A rare consensus on PB. Government should tax the type of gambling that PBers don't like, and leave the type of gambling that PBers do like alone.
I think they should tax all gambling. It's 100% discretionary and the information asymmetry between the punter and the bookie combined with universal accessibility via apps mean it's socially destructive in a way that it has never been before.
Can any single person be cashflow positive betting on EPL or the loosely motorsports based soap opera for middle aged white men? I doubt it these days,
Tony Bloom and Matthew Benham wave from their massive yachts....
But in general, as a former professional gambler, I tell people betting on things like the EPL is incredibly difficult as the market is extremely efficient. Tony Bloom has done it with a big team of maths PhDs. Also, if you do have an edge, getting money on is the hardest part. Haralabos Voulgaris has amazing stories of the lengths he had to go to actually bet on sports as nobody would take his money.
The American equivalent is a guy called Billy Walters, who used to bet millions on American Football back when it was pretty much only the Sports Books in Vegas. He had to keep turning over the people who worked on the ‘front line’ for him, as the casinos would ban anyone they suspected of placing money on his behalf. His book is a great read.
The likes of Walters and Voulgaris were putting so much money on they could actually manipulate the lines across Vegas and also on Pinnacle. And Pinnacle used to be the sports book of sharps and so when their line moved, it moved all the other books. Thus, Walters in particular was known to send people to put on big bets on sides he thought would lose just to move the lines.
Who are the whales in political betting. I know there was one in POTUS 2024: are there others and do we know their names?
I do chunky bets sometimes. Not quite a whale though. More of a freshwater salmon.
Russia invaded the Baltic states three times last century, occupying them for decades after WWII. It's not exactly surprising they're worried about a repeat.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia may become Putin's next target - because of this, the leaders of the Baltic countries criticized any attempts to force Ukraine to cede territory, writes FT. https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1954123898296975865
It’s been a very long running piece of irredentism that any land that was ever part of the Russian Empire is part of the New Russian Empire (of whatever version)
The USSR had it as policy. Putin has made it the policy of his party.
Russia devastated the Baltics several times in the 20thC (twice playing tag team with the Germans). Ideologically friendly Balts formed the backbone of the early Bolshevik Red Army, and the Cheka (and later died in Stalin's purges).
Others provided slave labour for various projects between the two world wars, or died in the gulags.
The hatred and distrust of Russia has deep and well grounded foundations.
Rather than rely on history, with nearly all the actors no longer alive, it's best to concentrate on the present. The Baltic States seem all to have large majorities who are happy to be independent, and we should support that, while reserving the right to be critical of treatment of pro-Russian minorities. Personally I doubt if there's a serious threat, because of their NATO membership, which makes them very different from Ukraine, but there's no reason why we shouldn't reinforce the commitment to supporting their independence.
Is NATO meaningful now, though, with this new America? Eg if Russia were to attack the Baltics the US might intervene but it wouldn't be because of a treaty obligation (which Trump laughs at) it would be because he feels personally slighted, or just likes the idea for some reason or other. Conversely if he doesn't they won't.
Never mind the US all other NATO nations would have to send troops and jets to the Baltics and intervene militarily if a NATO member state was invaded, which was not the case with non NATO Ukraine
I just bought a handsome William IV mahogany table for £129
wtf. A friend tells me “antique prices have collapsed”. “Especially for old brown stuff”
Is this true? It seems true from this deal
OTOH I might get it and find it collapses on arrival
Yes, for quite a long time.
It's also driven by large furniture and houses getting smaller, and fashion.
Mum and dad were in a 5000sqft former manor house for their last 40 years, of which restoration took 25 years. They had at least 3 full size (8 person) dining tables from relatives, and had amassed a collection of Guy Rogers 1960s Manhattan teak furniture of 3 full size double bed converting sofas, and about 9 chairs, as old friends moved to smaller houses - different period, same principle.
Estate sales of boomers (OK: former boomers) are one place to be.
Big and brown has been difficult to give away for a long time.
When the LAB LEAKED covid killed my mother I burned most of her antique furniture in the paddock of her house in North Yorks because getting rid of it was such a tiresome pain in the dick. There is literally no way to get rid of a massive 300kg 18th C. Flemish oak wardrobe other than burning it.
We've been clearing my late MIL's house most of the year, it seems never ending. Most of the furniture has gone to charity. Attempts to sell stuff online have not really been worth the hassle. Problems like the 4 piece suite which doesn't have fire certificates on it (meaning charities will not trust it) have had us pulling our hair out. . Dinning room table with 6 matching chairs, crockery sideboards, glass cabinets, we literally cannot give them away.
David, council take 5 large items away for 30 quid. Jigsaw and hammer can make the rest of smaller items into fire material, get yourself a 30 quid incinerator bin out of B&Q. So 60 quid and a bit of work and nothing beats a good fire.
Its only 3 items for £35 around here but 2 perfectly good mattresses and a broken washing machine are going away on Wednesday.
British Heart Foundation take large items, at least around my way, including mattresses but have to be in good condition. No stains, fire label on etc.
And they are strict about their rules and will just walk away if not met.
The fireproofing of furniture has caused a long term, massive drop in fatalities from domestic fires. IIRC toxic fumes from foam in furniture burning killed a lot of people before they were banned. The rules of fireproof(ish) materials saved even more.
Another labour ruse of raising taxes and then spending them on another spending commitment (which by the way is not popular according to polls) and at the same leaving the entirely 'self created Reeves black hole of 40 billion' untouched
Labour are addicted to taxing and spending, and just cannot help themselves
White the Tories just spent and borrowed.
Unprecented Covid and war in Ukraine and labour would have spent even more:
How much was spent on Covid-19 measures?
The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in very high levels of public spending. Current estimates of the total cost of government Covid-19 measures range from about £310 billion to £410 billion. This is the equivalent of about £4,600 to £6,100 per person in the UK.
Official figures show that spending in 2020/21 was about £179 billion higher than had been planned before the pandemic for that year.
Source: National Audit Office and HM Treasury (NAO/HMT), Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), and International Monetary Fund (IMF); see section 1.1 of this briefing for details. Calculated using UK population estimate from Office for National Statistics (ONS), Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland: mid-2020, 25 June 2021
A picture is sometimes better than many words
The COVID response really was the biggest waste of 💰 ever..did no-one in government think of the future..but I suppose when it's not your money in the first place..🥴
The only way to stop governments doing governmenty things like using their financial firepower to protect the public in times of crisis is to not have crises or, failing that, not have governments. The latter approach would sort out the public finances once and for all. No more debt, no more deficits.
Of course the irony is that while most voters support increasing taxes on online gambling, they also want to keep the 2 child benefit cap which the extra revenue from the tax is supposed to enable scrapping
But it has exactly the same flaw as the Online Wanking Act. If my winnings were being taxed at 50% I would go to an off shore site, obviously. Make it illegal then all the same stupid checks as online wanking.
I suspect most voters object to lads wanking to porn online as well, or at least say they do when polled on the subject.
I suspect the negative publicity over that stupid legislation will have a much higher impact that those who never visit remotely dodgy sites imagine.
World's longest wind blade (153m), heaviest nacelle (>500t) arrived in Shandong recently. They are designed for world's 1st 26MW offshore turbine by Dongfang electric w/ turbine hub center height of 185m. Each turbine can generate 100GWh of electricity/yr & cut > 80kt CO2. Transporting such long blade & heavy nacelle is extremely difficult & they are finding ways to overcome such challenges to bring them to port & ship them. 500t nacelle also exceeds typical port crane lifting ability, so new solutions need to be developed to put them on cargo ships. https://x.com/tphuang/status/1954360989207687179
Of course the irony is that while most voters support increasing taxes on online gambling, they also want to keep the 2 child benefit cap which the extra revenue from the tax is supposed to enable scrapping
But it has exactly the same flaw as the Online Wanking Act. If my winnings were being taxed at 50% I would go to an off shore site, obviously. Make it illegal then all the same stupid checks as online wanking.
I suspect most voters object to lads wanking to porn online as well, or at least say they do when polled on the subject.
I suspect the negative publicity over that stupid legislation will have a much higher impact that those who never visit remotely dodgy sites imagine.
It helps Starmer with his authoritarian stance to redwall and provincial parents of school age kids though, putting him on the side of school age parents and Farage on the side of the gamblers and pornographers
Witkoff is a complete imbecile, who told European leaders, directly or through Trump, THREE DIFFERENT THINGS on three different days about key aspects of Putin’s proposal. Combine that with Trump’s impulsiveness and you have a recipe for disaster. What a mess. https://x.com/hissgoescobra/status/1954227316437213449
Of course the irony is that while most voters support increasing taxes on online gambling, they also want to keep the 2 child benefit cap which the extra revenue from the tax is supposed to enable scrapping
But it has exactly the same flaw as the Online Wanking Act. If my winnings were being taxed at 50% I would go to an off shore site, obviously. Make it illegal then all the same stupid checks as online wanking.
I suspect most voters object to lads wanking to porn online as well, or at least say they do when polled on the subject.
I suspect the negative publicity over that stupid legislation will have a much higher impact that those who never visit remotely dodgy sites imagine.
It helps Starmer with his authoritarian stance to redwall and provincial parents of school age kids though, putting him on the side of school age parents and Farage on the side of the gamblers and pornographers
Witkoff is a complete imbecile, who told European leaders, directly or through Trump, THREE DIFFERENT THINGS on three different days about key aspects of Putin’s proposal. Combine that with Trump’s impulsiveness and you have a recipe for disaster. What a mess. https://x.com/hissgoescobra/status/1954227316437213449
Of course the irony is that while most voters support increasing taxes on online gambling, they also want to keep the 2 child benefit cap which the extra revenue from the tax is supposed to enable scrapping
But it has exactly the same flaw as the Online Wanking Act. If my winnings were being taxed at 50% I would go to an off shore site, obviously. Make it illegal then all the same stupid checks as online wanking.
I suspect most voters object to lads wanking to porn online as well, or at least say they do when polled on the subject.
I suspect the negative publicity over that stupid legislation will have a much higher impact that those who never visit remotely dodgy sites imagine.
It helps Starmer with his authoritarian stance to redwall and provincial parents of school age kids though, putting him on the side of school age parents and Farage on the side of the gamblers and pornographers
Farage being on the side of pornographers will be a hard sell.
Russia invaded the Baltic states three times last century, occupying them for decades after WWII. It's not exactly surprising they're worried about a repeat.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia may become Putin's next target - because of this, the leaders of the Baltic countries criticized any attempts to force Ukraine to cede territory, writes FT. https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1954123898296975865
It’s been a very long running piece of irredentism that any land that was ever part of the Russian Empire is part of the New Russian Empire (of whatever version)
The USSR had it as policy. Putin has made it the policy of his party.
Russia devastated the Baltics several times in the 20thC (twice playing tag team with the Germans). Ideologically friendly Balts formed the backbone of the early Bolshevik Red Army, and the Cheka (and later died in Stalin's purges).
Others provided slave labour for various projects between the two world wars, or died in the gulags.
The hatred and distrust of Russia has deep and well grounded foundations.
Rather than rely on history, with nearly all the actors no longer alive, it's best to concentrate on the present. The Baltic States seem all to have large majorities who are happy to be independent, and we should support that, while reserving the right to be critical of treatment of pro-Russian minorities. Personally I doubt if there's a serious threat, because of their NATO membership, which makes them very different from Ukraine, but there's no reason why we shouldn't reinforce the commitment to supporting their independence.
