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Oh, for fuck's sake. I thought this was a satire of Lab Operation Patriot, but no.
Saul Staniforth @SaulStaniforth Asked if she's got a flag on display in her home, the Home Secretary says she has Union Jack bunting, St Georges flags, St Georges bunting, and Union Jack flags and tablecloths.
Nothing wrong with it in itself but it doesn't sound authentic. It's as if Jacob Rees-Mogg expressed admiration for Pink Floyd or a fondness for standing on the terraces at Accrington Stanley.
'Popular' broadcaster Ed Balls is now fully and authentically on board with Project Patriot.
It’s getting both silly and sinister. There’s a chilling effect on public discourse when there is only one permitted view on a topic as seems to be the case with immigration - the permitted view being it’s too high and very concerning. If you don’t share this concern you’d better keep quiet about it or risk being labelled a limp anti-patriot who doesn’t believe in Britain and can’t see a Union or a St George without pointing and laughing. Of course there are people like that, but it’s a tiny minority. Most of those being bullied out of the national conversation simply have legitimate lack of concerns about the numbers of people coming to the country.
It is not (yet) illegal to express this view – thank god – but the sociocultural pressure to go along with the ‘correct’ sentiment is strong. Too strong for many, so they bottle it up, their lack of concern, only let it out in safe spaces where they know they won’t be shouted down and called names. If you push valid opinion underground in this way we know what happens. It festers there and becomes exactly the thing it was being smeared as in the first place. So in time we’ll get millions of ordinary decent Britons who started out just not that bothered about immigration ending up angry and radicalised and demanding the complete dismantling of our borders. That’s where all the presumptuous policing of the debate leads and why it must be resisted. I’d hope even the most ardent holders of the ‘right-think’ position realise this.
X Fraser Nelson@FraserNelson "As long as this Labour government is led by a leader who so sorely lacks interest in the raw stuff of politics, its adviser class will struggle to achieve anything."
Oh, for fuck's sake. I thought this was a satire of Lab Operation Patriot, but no.
Saul Staniforth @SaulStaniforth Asked if she's got a flag on display in her home, the Home Secretary says she has Union Jack bunting, St Georges flags, St Georges bunting, and Union Jack flags and tablecloths.
To be honest Starmer and Reeves (with others in labour) are embarrassing themselves to an extraordinary degree with their fake nod to Farage and Reform
All we need now is Dame Emily Thornberry to echo these statements
I don't know. The amount of various things the Ratas have stuffed in cupboards or in lofts over the years is extraordinary. I think we lack St. George's bunting and the tablecloth, but the rest we have courtesy of Jubilees, football tournaments and the like. I wore some quite old Union Jack socks the other week their having sorted themselves to the bottom of the drawer, and there have been t-shirts of the ilk. Cool Britannia don't you recall?
Let them hang flags, it's a distraction from worse (best flagging effort award from me goes to Horbury btw).
A train full of old Russian T-55 tanks, heading off to refight the early years of the Cold War - except that they’ll be up against modern Western tanks and MANPADS.
That lot will barely last a day or two on the front line, yet more proof if it were needed that the enemy is now at the point of raiding museums for weapons of war.
They'll most likely be used as very poor short-range artillery, rather than pushed up to the front line to be vapourised.
Russian tank (and APC) losses have slowed right down. There are three main reasons why this might be.
1. Their protection or tactical use has improved, so they're better surviving combat. 2. They're not being used because they're being concentrated for a future offensive. 3. There are almost none left.
It’s getting both silly and sinister. There’s a chilling effect on public discourse when there is only one permitted view on a topic as seems to be the case
With the latest Trump speculation channelling Weekend at Bernie’s, I got to thinking about how a handful of films - usually but not exclusively comedies - have managed to become memes based on a single premise that carries the whole movie.
So any story involving people pretending someone isn’t dead is now weekend at Bernie’s.
A few that come to mind:
- Groundhog Day (same thing keeps happening) - Wag the dog (politician starts a war to distract from domestic woes) - Brewster’s millions (got to spend a budget before time runs out - this one came up yesterday at work) - Indecent proposal (would you bonk someone if they paid you lots of money) - Fatal attraction (moment of weakness leads to consequences / bunny boiling) - Truman show (reality isn’t real) - Sliding doors (a moment where your life could go one way or another) - 28 days later (a normally bustling city is eerily quiet)
I’m sure there are plenty of others.
Deliverance - going anywhere in Suffolk.
I think I would rule out 28 days later simply because it has been done so many times before (War of the Worlds, for one, Day of the Triffids etc).
Trump won't run again, he doesn't have the two thirds majority in Congress to change the constitution to enable him to run for a third term. Vance is also determined to be the GOP nominee himself.
Unless the administration gets its approval rating closer to 50% than its current 40% neither would win anyway
Trump issued an executive order criminalising flag burning despite the constitution, as determined by the Supreme Court, protecting the act. What makes you think he's bothered by what the constitution says or the need to obey it?
The SC has to interpret the constitution the way he wants it to and the US military is pledged to protect the constitution as well as the President
As we're discussing Ukraine/Russia, this recent video (15 mins) by Good Times, Bad Times takes a look at the Long Neptune and Flamingo long range Ukrainian missiles:
Good morning from Athina. A "major announcement" from the White House and/or Trump at 6pm UK time, apparently.
Wonder what that is.
Maybe he's forcing Vance to resign following a failed coup (attempt to use the 25th following a Trump stroke).
I think that's the most dramatic possibility.
If George Bush had taken my advice and replaced VP Dick Cheney with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and then resigned with a year to go, there might never have been President Obama. Condi Rice would have shot Democrat foxes as the first Black president and the first woman president, and kept the White House in Republican hands for another two terms. She might also have handled the GFC better.
But what's in it for the GOP now? Only lols if Vance is ousted for Ivanka or more likely Don Jr to preserve the Trump dynasty.
Oh, for fuck's sake. I thought this was a satire of Lab Operation Patriot, but no.
Saul Staniforth @SaulStaniforth Asked if she's got a flag on display in her home, the Home Secretary says she has Union Jack bunting, St Georges flags, St Georges bunting, and Union Jack flags and tablecloths.
Nothing wrong with it in itself but it doesn't sound authentic. It's as if Jacob Rees-Mogg expressed admiration for Pink Floyd or a fondness for standing on the terraces at Accrington Stanley.
'Popular' broadcaster Ed Balls is now fully and authentically on board with Project Patriot.
It’s getting both silly and sinister. There’s a chilling effect on public discourse when there is only one permitted view on a topic as seems to be the case with immigration - the permitted view being it’s too high and very concerning. If you don’t share this concern you’d better keep quiet about it or risk being labelled a limp anti-patriot who doesn’t believe in Britain and can’t see a Union or a St George without pointing and laughing. Of course there are people like that, but it’s a tiny minority. Most of those being bullied out of the national conversation simply have legitimate lack of concerns about the numbers of people coming to the country.
It is not (yet) illegal to express this view – thank god – but the sociocultural pressure to go along with the ‘correct’ sentiment is strong. Too strong for many, so they bottle it up, their lack of concern, only let it out in safe spaces where they know they won’t be shouted down and called names. If you push valid opinion underground in this way we know what happens. It festers there and becomes exactly the thing it was being smeared as in the first place. So in time we’ll get millions of ordinary decent Britons who started out just not that bothered about immigration ending up angry and radicalised and demanding the complete dismantling of our borders. That’s where all the presumptuous policing of the debate leads and why it must be resisted. I’d hope even the most ardent holders of the ‘right-think’ position realise this.
A train full of old Russian T-55 tanks, heading off to refight the early years of the Cold War - except that they’ll be up against modern Western tanks and MANPADS.
That lot will barely last a day or two on the front line, yet more proof if it were needed that the enemy is now at the point of raiding museums for weapons of war.
The T-55s are mostly used as low rent self propelled artillery, as I understand it. They’ve pretty much run out of ancient, rusty SPGs to renovate and production is still very low. Especially replacement barrels.
Russian artillery losses are still running at an average of ~40 per day, so I assume the Russians still have lots of towed artillery pieces.
Sarah Taaffe-Maguire, business and economics reporter
Pound on course for biggest single-day fall in months
The value of the pound has sunk as the cost of 30-year government borrowing reached a high last seen in 1998.
One pound briefly bought $1.338, a low last seen in nearly a month, down from $1.35 earlier this morning.
It's still higher than most of the past year. In early September 2024 a pound bought $1.31.
It means sterling is on course for the biggest one-day drop since April, when Donald Trump's announcement of country-specific tariffs spooked markets.
The drop was similarly steep against the euro, with a pound momentarily buying €1.149, a fall from €1.1586 earlier this morning. It's recovered slightly, reaching €1.152.
Before the so-called liberation day announcement, £1 equalled nearly €1.19.
It comes as the yield (the interest rate demanded by investors) on 30-year government bonds (loans taken by the state) hit 5.695%, before easing to 5.67%, the highest rate this century.
Yields are rising across the globe, and investors are concerned about UK government finances as Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, struggles to stick to her fiscal rules to bring down the debt and balance the budget.
Good morning from Athina. A "major announcement" from the White House and/or Trump at 6pm UK time, apparently.
Wonder what that is.
Maybe he's forcing Vance to resign following a failed coup (attempt to use the 25th following a Trump stroke).
