My daughter recently divorced her husband and has bought a home nearby
It is extraordinary how bad most everyone has been in the process from the divorce lawyers, to the conveyancers, to the utility services, to the local council, and to Welsh Water who knew her water meter had been buried in road works two years previously and have not exposed it since
I do not like the word broken Britain but sadly it is and I see little prospects of any improvement soon
The prisons still use paper with no computerised records as WIfi is not available apparently
Of course the collapse of the prison and courts happened under successive governments alongside so much more, but ultimately we expect to pour countless billions into a failing NHS with little or no reform, pensions and benefits are out of control, paying interest on our debt of £100 billion pa, etc and we wonder why we are where we are
Labour's answer is to tax and tax everything in sight, hand out billions more on WFP, triple lock, and now abolitioning the 2 child cap.
This has to stop and radical action is required to change the direction of the economy but nobody is brave enough as they perceive the public will not elect them
Ultimately this only ends up one way and that is the IMF intervening
And to those who blame the 'other lot' each lot is to blame and no political party is any better than the other at facing realism
My recent experience with a range of public and private sector organisations has similarly been rather poor in many cases. It sometimes fees like bad service has become normalized. I would emphasise this is not just in the public sector by any means. The exception is usually small firms. Are we bad at building a good culture in large organisations in this country?
Our daughter's house sale completed at 12 noon and her furniture van was waiting outside her new home
She couldn't gain access as the money transfers were in the process but at 1.30 she expressed concern to the Estate Agent holding the keys as she would incur delay penalties from her removers if they couldn't move her in by 2.00pm
The estate agents said they would phone the solicitors only to respond that they were closed for lunch until 2.00pm !!!!!!
She did get the OK just after 2.00pm but this is 2025 not 1955
You were lucky the lawyers didn't send the money by stagecoach.
When doing probate for elderly relatives, twice now, I've been infuriated by the insistence on the forms being filled in in certain archaic ways - which are not made clear in or constrained by the design of the form itself, or always mentioned in the instructions. My very strong impression was that this was to discourage DIY work, and in so doing make more work for solicitors. Certainly the effect: perhaps the intention.
That was Scotland. Don't know what it is like in England. Though I'm reminded of a friend who did DIY and was congrastulated by the probate office person for doing such a good job. Except that the person didn't mean, by the standards of ordinary DIY members of the public. But the lawyers as well. Most of whom are appallingly sloppy.
I've done probate for relatives a couple of times in recent years (in England) and I can't say I found the process that onerous; most of it was doable online. Actually I was pleasantly surprised by the helpfulness and cooperation of most of the parties involved. They were both relatively simple cases, though. Each involved a house sale, but neither reached the required threshold for IHT payment.
One thing that did strike me was the amount of information that was taken on trust, and it seemed to me that it wouldn't be that difficult for bad actors to siphon off money or fraudulently claim estates by pretending to be relatives, etc.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Nicolas Cage have probably got better things to do with their time, but we should keep an eye on that Steven Seagal fellow.
Nicolas Cage is a spendthrift and has admitted to taking bad roles for the cash. On the other hand he has a dinosaur skull and I don't - so who's the biggest fool?
ITV has said it is in "preliminary" discussions to sell its broadcasting business to Sky for £1.6bn, a move that could reshape the UK's television landscape.
The talks focus on ITV's Media and Entertainment division, which includes its free-to-air TV channels as well as the ITV X streaming service.
The discussions with Sky, which is owned by US-based Comcast, come as the television industry faces fierce competition from streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+.
The deal would not include ITV's production arm - ITV Studios - which makes popular programmes such as Love Island and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.
Selling to Comcast; selling to America. The Sky spin is sugar-coating because people forget that it too is now owned by Comcast in the US. A few big-wigs will retire with a sackful of cash as more British infrastructure slips across the Atlantic.
Re the NHS, I could not fault in any way, the care I received at Luton & Dunstable Hospital, recently. The staff could not have been more conscientious.
Ninety violent or sex offenders have been mistakenly released from prison in the last year,
Your joking, not another one 90....
It is an outrage and a sign that the justice system is in chaos and Lammy needs to get a grip.
Nonetheless the pretence that this is a post July 2024 (although as the emergency release programme has been implemented the frequency has increased twofold) phenomenon by Shadow Ministers and PBers demonstrates a remarkably short memory.
I don't recall you outrage posting about this trifling error back in 2019/20. Perhaps you would have been perfectly entitled so to do and the government of the day would have got a grip then.
As fun as the political blame is (and it IS fun pointing out that the Tories fucked the country), we need to get away from being that Spiderman meme and do things differently.
Yes Minister was so funny because it was true. We change the government but not the system. Neither side seems capable of imagining that "choice" is waste.
Offer people the following. You have a local GP. You have an accessible local hospital for basic bits and regional centres of excellence to do the complex / difficult stuff. You get seen quickly and treated and home without being left to suffer in pain for endless months and years.
Nobody cares about GPs being asked to create and administer clinical commissioning. A choice of hospitals. A shiny new admin building full of people telling you that your pain will be with you for another 18 months.
For all the successive governments rightly claim to be spending record amounts on the NHS, they're spending it on admin, not healthcare. Massively simplify the structure to cut much of the admin, and thus more cash spent on fixing your ailment and less on letters passed from pillar to post explaining why they won't treat you until Christmas next year.
I quite agree and the inertia on the big issues by this disappointing administration is mind numbing. That said even when they have achieved minor victories their comms are so bad they don't even announce them, not that the press would be interested.
I do get frustrated when Shadow Ministers lie and explain everything was hunky dory on their watch. There are Tories who acknowledge reality, Alex Chalke was on yesterday suggesting the prison system has been in crisis for years if not decades. Contrast that with Jenrick on Ferrari yesterday, who with a half truth blamed not only the current but the previous government for the collapse in asylum policy and the related collapse in prison management. But along with that half truth he distanced himself from the previous government by saying he resigned because they were all incompetent, ignoring the reality that he was front and centre of that incompetence.
Incumbency brings with it the reality of government and this lot need to pull their finger out or hand the show over to Farage sooner rather than later. But Kemi, Cartridge and Jenrick pretending they weren't in government as the whole edifice collapsed does stick in the craw.
Their sneering hypocrisy is one of the reasons the polls show them heading for minibus numbers at the next election. People hate it, and it reminds them of why they voted them out.
Anyway, the problem is simple. We need to change the systems and simplify the structures. Which costs more as you do it, and we're "broke" supposedly.
In the business world this is called investment. My shop had very inefficient florescent light fittings. Cost a LOT in electricity. So I invested in LED panels. Spend more up front, to then save a lot every month that follows. Borrow. Invest. Gain a return on the investment. CAPITALISM - that thing the Tories used to represent before they got bought by the banks and the spivs.
Will it cost a little more to scrap these structures and cut the now redundant workforce? Sure. With huge savings delivered afterwards. Will it cost more to hire more cops and run the courts more and create prison space? Absolutely - with a big drop in the cost of crime afterwards. Will it cost money to invest in our towns and cities so that the streets aren't full of weeds and potholes? Sure - but look at the economic growth in places like Manchester.
Borrow. Invest. ROI.
Thanks to the Tories all we ever get - from Labour as well who were forced to adopt the same language - is "how will you pay for that", not "what benefits do we get from that". And at the moment absurd political / treasury orthodoxy has it that cuts save money with no cost. Which is laughably untrue.
Also, we have had successive governments apparently unable to distinguish investment which provides a real return, from that which does not. You rightly point at Manchester, IMO, as I suspect it's entirely possible that sustained capital investment in regional cities would provide a greater return than that in London, which has taken the lion's share since forever.
I hadn't appreciated that we've also just cancelled electrification of railway lines outside of London, yet again, to pay for London infrastructure.
UK transport secretary says full electrification of railways ‘not affordable (sic) right now’ Heidi Alexander says focus will be on other projects such as HS2 https://www.ft.com/content/5ecda1f8-b624-4e86-bb7b-b571bddb8a19 It seems Dr B-Ching Alexander's decision to halt further rail electrification in the UK, citing it as "unaffordable," misses the long-term financial and environmental benefits that electrification brings. Here's a breakdown of why her ignorance will be seen as a gross miscalculation:
1. Initial Costs vs. Long-Term Savings: While the upfront costs of electrification are significant, studies show that electric trains reduce operating costs by 20-30% compared to diesel trains over their lifecycle. This is due to lower maintenance needs and fuel costs, even when factoring in the construction expenses. For instance, the Great Western Electrification Project, despite its high initial cost, was projected to yield substantial savings over time. 2. Capacity and Efficiency Gains: Electrification can increase rail capacity by up to 40%, according to UK studies. This means more passengers and freight can be moved efficiently, potentially generating additional revenue that could offset initial investments. The missed opportunity here is not just financial but also operational, as electric trains are faster and more reliable, improving service quality and customer satisfaction. 3. Environmental and Social Benefits: Electric trains cut emissions by about 90% compared to diesel, aligning with global efforts to combat climate change. The environmental cost of not electrifying, in terms of increased carbon emissions and air pollution, could lead to higher societal costs in health and climate adaptation measures. These indirect costs are often not factored into short-term affordability assessments but are crucial for long-term sustainability. 4. Comparative International Examples: Countries like Germany have managed to electrify their railways at a fraction of the cost per single-track kilometer (STK) compared to the UK, partly due to a steady, skilled workforce and optimized techniques. The UK's historical challenges, like the costly Great Western project, don't necessarily reflect current capabilities or future potential efficiencies... https://x.com/tomcoady/status/1986448982956974538
A nice graphical illustration of this stupidity.
Note that very little rail electrification took place when Labour were in power.
Some of that is a time lag effect, though. And note the slow and steady exponential decline in the pre-Blair years under Major in particular.
Sky TV's owners might want to buy ITV for good reason - they need to justify their existence. Sky still insistent they have to offer "Sky Signature" - all those channels you don't watch. But I don't watch those...
Alternately they offered "Sky Essentials" which is cheaper and consists of the Free to Air channels. So why should I pay Sky for the FTA stuff again?
Feels like a company living in the past. I won't miss it.
If anyone wants to actually cancel Sky, as opposed to get a better offer from them, tell them you’re moving abroad and you won’t get dozens of follow-on marketing calls and emails.
ITV has said it is in "preliminary" discussions to sell its broadcasting business to Sky for £1.6bn, a move that could reshape the UK's television landscape.
The talks focus on ITV's Media and Entertainment division, which includes its free-to-air TV channels as well as the ITV X streaming service.
The discussions with Sky, which is owned by US-based Comcast, come as the television industry faces fierce competition from streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+.
The deal would not include ITV's production arm - ITV Studios - which makes popular programmes such as Love Island and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.
Selling to Comcast; selling to America. The Sky spin is sugar-coating because people forget that it too is now owned by Comcast in the US. A few big-wigs will retire with a sackful of cash as more British infrastructure slips across the Atlantic.
We will basically be down to Comcast (US), Discovery (US), BBC (remember BBC now own 100% of UKTV) and Channel4.