Is NATO meaningful now, though, with this new America? Eg if Russia were to attack the Baltics the US might intervene but it wouldn't be because of a treaty obligation (which Trump laughs at) it would be because he feels personally slighted, or just likes the idea for some reason or other. Conversely if he doesn't they won't.
Never mind the US all other NATO nations would have to send troops and jets to the Baltics and intervene militarily if a NATO member state was invaded, which was not the case with non NATO Ukraine
Yes but without the US we're looking at something different - a Common European Defence Obligation. CEDO.
That would have to be backed up by capability and it will take a decade, even if the money and political will is there, to build that to a level which fills the hole left by the Americans.
Which is why, galling though it is, Trump can't be just told to eff off. And why if he does (from Ukraine) it will create a massive crisis.
Netanyahu says that Gaza will be demilitarised and outlines the Israel's five principles to conclude the war.
He says these are:
The disarmament of Hamas Return of all hostages Demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip Israel taking "overriding security control" in the Strip Establishment of an "alternative civil administration" that is not Hamas or the Palestinian Authority
That last point is as likely as those Ed Ball tests for joining the Euro.
Russia invaded the Baltic states three times last century, occupying them for decades after WWII. It's not exactly surprising they're worried about a repeat.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia may become Putin's next target - because of this, the leaders of the Baltic countries criticized any attempts to force Ukraine to cede territory, writes FT. https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1954123898296975865
It’s been a very long running piece of irredentism that any land that was ever part of the Russian Empire is part of the New Russian Empire (of whatever version)
The USSR had it as policy. Putin has made it the policy of his party.
Russia devastated the Baltics several times in the 20thC (twice playing tag team with the Germans). Ideologically friendly Balts formed the backbone of the early Bolshevik Red Army, and the Cheka (and later died in Stalin's purges).
Others provided slave labour for various projects between the two world wars, or died in the gulags.
The hatred and distrust of Russia has deep and well grounded foundations.
Rather than rely on history, with nearly all the actors no longer alive, it's best to concentrate on the present. The Baltic States seem all to have large majorities who are happy to be independent, and we should support that, while reserving the right to be critical of treatment of pro-Russian minorities. Personally I doubt if there's a serious threat, because of their NATO membership, which makes them very different from Ukraine, but there's no reason why we shouldn't reinforce the commitment to supporting their independence.
Is NATO meaningful now, though, with this new America? Eg if Russia were to attack the Baltics the US might intervene but it wouldn't be because of a treaty obligation (which Trump laughs at) it would be because he feels personally slighted, or just likes the idea for some reason or other. Conversely if he doesn't they won't.
Never mind the US all other NATO nations would have to send troops and jets to the Baltics and intervene militarily if a NATO member state was invaded, which was not the case with non NATO Ukraine
Yes but without the US we're looking at something different - a Common European Defence Obligation. CEDO.
That would have to be backed up by capability and it will take a decade, even if the money and political will is there, to build that to a level which fills the hole left by the Americans.
Which is why, galling though it is, Trump can't be just told to eff off. And why if he does (from Ukraine) it will create a massive crisis.
They don't "have to" do anything; they are required to consider what to do.
There's plenty of leeway sufficient to allow Trump to sit on his butt.
World's longest wind blade (153m), heaviest nacelle (>500t) arrived in Shandong recently. They are designed for world's 1st 26MW offshore turbine by Dongfang electric w/ turbine hub center height of 185m. Each turbine can generate 100GWh of electricity/yr & cut > 80kt CO2. Transporting such long blade & heavy nacelle is extremely difficult & they are finding ways to overcome such challenges to bring them to port & ship them. 500t nacelle also exceeds typical port crane lifting ability, so new solutions need to be developed to put them on cargo ships. https://x.com/tphuang/status/1954360989207687179
That’s 340m tall, which is taller than any structure in the UK and taller than all but about half a dozen skyscrapers in Dubai. (For reference, the Shard building in London is 310m, 1,016’, tall).
Those parts are going to be almost impossible to move, the factory will have to be in the shipyard and the installation offshore.
Indivisible parts that are 500’ long or weigh 500t just don’t exist anywhere else. They’re going to have to start making the blades in sections and hubs in pieces that can be assembled on site.
Another labour ruse of raising taxes and then spending them on another spending commitment (which by the way is not popular according to polls) and at the same leaving the entirely 'self created Reeves black hole of 40 billion' untouched
Labour are addicted to taxing and spending, and just cannot help themselves
White the Tories just spent and borrowed.
Unprecented Covid and war in Ukraine and labour would have spent even more:
How much was spent on Covid-19 measures?
The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in very high levels of public spending. Current estimates of the total cost of government Covid-19 measures range from about £310 billion to £410 billion. This is the equivalent of about £4,600 to £6,100 per person in the UK.
Official figures show that spending in 2020/21 was about £179 billion higher than had been planned before the pandemic for that year.
Source: National Audit Office and HM Treasury (NAO/HMT), Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), and International Monetary Fund (IMF); see section 1.1 of this briefing for details. Calculated using UK population estimate from Office for National Statistics (ONS), Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland: mid-2020, 25 June 2021
A picture is sometimes better than many words
Indeed it does. You can see the problem started, to give it a political date, after the 2001 election, when the investment spending taps were well and truly turned on by Gordon Brown.
The country was in a bad place even before the 2008 recession, and has never properly recovered. There were still deficits 12 years later when the pandemic hit.
Have another dekko at the chart and it looks like Brown's spending taps took us to roughly where we'd been previously in the 70s, 80s and 90s.
World's longest wind blade (153m), heaviest nacelle (>500t) arrived in Shandong recently. They are designed for world's 1st 26MW offshore turbine by Dongfang electric w/ turbine hub center height of 185m. Each turbine can generate 100GWh of electricity/yr & cut > 80kt CO2. Transporting such long blade & heavy nacelle is extremely difficult & they are finding ways to overcome such challenges to bring them to port & ship them. 500t nacelle also exceeds typical port crane lifting ability, so new solutions need to be developed to put them on cargo ships. https://x.com/tphuang/status/1954360989207687179
For comparison, we have 15MW turbines with ~110m blades in the Dogger Bank field. The blades are made on Teeside.
Russia invaded the Baltic states three times last century, occupying them for decades after WWII. It's not exactly surprising they're worried about a repeat.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia may become Putin's next target - because of this, the leaders of the Baltic countries criticized any attempts to force Ukraine to cede territory, writes FT. https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1954123898296975865
It’s been a very long running piece of irredentism that any land that was ever part of the Russian Empire is part of the New Russian Empire (of whatever version)
The USSR had it as policy. Putin has made it the policy of his party.
Russia devastated the Baltics several times in the 20thC (twice playing tag team with the Germans). Ideologically friendly Balts formed the backbone of the early Bolshevik Red Army, and the Cheka (and later died in Stalin's purges).
Others provided slave labour for various projects between the two world wars, or died in the gulags.
The hatred and distrust of Russia has deep and well grounded foundations.
Rather than rely on history, with nearly all the actors no longer alive, it's best to concentrate on the present. The Baltic States seem all to have large majorities who are happy to be independent, and we should support that, while reserving the right to be critical of treatment of pro-Russian minorities. Personally I doubt if there's a serious threat, because of their NATO membership, which makes them very different from Ukraine, but there's no reason why we shouldn't reinforce the commitment to supporting their independence.
Is NATO meaningful now, though, with this new America? Eg if Russia were to attack the Baltics the US might intervene but it wouldn't be because of a treaty obligation (which Trump laughs at) it would be because he feels personally slighted, or just likes the idea for some reason or other. Conversely if he doesn't they won't.
Never mind the US all other NATO nations would have to send troops and jets to the Baltics and intervene militarily if a NATO member state was invaded, which was not the case with non NATO Ukraine
Yes but without the US we're looking at something different - a Common European Defence Obligation. CEDO.
That would have to be backed up by capability and it will take a decade, even if the money and political will is there, to build that to a level which fills the hole left by the Americans.
Which is why, galling though it is, Trump can't be just told to eff off. And why if he does (from Ukraine) it will create a massive crisis.
A Common European and Canadian and Turkish Defence Obligation but yes your point is valid, though if a Democrat wins the Presidency next time it may not be needed long term anyway
Netanyahu says that Gaza will be demilitarised and outlines the Israel's five principles to conclude the war.
He says these are:
The disarmament of Hamas Return of all hostages Demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip Israel taking "overriding security control" in the Strip Establishment of an "alternative civil administration" that is not Hamas or the Palestinian Authority
That last point is as likely as those Ed Ball tests for joining the Euro.
Would Bibi’s pet Isis adjacent Gazan gangs qualify as not Hamas or Palestine Authority?
Russia invaded the Baltic states three times last century, occupying them for decades after WWII. It's not exactly surprising they're worried about a repeat.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia may become Putin's next target - because of this, the leaders of the Baltic countries criticized any attempts to force Ukraine to cede territory, writes FT. https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1954123898296975865
It’s been a very long running piece of irredentism that any land that was ever part of the Russian Empire is part of the New Russian Empire (of whatever version)
The USSR had it as policy. Putin has made it the policy of his party.
Russia devastated the Baltics several times in the 20thC (twice playing tag team with the Germans). Ideologically friendly Balts formed the backbone of the early Bolshevik Red Army, and the Cheka (and later died in Stalin's purges).
Others provided slave labour for various projects between the two world wars, or died in the gulags.
The hatred and distrust of Russia has deep and well grounded foundations.
Rather than rely on history, with nearly all the actors no longer alive, it's best to concentrate on the present. The Baltic States seem all to have large majorities who are happy to be independent, and we should support that, while reserving the right to be critical of treatment of pro-Russian minorities. Personally I doubt if there's a serious threat, because of their NATO membership, which makes them very different from Ukraine, but there's no reason why we shouldn't reinforce the commitment to supporting their independence.
Is NATO meaningful now, though, with this new America? Eg if Russia were to attack the Baltics the US might intervene but it wouldn't be because of a treaty obligation (which Trump laughs at) it would be because he feels personally slighted, or just likes the idea for some reason or other. Conversely if he doesn't they won't.
Never mind the US all other NATO nations would have to send troops and jets to the Baltics and intervene militarily if a NATO member state was invaded, which was not the case with non NATO Ukraine
Yes but without the US we're looking at something different - a Common European Defence Obligation. CEDO.
That would have to be backed up by capability and it will take a decade, even if the money and political will is there, to build that to a level which fills the hole left by the Americans.
Which is why, galling though it is, Trump can't be just told to eff off. And why if he does (from Ukraine) it will create a massive crisis.
They don't "have to" do anything; they are required to consider what to do.
There's plenty of leeway sufficient to allow Trump to sit on his butt.
Yes but an obligation to defend the continent is only meaningful if it's accompanied by capability. That's what I mean. And it's a big financial, logistical and political challenge for Europe to construct this without the US.
World's longest wind blade (153m), heaviest nacelle (>500t) arrived in Shandong recently. They are designed for world's 1st 26MW offshore turbine by Dongfang electric w/ turbine hub center height of 185m. Each turbine can generate 100GWh of electricity/yr & cut > 80kt CO2. Transporting such long blade & heavy nacelle is extremely difficult & they are finding ways to overcome such challenges to bring them to port & ship them. 500t nacelle also exceeds typical port crane lifting ability, so new solutions need to be developed to put them on cargo ships. https://x.com/tphuang/status/1954360989207687179
That’s 340m tall, which is taller than any structure in the UK and taller than all but about half a dozen skyscrapers in Dubai. (For reference, the Shard building in London is 310m, 1,016’, tall).