I think that's the most dramatic possibility.
One thing I don’t understand, amusing as this whole “is Trump alive or not” jape, is why aren’t the democrats and anti-Magas all over the airwaves and media stirring it up and demanding that Trump comes out and shows he’s ok.
It’s a win-win as if he doesn’t come out in front of the media then it’s not good for the Magas but even if he does it keeps building a story about his health and vulnerability.
Weirdly low turnout given the candidates were offering such contrasting routes forward for the Greens. I'd generally expect lower turnout when there's little to differentiate.
It’s getting both silly and sinister. There’s a chilling effect on public discourse when there is only one permitted view on a topic as seems to be the case
My stuff getting used in support of anti-trans activism - I'm suing!
Good morning from Athina. A "major announcement" from the White House and/or Trump at 6pm UK time, apparently.
Wonder what that is.
Maybe he's forcing Vance to resign following a failed coup (attempt to use the 25th following a Trump stroke).
I think that's the most dramatic possibility.
One thing I don’t understand, amusing as this whole “is Trump alive or not” jape, is why aren’t the democrats and anti-Magas all over the airwaves and media stirring it up and demanding that Trump comes out and shows he’s ok.
It’s a win-win as if he doesn’t come out in front of the media then it’s not good for the Magas but even if he does it keeps building a story about his health and vulnerability.
It isn't a win-win at all. It's saying Trump is the story, whether he's in the room or not (which is his whole thing).
And if he walks out looking the picture of health (or, more realistically, the picture of a fat 79 year old who's had a decent night's sleep), then you look like a conspiracy nut.
A train full of old Russian T-55 tanks, heading off to refight the early years of the Cold War - except that they’ll be up against modern Western tanks and MANPADS.
That lot will barely last a day or two on the front line, yet more proof if it were needed that the enemy is now at the point of raiding museums for weapons of war.
The T-55s are mostly used as low rent self propelled artillery, as I understand it. They’ve pretty much run out of ancient, rusty SPGs to renovate and production is still very low. Especially replacement barrels.
The last couple of weeks have been pretty good for Ukraine, with gains in territory made, and an ability to attack air defences and Russian O&G or military-industrial facilities seemingly at will.
The tank stocks are pretty much done when they’re rolling these old relics out, and the actual new T-80 tanks are coming out of the factory at handfuls per month when they’re losing hundreds, sanctions making it much more difficult to source electronic components for them.
The worry now has to be that he finds another serious source of heavy weapons, from NK, China, or India - although there have even been rumours of Russian agents hitting up the African warlords offering to buy old tanks and take mercenary soldiers.
Russia has been running the war in broken back mode, when it comes to tanks and artillery for quite a while now.
I’d like to think that too, but I also know it’s what I want to hear and most of my sources are close to the Ukranian side of the war.
Most of the Russian side is so blantantly wrong or clear propoganda it’s difficult to believe anything coming from that side.
However there being a couple of new Russian O&G facilities or war factories on fire every morning for the past few weeks is definitely verifiable, as are the long queues starting to appear for petrol all over Russia. Their economy is definitely hurting a lot now, but the question remains for how much longer it can continue before internal pressure on Putin gets too much.
When the end comes it will be sudden, but it's very hard to tell when that will be.
A train full of old Russian T-55 tanks, heading off to refight the early years of the Cold War - except that they’ll be up against modern Western tanks and MANPADS.
That lot will barely last a day or two on the front line, yet more proof if it were needed that the enemy is now at the point of raiding museums for weapons of war.
They'll most likely be used as very poor short-range artillery, rather than pushed up to the front line to be vapourised.
Russian tank (and APC) losses have slowed right down. There are three main reasons why this might be.
1. Their protection or tactical use has improved, so they're better surviving combat. 2. They're not being used because they're being concentrated for a future offensive. 3. There are almost none left.
The reported loss rates match the reports of production/refurbs for SPGs and tanks quite well.
That is, Russia is refurbing/building new at a few dozens per month. And losing them at about that rate.
A train full of old Russian T-55 tanks, heading off to refight the early years of the Cold War - except that they’ll be up against modern Western tanks and MANPADS.
That lot will barely last a day or two on the front line, yet more proof if it were needed that the enemy is now at the point of raiding museums for weapons of war.
The T-55s are mostly used as low rent self propelled artillery, as I understand it. They’ve pretty much run out of ancient, rusty SPGs to renovate and production is still very low. Especially replacement barrels.
Russian artillery losses are still running at an average of ~40 per day, so I assume the Russians still have lots of towed artillery pieces.
Looks like - they ran through the stockpiles of rusty SPGs a while back. Then started using ancient tanks as SPGs, and using the stockpiles of rusty towed artillery.
Lots of rumours that he had won, partly because entrists seem to have joined in recent months just to vote for the more Corbyn friendly candidate.
Not sure a landslide was expected.
The old guard led by Lucas have been swamped it seems.
Can't see Ramsey's seat being held now.
It's going to get a bit crowded there on the Left.
I'd prefer to stick with mainstream politics but if we are truly entering a period where that's unelectable I do want to see a strong Radical Left emerging to counter the Populist Right.
Elon Musk is promoting the "White British" shite again.
It seems he has so mucked himself up over interfering in US politics, he's now interfering in ours. With exactly the amount of accuracy and nuance you expect from a 'genius'.
It’s getting both silly and sinister. There’s a chilling effect on public discourse when there is only one permitted view on a topic as seems to be the case
I've seen the tweets in question. You can understand why an outside observer might start to question free speech in the UK.
Lots of rumours that he had won, partly because entrists seem to have joined in recent months just to vote for the more Corbyn friendly candidate.
Not sure a landslide was expected.
The old guard led by Lucas have been swamped it seems.
Can't see Ramsey's seat being held now.
It's going to get a bit crowded there on the Left.
I'd prefer to stick with mainstream politics but if we are truly entering a period where that's unelectable I do want to see a strong Radical Left emerging to counter the Populist Right.
Perhaps they’ll split and the genuine Greens will form a new Ecology Party.
Sarah Taaffe-Maguire, business and economics reporter
Pound on course for biggest single-day fall in months
The value of the pound has sunk as the cost of 30-year government borrowing reached a high last seen in 1998.
One pound briefly bought $1.338, a low last seen in nearly a month, down from $1.35 earlier this morning.
It's still higher than most of the past year. In early September 2024 a pound bought $1.31.
It means sterling is on course for the biggest one-day drop since April, when Donald Trump's announcement of country-specific tariffs spooked markets.
The drop was similarly steep against the euro, with a pound momentarily buying €1.149, a fall from €1.1586 earlier this morning. It's recovered slightly, reaching €1.152.
Before the so-called liberation day announcement, £1 equalled nearly €1.19.
It comes as the yield (the interest rate demanded by investors) on 30-year government bonds (loans taken by the state) hit 5.695%, before easing to 5.67%, the highest rate this century.
Yields are rising across the globe, and investors are concerned about UK government finances as Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, struggles to stick to her fiscal rules to bring down the debt and balance the budget.
Rachel Reeves is going to be under incredible pressure to deliver a budget that the global markets will accept and that her own Labour backbenchers will back.
It’s getting both silly and sinister. There’s a chilling effect on public discourse when there is only one permitted view on a topic as seems to be the case
I've seen the tweets in question. You can understand why an outside observer might start to question free speech in the UK.
Advocating violence, ah, but it was a joke so that makes it ok. You may be right that this is an absurd overreaction but is it remarkably different from what Lucy Connolly posted about asylum hotels?
Sarah Taaffe-Maguire, business and economics reporter
Pound on course for biggest single-day fall in months
The value of the pound has sunk as the cost of 30-year government borrowing reached a high last seen in 1998.
One pound briefly bought $1.338, a low last seen in nearly a month, down from $1.35 earlier this morning.
It's still higher than most of the past year. In early September 2024 a pound bought $1.31.
It means sterling is on course for the biggest one-day drop since April, when Donald Trump's announcement of country-specific tariffs spooked markets.
The drop was similarly steep against the euro, with a pound momentarily buying €1.149, a fall from €1.1586 earlier this morning. It's recovered slightly, reaching €1.152.
Before the so-called liberation day announcement, £1 equalled nearly €1.19.
It comes as the yield (the interest rate demanded by investors) on 30-year government bonds (loans taken by the state) hit 5.695%, before easing to 5.67%, the highest rate this century.
Yields are rising across the globe, and investors are concerned about UK government finances as Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, struggles to stick to her fiscal rules to bring down the debt and balance the budget.
Rachel Reeves is going to be under incredible pressure to deliver a budget that the global markets will accept and that her own Labour backbenchers will back.
For going on Rogan’s podcast and talking about freedom of speech?
For three fairly meh tweets.
He’s been bleating recently about how Saint JK of Rowling hasn’t been backing him up on his increasingly deranged ‘campaigning’. Perhaps now she’ll turn her legal big guns from threatening folk who say things she doesn’t like to defending the free speech of Linehan.
A train full of old Russian T-55 tanks, heading off to refight the early years of the Cold War - except that they’ll be up against modern Western tanks and MANPADS.
That lot will barely last a day or two on the front line, yet more proof if it were needed that the enemy is now at the point of raiding museums for weapons of war.
The T-55s are mostly used as low rent self propelled artillery, as I understand it. They’ve pretty much run out of ancient, rusty SPGs to renovate and production is still very low. Especially replacement barrels.
