I see Max Hastings is bewailing this "increasingly Corbynite government" in The Times this morning, whilst also admitting he and his wife voted for it.
Fun with Flags report, from a long Bank Holiday Drive:
None visible in IoW Half dozen England flags cable tied to lampposts near IKEA in Southampton. Random England flag sticking out of a hedge near Romsey. Few flags draped on motorway bridges near Oxford. Nothing else north of Watford Gap Services.
Even if you or I saw a hundred flags on a trip, it is most likely only one or two blokes putting them up. Not to mention that a hundred people can come past one flag and it is still only one flag, not a hundred. This whole thing is pure Astroturf. It is also rather sinister, not that there are a few braindeads out there, but that we can be manipulated to believe there is some "movement".
This energy
Good morning
Here in Wales we are seeing the Welsh flag raised on lamp posts
Something is happening out there but how long it goes on for I do not know but it certainly seems to be upsetting those on the left
It certainly isn't upsetting me. It seems to be upsetting an awful lot of people that people aren't getting upset by it.
Across Britain, you can’t move for a hub. You want hubs? We got ‘em. Community hubs, growth hubs, tech hubs, equality hubs, mental health hubs — the possibilities are endless. Keir Starmer even wants to call offshore deportation centres “return hubs”."
I see Max Hastings is bewailing this "increasingly Corbynite government" in The Times this morning, whilst also admitting he and his wife voted for it.
Despite the rampant speculation and widespread shitting on fracking here, even RCS has I believe acknowledged (he can update me if this has changed) that a ban should not be in place. We have safety standards. These companies are not looking for Government subsidy. They should be allowed to operate if they can do so within the law. There is a great deal of hypocrisy and cant over energy infrastructure. We're happy to see landscapes sacrificed to vast pilons and birds sacrificed to windmills because it's all for 'the transition'. But we're against any possible disturbance to the rural idyll to get a profitable means of energy generation up and running.
Furthermore, I see absolutely zero reason why the UK cannot be a net energy exporter with the ample hydrocarbon, tidal, and other resources we have. I consider RCS's views on the subject to be valuable but not impartial.
If yo are taking about Fracking - get planning permission form the local government and I wouldn’t have a problem with it (beyond the fact I don’t think there are profitable sites in the UK).
But locals do need a say and given they will say no I aspect that’s something you will try and override.
Tidal - I think a lot of us haven’t a clue why we haven’t gone for it
I agree on all counts.
I suspect there is a lot of gas, that it can be got out profitably, and that it would cause some minor disturbances, with locals happy because their mouths had been stuffed with gold (deservedly).
Those are just my suspicions. It could be a bust, and that's showbiz.
Your suspicions based on no actual evidence at all and counter to everything those who actually know anything about the subject say.
Fun with Flags report, from a long Bank Holiday Drive:
None visible in IoW Half dozen England flags cable tied to lampposts near IKEA in Southampton. Random England flag sticking out of a hedge near Romsey. Few flags draped on motorway bridges near Oxford. Nothing else north of Watford Gap Services.
Even if you or I saw a hundred flags on a trip, it is most likely only one or two blokes putting them up. Not to mention that a hundred people can come past one flag and it is still only one flag, not a hundred. This whole thing is pure Astroturf. It is also rather sinister, not that there are a few braindeads out there, but that we can be manipulated to believe there is some "movement".
This energy
Good morning
Here in Wales we are seeing the Welsh flag raised on lamp posts
Something is happening out there but how long it goes on for I do not know but it certainly seems to be upsetting those on the left
Not down here we are not. If that changes I'll let you know.
Despite the rampant speculation and widespread shitting on fracking here, even RCS has I believe acknowledged (he can update me if this has changed) that a ban should not be in place. We have safety standards. These companies are not looking for Government subsidy. They should be allowed to operate if they can do so within the law. There is a great deal of hypocrisy and cant over energy infrastructure. We're happy to see landscapes sacrificed to vast pilons and birds sacrificed to windmills because it's all for 'the transition'. But we're against any possible disturbance to the rural idyll to get a profitable means of energy generation up and running.
Furthermore, I see absolutely zero reason why the UK cannot be a net energy exporter with the ample hydrocarbon, tidal, and other resources we have. I consider RCS's views on the subject to be valuable but not impartial.
If yo are taking about Fracking - get planning permission form the local government and I wouldn’t have a problem with it (beyond the fact I don’t think there are profitable sites in the UK).
But locals do need a say and given they will say no I aspect that’s something you will try and override.
Tidal - I think a lot of us haven’t a clue why we haven’t gone for it
I agree on all counts.
I suspect there is a lot of gas, that it can be got out profitably, and that it would cause some minor disturbances, with locals happy because their mouths had been stuffed with gold (deservedly).
