Just realised I must have been one of the “lowest people on earth” (yes yes hahaha) when I went to the Dead Sea. It’s the lowest depression on earth
Annoying. I should have made sure I went to the absolute lowest spot of all
Presumably everywhere on the shore of the Dead Sea is equally low? So if you got to the shore, you were the equal-lowest person apart from any who were underwater (are there any in deep-sea research bases? I have no idea).
Isn't the whole point of the Dead Sea, the fact you cannot realistically sink. So a deep-sea Dead Sea would be a lot of lead.
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest shoes in Ethiopia
I've tried to be the first voter at a polling booth in GEs a few times, I've never hit the front of the queue yet (i was the second to vote in Mid Norfolk in my ward in 2010). If I ever do then its if I can convince myself I got through the palaver and to the box in good time to beat every other ward in the UK! I was also highest person in Britain when I climbed Ben Nevis very early one morning many years ago(like anyone alone atop it)
The Ben Nevis one is very cool. And oddly do-able
I was oddly shattered afterwards lol
Kilimanjaro is surprisingly climbable. I have fairly unfit friends that have done it. If you did and you could get it to yourself for even a second you’d be the highest person in Africa apart from my friend Tim the poet when he did opium tea in Tangier in 2009
I was quite possibly once 'one of' the most inebriated people in the strictly dry Islamic Republic of Mauritania as I was, I'm afraid to say very very drunk
Perhaps it's the other way round. Perhaps the perception is that Nigel is setting the agenda, but that's only because immigration is the talking point of the moment and Nigel is heavily associated with that. When the talking point moves on - as such things tend to - Nigel's perceived influence may wane.
Demographic change isn't a just talking point but the most important political fact about Britain in 2025 and beyond.
Yes, the ageing population and how we can support them.
Axing the Triple Lock and ensuring work pays as well as benefits do would be a good start.
The minimum wage for a full time worker working 40 hours a week is now £25,396 and the lowest earners don't pay tax and those on UC have to be looking for work or they get sanctioned
40 hours a week is more than 9-5 since minimum wage workers don't generally get paid for breaks.
And for people on UC working 16 hours a week, which is a great many people, HMRC will take about 100% of their earnings they work over 16 so why the hell do you expect people to work 40 hours instead of 16 in that scenario? People are rational.
Its the Laffer Curve in action. Why work more hours if you won't get paid any money for it?
Not since UC which reduces benefits only gradually as you earn more not all in one go. You also now pay no income tax on earnings under £12,570
Yes, under UC, your ignorance is showing again.
'For UC claimants required to work, the minimum number of hours was increased from 15 to 18, on Monday 13 May.
The rule change means 180,000 people will have to work more or risk losing their benefits, the Department for Work and Pensions says.
The 18-hour minimum applies to people earning the National Living Wage (£11.44 for those aged 21 or over).
Someone earning more per hour can work fewer hours, as long as their total earnings meet a level called the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET).
The AET now stands at £892, which is what you would earn in a month if you worked for 18 hours a week at the minimum wage.'
Over the work allowance too not all benefits are lost either but tapered
Pathetic tinkering at the edges. Anyone working those 18 hours is still going to be facing a combined real tax rate of 100%, so people will go from doing 16 hours and no more, to 18 and no more.
That's not much of an improvement.
No, they pay no income tax or NI at all for earnings under £12,500k and benefits for earnings earnt over 18 hours a week are not all lost now either but only gradually tapered down.
Those on minimum wage now earn more than those the state pension alone and many of those on UC do too
£12,500 per annum equates to less than 20 hours per week on National Minimum Wage.
So no, its not a "gradual taper", the taper is nearly 100% and when you include extra costs it can be over 100%.
So at least half of the working week for those on NMW is tax free then.
The taper is about 55% over 18 hours worked
So the marginal tax rate (even ignoring the impact of withdrawal of benefits) is higher than for someone wearing £200k/year?
Someone earning £200 k a year pays tax on the vast majority of their income, including higher and additional rate income tax.
Someone on NMW gets at least half their income tax free and the rest is only basic rate income tax
Do you understand the dangers of high marginal tax rates on incentives?
So you back scrapping the additional rate tax back to 40% then I presume?
45% is not high compared to 55% plus 28%
Would you be ok with the additional rate going to to the same rate those on UC face in marginal terms?
Those on UC get their benefits taxpayer subsidised by those paying the 45%, you could of course just scrap UC so you either work full time or head down to the foodbank or starve
Those paying 45% have to pay even more because of the fact the people on UC play the system we've created.
If we had a saner system that meant people worked full time instead we'd get more tax revenue and pay less in benefits.
The Laffer Curve in action. 83% marginal tax is too high.
It isn't 83% marginal tax as most of that 83% you are using is loss of taxpayer funded UC gradually withdrawn as you work and earn more.
You will never eliminate that issue completely unless as I said you scrap UC completely so you either do full time paid work, have to go to a soup kitchen or foodbank to eat or starve to death
There is no difference between 83% entirely self funded or 83% taxpayer funded. The effective tax rate is 83% either way.
You can eliminate the issue by eliminating absurd tax rates and having a saner tax system. If people work full time as a result we'd get more taxes and pay less in benefits as a result.
HALF the income of those on MW is now tax free, that is not an issue. The main issue is the level of benefits, even if more gradually withdrawn, so as I said on that logic scrap benefits so you either work full time or starve to death or live off charity, much like it worked in Victorian times when you either worked full time or went to the workhouse
Just as a matter of interest, do you think your "let's bring back the workhouse" policy will go down well with voters?
Most Reform voters certainly, many Thatcherite Tories too I suspect.
It is the easiest logical solution to Bart's whines about the benefits trap (and of course it was the Whigs who set them up not the Tories).
I suspect most Reform voters would love to live in the mid 19th century, little to no welfare state, the workhouse, low tax, Farage doesn't need to worry about an NHS to fund, few immigrants and a mainly white population, no LGBT (at least not legally), we still had public hangings etc
Indeed, who among us wouldn't want to live in a time when:
- anyone could emigrate to the UK, with no restrictions at all - average life expectancy was about 45 - home ownership rates were under 10% - and we all gave proper deference to our betters
What a time to be an ordinary person, eh?
For the core Reform voter it was ideal and of course in reality immigration to the UK was tiny relative to now
I imagine that a lot of those nostalgic for former, better times assume that they will be a beadle at the workhouse, not an inmate.
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest shoes in Ethiopia
I've tried to be the first voter at a polling booth in GEs a few times, I've never hit the front of the queue yet (i was the second to vote in Mid Norfolk in my ward in 2010). If I ever do then its if I can convince myself I got through the palaver and to the box in good time to beat every other ward in the UK! I was also highest person in Britain when I climbed Ben Nevis very early one morning many years ago(like anyone alone atop it)
The Ben Nevis one is very cool. And oddly do-able
I was oddly shattered afterwards lol
I've been the highest person in mainland Britain too. Also the most southerly person in mainland Britain. Also the most southerly person in the United States. Also the most southwesterly in mainland Europe.
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest shoes in Ethiopia
I've tried to be the first voter at a polling booth in GEs a few times, I've never hit the front of the queue yet (i was the second to vote in Mid Norfolk in my ward in 2010). If I ever do then its if I can convince myself I got through the palaver and to the box in good time to beat every other ward in the UK! I was also highest person in Britain when I climbed Ben Nevis very early one morning many years ago(like anyone alone atop it)
The Ben Nevis one is very cool. And oddly do-able
I was oddly shattered afterwards lol
I've been the highest person in mainland Britain too. Also the most southerly person in mainland Britain. Also the most southerly person in the United States. Also the most southwesterly in mainland Europe.
Perhaps it's the other way round. Perhaps the perception is that Nigel is setting the agenda, but that's only because immigration is the talking point of the moment and Nigel is heavily associated with that. When the talking point moves on - as such things tend to - Nigel's perceived influence may wane.
Demographic change isn't a just talking point but the most important political fact about Britain in 2025 and beyond.
Yes, the ageing population and how we can support them.
Axing the Triple Lock and ensuring work pays as well as benefits do would be a good start.
The minimum wage for a full time worker working 40 hours a week is now £25,396 and the lowest earners don't pay tax and those on UC have to be looking for work or they get sanctioned
40 hours a week is more than 9-5 since minimum wage workers don't generally get paid for breaks.
And for people on UC working 16 hours a week, which is a great many people, HMRC will take about 100% of their earnings they work over 16 so why the hell do you expect people to work 40 hours instead of 16 in that scenario? People are rational.
Its the Laffer Curve in action. Why work more hours if you won't get paid any money for it?
Not since UC which reduces benefits only gradually as you earn more not all in one go. You also now pay no income tax on earnings under £12,570
Yes, under UC, your ignorance is showing again.
'For UC claimants required to work, the minimum number of hours was increased from 15 to 18, on Monday 13 May.
The rule change means 180,000 people will have to work more or risk losing their benefits, the Department for Work and Pensions says.
The 18-hour minimum applies to people earning the National Living Wage (£11.44 for those aged 21 or over).
Someone earning more per hour can work fewer hours, as long as their total earnings meet a level called the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET).
The AET now stands at £892, which is what you would earn in a month if you worked for 18 hours a week at the minimum wage.'
Over the work allowance too not all benefits are lost either but tapered
Pathetic tinkering at the edges. Anyone working those 18 hours is still going to be facing a combined real tax rate of 100%, so people will go from doing 16 hours and no more, to 18 and no more.
That's not much of an improvement.
No, they pay no income tax or NI at all for earnings under £12,500k and benefits for earnings earnt over 18 hours a week are not all lost now either but only gradually tapered down.
Those on minimum wage now earn more than those the state pension alone and many of those on UC do too
£12,500 per annum equates to less than 20 hours per week on National Minimum Wage.
So no, its not a "gradual taper", the taper is nearly 100% and when you include extra costs it can be over 100%.
So at least half of the working week for those on NMW is tax free then.
The taper is about 55% over 18 hours worked
So the marginal tax rate (even ignoring the impact of withdrawal of benefits) is higher than for someone wearing £200k/year?
Someone earning £200 k a year pays tax on the vast majority of their income, including higher and additional rate income tax.
Someone on NMW gets at least half their income tax free and the rest is only basic rate income tax
Do you understand the dangers of high marginal tax rates on incentives?
So you back scrapping the additional rate tax back to 40% then I presume?
45% is not high compared to 55% plus 28%
Would you be ok with the additional rate going to to the same rate those on UC face in marginal terms?
Those on UC get their benefits taxpayer subsidised by those paying the 45%, you could of course just scrap UC so you either work full time or head down to the foodbank or starve
Those paying 45% have to pay even more because of the fact the people on UC play the system we've created.
If we had a saner system that meant people worked full time instead we'd get more tax revenue and pay less in benefits.
The Laffer Curve in action. 83% marginal tax is too high.
It isn't 83% marginal tax as most of that 83% you are using is loss of taxpayer funded UC gradually withdrawn as you work and earn more.
You will never eliminate that issue completely unless as I said you scrap UC completely so you either do full time paid work, have to go to a soup kitchen or foodbank to eat or starve to death
There is no difference between 83% entirely self funded or 83% taxpayer funded. The effective tax rate is 83% either way.
You can eliminate the issue by eliminating absurd tax rates and having a saner tax system. If people work full time as a result we'd get more taxes and pay less in benefits as a result.
HALF the income of those on MW is now tax free, that is not an issue. The main issue is the level of benefits, even if more gradually withdrawn, so as I said on that logic scrap benefits so you either work full time or starve to death or live off charity, much like it worked in Victorian times when you either worked full time or went to the workhouse
Just as a matter of interest, do you think your "let's bring back the workhouse" policy will go down well with voters?
Most Reform voters certainly, many Thatcherite Tories too I suspect.
It is the easiest logical solution to Bart's whines about the benefits trap (and of course it was the Whigs who set them up not the Tories).
I suspect most Reform voters would love to live in the mid 19th century, little to no welfare state, the workhouse, low tax, Farage doesn't need to worry about an NHS to fund, few immigrants and a mainly white population, no LGBT (at least not legally), we still had public hangings etc
Indeed, who among us wouldn't want to live in a time when:
- anyone could emigrate to the UK, with no restrictions at all - average life expectancy was about 45 - home ownership rates were under 10% - and we all gave proper deference to our betters
What a time to be an ordinary person, eh?
For the core Reform voter it was ideal and of course in reality immigration to the UK was tiny relative to now
I imagine that a lot of those nostalgic for former, better times assume that they will be a beadle at the workhouse, not an inmate.
As a lazy bugger, and excessive drinker, I thank God I was born today. And born in the UK and intelligent and susceptible to education.
So in Canada Carney is refusing to table a budget despite parliament amending the King's Speech instructing him to. NDP, CPC and Bloc all supported the amendment. Carney should now be facing a VoNC and if the parties that passed the amendment vote NC, Carney's government falls immediately. I expect the NDP to fold like the chicken littles they are though
Is a budget required immediately because I suspect working out what Trump's tariffwang plays out will make creating one impossible.
By the time the house rises for Summer. The opposition suspect he is delaying to cover up the dire state of the Canadian economy so are forcing his hand. He's ignoring a parliament vote so a VoNC is guaranteed. And if the opposition all hold firm its over. Interesting stuff
Given the Liberals have slightly expanded their lead over the Conservatives in current polls and while the NDP are fractionally up are still below double figures in most polls too I doubt Carney will be too annoyed if the opposition try and force a totally unnecessary election. Canadian voters though would be and would probably give him a landslide majority in response
The opposition are playing games . They know full well that any budget now wouldn’t last two weeks because of the tariff uncertainties . And bringing the government down would go down very badly with many voters .