The last couple of weeks have been pretty good for Ukraine, with gains in territory made, and an ability to attack air defences and Russian O&G or military-industrial facilities seemingly at will.
The tank stocks are pretty much done when they’re rolling these old relics out, and the actual new T-80 tanks are coming out of the factory at handfuls per month when they’re losing hundreds, sanctions making it much more difficult to source electronic components for them.
The worry now has to be that he finds another serious source of heavy weapons, from NK, China, or India - although there have even been rumours of Russian agents hitting up the African warlords offering to buy old tanks and take mercenary soldiers.
Russia has been running the war in broken back mode, when it comes to tanks and artillery for quite a while now.
I’d like to think that too, but I also know it’s what I want to hear and most of my sources are close to the Ukranian side of the war.
Most of the Russian side is so blantantly wrong or clear propoganda it’s difficult to believe anything coming from that side.
However there being a couple of new Russian O&G facilities or war factories on fire every morning for the past few weeks is definitely verifiable, as are the long queues starting to appear for petrol all over Russia. Their economy is definitely hurting a lot now, but the question remains for how much longer it can continue before internal pressure on Putin gets too much.
When the end comes it will be sudden, but it's very hard to tell when that will be.
Not so sure on that. Russia is prosecuting this war as existential - they will keep going until they achieve what they perceive as victory. A big part of that is that for Putin and close associates it is existential.
Herman Kahn, back in the 1950s, promulgated (but did not invent) the concept of broken back war. One or both sides gradually loses technology. Instead of surrender, they simply resort to ever more primitive methods to continue the fight.
Hence the quip - “World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones"
An example of this was the German Army in WWII - especially in the East. Aircraft & heavy weapons became ever more scarce, leading to the Germans fighting in an almost 1918 style.
At the beginning of the campaign, Ramsay/Chowns were seen as the favourites, but it's seemed for a while now that Polanski would win. That said, I didn't expect that margin. I guess it's good for the party to have a clear result!
I suspect it's bad for the party to have Polanski, however. Maybe it wasn't before Your Party, but his vision for the Greens seems very close to Your Party and there's a good chance that ends badly for one or other side. But I would guess this is good for the LibDems! Maybe they can get Ramsay and/or Chowns to defect!
For going on Rogan’s podcast and talking about freedom of speech?
For three tweets that trans-activists thought were a bit 'hurty'
Is there a reason people need to be arrested, in this case on arrival at an airport, for these types of complaints rather than being invited in to be questioned?
Seems like a huge waste of resources for a starter.
It’s getting both silly and sinister. There’s a chilling effect on public discourse when there is only one permitted view on a topic as seems to be the case
I've seen the tweets in question. You can understand why an outside observer might start to question free speech in the UK.
Advocating violence, ah, but it was a joke so that makes it ok. You may be right that this is an absurd overreaction but is it remarkably different from what Lucy Connolly posted about asylum hotels?
One was incitement to kill people, the other was not, so yes.
A train full of old Russian T-55 tanks, heading off to refight the early years of the Cold War - except that they’ll be up against modern Western tanks and MANPADS.
That lot will barely last a day or two on the front line, yet more proof if it were needed that the enemy is now at the point of raiding museums for weapons of war.
The T-55s are mostly used as low rent self propelled artillery, as I understand it. They’ve pretty much run out of ancient, rusty SPGs to renovate and production is still very low. Especially replacement barrels.
The last couple of weeks have been pretty good for Ukraine, with gains in territory made, and an ability to attack air defences and Russian O&G or military-industrial facilities seemingly at will.
The tank stocks are pretty much done when they’re rolling these old relics out, and the actual new T-80 tanks are coming out of the factory at handfuls per month when they’re losing hundreds, sanctions making it much more difficult to source electronic components for them.
The worry now has to be that he finds another serious source of heavy weapons, from NK, China, or India - although there have even been rumours of Russian agents hitting up the African warlords offering to buy old tanks and take mercenary soldiers.
Russia has been running the war in broken back mode, when it comes to tanks and artillery for quite a while now.
I’d like to think that too, but I also know it’s what I want to hear and most of my sources are close to the Ukranian side of the war.
Most of the Russian side is so blantantly wrong or clear propoganda it’s difficult to believe anything coming from that side.
However there being a couple of new Russian O&G facilities or war factories on fire every morning for the past few weeks is definitely verifiable, as are the long queues starting to appear for petrol all over Russia. Their economy is definitely hurting a lot now, but the question remains for how much longer it can continue before internal pressure on Putin gets too much.
When the end comes it will be sudden, but it's very hard to tell when that will be.
Recent news has been good for Ukraine... except for anything to do with Trump. We had Putin saying recently that he had "understandings" from Trump on Ukraine.
It’s getting both silly and sinister. There’s a chilling effect on public discourse when there is only one permitted view on a topic as seems to be the case
I've seen the tweets in question. You can understand why an outside observer might start to question free speech in the UK.
It’s getting both silly and sinister. There’s a chilling effect on public discourse when there is only one permitted view on a topic as seems to be the case
I've seen the tweets in question. You can understand why an outside observer might start to question free speech in the UK.
Advocating violence, ah, but it was a joke so that makes it ok. You may be right that this is an absurd overreaction but is it remarkably different from what Lucy Connolly posted about asylum hotels?
Yes. I think there are marked differences, notwithstanding whether either was or was not, or should or should not be illegal.
Elon Musk is promoting the "White British" shite again.
It seems he has so mucked himself up over interfering in US politics, he's now interfering in ours. With exactly the amount of accuracy and nuance you expect from a 'genius'.
He needs to step back and focus on Tesla and his other business interests
It’s getting both silly and sinister. There’s a chilling effect on public discourse when there is only one permitted view on a topic as seems to be the case
I've seen the tweets in question. You can understand why an outside observer might start to question free speech in the UK.
Advocating violence, ah, but it was a joke so that makes it ok. You may be right that this is an absurd overreaction but is it remarkably different from what Lucy Connolly posted about asylum hotels?
Presumably it's for the 'punch them' bit. Looks a bit daft, but then he's also a living example of David Cameron's comment about Twitter, it seems.
The 'armed police arrest' thing is presumably because it was at Heathrow. Are there many unarmed police knocking around Heathrow?
It’s getting both silly and sinister. There’s a chilling effect on public discourse when there is only one permitted view on a topic as seems to be the case
I've seen the tweets in question. You can understand why an outside observer might start to question free speech in the UK.
Advocating violence, ah, but it was a joke so that makes it ok. You may be right that this is an absurd overreaction but is it remarkably different from what Lucy Connolly posted about asylum hotels?
Presumably it's for the 'punch them' bit. Looks a bit daft, but then he's also a living example of David Cameron's comment about Twitter, it seems.
The 'armed police arrest' thing is presumably because it was at Heathrow. Are there many unarmed police knocking around Heathrow?
Was it strictly necessary to arrest him on arrival, or could he have been asked politely to attend an interview?
It’s getting both silly and sinister. There’s a chilling effect on public discourse when there is only one permitted view on a topic as seems to be the case
I've seen the tweets in question. You can understand why an outside observer might start to question free speech in the UK.
Advocating violence, ah, but it was a joke so that makes it ok. You may be right that this is an absurd overreaction but is it remarkably different from what Lucy Connolly posted about asylum hotels?
One was incitement to kill people, the other was not, so yes.
Indeed.
I think we need to be careful in that we only have Linehan's version of events, which may not tell the whole story. I also note that he doesn't appear to have been charged and may not be.
Oval Office announcements aren't daily things, but the last such was only August 22nd for the National Guard to DC announcement.
Nothing else (yet) on the calendar.
Depending on how that announcement goes, what it is and, indeed, whether it goes ahead, potentially that's when health concerns go from an internet speculation to mainstream, or subside once more.
Set your watches.
Can they get President Vance esconced that quickly?
Lots of rumours that he had won, partly because entrists seem to have joined in recent months just to vote for the more Corbyn friendly candidate.
Not sure a landslide was expected.
The old guard led by Lucas have been swamped it seems.
Can't see Ramsey's seat being held now.
It's going to get a bit crowded there on the Left.
I'd prefer to stick with mainstream politics but if we are truly entering a period where that's unelectable I do want to see a strong Radical Left emerging to counter the Populist Right.
Perhaps they’ll split and the genuine Greens will form a new Ecology Party.
Well you can be both a genuine Green and left wing. Most are these days, I'd have thought. But some presumably aren't and maybe they do need a new party. More the merrier!
Although I'm intrigued as to the difference (other than style and comms) between a Polanski-led Green Party and Corbyn's new project.
A train full of old Russian T-55 tanks, heading off to refight the early years of the Cold War - except that they’ll be up against modern Western tanks and MANPADS.
That lot will barely last a day or two on the front line, yet more proof if it were needed that the enemy is now at the point of raiding museums for weapons of war.
They'll most likely be used as very poor short-range artillery, rather than pushed up to the front line to be vapourised.
Russian tank (and APC) losses have slowed right down. There are three main reasons why this might be.
1. Their protection or tactical use has improved, so they're better surviving combat. 2. They're not being used because they're being concentrated for a future offensive. 3. There are almost none left.
Given that they’re now dragging the T-55s out, I think I’ll take option 3 for $500 please.