Those are just my suspicions. It could be a bust, and that's showbiz.
The site's 2 experts have both explained that fracking is uneconomical in the UK.
Tidal is very capital intensive but it's not clear why the UK hasn't tried a small scale tidal lagoon. For a long time it was the Severn barrage or nothing which seemed like a ploy to hamper it. @rcs1000 might have some insight into why tidal hasn't happened yet.
The absolute hypocrisy of Trump firing Lisa Cook for alleged mortgage irregularities when he has already been convicted of the same after trial. Once again he looks to extend Presidential power and destroy the independence of the Fed. Once again the risks of not having that independence are that American bond rates will edge higher. Once again this will influence our bond rates which are more closely aligned with the US than with Europe. The man is a genuine menace.
Given that the Federal Reserve is a massively powerful arm of the US state, I am not sure why you argue automatically that its independence is a virtue. Nobody elects it. Why should it make massive decisions about Americans' lives (let alone anyone elses') that it is not accountable for. Bank of England 'independence' has absolutely not led to the stability in the UK that was promised - the Bank's decision-making is as poor as it ever was under the Chancellor, but he (or she) was at least accountable.
And in any event, a move to change central bank independence would require legislation. Trump's move is plainly illegal.
He implies that destroying its independence is a terrible idea without feeling the need to make an argument as to why. That's what I mean by 'automatic'.
Fun with Flags report, from a long Bank Holiday Drive:
None visible in IoW Half dozen England flags cable tied to lampposts near IKEA in Southampton. Random England flag sticking out of a hedge near Romsey. Few flags draped on motorway bridges near Oxford. Nothing else north of Watford Gap Services.
Even if you or I saw a hundred flags on a trip, it is most likely only one or two blokes putting them up. Not to mention that a hundred people can come past one flag and it is still only one flag, not a hundred. This whole thing is pure Astroturf. It is also rather sinister, not that there are a few braindeads out there, but that we can be manipulated to believe there is some "movement".
This energy
Good morning
Here in Wales we are seeing the Welsh flag raised on lamp posts
Something is happening out there but how long it goes on for I do not know but it certainly seems to be upsetting those on the left
Not down here we are not. If that changes I'll let you know.
Welsh flags = PC I'd have thought So that is a large part of the Welsh left
Despite the rampant speculation and widespread shitting on fracking here, even RCS has I believe acknowledged (he can update me if this has changed) that a ban should not be in place. We have safety standards. These companies are not looking for Government subsidy. They should be allowed to operate if they can do so within the law. There is a great deal of hypocrisy and cant over energy infrastructure. We're happy to see landscapes sacrificed to vast pilons and birds sacrificed to windmills because it's all for 'the transition'. But we're against any possible disturbance to the rural idyll to get a profitable means of energy generation up and running.
Furthermore, I see absolutely zero reason why the UK cannot be a net energy exporter with the ample hydrocarbon, tidal, and other resources we have. I consider RCS's views on the subject to be valuable but not impartial.
If yo are taking about Fracking - get planning permission form the local government and I wouldn’t have a problem with it (beyond the fact I don’t think there are profitable sites in the UK).
But locals do need a say and given they will say no I aspect that’s something you will try and override.
Tidal - I think a lot of us haven’t a clue why we haven’t gone for it
I agree on all counts.
I suspect there is a lot of gas, that it can be got out profitably, and that it would cause some minor disturbances, with locals happy because their mouths had been stuffed with gold (deservedly).
Those are just my suspicions. It could be a bust, and that's showbiz.
Your suspicions based on no actual evidence at all and counter to everything those who actually know anything about the subject say.
TBF he might not yet have had breakfast, and sometimes he's managed six impossible things before his morning repast.
Flags depend very much on who is doing the raising, what they are raising, and where they are raising it.
A church flying the St. George's Cross is definitely Olde England, and nothing more. If carried on a protest it can indicate something else. Rainbow flags (2025 version) are almost de rigeur in the large corporate/public sector, and never challenged. And virtually anyone carrying a Palestinian flag is a nob.
I'd steer clear of any caravan flying a flag on a campsite on one of those 25ft high bendy flagpole things - lots of them being skull & crossbones, it seems.
They will be a nightmare.
And that's part of the evil genius of this whole flag thing.
Raising a national flag can be a source and sign of innocent joy. It might be foolish innocence, and I'd argue that using zip ties to attach cheap flags to lampposts is foolish. Give it a while, they will look terrible. Some of the ones I saw attached to M25 bridges yesterday are halfway there already. When the Blessed Margaret passed the Highways Act 1980, she was right.
But the same act can also be an aggressive, cruel act. See these delightful examples of Englishness;
Across Britain, you can’t move for a hub. You want hubs? We got ‘em. Community hubs, growth hubs, tech hubs, equality hubs, mental health hubs — the possibilities are endless. Keir Starmer even wants to call offshore deportation centres “return hubs”."