Indeed. It is a time of high uncertainty and another election is the last thing Canada needs.
So in Canada Carney is refusing to table a budget despite parliament amending the King's Speech instructing him to. NDP, CPC and Bloc all supported the amendment. Carney should now be facing a VoNC and if the parties that passed the amendment vote NC, Carney's government falls immediately. I expect the NDP to fold like the chicken littles they are though
Is a budget required immediately because I suspect working out what Trump's tariffwang plays out will make creating one impossible.
By the time the house rises for Summer. The opposition suspect he is delaying to cover up the dire state of the Canadian economy so are forcing his hand. He's ignoring a parliament vote so a VoNC is guaranteed. And if the opposition all hold firm its over. Interesting stuff
Given the Liberals have slightly expanded their lead over the Conservatives in current polls and while the NDP are fractionally up are still below double figures in most polls too I doubt Carney will be too annoyed if the opposition try and force a totally unnecessary election. Canadian voters though would be and would probably give him a landslide majority in response
I doubt Carney will be banking on the result of that one poll and his elbows up nonsense probably won't wash this time, but regardless, parliament is sovereign, if he ignores it he risks being ousted. Its not parliaments fault he hasn't got the numbers
Voters do not like unnecessary elections. If Polievre is stupid enough to try and force another Federal election having just lost one he was initially strong favourite to win and before Carney has had time to prepare his budget, expect Canadian voters to give the Liberals a landslide in response and Poilivre to lose his post as Conservative leader
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest slippers in Ethiopia
Whereas I am one of about eighty people in Southend Airport, waiting for the only flight leaving here this evening. Using little airports like this is so different from Stansted, Gatwick or Heathrow it’s unreal. Feels like I’m going on holiday with everyone from my street
Perhaps it's the other way round. Perhaps the perception is that Nigel is setting the agenda, but that's only because immigration is the talking point of the moment and Nigel is heavily associated with that. When the talking point moves on - as such things tend to - Nigel's perceived influence may wane.
Demographic change isn't a just talking point but the most important political fact about Britain in 2025 and beyond.
Yes, the ageing population and how we can support them.
Axing the Triple Lock and ensuring work pays as well as benefits do would be a good start.
The minimum wage for a full time worker working 40 hours a week is now £25,396 and the lowest earners don't pay tax and those on UC have to be looking for work or they get sanctioned
40 hours a week is more than 9-5 since minimum wage workers don't generally get paid for breaks.
And for people on UC working 16 hours a week, which is a great many people, HMRC will take about 100% of their earnings they work over 16 so why the hell do you expect people to work 40 hours instead of 16 in that scenario? People are rational.
Its the Laffer Curve in action. Why work more hours if you won't get paid any money for it?
Not since UC which reduces benefits only gradually as you earn more not all in one go. You also now pay no income tax on earnings under £12,570
Yes, under UC, your ignorance is showing again.
'For UC claimants required to work, the minimum number of hours was increased from 15 to 18, on Monday 13 May.
The rule change means 180,000 people will have to work more or risk losing their benefits, the Department for Work and Pensions says.
The 18-hour minimum applies to people earning the National Living Wage (£11.44 for those aged 21 or over).
Someone earning more per hour can work fewer hours, as long as their total earnings meet a level called the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET).
The AET now stands at £892, which is what you would earn in a month if you worked for 18 hours a week at the minimum wage.'
Over the work allowance too not all benefits are lost either but tapered
Pathetic tinkering at the edges. Anyone working those 18 hours is still going to be facing a combined real tax rate of 100%, so people will go from doing 16 hours and no more, to 18 and no more.
That's not much of an improvement.
No, they pay no income tax or NI at all for earnings under £12,500k and benefits for earnings earnt over 18 hours a week are not all lost now either but only gradually tapered down.
Those on minimum wage now earn more than those the state pension alone and many of those on UC do too
£12,500 per annum equates to less than 20 hours per week on National Minimum Wage.
So no, its not a "gradual taper", the taper is nearly 100% and when you include extra costs it can be over 100%.
So at least half of the working week for those on NMW is tax free then.
The taper is about 55% over 18 hours worked
So the marginal tax rate (even ignoring the impact of withdrawal of benefits) is higher than for someone wearing £200k/year?
Someone earning £200 k a year pays tax on the vast majority of their income, including higher and additional rate income tax.
Someone on NMW gets at least half their income tax free and the rest is only basic rate income tax
Do you understand the dangers of high marginal tax rates on incentives?
So you back scrapping the additional rate tax back to 40% then I presume?
45% is not high compared to 55% plus 28%
Would you be ok with the additional rate going to to the same rate those on UC face in marginal terms?
Those on UC get their benefits taxpayer subsidised by those paying the 45%, you could of course just scrap UC so you either work full time or head down to the foodbank or starve
Those paying 45% have to pay even more because of the fact the people on UC play the system we've created.
If we had a saner system that meant people worked full time instead we'd get more tax revenue and pay less in benefits.
The Laffer Curve in action. 83% marginal tax is too high.
It isn't 83% marginal tax as most of that 83% you are using is loss of taxpayer funded UC gradually withdrawn as you work and earn more.
You will never eliminate that issue completely unless as I said you scrap UC completely so you either do full time paid work, have to go to a soup kitchen or foodbank to eat or starve to death
There is no difference between 83% entirely self funded or 83% taxpayer funded. The effective tax rate is 83% either way.
You can eliminate the issue by eliminating absurd tax rates and having a saner tax system. If people work full time as a result we'd get more taxes and pay less in benefits as a result.
HALF the income of those on MW is now tax free, that is not an issue. The main issue is the level of benefits, even if more gradually withdrawn, so as I said on that logic scrap benefits so you either work full time or starve to death or live off charity, much like it worked in Victorian times when you either worked full time or went to the workhouse and did hard labour and lived off gruel
No, that half is not an issue, which is why people work part time and claim UC for the other half of their income without bothering to work those hours.
Its the other half of someone's potential income being taxed at 83% that is the issue.
It is not taxed at 83%, it is loss of UC that makes up most of that, so as I said I expect you to be supporting scrapping UC completely and bringing back the workhouse with gruel and hard labour for those not in full time work to resolve that problem
You expect wrong then.
I support Milton Friedman's solution of merging taxes and benefits together and having a simple tax rate that ensures work always pays so that everyone can keep more of their money they work for.
A sane right wing solution, rather than being a raving madman with a policy you know will never happen.
I agree. Though I don't see it necessarily asright wing, just sane. For GCSE maths, I remember a project to design a tax and benefit system for a fictional island nation. It's not that hard to design such a system so that everybidy has a safety net and that work always pays. In practice, there are all sorts of difficulties of who deserves what and of up-and-down incomes. And implementing any change will always result in losers. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.
Just realised I must have been one of the “lowest people on earth” (yes yes hahaha) when I went to the Dead Sea. It’s the lowest depression on earth
Annoying. I should have made sure I went to the absolute lowest spot of all
Speleology should be your new calling.
No no no. “On earth”. ON
Miners and speleological types are UNDER the Earth as Ash Regan would know, and she’s the acknowledged expert
Also, speleology. Fuck
My older daughter told me of a story about a speleologist who got stuck halfway through a cave opening with all his team behind him. They couldn’t pull him out without killing him and there was no one on the other side
So he just stayed there til he died. I guess of dehydration?
She said the story haunted her ever since she read it and I said “yes thanks darling now it will haunt me.” And it has
I'm sorry, I merged the two into one, you're right and I was wrong.
However I maintain still its disingenuous to look at one without the other, given they are related and close together. Indeed its cynical but not unusual politics to do a tax rise in one budget, then a tax cut in the next closer to the election, which is exactly what was done here with the tax rise more than covering the supposed-cut.
To look at one without the other is disingenuous. Over the course of two consecutive autumn statements NI was fiddled with, with the net result being a tax rise but a lower rate that is only paid by salaried incomes. Treasury wins, those who work for a living aren't penalised as much and funded by a tax hike on unearned incomes.
Its exactly the right kind of policy that could be continued by Labour, except they won't as the Tories did it.
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest shoes in Ethiopia
I've tried to be the first voter at a polling booth in GEs a few times, I've never hit the front of the queue yet (i was the second to vote in Mid Norfolk in my ward in 2010). If I ever do then its if I can convince myself I got through the palaver and to the box in good time to beat every other ward in the UK! I was also highest person in Britain when I climbed Ben Nevis very early one morning many years ago(like anyone alone atop it)
The Ben Nevis one is very cool. And oddly do-able
I was oddly shattered afterwards lol
I've been the highest person in mainland Britain too. Also the most southerly person in mainland Britain. Also the most southerly person in the United States. Also the most southwesterly in mainland Europe.
I'm impressed by the first one. It means you climbed a mountain.
So in Canada Carney is refusing to table a budget despite parliament amending the King's Speech instructing him to. NDP, CPC and Bloc all supported the amendment. Carney should now be facing a VoNC and if the parties that passed the amendment vote NC, Carney's government falls immediately. I expect the NDP to fold like the chicken littles they are though
Is a budget required immediately because I suspect working out what Trump's tariffwang plays out will make creating one impossible.
By the time the house rises for Summer. The opposition suspect he is delaying to cover up the dire state of the Canadian economy so are forcing his hand. He's ignoring a parliament vote so a VoNC is guaranteed. And if the opposition all hold firm its over. Interesting stuff
Given the Liberals have slightly expanded their lead over the Conservatives in current polls and while the NDP are fractionally up are still below double figures in most polls too I doubt Carney will be too annoyed if the opposition try and force a totally unnecessary election. Canadian voters though would be and would probably give him a landslide majority in response
I doubt Carney will be banking on the result of that one poll and his elbows up nonsense probably won't wash this time, but regardless, parliament is sovereign, if he ignores it he risks being ousted. Its not parliaments fault he hasn't got the numbers
Voters do not like unnecessary elections. If Polievre is stupid enough to try and force another Federal election having just lost one he was initially strong favourite to win and before Carney has had time to prepare his budget, expect Canadian voters to give the Liberals a landslide in response and Poilivre to lose his post as Conservative leader
He doesn't need 'time' to prepare it, he's trying to ram through hundreds of billions in spending without one. Parliament has demanded and passed legislation/amendment for a budget by the time the house rises in response to these apparently unfunded committments. If he refuses he fully deserves to be brought down or sacked by the governor general. He's not a President, he's a PM. If the Boomers then want to go against the rest of Canada again and install him so be it, that's politics
Perhaps it's the other way round. Perhaps the perception is that Nigel is setting the agenda, but that's only because immigration is the talking point of the moment and Nigel is heavily associated with that. When the talking point moves on - as such things tend to - Nigel's perceived influence may wane.
Demographic change isn't a just talking point but the most important political fact about Britain in 2025 and beyond.
Yes, the ageing population and how we can support them.
Axing the Triple Lock and ensuring work pays as well as benefits do would be a good start.
The minimum wage for a full time worker working 40 hours a week is now £25,396 and the lowest earners don't pay tax and those on UC have to be looking for work or they get sanctioned
40 hours a week is more than 9-5 since minimum wage workers don't generally get paid for breaks.
And for people on UC working 16 hours a week, which is a great many people, HMRC will take about 100% of their earnings they work over 16 so why the hell do you expect people to work 40 hours instead of 16 in that scenario? People are rational.
Its the Laffer Curve in action. Why work more hours if you won't get paid any money for it?
Not since UC which reduces benefits only gradually as you earn more not all in one go. You also now pay no income tax on earnings under £12,570
Yes, under UC, your ignorance is showing again.
'For UC claimants required to work, the minimum number of hours was increased from 15 to 18, on Monday 13 May.
The rule change means 180,000 people will have to work more or risk losing their benefits, the Department for Work and Pensions says.
The 18-hour minimum applies to people earning the National Living Wage (£11.44 for those aged 21 or over).
Someone earning more per hour can work fewer hours, as long as their total earnings meet a level called the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET).
The AET now stands at £892, which is what you would earn in a month if you worked for 18 hours a week at the minimum wage.'
Over the work allowance too not all benefits are lost either but tapered
Pathetic tinkering at the edges. Anyone working those 18 hours is still going to be facing a combined real tax rate of 100%, so people will go from doing 16 hours and no more, to 18 and no more.
That's not much of an improvement.
No, they pay no income tax or NI at all for earnings under £12,500k and benefits for earnings earnt over 18 hours a week are not all lost now either but only gradually tapered down.
Those on minimum wage now earn more than those the state pension alone and many of those on UC do too
£12,500 per annum equates to less than 20 hours per week on National Minimum Wage.
So no, its not a "gradual taper", the taper is nearly 100% and when you include extra costs it can be over 100%.
So at least half of the working week for those on NMW is tax free then.
The taper is about 55% over 18 hours worked
So the marginal tax rate (even ignoring the impact of withdrawal of benefits) is higher than for someone wearing £200k/year?
Someone earning £200 k a year pays tax on the vast majority of their income, including higher and additional rate income tax.
Someone on NMW gets at least half their income tax free and the rest is only basic rate income tax
Do you understand the dangers of high marginal tax rates on incentives?
So you back scrapping the additional rate tax back to 40% then I presume?
45% is not high compared to 55% plus 28%
Would you be ok with the additional rate going to to the same rate those on UC face in marginal terms?