Elon Musk is promoting the "White British" shite again.
It seems he has so mucked himself up over interfering in US politics, he's now interfering in ours. With exactly the amount of accuracy and nuance you expect from a 'genius'.
He needs to step back and focus on Tesla and his other business interests
Of course he does. And there will be people telling him that, if it was not obvious.
It’s getting both silly and sinister. There’s a chilling effect on public discourse when there is only one permitted view on a topic as seems to be the case
I've seen the tweets in question. You can understand why an outside observer might start to question free speech in the UK.
Advocating violence, ah, but it was a joke so that makes it ok. You may be right that this is an absurd overreaction but is it remarkably different from what Lucy Connolly posted about asylum hotels?
Presumably it's for the 'punch them' bit. Looks a bit daft, but then he's also a living example of David Cameron's comment about Twitter, it seems.
The 'armed police arrest' thing is presumably because it was at Heathrow. Are there many unarmed police knocking around Heathrow?
Advocating physical violence against a protected minority is still a crime in this country. Who would have thought?
At the beginning of the campaign, Ramsay/Chowns were seen as the favourites, but it's seemed for a while now that Polanski would win. That said, I didn't expect that margin. I guess it's good for the party to have a clear result!
I suspect it's bad for the party to have Polanski, however. Maybe it wasn't before Your Party, but his vision for the Greens seems very close to Your Party and there's a good chance that ends badly for one or other side. But I would guess this is good for the LibDems! Maybe they can get Ramsay and/or Chowns to defect!
ZP once was a LibDem wiki tells me. Quite a journey there.
A train full of old Russian T-55 tanks, heading off to refight the early years of the Cold War - except that they’ll be up against modern Western tanks and MANPADS.
That lot will barely last a day or two on the front line, yet more proof if it were needed that the enemy is now at the point of raiding museums for weapons of war.
They'll most likely be used as very poor short-range artillery, rather than pushed up to the front line to be vapourised.
Russian tank (and APC) losses have slowed right down. There are three main reasons why this might be.
1. Their protection or tactical use has improved, so they're better surviving combat. 2. They're not being used because they're being concentrated for a future offensive. 3. There are almost none left.
The reported loss rates match the reports of production/refurbs for SPGs and tanks quite well.
That is, Russia is refurbing/building new at a few dozens per month. And losing them at about that rate.
That seems true. An issue is that you cannot refurb forever: for a couple of years they have been running the war on legacy Soviet stock, refurbing and sending to the front. They will eventually run out of those legacy stocks, and in some cases they may have already. That leaves them with three places to get new kit:
*) New builds. Slow and expensive. *) Refurb battle-damaged kit. Difficult, and limited stock (because much battle damage cannot be refurbed) *) Get from abroad. NK or others.
A train full of old Russian T-55 tanks, heading off to refight the early years of the Cold War - except that they’ll be up against modern Western tanks and MANPADS.
That lot will barely last a day or two on the front line, yet more proof if it were needed that the enemy is now at the point of raiding museums for weapons of war.
They'll most likely be used as very poor short-range artillery, rather than pushed up to the front line to be vapourised.
Russian tank (and APC) losses have slowed right down. There are three main reasons why this might be.
1. Their protection or tactical use has improved, so they're better surviving combat. 2. They're not being used because they're being concentrated for a future offensive. 3. There are almost none left.
Given that they’re now dragging the T-55s out, I think I’ll take option 3 for $500 please.
At the beginning of the campaign, Ramsay/Chowns were seen as the favourites, but it's seemed for a while now that Polanski would win. That said, I didn't expect that margin. I guess it's good for the party to have a clear result!
I suspect it's bad for the party to have Polanski, however. Maybe it wasn't before Your Party, but his vision for the Greens seems very close to Your Party and there's a good chance that ends badly for one or other side. But I would guess this is good for the LibDems! Maybe they can get Ramsay and/or Chowns to defect!
ZP once was a LibDem wiki tells me. Quite a journey there.
So was Truss. So was Paul Marshall, funder of GB news.
Good morning from Athina. A "major announcement" from the White House and/or Trump at 6pm UK time, apparently.
Wonder what that is.
Maybe he's forcing Vance to resign following a failed coup (attempt to use the 25th following a Trump stroke).
I think that's the most dramatic possibility.
One thing I don’t understand, amusing as this whole “is Trump alive or not” jape, is why aren’t the democrats and anti-Magas all over the airwaves and media stirring it up and demanding that Trump comes out and shows he’s ok.
It’s a win-win as if he doesn’t come out in front of the media then it’s not good for the Magas but even if he does it keeps building a story about his health and vulnerability.
I think a lot of people are just relieved to have a break from the Trump circus.
Sarah Taaffe-Maguire, business and economics reporter
Pound on course for biggest single-day fall in months
The value of the pound has sunk as the cost of 30-year government borrowing reached a high last seen in 1998.
One pound briefly bought $1.338, a low last seen in nearly a month, down from $1.35 earlier this morning.
It's still higher than most of the past year. In early September 2024 a pound bought $1.31.
It means sterling is on course for the biggest one-day drop since April, when Donald Trump's announcement of country-specific tariffs spooked markets.
The drop was similarly steep against the euro, with a pound momentarily buying €1.149, a fall from €1.1586 earlier this morning. It's recovered slightly, reaching €1.152.
Before the so-called liberation day announcement, £1 equalled nearly €1.19.
It comes as the yield (the interest rate demanded by investors) on 30-year government bonds (loans taken by the state) hit 5.695%, before easing to 5.67%, the highest rate this century.
Yields are rising across the globe, and investors are concerned about UK government finances as Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, struggles to stick to her fiscal rules to bring down the debt and balance the budget.
Rachel Reeves is going to be under incredible pressure to deliver a budget that the global markets will accept and that her own Labour backbenchers will back.
She should have rolled the WFA changes into the Autumn budget. At least she would have had the air cover of rising gilt yields to fend off her own MPs.
Instead she ended up making things worse by making these piecemeal changes to the tax system, each of which has been fought over bitterly by their respective special interest groups.
A train full of old Russian T-55 tanks, heading off to refight the early years of the Cold War - except that they’ll be up against modern Western tanks and MANPADS.
That lot will barely last a day or two on the front line, yet more proof if it were needed that the enemy is now at the point of raiding museums for weapons of war.
The T-55s are mostly used as low rent self propelled artillery, as I understand it. They’ve pretty much run out of ancient, rusty SPGs to renovate and production is still very low. Especially replacement barrels.
The last couple of weeks have been pretty good for Ukraine, with gains in territory made, and an ability to attack air defences and Russian O&G or military-industrial facilities seemingly at will.
The tank stocks are pretty much done when they’re rolling these old relics out, and the actual new T-80 tanks are coming out of the factory at handfuls per month when they’re losing hundreds, sanctions making it much more difficult to source electronic components for them.
The worry now has to be that he finds another serious source of heavy weapons, from NK, China, or India - although there have even been rumours of Russian agents hitting up the African warlords offering to buy old tanks and take mercenary soldiers.
Russia has been running the war in broken back mode, when it comes to tanks and artillery for quite a while now.
I’d like to think that too, but I also know it’s what I want to hear and most of my sources are close to the Ukranian side of the war.
Most of the Russian side is so blantantly wrong or clear propoganda it’s difficult to believe anything coming from that side.
However there being a couple of new Russian O&G facilities or war factories on fire every morning for the past few weeks is definitely verifiable, as are the long queues starting to appear for petrol all over Russia. Their economy is definitely hurting a lot now, but the question remains for how much longer it can continue before internal pressure on Putin gets too much.
When the end comes it will be sudden, but it's very hard to tell when that will be.
Indeed, these things happen slowly until they happen quickly. The ‘happening slowly’ bit is definitely happening though, which wasn’t the case a year ago.
It’s getting both silly and sinister. There’s a chilling effect on public discourse when there is only one permitted view on a topic as seems to be the case
I've seen the tweets in question. You can understand why an outside observer might start to question free speech in the UK.
Advocating violence, ah, but it was a joke so that makes it ok. You may be right that this is an absurd overreaction but is it remarkably different from what Lucy Connolly posted about asylum hotels?
Presumably it's for the 'punch them' bit. Looks a bit daft, but then he's also a living example of David Cameron's comment about Twitter, it seems.
The 'armed police arrest' thing is presumably because it was at Heathrow. Are there many unarmed police knocking around Heathrow?
Was it strictly necessary to arrest him on arrival, or could he have been asked politely to attend an interview?
Was adding an ETA to acknowledge (and agree with) Turbo's similar point, then a call came in and it timed out.
I guess the thing is, you can never tell when these dangerous criminals might abscond, particularly those with a proven history of flight!
A train full of old Russian T-55 tanks, heading off to refight the early years of the Cold War - except that they’ll be up against modern Western tanks and MANPADS.
That lot will barely last a day or two on the front line, yet more proof if it were needed that the enemy is now at the point of raiding museums for weapons of war.
They'll most likely be used as very poor short-range artillery, rather than pushed up to the front line to be vapourised.
Russian tank (and APC) losses have slowed right down. There are three main reasons why this might be.
1. Their protection or tactical use has improved, so they're better surviving combat. 2. They're not being used because they're being concentrated for a future offensive. 3. There are almost none left.