Those parts are going to be almost impossible to move, the factory will have to be in the shipyard and the installation offshore.
Indivisible parts that are 500’ long or weigh 500t just don’t exist anywhere else. They’re going to have to start making the blades in sections and hubs in pieces that can be assembled on site.
Picking up my other post, that's exactly where the Dogger Bank factory is in Hull - Alexandra Dock. I wonder if the RefUK Regional Mayor, who I think covers the area, will visit the factory, or put his fingers in his ears and go La La La.
Netanyahu says that Gaza will be demilitarised and outlines the Israel's five principles to conclude the war.
He says these are:
The disarmament of Hamas Return of all hostages Demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip Israel taking "overriding security control" in the Strip Establishment of an "alternative civil administration" that is not Hamas or the Palestinian Authority
That last point is as likely as those Ed Ball tests for joining the Euro.
Well if you want a war with staying power it makes sense to set highly unlikely conditions for ending it. Putin is doing the same thing.
Why do police women wear those silly hats? Why don’t they wear caps like female soldiers do or even police helmets like the men do?
I know it’s got nothing to do with anything but just saw one on tv and wondered what that’s all about.
What's your objection?
I think they look terrible but also why should police women wear a feminised form of headdress instead of wearing what policemen wear? Its obviously not the biggest issue in the world but I find it a bit odd.
Another labour ruse of raising taxes and then spending them on another spending commitment (which by the way is not popular according to polls) and at the same leaving the entirely 'self created Reeves black hole of 40 billion' untouched
Labour are addicted to taxing and spending, and just cannot help themselves
White the Tories just spent and borrowed.
Unprecented Covid and war in Ukraine and labour would have spent even more:
How much was spent on Covid-19 measures?
The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in very high levels of public spending. Current estimates of the total cost of government Covid-19 measures range from about £310 billion to £410 billion. This is the equivalent of about £4,600 to £6,100 per person in the UK.
Official figures show that spending in 2020/21 was about £179 billion higher than had been planned before the pandemic for that year.
Source: National Audit Office and HM Treasury (NAO/HMT), Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), and International Monetary Fund (IMF); see section 1.1 of this briefing for details. Calculated using UK population estimate from Office for National Statistics (ONS), Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland: mid-2020, 25 June 2021
A picture is sometimes better than many words
Indeed it does. You can see the problem started, to give it a political date, after the 2001 election, when the investment spending taps were well and truly turned on by Gordon Brown.
The country was in a bad place even before the 2008 recession, and has never properly recovered. There were still deficits 12 years later when the pandemic hit.
Have another dekko at the chart and it looks like Brown's spending taps took us to roughly where we'd been previously in the 70s, 80s and 90s.
And before he turned the taps on he filled the tank with some surpluses. (or should that be surpli?)
Why do police women wear those silly hats? Why don’t they wear caps like female soldiers do or even police helmets like the men do?
I know it’s got nothing to do with anything but just saw one on tv and wondered what that’s all about.
What's your objection?
I think they look terrible but also why should police women wear a feminised form of headdress instead of wearing what policemen wear? Its obviously not the biggest issue in the world but I find it a bit odd.
On a scale of 1-Donald Trump meeting Vladimir Putin to re-map Ukraine: How odd?
Russia invaded the Baltic states three times last century, occupying them for decades after WWII. It's not exactly surprising they're worried about a repeat.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia may become Putin's next target - because of this, the leaders of the Baltic countries criticized any attempts to force Ukraine to cede territory, writes FT. https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1954123898296975865
It’s been a very long running piece of irredentism that any land that was ever part of the Russian Empire is part of the New Russian Empire (of whatever version)
The USSR had it as policy. Putin has made it the policy of his party.
Russia devastated the Baltics several times in the 20thC (twice playing tag team with the Germans). Ideologically friendly Balts formed the backbone of the early Bolshevik Red Army, and the Cheka (and later died in Stalin's purges).
Others provided slave labour for various projects between the two world wars, or died in the gulags.
The hatred and distrust of Russia has deep and well grounded foundations.
Rather than rely on history, with nearly all the actors no longer alive, it's best to concentrate on the present. The Baltic States seem all to have large majorities who are happy to be independent, and we should support that, while reserving the right to be critical of treatment of pro-Russian minorities. Personally I doubt if there's a serious threat, because of their NATO membership, which makes them very different from Ukraine, but there's no reason why we shouldn't reinforce the commitment to supporting their independence.
Is NATO meaningful now, though, with this new America? Eg if Russia were to attack the Baltics the US might intervene but it wouldn't be because of a treaty obligation (which Trump laughs at) it would be because he feels personally slighted, or just likes the idea for some reason or other. Conversely if he doesn't they won't.
Never mind the US all other NATO nations would have to send troops and jets to the Baltics and intervene militarily if a NATO member state was invaded, which was not the case with non NATO Ukraine
Yes but without the US we're looking at something different - a Common European Defence Obligation. CEDO.
That would have to be backed up by capability and it will take a decade, even if the money and political will is there, to build that to a level which fills the hole left by the Americans.
Which is why, galling though it is, Trump can't be just told to eff off. And why if he does (from Ukraine) it will create a massive crisis.
A Common European and Canadian and Turkish Defence Obligation but yes your point is valid, though if a Democrat wins the Presidency next time it may not be needed long term anyway
I think we need to remember that Trump has been elected twice. We can no longer rely on the United States
I hold no brief for Prince Andrew, but why is it, when Epstein was publicly associated with Bill Clinton, Kevin Spacey, Al Gore and Bill Gates, that every time Epstein comes back to public prominence, the media is wall-to-wall Randy Andy?
Another labour ruse of raising taxes and then spending them on another spending commitment (which by the way is not popular according to polls) and at the same leaving the entirely 'self created Reeves black hole of 40 billion' untouched
Labour are addicted to taxing and spending, and just cannot help themselves
“Ruse”. “Self Created”. “Reeves black hole”. “Addicted”.
What prompts did you use for this one?
I do not use prompts, just a fair observation of Reeves job destroying Autumn Statement and surely nobody denies labour are addicted to spending
The truth hurts at times
But literally none of this is true! You are telling reflexive untruths
1. A “ruse” is a trick, a deception. This article is an op-ed by a former leader, not even policy yet, it may never even be policy, which sets out (if adopted) exactly what they would do. How exactly is it a “ruse”?
2. “…not that popular according to polls…” is demonstrably untrue given the thread header confirms the (proposed) policy itself polls at 70% support.
3. “…self created black hole of £40 billion…” which you later go on to suggest was caused by the 30 October 2024 autumn statement. But this figure was being discussed BEFORE the Autumn statement. Here’s an article mentioning it 2 weeks earlier-
So when did Reeves create this “black hole” before the Autumn statement? Why was she looking to fill it? What economic levers did she disasterously pull between 4 July and October 2024 to create this oft quoted figure?
5. As for “addicted”…what do you want me to say here? The original sin of this government (winter fuel allowance) that precipitated its rapid fall in the polls was a significant spending cut.
I’m sorry but none of your post stood up to any scrutiny at all.
Like the old days! It's a while since we've seen some analysis that goes beyond the use of caps and swearing
Russia invaded the Baltic states three times last century, occupying them for decades after WWII. It's not exactly surprising they're worried about a repeat.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia may become Putin's next target - because of this, the leaders of the Baltic countries criticized any attempts to force Ukraine to cede territory, writes FT. https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1954123898296975865
It’s been a very long running piece of irredentism that any land that was ever part of the Russian Empire is part of the New Russian Empire (of whatever version)
The USSR had it as policy. Putin has made it the policy of his party.
Russia devastated the Baltics several times in the 20thC (twice playing tag team with the Germans). Ideologically friendly Balts formed the backbone of the early Bolshevik Red Army, and the Cheka (and later died in Stalin's purges).
Others provided slave labour for various projects between the two world wars, or died in the gulags.
The hatred and distrust of Russia has deep and well grounded foundations.
Rather than rely on history, with nearly all the actors no longer alive, it's best to concentrate on the present. The Baltic States seem all to have large majorities who are happy to be independent, and we should support that, while reserving the right to be critical of treatment of pro-Russian minorities. Personally I doubt if there's a serious threat, because of their NATO membership, which makes them very different from Ukraine, but there's no reason why we shouldn't reinforce the commitment to supporting their independence.
The problem is Nick, I don't believe you.
When Ukraine was invaded (again...) in 2022, you blamed everyone but Russia. We shouldn't 'poke' Russia into invading, Ukrainian Nazi's, etc. Pure victim-blaming and whitewashing of Putin's fascism and imperialism.
I daresay when Russia does invade the Baltics or elewhere, you will be full-on excusing-Russia mode.
Why do police women wear those silly hats? Why don’t they wear caps like female soldiers do or even police helmets like the men do?
I know it’s got nothing to do with anything but just saw one on tv and wondered what that’s all about.
What's your objection?
I think they look terrible but also why should police women wear a feminised form of headdress instead of wearing what policemen wear? Its obviously not the biggest issue in the world but I find it a bit odd.
I am not sure why they wouldn't wear a feminised form of something, when they are women. Women wear a feminised form of men's clothing (or vice versa) in civilian life, do you have an objection to that too?
Another labour ruse of raising taxes and then spending them on another spending commitment (which by the way is not popular according to polls) and at the same leaving the entirely 'self created Reeves black hole of 40 billion' untouched
Labour are addicted to taxing and spending, and just cannot help themselves
“Ruse”. “Self Created”. “Reeves black hole”. “Addicted”.
What prompts did you use for this one?
I do not use prompts, just a fair observation of Reeves job destroying Autumn Statement and surely nobody denies labour are addicted to spending
The truth hurts at times
But literally none of this is true! You are telling reflexive untruths
1. A “ruse” is a trick, a deception. This article is an op-ed by a former leader, not even policy yet, it may never even be policy, which sets out (if adopted) exactly what they would do. How exactly is it a “ruse”?
2. “…not that popular according to polls…” is demonstrably untrue given the thread header confirms the (proposed) policy itself polls at 70% support.
3. “…self created black hole of £40 billion…” which you later go on to suggest was caused by the 30 October 2024 autumn statement. But this figure was being discussed BEFORE the Autumn statement. Here’s an article mentioning it 2 weeks earlier-
So when did Reeves create this “black hole” before the Autumn statement? Why was she looking to fill it? What economic levers did she disasterously pull between 4 July and October 2024 to create this oft quoted figure?
5. As for “addicted”…what do you want me to say here? The original sin of this government (winter fuel allowance) that precipitated its rapid fall in the polls was a significant spending cut.
I’m sorry but none of your post stood up to any scrutiny at all.
Like the old days! It's a while since we've seen some analysis that goes beyond the use of caps and swearing
It was known when the employee NI cuts were made that it was based on absolutely everything going right all the time for them to be affordable.
Guess what - Hunt isn't the chancellor and things didn't go perfectly.
Russia invaded the Baltic states three times last century, occupying them for decades after WWII. It's not exactly surprising they're worried about a repeat.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia may become Putin's next target - because of this, the leaders of the Baltic countries criticized any attempts to force Ukraine to cede territory, writes FT. https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1954123898296975865
It’s been a very long running piece of irredentism that any land that was ever part of the Russian Empire is part of the New Russian Empire (of whatever version)
The USSR had it as policy. Putin has made it the policy of his party.
Russia devastated the Baltics several times in the 20thC (twice playing tag team with the Germans). Ideologically friendly Balts formed the backbone of the early Bolshevik Red Army, and the Cheka (and later died in Stalin's purges).