Those on UC get their benefits taxpayer subsidised by those paying the 45%, you could of course just scrap UC so you either work full time or head down to the foodbank or starve
Those paying 45% have to pay even more because of the fact the people on UC play the system we've created.
If we had a saner system that meant people worked full time instead we'd get more tax revenue and pay less in benefits.
The Laffer Curve in action. 83% marginal tax is too high.
It isn't 83% marginal tax as most of that 83% you are using is loss of taxpayer funded UC gradually withdrawn as you work and earn more.
You will never eliminate that issue completely unless as I said you scrap UC completely so you either do full time paid work, have to go to a soup kitchen or foodbank to eat or starve to death
There is no difference between 83% entirely self funded or 83% taxpayer funded. The effective tax rate is 83% either way.
You can eliminate the issue by eliminating absurd tax rates and having a saner tax system. If people work full time as a result we'd get more taxes and pay less in benefits as a result.
HALF the income of those on MW is now tax free, that is not an issue. The main issue is the level of benefits, even if more gradually withdrawn, so as I said on that logic scrap benefits so you either work full time or starve to death or live off charity, much like it worked in Victorian times when you either worked full time or went to the workhouse and did hard labour and lived off gruel
No, that half is not an issue, which is why people work part time and claim UC for the other half of their income without bothering to work those hours.
Its the other half of someone's potential income being taxed at 83% that is the issue.
It is not taxed at 83%, it is loss of UC that makes up most of that, so as I said I expect you to be supporting scrapping UC completely and bringing back the workhouse with gruel and hard labour for those not in full time work to resolve that problem
You expect wrong then.
I support Milton Friedman's solution of merging taxes and benefits together and having a simple tax rate that ensures work always pays so that everyone can keep more of their money they work for.
A sane right wing solution, rather than being a raving madman with a policy you know will never happen.
So a flat tax for the rich then with public services cuts to match.
A negative income tax is also a form of tapering with benefits again withdrawn gradually and completely once the income tax rate is reached and of course inevitably means no minimum wage either
Just realised I must have been one of the “lowest people on earth” (yes yes hahaha) when I went to the Dead Sea. It’s the lowest depression on earth
Annoying. I should have made sure I went to the absolute lowest spot of all
Speleology should be your new calling.
No no no. “On earth”. ON
Miners and speleological types are UNDER the Earth as Ash Regan would know, and she’s the acknowledged expert
Also, speleology. Fuck
My older daughter told me of a story about a speleologist who got stuck halfway through a cave opening with all his team behind him. They couldn’t pull him out without killing him and there was no one on the other side
So he just stayed there til he died. I guess of dehydration?
She said the story haunted her ever since she read it and I said “yes thanks darling now it will haunt me.” And it has
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest shoes in Ethiopia
I've tried to be the first voter at a polling booth in GEs a few times, I've never hit the front of the queue yet (i was the second to vote in Mid Norfolk in my ward in 2010). If I ever do then its if I can convince myself I got through the palaver and to the box in good time to beat every other ward in the UK! I was also highest person in Britain when I climbed Ben Nevis very early one morning many years ago(like anyone alone atop it)
The Ben Nevis one is very cool. And oddly do-able
I was oddly shattered afterwards lol
I've been the highest person in mainland Britain too. Also the most southerly person in mainland Britain. Also the most southerly person in the United States. Also the most southwesterly in mainland Europe.
Fascinating!
I’ve done number 2 I think. The lizard?
Number 3 is tantalising. Florida? I presume you are excluding islands
Perhaps it's the other way round. Perhaps the perception is that Nigel is setting the agenda, but that's only because immigration is the talking point of the moment and Nigel is heavily associated with that. When the talking point moves on - as such things tend to - Nigel's perceived influence may wane.
Demographic change isn't a just talking point but the most important political fact about Britain in 2025 and beyond.
Yes, the ageing population and how we can support them.
Axing the Triple Lock and ensuring work pays as well as benefits do would be a good start.
The minimum wage for a full time worker working 40 hours a week is now £25,396 and the lowest earners don't pay tax and those on UC have to be looking for work or they get sanctioned
40 hours a week is more than 9-5 since minimum wage workers don't generally get paid for breaks.
And for people on UC working 16 hours a week, which is a great many people, HMRC will take about 100% of their earnings they work over 16 so why the hell do you expect people to work 40 hours instead of 16 in that scenario? People are rational.
Its the Laffer Curve in action. Why work more hours if you won't get paid any money for it?
Not since UC which reduces benefits only gradually as you earn more not all in one go. You also now pay no income tax on earnings under £12,570
Yes, under UC, your ignorance is showing again.
'For UC claimants required to work, the minimum number of hours was increased from 15 to 18, on Monday 13 May.
The rule change means 180,000 people will have to work more or risk losing their benefits, the Department for Work and Pensions says.
The 18-hour minimum applies to people earning the National Living Wage (£11.44 for those aged 21 or over).
Someone earning more per hour can work fewer hours, as long as their total earnings meet a level called the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET).
The AET now stands at £892, which is what you would earn in a month if you worked for 18 hours a week at the minimum wage.'
Over the work allowance too not all benefits are lost either but tapered
Pathetic tinkering at the edges. Anyone working those 18 hours is still going to be facing a combined real tax rate of 100%, so people will go from doing 16 hours and no more, to 18 and no more.
That's not much of an improvement.
No, they pay no income tax or NI at all for earnings under £12,500k and benefits for earnings earnt over 18 hours a week are not all lost now either but only gradually tapered down.
Those on minimum wage now earn more than those the state pension alone and many of those on UC do too
£12,500 per annum equates to less than 20 hours per week on National Minimum Wage.
So no, its not a "gradual taper", the taper is nearly 100% and when you include extra costs it can be over 100%.
So at least half of the working week for those on NMW is tax free then.
The taper is about 55% over 18 hours worked
So the marginal tax rate (even ignoring the impact of withdrawal of benefits) is higher than for someone wearing £200k/year?
Someone earning £200 k a year pays tax on the vast majority of their income, including higher and additional rate income tax.
Someone on NMW gets at least half their income tax free and the rest is only basic rate income tax
Do you understand the dangers of high marginal tax rates on incentives?
So you back scrapping the additional rate tax back to 40% then I presume?
45% is not high compared to 55% plus 28%
Would you be ok with the additional rate going to to the same rate those on UC face in marginal terms?
Those on UC get their benefits taxpayer subsidised by those paying the 45%, you could of course just scrap UC so you either work full time or head down to the foodbank or starve
Those paying 45% have to pay even more because of the fact the people on UC play the system we've created.
If we had a saner system that meant people worked full time instead we'd get more tax revenue and pay less in benefits.
The Laffer Curve in action. 83% marginal tax is too high.
It isn't 83% marginal tax as most of that 83% you are using is loss of taxpayer funded UC gradually withdrawn as you work and earn more.
You will never eliminate that issue completely unless as I said you scrap UC completely so you either do full time paid work, have to go to a soup kitchen or foodbank to eat or starve to death
Whilst you are technically correct that it's a benefit withdrawal rather than a tax, it doesn't alter the reality that for people in this situation they end up with a whole £2.07 per additional hour worked.
There is no solution which doesn't either a) cost more, at least in the short term, or b)reduce the level of benefits some people get.
Personally, I think time limiting benefits not related to ill health or old age is probably necessary - a generous level of unemployment benefit for 6 months (say £1200/month), and modest level for the subsequent 6 months (say £600/month) followed by £100/month +food stamps would probably achieve almost all that unemployment benefit is intended to achieve.
Also, we should kill or significantly reduce the NMW - if we can build a system where it's acceptable for employees take home £2.07/hr, it's bonkers to make it cost £15/hr to employ them - neither side of the bargain is getting a good deal.
Though that would penalise those looking actively for work but just unable to get it
Just realised I must have been one of the “lowest people on earth” (yes yes hahaha) when I went to the Dead Sea. It’s the lowest depression on earth
Annoying. I should have made sure I went to the absolute lowest spot of all
Presumably everywhere on the shore of the Dead Sea is equally low? So if you got to the shore, you were the equal-lowest person apart from any who were underwater (are there any in deep-sea research bases? I have no idea).
Isn't the whole point of the Dead Sea, the fact you cannot realistically sink. So a deep-sea Dead Sea would be a lot of lead.
I was thinking of possibly someone in an undersea base in the Indian Ocean,say, who would be lower. Though your point is still interesting.
Actually, I suppose it depends on what you mean by 'low'. I think due to the bulge of the earth at the equator, due to its rotation,someone at sea level in the high Arctic will be closer to the centre of the earth than someone on the shore of the Dead Sea. But that is an unusual definition of 'low'.
Perhaps it's the other way round. Perhaps the perception is that Nigel is setting the agenda, but that's only because immigration is the talking point of the moment and Nigel is heavily associated with that. When the talking point moves on - as such things tend to - Nigel's perceived influence may wane.
Demographic change isn't a just talking point but the most important political fact about Britain in 2025 and beyond.
Yes, the ageing population and how we can support them.
Axing the Triple Lock and ensuring work pays as well as benefits do would be a good start.
The minimum wage for a full time worker working 40 hours a week is now £25,396 and the lowest earners don't pay tax and those on UC have to be looking for work or they get sanctioned
40 hours a week is more than 9-5 since minimum wage workers don't generally get paid for breaks.
And for people on UC working 16 hours a week, which is a great many people, HMRC will take about 100% of their earnings they work over 16 so why the hell do you expect people to work 40 hours instead of 16 in that scenario? People are rational.
Its the Laffer Curve in action. Why work more hours if you won't get paid any money for it?
Not since UC which reduces benefits only gradually as you earn more not all in one go. You also now pay no income tax on earnings under £12,570
Yes, under UC, your ignorance is showing again.
'For UC claimants required to work, the minimum number of hours was increased from 15 to 18, on Monday 13 May.
The rule change means 180,000 people will have to work more or risk losing their benefits, the Department for Work and Pensions says.
The 18-hour minimum applies to people earning the National Living Wage (£11.44 for those aged 21 or over).
Someone earning more per hour can work fewer hours, as long as their total earnings meet a level called the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET).
The AET now stands at £892, which is what you would earn in a month if you worked for 18 hours a week at the minimum wage.'
Over the work allowance too not all benefits are lost either but tapered
Pathetic tinkering at the edges. Anyone working those 18 hours is still going to be facing a combined real tax rate of 100%, so people will go from doing 16 hours and no more, to 18 and no more.
That's not much of an improvement.
No, they pay no income tax or NI at all for earnings under £12,500k and benefits for earnings earnt over 18 hours a week are not all lost now either but only gradually tapered down.
Those on minimum wage now earn more than those the state pension alone and many of those on UC do too
£12,500 per annum equates to less than 20 hours per week on National Minimum Wage.
So no, its not a "gradual taper", the taper is nearly 100% and when you include extra costs it can be over 100%.
So at least half of the working week for those on NMW is tax free then.
The taper is about 55% over 18 hours worked
So the marginal tax rate (even ignoring the impact of withdrawal of benefits) is higher than for someone wearing £200k/year?
Someone earning £200 k a year pays tax on the vast majority of their income, including higher and additional rate income tax.
Someone on NMW gets at least half their income tax free and the rest is only basic rate income tax
Do you understand the dangers of high marginal tax rates on incentives?
So you back scrapping the additional rate tax back to 40% then I presume?
45% is not high compared to 55% plus 28%
Would you be ok with the additional rate going to to the same rate those on UC face in marginal terms?
Those on UC get their benefits taxpayer subsidised by those paying the 45%, you could of course just scrap UC so you either work full time or head down to the foodbank or starve
Those paying 45% have to pay even more because of the fact the people on UC play the system we've created.
If we had a saner system that meant people worked full time instead we'd get more tax revenue and pay less in benefits.
The Laffer Curve in action. 83% marginal tax is too high.
It isn't 83% marginal tax as most of that 83% you are using is loss of taxpayer funded UC gradually withdrawn as you work and earn more.
You will never eliminate that issue completely unless as I said you scrap UC completely so you either do full time paid work, have to go to a soup kitchen or foodbank to eat or starve to death
Whilst you are technically correct that it's a benefit withdrawal rather than a tax, it doesn't alter the reality that for people in this situation they end up with a whole £2.07 per additional hour worked.
There is no solution which doesn't either a) cost more, at least in the short term, or b)reduce the level of benefits some people get.
Personally, I think time limiting benefits not related to ill health or old age is probably necessary - a generous level of unemployment benefit for 6 months (say £1200/month), and modest level for the subsequent 6 months (say £600/month) followed by £100/month +food stamps would probably achieve almost all that unemployment benefit is intended to achieve.
Also, we should kill or significantly reduce the NMW - if we can build a system where it's acceptable for employees take home £2.07/hr, it's bonkers to make it cost £15/hr to employ them - neither side of the bargain is getting a good deal.
What if we made the cliff steeper - at what point is UC whittled to 0? If it is more than 40 * MW Would a cliff from 40 hours to that point mean we have more people working full time at MW? Given how powerful the cliff is in stopping people working how much would that cost? Is there a sweet spot between the two?
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest slippers in Ethiopia
Whereas I am one of about eighty people in Southend Airport, waiting for the only flight leaving here this evening. Using little airports like this is so different from Stansted, Gatwick or Heathrow it’s unreal. Feels like I’m going on holiday with everyone from my street
Only ever arrived at Southend Airport, both from Aberdeen (another fairly quiet airport), back in 2020 before Covid. The first time I went outbound to Aberdeen on the train via an overnight stop in Glasgow, and second time flew to Aberdeen outbound from Luton.