My daughter recently divorced her husband and has bought a home nearby
It is extraordinary how bad most everyone has been in the process from the divorce lawyers, to the conveyancers, to the utility services, to the local council, and to Welsh Water who knew her water meter had been buried in road works two years previously and have not exposed it since
I do not like the word broken Britain but sadly it is and I see little prospects of any improvement soon
The prisons still use paper with no computerised records as WIfi is not available apparently
Of course the collapse of the prison and courts happened under successive governments alongside so much more, but ultimately we expect to pour countless billions into a failing NHS with little or no reform, pensions and benefits are out of control, paying interest on our debt of £100 billion pa, etc and we wonder why we are where we are
Labour's answer is to tax and tax everything in sight, hand out billions more on WFP, triple lock, and now abolitioning the 2 child cap.
This has to stop and radical action is required to change the direction of the economy but nobody is brave enough as they perceive the public will not elect them
Ultimately this only ends up one way and that is the IMF intervening
And to those who blame the 'other lot' each lot is to blame and no political party is any better than the other at facing realism
Of course Labour axed the WFP which precipitated its poll collapse and even now has not kept it for higher earners. Reform would also abolish the 2 child cap and when Kemi proposed means testing the triple lock the media and other parties pounced on her. Even when Reeves proposed welfare cuts Labour MPs voted them down.
However the IMF won't intervene provided she increases tax enough in the budget to fund her spending, which it seems she will.
Though that may come at the expense of high earners and the very wealthy looking to Singapore, Monaco, Abu Dhabi and Geneva
The weird thing there is perception and reality, slogan and actuality.
On WFP, in the same year the state pension was increased by the same order of amount. And so all the pensioners losing the WFP are essentially getting the same thing back indexed forever, just from that one year.
ITV has said it is in "preliminary" discussions to sell its broadcasting business to Sky for £1.6bn, a move that could reshape the UK's television landscape.
The talks focus on ITV's Media and Entertainment division, which includes its free-to-air TV channels as well as the ITV X streaming service.
The discussions with Sky, which is owned by US-based Comcast, come as the television industry faces fierce competition from streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+.
The deal would not include ITV's production arm - ITV Studios - which makes popular programmes such as Love Island and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.
Selling to Comcast; selling to America. The Sky spin is sugar-coating because people forget that it too is now owned by Comcast in the US. A few big-wigs will retire with a sackful of cash as more British infrastructure slips across the Atlantic.
We will basically be down to Comcast (US), Discovery (US), BBC (remember BBC now own 100% of UKTV) and Channel4.
Ninety violent or sex offenders have been mistakenly released from prison in the last year,
Your joking, not another one 90....
It is an outrage and a sign that the justice system is in chaos and Lammy needs to get a grip.
Nonetheless the pretence that this is a post July 2024 (although as the emergency release programme has been implemented the frequency has increased twofold) phenomenon by Shadow Ministers and PBers demonstrates a remarkably short memory.
I don't recall you outrage posting about this trifling error back in 2019/20. Perhaps you would have been perfectly entitled so to do and the government of the day would have got a grip then.
As fun as the political blame is (and it IS fun pointing out that the Tories fucked the country), we need to get away from being that Spiderman meme and do things differently.
Yes Minister was so funny because it was true. We change the government but not the system. Neither side seems capable of imagining that "choice" is waste.
Offer people the following. You have a local GP. You have an accessible local hospital for basic bits and regional centres of excellence to do the complex / difficult stuff. You get seen quickly and treated and home without being left to suffer in pain for endless months and years.
Nobody cares about GPs being asked to create and administer clinical commissioning. A choice of hospitals. A shiny new admin building full of people telling you that your pain will be with you for another 18 months.
For all the successive governments rightly claim to be spending record amounts on the NHS, they're spending it on admin, not healthcare. Massively simplify the structure to cut much of the admin, and thus more cash spent on fixing your ailment and less on letters passed from pillar to post explaining why they won't treat you until Christmas next year.
I quite agree and the inertia on the big issues by this disappointing administration is mind numbing. That said even when they have achieved minor victories their comms are so bad they don't even announce them, not that the press would be interested.
I do get frustrated when Shadow Ministers lie and explain everything was hunky dory on their watch. There are Tories who acknowledge reality, Alex Chalke was on yesterday suggesting the prison system has been in crisis for years if not decades. Contrast that with Jenrick on Ferrari yesterday, who with a half truth blamed not only the current but the previous government for the collapse in asylum policy and the related collapse in prison management. But along with that half truth he distanced himself from the previous government by saying he resigned because they were all incompetent, ignoring the reality that he was front and centre of that incompetence.
Incumbency brings with it the reality of government and this lot need to pull their finger out or hand the show over to Farage sooner rather than later. But Kemi, Cartridge and Jenrick pretending they weren't in government as the whole edifice collapsed does stick in the craw.
Their sneering hypocrisy is one of the reasons the polls show them heading for minibus numbers at the next election. People hate it, and it reminds them of why they voted them out.
Anyway, the problem is simple. We need to change the systems and simplify the structures. Which costs more as you do it, and we're "broke" supposedly.
In the business world this is called investment. My shop had very inefficient florescent light fittings. Cost a LOT in electricity. So I invested in LED panels. Spend more up front, to then save a lot every month that follows. Borrow. Invest. Gain a return on the investment. CAPITALISM - that thing the Tories used to represent before they got bought by the banks and the spivs.
Will it cost a little more to scrap these structures and cut the now redundant workforce? Sure. With huge savings delivered afterwards. Will it cost more to hire more cops and run the courts more and create prison space? Absolutely - with a big drop in the cost of crime afterwards. Will it cost money to invest in our towns and cities so that the streets aren't full of weeds and potholes? Sure - but look at the economic growth in places like Manchester.
Borrow. Invest. ROI.
Thanks to the Tories all we ever get - from Labour as well who were forced to adopt the same language - is "how will you pay for that", not "what benefits do we get from that". And at the moment absurd political / treasury orthodoxy has it that cuts save money with no cost. Which is laughably untrue.
Also, we have had successive governments apparently unable to distinguish investment which provides a real return, from that which does not. You rightly point at Manchester, IMO, as I suspect it's entirely possible that sustained capital investment in regional cities would provide a greater return than that in London, which has taken the lion's share since forever.
I hadn't appreciated that we've also just cancelled electrification of railway lines outside of London, yet again, to pay for London infrastructure.
UK transport secretary says full electrification of railways ‘not affordable (sic) right now’ Heidi Alexander says focus will be on other projects such as HS2 https://www.ft.com/content/5ecda1f8-b624-4e86-bb7b-b571bddb8a19 It seems Dr B-Ching Alexander's decision to halt further rail electrification in the UK, citing it as "unaffordable," misses the long-term financial and environmental benefits that electrification brings. Here's a breakdown of why her ignorance will be seen as a gross miscalculation:
1. Initial Costs vs. Long-Term Savings: While the upfront costs of electrification are significant, studies show that electric trains reduce operating costs by 20-30% compared to diesel trains over their lifecycle. This is due to lower maintenance needs and fuel costs, even when factoring in the construction expenses. For instance, the Great Western Electrification Project, despite its high initial cost, was projected to yield substantial savings over time. 2. Capacity and Efficiency Gains: Electrification can increase rail capacity by up to 40%, according to UK studies. This means more passengers and freight can be moved efficiently, potentially generating additional revenue that could offset initial investments. The missed opportunity here is not just financial but also operational, as electric trains are faster and more reliable, improving service quality and customer satisfaction. 3. Environmental and Social Benefits: Electric trains cut emissions by about 90% compared to diesel, aligning with global efforts to combat climate change. The environmental cost of not electrifying, in terms of increased carbon emissions and air pollution, could lead to higher societal costs in health and climate adaptation measures. These indirect costs are often not factored into short-term affordability assessments but are crucial for long-term sustainability. 4. Comparative International Examples: Countries like Germany have managed to electrify their railways at a fraction of the cost per single-track kilometer (STK) compared to the UK, partly due to a steady, skilled workforce and optimized techniques. The UK's historical challenges, like the costly Great Western project, don't necessarily reflect current capabilities or future potential efficiencies... https://x.com/tomcoady/status/1986448982956974538
A nice graphical illustration of this stupidity.
Have the Germans engaged in the same mass removal of level crossings as we have or is this electrification what they bought with those resources instead?
Whatever they've spent it on, it hasn't made DB run any better
ITV has said it is in "preliminary" discussions to sell its broadcasting business to Sky for £1.6bn, a move that could reshape the UK's television landscape.
The talks focus on ITV's Media and Entertainment division, which includes its free-to-air TV channels as well as the ITV X streaming service.
The discussions with Sky, which is owned by US-based Comcast, come as the television industry faces fierce competition from streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+.
The deal would not include ITV's production arm - ITV Studios - which makes popular programmes such as Love Island and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.
Selling to Comcast; selling to America. The Sky spin is sugar-coating because people forget that it too is now owned by Comcast in the US. A few big-wigs will retire with a sackful of cash as more British infrastructure slips across the Atlantic.
We will basically be down to Comcast (US), Discovery (US), BBC (remember BBC now own 100% of UKTV) and Channel4.
Sky TV's owners might want to buy ITV for good reason - they need to justify their existence. Sky still insistent they have to offer "Sky Signature" - all those channels you don't watch. But I don't watch those...
Alternately they offered "Sky Essentials" which is cheaper and consists of the Free to Air channels. So why should I pay Sky for the FTA stuff again?
Feels like a company living in the past. I won't miss it.
If anyone wants to actually cancel Sky, as opposed to get a better offer from them, tell them you’re moving abroad and you won’t get dozens of follow-on marketing calls and emails.
I won't get them now. As they screwed up by cancelling my cancellation they won't faff with it again.
ITV has said it is in "preliminary" discussions to sell its broadcasting business to Sky for £1.6bn, a move that could reshape the UK's television landscape.
The talks focus on ITV's Media and Entertainment division, which includes its free-to-air TV channels as well as the ITV X streaming service.
The discussions with Sky, which is owned by US-based Comcast, come as the television industry faces fierce competition from streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+.
The deal would not include ITV's production arm - ITV Studios - which makes popular programmes such as Love Island and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.
Selling to Comcast; selling to America. The Sky spin is sugar-coating because people forget that it too is now owned by Comcast in the US. A few big-wigs will retire with a sackful of cash as more British infrastructure slips across the Atlantic.
We will basically be down to Comcast (US), Discovery (US), BBC (remember BBC now own 100% of UKTV) and Channel4.
I wonder what price the BBC would fetch?
A lot less if their ability to imprison people for not paying for them was removed!
It should be worth tens of billions of dollars, but so much of that value hinges on them being *the* public service broadcaster.
ITV has said it is in "preliminary" discussions to sell its broadcasting business to Sky for £1.6bn, a move that could reshape the UK's television landscape.
The talks focus on ITV's Media and Entertainment division, which includes its free-to-air TV channels as well as the ITV X streaming service.
The discussions with Sky, which is owned by US-based Comcast, come as the television industry faces fierce competition from streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+.
The deal would not include ITV's production arm - ITV Studios - which makes popular programmes such as Love Island and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.
Selling to Comcast; selling to America. The Sky spin is sugar-coating because people forget that it too is now owned by Comcast in the US. A few big-wigs will retire with a sackful of cash as more British infrastructure slips across the Atlantic.