The absolute hypocrisy of Trump firing Lisa Cook for alleged mortgage irregularities when he has already been convicted of the same after trial. Once again he looks to extend Presidential power and destroy the independence of the Fed. Once again the risks of not having that independence are that American bond rates will edge higher. Once again this will influence our bond rates which are more closely aligned with the US than with Europe. The man is a genuine menace.
Given that the Federal Reserve is a massively powerful arm of the US state, I am not sure why you argue automatically that its independence is a virtue. Nobody elects it. Why should it make massive decisions about Americans' lives (let alone anyone elses') that it is not accountable for. Bank of England 'independence' has absolutely not led to the stability in the UK that was promised - the Bank's decision-making is as poor as it ever was under the Chancellor, but he (or she) was at least accountable.
And in any event, a move to change central bank independence would require legislation. Trump's move is plainly illegal.
He implies that destroying its independence is a terrible idea without feeling the need to make an argument as to why. That's what I mean by 'automatic'.
"the risks of not having that independence are that American bond rates will edge higher.." is a long way from saying it's automatic. The movement of markets since the illegal order strongly suggests they feel the risk is also there. And after all that is what decides bond rates.
Flags depend very much on who is doing the raising, what they are raising, and where they are raising it.
A church flying the St. George's Cross is definitely Olde England, and nothing more. If carried on a protest it can indicate something else. Rainbow flags (2025 version) are almost de rigeur in the large corporate/public sector, and never challenged. And virtually anyone carrying a Palestinian flag is a nob.
I'd steer clear of any caravan flying a flag on a campsite on one of those 25ft high bendy flagpole things - lots of them being skull & crossbones, it seems.
They will be a nightmare.
And that's part of the evil genius of this whole flag thing.
Raising a national flag can be a source and sign of innocent joy. It might be foolish innocence, and I'd argue that using zip ties to attach cheap flags to lampposts is foolish. Give it a while, they will look terrible. Some of the ones I saw attached to M25 bridges yesterday are halfway there already. When the Blessed Margaret passed the Highways Act 1980, she was right.
But the same act can also be an aggressive, cruel act. See these delightful examples of Englishness;
I see Max Hastings is bewailing this "increasingly Corbynite government" in The Times this morning, whilst also admitting he and his wife voted for it.
Despite the rampant speculation and widespread shitting on fracking here, even RCS has I believe acknowledged (he can update me if this has changed) that a ban should not be in place. We have safety standards. These companies are not looking for Government subsidy. They should be allowed to operate if they can do so within the law. There is a great deal of hypocrisy and cant over energy infrastructure. We're happy to see landscapes sacrificed to vast pilons and birds sacrificed to windmills because it's all for 'the transition'. But we're against any possible disturbance to the rural idyll to get a profitable means of energy generation up and running.
Furthermore, I see absolutely zero reason why the UK cannot be a net energy exporter with the ample hydrocarbon, tidal, and other resources we have. I consider RCS's views on the subject to be valuable but not impartial.
If yo are taking about Fracking - get planning permission form the local government and I wouldn’t have a problem with it (beyond the fact I don’t think there are profitable sites in the UK).
But locals do need a say and given they will say no I aspect that’s something you will try and override.
Tidal - I think a lot of us haven’t a clue why we haven’t gone for it
On fracking - it died the moment that they imposed standards on how big an earthquake you were allowed to cause and how much ground water pollution etc.
The actual ban stuff was performative dance, later.
Tidal ponds is a nexus of environmentalism and departmental policy. IIRC @NickPalmer told is that while in government, the officials were still answering queries about tidal ponds with study that has been completely discredited.
Flags depend very much on who is doing the raising, what they are raising, and where they are raising it.
A church flying the St. George's Cross is definitely Olde England, and nothing more. If carried on a protest it can indicate something else. Rainbow flags (2025 version) are almost de rigeur in the large corporate/public sector, and never challenged. And virtually anyone carrying a Palestinian flag is a nob.
I'd steer clear of any caravan flying a flag on a campsite on one of those 25ft high bendy flagpole things - lots of them being skull & crossbones, it seems.
They will be a nightmare.
And that's part of the evil genius of this whole flag thing.
Raising a national flag can be a source and sign of innocent joy. It might be foolish innocence, and I'd argue that using zip ties to attach cheap flags to lampposts is foolish. Give it a while, they will look terrible. Some of the ones I saw attached to M25 bridges yesterday are halfway there already. When the Blessed Margaret passed the Highways Act 1980, she was right.