So in Canada Carney is refusing to table a budget despite parliament amending the King's Speech instructing him to. NDP, CPC and Bloc all supported the amendment. Carney should now be facing a VoNC and if the parties that passed the amendment vote NC, Carney's government falls immediately. I expect the NDP to fold like the chicken littles they are though
Is a budget required immediately because I suspect working out what Trump's tariffwang plays out will make creating one impossible.
By the time the house rises for Summer. The opposition suspect he is delaying to cover up the dire state of the Canadian economy so are forcing his hand. He's ignoring a parliament vote so a VoNC is guaranteed. And if the opposition all hold firm its over. Interesting stuff
Given the Liberals have slightly expanded their lead over the Conservatives in current polls and while the NDP are fractionally up are still below double figures in most polls too I doubt Carney will be too annoyed if the opposition try and force a totally unnecessary election. Canadian voters though would be and would probably give him a landslide majority in response
I doubt Carney will be banking on the result of that one poll and his elbows up nonsense probably won't wash this time, but regardless, parliament is sovereign, if he ignores it he risks being ousted. Its not parliaments fault he hasn't got the numbers
Voters do not like unnecessary elections. If Polievre is stupid enough to try and force another Federal election having just lost one he was initially strong favourite to win and before Carney has had time to prepare his budget, expect Canadian voters to give the Liberals a landslide in response and Poilivre to lose his post as Conservative leader
He doesn't need 'time' to prepare it, he's trying to ram through hundreds of billions in spending without one. Parliament has demanded and passed legislation/amendment for a budget by the time the house rises in response to these apparently unfunded committments. If he refuses he fully deserves to be brought down or sacked by the governor general. He's not a President, he's a PM. If the Boomers then want to go against the rest of Canada again and install him so be it, that's politics
He can't pass a budget while Trump changes his tariff rules every 5 minutes and with the extra defence spending NATO requires from Canada and until those issues are more settled
BREAKING: "Putin will have to respond to the drone attacks" says the Kreml ... no hang on, says Donald Trump!
Trump was quoting Putin. Not advocating it. 🙄
You think?
Yes. I’ve quoted the link to his actual comments.
I get that Trump is not flavour of the month here, I can’t say I’m a fan myself, but the derangement when it comes to his comments, or what people think he said, is off the scale.
Just realised I must have been one of the “lowest people on earth” (yes yes hahaha) when I went to the Dead Sea. It’s the lowest depression on earth
Annoying. I should have made sure I went to the absolute lowest spot of all
Speleology should be your new calling.
No no no. “On earth”. ON
Miners and speleological types are UNDER the Earth as Ash Regan would know, and she’s the acknowledged expert
Also, speleology. Fuck
My older daughter told me of a story about a speleologist who got stuck halfway through a cave opening with all his team behind him. They couldn’t pull him out without killing him and there was no one on the other side
So he just stayed there til he died. I guess of dehydration?
She said the story haunted her ever since she read it and I said “yes thanks darling now it will haunt me.” And it has
We do of course risk with some of this turning into local news tv 'Tonight on Look East the regions oldest woman meets the regions fattest man in the regions oldest church to discuss Norwich City's prospects in the worlds oldest League'
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest shoes in Ethiopia
I've tried to be the first voter at a polling booth in GEs a few times, I've never hit the front of the queue yet (i was the second to vote in Mid Norfolk in my ward in 2010). If I ever do then its if I can convince myself I got through the palaver and to the box in good time to beat every other ward in the UK! I was also highest person in Britain when I climbed Ben Nevis very early one morning many years ago(like anyone alone atop it)
The Ben Nevis one is very cool. And oddly do-able
I was oddly shattered afterwards lol
I've been the highest person in mainland Britain too. Also the most southerly person in mainland Britain. Also the most southerly person in the United States. Also the most southwesterly in mainland Europe.
Fascinating!
I’ve done number 2 I think. The lizard?
Number 3 is tantalising. Florida? I presume you are excluding islands
Also I’ve maybe done 4. Sagres in Portugal?
Yes, 2 is the Lizard. I felt very satisfied. I then had the most southerly cream tea in the country. I have also been on Britain's most southerly roller-coaster (at Flambards - it cheerfully markets itself as such). You can have a lot of fun like this in Cornwall.
3 is on Key West. Technically an island I suppose, but attached to the mainland. Obviously Hawaii is further south.
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest shoes in Ethiopia
I've tried to be the first voter at a polling booth in GEs a few times, I've never hit the front of the queue yet (i was the second to vote in Mid Norfolk in my ward in 2010). If I ever do then its if I can convince myself I got through the palaver and to the box in good time to beat every other ward in the UK! I was also highest person in Britain when I climbed Ben Nevis very early one morning many years ago(like anyone alone atop it)
The Ben Nevis one is very cool. And oddly do-able
I was oddly shattered afterwards lol
I've been the highest person in mainland Britain too. Also the most southerly person in mainland Britain. Also the most southerly person in the United States. Also the most southwesterly in mainland Europe.
Fascinating!
I’ve done number 2 I think. The lizard?
Number 3 is tantalising. Florida? I presume you are excluding islands
BREAKING: "Putin will have to respond to the drone attacks" says the Kreml ... no hang on, says Donald Trump!
Trump was quoting Putin. Not advocating it. 🙄
You think?
Yes. I’ve quoted the link to his actual comments.
I get that Trump is not flavour of the month here, I can’t say I’m a fan myself, but the derangement when it comes to his comments, or what people think he said, is off the scale.
Yeah, its just a readout of the call. If he hadn't then people would be screaming blue murder about secret communications.
We do of course risk with some of this turning into local news tv 'Tonight on Look East the regions oldest woman meets the regions fattest man in the regions oldest church to discuss Norwich City's prospects in the worlds oldest League'
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest slippers in Ethiopia
Whereas I am one of about eighty people in Southend Airport, waiting for the only flight leaving here this evening. Using little airports like this is so different from Stansted, Gatwick or Heathrow it’s unreal. Feels like I’m going on holiday with everyone from my street
Only ever arrived at Southend Airport, both from Aberdeen (another fairly quiet airport), back in 2020 before Covid. The first time I went outbound to Aberdeen on the train via an overnight stop in Glasgow, and second time flew to Aberdeen outbound from Luton.
Always nice to see a horse milling around when you arrive at the airport
So in Canada Carney is refusing to table a budget despite parliament amending the King's Speech instructing him to. NDP, CPC and Bloc all supported the amendment. Carney should now be facing a VoNC and if the parties that passed the amendment vote NC, Carney's government falls immediately. I expect the NDP to fold like the chicken littles they are though
Is a budget required immediately because I suspect working out what Trump's tariffwang plays out will make creating one impossible.
By the time the house rises for Summer. The opposition suspect he is delaying to cover up the dire state of the Canadian economy so are forcing his hand. He's ignoring a parliament vote so a VoNC is guaranteed. And if the opposition all hold firm its over. Interesting stuff
Given the Liberals have slightly expanded their lead over the Conservatives in current polls and while the NDP are fractionally up are still below double figures in most polls too I doubt Carney will be too annoyed if the opposition try and force a totally unnecessary election. Canadian voters though would be and would probably give him a landslide majority in response
I doubt Carney will be banking on the result of that one poll and his elbows up nonsense probably won't wash this time, but regardless, parliament is sovereign, if he ignores it he risks being ousted. Its not parliaments fault he hasn't got the numbers
Voters do not like unnecessary elections. If Polievre is stupid enough to try and force another Federal election having just lost one he was initially strong favourite to win and before Carney has had time to prepare his budget, expect Canadian voters to give the Liberals a landslide in response and Poilivre to lose his post as Conservative leader
He doesn't need 'time' to prepare it, he's trying to ram through hundreds of billions in spending without one. Parliament has demanded and passed legislation/amendment for a budget by the time the house rises in response to these apparently unfunded committments. If he refuses he fully deserves to be brought down or sacked by the governor general. He's not a President, he's a PM. If the Boomers then want to go against the rest of Canada again and install him so be it, that's politics
He can't pass a budget while Trump changes his tariff rules every 5 minutes and with the extra defence spending NATO requires from Canada and until those issues are more settled
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest shoes in Ethiopia
I've tried to be the first voter at a polling booth in GEs a few times, I've never hit the front of the queue yet (i was the second to vote in Mid Norfolk in my ward in 2010). If I ever do then its if I can convince myself I got through the palaver and to the box in good time to beat every other ward in the UK! I was also highest person in Britain when I climbed Ben Nevis very early one morning many years ago(like anyone alone atop it)
The Ben Nevis one is very cool. And oddly do-able
I was oddly shattered afterwards lol
I've been the highest person in mainland Britain too. Also the most southerly person in mainland Britain. Also the most southerly person in the United States. Also the most southwesterly in mainland Europe.
Fascinating!
I’ve done number 2 I think. The lizard?
Number 3 is tantalising. Florida? I presume you are excluding islands
Also I’ve maybe done 4. Sagres in Portugal?
Is the most southerly point in Europe the big mosque in Gibraltar? If so I have been that person quite a lot, as it was the halfway point of my 5k run when I lived there. I probably didn’t even know what a mosque was at the time (2000)
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest shoes in Ethiopia
I've tried to be the first voter at a polling booth in GEs a few times, I've never hit the front of the queue yet (i was the second to vote in Mid Norfolk in my ward in 2010). If I ever do then its if I can convince myself I got through the palaver and to the box in good time to beat every other ward in the UK! I was also highest person in Britain when I climbed Ben Nevis very early one morning many years ago(like anyone alone atop it)
The Ben Nevis one is very cool. And oddly do-able
I was oddly shattered afterwards lol
I've been the highest person in mainland Britain too. Also the most southerly person in mainland Britain. Also the most southerly person in the United States. Also the most southwesterly in mainland Europe.
Fascinating!
I’ve done number 2 I think. The lizard?
Number 3 is tantalising. Florida? I presume you are excluding islands
Also I’ve maybe done 4. Sagres in Portugal?
Is the most southerly point in Europe the big mosque in Gibraltar? If so I have been that person quite a lot, as it was the halfway point of my 5k run when I lived there. I probably didn’t even know what a mosque was at the time (2000)
You ran around the rock? Last time I was there you couldn't do that - the road tunnel on the east side didn't allow pedestrians and the vertiginous path over it had been blocked off due to safety concerns.
Just realised I must have been one of the “lowest people on earth” (yes yes hahaha) when I went to the Dead Sea. It’s the lowest depression on earth
Annoying. I should have made sure I went to the absolute lowest spot of all
Speleology should be your new calling.
No no no. “On earth”. ON
Miners and speleological types are UNDER the Earth as Ash Regan would know, and she’s the acknowledged expert
Also, speleology. Fuck
My older daughter told me of a story about a speleologist who got stuck halfway through a cave opening with all his team behind him. They couldn’t pull him out without killing him and there was no one on the other side
So he just stayed there til he died. I guess of dehydration?
She said the story haunted her ever since she read it and I said “yes thanks darling now it will haunt me.” And it has
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest shoes in Ethiopia
I've tried to be the first voter at a polling booth in GEs a few times, I've never hit the front of the queue yet (i was the second to vote in Mid Norfolk in my ward in 2010). If I ever do then its if I can convince myself I got through the palaver and to the box in good time to beat every other ward in the UK! I was also highest person in Britain when I climbed Ben Nevis very early one morning many years ago(like anyone alone atop it)
The Ben Nevis one is very cool. And oddly do-able
I was oddly shattered afterwards lol
I've been the highest person in mainland Britain too. Also the most southerly person in mainland Britain. Also the most southerly person in the United States. Also the most southwesterly in mainland Europe.
Fascinating!
I’ve done number 2 I think. The lizard?
Number 3 is tantalising. Florida? I presume you are excluding islands
Also I’ve maybe done 4. Sagres in Portugal?
Is the most southerly point in Europe the big mosque in Gibraltar? If so I have been that person quite a lot, as it was the halfway point of my 5k run when I lived there. I probably didn’t even know what a mosque was at the time (2000)
I don't think it is, sadly. Spain sticks out a bit further south. You've been the most southerly person in Gibraltar, if that's any consolation.
BREAKING: "Putin will have to respond to the drone attacks" says the Kreml ... no hang on, says Donald Trump!
Trump was quoting Putin. Not advocating it. 🙄
You think?
Yes. I’ve quoted the link to his actual comments.
I get that Trump is not flavour of the month here, I can’t say I’m a fan myself, but the derangement when it comes to his comments, or what people think he said, is off the scale.
Yeah, its just a readout of the call. If he hadn't then people would be screaming blue murder about secret communications.
BREAKING: "Putin will have to respond to the drone attacks" says the Kreml ... no hang on, says Donald Trump!
Trump was quoting Putin. Not advocating it. 🙄
You think?
Yes. I’ve quoted the link to his actual comments.
I get that Trump is not flavour of the month here, I can’t say I’m a fan myself, but the derangement when it comes to his comments, or what people think he said, is off the scale.
Yeah, its just a readout of the call. If he hadn't then people would be screaming blue murder about secret communications.
So in Canada Carney is refusing to table a budget despite parliament amending the King's Speech instructing him to. NDP, CPC and Bloc all supported the amendment. Carney should now be facing a VoNC and if the parties that passed the amendment vote NC, Carney's government falls immediately. I expect the NDP to fold like the chicken littles they are though
Is a budget required immediately because I suspect working out what Trump's tariffwang plays out will make creating one impossible.