We will basically be down to Comcast (US), Discovery (US), BBC (remember BBC now own 100% of UKTV) and Channel4.
If channel 4 and ITV don't arrest their viewership decline it won't matter if they're UK or US owned.
If Rightmove can use AI to, for example, notice that a floor plan is clearly a studio, but the agents have listed it as one-bedroom, it might be useful. Or that a listing with the word "auction" in the text should probably go in the auctions section.
However, I suspect the auction example and many other miscategorisations are actually fully intended by the agents, and tolerated by Rightmove, so they'd have to commit to accuracy first.
My daughter recently divorced her husband and has bought a home nearby
It is extraordinary how bad most everyone has been in the process from the divorce lawyers, to the conveyancers, to the utility services, to the local council, and to Welsh Water who knew her water meter had been buried in road works two years previously and have not exposed it since
I do not like the word broken Britain but sadly it is and I see little prospects of any improvement soon
The prisons still use paper with no computerised records as WIfi is not available apparently
Of course the collapse of the prison and courts happened under successive governments alongside so much more, but ultimately we expect to pour countless billions into a failing NHS with little or no reform, pensions and benefits are out of control, paying interest on our debt of £100 billion pa, etc and we wonder why we are where we are
Labour's answer is to tax and tax everything in sight, hand out billions more on WFP, triple lock, and now abolitioning the 2 child cap.
This has to stop and radical action is required to change the direction of the economy but nobody is brave enough as they perceive the public will not elect them
Ultimately this only ends up one way and that is the IMF intervening
And to those who blame the 'other lot' each lot is to blame and no political party is any better than the other at facing realism
Of course Labour axed the WFP which precipitated its poll collapse and even now has not kept it for higher earners. Reform would also abolish the 2 child cap and when Kemi proposed means testing the triple lock the media and other parties pounced on her. Even when Reeves proposed welfare cuts Labour MPs voted them down.
However the IMF won't intervene provided she increases tax enough in the budget to fund her spending, which it seems she will.
Though that may come at the expense of high earners and the very wealthy looking to Singapore, Monaco, Abu Dhabi and Geneva
The weird thing there is perception and reality, slogan and actuality.
On WFP, in the same year the state pension was increased by the same order of amount. And so all the pensioners losing the WFP are essentially getting the same thing back indexed forever, just from that one year.
And as I said when Kemi proposed means testing the triple lock she was hammered by Labour, the LDs and Reform
My daughter recently divorced her husband and has bought a home nearby
It is extraordinary how bad most everyone has been in the process from the divorce lawyers, to the conveyancers, to the utility services, to the local council, and to Welsh Water who knew her water meter had been buried in road works two years previously and have not exposed it since
I do not like the word broken Britain but sadly it is and I see little prospects of any improvement soon
The prisons still use paper with no computerised records as WIfi is not available apparently
Of course the collapse of the prison and courts happened under successive governments alongside so much more, but ultimately we expect to pour countless billions into a failing NHS with little or no reform, pensions and benefits are out of control, paying interest on our debt of £100 billion pa, etc and we wonder why we are where we are
Labour's answer is to tax and tax everything in sight, hand out billions more on WFP, triple lock, and now abolitioning the 2 child cap.
This has to stop and radical action is required to change the direction of the economy but nobody is brave enough as they perceive the public will not elect them
Ultimately this only ends up one way and that is the IMF intervening
And to those who blame the 'other lot' each lot is to blame and no political party is any better than the other at facing realism
My recent experience with a range of public and private sector organisations has similarly been rather poor in many cases. It sometimes fees like bad service has become normalized. I would emphasise this is not just in the public sector by any means. The exception is usually small firms. Are we bad at building a good culture in large organisations in this country?
Our daughter's house sale completed at 12 noon and her furniture van was waiting outside her new home
She couldn't gain access as the money transfers were in the process but at 1.30 she expressed concern to the Estate Agent holding the keys as she would incur delay penalties from her removers if they couldn't move her in by 2.00pm
The estate agents said they would phone the solicitors only to respond that they were closed for lunch until 2.00pm !!!!!!
She did get the OK just after 2.00pm but this is 2025 not 1955
You were lucky the lawyers didn't send the money by stagecoach.
When doing probate for elderly relatives, twice now, I've been infuriated by the insistence on the forms being filled in in certain archaic ways - which are not made clear in or constrained by the design of the form itself, or always mentioned in the instructions. My very strong impression was that this was to discourage DIY work, and in so doing make more work for solicitors. Certainly the effect: perhaps the intention.
That was Scotland. Don't know what it is like in England. Though I'm reminded of a friend who did DIY and was congrastulated by the probate office person for doing such a good job. Except that the person didn't mean, by the standards of ordinary DIY members of the public. But the lawyers as well. Most of whom are appallingly sloppy.
I've done probate for relatives a couple of times in recent years (in England) and I can't say I found the process that onerous; most of it was doable online. Actually I was pleasantly surprised by the helpfulness and cooperation of most of the parties involved. They were both relatively simple cases, though. Each involved a house sale, but neither reached the required threshold for IHT payment.
One thing that did strike me was the amount of information that was taken on trust, and it seemed to me that it wouldn't be that difficult for bad actors to siphon off money or fraudulently claim estates by pretending to be relatives, etc.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Nicolas Cage have probably got better things to do with their time, but we should keep an eye on that Steven Seagal fellow.
Nicolas Cage is a spendthrift and has admitted to taking bad roles for the cash. On the other hand he has a dinosaur skull..
Ninety violent or sex offenders have been mistakenly released from prison in the last year,
Your joking, not another one 90....
Surely it’s a simple process? Prisoner arrives from court and is “checked in”. Papers from court confirm release date. Release date is put into prison system on the Prisoner’s page with name, details and photo.
Prison receives written instructions from MoJ etc to confirm if prisoner is being released early - get prisoner from cell, check they are the same person as the system shows from check-in, release.
Prisoner arrives at check-out for release, prison system checked and the date doesn’t align with prisoner detail on system, prisoner has to wait until MoJ confirm in writing that its correct and he is being released earlier.
Prisoner arrives at check-out for release, system checked and date doesn’t align with prisoner detail on system, prisoner has to wait until MoJ confirm, MoJ say no, prisoner is not being released early so a mistake, prisoner goes back to cell.
It's usually more complicated than that. I was talking to a friend in the Prion Service about this - it isn't the 'end of sentence' releases that are the problem (they know when they are, exactly as you describe). it's when something changes, usually because of the end of a court case when someone has been on remand. Are they in for another offence? What has the court sentenced them to? To run concurrently or consecutively? How long have they already served? etc etc. Then often the instructions from the court are misleading or even wrong (another overstretched, under-resourced and underpaid environment prone to making mistakes).There is also Probation who often do daft things like insist on the prisoner reporting to their home office at 9:30 in the morning 300 miles away when they're being released from the middle of nowhere and there isn't a train until the morning
And then if they are non-UK Nationals they also have to check with Immigration, which means the dead hand of the Home Office.
And all this happens at 4:30 in the afternoon because that's when the courts get round to sending the paperwork out.
The other source of error is because the prisons are all full, often people are in the wrong one temporarily to balance out numbers so there are a lot of moves taking place all the time it's easier than you think to make mistakes.
So as is often the case, what seems easy, isn't.
Stick to the bottom line here - soon as Labour got into power and saying too many people locked up too long, in other words Labour on side of criminals not victims, has there been an explosion of manhunts for mistaken release or not?
I’m pleased the media have stopped trying to pretend it just one or two, and now asking just how many unsolved manhunts due to early release do the police have outstanding at the moment - that is the only question to be answered and put into headlines right now.
Not. The rapid rise started in 2022 according to the statistics. Around the same time that the prison system went to the point of needing prayer to stop it collapsing.
The only relevant statistic right now is how manhunts due to early release still ongoing, how many criminals out there free who according to their sentence should be inside, with goodness knows what they are up to. That is the only relevant statistic right now. How many unsolved ongoing manhunts due to early release.
ITV has said it is in "preliminary" discussions to sell its broadcasting business to Sky for £1.6bn, a move that could reshape the UK's television landscape.
The talks focus on ITV's Media and Entertainment division, which includes its free-to-air TV channels as well as the ITV X streaming service.
The discussions with Sky, which is owned by US-based Comcast, come as the television industry faces fierce competition from streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+.
The deal would not include ITV's production arm - ITV Studios - which makes popular programmes such as Love Island and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.
Selling to Comcast; selling to America. The Sky spin is sugar-coating because people forget that it too is now owned by Comcast in the US. A few big-wigs will retire with a sackful of cash as more British infrastructure slips across the Atlantic.
We will basically be down to Comcast (US), Discovery (US), BBC (remember BBC now own 100% of UKTV) and Channel4.
How much of ITV does that involve?
Will there be much left?
ITV are saying they will keep the ITV Studios that make shows like I'm a Celeb, but selling all the broadcasting side of it, both over the air and streaming.
First prefs - BUT the previous holder was Labour, second elected on the slate, and removed from office on account of being jailed, so comparison is tricky, even allowing for Reform coming in.
Re the NHS, I could not fault in any way, the care I received at Luton & Dunstable Hospital, recently. The staff could not have been more conscientious.
Yeovil Hospital, OTOH, was a sick joke.
My father died in Yeovil Hospital. That was 1992, though, so probably irrelevant experience now!
"Thousands of North Sea oil workers are being told they must lose weight if they are to keep flying offshore - or face losing their jobs.
From November next year, industry body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) said the maximum clothed weight for a worker heading offshore should be 124.7kg (19.5 st) - so they can be winched to safety in an emergency."
Has the Invisible Man that is Prison Minister ever spoken at all about these issues with prison released?
Apparently he’s “very frustrated” by it.
Perhaps he should get someone to do something about it?
He did. He told Lammy to tell everyone to get their shit together last Saturday. As politicians, they can't understand how this doesn't instantly fix what looks like a serious systemic problem.
(Apparently Lammy told them to do more checks. This is infantile, they will already do checks. Problem is, the checks are almost certainly confirming the incorrect release date)
ITV has said it is in "preliminary" discussions to sell its broadcasting business to Sky for £1.6bn, a move that could reshape the UK's television landscape.
The talks focus on ITV's Media and Entertainment division, which includes its free-to-air TV channels as well as the ITV X streaming service.
The discussions with Sky, which is owned by US-based Comcast, come as the television industry faces fierce competition from streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+.
The deal would not include ITV's production arm - ITV Studios - which makes popular programmes such as Love Island and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.
Selling to Comcast; selling to America. The Sky spin is sugar-coating because people forget that it too is now owned by Comcast in the US. A few big-wigs will retire with a sackful of cash as more British infrastructure slips across the Atlantic.
We will basically be down to Comcast (US), Discovery (US), BBC (remember BBC now own 100% of UKTV) and Channel4.
If channel 4 and ITV don't arrest their viewership decline it won't matter if they're UK or US owned.
IF YOU ARE UPSET ABOUT THE COMPOSITION OF ADVERTS FOR WASHING POWDER LOOK AWAY NOW.
