "no thanks" and that'll be it.
    It's just a never ending harrassment, but fortunately I know I'm doing nothing illegal and they just spend licence payers money for nowt.
    We've been getting letters like that for ten years. I think they'll twig one day (or maybe not).
    The letters can just go unopened into the recycling. You're under no obligation to even read them. Unfortunately, most people don't know that, and think the BBC is an arm of the state with actual enforcement powers. People only get prosecuted because they admit to watching it or let Capita into their house and the sales assistant bullies them into to admitting something. There is no other way they can find out.
    They mostly prosecute women and the elderly.
  • isamisam Posts: 41,343
    Luke Tryl says he thinks voters like politicians who look like they’re enjoying themselves, and Starmer comes across as a stiff. Personally I think it’s more that voters like straight answers that could be made by someone they know, while Starmer speaks legalese.

    In focus group, @LukeTryl asked voters what they imagined Starmer/Farage would order as a meal out. Farage was mainly pie/fish + chips. Starmer was lobster/caviar/steak. He was the posh one. Here we chat about voter perceptions often not matching up to politicians’ backgrounds

    https://x.com/bethrigby/status/1915688452772794465?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q
  • Northern_AlNorthern_Al Posts: 8,786
    rcs1000 said:

    carnforth said:

    Turns out the man mistakenly deported to El Salvador was a human-trafficker:

    https://dailycaller.com/2025/04/23/abrego-garcia-drove-human-smuggler-car/

    Not that that makes the abuse of due process any better, but does hurt his case in the court of public opinion somewhat.

    Nate Silver did an excellent (albeit overlong) article on just this very issue.
    Yes, I read that link you provided earlier - thanks. He's quite right - the Dems whinging about dodgy deportations may be justified, but those who are Trump sympathetic couldn't care less. As he argues, the Dems need to turn their fire on bread and butter issues such as the negative impact of Trump's policies on the cost of living. Leave the legal stuff to the lawyers.
  • isamisam Posts: 41,343
    edited April 25
    isam said:

    Luke Tryl says he thinks voters like politicians who look like they’re enjoying themselves, and Starmer comes across as a stiff. Personally I think it’s more that voters like straight answers that could be made by someone they know, while Starmer speaks legalese.

    In focus group, @LukeTryl asked voters what they imagined Starmer/Farage would order as a meal out. Farage was mainly pie/fish + chips. Starmer was lobster/caviar/steak. He was the posh one. Here we chat about voter perceptions often not matching up to politicians’ backgrounds

    https://x.com/bethrigby/status/1915688452772794465?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q

    In this podcast, they talked about how mad it was that Starmer is a genuine football fan, still playing regularly and having a season ticket, yet comes across as someone who has never played or been but is trying to sound authentic

    https://x.com/screenrotpod/status/1914702803349459383?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 83,550
    edited April 25
    isam said:

    isam said:

    Luke Tryl says he thinks voters like politicians who look like they’re enjoying themselves, and Starmer comes across as a stiff. Personally I think it’s more that voters like straight answers that could be made by someone they know, while Starmer speaks legalese.

    In focus group, @LukeTryl asked voters what they imagined Starmer/Farage would order as a meal out. Farage was mainly pie/fish + chips. Starmer was lobster/caviar/steak. He was the posh one. Here we chat about voter perceptions often not matching up to politicians’ backgrounds

    https://x.com/bethrigby/status/1915688452772794465?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q

    In this podcast, they talked about how mad it was that Starmer is a genuine football fan, still playing regularly and having a season ticket, yet comes across as someone who has never played or been but is trying to sound authentic

    https://x.com/screenrotpod/status/1914702803349459383?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q
    His problem is he is in nearly always in lawyer mode e.g. his responses to "freebie" season tickets claim. He had about 3 goes at trying to respond by doing an interview with a journalist and used weird legalase responses that just made the media jump on it more as every answer was opaque. In the end, somebody else clearly wrote a press release to explain it in order to put the matter to bed.
  • StereodogStereodog Posts: 857
    williamglenn said:

    noneoftheabove said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    williamglenn said:

    Sean_F said:

    bondegezou said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    Leon said:

    Reform are going to sweep to victory in the GE. Unless something radical changes

    Labour AND the Tories will be destroyed. Deservedly

    I would somewhat prefer a Refcon coalition. I am all for gutting the system, but only 4 of Reforms MPs will even have been MPs before let alone Ministers. That will present a very real challenge.
    They might stand other ex-MP candidates, who then win, e.g. Marco Longhi. There could be a dozen Reform MPs with prior experience! If Andrea Jenkyns wants to give up being mayor, there's some ministerial experience.
    They could always recruit ex-ministers, like Brooks Newmark, Owen Paterson, Nadine Dorries, and Grant Shapps, to show them how things should be done.
    It would have saved so much time if John Redwood had won the Tory leadership in 1995.
    It would have saved the country.
    Gotta love the humour.
    Even if you regard the idea of Redwood as PM as a bit of a joke, that alternative timeline would have been so much better. Blair wouldn't have won a bigger landslide and the Tories would have avoided the wasted years of Hague and IDS.
    Why do you think that? Blair would have one a massive landslide and the Tories would have junked Redwood after the election. If anything it would probably have resulted in an ultra moderate Europhile taking the leadership after 1997 as the defeat would be pinned on Redwood.
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 30,846
    carnforth said:

    Turns out the man mistakenly deported to El Salvador was a human-trafficker:

    https://dailycaller.com/2025/04/23/abrego-garcia-drove-human-smuggler-car/

    Not that that makes the abuse of due process any better, but does hurt his case in the court of public opinion somewhat.

    That sounds about right.
  • scampi25scampi25 Posts: 100
    Roger said:

    Time for labour the libs the Greens and even the Cons to get to gether and stop the most repellent politician since the war* from advancing

    *with the possible exception of Powell

    Oh dear. Frit!
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 54,859
    Stereodog said:

    williamglenn said:

    noneoftheabove said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    williamglenn said:

    Sean_F said:

    bondegezou said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    Leon said:

    Reform are going to sweep to victory in the GE. Unless something radical changes

    Labour AND the Tories will be destroyed. Deservedly

    I would somewhat prefer a Refcon coalition. I am all for gutting the system, but only 4 of Reforms MPs will even have been MPs before let alone Ministers. That will present a very real challenge.
    They might stand other ex-MP candidates, who then win, e.g. Marco Longhi. There could be a dozen Reform MPs with prior experience! If Andrea Jenkyns wants to give up being mayor, there's some ministerial experience.
    They could always recruit ex-ministers, like Brooks Newmark, Owen Paterson, Nadine Dorries, and Grant Shapps, to show them how things should be done.
    It would have saved so much time if John Redwood had won the Tory leadership in 1995.
    It would have saved the country.
    Gotta love the humour.
    Even if you regard the idea of Redwood as PM as a bit of a joke, that alternative timeline would have been so much better. Blair wouldn't have won a bigger landslide and the Tories would have avoided the wasted years of Hague and IDS.
    Why do you think that? Blair would have one a massive landslide and the Tories would have junked Redwood after the election. If anything it would probably have resulted in an ultra moderate Europhile taking the leadership after 1997 as the defeat would be pinned on Redwood.
    If Ken Clarke had become leader of the opposition in 1997 after Redwood lost to Blair, he'd have provided much more effective opposition to the Blair government than Hague did. Europe was a red herring in many ways.
  • BlancheLivermoreBlancheLivermore Posts: 6,281
    Sir Keir is not a man of the people

    He can't even talk properly

    He says "abulity"

    Normal people, from all ends of the country, can say "ability"

    Why can't he speak like a human being?
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 13,730
    carnforth said:

    Turns out the man mistakenly deported to El Salvador was a human-trafficker:

    https://dailycaller.com/2025/04/23/abrego-garcia-drove-human-smuggler-car/

    Not that that makes the abuse of due process any better, but does hurt his case in the court of public opinion somewhat.