By the time the house rises for Summer. The opposition suspect he is delaying to cover up the dire state of the Canadian economy so are forcing his hand. He's ignoring a parliament vote so a VoNC is guaranteed. And if the opposition all hold firm its over. Interesting stuff
Given the Liberals have slightly expanded their lead over the Conservatives in current polls and while the NDP are fractionally up are still below double figures in most polls too I doubt Carney will be too annoyed if the opposition try and force a totally unnecessary election. Canadian voters though would be and would probably give him a landslide majority in response
I doubt Carney will be banking on the result of that one poll and his elbows up nonsense probably won't wash this time, but regardless, parliament is sovereign, if he ignores it he risks being ousted. Its not parliaments fault he hasn't got the numbers
Voters do not like unnecessary elections. If Polievre is stupid enough to try and force another Federal election having just lost one he was initially strong favourite to win and before Carney has had time to prepare his budget, expect Canadian voters to give the Liberals a landslide in response and Poilivre to lose his post as Conservative leader
He doesn't need 'time' to prepare it, he's trying to ram through hundreds of billions in spending without one. Parliament has demanded and passed legislation/amendment for a budget by the time the house rises in response to these apparently unfunded committments. If he refuses he fully deserves to be brought down or sacked by the governor general. He's not a President, he's a PM. If the Boomers then want to go against the rest of Canada again and install him so be it, that's politics
He can't pass a budget while Trump changes his tariff rules every 5 minutes and with the extra defence spending NATO requires from Canada and until those issues are more settled
We do of course risk with some of this turning into local news tv 'Tonight on Look East the regions oldest woman meets the regions fattest man in the regions oldest church to discuss Norwich City's prospects in the worlds oldest League'
Our local news is now, mainly, recycled lobbyists press releases. ‘A study from a local charity has found lifting the two child cap…..’ followed by a puff piece advocating the subject of the press release.
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest shoes in Ethiopia
I've tried to be the first voter at a polling booth in GEs a few times, I've never hit the front of the queue yet (i was the second to vote in Mid Norfolk in my ward in 2010). If I ever do then its if I can convince myself I got through the palaver and to the box in good time to beat every other ward in the UK! I was also highest person in Britain when I climbed Ben Nevis very early one morning many years ago(like anyone alone atop it)
The Ben Nevis one is very cool. And oddly do-able
I was oddly shattered afterwards lol
I've been the highest person in mainland Britain too. Also the most southerly person in mainland Britain. Also the most southerly person in the United States. Also the most southwesterly in mainland Europe.
Fascinating!
I’ve done number 2 I think. The lizard?
Number 3 is tantalising. Florida? I presume you are excluding islands
Also I’ve maybe done 4. Sagres in Portugal?
Is the most southerly point in Europe the big mosque in Gibraltar? If so I have been that person quite a lot, as it was the halfway point of my 5k run when I lived there. I probably didn’t even know what a mosque was at the time (2000)
I don't think it is, sadly. Spain sticks out a bit further south. You've been the most southerly person in Gibraltar, if that's any consolation.
Isla da Tarifa (not an island anymore). I have been there.
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest slippers in Ethiopia
Whereas I am one of about eighty people in Southend Airport, waiting for the only flight leaving here this evening. Using little airports like this is so different from Stansted, Gatwick or Heathrow it’s unreal. Feels like I’m going on holiday with everyone from my street
Only ever arrived at Southend Airport, both from Aberdeen (another fairly quiet airport), back in 2020 before Covid. The first time I went outbound to Aberdeen on the train via an overnight stop in Glasgow, and second time flew to Aberdeen outbound from Luton.
Always nice to see a horse milling around when you arrive at the airport
When I was at school, back in the 1950’s , propeller planes from Southend Airport used to noisily fly over, especially when we were trying to concentrate on exams.
But when asked how she responded to those who said the Bill could drive prostitution into an “unregulated and underground system”, she answered: “There is no basis for any of those assertions. If you even think for one second, you cannot possibly drive prostitution underground.
“If you had a lot of women in underground cellars with a locked door, how would the punters get to them?”
Surely no-one is that stupid.
You're talking about a woman who thought (a) joining the SNP was a good idea and then (b) thought joining Alba was a smart career option. We are not talking even the second drawer here.
I’m old enough to remember PBers with their customary Caledonian insight discussing her seriously as a leader of the SNP/FM. Is there a third drawer for those people?
BREAKING: "Putin will have to respond to the drone attacks" says the Kreml ... no hang on, says Donald Trump!
Trump was quoting Putin. Not advocating it. 🙄
You think?
Yes. I’ve quoted the link to his actual comments.
I get that Trump is not flavour of the month here, I can’t say I’m a fan myself, but the derangement when it comes to his comments, or what people think he said, is off the scale.
Yeah, its just a readout of the call. If he hadn't then people would be screaming blue murder about secret communications.
The Iran comments are also interesting.
That will come to a head soon.
True but he's aware that Russia and Iran are aligned right?
BREAKING: "Putin will have to respond to the drone attacks" says the Kreml ... no hang on, says Donald Trump!
Trump was quoting Putin. Not advocating it. 🙄
You think?
Yes. I’ve quoted the link to his actual comments.
I get that Trump is not flavour of the month here, I can’t say I’m a fan myself, but the derangement when it comes to his comments, or what people think he said, is off the scale.
Yeah, its just a readout of the call. If he hadn't then people would be screaming blue murder about secret communications.
Some people are just demented. Even the BBC, hardly fans of Trump, report it as something Trump is warning about not supporting.
BREAKING: "Putin will have to respond to the drone attacks" says the Kreml ... no hang on, says Donald Trump!
Trump was quoting Putin. Not advocating it. 🙄
You think?
Yes. I’ve quoted the link to his actual comments.
I get that Trump is not flavour of the month here, I can’t say I’m a fan myself, but the derangement when it comes to his comments, or what people think he said, is off the scale.
Yeah, its just a readout of the call. If he hadn't then people would be screaming blue murder about secret communications.
The Iran comments are also interesting.
That will come to a head soon.
True but he's aware that Russia and Iran are aligned right?
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest shoes in Ethiopia
I've tried to be the first voter at a polling booth in GEs a few times, I've never hit the front of the queue yet (i was the second to vote in Mid Norfolk in my ward in 2010). If I ever do then its if I can convince myself I got through the palaver and to the box in good time to beat every other ward in the UK! I was also highest person in Britain when I climbed Ben Nevis very early one morning many years ago(like anyone alone atop it)
"Swordsman accused of murdering schoolboy ‘became psychotic after taking cannabis’ Marcus Arduini Monzo is also charged with assaulting four others in Hainault attack in April last year"
We do of course risk with some of this turning into local news tv 'Tonight on Look East the regions oldest woman meets the regions fattest man in the regions oldest church to discuss Norwich City's prospects in the worlds oldest League'
Not easy to get to St Peter’s at Bradwell. The nuclear power station, or what’s left of it, overshadows it.
"Swordsman accused of murdering schoolboy ‘became psychotic after taking cannabis’ Marcus Arduini Monzo is also charged with assaulting four others in Hainault attack in April last year"
Anyway... I saw this today in a phone box in Manchester. It's an infrequent local feature: this is the secomd time I've seen Paul Sullivan place such an ad encouraging everyone to get a bus to Withington to look at his book in the library: the first was about ten years ago. I've edited the bottom half off in which he, in pen, enourages people also to go to an event of unspecificed nature at Stretford athletics track, again giving detailed instructions on how to get there by public transport. He certainly hasn't plastered the city with these; as far as I can tell, as last time, this is the only one. Many questions are raised, few of which I can answer. Not sure what to do with this information apart from usemy daily photo quota for it.
So in Canada Carney is refusing to table a budget despite parliament amending the King's Speech instructing him to. NDP, CPC and Bloc all supported the amendment. Carney should now be facing a VoNC and if the parties that passed the amendment vote NC, Carney's government falls immediately. I expect the NDP to fold like the chicken littles they are though
Is a budget required immediately because I suspect working out what Trump's tariffwang plays out will make creating one impossible.
By the time the house rises for Summer. The opposition suspect he is delaying to cover up the dire state of the Canadian economy so are forcing his hand. He's ignoring a parliament vote so a VoNC is guaranteed. And if the opposition all hold firm its over. Interesting stuff
Given the Liberals have slightly expanded their lead over the Conservatives in current polls and while the NDP are fractionally up are still below double figures in most polls too I doubt Carney will be too annoyed if the opposition try and force a totally unnecessary election. Canadian voters though would be and would probably give him a landslide majority in response
I doubt Carney will be banking on the result of that one poll and his elbows up nonsense probably won't wash this time, but regardless, parliament is sovereign, if he ignores it he risks being ousted. Its not parliaments fault he hasn't got the numbers
Voters do not like unnecessary elections. If Polievre is stupid enough to try and force another Federal election having just lost one he was initially strong favourite to win and before Carney has had time to prepare his budget, expect Canadian voters to give the Liberals a landslide in response and Poilivre to lose his post as Conservative leader
He doesn't need 'time' to prepare it, he's trying to ram through hundreds of billions in spending without one. Parliament has demanded and passed legislation/amendment for a budget by the time the house rises in response to these apparently unfunded committments. If he refuses he fully deserves to be brought down or sacked by the governor general. He's not a President, he's a PM. If the Boomers then want to go against the rest of Canada again and install him so be it, that's politics
He can't pass a budget while Trump changes his tariff rules every 5 minutes and with the extra defence spending NATO requires from Canada and until those issues are more settled
Its not his choice. Parliament has decided.
In a non binding motion
In an amendment to the King's Speech, a confidence issue. So if they refuse to commit to it then they must face the confidence of the house on the King's Speech vote. The opposition has to decide if it now has confidence in the minority government when said government will not respect parliaments wishes. Carney does not have the numbers, eventually this will lead to a successful VoNC, especially as the NDP gave ruled out joining his government. His not doing a budget but committing hundreds of billions is extremely shady. But he is a (very poor) central banker twit so its par for the course
BREAKING: "Putin will have to respond to the drone attacks" says the Kreml ... no hang on, says Donald Trump!
Trump was quoting Putin. Not advocating it. 🙄
You think?
Yes. I’ve quoted the link to his actual comments.
I get that Trump is not flavour of the month here, I can’t say I’m a fan myself, but the derangement when it comes to his comments, or what people think he said, is off the scale.
Trump says mad shit.
His foreign relationships and policy is bizarre, unless he has some connection with Russia that we are unaware of.
Economists across the World and across history have explained that Tariffs are bad. Smoot -Hawley and the subsequent economic catastrophe should have taught him that lesson. So now Coca Cola are talking about moving their HQ from Atlanta to Europe or the Middle East. Heavy manufacturing and automotive are looking to move production from one third country to another to beat tariffs (not moving back to the rust-belt).
The performative cruelty and racism is World beating in its wickedness and projects like Gaza Atlantic City is beyond insane and the ethnic cleansing plan element is beyond belief.
But when asked how she responded to those who said the Bill could drive prostitution into an “unregulated and underground system”, she answered: “There is no basis for any of those assertions. If you even think for one second, you cannot possibly drive prostitution underground.
“If you had a lot of women in underground cellars with a locked door, how would the punters get to them?”
Surely no-one is that stupid.
You're talking about a woman who thought (a) joining the SNP was a good idea and then (b) thought joining Alba was a smart career option. We are not talking even the second drawer here.
I’m old enough to remember PBers with their customary Caledonian insight discussing her seriously as a leader of the SNP/FM. Is there a third drawer for those people?
I remember PBers suggesting Suzanne Evans take over from Farage as UKIP leader as he was a drag on their vote! When I said that would be madness, I think I was called a misogynist
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest shoes in Ethiopia
I've tried to be the first voter at a polling booth in GEs a few times, I've never hit the front of the queue yet (i was the second to vote in Mid Norfolk in my ward in 2010). If I ever do then its if I can convince myself I got through the palaver and to the box in good time to beat every other ward in the UK! I was also highest person in Britain when I climbed Ben Nevis very early one morning many years ago(like anyone alone atop it)
The Ben Nevis one is very cool. And oddly do-able
I was oddly shattered afterwards lol
Shouldn’t have done it in yer flip flops.
And worn more than my girlfriends knickers too, but it was a long time ago
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest shoes in Ethiopia
I've tried to be the first voter at a polling booth in GEs a few times, I've never hit the front of the queue yet (i was the second to vote in Mid Norfolk in my ward in 2010). If I ever do then its if I can convince myself I got through the palaver and to the box in good time to beat every other ward in the UK! I was also highest person in Britain when I climbed Ben Nevis very early one morning many years ago(like anyone alone atop it)
The Ben Nevis one is very cool. And oddly do-able
I was oddly shattered afterwards lol
I've been the highest person in mainland Britain too. Also the most southerly person in mainland Britain. Also the most southerly person in the United States. Also the most southwesterly in mainland Europe.
Fascinating!
I’ve done number 2 I think. The lizard?
Number 3 is tantalising. Florida? I presume you are excluding islands
Also I’ve maybe done 4. Sagres in Portugal?
Is the most southerly point in Europe the big mosque in Gibraltar? If so I have been that person quite a lot, as it was the halfway point of my 5k run when I lived there. I probably didn’t even know what a mosque was at the time (2000)
You ran around the rock? Last time I was there you couldn't do that - the road tunnel on the east side didn't allow pedestrians and the vertiginous path over it had been blocked off due to safety concerns.