Others provided slave labour for various projects between the two world wars, or died in the gulags.
The hatred and distrust of Russia has deep and well grounded foundations.
Rather than rely on history, with nearly all the actors no longer alive, it's best to concentrate on the present. The Baltic States seem all to have large majorities who are happy to be independent, and we should support that, while reserving the right to be critical of treatment of pro-Russian minorities. Personally I doubt if there's a serious threat, because of their NATO membership, which makes them very different from Ukraine, but there's no reason why we shouldn't reinforce the commitment to supporting their independence.
Is NATO meaningful now, though, with this new America? Eg if Russia were to attack the Baltics the US might intervene but it wouldn't be because of a treaty obligation (which Trump laughs at) it would be because he feels personally slighted, or just likes the idea for some reason or other. Conversely if he doesn't they won't.
Never mind the US all other NATO nations would have to send troops and jets to the Baltics and intervene militarily if a NATO member state was invaded, which was not the case with non NATO Ukraine
Yes but without the US we're looking at something different - a Common European Defence Obligation. CEDO.
That would have to be backed up by capability and it will take a decade, even if the money and political will is there, to build that to a level which fills the hole left by the Americans.
Which is why, galling though it is, Trump can't be just told to eff off. And why if he does (from Ukraine) it will create a massive crisis.
A Common European and Canadian and Turkish Defence Obligation but yes your point is valid, though if a Democrat wins the Presidency next time it may not be needed long term anyway
I think we need to remember that Trump has been elected twice. We can no longer rely on the United States
No but it is also possible in 2029 Buttiegieg for example could be US President while Bardella is President of France and Farage PM of the UK, in which case the US may at that point be more reliable for Zelensky than the French and us.
Another labour ruse of raising taxes and then spending them on another spending commitment (which by the way is not popular according to polls) and at the same leaving the entirely 'self created Reeves black hole of 40 billion' untouched
Labour are addicted to taxing and spending, and just cannot help themselves
“Ruse”. “Self Created”. “Reeves black hole”. “Addicted”.
What prompts did you use for this one?
I do not use prompts, just a fair observation of Reeves job destroying Autumn Statement and surely nobody denies labour are addicted to spending
The truth hurts at times
But literally none of this is true! You are telling reflexive untruths
1. A “ruse” is a trick, a deception. This article is an op-ed by a former leader, not even policy yet, it may never even be policy, which sets out (if adopted) exactly what they would do. How exactly is it a “ruse”?
2. “…not that popular according to polls…” is demonstrably untrue given the thread header confirms the (proposed) policy itself polls at 70% support.
3. “…self created black hole of £40 billion…” which you later go on to suggest was caused by the 30 October 2024 autumn statement. But this figure was being discussed BEFORE the Autumn statement. Here’s an article mentioning it 2 weeks earlier-
So when did Reeves create this “black hole” before the Autumn statement? Why was she looking to fill it? What economic levers did she disasterously pull between 4 July and October 2024 to create this oft quoted figure?
5. As for “addicted”…what do you want me to say here? The original sin of this government (winter fuel allowance) that precipitated its rapid fall in the polls was a significant spending cut.
I’m sorry but none of your post stood up to any scrutiny at all.
Like the old days! It's a while since we've seen some analysis that goes beyond the use of caps and swearing
Analysis but incorrect and proven so in subsequent dialogue by fellow postera
Russia invaded the Baltic states three times last century, occupying them for decades after WWII. It's not exactly surprising they're worried about a repeat.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia may become Putin's next target - because of this, the leaders of the Baltic countries criticized any attempts to force Ukraine to cede territory, writes FT. https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1954123898296975865
It’s been a very long running piece of irredentism that any land that was ever part of the Russian Empire is part of the New Russian Empire (of whatever version)
The USSR had it as policy. Putin has made it the policy of his party.
Russia devastated the Baltics several times in the 20thC (twice playing tag team with the Germans). Ideologically friendly Balts formed the backbone of the early Bolshevik Red Army, and the Cheka (and later died in Stalin's purges).
Others provided slave labour for various projects between the two world wars, or died in the gulags.
The hatred and distrust of Russia has deep and well grounded foundations.
Rather than rely on history, with nearly all the actors no longer alive, it's best to concentrate on the present. The Baltic States seem all to have large majorities who are happy to be independent, and we should support that, while reserving the right to be critical of treatment of pro-Russian minorities. Personally I doubt if there's a serious threat, because of their NATO membership, which makes them very different from Ukraine, but there's no reason why we shouldn't reinforce the commitment to supporting their independence.
Is NATO meaningful now, though, with this new America? Eg if Russia were to attack the Baltics the US might intervene but it wouldn't be because of a treaty obligation (which Trump laughs at) it would be because he feels personally slighted, or just likes the idea for some reason or other. Conversely if he doesn't they won't.
Never mind the US all other NATO nations would have to send troops and jets to the Baltics and intervene militarily if a NATO member state was invaded, which was not the case with non NATO Ukraine
Yes but without the US we're looking at something different - a Common European Defence Obligation. CEDO.
That would have to be backed up by capability and it will take a decade, even if the money and political will is there, to build that to a level which fills the hole left by the Americans.
Which is why, galling though it is, Trump can't be just told to eff off. And why if he does (from Ukraine) it will create a massive crisis.
A Common European and Canadian and Turkish Defence Obligation but yes your point is valid, though if a Democrat wins the Presidency next time it may not be needed long term anyway
I think we need to remember that Trump has been elected twice. We can no longer rely on the United States
No but it is also possible in 2029 Buttiegieg for example could be US President while Bardella is President of France and Farage PM of the UK, in which case the US may at that point be more reliable for Zelensky than the French and us.
The problem is UVDL has committed to huge spending on US arms and equipment and the EU will remain heavily involved with the US for defence
Another labour ruse of raising taxes and then spending them on another spending commitment (which by the way is not popular according to polls) and at the same leaving the entirely 'self created Reeves black hole of 40 billion' untouched
Labour are addicted to taxing and spending, and just cannot help themselves
“Ruse”. “Self Created”. “Reeves black hole”. “Addicted”.
What prompts did you use for this one?
I do not use prompts, just a fair observation of Reeves job destroying Autumn Statement and surely nobody denies labour are addicted to spending
The truth hurts at times
But literally none of this is true! You are telling reflexive untruths
1. A “ruse” is a trick, a deception. This article is an op-ed by a former leader, not even policy yet, it may never even be policy, which sets out (if adopted) exactly what they would do. How exactly is it a “ruse”?
2. “…not that popular according to polls…” is demonstrably untrue given the thread header confirms the (proposed) policy itself polls at 70% support.
3. “…self created black hole of £40 billion…” which you later go on to suggest was caused by the 30 October 2024 autumn statement. But this figure was being discussed BEFORE the Autumn statement. Here’s an article mentioning it 2 weeks earlier-
So when did Reeves create this “black hole” before the Autumn statement? Why was she looking to fill it? What economic levers did she disasterously pull between 4 July and October 2024 to create this oft quoted figure?
5. As for “addicted”…what do you want me to say here? The original sin of this government (winter fuel allowance) that precipitated its rapid fall in the polls was a significant spending cut.
I’m sorry but none of your post stood up to any scrutiny at all.
Like the old days! It's a while since we've seen some analysis that goes beyond the use of caps and swearing
It was known when the employee NI cuts were made that it was based on absolutely everything going right all the time for them to be affordable.
Guess what - Hunt isn't the chancellor and things didn't go perfectly.
Especially since some of the things that needed to go perfectly were never actually specified ("we will restrain spending but sadly this margin is too small to contain the details of those restraints".)
And whilst it would have been better all round had Labour got a mandate to increase the big taxes (that's what the sort of society most of us want costs), I sort of get why that was felt to be a gamble too far. And the Sunak manifesto included a pledge to cut the rate of employee NI even more.
Online gambling, with its high level of accessibility, anonymity, immersive interface and ease at which money can be spent, may increase rates of disordered gambling. Also I hated (are they still on?) those Ray Winstone ads in the middle of PL games. That’s not, admittedly, a basis for taxation policy, but it’s a start.
EDIT: they were banned in 2018. Finger on the pulse Doug they call me…
Actually, I think the ban only applies immediately before a game starts (and maybe at halftime).
Russia invaded the Baltic states three times last century, occupying them for decades after WWII. It's not exactly surprising they're worried about a repeat.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia may become Putin's next target - because of this, the leaders of the Baltic countries criticized any attempts to force Ukraine to cede territory, writes FT. https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1954123898296975865
It’s been a very long running piece of irredentism that any land that was ever part of the Russian Empire is part of the New Russian Empire (of whatever version)
The USSR had it as policy. Putin has made it the policy of his party.
Some of the Russian bloggers are seriously asking for Alaska back. Wonder if Trump will clock they're not serious when Putin puts that point to him.
Russia invaded the Baltic states three times last century, occupying them for decades after WWII. It's not exactly surprising they're worried about a repeat.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia may become Putin's next target - because of this, the leaders of the Baltic countries criticized any attempts to force Ukraine to cede territory, writes FT. https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1954123898296975865
It’s been a very long running piece of irredentism that any land that was ever part of the Russian Empire is part of the New Russian Empire (of whatever version)
The USSR had it as policy. Putin has made it the policy of his party.
Some of the Russian bloggers are seriously asking for Alaska back. Wonder if Trump will clock they're not serious when Putin puts that point to him.
Trump probably doesn't even know it was once Russia's
World's longest wind blade (153m), heaviest nacelle (>500t) arrived in Shandong recently. They are designed for world's 1st 26MW offshore turbine by Dongfang electric w/ turbine hub center height of 185m. Each turbine can generate 100GWh of electricity/yr & cut > 80kt CO2. Transporting such long blade & heavy nacelle is extremely difficult & they are finding ways to overcome such challenges to bring them to port & ship them. 500t nacelle also exceeds typical port crane lifting ability, so new solutions need to be developed to put them on cargo ships. https://x.com/tphuang/status/1954360989207687179
That’s 340m tall, which is taller than any structure in the UK and taller than all but about half a dozen skyscrapers in Dubai. (For reference, the Shard building in London is 310m, 1,016’, tall).
Those parts are going to be almost impossible to move, the factory will have to be in the shipyard and the installation offshore.
Indivisible parts that are 500’ long or weigh 500t just don’t exist anywhere else. They’re going to have to start making the blades in sections and hubs in pieces that can be assembled on site.
In the oil industry, 500 tons is a flea bite. Some parts of rigs lifted into place at sea weighed into 5 figures. 153m would require a moderately large ship - nothing incredible to carry it.
Russia invaded the Baltic states three times last century, occupying them for decades after WWII. It's not exactly surprising they're worried about a repeat.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia may become Putin's next target - because of this, the leaders of the Baltic countries criticized any attempts to force Ukraine to cede territory, writes FT. https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1954123898296975865
It’s been a very long running piece of irredentism that any land that was ever part of the Russian Empire is part of the New Russian Empire (of whatever version)
The USSR had it as policy. Putin has made it the policy of his party.
Russia devastated the Baltics several times in the 20thC (twice playing tag team with the Germans). Ideologically friendly Balts formed the backbone of the early Bolshevik Red Army, and the Cheka (and later died in Stalin's purges).
Others provided slave labour for various projects between the two world wars, or died in the gulags.
The hatred and distrust of Russia has deep and well grounded foundations.
Rather than rely on history, with nearly all the actors no longer alive, it's best to concentrate on the present. The Baltic States seem all to have large majorities who are happy to be independent, and we should support that, while reserving the right to be critical of treatment of pro-Russian minorities. Personally I doubt if there's a serious threat, because of their NATO membership, which makes them very different from Ukraine, but there's no reason why we shouldn't reinforce the commitment to supporting their independence.