I think there are two other possible reasons:
4. Russia is chronically short, not of armoured vehicles, but of skilled CREWS, having expended so many. Tank crews take much longer to train than your average single-use infantryman and without a crew, an armoured vehicle is just an expensive metal box, 5. It could have dawned on even the Russian military that £5m tanks are basically sitting ducks for £500 drones.
These aren't mutually exclusive: my guess is a combination of mostly 3, with 4 and 5 to a more limited extent.
Whatever, it's an amazing achievement by the Ukrainians to have fought the armoured divisions that kept us awake at night in the 80s to a standstill, despite many military pundits (including at least one on here) saying they didn't stand a chance.
For going on Rogan’s podcast and talking about freedom of speech?
For three tweets that trans-activists thought were a bit 'hurty'
Is there a reason people need to be arrested, in this case on arrival at an airport, for these types of complaints rather than being invited in to be questioned?
Seems like a huge waste of resources for a starter.
Deranged trans activists use plod to enact publicly their vendettas
Elon Musk is promoting the "White British" shite again.
It seems he has so mucked himself up over interfering in US politics, he's now interfering in ours. With exactly the amount of accuracy and nuance you expect from a 'genius'.
He needs to step back and focus on Tesla and his other business interests
Of course he does. And there will be people telling him that, if it was not obvious.
But he isn't.
Why should he?
He's a multi-squillionaire, with more money than he can possibly spend in his lifetime. If that doesn't give you the power to do whatever you damn well please, what does?
(There are plenty of reasons to not do ignorant incitement, but "distraction from business" isn't one of them.)
We need to get back to "sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me". That's what we were taught at primary school, and I was still there in the early 1990s.
A train full of old Russian T-55 tanks, heading off to refight the early years of the Cold War - except that they’ll be up against modern Western tanks and MANPADS.
That lot will barely last a day or two on the front line, yet more proof if it were needed that the enemy is now at the point of raiding museums for weapons of war.
The T-55s are mostly used as low rent self propelled artillery, as I understand it. They’ve pretty much run out of ancient, rusty SPGs to renovate and production is still very low. Especially replacement barrels.
The last couple of weeks have been pretty good for Ukraine, with gains in territory made, and an ability to attack air defences and Russian O&G or military-industrial facilities seemingly at will.
The tank stocks are pretty much done when they’re rolling these old relics out, and the actual new T-80 tanks are coming out of the factory at handfuls per month when they’re losing hundreds, sanctions making it much more difficult to source electronic components for them.
The worry now has to be that he finds another serious source of heavy weapons, from NK, China, or India - although there have even been rumours of Russian agents hitting up the African warlords offering to buy old tanks and take mercenary soldiers.
Russia has been running the war in broken back mode, when it comes to tanks and artillery for quite a while now.
I’d like to think that too, but I also know it’s what I want to hear and most of my sources are close to the Ukranian side of the war.
Most of the Russian side is so blantantly wrong or clear propoganda it’s difficult to believe anything coming from that side.
However there being a couple of new Russian O&G facilities or war factories on fire every morning for the past few weeks is definitely verifiable, as are the long queues starting to appear for petrol all over Russia. Their economy is definitely hurting a lot now, but the question remains for how much longer it can continue before internal pressure on Putin gets too much.
When the end comes it will be sudden, but it's very hard to tell when that will be.
Indeed, these things happen slowly until they happen quickly. The ‘happening slowly’ bit is definitely happening though, which wasn’t the case a year ago.
The Russian economy is certainly in recession now.
Despite what is sometimes claimed, Russia has not actually gone over to a Total War economy. Military expenditure is about 7% of GDP, which is high, but nowhere near as high as the WWII equivalents (it's similar to the UK military budget in the 1950's). Simply because, Russia could not afford to to do so, without alienating the inhabitants living in the vital St. Petersburg to Moscow corridor.
"Baker is the subject of a life sentence for the attempted murder of a fellow inmate she attacked when in prison serving a sentence for kidnapping and torturing her stepmother's 19-year-old brother."
At the beginning of the campaign, Ramsay/Chowns were seen as the favourites, but it's seemed for a while now that Polanski would win. That said, I didn't expect that margin. I guess it's good for the party to have a clear result!
I suspect it's bad for the party to have Polanski, however. Maybe it wasn't before Your Party, but his vision for the Greens seems very close to Your Party and there's a good chance that ends badly for one or other side. But I would guess this is good for the LibDems! Maybe they can get Ramsay and/or Chowns to defect!
ZP once was a LibDem wiki tells me. Quite a journey there.
Trussian though in the opposite direction. Unlikely Zack will ever be PM though.
“Cooper suggests asylum seekers could be moved into warehouses instead of hotels – UK politics live”
Guardian
We are belatedly moving closer to the realisation that “actually we CAN put them all in tents in a massive cold field on the Isle of Grain for two years and make sure it’s miserable but safe”
For going on Rogan’s podcast and talking about freedom of speech?
For three tweets that trans-activists thought were a bit 'hurty'
Is there a reason people need to be arrested, in this case on arrival at an airport, for these types of complaints rather than being invited in to be questioned?
Seems like a huge waste of resources for a starter.
Deranged trans activists use plod to enact publicly their vendettas
Surely it’s still the Police who decide whether Linehan is a major criminal who needs to be met off a plane by five officers and arrested to stop him going off on a wild rampage then fleeing the country on a fellow criminal’s light aircraft at night or whether he’s a comedy writer/activist who could be instructed to attend a police station at a certain time to be questioned and if necessary formally arrested.
"Baker is the subject of a life sentence for the attempted murder of a fellow inmate she attacked when in prison serving a sentence for kidnapping and torturing her stepmother's 19-year-old brother."
A train full of old Russian T-55 tanks, heading off to refight the early years of the Cold War - except that they’ll be up against modern Western tanks and MANPADS.
That lot will barely last a day or two on the front line, yet more proof if it were needed that the enemy is now at the point of raiding museums for weapons of war.
The T-55s are mostly used as low rent self propelled artillery, as I understand it. They’ve pretty much run out of ancient, rusty SPGs to renovate and production is still very low. Especially replacement barrels.
The last couple of weeks have been pretty good for Ukraine, with gains in territory made, and an ability to attack air defences and Russian O&G or military-industrial facilities seemingly at will.
The tank stocks are pretty much done when they’re rolling these old relics out, and the actual new T-80 tanks are coming out of the factory at handfuls per month when they’re losing hundreds, sanctions making it much more difficult to source electronic components for them.
The worry now has to be that he finds another serious source of heavy weapons, from NK, China, or India - although there have even been rumours of Russian agents hitting up the African warlords offering to buy old tanks and take mercenary soldiers.
Russia has been running the war in broken back mode, when it comes to tanks and artillery for quite a while now.
I’d like to think that too, but I also know it’s what I want to hear and most of my sources are close to the Ukranian side of the war.
Most of the Russian side is so blantantly wrong or clear propoganda it’s difficult to believe anything coming from that side.
However there being a couple of new Russian O&G facilities or war factories on fire every morning for the past few weeks is definitely verifiable, as are the long queues starting to appear for petrol all over Russia. Their economy is definitely hurting a lot now, but the question remains for how much longer it can continue before internal pressure on Putin gets too much.
When the end comes it will be sudden, but it's very hard to tell when that will be.
Not so sure on that. Russia is prosecuting this war as existential - they will keep going until they achieve what they perceive as victory. A big part of that is that for Putin and close associates it is existential.
Herman Kahn, back in the 1950s, promulgated (but did not invent) the concept of broken back war. One or both sides gradually loses technology. Instead of surrender, they simply resort to ever more primitive methods to continue the fight.
Hence the quip - “World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones"
An example of this was the German Army in WWII - especially in the East. Aircraft & heavy weapons became ever more scarce, leading to the Germans fighting in an almost 1918 style.
I don't agree that the war is existential for the Putin leadership. I think he can survive outright defeat, just as Saddam survived losing Kuwait.
I also think that there are few circumstances in which a genuine Russian offer of a complete ceasefire wouldn't be accepted by Ukraine.
So I think Putin always has an out that lets him consolidate the gains he has made.
For going on Rogan’s podcast and talking about freedom of speech?
For three tweets that trans-activists thought were a bit 'hurty'
Is there a reason people need to be arrested, in this case on arrival at an airport, for these types of complaints rather than being invited in to be questioned?
Seems like a huge waste of resources for a starter.
Deranged trans activists use plod to enact publicly their vendettas
Surely it’s still the Police who decide whether Linehan is a major criminal who needs to be met off a plane by five officers and arrested to stop him going off on a wild rampage then fleeing the country on a fellow criminal’s light aircraft at night or whether he’s a comedy writer/activist who could be instructed to attend a police station at a certain time to be questioned and if necessary formally arrested.
The police are becoming completely ridiculous; they are already perceived as hideously biased. As a result they are losing the consent of the British people
For going on Rogan’s podcast and talking about freedom of speech?
For three tweets that trans-activists thought were a bit 'hurty'
Is there a reason people need to be arrested, in this case on arrival at an airport, for these types of complaints rather than being invited in to be questioned?
Seems like a huge waste of resources for a starter.
All part of the process of making people conform. The punishment is the process. In this case I would say this. If the three posts constitute a crime - what crime is it? What questions did they need to ask?
Its all bollocks (irony intended). There is no right not to be offended.