    The details of his case seem complex but the Daily Caller isn't exactly reliable. He's not been found guilty of anything.
  • TazTaz Posts: 17,635
    Roger said:

    Time for labour the libs the Greens and even the Cons to get to gether and stop the most repellent politician since the war* from advancing

    *with the possible exception of Powell

    U okay hun ❤️❤️
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 13,730
    edited April 25
    numbertwelve said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    In her strongest criticisms of the tax to date, Ms Nandy went on to insist that a “fairer” and “more sustainable” funding model must be found, declaring the current system “unenforceable”.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/25/bbc-licence-fee-targets-women-lisa-nandy-culture-secretary/

    When a politician talks about fairer, that normally results in anything but and at increased cost...her comments scream some sort of media tax on your council tax bill.

    Why do we need to dress this up as being because it unfairly targets one group or the other? Whatever the merits of that, the reason we shouldn’t have a license fee is that the funding model is deeply anachronistic.

    If they want to fund it through taxation, they should break up the BBC into commercial and public service wings. The BBC’s commercial arm should not be funded through general taxation. I can at least see some merit to funding some of the other things it does that way, but only if those elements are properly governed and regulated and managed.
    The BBC's commercial arm is not funded by the license fee and wouldn't be funded by general taxation. You don't need to break up the BBC.
  • another_richardanother_richard Posts: 27,531
    williamglenn said:

    Stereodog said:

    williamglenn said:

    noneoftheabove said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    williamglenn said:

    Sean_F said:

    bondegezou said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    Leon said:

    Reform are going to sweep to victory in the GE. Unless something radical changes

    Labour AND the Tories will be destroyed. Deservedly

    I would somewhat prefer a Refcon coalition. I am all for gutting the system, but only 4 of Reforms MPs will even have been MPs before let alone Ministers. That will present a very real challenge.
    They might stand other ex-MP candidates, who then win, e.g. Marco Longhi. There could be a dozen Reform MPs with prior experience! If Andrea Jenkyns wants to give up being mayor, there's some ministerial experience.
    They could always recruit ex-ministers, like Brooks Newmark, Owen Paterson, Nadine Dorries, and Grant Shapps, to show them how things should be done.
    It would have saved so much time if John Redwood had won the Tory leadership in 1995.
    It would have saved the country.
    Gotta love the humour.
    Even if you regard the idea of Redwood as PM as a bit of a joke, that alternative timeline would have been so much better. Blair wouldn't have won a bigger landslide and the Tories would have avoided the wasted years of Hague and IDS.
    Why do you think that? Blair would have one a massive landslide and the Tories would have junked Redwood after the election. If anything it would probably have resulted in an ultra moderate Europhile taking the leadership after 1997 as the defeat would be pinned on Redwood.
    If Ken Clarke had become leader of the opposition in 1997 after Redwood lost to Blair, he'd have provided much more effective opposition to the Blair government than Hague did. Europe was a red herring in many ways.
    Nobody could have provided effective opposition to Blair between 1997 and 2001.

    Blair had a huge majority, public goodwill as the fresh new man and probably the easiest four years any British prime minister has had to face.

    Its actually surprising that the Conservatives recovered so quickly in local elections.
  • CiceroCicero Posts: 3,402
    Trump now coming after the judges- a major escalation.

    https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/25/politics/fbi-director-wisconsin-judge-arrested/index.html

    This is going to end in chaos and violence.
  • StereodogStereodog Posts: 857
    williamglenn said:

    Stereodog said:

    williamglenn said:

    noneoftheabove said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    williamglenn said:

    Sean_F said:

    bondegezou said:

    Luckyguy1983 said:

    Leon said:

    Reform are going to sweep to victory in the GE. Unless something radical changes

    Labour AND the Tories will be destroyed. Deservedly

    I would somewhat prefer a Refcon coalition. I am all for gutting the system, but only 4 of Reforms MPs will even have been MPs before let alone Ministers. That will present a very real challenge.
    They might stand other ex-MP candidates, who then win, e.g. Marco Longhi. There could be a dozen Reform MPs with prior experience! If Andrea Jenkyns wants to give up being mayor, there's some ministerial experience.
    They could always recruit ex-ministers, like Brooks Newmark, Owen Paterson, Nadine Dorries, and Grant Shapps, to show them how things should be done.
    It would have saved so much time if John Redwood had won the Tory leadership in 1995.
    It would have saved the country.
    Gotta love the humour.
    Even if you regard the idea of Redwood as PM as a bit of a joke, that alternative timeline would have been so much better. Blair wouldn't have won a bigger landslide and the Tories would have avoided the wasted years of Hague and IDS.
    Why do you think that? Blair would have one a massive landslide and the Tories would have junked Redwood after the election. If anything it would probably have resulted in an ultra moderate Europhile taking the leadership after 1997 as the defeat would be pinned on Redwood.
    If Ken Clarke had become leader of the opposition in 1997 after Redwood lost to Blair, he'd have provided much more effective opposition to the Blair government than Hague did. Europe was a red herring in many ways.
    Maybe but he'd still have been facing a popular government with a massive majority enjoying a relatively benign economic environment. Hague was pretty effective at taking Blair on in the Commons. It's possible that Clarke's more attractive public persona would have won a few more votes in 2001 but memories of the long fag end of Tory rule would still have been strong. He'd also have faced significant internal difficulties with his position on Europe which would have left the Tories looking more divided than they did under Hague. I'd be much more inclined to agree that they should have gone with him over IDS after 2001 though.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 83,550
    edited April 25
    bondegezou said:

    numbertwelve said:

    FrancisUrquhart said:

    In her strongest criticisms of the tax to date, Ms Nandy went on to insist that a “fairer” and “more sustainable” funding model must be found, declaring the current system “unenforceable”.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/25/bbc-licence-fee-targets-women-lisa-nandy-culture-secretary/

    When a politician talks about fairer, that normally results in anything but and at increased cost...her comments scream some sort of media tax on your council tax bill.

    Why do we need to dress this up as being because it unfairly targets one group or the other? Whatever the merits of that, the reason we shouldn’t have a license fee is that the funding model is deeply anachronistic.

    If they want to fund it through taxation, they should break up the BBC into commercial and public service wings. The BBC’s commercial arm should not be funded through general taxation. I can at least see some merit to funding some of the other things it does that way, but only if those elements are properly governed and regulated and managed.
    The BBC's commercial arm is not funded by the license fee and wouldn't be funded by general taxation. You don't need to break up the BBC.
    Actually it is much more complicated these days. The two are heavily intertwined. The licence fee is used to commission programmes which are then made by BBC Studios or further outsourced. But BBC Studios will hold the rights to those to be able to commercially exploit internationally. Sometimes the programmes are 100% licence fee, sometimes it is in partnership with another media company e.g. Disney with Doctor Who.

    The "outsourcing" of even regular programming to BBC Studio is why lots of very high profile talent aren't on the list of pay released by the BBC every year or even if they are on it, it isn't their entire pay packet from shows on the BBC e.g. Graham Norton was most likely at one point to be the highest earner at the BBC, but everything was paid for by licence fee to BBC Studios that then commissioned Norton's own production company to actually make the content.

    Another example BBC Studios handling advertising for BBC News. We pay for BBC news, but in foreign markets it is stuffed with ads whose revenue goes to BBC Studios.
  • StereodogStereodog Posts: 857
    BlancheLivermore said:

    Sir Keir is not a man of the people

    He can't even talk properly

    He says "abulity"

    Normal people, from all ends of the country, can say "ability"

    Why can't he speak like a human being?

    You mean why can't he speak like you and people you know?
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