The problem is Nick, I don't believe you.
When Ukraine was invaded (again...) in 2022, you blamed everyone but Russia. We shouldn't 'poke' Russia into invading, Ukrainian Nazi's, etc. Pure victim-blaming and whitewashing of Putin's fascism and imperialism.
I daresay when Russia does invade the Baltics or elewhere, you will be full-on excusing-Russia mode.
Germany was the ultimate collaborator with the Nazis. Since we are in “sins of the grandfathers mode” and the AfD is rising, should we give a shit if Germany gets attacked by Russia?
Also Austria - lots of far right there. I guess if Russia wants the occupation of Austria restarted , we should be AOK with that?
I just bought a handsome William IV mahogany table for £129
wtf. A friend tells me “antique prices have collapsed”. “Especially for old brown stuff”
Is this true? It seems true from this deal
OTOH I might get it and find it collapses on arrival
Yes, for quite a long time.
It's also driven by large furniture and houses getting smaller, and fashion.
Mum and dad were in a 5000sqft former manor house for their last 40 years, of which restoration took 25 years. They had at least 3 full size (8 person) dining tables from relatives, and had amassed a collection of Guy Rogers 1960s Manhattan teak furniture of 3 full size double bed converting sofas, and about 9 chairs, as old friends moved to smaller houses - different period, same principle.
Estate sales of boomers (OK: former boomers) are one place to be.
Big and brown has been difficult to give away for a long time.
When the LAB LEAKED covid killed my mother I burned most of her antique furniture in the paddock of her house in North Yorks because getting rid of it was such a tiresome pain in the dick. There is literally no way to get rid of a massive 300kg 18th C. Flemish oak wardrobe other than burning it.
We've been clearing my late MIL's house most of the year, it seems never ending. Most of the furniture has gone to charity. Attempts to sell stuff online have not really been worth the hassle. Problems like the 4 piece suite which doesn't have fire certificates on it (meaning charities will not trust it) have had us pulling our hair out. . Dinning room table with 6 matching chairs, crockery sideboards, glass cabinets, we literally cannot give them away.
We did ours via an auction house - they took all the stuff we did not want as a package, sold the good and the rest went to a charity they worked with for the purpose.
We ended up with about 3k, but it was 3 decent sized vans of furniture - so low prices.
And there was a gorgeous 1880s mirror backed sideboard which was about 8ft long and 8ft high, with arts and crafts decoration, but which just would not fit in a modern house and would need to go to the type of house for which it was made.
Most people will come across this problem sometime. The game ought to have rules.
Rule 1: Price is what you can get.There is no other measure. Madness follows if you overlook this. Rule 2: It is massively in the public interest that Local Authorities have a statutory duty to collect and dispose of otherwise impossible items from domestic premises at no or small charge. (This prevents fly tipping). Rule 3: What you can get depends on whether you want to make getting maximum price your full time job for an indefinite period. This especially applies to books. Rule 4: The piano should never have been invented. It should be a criminal offence to try to own a grand piano. Rule 5: No-one ever moves house/clears a house without leaving behind at least one piece of unfinished business.
I have had several friends say that they were reduced almost to tears when doing house clearance for their late parents, items of furniture and china that their parents really treasured and were convinced were worth a lot went for peanuts at auction because currently they are not fashionable.
When my old dad finally died his house on S.Harris was full of brown furniture from my then recently deceased gran. Out of sentimental attachment we spent quite a lot on transporting it back to the mainland, even then we were aware it wasn’t really financially sensible. Ironically there was quite a lot of modular Ercol furniture bought from the previous owner (widow of the retired head of SOE as it happens) which we left for the new owner, it would be worth a handy chunk of money now.
Ercol is definitely popular, including with younger generation. Has a bit of that Scandi design shtick abiut it. And it fits!
OTOH you simply cannot give away pianos, as am discovering with a perfectly nice upright that I'm trying to find a home for. Depressing really.
I just bought a handsome William IV mahogany table for £129
wtf. A friend tells me “antique prices have collapsed”. “Especially for old brown stuff”
Is this true? It seems true from this deal
OTOH I might get it and find it collapses on arrival
Yes, for quite a long time.
It's also driven by large furniture and houses getting smaller, and fashion.
Mum and dad were in a 5000sqft former manor house for their last 40 years, of which restoration took 25 years. They had at least 3 full size (8 person) dining tables from relatives, and had amassed a collection of Guy Rogers 1960s Manhattan teak furniture of 3 full size double bed converting sofas, and about 9 chairs, as old friends moved to smaller houses - different period, same principle.
Estate sales of boomers (OK: former boomers) are one place to be.
Big and brown has been difficult to give away for a long time.
When the LAB LEAKED covid killed my mother I burned most of her antique furniture in the paddock of her house in North Yorks because getting rid of it was such a tiresome pain in the dick. There is literally no way to get rid of a massive 300kg 18th C. Flemish oak wardrobe other than burning it.
We've been clearing my late MIL's house most of the year, it seems never ending. Most of the furniture has gone to charity. Attempts to sell stuff online have not really been worth the hassle. Problems like the 4 piece suite which doesn't have fire certificates on it (meaning charities will not trust it) have had us pulling our hair out. . Dinning room table with 6 matching chairs, crockery sideboards, glass cabinets, we literally cannot give them away.
We did ours via an auction house - they took all the stuff we did not want as a package, sold the good and the rest went to a charity they worked with for the purpose.
We ended up with about 3k, but it was 3 decent sized vans of furniture - so low prices.
And there was a gorgeous 1880s mirror backed sideboard which was about 8ft long and 8ft high, with arts and crafts decoration, but which just would not fit in a modern house and would need to go to the type of house for which it was made.
Most people will come across this problem sometime. The game ought to have rules.
Rule 1: Price is what you can get.There is no other measure. Madness follows if you overlook this. Rule 2: It is massively in the public interest that Local Authorities have a statutory duty to collect and dispose of otherwise impossible items from domestic premises at no or small charge. (This prevents fly tipping). Rule 3: What you can get depends on whether you want to make getting maximum price your full time job for an indefinite period. This especially applies to books. Rule 4: The piano should never have been invented. It should be a criminal offence to try to own a grand piano. Rule 5: No-one ever moves house/clears a house without leaving behind at least one piece of unfinished business.
I have had several friends say that they were reduced almost to tears when doing house clearance for their late parents, items of furniture and china that their parents really treasured and were convinced were worth a lot went for peanuts at auction because currently they are not fashionable.
When my old dad finally died his house on S.Harris was full of brown furniture from my then recently deceased gran. Out of sentimental attachment we spent quite a lot on transporting it back to the mainland, even then we were aware it wasn’t really financially sensible. Ironically there was quite a lot of modular Ercol furniture bought from the previous owner (widow of the retired head of SOE as it happens) which we left for the new owner, it would be worth a handy chunk of money now.
Ercol is definitely popular, including with younger generation. Has a bit of that Scandi design shtick abiut it. And it fits!
OTOH you simply cannot give away pianos, as am discovering with a perfectly nice upright that I'm trying to find a home for. Depressing really.
Aren't you near Portsmouth? The RN like to have old pianos to catapult off their aircraft carriers. Or used to.
I just bought a handsome William IV mahogany table for £129
wtf. A friend tells me “antique prices have collapsed”. “Especially for old brown stuff”
Is this true? It seems true from this deal
OTOH I might get it and find it collapses on arrival
Yes, for quite a long time.
It's also driven by large furniture and houses getting smaller, and fashion.
Mum and dad were in a 5000sqft former manor house for their last 40 years, of which restoration took 25 years. They had at least 3 full size (8 person) dining tables from relatives, and had amassed a collection of Guy Rogers 1960s Manhattan teak furniture of 3 full size double bed converting sofas, and about 9 chairs, as old friends moved to smaller houses - different period, same principle.
Estate sales of boomers (OK: former boomers) are one place to be.
Big and brown has been difficult to give away for a long time.
When the LAB LEAKED covid killed my mother I burned most of her antique furniture in the paddock of her house in North Yorks because getting rid of it was such a tiresome pain in the dick. There is literally no way to get rid of a massive 300kg 18th C. Flemish oak wardrobe other than burning it.
We've been clearing my late MIL's house most of the year, it seems never ending. Most of the furniture has gone to charity. Attempts to sell stuff online have not really been worth the hassle. Problems like the 4 piece suite which doesn't have fire certificates on it (meaning charities will not trust it) have had us pulling our hair out. . Dinning room table with 6 matching chairs, crockery sideboards, glass cabinets, we literally cannot give them away.
We did ours via an auction house - they took all the stuff we did not want as a package, sold the good and the rest went to a charity they worked with for the purpose.
We ended up with about 3k, but it was 3 decent sized vans of furniture - so low prices.
And there was a gorgeous 1880s mirror backed sideboard which was about 8ft long and 8ft high, with arts and crafts decoration, but which just would not fit in a modern house and would need to go to the type of house for which it was made.
Most people will come across this problem sometime. The game ought to have rules.
Rule 1: Price is what you can get.There is no other measure. Madness follows if you overlook this. Rule 2: It is massively in the public interest that Local Authorities have a statutory duty to collect and dispose of otherwise impossible items from domestic premises at no or small charge. (This prevents fly tipping). Rule 3: What you can get depends on whether you want to make getting maximum price your full time job for an indefinite period. This especially applies to books. Rule 4: The piano should never have been invented. It should be a criminal offence to try to own a grand piano. Rule 5: No-one ever moves house/clears a house without leaving behind at least one piece of unfinished business.
I have had several friends say that they were reduced almost to tears when doing house clearance for their late parents, items of furniture and china that their parents really treasured and were convinced were worth a lot went for peanuts at auction because currently they are not fashionable.
When my old dad finally died his house on S.Harris was full of brown furniture from my then recently deceased gran. Out of sentimental attachment we spent quite a lot on transporting it back to the mainland, even then we were aware it wasn’t really financially sensible. Ironically there was quite a lot of modular Ercol furniture bought from the previous owner (widow of the retired head of SOE as it happens) which we left for the new owner, it would be worth a handy chunk of money now.
Ercol is definitely popular, including with younger generation. Has a bit of that Scandi design shtick abiut it. And it fits!
OTOH you simply cannot give away pianos, as am discovering with a perfectly nice upright that I'm trying to find a home for. Depressing really.
Aren't you near Portsmouth? The RN like to have old pianos to catapult off their aircraft carriers. Or used to.
Well, that would be a diverting way of saying Godspeed to the old Joanna. Sadly at the wrong end of the country. Wonder if the RAF could help out - they are somewhat more proximate.
This is easily the cleverest most satisfying crossword we've seen in 10 years of doing the Graun cryptic.
PS Liking the new font on PB!
Did you see the crossword in last Saturday's Telegraph ( 2 August)? The paper had been running a series on the history of its cryptic crossword, including how contestants were recruited to Bletchley Park during WW2. Saturday's prize crossword was set by GCHQ. I found it much harder than usual, although eventually I managed to complete it.
Russia invaded the Baltic states three times last century, occupying them for decades after WWII. It's not exactly surprising they're worried about a repeat.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia may become Putin's next target - because of this, the leaders of the Baltic countries criticized any attempts to force Ukraine to cede territory, writes FT. https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1954123898296975865
It’s been a very long running piece of irredentism that any land that was ever part of the Russian Empire is part of the New Russian Empire (of whatever version)
The USSR had it as policy. Putin has made it the policy of his party.