“Cooper suggests asylum seekers could be moved into warehouses instead of hotels – UK politics live”
Guardian
We are belatedly moving closer to the realisation that “actually we CAN put them all in tents in a massive cold field on the Isle of Grain for two years and make sure it’s miserable but safe”
And then they will stop coming. Finally
Maybe they could look back at the Nightingale hospitals the Army managed to knock up quickly, find a space to stick loads, fill with bunks and partitions instead of expensive hospital beds and kit and start using them.
Have separate ones for single males, single women, families.
I can’t remember what the nightingale hospitals cost but surely would be cheaper than hotels. If they were good enough for sick people to stay in warmth, safety and dignity then good enough for people fleeing persecution and desperately wanting sanctuary I would hope.
For going on Rogan’s podcast and talking about freedom of speech?
For three tweets that trans-activists thought were a bit 'hurty'
Is there a reason people need to be arrested, in this case on arrival at an airport, for these types of complaints rather than being invited in to be questioned?
Seems like a huge waste of resources for a starter.
My guess is that this is an example of something where there's a standard procedure to deal with someone who has been abroad recently, and therefore ticks the box for potential flight risk. Presumably the police have been made to look silly in the past when a more serious criminal has fled the country after being invited in for interview, and any nuance or discretion had been eliminated from the decision.
James B @piercepenniless Graham Linehan is an unpleasant character whose pathological loathing of trans people has destroyed his own life. His online presence is a sordid gutter of monomania. Detaining him at the border for this is stupid, illiberal, counterproductive & authoritarian. 11:58 am · 2 Sep 2025
It’s getting both silly and sinister. There’s a chilling effect on public discourse when there is only one permitted view on a topic as seems to be the case
I've seen the tweets in question. You can understand why an outside observer might start to question free speech in the UK.
Advocating violence, ah, but it was a joke so that makes it ok. You may be right that this is an absurd overreaction but is it remarkably different from what Lucy Connolly posted about asylum hotels?
Presumably it's for the 'punch them' bit. Looks a bit daft, but then he's also a living example of David Cameron's comment about Twitter, it seems.
The 'armed police arrest' thing is presumably because it was at Heathrow. Are there many unarmed police knocking around Heathrow?
"If a man is in an all women area punch them in the bollocks". I have no issue with that.
“Cooper suggests asylum seekers could be moved into warehouses instead of hotels – UK politics live”
Guardian
We are belatedly moving closer to the realisation that “actually we CAN put them all in tents in a massive cold field on the Isle of Grain for two years and make sure it’s miserable but safe”
And then they will stop coming. Finally
Maybe they could look back at the Nightingale hospitals the Army managed to knock up quickly, find a space to stick loads, fill with bunks and partitions instead of expensive hospital beds and kit and start using them.
Have separate ones for single males, single women, families.
I can’t remember what the nightingale hospitals cost but surely would be cheaper than hotels. If they were good enough for sick people to stay in warmth, safety and dignity then good enough for people fleeing persecution and desperately wanting sanctuary I would hope.
Yes of course. We could and should have done this ten years ago
Tho personally I’d go much further. I’d make crossing the channel without permission and landing on a uk beach a crime (surely it is anyway?) - and I’d built an El Salvador maxi prison to house 40,000
The boats would stop within a week. You wouldn’t need the prison. You would actually save lives as people cease drowning, and you would truly “smash the gangs” by taking away their income
“Cooper suggests asylum seekers could be moved into warehouses instead of hotels – UK politics live”
Guardian
We are belatedly moving closer to the realisation that “actually we CAN put them all in tents in a massive cold field on the Isle of Grain for two years and make sure it’s miserable but safe”
And then they will stop coming. Finally
It’s taken them a while to realise the inevitable.
There’s plenty of military land available, and probably quite a few unused aircraft hangars that could be filled with tents from the emergency stockpile. The army are all getting paid anyway, so the marginal cost is little more than food and water. Perhaps they might need to rent some toilets and showers.
A train full of old Russian T-55 tanks, heading off to refight the early years of the Cold War - except that they’ll be up against modern Western tanks and MANPADS.
That lot will barely last a day or two on the front line, yet more proof if it were needed that the enemy is now at the point of raiding museums for weapons of war.
The T-55s are mostly used as low rent self propelled artillery, as I understand it. They’ve pretty much run out of ancient, rusty SPGs to renovate and production is still very low. Especially replacement barrels.
The last couple of weeks have been pretty good for Ukraine, with gains in territory made, and an ability to attack air defences and Russian O&G or military-industrial facilities seemingly at will.
The tank stocks are pretty much done when they’re rolling these old relics out, and the actual new T-80 tanks are coming out of the factory at handfuls per month when they’re losing hundreds, sanctions making it much more difficult to source electronic components for them.
The worry now has to be that he finds another serious source of heavy weapons, from NK, China, or India - although there have even been rumours of Russian agents hitting up the African warlords offering to buy old tanks and take mercenary soldiers.
Russia has been running the war in broken back mode, when it comes to tanks and artillery for quite a while now.
I’d like to think that too, but I also know it’s what I want to hear and most of my sources are close to the Ukranian side of the war.
Most of the Russian side is so blantantly wrong or clear propoganda it’s difficult to believe anything coming from that side.
However there being a couple of new Russian O&G facilities or war factories on fire every morning for the past few weeks is definitely verifiable, as are the long queues starting to appear for petrol all over Russia. Their economy is definitely hurting a lot now, but the question remains for how much longer it can continue before internal pressure on Putin gets too much.
When the end comes it will be sudden, but it's very hard to tell when that will be.
Not so sure on that. Russia is prosecuting this war as existential - they will keep going until they achieve what they perceive as victory. A big part of that is that for Putin and close associates it is existential.
Herman Kahn, back in the 1950s, promulgated (but did not invent) the concept of broken back war. One or both sides gradually loses technology. Instead of surrender, they simply resort to ever more primitive methods to continue the fight.
Hence the quip - “World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones"
An example of this was the German Army in WWII - especially in the East. Aircraft & heavy weapons became ever more scarce, leading to the Germans fighting in an almost 1918 style.
I don't agree that the war is existential for the Putin leadership. I think he can survive outright defeat, just as Saddam survived losing Kuwait.
I also think that there are few circumstances in which a genuine Russian offer of a complete ceasefire wouldn't be accepted by Ukraine.
So I think Putin always has an out that lets him consolidate the gains he has made.
Possibly, but given Putin's paranoia isn't he at the 'why take the chance' stage? Also having a stumbling buffoon in the WH probably encourages him to think he can come out with something resembling a victory.
“Cooper suggests asylum seekers could be moved into warehouses instead of hotels – UK politics live”
Guardian
We are belatedly moving closer to the realisation that “actually we CAN put them all in tents in a massive cold field on the Isle of Grain for two years and make sure it’s miserable but safe”
And then they will stop coming. Finally
It’s taken them a while to realise the inevitable.
There’s plenty of military land available, and probably quite a few unused aircraft hangars that could be filled with tents from the emergency stockpile. The army are all getting paid anyway, so the marginal cost is little more than food and water. Perhaps they might need to rent some toilets and showers.
And in five years time it emerges that they paid ~£1million per portaloo.
At the beginning of the campaign, Ramsay/Chowns were seen as the favourites, but it's seemed for a while now that Polanski would win. That said, I didn't expect that margin. I guess it's good for the party to have a clear result!
I suspect it's bad for the party to have Polanski, however. Maybe it wasn't before Your Party, but his vision for the Greens seems very close to Your Party and there's a good chance that ends badly for one or other side. But I would guess this is good for the LibDems! Maybe they can get Ramsay and/or Chowns to defect!
ZP once was a LibDem wiki tells me. Quite a journey there.
Trussian though in the opposite direction. Unlikely Zack will ever be PM though.
Well you never know. Although I struggle to get a handle on what "Left Populism" might mean. I'm left but I'm also anti-populist so probably it's not for me - unless things boil down to a binary choice between that and this ghastly Pop Right who seem to be calling all the shots atm.
“Cooper suggests asylum seekers could be moved into warehouses instead of hotels – UK politics live”
Guardian
We are belatedly moving closer to the realisation that “actually we CAN put them all in tents in a massive cold field on the Isle of Grain for two years and make sure it’s miserable but safe”
And then they will stop coming. Finally
This is from the Guardian
Cooper suggests asylum seekers being moved out of hotels could be housed in warehouses instead Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, has suggested that warehouses could be used to house some of the asylum seekers currently being put up in hotels.
The government has repeatedly said it wants to stop the use of hotels for asylum seekers by the end of this parliament, but ministers have not given details of what replacement housing might be used.
In an interview with LBC this morning, asked what alternative accommodation might be used, Cooper said:
I think it’s a mix of things. First of all, you actually have to shrink the whole asylum system. So we actually need to have fewer people in the asylum system in the first place, fewer people needing accommodation. That has to be at the core of this. It’s been allowed to expand in a way that is out of control.
And then, yes, we do also want to see alternative sites, more appropriate sites, including looking at military and industrial sites as well.
Asked what she meant by “industrial sites”, Cooper said the Home Office would provide further details in due course. When the presenter, Nick Ferrari, pressed her repeatedy to say if this could mean asylum seekers being housed in warehouses, Cooper eventually replied:
That’s one of the things that’s been looked at. But we will provide updates when we’ve got the practical plans.