I lived in a place called Brympton, opposite the old casino… it was a long time ago, but I ran to the edge of Gib, by that mosque, and back most days
The point about the cab rank rule is not that anyone will take anything, the rule has too many obvious ways of avoiding any sort of literal meaning. It simply means that members of the bar can rightly, represent any cause, however unfashionable or apparently unmeritorious without being criticised for it.
It is most obvious in crime. Huntley, Brady, Sutcliffe, Bellfield etc all had counsel of top quality representing their distasteful cause, doing their best for them. (At the tax payers expense). It's a mark of civilization.
He consistently chose to represent outrageously anti British causes. And now he’s a British political appointee whose wages are paid by me, the British taxpayer
So he has to deal with the political impact of his choices - and they were choices, not cab rank accidents. And if his career ends because of those choices damaging the man who appointed him - his good pal Keir Starmer - so be it
Of course in one sense you are right; politics is what it is and there is no point in participants complaining.
But however committed to a cause, all lawyers can do in litigation is do their best to get judges (etc) to do their best to apply the relevant UK law, which the advocates in the case didn't create, to the judges, not the advocate's, view of the facts.
In general cases yoyu describe as anti-British will have some branch of government as the other side. Unlike us poor mortals, there is no limit to how much of our taxpayers money they will throw at the UK government case. And thay can and do use the best.
We do of course risk with some of this turning into local news tv 'Tonight on Look East the regions oldest woman meets the regions fattest man in the regions oldest church to discuss Norwich City's prospects in the worlds oldest League'
I haven't watched local news for some time - but I remember the East Midlands version being a sucker for this sort of thing. A man in Newark who had ("probably") the UK's largest collection of horseshoes. And of course the ongoing story of the man in a Mansfield beer garden who had set an unofficial record for being underground for the longest (90-odd days), though Guinness wouldn't, as they told him at the start, put him in their book because it was too stupid a thing to do even by their standards.
So in Canada Carney is refusing to table a budget despite parliament amending the King's Speech instructing him to. NDP, CPC and Bloc all supported the amendment. Carney should now be facing a VoNC and if the parties that passed the amendment vote NC, Carney's government falls immediately. I expect the NDP to fold like the chicken littles they are though
Is a budget required immediately because I suspect working out what Trump's tariffwang plays out will make creating one impossible.
By the time the house rises for Summer. The opposition suspect he is delaying to cover up the dire state of the Canadian economy so are forcing his hand. He's ignoring a parliament vote so a VoNC is guaranteed. And if the opposition all hold firm its over. Interesting stuff
Given the Liberals have slightly expanded their lead over the Conservatives in current polls and while the NDP are fractionally up are still below double figures in most polls too I doubt Carney will be too annoyed if the opposition try and force a totally unnecessary election. Canadian voters though would be and would probably give him a landslide majority in response
I doubt Carney will be banking on the result of that one poll and his elbows up nonsense probably won't wash this time, but regardless, parliament is sovereign, if he ignores it he risks being ousted. Its not parliaments fault he hasn't got the numbers
Voters do not like unnecessary elections. If Polievre is stupid enough to try and force another Federal election having just lost one he was initially strong favourite to win and before Carney has had time to prepare his budget, expect Canadian voters to give the Liberals a landslide in response and Poilivre to lose his post as Conservative leader
He doesn't need 'time' to prepare it, he's trying to ram through hundreds of billions in spending without one. Parliament has demanded and passed legislation/amendment for a budget by the time the house rises in response to these apparently unfunded committments. If he refuses he fully deserves to be brought down or sacked by the governor general. He's not a President, he's a PM. If the Boomers then want to go against the rest of Canada again and install him so be it, that's politics
He can't pass a budget while Trump changes his tariff rules every 5 minutes and with the extra defence spending NATO requires from Canada and until those issues are more settled
Its not his choice. Parliament has decided.
In a non binding motion
In an amendment to the King's Speech, a confidence issue. So if they refuse to commit to it then they must face the confidence of the house on the King's Speech vote. The opposition has to decide if it now has confidence in the minority government when said government will not respect parliaments wishes. Carney does not have the numbers, eventually this will lead to a successful VoNC, especially as the NDP gave ruled out joining his government. His not doing a budget but committing hundreds of billions is extremely shady. But he is a (very poor) central banker twit so its par for the course
Who nonetheless has just been given a mandate and most seats by Canadian voters.
Forcing a VONC and election by demanding a budget now rather than the autumn is absurd and would just give Carney a landslide most likely on current polls
BREAKING: "Putin will have to respond to the drone attacks" says the Kreml ... no hang on, says Donald Trump!
Trump was quoting Putin. Not advocating it. 🙄
You think?
Yes. I’ve quoted the link to his actual comments.
I get that Trump is not flavour of the month here, I can’t say I’m a fan myself, but the derangement when it comes to his comments, or what people think he said, is off the scale.
Trump says mad shit.
His foreign relationships and policy is bizarre, unless he has some connection with Russia that we are unaware of.
Economists across the World and across history have explained that Tariffs are bad. Smoot -Hawley and the subsequent economic catastrophe should have taught him that lesson. So now Coca Cola are talking about moving their HQ from Atlanta to Europe or the Middle East. Heavy manufacturing and automotive are looking to move production from one third country to another to beat tariffs (not moving back to the rust-belt).
The performative cruelty and racism is World beating in its wickedness and projects like Gaza Atlantic City is beyond insane and the ethnic cleansing plan element is beyond belief.
BREAKING: "Putin will have to respond to the drone attacks" says the Kreml ... no hang on, says Donald Trump!
Trump was quoting Putin. Not advocating it. 🙄
You think?
Yes. I’ve quoted the link to his actual comments.
I get that Trump is not flavour of the month here, I can’t say I’m a fan myself, but the derangement when it comes to his comments, or what people think he said, is off the scale.
Trump says mad shit.
He's deranged, and not me.
That’s your truth and you’re welcome to it. I’d say it’s not a binary choice.
I don’t need a lecture on the downside of tariffs. I was posting how bad a proposal of his they were during the campaign.
So in Canada Carney is refusing to table a budget despite parliament amending the King's Speech instructing him to. NDP, CPC and Bloc all supported the amendment. Carney should now be facing a VoNC and if the parties that passed the amendment vote NC, Carney's government falls immediately. I expect the NDP to fold like the chicken littles they are though
Is a budget required immediately because I suspect working out what Trump's tariffwang plays out will make creating one impossible.
By the time the house rises for Summer. The opposition suspect he is delaying to cover up the dire state of the Canadian economy so are forcing his hand. He's ignoring a parliament vote so a VoNC is guaranteed. And if the opposition all hold firm its over. Interesting stuff
Given the Liberals have slightly expanded their lead over the Conservatives in current polls and while the NDP are fractionally up are still below double figures in most polls too I doubt Carney will be too annoyed if the opposition try and force a totally unnecessary election. Canadian voters though would be and would probably give him a landslide majority in response
I doubt Carney will be banking on the result of that one poll and his elbows up nonsense probably won't wash this time, but regardless, parliament is sovereign, if he ignores it he risks being ousted. Its not parliaments fault he hasn't got the numbers
Voters do not like unnecessary elections. If Polievre is stupid enough to try and force another Federal election having just lost one he was initially strong favourite to win and before Carney has had time to prepare his budget, expect Canadian voters to give the Liberals a landslide in response and Poilivre to lose his post as Conservative leader
He doesn't need 'time' to prepare it, he's trying to ram through hundreds of billions in spending without one. Parliament has demanded and passed legislation/amendment for a budget by the time the house rises in response to these apparently unfunded committments. If he refuses he fully deserves to be brought down or sacked by the governor general. He's not a President, he's a PM. If the Boomers then want to go against the rest of Canada again and install him so be it, that's politics
He can't pass a budget while Trump changes his tariff rules every 5 minutes and with the extra defence spending NATO requires from Canada and until those issues are more settled
Its not his choice. Parliament has decided.
In a non binding motion
In an amendment to the King's Speech, a confidence issue. So if they refuse to commit to it then they must face the confidence of the house on the King's Speech vote. The opposition has to decide if it now has confidence in the minority government when said government will not respect parliaments wishes. Carney does not have the numbers, eventually this will lead to a successful VoNC, especially as the NDP gave ruled out joining his government. His not doing a budget but committing hundreds of billions is extremely shady. But he is a (very poor) central banker twit so its par for the course
Who nonetheless has just been given a mandate and most seats by Canadian voters.
Forcing a VONC and election by demanding a budget now rather than the autumn is absurd and would just give Carney a landslide most likely on current polls
A minority is a mandate to work with other parties not ignore them. His government won't last a year, it may not last this month. What Canada does about that is up to them
BREAKING: "Putin will have to respond to the drone attacks" says the Kreml ... no hang on, says Donald Trump!
Trump was quoting Putin. Not advocating it. 🙄
You think?
Yes. I’ve quoted the link to his actual comments.
I get that Trump is not flavour of the month here, I can’t say I’m a fan myself, but the derangement when it comes to his comments, or what people think he said, is off the scale.
Trump says mad shit.
His foreign relationships and policy is bizarre, unless he has some connection with Russia that we are unaware of.
Economists across the World and across history have explained that Tariffs are bad. Smoot -Hawley and the subsequent economic catastrophe should have taught him that lesson. So now Coca Cola are talking about moving their HQ from Atlanta to Europe or the Middle East. Heavy manufacturing and automotive are looking to move production from one third country to another to beat tariffs (not moving back to the rust-belt).
The performative cruelty and racism is World beating in its wickedness and projects like Gaza Atlantic City is beyond insane and the ethnic cleansing plan element is beyond belief.
But when asked how she responded to those who said the Bill could drive prostitution into an “unregulated and underground system”, she answered: “There is no basis for any of those assertions. If you even think for one second, you cannot possibly drive prostitution underground.
“If you had a lot of women in underground cellars with a locked door, how would the punters get to them?”
Surely no-one is that stupid.
You're talking about a woman who thought (a) joining the SNP was a good idea and then (b) thought joining Alba was a smart career option. We are not talking even the second drawer here.
I’m old enough to remember PBers with their customary Caledonian insight discussing her seriously as a leader of the SNP/FM. Is there a third drawer for those people?
I remember PBers suggesting Suzanne Evans take over from Farage as UKIP leader as he was a drag on their vote! When I said that would be madness, I think I was called a misogynist
Coming right up to date we find that criticising Jacinda Ardern is misogynist too !!
BREAKING: "Putin will have to respond to the drone attacks" says the Kreml ... no hang on, says Donald Trump!
Trump was quoting Putin. Not advocating it. 🙄
You think?
Yes. I’ve quoted the link to his actual comments.
I get that Trump is not flavour of the month here, I can’t say I’m a fan myself, but the derangement when it comes to his comments, or what people think he said, is off the scale.
Trump says mad shit.
His foreign relationships and policy is bizarre, unless he has some connection with Russia that we are unaware of.
Economists across the World and across history have explained that Tariffs are bad. Smoot -Hawley and the subsequent economic catastrophe should have taught him that lesson. So now Coca Cola are talking about moving their HQ from Atlanta to Europe or the Middle East. Heavy manufacturing and automotive are looking to move production from one third country to another to beat tariffs (not moving back to the rust-belt).
The performative cruelty and racism is World beating in its wickedness and projects like Gaza Atlantic City is beyond insane and the ethnic cleansing plan element is beyond belief.
BREAKING: "Putin will have to respond to the drone attacks" says the Kreml ... no hang on, says Donald Trump!
Trump was quoting Putin. Not advocating it. 🙄
You think?
Yes. I’ve quoted the link to his actual comments.
I get that Trump is not flavour of the month here, I can’t say I’m a fan myself, but the derangement when it comes to his comments, or what people think he said, is off the scale.
Trump says mad shit.
His foreign relationships and policy is bizarre, unless he has some connection with Russia that we are unaware of.
Economists across the World and across history have explained that Tariffs are bad. Smoot -Hawley and the subsequent economic catastrophe should have taught him that lesson. So now Coca Cola are talking about moving their HQ from Atlanta to Europe or the Middle East. Heavy manufacturing and automotive are looking to move production from one third country to another to beat tariffs (not moving back to the rust-belt).
The performative cruelty and racism is World beating in its wickedness and projects like Gaza Atlantic City is beyond insane and the ethnic cleansing plan element is beyond belief.
He's deranged, and not me.
Trump has a degree in economics.
He bankrupted a casino.
Which carries more weight?
3 casinos! Which carries even more weight presumably.
We do of course risk with some of this turning into local news tv 'Tonight on Look East the regions oldest woman meets the regions fattest man in the regions oldest church to discuss Norwich City's prospects in the worlds oldest League'
Not easy to get to St Peter’s at Bradwell. The nuclear power station, or what’s left of it, overshadows it.
I had a Hoopoe fly in off the sea there - and land not ten feet away, feeding like a crazed thing.
That's my daily birding anecdote related to a place somebody else has named.
BREAKING: "Putin will have to respond to the drone attacks" says the Kreml ... no hang on, says Donald Trump!
Trump was quoting Putin. Not advocating it. 🙄
You think?
Yes. I’ve quoted the link to his actual comments.
I get that Trump is not flavour of the month here, I can’t say I’m a fan myself, but the derangement when it comes to his comments, or what people think he said, is off the scale.
Trump says mad shit.
His foreign relationships and policy is bizarre, unless he has some connection with Russia that we are unaware of.