Russia devastated the Baltics several times in the 20thC (twice playing tag team with the Germans). Ideologically friendly Balts formed the backbone of the early Bolshevik Red Army, and the Cheka (and later died in Stalin's purges).
Others provided slave labour for various projects between the two world wars, or died in the gulags.
The hatred and distrust of Russia has deep and well grounded foundations.
Rather than rely on history, with nearly all the actors no longer alive, it's best to concentrate on the present. The Baltic States seem all to have large majorities who are happy to be independent, and we should support that, while reserving the right to be critical of treatment of pro-Russian minorities. Personally I doubt if there's a serious threat, because of their NATO membership, which makes them very different from Ukraine, but there's no reason why we shouldn't reinforce the commitment to supporting their independence.
The problem is Nick, I don't believe you.
When Ukraine was invaded (again...) in 2022, you blamed everyone but Russia. We shouldn't 'poke' Russia into invading, Ukrainian Nazi's, etc. Pure victim-blaming and whitewashing of Putin's fascism and imperialism.
I daresay when Russia does invade the Baltics or elewhere, you will be full-on excusing-Russia mode.
Eh? My post supported reinforcing the guarantees to the Baltics, and I don't think that invading them would have any justification. Putin needs to be clear that a threat to the Baltic States is a threat to NATO. We simply don't need to refer back to the complex politics of the 1940s, filled with crimes that used each other as justification. History is rarely clear-cut, but the current position needs to be clear - an invasion of a NATO country will bring in the whole of NATO. Some things are simpler than they look.
Russia invaded the Baltic states three times last century, occupying them for decades after WWII. It's not exactly surprising they're worried about a repeat.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia may become Putin's next target - because of this, the leaders of the Baltic countries criticized any attempts to force Ukraine to cede territory, writes FT. https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1954123898296975865
It’s been a very long running piece of irredentism that any land that was ever part of the Russian Empire is part of the New Russian Empire (of whatever version)
The USSR had it as policy. Putin has made it the policy of his party.
Russia devastated the Baltics several times in the 20thC (twice playing tag team with the Germans). Ideologically friendly Balts formed the backbone of the early Bolshevik Red Army, and the Cheka (and later died in Stalin's purges).
Others provided slave labour for various projects between the two world wars, or died in the gulags.
The hatred and distrust of Russia has deep and well grounded foundations.
Rather than rely on history, with nearly all the actors no longer alive, it's best to concentrate on the present. The Baltic States seem all to have large majorities who are happy to be independent, and we should support that, while reserving the right to be critical of treatment of pro-Russian minorities. Personally I doubt if there's a serious threat, because of their NATO membership, which makes them very different from Ukraine, but there's no reason why we shouldn't reinforce the commitment to supporting their independence.
The problem is Nick, I don't believe you.
When Ukraine was invaded (again...) in 2022, you blamed everyone but Russia. We shouldn't 'poke' Russia into invading, Ukrainian Nazi's, etc. Pure victim-blaming and whitewashing of Putin's fascism and imperialism.
I daresay when Russia does invade the Baltics or elewhere, you will be full-on excusing-Russia mode.
Eh? My post supported reinforcing the guarantees to the Baltics, and I don't think that invading them would have any justification. Putin needs to be clear that a threat to the Baltic States is a threat to NATO. We simply don't need to refer back to the complex politics of the 1940s, filled with crimes that used each other as justification. History is rarely clear-cut, but the current position needs to be clear - an invasion of a NATO country will bring in the whole of NATO. Some things are simpler than they look.
"My post supported reinforcing the guarantees to the Baltics, and I don't think that invading them would have any justification."
Putin's invasions of Ukraine in 2014 and 2022 had no justification either, did they?
I just bought a handsome William IV mahogany table for £129
wtf. A friend tells me “antique prices have collapsed”. “Especially for old brown stuff”
Is this true? It seems true from this deal
OTOH I might get it and find it collapses on arrival
Yes, for quite a long time.
It's also driven by large furniture and houses getting smaller, and fashion.
Mum and dad were in a 5000sqft former manor house for their last 40 years, of which restoration took 25 years. They had at least 3 full size (8 person) dining tables from relatives, and had amassed a collection of Guy Rogers 1960s Manhattan teak furniture of 3 full size double bed converting sofas, and about 9 chairs, as old friends moved to smaller houses - different period, same principle.
Estate sales of boomers (OK: former boomers) are one place to be.
Big and brown has been difficult to give away for a long time.
When the LAB LEAKED covid killed my mother I burned most of her antique furniture in the paddock of her house in North Yorks because getting rid of it was such a tiresome pain in the dick. There is literally no way to get rid of a massive 300kg 18th C. Flemish oak wardrobe other than burning it.
We've been clearing my late MIL's house most of the year, it seems never ending. Most of the furniture has gone to charity. Attempts to sell stuff online have not really been worth the hassle. Problems like the 4 piece suite which doesn't have fire certificates on it (meaning charities will not trust it) have had us pulling our hair out. . Dinning room table with 6 matching chairs, crockery sideboards, glass cabinets, we literally cannot give them away.
We did ours via an auction house - they took all the stuff we did not want as a package, sold the good and the rest went to a charity they worked with for the purpose.
We ended up with about 3k, but it was 3 decent sized vans of furniture - so low prices.
And there was a gorgeous 1880s mirror backed sideboard which was about 8ft long and 8ft high, with arts and crafts decoration, but which just would not fit in a modern house and would need to go to the type of house for which it was made.
Most people will come across this problem sometime. The game ought to have rules.
Rule 1: Price is what you can get.There is no other measure. Madness follows if you overlook this. Rule 2: It is massively in the public interest that Local Authorities have a statutory duty to collect and dispose of otherwise impossible items from domestic premises at no or small charge. (This prevents fly tipping). Rule 3: What you can get depends on whether you want to make getting maximum price your full time job for an indefinite period. This especially applies to books. Rule 4: The piano should never have been invented. It should be a criminal offence to try to own a grand piano. Rule 5: No-one ever moves house/clears a house without leaving behind at least one piece of unfinished business.
I have had several friends say that they were reduced almost to tears when doing house clearance for their late parents, items of furniture and china that their parents really treasured and were convinced were worth a lot went for peanuts at auction because currently they are not fashionable.
When my old dad finally died his house on S.Harris was full of brown furniture from my then recently deceased gran. Out of sentimental attachment we spent quite a lot on transporting it back to the mainland, even then we were aware it wasn’t really financially sensible. Ironically there was quite a lot of modular Ercol furniture bought from the previous owner (widow of the retired head of SOE as it happens) which we left for the new owner, it would be worth a handy chunk of money now.
Ercol is definitely popular, including with younger generation. Has a bit of that Scandi design shtick abiut it. And it fits!
OTOH you simply cannot give away pianos, as am discovering with a perfectly nice upright that I'm trying to find a home for. Depressing really.
I know someone who has had many dealings with pianos over the years and lives in a remote house in the middle of nowhere. Quite a number of pianos are buried in his garden. (I am not making this up.)
Ministers have “lost track” of more than 150,000 migrants who have come to the UK on social care visas, The Telegraph can disclose.
The Government has admitted it has no idea how many foreign workers hired to plug gaps in Britain’s crisis-hit social care system are still working in the industry. It is not even known if they remain in the UK, as there is no official data directly linking visa status with ongoing residence in Britain.
Russia invaded the Baltic states three times last century, occupying them for decades after WWII. It's not exactly surprising they're worried about a repeat.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia may become Putin's next target - because of this, the leaders of the Baltic countries criticized any attempts to force Ukraine to cede territory, writes FT. https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1954123898296975865
It’s been a very long running piece of irredentism that any land that was ever part of the Russian Empire is part of the New Russian Empire (of whatever version)
The USSR had it as policy. Putin has made it the policy of his party.
Russia devastated the Baltics several times in the 20thC (twice playing tag team with the Germans). Ideologically friendly Balts formed the backbone of the early Bolshevik Red Army, and the Cheka (and later died in Stalin's purges).
Others provided slave labour for various projects between the two world wars, or died in the gulags.
The hatred and distrust of Russia has deep and well grounded foundations.
Rather than rely on history, with nearly all the actors no longer alive, it's best to concentrate on the present. The Baltic States seem all to have large majorities who are happy to be independent, and we should support that, while reserving the right to be critical of treatment of pro-Russian minorities. Personally I doubt if there's a serious threat, because of their NATO membership, which makes them very different from Ukraine, but there's no reason why we shouldn't reinforce the commitment to supporting their independence.
The problem is Nick, I don't believe you.
When Ukraine was invaded (again...) in 2022, you blamed everyone but Russia. We shouldn't 'poke' Russia into invading, Ukrainian Nazi's, etc. Pure victim-blaming and whitewashing of Putin's fascism and imperialism.
I daresay when Russia does invade the Baltics or elewhere, you will be full-on excusing-Russia mode.
Because he doesn't see the world in your simplistic black and white tones doesn't make him a liar. I'm not surprised he posts so lrarely when faced with your dribbling ignorance
Ministers have “lost track” of more than 150,000 migrants who have come to the UK on social care visas, The Telegraph can disclose.
The Government has admitted it has no idea how many foreign workers hired to plug gaps in Britain’s crisis-hit social care system are still working in the industry. It is not even known if they remain in the UK, as there is no official data directly linking visa status with ongoing residence in Britain.
I don't know how long you've been following football for but Liverpool have booed the national anthem since the eighties at least after the rest of the country, led by the Tories, left them to out to dry.
Seriously, you spend so much time clutching your pearls I'm amazed your fingers have enough strength left to type,
World's longest wind blade (153m), heaviest nacelle (>500t) arrived in Shandong recently. They are designed for world's 1st 26MW offshore turbine by Dongfang electric w/ turbine hub center height of 185m. Each turbine can generate 100GWh of electricity/yr & cut > 80kt CO2. Transporting such long blade & heavy nacelle is extremely difficult & they are finding ways to overcome such challenges to bring them to port & ship them. 500t nacelle also exceeds typical port crane lifting ability, so new solutions need to be developed to put them on cargo ships. https://x.com/tphuang/status/1954360989207687179
That’s 340m tall, which is taller than any structure in the UK and taller than all but about half a dozen skyscrapers in Dubai. (For reference, the Shard building in London is 310m, 1,016’, tall).
Those parts are going to be almost impossible to move, the factory will have to be in the shipyard and the installation offshore.
Indivisible parts that are 500’ long or weigh 500t just don’t exist anywhere else. They’re going to have to start making the blades in sections and hubs in pieces that can be assembled on site.
In the oil industry, 500 tons is a flea bite. Some parts of rigs lifted into place at sea weighed into 5 figures. 153m would require a moderately large ship - nothing incredible to carry it.
Good point.
Once you’re at sea, those weights are easy enough with the cranes available. The difficulty is getting them there in the first place.
I just bought a handsome William IV mahogany table for £129
wtf. A friend tells me “antique prices have collapsed”. “Especially for old brown stuff”
Is this true? It seems true from this deal
OTOH I might get it and find it collapses on arrival
Yes, for quite a long time.
It's also driven by large furniture and houses getting smaller, and fashion.
Mum and dad were in a 5000sqft former manor house for their last 40 years, of which restoration took 25 years. They had at least 3 full size (8 person) dining tables from relatives, and had amassed a collection of Guy Rogers 1960s Manhattan teak furniture of 3 full size double bed converting sofas, and about 9 chairs, as old friends moved to smaller houses - different period, same principle.