Cooper also said she did not want to announce measures before she knew if she could deliver them because that was “what the previous government did”.
“Cooper suggests asylum seekers could be moved into warehouses instead of hotels – UK politics live”
Guardian
We are belatedly moving closer to the realisation that “actually we CAN put them all in tents in a massive cold field on the Isle of Grain for two years and make sure it’s miserable but safe”
And then they will stop coming. Finally
It’s taken them a while to realise the inevitable.
There’s plenty of military land available, and probably quite a few unused aircraft hangars that could be filled with tents from the emergency stockpile. The army are all getting paid anyway, so the marginal cost is little more than food and water. Perhaps they might need to rent some toilets and showers.
Surround it with a very high fence. Armed guards. No one gets in or out as we process their claims for three years
They would be safe but bored, miserable, frustrated. They can’t bring their families. They can’t work on the sly for Deliveroo. They can’t wander around small towns scaring women and girls
We would then see who is REALLY seeking asylum - ie: safety - and who is merely shopping around for the easiest benefits system, free healthcare
My guess is 99% would give up on Britain and suddenly realise France is ok. Or Greece
We need to get back to "sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me". That's what we were taught at primary school, and I was still there in the early 1990s.
Except incitement to violence has been a crime for centuries. It would need to be a much more significant reform to the legal system than you suggest.
(I actually have no idea what Linehan has said, just assuming that the "punch them" comment above is a fair representation)
A train full of old Russian T-55 tanks, heading off to refight the early years of the Cold War - except that they’ll be up against modern Western tanks and MANPADS.
That lot will barely last a day or two on the front line, yet more proof if it were needed that the enemy is now at the point of raiding museums for weapons of war.
The T-55s are mostly used as low rent self propelled artillery, as I understand it. They’ve pretty much run out of ancient, rusty SPGs to renovate and production is still very low. Especially replacement barrels.
The last couple of weeks have been pretty good for Ukraine, with gains in territory made, and an ability to attack air defences and Russian O&G or military-industrial facilities seemingly at will.
The tank stocks are pretty much done when they’re rolling these old relics out, and the actual new T-80 tanks are coming out of the factory at handfuls per month when they’re losing hundreds, sanctions making it much more difficult to source electronic components for them.
The worry now has to be that he finds another serious source of heavy weapons, from NK, China, or India - although there have even been rumours of Russian agents hitting up the African warlords offering to buy old tanks and take mercenary soldiers.
Russia has been running the war in broken back mode, when it comes to tanks and artillery for quite a while now.
I’d like to think that too, but I also know it’s what I want to hear and most of my sources are close to the Ukranian side of the war.
Most of the Russian side is so blantantly wrong or clear propoganda it’s difficult to believe anything coming from that side.
However there being a couple of new Russian O&G facilities or war factories on fire every morning for the past few weeks is definitely verifiable, as are the long queues starting to appear for petrol all over Russia. Their economy is definitely hurting a lot now, but the question remains for how much longer it can continue before internal pressure on Putin gets too much.
When the end comes it will be sudden, but it's very hard to tell when that will be.
Not so sure on that. Russia is prosecuting this war as existential - they will keep going until they achieve what they perceive as victory. A big part of that is that for Putin and close associates it is existential.
Herman Kahn, back in the 1950s, promulgated (but did not invent) the concept of broken back war. One or both sides gradually loses technology. Instead of surrender, they simply resort to ever more primitive methods to continue the fight.
Hence the quip - “World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones"
An example of this was the German Army in WWII - especially in the East. Aircraft & heavy weapons became ever more scarce, leading to the Germans fighting in an almost 1918 style.
I don't agree that the war is existential for the Putin leadership. I think he can survive outright defeat, just as Saddam survived losing Kuwait.
I also think that there are few circumstances in which a genuine Russian offer of a complete ceasefire wouldn't be accepted by Ukraine.
So I think Putin always has an out that lets him consolidate the gains he has made.
Possibly, but given Putin's paranoia isn't he at the 'why take the chance' stage? Also having a stumbling buffoon in the WH probably encourages him to think he can come out with something resembling a victory.
The latter point is why I wouldn't expect an end to the war soon. There's also the prospect of President Le Pen in 2027 to encourage Putin to hang on in the hope that Ukraine will receive less help from allies in the future.
But if Putin decides the war has decisively turned against Russia he has a backup plan that consists of two phone calls.
First he can call Xi and ask for sufficient support to turn the tide.
Second he can call the US President and offer an unconditional ceasefire.
"Baker is the subject of a life sentence for the attempted murder of a fellow inmate she attacked when in prison serving a sentence for kidnapping and torturing her stepmother's 19-year-old brother."
She appears to be a psychopath.
Am I reading this correctly? Surely this person wasn't let out of nick to attend a jolly?
Baker is the subject of a life sentence for the attempted murder of a fellow inmate she attacked when in prison serving a sentence for kidnapping and torturing her stepmother's 19-year-old brother. Baker was recalled to prison following the events at the rally.
"London’s top hotels are now selling breakfast leftovers from £3.99 – I put them to the test Hotels are using The Too Good to Go app to get rid of produce before they legally have to bin it. I decided to see what I could find" ((£)
A train full of old Russian T-55 tanks, heading off to refight the early years of the Cold War - except that they’ll be up against modern Western tanks and MANPADS.
That lot will barely last a day or two on the front line, yet more proof if it were needed that the enemy is now at the point of raiding museums for weapons of war.
The T-55s are mostly used as low rent self propelled artillery, as I understand it. They’ve pretty much run out of ancient, rusty SPGs to renovate and production is still very low. Especially replacement barrels.
The last couple of weeks have been pretty good for Ukraine, with gains in territory made, and an ability to attack air defences and Russian O&G or military-industrial facilities seemingly at will.
The tank stocks are pretty much done when they’re rolling these old relics out, and the actual new T-80 tanks are coming out of the factory at handfuls per month when they’re losing hundreds, sanctions making it much more difficult to source electronic components for them.
The worry now has to be that he finds another serious source of heavy weapons, from NK, China, or India - although there have even been rumours of Russian agents hitting up the African warlords offering to buy old tanks and take mercenary soldiers.
Russia has been running the war in broken back mode, when it comes to tanks and artillery for quite a while now.
I’d like to think that too, but I also know it’s what I want to hear and most of my sources are close to the Ukranian side of the war.
Most of the Russian side is so blantantly wrong or clear propoganda it’s difficult to believe anything coming from that side.
However there being a couple of new Russian O&G facilities or war factories on fire every morning for the past few weeks is definitely verifiable, as are the long queues starting to appear for petrol all over Russia. Their economy is definitely hurting a lot now, but the question remains for how much longer it can continue before internal pressure on Putin gets too much.
When the end comes it will be sudden, but it's very hard to tell when that will be.
Indeed, these things happen slowly until they happen quickly. The ‘happening slowly’ bit is definitely happening though, which wasn’t the case a year ago.
The Russian economy is certainly in recession now.
Despite what is sometimes claimed, Russia has not actually gone over to a Total War economy. Military expenditure is about 7% of GDP, which is high, but nowhere near as high as the WWII equivalents (it's similar to the UK military budget in the 1950's). Simply because, Russia could not afford to to do so, without alienating the inhabitants living in the vital St. Petersburg to Moscow corridor.
You're right that Russia hasn't gone to a total war economy - they are still trying to have guns and butter, by cushioning the home front from the worst effects of the war, as we did in at least the first half of World War 1.
Nevertheless, the 7% of GDP figure is official numbers, and Russian official numbers both understate military expenditure, by hiding various items like non-payment of contractors, running down reserves or soft loans off the government's books, and overstate GDP by understating inflation and reporting output statistics that please politicians. My guess is you should probably double the official number at least to get the true figure.
Comments
Political insight, cultural commentary and common sense arriving on Wednesday, wherever you get your podcasts.
ETA no time, no links.
It is not (yet) illegal to express this view – thank god – but the sociocultural pressure to go along with the ‘correct’ sentiment is strong. Too strong for many, so they bottle it up, their lack of concern, only let it out in safe spaces where they know they won’t be shouted down and called names. If you push valid opinion underground in this way we know what happens. It festers there and becomes exactly the thing it was being smeared as in the first place. So in time we’ll get millions of ordinary decent Britons who started out just not that bothered about immigration ending up angry and radicalised and demanding the complete dismantling of our borders. That’s where all the presumptuous policing of the debate leads and why it must be resisted. I’d hope even the most ardent holders of the ‘right-think’ position realise this.
Membership now 68K.
Let them hang flags, it's a distraction from worse (best flagging effort award from me goes to Horbury btw).
Russian tank (and APC) losses have slowed right down. There are three main reasons why this might be.
1. Their protection or tactical use has improved, so they're better surviving combat.
2. They're not being used because they're being concentrated for a future offensive.
3. There are almost none left.
It’s getting both silly and sinister. There’s a chilling effect on public discourse when there is only one permitted view on a topic as seems to be the case
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sPMyw08NAI
Election Maps UK@ElectionMapsUK
Green Party of England & Wales Leadership Election Result:
Zack Polanski: 84.6% ✅
E. Chowns & A. Ramsay: 15.4%
Turnout: 24,265 (37.6%)
https://x.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1962821719963443706
But what's in it for the GOP now? Only lols if Vance is ousted for Ivanka or more likely Don Jr to preserve the Trump dynasty.