Economists across the World and across history have explained that Tariffs are bad. Smoot -Hawley and the subsequent economic catastrophe should have taught him that lesson. So now Coca Cola are talking about moving their HQ from Atlanta to Europe or the Middle East. Heavy manufacturing and automotive are looking to move production from one third country to another to beat tariffs (not moving back to the rust-belt).
The performative cruelty and racism is World beating in its wickedness and projects like Gaza Atlantic City is beyond insane and the ethnic cleansing plan element is beyond belief.
He's deranged, and not me.
Trump has a degree in economics.
I hava a Desmond in politics and my views are considered to be so wrong and absurd by the majority of PBers. I would appear to be wrong about Brexit, Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick for starters.
We do of course risk with some of this turning into local news tv 'Tonight on Look East the regions oldest woman meets the regions fattest man in the regions oldest church to discuss Norwich City's prospects in the worlds oldest League'
Not easy to get to St Peter’s at Bradwell. The nuclear power station, or what’s left of it, overshadows it.
I had a Hoopoe fly in off the sea there - and land not ten feet away, feeding like a crazed thing.
That's my daily birding anecdote related to a place somebody else has named.
Isn't that the ideal situation? All the perks but no responsibility.
They might like that idea, but of course they do retain responsibility when they have a massive majority. Bit weird that even our governments with big majorities have often proven so ineffective at getting things done, it does somewhat suggest we don't need to fear big majorities as much as we might think, in terms of unrestrained power.
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest shoes in Ethiopia
I've tried to be the first voter at a polling booth in GEs a few times, I've never hit the front of the queue yet (i was the second to vote in Mid Norfolk in my ward in 2010). If I ever do then its if I can convince myself I got through the palaver and to the box in good time to beat every other ward in the UK! I was also highest person in Britain when I climbed Ben Nevis very early one morning many years ago(like anyone alone atop it)
The Ben Nevis one is very cool. And oddly do-able
I was oddly shattered afterwards lol
I've been the highest person in mainland Britain too. Also the most southerly person in mainland Britain. Also the most southerly person in the United States. Also the most southwesterly in mainland Europe.
Fascinating!
I’ve done number 2 I think. The lizard?
Number 3 is tantalising. Florida? I presume you are excluding islands
Also I’ve maybe done 4. Sagres in Portugal?
Yes, 2 is the Lizard. I felt very satisfied. I then had the most southerly cream tea in the country. I have also been on Britain's most southerly roller-coaster (at Flambards - it cheerfully markets itself as such). You can have a lot of fun like this in Cornwall.
3 is on Key West. Technically an island I suppose, but attached to the mainland. Obviously Hawaii is further south.
And I think 4 is Sagres, yes!
Key West - Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, to be precise.
The point about the cab rank rule is not that anyone will take anything, the rule has too many obvious ways of avoiding any sort of literal meaning. It simply means that members of the bar can rightly, represent any cause, however unfashionable or apparently unmeritorious without being criticised for it.
It is most obvious in crime. Huntley, Brady, Sutcliffe, Bellfield etc all had counsel of top quality representing their distasteful cause, doing their best for them. (At the tax payers expense). It's a mark of civilization.
He consistently chose to represent outrageously anti British causes. And now he’s a British political appointee whose wages are paid by me, the British taxpayer
So he has to deal with the political impact of his choices - and they were choices, not cab rank accidents. And if his career ends because of those choices damaging the man who appointed him - his good pal Keir Starmer - so be it
Of course in one sense you are right; politics is what it is and there is no point in participants complaining.
But however committed to a cause, all lawyers can do in litigation is do their best to get judges (etc) to do their best to apply the relevant UK law, which the advocates in the case didn't create, to the judges, not the advocate's, view of the facts.
In general cases yoyu describe as anti-British will have some branch of government as the other side. Unlike us poor mortals, there is no limit to how much of our taxpayers money they will throw at the UK government case. And thay can and do use the best.
As a layman, a lot of what lawyers agree with each other on seems like the Emperor’s New Clothes to me. I’m sure I’d be outwitted if I had to argue about it, but so much of it seems the opposite of common sense. Maybe that’s why I dislike Sir Keir so much, I just can’t get on with it
We do of course risk with some of this turning into local news tv 'Tonight on Look East the regions oldest woman meets the regions fattest man in the regions oldest church to discuss Norwich City's prospects in the worlds oldest League'
Not easy to get to St Peter’s at Bradwell. The nuclear power station, or what’s left of it, overshadows it.
I had a Hoopoe fly in off the sea there - and land not ten feet away, feeding like a crazed thing.
That's my daily birding anecdote related to a place somebody else has named.
Desolate spot, isn’t it!
Remote ancient chapel and nuclear power station - noom central!
But when asked how she responded to those who said the Bill could drive prostitution into an “unregulated and underground system”, she answered: “There is no basis for any of those assertions. If you even think for one second, you cannot possibly drive prostitution underground.
“If you had a lot of women in underground cellars with a locked door, how would the punters get to them?”
Surely no-one is that stupid.
You're talking about a woman who thought (a) joining the SNP was a good idea and then (b) thought joining Alba was a smart career option. We are not talking even the second drawer here.
I’m old enough to remember PBers with their customary Caledonian insight discussing her seriously as a leader of the SNP/FM. Is there a third drawer for those people?
I remember PBers suggesting Suzanne Evans take over from Farage as UKIP leader as he was a drag on their vote! When I said that would be madness, I think I was called a misogynist
BREAKING: "Putin will have to respond to the drone attacks" says the Kreml ... no hang on, says Donald Trump!
Trump was quoting Putin. Not advocating it. 🙄
You think?
Yes. I’ve quoted the link to his actual comments.
I get that Trump is not flavour of the month here, I can’t say I’m a fan myself, but the derangement when it comes to his comments, or what people think he said, is off the scale.
Trump says mad shit.
His foreign relationships and policy is bizarre, unless he has some connection with Russia that we are unaware of.
Economists across the World and across history have explained that Tariffs are bad. Smoot -Hawley and the subsequent economic catastrophe should have taught him that lesson. So now Coca Cola are talking about moving their HQ from Atlanta to Europe or the Middle East. Heavy manufacturing and automotive are looking to move production from one third country to another to beat tariffs (not moving back to the rust-belt).
The performative cruelty and racism is World beating in its wickedness and projects like Gaza Atlantic City is beyond insane and the ethnic cleansing plan element is beyond belief.
He's deranged, and not me.
Trump has a degree in economics.
I hava a Desmond in politics and my views are considered to be so wrong and absurd by the majority of PBers. I would appear to be wrong about Brexit, Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick for starters.
I have a “generalised ” Masters from ARU and seem to agree with you. Most of the time, anyway.
So in Canada Carney is refusing to table a budget despite parliament amending the King's Speech instructing him to. NDP, CPC and Bloc all supported the amendment. Carney should now be facing a VoNC and if the parties that passed the amendment vote NC, Carney's government falls immediately. I expect the NDP to fold like the chicken littles they are though
Is a budget required immediately because I suspect working out what Trump's tariffwang plays out will make creating one impossible.
By the time the house rises for Summer. The opposition suspect he is delaying to cover up the dire state of the Canadian economy so are forcing his hand. He's ignoring a parliament vote so a VoNC is guaranteed. And if the opposition all hold firm its over. Interesting stuff
Given the Liberals have slightly expanded their lead over the Conservatives in current polls and while the NDP are fractionally up are still below double figures in most polls too I doubt Carney will be too annoyed if the opposition try and force a totally unnecessary election. Canadian voters though would be and would probably give him a landslide majority in response
I doubt Carney will be banking on the result of that one poll and his elbows up nonsense probably won't wash this time, but regardless, parliament is sovereign, if he ignores it he risks being ousted. Its not parliaments fault he hasn't got the numbers
Voters do not like unnecessary elections. If Polievre is stupid enough to try and force another Federal election having just lost one he was initially strong favourite to win and before Carney has had time to prepare his budget, expect Canadian voters to give the Liberals a landslide in response and Poilivre to lose his post as Conservative leader
He doesn't need 'time' to prepare it, he's trying to ram through hundreds of billions in spending without one. Parliament has demanded and passed legislation/amendment for a budget by the time the house rises in response to these apparently unfunded committments. If he refuses he fully deserves to be brought down or sacked by the governor general. He's not a President, he's a PM. If the Boomers then want to go against the rest of Canada again and install him so be it, that's politics
He can't pass a budget while Trump changes his tariff rules every 5 minutes and with the extra defence spending NATO requires from Canada and until those issues are more settled
Its not his choice. Parliament has decided.
In a non binding motion
In an amendment to the King's Speech, a confidence issue. So if they refuse to commit to it then they must face the confidence of the house on the King's Speech vote. The opposition has to decide if it now has confidence in the minority government when said government will not respect parliaments wishes. Carney does not have the numbers, eventually this will lead to a successful VoNC, especially as the NDP gave ruled out joining his government. His not doing a budget but committing hundreds of billions is extremely shady. But he is a (very poor) central banker twit so its par for the course
Who nonetheless has just been given a mandate and most seats by Canadian voters.
Forcing a VONC and election by demanding a budget now rather than the autumn is absurd and would just give Carney a landslide most likely on current polls
A minority is a mandate to work with other parties not ignore them. His government won't last a year, it may not last this month. What Canada does about that is up to them
The Liberals turned around a dire situation, and though there were some unique elements with the Trump situation the turnaround did suggest their basic position was not as bad as it may have initially seemed (albeit they did well by squeezing other parties), but it remains the case Carney is pretty untested as a politician, so it is interesting to see what he can manage - he comes across reasonably, but are his political skills actually any good?
Even among career politicians actually running things from the top turns out to be a very different situation than they are used to.
BREAKING: "Putin will have to respond to the drone attacks" says the Kreml ... no hang on, says Donald Trump!
Trump was quoting Putin. Not advocating it. 🙄
You think?
Yes. I’ve quoted the link to his actual comments.
I get that Trump is not flavour of the month here, I can’t say I’m a fan myself, but the derangement when it comes to his comments, or what people think he said, is off the scale.
Trump says mad shit.
He's deranged, and not me.
That’s your truth and you’re welcome to it. I’d say it’s not a binary choice.
I don’t need a lecture on the downside of tariffs. I was posting how bad a proposal of his they were during the campaign.
I wasn't lecturing you, I was posting for the benefit of Mr Trump. I am sure he, like all senior politicians, lurks.
So in Canada Carney is refusing to table a budget despite parliament amending the King's Speech instructing him to. NDP, CPC and Bloc all supported the amendment. Carney should now be facing a VoNC and if the parties that passed the amendment vote NC, Carney's government falls immediately. I expect the NDP to fold like the chicken littles they are though
Is a budget required immediately because I suspect working out what Trump's tariffwang plays out will make creating one impossible.
By the time the house rises for Summer. The opposition suspect he is delaying to cover up the dire state of the Canadian economy so are forcing his hand. He's ignoring a parliament vote so a VoNC is guaranteed. And if the opposition all hold firm its over. Interesting stuff
Given the Liberals have slightly expanded their lead over the Conservatives in current polls and while the NDP are fractionally up are still below double figures in most polls too I doubt Carney will be too annoyed if the opposition try and force a totally unnecessary election. Canadian voters though would be and would probably give him a landslide majority in response
I doubt Carney will be banking on the result of that one poll and his elbows up nonsense probably won't wash this time, but regardless, parliament is sovereign, if he ignores it he risks being ousted. Its not parliaments fault he hasn't got the numbers
Voters do not like unnecessary elections. If Polievre is stupid enough to try and force another Federal election having just lost one he was initially strong favourite to win and before Carney has had time to prepare his budget, expect Canadian voters to give the Liberals a landslide in response and Poilivre to lose his post as Conservative leader
He doesn't need 'time' to prepare it, he's trying to ram through hundreds of billions in spending without one. Parliament has demanded and passed legislation/amendment for a budget by the time the house rises in response to these apparently unfunded committments. If he refuses he fully deserves to be brought down or sacked by the governor general. He's not a President, he's a PM. If the Boomers then want to go against the rest of Canada again and install him so be it, that's politics
He can't pass a budget while Trump changes his tariff rules every 5 minutes and with the extra defence spending NATO requires from Canada and until those issues are more settled
Its not his choice. Parliament has decided.
In a non binding motion
In an amendment to the King's Speech, a confidence issue. So if they refuse to commit to it then they must face the confidence of the house on the King's Speech vote. The opposition has to decide if it now has confidence in the minority government when said government will not respect parliaments wishes. Carney does not have the numbers, eventually this will lead to a successful VoNC, especially as the NDP gave ruled out joining his government. His not doing a budget but committing hundreds of billions is extremely shady. But he is a (very poor) central banker twit so its par for the course
Who nonetheless has just been given a mandate and most seats by Canadian voters.
Forcing a VONC and election by demanding a budget now rather than the autumn is absurd and would just give Carney a landslide most likely on current polls
A minority is a mandate to work with other parties not ignore them. His government won't last a year, it may not last this month. What Canada does about that is up to them
The Liberals turned around a dire situation, and though there were some unique elements with the Trump situation the turnaround did suggest their basic position was not as bad as it may have initially seemed (albeit they did well by squeezing other parties), but it remains the case Carney is pretty untested as a politician, so it is interesting to see what he can manage - he comes across reasonably, but are his political skills actually any good?
Even among career politicians actually running things from the top turns out to be a very different situation than they are used to.
Some of his stated ideas are firmly in the 'avoid' cabinet
We do of course risk with some of this turning into local news tv 'Tonight on Look East the regions oldest woman meets the regions fattest man in the regions oldest church to discuss Norwich City's prospects in the worlds oldest League'
Not easy to get to St Peter’s at Bradwell. The nuclear power station, or what’s left of it, overshadows it.