Estate sales of boomers (OK: former boomers) are one place to be.
Big and brown has been difficult to give away for a long time.
When the LAB LEAKED covid killed my mother I burned most of her antique furniture in the paddock of her house in North Yorks because getting rid of it was such a tiresome pain in the dick. There is literally no way to get rid of a massive 300kg 18th C. Flemish oak wardrobe other than burning it.
We've been clearing my late MIL's house most of the year, it seems never ending. Most of the furniture has gone to charity. Attempts to sell stuff online have not really been worth the hassle. Problems like the 4 piece suite which doesn't have fire certificates on it (meaning charities will not trust it) have had us pulling our hair out. . Dinning room table with 6 matching chairs, crockery sideboards, glass cabinets, we literally cannot give them away.
We did ours via an auction house - they took all the stuff we did not want as a package, sold the good and the rest went to a charity they worked with for the purpose.
We ended up with about 3k, but it was 3 decent sized vans of furniture - so low prices.
And there was a gorgeous 1880s mirror backed sideboard which was about 8ft long and 8ft high, with arts and crafts decoration, but which just would not fit in a modern house and would need to go to the type of house for which it was made.
Most people will come across this problem sometime. The game ought to have rules.
Rule 1: Price is what you can get.There is no other measure. Madness follows if you overlook this. Rule 2: It is massively in the public interest that Local Authorities have a statutory duty to collect and dispose of otherwise impossible items from domestic premises at no or small charge. (This prevents fly tipping). Rule 3: What you can get depends on whether you want to make getting maximum price your full time job for an indefinite period. This especially applies to books. Rule 4: The piano should never have been invented. It should be a criminal offence to try to own a grand piano. Rule 5: No-one ever moves house/clears a house without leaving behind at least one piece of unfinished business.
I have had several friends say that they were reduced almost to tears when doing house clearance for their late parents, items of furniture and china that their parents really treasured and were convinced were worth a lot went for peanuts at auction because currently they are not fashionable.
When my old dad finally died his house on S.Harris was full of brown furniture from my then recently deceased gran. Out of sentimental attachment we spent quite a lot on transporting it back to the mainland, even then we were aware it wasn’t really financially sensible. Ironically there was quite a lot of modular Ercol furniture bought from the previous owner (widow of the retired head of SOE as it happens) which we left for the new owner, it would be worth a handy chunk of money now.
Ercol is definitely popular, including with younger generation. Has a bit of that Scandi design shtick abiut it. And it fits!
OTOH you simply cannot give away pianos, as am discovering with a perfectly nice upright that I'm trying to find a home for. Depressing really.
Aren't you near Portsmouth? The RN like to have old pianos to catapult off their aircraft carriers. Or used to.
Well, that would be a diverting way of saying Godspeed to the old Joanna. Sadly at the wrong end of the country. Wonder if the RAF could help out - they are somewhat more proximate.
You could phone the RN and ask them when a carrier is next visiting Rosyth.
Ministers have “lost track” of more than 150,000 migrants who have come to the UK on social care visas, The Telegraph can disclose.
The Government has admitted it has no idea how many foreign workers hired to plug gaps in Britain’s crisis-hit social care system are still working in the industry. It is not even known if they remain in the UK, as there is no official data directly linking visa status with ongoing residence in Britain.
I don't know how long you've been following football for but Liverpool have booed the national anthem since the eighties at least after the rest of the country, led by the Tories, left them to out to dry.
Seriously, you spend so much time clutching your pearls I'm amazed your fingers have enough strength left to type,
What is your problem
I started supporting Man United in 1953, was a season ticket holder for decades and are very well aware of the issue they have with the anthem
But like your nonsense this morning comprehensively countered by fellow posters you miss the point that Jota's silence should have been respected
I don't know how long you've been following football for but Liverpool have booed the national anthem since the eighties at least after the rest of the country, led by the Tories, left them to out to dry.
Seriously, you spend so much time clutching your pearls I'm amazed your fingers have enough strength left to type,
Given lots of the country suffered from de-industrialisation, why do you think it is only Liverpool that take this view?
Ministers have “lost track” of more than 150,000 migrants who have come to the UK on social care visas, The Telegraph can disclose.
The Government has admitted it has no idea how many foreign workers hired to plug gaps in Britain’s crisis-hit social care system are still working in the industry. It is not even known if they remain in the UK, as there is no official data directly linking visa status with ongoing residence in Britain.
Another Conservative inheritance. Why did the Tories talk so much about immigration while doing so little?
Surely not? The article is in response to a Tory parliamentary question, and Chris Philps is clear, "This is further evidence of Labour chaos. They have lost control of our borders."
Given that nearly all these people arrived in 2022 and 2023, and apparently a huge amount never even worked in the care sector, it's clearly a Labour problem.
Ministers have “lost track” of more than 150,000 migrants who have come to the UK on social care visas, The Telegraph can disclose.
The Government has admitted it has no idea how many foreign workers hired to plug gaps in Britain’s crisis-hit social care system are still working in the industry. It is not even known if they remain in the UK, as there is no official data directly linking visa status with ongoing residence in Britain.
Ministers have “lost track” of more than 150,000 migrants who have come to the UK on social care visas, The Telegraph can disclose.
The Government has admitted it has no idea how many foreign workers hired to plug gaps in Britain’s crisis-hit social care system are still working in the industry. It is not even known if they remain in the UK, as there is no official data directly linking visa status with ongoing residence in Britain.
Another Conservative inheritance. Why did the Tories talk so much about immigration while doing so little?
Surely not? The article is in response to a Tory parliamentary question, and Chris Philps is clear, "This is further evidence of Labour chaos. They have lost control of our borders."
Given that nearly all these people arrived in 2022 and 2023, and apparently a huge amount never even worked in the care sector, it's clearly a Labour problem.
When you win elections, thems the breaks.
Now, if Labour had had some plans on taking office...
Well, the pyroclastic flow coming off Arthur's Seat has made this afternoon's run a bit more exciting than usual. Extinct - yeah right!
I'm heading SW to avoid wrecking my lungs any further.
This was too flippant. It's now very significant from my vantage point and there are likely hundreds if not thousands of tourists up there.
At this point I would like to point anyone to my favourite novel, which is Stephen Baxter's Moonseed.
Alien nanobug destroys planet, starting at Arthur's Seat (via Moon and Venus).
Great quote from the Express here:
"The blaze is reportedly a gorse fire - a wildfire involving the plant of the same name"
I do hope people don't get trapped. It's easy to make mistakes like going uphill or whatever is not a good idea in the specific context.
The SG really is going to have to think about buying or hiring in a CL-415 or similar water bomber for future incidents around Scotland, and loaned to North England etc., though I don't suppose Duddingston Loch is big enough - you'd need a helicopter for a lift from that.
I just bought a handsome William IV mahogany table for £129
wtf. A friend tells me “antique prices have collapsed”. “Especially for old brown stuff”
Is this true? It seems true from this deal
OTOH I might get it and find it collapses on arrival
Yes, for quite a long time.
It's also driven by large furniture and houses getting smaller, and fashion.
Mum and dad were in a 5000sqft former manor house for their last 40 years, of which restoration took 25 years. They had at least 3 full size (8 person) dining tables from relatives, and had amassed a collection of Guy Rogers 1960s Manhattan teak furniture of 3 full size double bed converting sofas, and about 9 chairs, as old friends moved to smaller houses - different period, same principle.
Estate sales of boomers (OK: former boomers) are one place to be.
Big and brown has been difficult to give away for a long time.
When the LAB LEAKED covid killed my mother I burned most of her antique furniture in the paddock of her house in North Yorks because getting rid of it was such a tiresome pain in the dick. There is literally no way to get rid of a massive 300kg 18th C. Flemish oak wardrobe other than burning it.
We've been clearing my late MIL's house most of the year, it seems never ending. Most of the furniture has gone to charity. Attempts to sell stuff online have not really been worth the hassle. Problems like the 4 piece suite which doesn't have fire certificates on it (meaning charities will not trust it) have had us pulling our hair out. . Dinning room table with 6 matching chairs, crockery sideboards, glass cabinets, we literally cannot give them away.
We did ours via an auction house - they took all the stuff we did not want as a package, sold the good and the rest went to a charity they worked with for the purpose.
We ended up with about 3k, but it was 3 decent sized vans of furniture - so low prices.
And there was a gorgeous 1880s mirror backed sideboard which was about 8ft long and 8ft high, with arts and crafts decoration, but which just would not fit in a modern house and would need to go to the type of house for which it was made.
Most people will come across this problem sometime. The game ought to have rules.
Rule 1: Price is what you can get.There is no other measure. Madness follows if you overlook this. Rule 2: It is massively in the public interest that Local Authorities have a statutory duty to collect and dispose of otherwise impossible items from domestic premises at no or small charge. (This prevents fly tipping). Rule 3: What you can get depends on whether you want to make getting maximum price your full time job for an indefinite period. This especially applies to books. Rule 4: The piano should never have been invented. It should be a criminal offence to try to own a grand piano. Rule 5: No-one ever moves house/clears a house without leaving behind at least one piece of unfinished business.
I have had several friends say that they were reduced almost to tears when doing house clearance for their late parents, items of furniture and china that their parents really treasured and were convinced were worth a lot went for peanuts at auction because currently they are not fashionable.
When my old dad finally died his house on S.Harris was full of brown furniture from my then recently deceased gran. Out of sentimental attachment we spent quite a lot on transporting it back to the mainland, even then we were aware it wasn’t really financially sensible. Ironically there was quite a lot of modular Ercol furniture bought from the previous owner (widow of the retired head of SOE as it happens) which we left for the new owner, it would be worth a handy chunk of money now.
Ercol is definitely popular, including with younger generation. Has a bit of that Scandi design shtick abiut it. And it fits!
OTOH you simply cannot give away pianos, as am discovering with a perfectly nice upright that I'm trying to find a home for. Depressing really.
Aren't you near Portsmouth? The RN like to have old pianos to catapult off their aircraft carriers. Or used to.
Well, that would be a diverting way of saying Godspeed to the old Joanna. Sadly at the wrong end of the country. Wonder if the RAF could help out - they are somewhat more proximate.
You could phone the RN and ask them when a carrier is next visiting Rosyth.
Surely the correct way to dispose of a piano is to dangle it over a pavement and place a banana skin beneath it. The gods of slapstick will handle the rest
I just bought a handsome William IV mahogany table for £129
wtf. A friend tells me “antique prices have collapsed”. “Especially for old brown stuff”
Is this true? It seems true from this deal
OTOH I might get it and find it collapses on arrival
Yes, for quite a long time.
It's also driven by large furniture and houses getting smaller, and fashion.
Mum and dad were in a 5000sqft former manor house for their last 40 years, of which restoration took 25 years. They had at least 3 full size (8 person) dining tables from relatives, and had amassed a collection of Guy Rogers 1960s Manhattan teak furniture of 3 full size double bed converting sofas, and about 9 chairs, as old friends moved to smaller houses - different period, same principle.
Estate sales of boomers (OK: former boomers) are one place to be.
Big and brown has been difficult to give away for a long time.
When the LAB LEAKED covid killed my mother I burned most of her antique furniture in the paddock of her house in North Yorks because getting rid of it was such a tiresome pain in the dick. There is literally no way to get rid of a massive 300kg 18th C. Flemish oak wardrobe other than burning it.
We've been clearing my late MIL's house most of the year, it seems never ending. Most of the furniture has gone to charity. Attempts to sell stuff online have not really been worth the hassle. Problems like the 4 piece suite which doesn't have fire certificates on it (meaning charities will not trust it) have had us pulling our hair out. . Dinning room table with 6 matching chairs, crockery sideboards, glass cabinets, we literally cannot give them away.