Not sure a landslide was expected.
The old guard led by Lucas have been swamped it seems.
Can't see Ramsey's seat being held now.
Sarah Taaffe-Maguire, business and economics reporter
Pound on course for biggest single-day fall in months
The value of the pound has sunk as the cost of 30-year government borrowing reached a high last seen in 1998.
One pound briefly bought $1.338, a low last seen in nearly a month, down from $1.35 earlier this morning.
It's still higher than most of the past year. In early September 2024 a pound bought $1.31.
It means sterling is on course for the biggest one-day drop since April, when Donald Trump's announcement of country-specific tariffs spooked markets.
The drop was similarly steep against the euro, with a pound momentarily buying €1.149, a fall from €1.1586 earlier this morning. It's recovered slightly, reaching €1.152.
Before the so-called liberation day announcement, £1 equalled nearly €1.19.
It comes as the yield (the interest rate demanded by investors) on 30-year government bonds (loans taken by the state) hit 5.695%, before easing to 5.67%, the highest rate this century.
Yields are rising across the globe, and investors are concerned about UK government finances as Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, struggles to stick to her fiscal rules to bring down the debt and balance the budget.
Sad.
It’s a win-win as if he doesn’t come out in front of the media then it’s not good for the Magas but even if he does it keeps building a story about his health and vulnerability.
And if he walks out looking the picture of health (or, more realistically, the picture of a fat 79 year old who's had a decent night's sleep), then you look like a conspiracy nut.
That is, Russia is refurbing/building new at a few dozens per month. And losing them at about that rate.
I'd prefer to stick with mainstream politics but if we are truly entering a period where that's unelectable I do want to see a strong Radical Left emerging to counter the Populist Right.
It seems he has so mucked himself up over interfering in US politics, he's now interfering in ours. With exactly the amount of accuracy and nuance you expect from a 'genius'.
Herman Kahn, back in the 1950s, promulgated (but did not invent) the concept of broken back war. One or both sides gradually loses technology. Instead of surrender, they simply resort to ever more primitive methods to continue the fight.
Hence the quip - “World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones"
An example of this was the German Army in WWII - especially in the East. Aircraft & heavy weapons became ever more scarce, leading to the Germans fighting in an almost 1918 style.
I suspect it's bad for the party to have Polanski, however. Maybe it wasn't before Your Party, but his vision for the Greens seems very close to Your Party and there's a good chance that ends badly for one or other side. But I would guess this is good for the LibDems! Maybe they can get Ramsay and/or Chowns to defect!
Seems like a huge waste of resources for a starter.
The 'armed police arrest' thing is presumably because it was at Heathrow. Are there many unarmed police knocking around Heathrow?
I think we need to be careful in that we only have Linehan's version of events, which may not tell the whole story. I also note that he doesn't appear to have been charged and may not be.
Although I'm intrigued as to the difference (other than style and comms) between a Polanski-led Green Party and Corbyn's new project.
But he isn't.
As agreed in Alaska.
Hence the ashen-faced fluniies...
*) New builds. Slow and expensive.
*) Refurb battle-damaged kit. Difficult, and limited stock (because much battle damage cannot be refurbed)
*) Get from abroad. NK or others.
There are photos of knocked out T55 from 2023.
Instead she ended up making things worse by making these piecemeal changes to the tax system, each of which has been fought over bitterly by their respective special interest groups.
Ukranian bloggers going with a lot of videos of petrol station queues in the last couple of weeks.
https://x.com/bohuslavskakate/status/1962827515510034796
I guess the thing is, you can never tell when these dangerous criminals might abscond, particularly those with a proven history of flight!
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-66676737.amp
4. Russia is chronically short, not of armoured vehicles, but of skilled CREWS, having expended so many. Tank crews take much longer to train than your average single-use infantryman and without a crew, an armoured vehicle is just an expensive metal box,
5. It could have dawned on even the Russian military that £5m tanks are basically sitting ducks for £500 drones.
These aren't mutually exclusive: my guess is a combination of mostly 3, with 4 and 5 to a more limited extent.
Whatever, it's an amazing achievement by the Ukrainians to have fought the armoured divisions that kept us awake at night in the 80s to a standstill, despite many military pundits (including at least one on here) saying they didn't stand a chance.
He's a multi-squillionaire, with more money than he can possibly spend in his lifetime. If that doesn't give you the power to do whatever you damn well please, what does?
(There are plenty of reasons to not do ignorant incitement, but "distraction from business" isn't one of them.)
Despite what is sometimes claimed, Russia has not actually gone over to a Total War economy. Military expenditure is about 7% of GDP, which is high, but nowhere near as high as the WWII equivalents (it's similar to the UK military budget in the 1950's). Simply because, Russia could not afford to to do so, without alienating the inhabitants living in the vital St. Petersburg to Moscow corridor.
"Baker is the subject of a life sentence for the attempted murder of a fellow inmate she attacked when in prison serving a sentence for kidnapping and torturing her stepmother's 19-year-old brother."
Unlikely Zack will ever be PM though.
Guardian
We are belatedly moving closer to the realisation that “actually we CAN put them all in tents in a massive cold field on the Isle of Grain for two years and make sure it’s miserable but safe”
And then they will stop coming. Finally
I also think that there are few circumstances in which a genuine Russian offer of a complete ceasefire wouldn't be accepted by Ukraine.
So I think Putin always has an out that lets him consolidate the gains he has made.
This is an exceptionally dangerous road
Its all bollocks (irony intended). There is no right not to be offended.
Have separate ones for single males, single women, families.
I can’t remember what the nightingale hospitals cost but surely would be cheaper than hotels. If they were good enough for sick people to stay in warmth, safety and dignity then good enough for people fleeing persecution and desperately wanting sanctuary I would hope.
James B
@piercepenniless
Graham Linehan is an unpleasant character whose pathological loathing of trans people has destroyed his own life. His online presence is a sordid gutter of monomania. Detaining him at the border for this is stupid, illiberal, counterproductive & authoritarian.
11:58 am · 2 Sep 2025
https://x.com/piercepenniless/status/1962832600264736863
Tho personally I’d go much further. I’d make crossing the channel without permission and landing on a uk beach a crime (surely it is anyway?) - and I’d built an El Salvador maxi prison to house 40,000
The boats would stop within a week. You wouldn’t need the prison. You would actually save lives as people cease drowning, and you would truly “smash the gangs” by taking away their income
There’s plenty of military land available, and probably quite a few unused aircraft hangars that could be filled with tents from the emergency stockpile. The army are all getting paid anyway, so the marginal cost is little more than food and water. Perhaps they might need to rent some toilets and showers.
Cooper suggests asylum seekers being moved out of hotels could be housed in warehouses instead
Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, has suggested that warehouses could be used to house some of the asylum seekers currently being put up in hotels.
The government has repeatedly said it wants to stop the use of hotels for asylum seekers by the end of this parliament, but ministers have not given details of what replacement housing might be used.
In an interview with LBC this morning, asked what alternative accommodation might be used, Cooper said:
I think it’s a mix of things. First of all, you actually have to shrink the whole asylum system. So we actually need to have fewer people in the asylum system in the first place, fewer people needing accommodation. That has to be at the core of this. It’s been allowed to expand in a way that is out of control.
And then, yes, we do also want to see alternative sites, more appropriate sites, including looking at military and industrial sites as well.
Asked what she meant by “industrial sites”, Cooper said the Home Office would provide further details in due course. When the presenter, Nick Ferrari, pressed her repeatedy to say if this could mean asylum seekers being housed in warehouses, Cooper eventually replied:
That’s one of the things that’s been looked at. But we will provide updates when we’ve got the practical plans.
Cooper also said she did not want to announce measures before she knew if she could deliver them because that was “what the previous government did”.
They would be safe but bored, miserable, frustrated. They can’t bring their families. They can’t work on the sly for Deliveroo. They can’t wander around small towns scaring women and girls
We would then see who is REALLY seeking asylum - ie: safety - and who is merely shopping around for the easiest benefits system, free healthcare
My guess is 99% would give up on Britain and suddenly realise France is ok. Or Greece
(I actually have no idea what Linehan has said, just assuming that the "punch them" comment above is a fair representation)
But if Putin decides the war has decisively turned against Russia he has a backup plan that consists of two phone calls.
First he can call Xi and ask for sufficient support to turn the tide.
Second he can call the US President and offer an unconditional ceasefire.
If Xi says no then the war ends.
Baker is the subject of a life sentence for the attempted murder of a fellow inmate she attacked when in prison serving a sentence for kidnapping and torturing her stepmother's 19-year-old brother. Baker was recalled to prison following the events at the rally.
"London’s top hotels are now selling breakfast leftovers from £3.99 – I put them to the test
Hotels are using The Too Good to Go app to get rid of produce before they legally have to bin it. I decided to see what I could find" ((£)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/england/london/hotels-selling-breakfast-leftovers/
Nevertheless, the 7% of GDP figure is official numbers, and Russian official numbers both understate military expenditure, by hiding various items like non-payment of contractors, running down reserves or soft loans off the government's books, and overstate GDP by understating inflation and reporting output statistics that please politicians. My guess is you should probably double the official number at least to get the true figure.