I was looking, because why not, at the 6 Music Artists of the Year 2025 and readers will be thrilled to hear that of the seven solo artists (Ethel Cain, FKA Twigs, Jacob Alon, jasmine.4.t, Kae Tempest, CMAT, Blood Orange), four are trans or non-binary (Ethel Cain, Jacob Alon, Kae Tempest, jasmine.4.t). CMAT is bisexual but who's counting.
That said, or perhaps as expected, as I am working through the ones I don't know on Amazon Music, they can produce bloody good music. I saw Ethel Cain at the Hammersmith Apollo Eventim the other day and she was sublime.
And yes what was an old white straight bloke doing at an Ethel Cain concert.
Anyway, political betting.
“what was an old white straight bloke doing at an Ethel Cain concert” Taking a walk on the wild side?
The UK construction PMI has shown a historic contraction, with the latest reading in October 2025 at 44.1, marking the tenth consecutive month below the 50-point expansion/contraction threshold. This marks the longest period of continuous decline since the global financial crisis. The sector has been negatively impacted by sluggish demand, a lack of new tender opportunities, and falling employment, with civil engineering activity falling particularly sharply.
Recent performance and key trends
Continuous contraction: The S&P Global UK Construction PMI has been below 50 for ten straight months as of October 2025, indicating a sustained downturn.
Sharpest decline in over five years: The rate of contraction in October 2025 was the sharpest since May 2020.
Weakening demand and new work: Construction firms report poor market conditions and fewer new projects, with civil engineering activity falling at the fastest pace since May 2020 due to a lack of new work to replace completed projects.
Job losses: Employment in the sector has dropped significantly, with the pace of job shedding accelerating to its fastest since November 2020 in some recent months.
Sector-specific performance: While commercial and residential building both declined, civil engineering activity has been the weakest-performing segment.
Cost pressures: Despite weak demand, some periods have seen rising cost pressures from materials and wages.
Looking ahead
Business expectations: Business confidence has fluctuated, sometimes remaining positive due to hopes for future projects despite short-term challenges.
Contributing factors: Reasons cited for the downturn include economic uncertainty, higher borrowing costs, and a shortage of new projects.
Policy impact: The figures have been influenced by fiscal worries and potential tax changes, such as those rumoured for the November 2025 Budget.
When do we get the apologies from Reeves and Rayner ?
Down here in Devon, builders are complaining there is no work. A mass of second homes are up for sale without even being tarted up. No point spending money as they aren't selling regardless of condition.
"They aren't selling regardless of condition" may be missing something out. There is a magical belief about property that there is a proper price it should fetch. With some exceptions property will sell as long as both parties have the same idea about price. That a house is worth exactly what a buyer is prepared to pay is a deep mystery to a lot of people.
All goes out the window when there is a glut on the market. I'm sure they could sell at massive discounts. But they aren't that desperate. Too expensive as first homes for those that can afford first homes is the real issue.
TBF it's cheaper to buy and then tart it up the way one wants.
When we sold my dad's house, the plumbing was on its last legs - we asked our tame plumber if we should get it redone before sale. He said very firmly no - he'd lost count of the number of times he'd installed a new kitchen/bathroom and then was commissioned to rip it out and put a new one in by new buyers a few months later.
When I lived in the Desperate Housewives* part of Hampstead, it was automatic that, on buying a new house, the old kitchen was ripped out and a new one put in.
I saw this happen, repeatedly, for six figure kitchens.
No-one involved actually cooked. When I went to parties, it was noticeable that the ovens and hobs were untouched, the microwaves in a terrible state. When looking for ice, the freezers were usually full of ready meals...
(There's apparently an erotic novelist who is suing for defamation in the mix somewhere.)
I have a feeling Kent Council might be Labours best card come 2029.
What evidence there is suggests that council fiascos can have some impact at a GE in the same area, but don't really have any national impact? Perhaps things will be different, with Reform being so new on the stage?
If Rightmove can use AI to, for example, notice that a floor plan is clearly a studio, but the agents have listed it as one-bedroom, it might be useful. Or that a listing with the word "auction" in the text should probably go in the auctions section.
However, I suspect the auction example and many other miscategorisations are actually fully intended by the agents, and tolerated by Rightmove, so they'd have to commit to accuracy first.
Posh search. "I would like a house within a mile of the sea and 5 miles of a station which has train journey times of less than 120 minutes to Cardiff."
If Rightmove can use AI to, for example, notice that a floor plan is clearly a studio, but the agents have listed it as one-bedroom, it might be useful. Or that a listing with the word "auction" in the text should probably go in the auctions section.
However, I suspect the auction example and many other miscategorisations are actually fully intended by the agents, and tolerated by Rightmove, so they'd have to commit to accuracy first.
I think the sensible way to do that would be to run AI to improve the delivered service, and compete on core competence not gimmickry.
Has the Invisible Man that is Prison Minister ever spoken at all about these issues with prison released?
Apparently he’s “very frustrated” by it.
Perhaps he should get someone to do something about it?
He did. He told Lammy to tell everyone to get their shit together last Saturday. As politicians, they can't understand how this doesn't instantly fix what looks like a serious systemic problem.
(Apparently Lammy told them to do more checks. This is infantile, they will already do checks. Problem is, the checks are almost certainly confirming the incorrect release date)
I recall the story of how NASA put more and more people on tasks. Until they had about 14 people tightening one bolt. The bolt was tightened incorrectly.
Re the NHS, I could not fault in any way, the care I received at Luton & Dunstable Hospital, recently. The staff could not have been more conscientious.
Yeovil Hospital, OTOH, was a sick joke.
Had a good experience on Wednesday. Meeting with consultant at the Fracture clinic, consultant ordered and MRI and whilst I was waiting for a slot they sent me to meet the physios so they could get a heads up on likely recovery programme and give me initial exercises for what they could tell the damage is at present (they have been waiting for the swelling to go down to get the full picture). Finished Physio and rolled along to MRI, scanned then out all in two and a half hours. Letter the next day for next appointment with consultant this coming Wednesday.
I think from all the horror stories about NHS (and similar) it seems that the worst situations are where people need to stay in where bed availability and chaos make the experience beyond grim whereas out-patient services seem to be good if I’ve remembered anecdotes correctly.
(There's apparently an erotic novelist who is suing for defamation in the mix somewhere.)
I have a feeling Kent Council might be Labours best card come 2029.
What evidence there is suggests that council fiascos can have some impact at a GE in the same area, but don't really have any national impact? Perhaps things will be different, with Reform being so new on the stage?
As we get closer to an election the Reform curious will inevitably start adding in to their thoughts "What will a Reform govt actually look like".
We already know what Labour and Conservative govts look like, so don't need to consider how they run their councils. With Reform we don't know much at all.
Vascular and inflammatory diseases after COVID-19 infection and vaccination in children and young people in England: a retrospective, population-based cohort study using linked electronic health records
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(25)00247-0/fulltext ..Of 13 896 125 individuals younger than 18 years (6 784 260 [48·8%] female and 7 111 865 [51·2%] male; 9 979 420 [71·7%] White), 3 903 410 (28·1%) had a COVID-19 diagnosis. COVID-19 diagnosis (compared with no or before diagnosis) was associated with higher risk of arterial thromboembolism (aHR 2·33 [95% CI 1·20–4·51]), venous thromboembolism (4·90 [3·66–6·55]), thrombocytopenia (3·64 [2·21–6·00]), myocarditis or pericarditis (3·46 [2·06–5·80]), and inflammatory conditions (14·84 [11·01–19·99]) in the first week after diagnosis. Incidence declined in weeks 2–4, but remained elevated to beyond 12 months for venous thromboembolism (1·39 [1·14 –1·69]), thrombocytopenia (1·42 [1·01–2·00]), and myocarditis or pericarditis (1·42 [1·05–1·91]). Among 9 245 395 individuals aged between 5 and younger than 18 years who were eligible for vaccination (4 510 490 [48·8%] female and 4 734 905 [51·2%] male; 6 684 140 [72·3%] White), 3 407 560 (36·9%) received a first vaccine. COVID-19 vaccination (compared with no or before vaccination) was associated with elevated risk of myocarditis or pericarditis within the first 4 weeks after vaccination (1·84 [1·25–2·72]). The 6-month absolute excess risks for myocarditis or pericarditis were 2·24 (1·11–3·80) per 100 000 individuals after diagnosis versus before diagnosis or undiagnosed, and 0·85 (0·07–1·91) after vaccination versus before vaccination or unvaccinated. Interpretation
Children and young people have higher risks of rare vascular and inflammatory diseases up to 12 months after a first COVID-19 diagnosis and higher risk of rare myocarditis or pericarditis up to 4 weeks after a first BNT162b2 vaccine, although the risk following vaccination is substantially lower than the risk following infection. These findings are of great importance for national policy makers and caregivers considering vaccination consent for children, and support the public health strategy of COVID-19 vaccination in children and young people to mitigate the more frequent and persistent risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection...
'Tesla boss Elon Musk has had a record-breaking pay package that could be worth nearly $1tn (£760bn) approved by shareholders.
The unprecedented deal was approved by 75% of votes and drew huge applause from the audience at the firm's annual general meeting on Thursday.
Musk, who is already the world's richest man, must drastically raise the electric car firm's market value over 10 years. If he does this and meets various targets, he will be rewarded with hundreds of millions of new shares.' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyk6kvyxvzo
I see that Fired Earth has gone up in flames (or been buried by circumstances, choose your metaphor), closing all its stores
If your business plan is to sell products you can buy for a lower price elsewhere, pitching it as luxury brand... Well, when times are tough, you will be found out.
Due to the big rises in construction costs, people are interested in reducing cost where they can. All too easy to scan a barcode/name in a shop and discover the same on the interwebs....
Tracking down that Kentish Erotic Novelist. It's the one who was suspended (?) for allegedly making unsavoury comments around female Council staff:
A former Reform councillor has announced he is considering legal action against the party for defamation of his character following his removal. Kent councillor Robert Ford was removed from Reform UK following unofficial complaints from female members of staff.
He said today: “I’m currently taking legal advice regarding the defamation of my character by Reform UK at Kent County Council that occurred on October 13, and I intend in the coming months to pursue this with vigour.” Mr Ford claims the complaints relate to an “erotic novel” he had published, which he had mentioned to people at the authority. https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2130674/reform-civil-war-explodes-councillor
Has the Invisible Man that is Prison Minister ever spoken at all about these issues with prison released?
Apparently he’s “very frustrated” by it.
Perhaps he should get someone to do something about it?
He did. He told Lammy to tell everyone to get their shit together last Saturday. As politicians, they can't understand how this doesn't instantly fix what looks like a serious systemic problem.
(Apparently Lammy told them to do more checks. This is infantile, they will already do checks. Problem is, the checks are almost certainly confirming the incorrect release date)
I recall the story of how NASA put more and more people on tasks. Until they had about 14 people tightening one bolt. The bolt was tightened incorrectly.
They are almost certainly looking at the wrong end of the problem. The issue is, who decides on release dates and how are they communicated to prisons.
I read on here that prisons do everything on paper as they don't have WiFi. This of course is bollocks. Jobcentres didn't have WiFi until a couple of years ago as it wasn't considered secure enough. We had something called a LAN.