We did ours via an auction house - they took all the stuff we did not want as a package, sold the good and the rest went to a charity they worked with for the purpose.
We ended up with about 3k, but it was 3 decent sized vans of furniture - so low prices.
And there was a gorgeous 1880s mirror backed sideboard which was about 8ft long and 8ft high, with arts and crafts decoration, but which just would not fit in a modern house and would need to go to the type of house for which it was made.
Most people will come across this problem sometime. The game ought to have rules.
Rule 1: Price is what you can get.There is no other measure. Madness follows if you overlook this. Rule 2: It is massively in the public interest that Local Authorities have a statutory duty to collect and dispose of otherwise impossible items from domestic premises at no or small charge. (This prevents fly tipping). Rule 3: What you can get depends on whether you want to make getting maximum price your full time job for an indefinite period. This especially applies to books. Rule 4: The piano should never have been invented. It should be a criminal offence to try to own a grand piano. Rule 5: No-one ever moves house/clears a house without leaving behind at least one piece of unfinished business.
I have had several friends say that they were reduced almost to tears when doing house clearance for their late parents, items of furniture and china that their parents really treasured and were convinced were worth a lot went for peanuts at auction because currently they are not fashionable.
When my old dad finally died his house on S.Harris was full of brown furniture from my then recently deceased gran. Out of sentimental attachment we spent quite a lot on transporting it back to the mainland, even then we were aware it wasn’t really financially sensible. Ironically there was quite a lot of modular Ercol furniture bought from the previous owner (widow of the retired head of SOE as it happens) which we left for the new owner, it would be worth a handy chunk of money now.
Ercol is definitely popular, including with younger generation. Has a bit of that Scandi design shtick abiut it. And it fits!
OTOH you simply cannot give away pianos, as am discovering with a perfectly nice upright that I'm trying to find a home for. Depressing really.
It's a few hundred quid to move them, and then you have to worry about the state of the action, dampers etc. Then there's tuning. I acquired a nice Broadwood recently; cost nothing, but it still cost.
Well, the pyroclastic flow coming off Arthur's Seat has made this afternoon's run a bit more exciting than usual. Extinct - yeah right!
I'm heading SW to avoid wrecking my lungs any further.
This was too flippant. It's now very significant from my vantage point and there are likely hundreds if not thousands of tourists up there.
At this point I would like to point anyone to my favourite novel, which is Stephen Baxter's Moonseed.
Alien nanobug destroys planet, starting at Arthur's Seat (via Moon and Venus).
Arthur's seat has fond memories for my wife and I in our courting days in 1962 !!!
If a bit cold
We have somthing in common! My Mother was from Edinburgh and we used to go up there three times a year. Arthur's Seat was always my most nostalgic memory
Russia invaded the Baltic states three times last century, occupying them for decades after WWII. It's not exactly surprising they're worried about a repeat.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia may become Putin's next target - because of this, the leaders of the Baltic countries criticized any attempts to force Ukraine to cede territory, writes FT. https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/1954123898296975865
It’s been a very long running piece of irredentism that any land that was ever part of the Russian Empire is part of the New Russian Empire (of whatever version)
The USSR had it as policy. Putin has made it the policy of his party.
Russia devastated the Baltics several times in the 20thC (twice playing tag team with the Germans). Ideologically friendly Balts formed the backbone of the early Bolshevik Red Army, and the Cheka (and later died in Stalin's purges).
Others provided slave labour for various projects between the two world wars, or died in the gulags.
The hatred and distrust of Russia has deep and well grounded foundations.
Rather than rely on history, with nearly all the actors no longer alive, it's best to concentrate on the present. The Baltic States seem all to have large majorities who are happy to be independent, and we should support that, while reserving the right to be critical of treatment of pro-Russian minorities. Personally I doubt if there's a serious threat, because of their NATO membership, which makes them very different from Ukraine, but there's no reason why we shouldn't reinforce the commitment to supporting their independence.
The problem is Nick, I don't believe you.
When Ukraine was invaded (again...) in 2022, you blamed everyone but Russia. We shouldn't 'poke' Russia into invading, Ukrainian Nazi's, etc. Pure victim-blaming and whitewashing of Putin's fascism and imperialism.
I daresay when Russia does invade the Baltics or elewhere, you will be full-on excusing-Russia mode.
Eh? My post supported reinforcing the guarantees to the Baltics, and I don't think that invading them would have any justification. Putin needs to be clear that a threat to the Baltic States is a threat to NATO. We simply don't need to refer back to the complex politics of the 1940s, filled with crimes that used each other as justification. History is rarely clear-cut, but the current position needs to be clear - an invasion of a NATO country will bring in the whole of NATO. Some things are simpler than they look.
That's fair.
But the NATO 'guarantee' is no such thing with Trump in power. And it's a fair question how many European members would pitch in.
So not really very simple. Especially when you consider past guarantees which proved no such thing.
The reality is that the Baltics might be an easier proposition than Ukraine, everything else being equal. Abandoning the latter is very much a gamble not in our interests.
Standing with Ukraine actively reinforces the credibility of NATO deterrence; abandoning it does precisely the opposite.
Comments
https://x.com/cameronyardejnr/status/1954534647401996766?s=61
I suspect most voters object to lads wanking to porn online as well, or at least say they do when polled on the subject.
I suspect the negative publicity over that stupid legislation will have a much higher impact that those who never visit remotely dodgy sites imagine.
World's longest wind blade (153m), heaviest nacelle (>500t) arrived in Shandong recently.
They are designed for world's 1st 26MW offshore turbine by Dongfang electric w/ turbine hub center height of 185m.
Each turbine can generate 100GWh of electricity/yr & cut > 80kt CO2.
Transporting such long blade & heavy nacelle is extremely difficult & they are finding ways to overcome such challenges to bring them to port & ship them.
500t nacelle also exceeds typical port crane lifting ability, so new solutions need to be developed to put them on cargo ships.
https://x.com/tphuang/status/1954360989207687179
https://x.com/hissgoescobra/status/1954227316437213449
That would have to be backed up by capability and it will take a decade, even if the money and political will is there, to build that to a level which fills the hole left by the Americans.
Which is why, galling though it is, Trump can't be just told to eff off. And why if he does (from Ukraine) it will create a massive crisis.
He says these are:
The disarmament of Hamas
Return of all hostages
Demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip
Israel taking "overriding security control" in the Strip
Establishment of an "alternative civil administration" that is not Hamas or the Palestinian Authority
That last point is as likely as those Ed Ball tests for joining the Euro.
There's plenty of leeway sufficient to allow Trump to sit on his butt.
(For reference, the Shard building in London is 310m, 1,016’, tall).
Those parts are going to be almost impossible to move, the factory will have to be in the shipyard and the installation offshore.
Indivisible parts that are 500’ long or weigh 500t just don’t exist anywhere else. They’re going to have to start making the blades in sections and hubs in pieces that can be assembled on site.
Why do police women wear those silly hats? Why don’t they wear caps like female soldiers do or even police helmets like the men do?
I know it’s got nothing to do with anything but just saw one on tv and wondered what that’s all about.
The tallest turbine is 260m to the tip.
So the Chinese one is quite chunky.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/aug/09/if-boomers-dont-want-wealth-taxes-they-can-give-their-time-and-skills
(As a GenX-er, I approve this message.)
AIUI friend @Leon is a Boomer. He can do volunteer house painting, and write the propaganda.
https://www.youtube.com/@Forgotten-British-TV
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcOKn2Ebnf7lWH9Ga2OnVy3CUTbgaHQUu
Trump is about to blame the random assignment algorithm being nobbled.
(Somewhere I have an image of an Alien "facehugger" made from chicken and Lord knows what else, served up as Sunday lunch...)
EDIT: not the one, but you get the idea...
https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/7cwu8j/i_made_a_100_edible_roasted_alien_facehugger_out/
When Ukraine was invaded (again...) in 2022, you blamed everyone but Russia. We shouldn't 'poke' Russia into invading, Ukrainian Nazi's, etc. Pure victim-blaming and whitewashing of Putin's fascism and imperialism.
I daresay when Russia does invade the Baltics or elewhere, you will be full-on excusing-Russia mode.
Guess what - Hunt isn't the chancellor and things didn't go perfectly.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2025/jun/24/visual-guide-can-europe-really-defend-itself-alone?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
And whilst it would have been better all round had Labour got a mandate to increase the big taxes (that's what the sort of society most of us want costs), I sort of get why that was felt to be a gamble too far. And the Sunak manifesto included a pledge to cut the rate of employee NI even more.
What have we become as a nation
https://x.com/BBCSport/status/1954547342440649136?t=30KveTdfBh6O3sRk7hK1Pw&s=19
Also Austria - lots of far right there. I guess if Russia wants the occupation of Austria restarted , we should be AOK with that?
I'm heading SW to avoid wrecking my lungs any further.
I've not been on PB much (house build taking all my time) but I just had to post this link to Saturday's Guardian Prize cryptic crossword https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/prize/29769.
This is easily the cleverest most satisfying crossword we've seen in 10 years of doing the Graun cryptic.
PS Liking the new font on PB!
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/aug/10/minutes-silence-for-diogo-jota-cut-short-at-wembley-before-community-shield-liverpool-crystal-palace
That's not to say that two wrongs make a right, of course.
OTOH you simply cannot give away pianos, as am discovering with a perfectly nice upright that I'm trying to find a home for. Depressing really.
"I made a 100% edible roasted Alien Facehugger out of chicken and crab - and have been told I'm not allowed to make it for Thanksgiving this year."
Putin's invasions of Ukraine in 2014 and 2022 had no justification either, did they?
The Government has admitted it has no idea how many foreign workers hired to plug gaps in Britain’s crisis-hit social care system are still working in the industry. It is not even known if they remain in the UK, as there is no official data directly linking visa status with ongoing residence in Britain.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/08/10/ministers-lose-track-of-150000-migrants/
Seriously, you spend so much time clutching your pearls I'm amazed your fingers have enough strength left to type,
Once you’re at sea, those weights are easy enough with the cranes available. The difficulty is getting them there in the first place.
Alien nanobug destroys planet, starting at Arthur's Seat (via Moon and Venus).
If a bit cold
Sure their details are down the back of that filing cabinet somewhere
"The blaze is reportedly a gorse fire - a wildfire involving the plant of the same name"
I started supporting Man United in 1953, was a season ticket holder for decades and are very well aware of the issue they have with the anthem
But like your nonsense this morning comprehensively countered by fellow posters you miss the point that Jota's silence should have been respected
Given that nearly all these people arrived in 2022 and 2023, and apparently a huge amount never even worked in the care sector, it's clearly a Labour problem.
Now, if Labour had had some plans on taking office...
The SG really is going to have to think about buying or hiring in a CL-415 or similar water bomber for future incidents around Scotland, and loaned to North England etc., though I don't suppose Duddingston Loch is big enough - you'd need a helicopter for a lift from that.
I acquired a nice Broadwood recently; cost nothing, but it still cost.
But the NATO 'guarantee' is no such thing with Trump in power. And it's a fair question how many European members would pitch in.
So not really very simple. Especially when you consider past guarantees which proved no such thing.
The reality is that the Baltics might be an easier proposition than Ukraine, everything else being equal.
Abandoning the latter is very much a gamble not in our interests.
Standing with Ukraine actively reinforces the credibility of NATO deterrence; abandoning it does precisely the opposite.