I had a Hoopoe fly in off the sea there - and land not ten feet away, feeding like a crazed thing.
That's my daily birding anecdote related to a place somebody else has named.
Desolate spot, isn’t it!
Remote ancient chapel and nuclear power station - noom central!
Ooh yes, and, even better, a DISUSED nuclear power station
One of the noomiest places in the UK
Dark noom - the nuke station, and bright noom - the ravishingly lonely chapel. Described as a “bare boned box of holiness” by thriller writer S K Tremayne, I believe
Off the bat I am struggling to think of a noomier place in the UK, apart from St Kilda, which is one of the noomiest places on EARTH, so that’s a high bar
But when asked how she responded to those who said the Bill could drive prostitution into an “unregulated and underground system”, she answered: “There is no basis for any of those assertions. If you even think for one second, you cannot possibly drive prostitution underground.
“If you had a lot of women in underground cellars with a locked door, how would the punters get to them?”
Surely no-one is that stupid.
You're talking about a woman who thought (a) joining the SNP was a good idea and then (b) thought joining Alba was a smart career option. We are not talking even the second drawer here.
I’m old enough to remember PBers with their customary Caledonian insight discussing her seriously as a leader of the SNP/FM. Is there a third drawer for those people?
I remember PBers suggesting Suzanne Evans take over from Farage as UKIP leader as he was a drag on their vote! When I said that would be madness, I think I was called a misogynist
Still pitching for a job on Fox or GB news? I kid, for all I know she already does.
I said that Sir Clammy had done Liz Truss a huge favour by selecting her as his enemy du jour - the man is cursed. He'll even rehabilitate Liz's rep in due course.
We do of course risk with some of this turning into local news tv 'Tonight on Look East the regions oldest woman meets the regions fattest man in the regions oldest church to discuss Norwich City's prospects in the worlds oldest League'
Not easy to get to St Peter’s at Bradwell. The nuclear power station, or what’s left of it, overshadows it.
But when asked how she responded to those who said the Bill could drive prostitution into an “unregulated and underground system”, she answered: “There is no basis for any of those assertions. If you even think for one second, you cannot possibly drive prostitution underground.
“If you had a lot of women in underground cellars with a locked door, how would the punters get to them?”
Surely no-one is that stupid.
You're talking about a woman who thought (a) joining the SNP was a good idea and then (b) thought joining Alba was a smart career option. We are not talking even the second drawer here.
I’m old enough to remember PBers with their customary Caledonian insight discussing her seriously as a leader of the SNP/FM. Is there a third drawer for those people?
I remember PBers suggesting Suzanne Evans take over from Farage as UKIP leader as he was a drag on their vote! When I said that would be madness, I think I was called a misogynist
She did replace him didn't she?
I thought that, and was going to mention it/use as a punchline, so looked at her Wikipedia and it seems not… although I am two glasses of wine in and that is a lot for me!
The point about the cab rank rule is not that anyone will take anything, the rule has too many obvious ways of avoiding any sort of literal meaning. It simply means that members of the bar can rightly, represent any cause, however unfashionable or apparently unmeritorious without being criticised for it.
It is most obvious in crime. Huntley, Brady, Sutcliffe, Bellfield etc all had counsel of top quality representing their distasteful cause, doing their best for them. (At the tax payers expense). It's a mark of civilization.
He consistently chose to represent outrageously anti British causes. And now he’s a British political appointee whose wages are paid by me, the British taxpayer
So he has to deal with the political impact of his choices - and they were choices, not cab rank accidents. And if his career ends because of those choices damaging the man who appointed him - his good pal Keir Starmer - so be it
Of course in one sense you are right; politics is what it is and there is no point in participants complaining.
But however committed to a cause, all lawyers can do in litigation is do their best to get judges (etc) to do their best to apply the relevant UK law, which the advocates in the case didn't create, to the judges, not the advocate's, view of the facts.
In general cases yoyu describe as anti-British will have some branch of government as the other side. Unlike us poor mortals, there is no limit to how much of our taxpayers money they will throw at the UK government case. And thay can and do use the best.
As a layman, a lot of what lawyers agree with each other on seems like the Emperor’s New Clothes to me. I’m sure I’d be outwitted if I had to argue about it, but so much of it seems the opposite of common sense. Maybe that’s why I dislike Sir Keir so much, I just can’t get on with it
The rule of law is weird but it's absence is more so. Welcome to Gaza, North Korea, USA, Russia, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and others.
But when asked how she responded to those who said the Bill could drive prostitution into an “unregulated and underground system”, she answered: “There is no basis for any of those assertions. If you even think for one second, you cannot possibly drive prostitution underground.
“If you had a lot of women in underground cellars with a locked door, how would the punters get to them?”
Surely no-one is that stupid.
You're talking about a woman who thought (a) joining the SNP was a good idea and then (b) thought joining Alba was a smart career option. We are not talking even the second drawer here.
I’m old enough to remember PBers with their customary Caledonian insight discussing her seriously as a leader of the SNP/FM. Is there a third drawer for those people?
I remember PBers suggesting Suzanne Evans take over from Farage as UKIP leader as he was a drag on their vote! When I said that would be madness, I think I was called a misogynist
She did replace him didn't she?
Hard to remember, they went through a pretty ridiculous run of new leader after new leader until a bit of stability under...Neil Hamilton.
But when asked how she responded to those who said the Bill could drive prostitution into an “unregulated and underground system”, she answered: “There is no basis for any of those assertions. If you even think for one second, you cannot possibly drive prostitution underground.
“If you had a lot of women in underground cellars with a locked door, how would the punters get to them?”
Surely no-one is that stupid.
You're talking about a woman who thought (a) joining the SNP was a good idea and then (b) thought joining Alba was a smart career option. We are not talking even the second drawer here.
I’m old enough to remember PBers with their customary Caledonian insight discussing her seriously as a leader of the SNP/FM. Is there a third drawer for those people?
I remember PBers suggesting Suzanne Evans take over from Farage as UKIP leader as he was a drag on their vote! When I said that would be madness, I think I was called a misogynist
In more exciting news I’ve been upgraded to the top level suite in the best hotel in the country
Ok that country is Luxembourg but still. It’s kinda nice to know that I am in the best hotel room in an entire country
Has anyone else done that? Maybe they’ve eaten the most expensive wildfowl in the lower 48 states, or worn the fanciest shoes in Ethiopia
I've tried to be the first voter at a polling booth in GEs a few times, I've never hit the front of the queue yet (i was the second to vote in Mid Norfolk in my ward in 2010). If I ever do then its if I can convince myself I got through the palaver and to the box in good time to beat every other ward in the UK! I was also highest person in Britain when I climbed Ben Nevis very early one morning many years ago(like anyone alone atop it)
The Ben Nevis one is very cool. And oddly do-able
I was oddly shattered afterwards lol
I've been the highest person in mainland Britain too. Also the most southerly person in mainland Britain. Also the most southerly person in the United States. Also the most southwesterly in mainland Europe.
Fascinating!
I’ve done number 2 I think. The lizard?
Number 3 is tantalising. Florida? I presume you are excluding islands
Also I’ve maybe done 4. Sagres in Portugal?
Is the most southerly point in Europe the big mosque in Gibraltar? If so I have been that person quite a lot, as it was the halfway point of my 5k run when I lived there. I probably didn’t even know what a mosque was at the time (2000)
I don't think it is, sadly. Spain sticks out a bit further south. You've been the most southerly person in Gibraltar, if that's any consolation.
Isla da Tarifa (not an island anymore). I have been there.
Comments
https://x.com/whitehouse/status/1930306225347977475?s=61
It would be a poor life otherwise.
The only slight down-side is that the previous lost A-50 were shot down - including the loss of very highly trained and difficult to replace crew.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgnz3r2m7eo
For GCSE maths, I remember a project to design a tax and benefit system for a fictional island nation. It's not that hard to design such a system so that everybidy has a safety net and that work always pays.
In practice, there are all sorts of difficulties of who deserves what and of up-and-down incomes. And implementing any change will always result in losers. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.
Miners and speleological types are UNDER the Earth as Ash Regan would know, and she’s the
acknowledged expert
Also, speleology. Fuck
My older daughter told me of a story about a speleologist who got stuck halfway through a cave opening with all his team behind him. They couldn’t pull him out without killing him and there was no one on the other side
So he just stayed there til he died. I guess of dehydration?
She said the story haunted her ever since she read it and I said “yes thanks darling now it will haunt me.”
And it has
However I maintain still its disingenuous to look at one without the other, given they are related and close together. Indeed its cynical but not unusual politics to do a tax rise in one budget, then a tax cut in the next closer to the election, which is exactly what was done here with the tax rise more than covering the supposed-cut.
To look at one without the other is disingenuous. Over the course of two consecutive autumn statements NI was fiddled with, with the net result being a tax rise but a lower rate that is only paid by salaried incomes. Treasury wins, those who work for a living aren't penalised as much and funded by a tax hike on unearned incomes.
Its exactly the right kind of policy that could be continued by Labour, except they won't as the Tories did it.
If the Boomers then want to go against the rest of Canada again and install him so be it, that's politics
A negative income tax is also a form of tapering with benefits again withdrawn gradually and completely once the income tax rate is reached and of course inevitably means no minimum wage either
This one?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutty_Putty_Cave
I’ve done number 2 I think. The lizard?
Number 3 is tantalising. Florida? I presume you are excluding islands
Also I’ve maybe done 4. Sagres in Portugal?
Actually, I suppose it depends on what you mean by 'low'. I think due to the bulge of the earth at the equator, due to its rotation,someone at sea level in the high Arctic will be closer to the centre of the earth than someone on the shore of the Dead Sea.
But that is an unusual definition of 'low'.
We all had a tinny to celebrate. Later I shoved the stupid kid out of the way to make sure I took the title
I get that Trump is not flavour of the month here, I can’t say I’m a fan myself, but the derangement when it comes to his comments, or what people think he said, is off the scale.
Thanks. Not
'Tonight on Look East the regions oldest woman meets the regions fattest man in the regions oldest church to discuss Norwich City's prospects in the worlds oldest League'
You can have a lot of fun like this in Cornwall.
3 is on Key West. Technically an island I suppose, but attached to the mainland. Obviously Hawaii is further south.
And I think 4 is Sagres, yes!
And you do, coz that’s PB. At its best
You've been the most southerly person in Gibraltar, if that's any consolation.
That will come to a head soon.
Is there a third drawer for those people?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2r108l785o
I saw this today in a phone box in Manchester. It's an infrequent local feature: this is the secomd time I've seen Paul Sullivan place such an ad encouraging everyone to get a bus to Withington to look at his book in the library: the first was about ten years ago. I've edited the bottom half off in which he, in pen, enourages people also to go to an event of unspecificed nature at Stretford athletics track, again giving detailed instructions on how to get there by public transport.
He certainly hasn't plastered the city with these; as far as I can tell, as last time, this is the only one.
Many questions are raised, few of which I can answer.
Not sure what to do with this information apart from usemy daily photo quota for it.
Carney does not have the numbers, eventually this will lead to a successful VoNC, especially as the NDP gave ruled out joining his government.
His not doing a budget but committing hundreds of billions is extremely shady. But he is a (very poor) central banker twit so its par for the course
His foreign relationships and policy is bizarre, unless he has some connection with Russia that we are unaware of.
Economists across the World and across history have explained that Tariffs are bad. Smoot -Hawley and the subsequent economic catastrophe should have taught him that lesson. So now Coca Cola are talking about moving their HQ from Atlanta to Europe or the Middle East. Heavy manufacturing and automotive are looking to move production from one third country to another to beat tariffs (not moving back to the rust-belt).
The performative cruelty and racism is World beating in its wickedness and projects like Gaza Atlantic City is beyond insane and the ethnic cleansing plan element is beyond belief.
He's deranged, and not me.
Slavery apparently.
Bizarre times.
https://x.com/azealiaslacewig/status/1929990131282522446?s=61
But however committed to a cause, all lawyers can do in litigation is do their best to get judges (etc) to do their best to apply the relevant UK law, which the advocates in the case didn't create, to the judges, not the advocate's, view of the facts.
In general cases yoyu describe as anti-British will have some branch of government as the other side. Unlike us poor mortals, there is no limit to how much of our taxpayers money they will throw at the UK government case. And thay can and do use the best.
Forcing a VONC and election by demanding a budget now rather than the autumn is absurd and would just give Carney a landslide most likely on current polls
I don’t need a lecture on the downside of tariffs. I was posting how bad a proposal of his they were during the campaign.
His government won't last a year, it may not last this month.
What Canada does about that is up to them
Which carries more weight?
Which carries even more weight presumably.
That's my daily birding anecdote related to a place somebody else has named.
Isn't that the ideal situation? All the perks but no responsibility.
I know pb.com likes to be precise...
Farage Derangement Syndrome
Even among career politicians actually running things from the top turns out to be a very different situation than they are used to.
I kid, for all I know she already does.
And yet, more great local wine
One of the noomiest places in the UK
Dark noom - the nuke station, and bright noom - the ravishingly lonely chapel. Described as a “bare boned box of holiness” by thriller writer S K Tremayne, I believe
Off the bat I am struggling to think of a noomier place in the UK, apart from St Kilda, which is one of the noomiest places on EARTH, so that’s a high bar
Mind you, I did walk from Edinburgh.
That chapel is a really atmospheric place.
Then Nuttall