My daughter recently divorced her husband and has bought a home nearby
It is extraordinary how bad most everyone has been in the process from the divorce lawyers, to the conveyancers, to the utility services, to the local council, and to Welsh Water who knew her water meter had been buried in road works two years previously and have not exposed it since
I do not like the word broken Britain but sadly it is and I see little prospects of any improvement soon
The prisons still use paper with no computerised records as WIfi is not available apparently
Of course the collapse of the prison and courts happened under successive governments alongside so much more, but ultimately we expect to pour countless billions into a failing NHS with little or no reform, pensions and benefits are out of control, paying interest on our debt of £100 billion pa, etc and we wonder why we are where we are
Labour's answer is to tax and tax everything in sight, hand out billions more on WFP, triple lock, and now abolitioning the 2 child cap.
This has to stop and radical action is required to change the direction of the economy but nobody is brave enough as they perceive the public will not elect them
Ultimately this only ends up one way and that is the IMF intervening
And to those who blame the 'other lot' each lot is to blame and no political party is any better than the other at facing realism
My recent experience with a range of public and private sector organisations has similarly been rather poor in many cases. It sometimes fees like bad service has become normalized. I would emphasise this is not just in the public sector by any means. The exception is usually small firms. Are we bad at building a good culture in large organisations in this country?
Some of it is also that our expectations have increased, which in turn puts pressure on these organisations.
Back in the day, if you needed something sorting you would sit down at your kitchen table and you would write to the organisation involved, enclosing all the paperwork and putting it in the post.
That request would land in someone’s in-tray; they would read it, deal with it, probably dictate a letter in response and it would go in the out tray. The post would then be duly delivered back. In all the process might take 3-4 days, depending on the complexity of the ask. Obviously if the action needed passing to another department or a third party, it could take much longer.
Nowadays with all the competing pressures on our life, when we want something we want it dealing with very quickly. We email things out to someone, and because we know it’s with them immediately we expect it will be picked up straight away. The person who is at the receiving end of that email will have a flood of demands coming into them; probably doesn’t have the secretarial support they’d have had even 10-15 years ago, will work through things as best they can but has a flood of extra demands on their time put upon them.
This isn’t excusing poor outcomes - but as the pace of life has become more frenetic so too has its complexity. This makes it very hard for customers to receive consistently high levels of service.
Re the NHS, I could not fault in any way, the care I received at Luton & Dunstable Hospital, recently. The staff could not have been more conscientious.
Yeovil Hospital, OTOH, was a sick joke.
Had a good experience on Wednesday. Meeting with consultant at the Fracture clinic, consultant ordered and MRI and whilst I was waiting for a slot they sent me to meet the physios so they could get a heads up on likely recovery programme and give me initial exercises for what they could tell the damage is at present (they have been waiting for the swelling to go down to get the full picture). Finished Physio and rolled along to MRI, scanned then out all in two and a half hours. Letter the next day for next appointment with consultant this coming Wednesday.
I think from all the horror stories about NHS (and similar) it seems that the worst situations are where people need to stay in where bed availability and chaos make the experience beyond grim whereas out-patient services seem to be good if I’ve remembered anecdotes correctly.
There's a lot of good and bad. Friends son is a junior doctor (sorry resident) at Swindon. Apparently he is being worn down by the corridor care and overwork. Some of those he trained with have left to do other things.
We also tend to shout loudest and longest about the bad experiences, and less so about the good. Its like reviews on Amazon. The three stinkers seem more prominent than the thousands of good.
Two results from Tandridge - a LD gain from Con and a Res hold. That Res hold was the only one this week - all the others were gains.
The LD gain was an easy one this week, in a ward won convincingly before where the LDs strangely only put up two candidates for the three seats . The Tory resignation created the vacancy
Re the NHS, I could not fault in any way, the care I received at Luton & Dunstable Hospital, recently. The staff could not have been more conscientious.
Yeovil Hospital, OTOH, was a sick joke.
Had a good experience on Wednesday. Meeting with consultant at the Fracture clinic, consultant ordered and MRI and whilst I was waiting for a slot they sent me to meet the physios so they could get a heads up on likely recovery programme and give me initial exercises for what they could tell the damage is at present (they have been waiting for the swelling to go down to get the full picture). Finished Physio and rolled along to MRI, scanned then out all in two and a half hours. Letter the next day for next appointment with consultant this coming Wednesday.
I think from all the horror stories about NHS (and similar) it seems that the worst situations are where people need to stay in where bed availability and chaos make the experience beyond grim whereas out-patient services seem to be good if I’ve remembered anecdotes correctly.
It is because the actual experience varies wildly. Chelsea & Westminster hospital has a children's A&E Dept. that is very good. Other hospitals have shit A&E depts. I know this from having been a frequent flier. This isn't because the C&W is posh or in a posh neighbourhood - like most of London, it has plenty of social housing nearby. When you are there you see people from all walks of life.
It's because it's run better.
EDIT: I'll not mention the specific unit at the John Radcliffe in Oxford, given the laws and OGH, but one of the units dealing with elderly patients is fucking useless.
If channel 4 and ITV don't arrest their viewership decline it won't matter if they're UK or US owned.
Broadcast TV is rapidly becoming unviable as a business. Advertisers would rather spend their money with YouTube or TikTok than ITV.
Sky have managed to slow the decline by spending vast amounts on sport rights, the others don't have enough money for that. But even sport won't save them as the most valuable sports are starting to realise running their own streaming service is the way forward (F1TV, for example).
If they have nothing to hide, why are they appealing this ?
Justice Dept appeals judge's order in James Comey criminal case
"The government appeals the magistrate judge’s.. oral order directing the government to produce grand jury materials to the defendant by 5:00 pm on November 6, 2025" https://x.com/MacFarlaneNews/status/1986545930061898012
I suspect Halligan, and perhaps her law license, will be in some jeopardy.
'Tesla boss Elon Musk has had a record-breaking pay package that could be worth nearly $1tn (£760bn) approved by shareholders.
The unprecedented deal was approved by 75% of votes and drew huge applause from the audience at the firm's annual general meeting on Thursday.
Musk, who is already the world's richest man, must drastically raise the electric car firm's market value over 10 years. If he does this and meets various targets, he will be rewarded with hundreds of millions of new shares.' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyk6kvyxvzo
Having that much and spending all one's time angry and plotting to keep it all and accumulate more is not an indicator of good mental health.
Two results from Tandridge - a LD gain from Con and a Res hold. That Res hold was the only one this week - all the others were gains.
The LD gain was an easy one this week, in a ward won convincingly before where the LDs strangely only put up two candidates for the three seats . The Tory resignation created the vacancy
I make that 3 Reform, 2 Lib Dems, 2 Gaza Independents, 1 SNP, and 1 Resident.
The UK construction PMI has shown a historic contraction, with the latest reading in October 2025 at 44.1, marking the tenth consecutive month below the 50-point expansion/contraction threshold. This marks the longest period of continuous decline since the global financial crisis. The sector has been negatively impacted by sluggish demand, a lack of new tender opportunities, and falling employment, with civil engineering activity falling particularly sharply.
Recent performance and key trends
Continuous contraction: The S&P Global UK Construction PMI has been below 50 for ten straight months as of October 2025, indicating a sustained downturn.
Sharpest decline in over five years: The rate of contraction in October 2025 was the sharpest since May 2020.
Weakening demand and new work: Construction firms report poor market conditions and fewer new projects, with civil engineering activity falling at the fastest pace since May 2020 due to a lack of new work to replace completed projects.
Job losses: Employment in the sector has dropped significantly, with the pace of job shedding accelerating to its fastest since November 2020 in some recent months.
Sector-specific performance: While commercial and residential building both declined, civil engineering activity has been the weakest-performing segment.
Cost pressures: Despite weak demand, some periods have seen rising cost pressures from materials and wages.
Looking ahead
Business expectations: Business confidence has fluctuated, sometimes remaining positive due to hopes for future projects despite short-term challenges.
Contributing factors: Reasons cited for the downturn include economic uncertainty, higher borrowing costs, and a shortage of new projects.
Policy impact: The figures have been influenced by fiscal worries and potential tax changes, such as those rumoured for the November 2025 Budget.
When do we get the apologies from Reeves and Rayner ?
Down here in Devon, builders are complaining there is no work. A mass of second homes are up for sale without even being tarted up. No point spending money as they aren't selling regardless of condition.
"They aren't selling regardless of condition" may be missing something out. There is a magical belief about property that there is a proper price it should fetch. With some exceptions property will sell as long as both parties have the same idea about price. That a house is worth exactly what a buyer is prepared to pay is a deep mystery to a lot of people.
All goes out the window when there is a glut on the market. I'm sure they could sell at massive discounts. But they aren't that desperate. Too expensive as first homes for those that can afford first homes is the real issue.
TBF it's cheaper to buy and then tart it up the way one wants.
When we sold my dad's house, the plumbing was on its last legs - we asked our tame plumber if we should get it redone before sale. He said very firmly no - he'd lost count of the number of times he'd installed a new kitchen/bathroom and then was commissioned to rip it out and put a new one in by new buyers a few months later.
When I lived in the Desperate Housewives* part of Hampstead, it was automatic that, on buying a new house, the old kitchen was ripped out and a new one put in.
I saw this happen, repeatedly, for six figure kitchens.
No-one involved actually cooked. When I went to parties, it was noticeable that the ovens and hobs were untouched, the microwaves in a terrible state. When looking for ice, the freezers were usually full of ready meals...
*Seriously, it was like a documentary, there.
I often think that when watching Grand Designs. Lots of high end kitchens that look great, but do they ever really get used?
Ninety violent or sex offenders have been mistakenly released from prison in the last year,
Your joking, not another one 90....
Surely it’s a simple process? Prisoner arrives from court and is “checked in”. Papers from court confirm release date. Release date is put into prison system on the Prisoner’s page with name, details and photo.
Prison receives written instructions from MoJ etc to confirm if prisoner is being released early - get prisoner from cell, check they are the same person as the system shows from check-in, release.
Prisoner arrives at check-out for release, prison system checked and the date doesn’t align with prisoner detail on system, prisoner has to wait until MoJ confirm in writing that its correct and he is being released earlier.
Prisoner arrives at check-out for release, system checked and date doesn’t align with prisoner detail on system, prisoner has to wait until MoJ confirm, MoJ say no, prisoner is not being released early so a mistake, prisoner goes back to cell.
It's usually more complicated than that. I was talking to a friend in the Prion Service about this - it isn't the 'end of sentence' releases that are the problem (they know when they are, exactly as you describe). it's when something changes, usually because of the end of a court case when someone has been on remand. Are they in for another offence? What has the court sentenced them to? To run concurrently or consecutively? How long have they already served? etc etc. Then often the instructions from the court are misleading or even wrong (another overstretched, under-resourced and underpaid environment prone to making mistakes).There is also Probation who often do daft things like insist on the prisoner reporting to their home office at 9:30 in the morning 300 miles away when they're being released from the middle of nowhere and there isn't a train until the morning
And then if they are non-UK Nationals they also have to check with Immigration, which means the dead hand of the Home Office.