But the same act can also be an aggressive, cruel act. See these delightful examples of Englishness;
Fun with Flags report, from a long Bank Holiday Drive:
None visible in IoW Half dozen England flags cable tied to lampposts near IKEA in Southampton. Random England flag sticking out of a hedge near Romsey. Few flags draped on motorway bridges near Oxford. Nothing else north of Watford Gap Services.
Even if you or I saw a hundred flags on a trip, it is most likely only one or two blokes putting them up. Not to mention that a hundred people can come past one flag and it is still only one flag, not a hundred. This whole thing is pure Astroturf. It is also rather sinister, not that there are a few braindeads out there, but that we can be manipulated to believe there is some "movement".
This energy
Is this from Darren Grimes? Isn't he up your way now. And how is that going?
Despite the rampant speculation and widespread shitting on fracking here, even RCS has I believe acknowledged (he can update me if this has changed) that a ban should not be in place. We have safety standards. These companies are not looking for Government subsidy. They should be allowed to operate if they can do so within the law. There is a great deal of hypocrisy and cant over energy infrastructure. We're happy to see landscapes sacrificed to vast pilons and birds sacrificed to windmills because it's all for 'the transition'. But we're against any possible disturbance to the rural idyll to get a profitable means of energy generation up and running.
Furthermore, I see absolutely zero reason why the UK cannot be a net energy exporter with the ample hydrocarbon, tidal, and other resources we have. I consider RCS's views on the subject to be valuable but not impartial.
If yo are taking about Fracking - get planning permission form the local government and I wouldn’t have a problem with it (beyond the fact I don’t think there are profitable sites in the UK).
But locals do need a say and given they will say no I aspect that’s something you will try and override.
Tidal - I think a lot of us haven’t a clue why we haven’t gone for it
I agree on all counts.
I suspect there is a lot of gas, that it can be got out profitably, and that it would cause some minor disturbances, with locals happy because their mouths had been stuffed with gold (deservedly).
Those are just my suspicions. It could be a bust, and that's showbiz.
Your suspicions based on no actual evidence at all and counter to everything those who actually know anything about the subject say.
You're not remotely impartial either. I qualified it as a suspicion and nothing more, so up yours.
Comments
Driven mad by Brexit.
F1: dinky-sized podcast looking ahead to the Netherlands, with some rumour masquerading as news, plus predictions:
Podbean: https://undercutters.podbean.com/e/f1-2025-dutch-grand-prix-preview-and-predictions/
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/f1-2025-dutch-grand-prix-preview-and-predictions/id1786574257?i=1000723554331
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5p3c0HWjrlvK4M7N7Uu9Mv
Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/bcfe213b-55fb-408a-a823-dc6693ee9f78/episodes/4ab2e5f3-afbf-4266-83df-04dacdb8b612/undercutters---f1-podcast-f1-2025-dutch-grand-prix-preview-and-predictions
Transcript: https://morrisf1.blogspot.com/2025/08/f1-2025-dutch-grand-prix-preview-and.html
It seems to be upsetting an awful lot of people that people aren't getting upset by it.
Trump’s move to fire Federal Reserve governor rattles markets, as US dollar falls
https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2025/aug/26/trump-fire-federal-reserve-governor-dollar-falls-markets-business-live-news
Tidal is very capital intensive but it's not clear why the UK hasn't tried a small scale tidal lagoon. For a long time it was the Severn barrage or nothing which seemed like a ploy to hamper it. @rcs1000 might have some insight into why tidal hasn't happened yet.
Suspensions from Australia to Europe come after Donald Trump removed a rule exempting parcels worth less than US$800 from his tariffs
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/26/postal-services-suspend-us-usa-deliveries-how-will-it-affect-you
So that is a large part of the Welsh left
Raising a national flag can be a source and sign of innocent joy. It might be foolish innocence, and I'd argue that using zip ties to attach cheap flags to lampposts is foolish. Give it a while, they will look terrible. Some of the ones I saw attached to M25 bridges yesterday are halfway there already. When the Blessed Margaret passed the Highways Act 1980, she was right.
But the same act can also be an aggressive, cruel act. See these delightful examples of Englishness;
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn43rxk0gdlo
How do you tell them apart? Difficult, without a window into a man's soul.
NEW THREAD
The movement of markets since the illegal order strongly suggests they feel the risk is also there.
And after all that is what decides bond rates.
Also flattering. Carry on
The actual ban stuff was performative dance, later.
Tidal ponds is a nexus of environmentalism and departmental policy. IIRC @NickPalmer told is that while in government, the officials were still answering queries about tidal ponds with study that has been completely discredited.
And yes, lots of cases are pretty unambiguous. The vicar of St George's raising the flag on the church tower before saying Mattins, at the other end.
But there's definitely a grey area here. In schools, it's the "I got a detention for a tiny thing." It's hardly ever just for a tiny thing.