And all this happens at 4:30 in the afternoon because that's when the courts get round to sending the paperwork out.
The other source of error is because the prisons are all full, often people are in the wrong one temporarily to balance out numbers so there are a lot of moves taking place all the time it's easier than you think to make mistakes.
So as is often the case, what seems easy, isn't.
Stick to the bottom line here - soon as Labour got into power and saying too many people locked up too long, in other words Labour on side of criminals not victims, has there been an explosion of manhunts for mistaken release or not?
I’m pleased the media have stopped trying to pretend it just one or two, and now asking just how many unsolved manhunts due to early release do the police have outstanding at the moment - that is the only question to be answered and put into headlines right now.
Not. The rapid rise started in 2022 according to the statistics. Around the same time that the prison system went to the point of needing prayer to stop it collapsing.
The only relevant statistic right now is how manhunts due to early release still ongoing, how many criminals out there free who according to their sentence should be inside, with goodness knows what they are up to. That is the only relevant statistic right now. How many unsolved ongoing manhunts due to early release.
You would say that because you want to pretend this is Labour's fault.
Operational shambles at local level are hell for politicians because they are not directly responsible for what happens - regardless of party.
But, they are happening because the system is a mess. And its a mess because of you lot - that it remains a mess is Labour's fault but they inherited it from you.
This is why Tories get such ridicule on social media and short shrift in the polls. You are lying, we all know you are lying, so why go on lying?
(There's apparently an erotic novelist who is suing for defamation in the mix somewhere.)
I have a feeling Kent Council might be Labours best card come 2029.
What evidence there is suggests that council fiascos can have some impact at a GE in the same area, but don't really have any national impact? Perhaps things will be different, with Reform being so new on the stage?
As we get closer to an election the Reform curious will inevitably start adding in to their thoughts "What will a Reform govt actually look like".
We already know what Labour and Conservative govts look like, so don't need to consider how they run their councils. With Reform we don't know much at all.
They will probably look rather like tired Conservative councils - but with extra grievance politics, from those who think they should have had a more senior role to acknowledge the wondrous skill set they bring. Which is why many of them flounced in the first case.
Re the NHS, I could not fault in any way, the care I received at Luton & Dunstable Hospital, recently. The staff could not have been more conscientious.
Yeovil Hospital, OTOH, was a sick joke.
Had a good experience on Wednesday. Meeting with consultant at the Fracture clinic, consultant ordered and MRI and whilst I was waiting for a slot they sent me to meet the physios so they could get a heads up on likely recovery programme and give me initial exercises for what they could tell the damage is at present (they have been waiting for the swelling to go down to get the full picture). Finished Physio and rolled along to MRI, scanned then out all in two and a half hours. Letter the next day for next appointment with consultant this coming Wednesday.
I think from all the horror stories about NHS (and similar) it seems that the worst situations are where people need to stay in where bed availability and chaos make the experience beyond grim whereas out-patient services seem to be good if I’ve remembered anecdotes correctly.
It is because the actual experience varies wildly. Chelsea & Westminster hospital has a children's A&E Dept. that is very good. Other hospitals have shit A&E depts. I know this from having been a frequent flier. This isn't because the C&W is posh or in a posh neighbourhood - like most of London, it has plenty of social housing nearby. When you are there you see people from all walks of life.
It's because it's run better.
EDIT: I'll not mention the specific unit at the John Radcliffe in Oxford, given the laws and OGH, but one of the units dealing with elderly patients is fucking useless.
Long time ago but the John Radcliffe saved my life in 1973.
The UK construction PMI has shown a historic contraction, with the latest reading in October 2025 at 44.1, marking the tenth consecutive month below the 50-point expansion/contraction threshold. This marks the longest period of continuous decline since the global financial crisis. The sector has been negatively impacted by sluggish demand, a lack of new tender opportunities, and falling employment, with civil engineering activity falling particularly sharply.
Recent performance and key trends
Continuous contraction: The S&P Global UK Construction PMI has been below 50 for ten straight months as of October 2025, indicating a sustained downturn.
Sharpest decline in over five years: The rate of contraction in October 2025 was the sharpest since May 2020.
Weakening demand and new work: Construction firms report poor market conditions and fewer new projects, with civil engineering activity falling at the fastest pace since May 2020 due to a lack of new work to replace completed projects.
Job losses: Employment in the sector has dropped significantly, with the pace of job shedding accelerating to its fastest since November 2020 in some recent months.
Sector-specific performance: While commercial and residential building both declined, civil engineering activity has been the weakest-performing segment.
Cost pressures: Despite weak demand, some periods have seen rising cost pressures from materials and wages.
Looking ahead
Business expectations: Business confidence has fluctuated, sometimes remaining positive due to hopes for future projects despite short-term challenges.
Contributing factors: Reasons cited for the downturn include economic uncertainty, higher borrowing costs, and a shortage of new projects.
Policy impact: The figures have been influenced by fiscal worries and potential tax changes, such as those rumoured for the November 2025 Budget.
When do we get the apologies from Reeves and Rayner ?
Down here in Devon, builders are complaining there is no work. A mass of second homes are up for sale without even being tarted up. No point spending money as they aren't selling regardless of condition.
"They aren't selling regardless of condition" may be missing something out. There is a magical belief about property that there is a proper price it should fetch. With some exceptions property will sell as long as both parties have the same idea about price. That a house is worth exactly what a buyer is prepared to pay is a deep mystery to a lot of people.
All goes out the window when there is a glut on the market. I'm sure they could sell at massive discounts. But they aren't that desperate. Too expensive as first homes for those that can afford first homes is the real issue.
TBF it's cheaper to buy and then tart it up the way one wants.
When we sold my dad's house, the plumbing was on its last legs - we asked our tame plumber if we should get it redone before sale. He said very firmly no - he'd lost count of the number of times he'd installed a new kitchen/bathroom and then was commissioned to rip it out and put a new one in by new buyers a few months later.
When I lived in the Desperate Housewives* part of Hampstead, it was automatic that, on buying a new house, the old kitchen was ripped out and a new one put in.
I saw this happen, repeatedly, for six figure kitchens.
No-one involved actually cooked. When I went to parties, it was noticeable that the ovens and hobs were untouched, the microwaves in a terrible state. When looking for ice, the freezers were usually full of ready meals...
*Seriously, it was like a documentary, there.
I often think that when watching Grand Designs. Lots of high end kitchens that look great, but do they ever really get used?
Fancy houses in the sandpit, of which I’ve seen a few, literally have a second kitchen behind the main one, where the actual cooking of food happens by the domestic staff.
The “show kitchen” almost never gets used other than at the fancy dinner party, when the hired chefs are there in full view of the guests.
Re the NHS, I could not fault in any way, the care I received at Luton & Dunstable Hospital, recently. The staff could not have been more conscientious.
Yeovil Hospital, OTOH, was a sick joke.
Had a good experience on Wednesday. Meeting with consultant at the Fracture clinic, consultant ordered and MRI and whilst I was waiting for a slot they sent me to meet the physios so they could get a heads up on likely recovery programme and give me initial exercises for what they could tell the damage is at present (they have been waiting for the swelling to go down to get the full picture). Finished Physio and rolled along to MRI, scanned then out all in two and a half hours. Letter the next day for next appointment with consultant this coming Wednesday.
I think from all the horror stories about NHS (and similar) it seems that the worst situations are where people need to stay in where bed availability and chaos make the experience beyond grim whereas out-patient services seem to be good if I’ve remembered anecdotes correctly.
It is because the actual experience varies wildly. Chelsea & Westminster hospital has a children's A&E Dept. that is very good. Other hospitals have shit A&E depts. I know this from having been a frequent flier. This isn't because the C&W is posh or in a posh neighbourhood - like most of London, it has plenty of social housing nearby. When you are there you see people from all walks of life.
It's because it's run better.
EDIT: I'll not mention the specific unit at the John Radcliffe in Oxford, given the laws and OGH, but one of the units dealing with elderly patients is fucking useless.
I had a heart op at the John Radcliffe. The prep and op were brilliant but the organisational chaos afterwards was remarkable with regards to discharge, beds etc.
Edit to add, I found the public areas filthy and grim there which was a sad experience.
(There's apparently an erotic novelist who is suing for defamation in the mix somewhere.)
I have a feeling Kent Council might be Labours best card come 2029.
What evidence there is suggests that council fiascos can have some impact at a GE in the same area, but don't really have any national impact? Perhaps things will be different, with Reform being so new on the stage?
Interesting point. I suspect with Reform any council shenanigans will be negligible as looming large is the Nigel factor. Amongst Reform supporters he really is seen as a political superman who will fix every problem. Of course, this may not last long into a Reform government. Many of those same people thought that about Boris, whom they now deride. But in the meantime.
Has the Invisible Man that is Prison Minister ever spoken at all about these issues with prison released?
Apparently he’s “very frustrated” by it.
Perhaps he should get someone to do something about it?
He did. He told Lammy to tell everyone to get their shit together last Saturday. As politicians, they can't understand how this doesn't instantly fix what looks like a serious systemic problem.
(Apparently Lammy told them to do more checks. This is infantile, they will already do checks. Problem is, the checks are almost certainly confirming the incorrect release date)
I recall the story of how NASA put more and more people on tasks. Until they had about 14 people tightening one bolt. The bolt was tightened incorrectly.
They are almost certainly looking at the wrong end of the problem. The issue is, who decides on release dates and how are they communicated to prisons.
I read on here that prisons do everything on paper as they don't have WiFi. This of course is bollocks. Jobcentres didn't have WiFi until a couple of years ago as it wasn't considered secure enough. We had something called a LAN.
Secure Areas in government don't have wifi for obvious reasons. No phones or laptops allowed either. I've no idea how much of the Prisons systems is paper based, if it is it's likely to be due to longstanding under-investment in IT, but paper records are required (I think) for everything anyway as notes follow the prisoner around. No idea how much of that would be strictly necessary in an ideal world - could it all be scanned (some will need ink signatures legally)?
Thank god Tim Apple have seen sense and now Liquid Arse has tinted mode. It would be even better if you could just turned it off full stop.
I’ve been on IOS26 beta programme on this iPad, and it’s been quite the rollercoaster ride. Safari now looks pretty much like it did before, with all of the translucent crap removed.
My daughter recently divorced her husband and has bought a home nearby
It is extraordinary how bad most everyone has been in the process from the divorce lawyers, to the conveyancers, to the utility services, to the local council, and to Welsh Water who knew her water meter had been buried in road works two years previously and have not exposed it since
I do not like the word broken Britain but sadly it is and I see little prospects of any improvement soon
The prisons still use paper with no computerised records as WIfi is not available apparently
Of course the collapse of the prison and courts happened under successive governments alongside so much more, but ultimately we expect to pour countless billions into a failing NHS with little or no reform, pensions and benefits are out of control, paying interest on our debt of £100 billion pa, etc and we wonder why we are where we are
Labour's answer is to tax and tax everything in sight, hand out billions more on WFP, triple lock, and now abolitioning the 2 child cap.
This has to stop and radical action is required to change the direction of the economy but nobody is brave enough as they perceive the public will not elect them
Ultimately this only ends up one way and that is the IMF intervening
And to those who blame the 'other lot' each lot is to blame and no political party is any better than the other at facing realism
My recent experience with a range of public and private sector organisations has similarly been rather poor in many cases. It sometimes fees like bad service has become normalized. I would emphasise this is not just in the public sector by any means. The exception is usually small firms. Are we bad at building a good culture in large organisations in this country?
Our daughter's house sale completed at 12 noon and her furniture van was waiting outside her new home
She couldn't gain access as the money transfers were in the process but at 1.30 she expressed concern to the Estate Agent holding the keys as she would incur delay penalties from her removers if they couldn't move her in by 2.00pm
The estate agents said they would phone the solicitors only to respond that they were closed for lunch until 2.00pm !!!!!!
She did get the OK just after 2.00pm but this is 2025 not 1955
Don't talk to me about solicitors. My parents in law's solicitors sent the proceeds of their house sale to a fraudster in March and they have still not given my parents in law their money.
Re the NHS, I could not fault in any way, the care I received at Luton & Dunstable Hospital, recently. The staff could not have been more conscientious.
Yeovil Hospital, OTOH, was a sick joke.
Had a good experience on Wednesday. Meeting with consultant at the Fracture clinic, consultant ordered and MRI and whilst I was waiting for a slot they sent me to meet the physios so they could get a heads up on likely recovery programme and give me initial exercises for what they could tell the damage is at present (they have been waiting for the swelling to go down to get the full picture). Finished Physio and rolled along to MRI, scanned then out all in two and a half hours. Letter the next day for next appointment with consultant this coming Wednesday.
I think from all the horror stories about NHS (and similar) it seems that the worst situations are where people need to stay in where bed availability and chaos make the experience beyond grim whereas out-patient services seem to be good if I’ve remembered anecdotes correctly.
It is because the actual experience varies wildly. Chelsea & Westminster hospital has a children's A&E Dept. that is very good. Other hospitals have shit A&E depts. I know this from having been a frequent flier. This isn't because the C&W is posh or in a posh neighbourhood - like most of London, it has plenty of social housing nearby. When you are there you see people from all walks of life.
It's because it's run better.
EDIT: I'll not mention the specific unit at the John Radcliffe in Oxford, given the laws and OGH, but one of the units dealing with elderly patients is fucking useless.
Long time ago but the John Radcliffe saved my life in 1973.
Good to hear.
It's worth considering that everyone who treated you there is now retired.
Also, there can be incredible variations between units in a single hospital.
My daughter recently divorced her husband and has bought a home nearby
It is extraordinary how bad most everyone has been in the process from the divorce lawyers, to the conveyancers, to the utility services, to the local council, and to Welsh Water who knew her water meter had been buried in road works two years previously and have not exposed it since
I do not like the word broken Britain but sadly it is and I see little prospects of any improvement soon
The prisons still use paper with no computerised records as WIfi is not available apparently
Of course the collapse of the prison and courts happened under successive governments alongside so much more, but ultimately we expect to pour countless billions into a failing NHS with little or no reform, pensions and benefits are out of control, paying interest on our debt of £100 billion pa, etc and we wonder why we are where we are
Labour's answer is to tax and tax everything in sight, hand out billions more on WFP, triple lock, and now abolitioning the 2 child cap.
This has to stop and radical action is required to change the direction of the economy but nobody is brave enough as they perceive the public will not elect them
Ultimately this only ends up one way and that is the IMF intervening
And to those who blame the 'other lot' each lot is to blame and no political party is any better than the other at facing realism
My recent experience with a range of public and private sector organisations has similarly been rather poor in many cases. It sometimes fees like bad service has become normalized. I would emphasise this is not just in the public sector by any means. The exception is usually small firms. Are we bad at building a good culture in large organisations in this country?
Our daughter's house sale completed at 12 noon and her furniture van was waiting outside her new home
She couldn't gain access as the money transfers were in the process but at 1.30 she expressed concern to the Estate Agent holding the keys as she would incur delay penalties from her removers if they couldn't move her in by 2.00pm
The estate agents said they would phone the solicitors only to respond that they were closed for lunch until 2.00pm !!!!!!
She did get the OK just after 2.00pm but this is 2025 not 1955
Don't talk to me about solicitors. My parents in law's solicitors sent the proceeds of their house sale to a fraudster in March and they have still not given my parents in law their money.
The UK construction PMI has shown a historic contraction, with the latest reading in October 2025 at 44.1, marking the tenth consecutive month below the 50-point expansion/contraction threshold. This marks the longest period of continuous decline since the global financial crisis. The sector has been negatively impacted by sluggish demand, a lack of new tender opportunities, and falling employment, with civil engineering activity falling particularly sharply.
Recent performance and key trends
Continuous contraction: The S&P Global UK Construction PMI has been below 50 for ten straight months as of October 2025, indicating a sustained downturn.
Sharpest decline in over five years: The rate of contraction in October 2025 was the sharpest since May 2020.
Weakening demand and new work: Construction firms report poor market conditions and fewer new projects, with civil engineering activity falling at the fastest pace since May 2020 due to a lack of new work to replace completed projects.
Job losses: Employment in the sector has dropped significantly, with the pace of job shedding accelerating to its fastest since November 2020 in some recent months.
Sector-specific performance: While commercial and residential building both declined, civil engineering activity has been the weakest-performing segment.
Cost pressures: Despite weak demand, some periods have seen rising cost pressures from materials and wages.
Looking ahead
Business expectations: Business confidence has fluctuated, sometimes remaining positive due to hopes for future projects despite short-term challenges.
Contributing factors: Reasons cited for the downturn include economic uncertainty, higher borrowing costs, and a shortage of new projects.
Policy impact: The figures have been influenced by fiscal worries and potential tax changes, such as those rumoured for the November 2025 Budget.
When do we get the apologies from Reeves and Rayner ?
Down here in Devon, builders are complaining there is no work. A mass of second homes are up for sale without even being tarted up. No point spending money as they aren't selling regardless of condition.
"They aren't selling regardless of condition" may be missing something out. There is a magical belief about property that there is a proper price it should fetch. With some exceptions property will sell as long as both parties have the same idea about price. That a house is worth exactly what a buyer is prepared to pay is a deep mystery to a lot of people.
All goes out the window when there is a glut on the market. I'm sure they could sell at massive discounts. But they aren't that desperate. Too expensive as first homes for those that can afford first homes is the real issue.
TBF it's cheaper to buy and then tart it up the way one wants.
When we sold my dad's house, the plumbing was on its last legs - we asked our tame plumber if we should get it redone before sale. He said very firmly no - he'd lost count of the number of times he'd installed a new kitchen/bathroom and then was commissioned to rip it out and put a new one in by new buyers a few months later.
When I lived in the Desperate Housewives* part of Hampstead, it was automatic that, on buying a new house, the old kitchen was ripped out and a new one put in.
I saw this happen, repeatedly, for six figure kitchens.
No-one involved actually cooked. When I went to parties, it was noticeable that the ovens and hobs were untouched, the microwaves in a terrible state. When looking for ice, the freezers were usually full of ready meals...
*Seriously, it was like a documentary, there.
I often think that when watching Grand Designs. Lots of high end kitchens that look great, but do they ever really get used?
Fancy houses in the sandpit, of which I’ve seen a few, literally have a second kitchen behind the main one, where the actual cooking of food happens by the domestic staff.
The “show kitchen” almost never gets used other than at the fancy dinner party, when the hired chefs are there in full view of the guests.
These ones weren't up for that - even for the rich in Hampstead, there's not enough space for that.
Re the NHS, I could not fault in any way, the care I received at Luton & Dunstable Hospital, recently. The staff could not have been more conscientious.
Yeovil Hospital, OTOH, was a sick joke.
Had a good experience on Wednesday. Meeting with consultant at the Fracture clinic, consultant ordered and MRI and whilst I was waiting for a slot they sent me to meet the physios so they could get a heads up on likely recovery programme and give me initial exercises for what they could tell the damage is at present (they have been waiting for the swelling to go down to get the full picture). Finished Physio and rolled along to MRI, scanned then out all in two and a half hours. Letter the next day for next appointment with consultant this coming Wednesday.
I think from all the horror stories about NHS (and similar) it seems that the worst situations are where people need to stay in where bed availability and chaos make the experience beyond grim whereas out-patient services seem to be good if I’ve remembered anecdotes correctly.
It is because the actual experience varies wildly. Chelsea & Westminster hospital has a children's A&E Dept. that is very good. Other hospitals have shit A&E depts. I know this from having been a frequent flier. This isn't because the C&W is posh or in a posh neighbourhood - like most of London, it has plenty of social housing nearby. When you are there you see people from all walks of life.
It's because it's run better.
EDIT: I'll not mention the specific unit at the John Radcliffe in Oxford, given the laws and OGH, but one of the units dealing with elderly patients is fucking useless.
Earlier this autumn I had an appointment at Broomfield (Chelmsford) Hospital Audiology. I use a wheeled walking aid so my wife took me in the car to the front door, unloaded me and went off to park. (Car parking there is grossly inadequate.) Anyway in I went, signed in and set off down the corridor to Audiology. Was seen almost immediately and the necessary changes made; about 10 minutes. Walked back to the main reception area again and there was my wife having eventually managed to find a parking space! Fortunately it wasn't far away so we both walked back to the car and home.
Like everyone else I don't have a huge amount of sympathy, but recently two unsatisfactory individuals in HMP Wakefield, right at the bottom of the prison hierarchy, have been murdered. Not much research is needed to find out a bit about those charged. Not much thought is needed to work out that the state is failing in ways that seem obvious in one of its most horrible jobs. It won't interest the popular press, but it is not the way a civilized country should be.
My daughter recently divorced her husband and has bought a home nearby
It is extraordinary how bad most everyone has been in the process from the divorce lawyers, to the conveyancers, to the utility services, to the local council, and to Welsh Water who knew her water meter had been buried in road works two years previously and have not exposed it since
I do not like the word broken Britain but sadly it is and I see little prospects of any improvement soon
The prisons still use paper with no computerised records as WIfi is not available apparently
Of course the collapse of the prison and courts happened under successive governments alongside so much more, but ultimately we expect to pour countless billions into a failing NHS with little or no reform, pensions and benefits are out of control, paying interest on our debt of £100 billion pa, etc and we wonder why we are where we are
Labour's answer is to tax and tax everything in sight, hand out billions more on WFP, triple lock, and now abolitioning the 2 child cap.
This has to stop and radical action is required to change the direction of the economy but nobody is brave enough as they perceive the public will not elect them
Ultimately this only ends up one way and that is the IMF intervening
And to those who blame the 'other lot' each lot is to blame and no political party is any better than the other at facing realism
My recent experience with a range of public and private sector organisations has similarly been rather poor in many cases. It sometimes fees like bad service has become normalized. I would emphasise this is not just in the public sector by any means. The exception is usually small firms. Are we bad at building a good culture in large organisations in this country?
Our daughter's house sale completed at 12 noon and her furniture van was waiting outside her new home
She couldn't gain access as the money transfers were in the process but at 1.30 she expressed concern to the Estate Agent holding the keys as she would incur delay penalties from her removers if they couldn't move her in by 2.00pm
The estate agents said they would phone the solicitors only to respond that they were closed for lunch until 2.00pm !!!!!!
She did get the OK just after 2.00pm but this is 2025 not 1955
Don't talk to me about solicitors. My parents in law's solicitors sent the proceeds of their house sale to a fraudster in March and they have still not given my parents in law their money.
Oh dear, they’re really not going to want a claim on their PI insurance. Hope your relatives have hired another solicitor to threaten to sue their arses. The SRA should also be interested in taking six months to resolve a claim like this.
My daughter recently divorced her husband and has bought a home nearby
It is extraordinary how bad most everyone has been in the process from the divorce lawyers, to the conveyancers, to the utility services, to the local council, and to Welsh Water who knew her water meter had been buried in road works two years previously and have not exposed it since
I do not like the word broken Britain but sadly it is and I see little prospects of any improvement soon
The prisons still use paper with no computerised records as WIfi is not available apparently
Of course the collapse of the prison and courts happened under successive governments alongside so much more, but ultimately we expect to pour countless billions into a failing NHS with little or no reform, pensions and benefits are out of control, paying interest on our debt of £100 billion pa, etc and we wonder why we are where we are
Labour's answer is to tax and tax everything in sight, hand out billions more on WFP, triple lock, and now abolitioning the 2 child cap.
This has to stop and radical action is required to change the direction of the economy but nobody is brave enough as they perceive the public will not elect them
Ultimately this only ends up one way and that is the IMF intervening
And to those who blame the 'other lot' each lot is to blame and no political party is any better than the other at facing realism
My recent experience with a range of public and private sector organisations has similarly been rather poor in many cases. It sometimes fees like bad service has become normalized. I would emphasise this is not just in the public sector by any means. The exception is usually small firms. Are we bad at building a good culture in large organisations in this country?
Our daughter's house sale completed at 12 noon and her furniture van was waiting outside her new home
She couldn't gain access as the money transfers were in the process but at 1.30 she expressed concern to the Estate Agent holding the keys as she would incur delay penalties from her removers if they couldn't move her in by 2.00pm
The estate agents said they would phone the solicitors only to respond that they were closed for lunch until 2.00pm !!!!!!
She did get the OK just after 2.00pm but this is 2025 not 1955
Don't talk to me about solicitors. My parents in law's solicitors sent the proceeds of their house sale to a fraudster in March and they have still not given my parents in law their money.
Vascular and inflammatory diseases after COVID-19 infection and vaccination in children and young people in England: a retrospective, population-based cohort study using linked electronic health records
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(25)00247-0/fulltext ..Of 13 896 125 individuals younger than 18 years (6 784 260 [48·8%] female and 7 111 865 [51·2%] male; 9 979 420 [71·7%] White), 3 903 410 (28·1%) had a COVID-19 diagnosis. COVID-19 diagnosis (compared with no or before diagnosis) was associated with higher risk of arterial thromboembolism (aHR 2·33 [95% CI 1·20–4·51]), venous thromboembolism (4·90 [3·66–6·55]), thrombocytopenia (3·64 [2·21–6·00]), myocarditis or pericarditis (3·46 [2·06–5·80]), and inflammatory conditions (14·84 [11·01–19·99]) in the first week after diagnosis. Incidence declined in weeks 2–4, but remained elevated to beyond 12 months for venous thromboembolism (1·39 [1·14 –1·69]), thrombocytopenia (1·42 [1·01–2·00]), and myocarditis or pericarditis (1·42 [1·05–1·91]). Among 9 245 395 individuals aged between 5 and younger than 18 years who were eligible for vaccination (4 510 490 [48·8%] female and 4 734 905 [51·2%] male; 6 684 140 [72·3%] White), 3 407 560 (36·9%) received a first vaccine. COVID-19 vaccination (compared with no or before vaccination) was associated with elevated risk of myocarditis or pericarditis within the first 4 weeks after vaccination (1·84 [1·25–2·72]). The 6-month absolute excess risks for myocarditis or pericarditis were 2·24 (1·11–3·80) per 100 000 individuals after diagnosis versus before diagnosis or undiagnosed, and 0·85 (0·07–1·91) after vaccination versus before vaccination or unvaccinated. Interpretation
Children and young people have higher risks of rare vascular and inflammatory diseases up to 12 months after a first COVID-19 diagnosis and higher risk of rare myocarditis or pericarditis up to 4 weeks after a first BNT162b2 vaccine, although the risk following vaccination is substantially lower than the risk following infection. These findings are of great importance for national policy makers and caregivers considering vaccination consent for children, and support the public health strategy of COVID-19 vaccination in children and young people to mitigate the more frequent and persistent risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection...
Like everyone else I don't have a huge amount of sympathy, but recently two unsatisfactory individuals in HMP Wakefield, right at the bottom of the prison hierarchy, have been murdered. Not much research is needed to find out a bit about those charged. Not much thought is needed to work out that the state is failing in ways that seem obvious in one of its most horrible jobs. It won't interest the popular press, but it is not the way a civilized country should be.
I agree though prison murders occur in every nation, even those with generally excellent prison services like Norway. We just need to ensure those incidents are kept to a minimum and prisoners serve the time they were sentenced to and that also includes investment in the prison service
What irks me the most is I think most of the money will be pissed up the wall.
I think the triple-lock, PIPs for hundreds of thousands of people who've fallen out of the habit of working post Covid, winter fuel allowance, and indulgences, like private cabs, for shuttling around those on adult social care are a terrible use of public funds.
Councils are in a terrible state, some of it cuts, but others by a dramatic increase in costs, obliged on them by the courts moving the line for what they are required to provide. Some costs around children services are extraordinary, there's no cap on looked after children in care costs. A local council to me has a single child in care (one child) costing over £25k a week. A week!!
Like every entitlement, every piece of public spending, they'll be some rationale behind it all. But there needs to be some tough loving going on somewhere.
Let’s say that they require 3 staff members per shift (rare but happens, especially with mentally ill teenagers with violent tendencies). That’s 9 core staff members to provide 24/7 cover. Add in another staff member to account for holiday cover and you will easily be a £400,000 p.a. in staff costs. You’ll also need say 25% of a team coordinator which is around £20k additional.
You will need at least a 3 bedroom property to support them - let’s assume that’s £350,000 of capital cost post adaption which they will rent at a 8% annual rate so probably another £30k per year at least.
So we are at £450k per year before you even start thinking about social charges on staff (probably another £40k per year), any medical interventions or support, education and life enhancement programmes. You could very easily get to £1m per year. You then add a 20% margin on top for the company that is doing all of this work and you easily get to £1.2m - £25k per week.
It's just not sustainable. What would have happened to children in this situation twenty five years ago?
They would have been locked up in an institution and forgotten about.
We have rightly moved on from that approach as it is unconscionable
Re the NHS, I could not fault in any way, the care I received at Luton & Dunstable Hospital, recently. The staff could not have been more conscientious.
Yeovil Hospital, OTOH, was a sick joke.
Had a good experience on Wednesday. Meeting with consultant at the Fracture clinic, consultant ordered and MRI and whilst I was waiting for a slot they sent me to meet the physios so they could get a heads up on likely recovery programme and give me initial exercises for what they could tell the damage is at present (they have been waiting for the swelling to go down to get the full picture). Finished Physio and rolled along to MRI, scanned then out all in two and a half hours. Letter the next day for next appointment with consultant this coming Wednesday.
I think from all the horror stories about NHS (and similar) it seems that the worst situations are where people need to stay in where bed availability and chaos make the experience beyond grim whereas out-patient services seem to be good if I’ve remembered anecdotes correctly.
It is because the actual experience varies wildly. Chelsea & Westminster hospital has a children's A&E Dept. that is very good. Other hospitals have shit A&E depts. I know this from having been a frequent flier. This isn't because the C&W is posh or in a posh neighbourhood - like most of London, it has plenty of social housing nearby. When you are there you see people from all walks of life.
It's because it's run better.
EDIT: I'll not mention the specific unit at the John Radcliffe in Oxford, given the laws and OGH, but one of the units dealing with elderly patients is fucking useless.
Long time ago but the John Radcliffe saved my life in 1973.
Good to hear.
It's worth considering that everyone who treated you there is now retired.
Also, there can be incredible variations between units in a single hospital.
'Tesla boss Elon Musk has had a record-breaking pay package that could be worth nearly $1tn (£760bn) approved by shareholders.
The unprecedented deal was approved by 75% of votes and drew huge applause from the audience at the firm's annual general meeting on Thursday.
Musk, who is already the world's richest man, must drastically raise the electric car firm's market value over 10 years. If he does this and meets various targets, he will be rewarded with hundreds of millions of new shares.' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyk6kvyxvzo
Having that much and spending all one's time angry and plotting to keep it all and accumulate more is not an indicator of good mental health.
Agreed, I expect Tommy Robinson's barristers and solicitors will be smiling this morning though
It was only a few weeks ago Amorim was getting ' you're going to be sacked in the morning '
I love the manager of the month award for two reasons.
1) Its often a curse - the team loses immediately after 2) It seems to be awarded to the team who win the most games. Now that may correlate with the manager doing something right, but what has Amorim changed since last month?!
Re the NHS, I could not fault in any way, the care I received at Luton & Dunstable Hospital, recently. The staff could not have been more conscientious.
Yeovil Hospital, OTOH, was a sick joke.
Had a good experience on Wednesday. Meeting with consultant at the Fracture clinic, consultant ordered and MRI and whilst I was waiting for a slot they sent me to meet the physios so they could get a heads up on likely recovery programme and give me initial exercises for what they could tell the damage is at present (they have been waiting for the swelling to go down to get the full picture). Finished Physio and rolled along to MRI, scanned then out all in two and a half hours. Letter the next day for next appointment with consultant this coming Wednesday.
I think from all the horror stories about NHS (and similar) it seems that the worst situations are where people need to stay in where bed availability and chaos make the experience beyond grim whereas out-patient services seem to be good if I’ve remembered anecdotes correctly.
It is because the actual experience varies wildly. Chelsea & Westminster hospital has a children's A&E Dept. that is very good. Other hospitals have shit A&E depts. I know this from having been a frequent flier. This isn't because the C&W is posh or in a posh neighbourhood - like most of London, it has plenty of social housing nearby. When you are there you see people from all walks of life.
It's because it's run better.
EDIT: I'll not mention the specific unit at the John Radcliffe in Oxford, given the laws and OGH, but one of the units dealing with elderly patients is fucking useless.
Long time ago but the John Radcliffe saved my life in 1973.
Good to hear.
It's worth considering that everyone who treated you there is now retired.
Also, there can be incredible variations between units in a single hospital.
"Cherif was spotted by a member of the public in Blackhorse Lane, Islington just before 11.30am," the Met says in a statement.
---
This shows what a mess the immigration and justice system is,
Kaddour-Cherif, 24, had been convicted in November 2024 of indecent exposure relating to an incident in March that year, police said. He was sentenced to an 18-month community order and placed on the sex offenders' register for five years, the Met added.
He is understood to have entered the UK legally on a visit visa in 2019 but overstayed his visa, with a "probable over-stayer" case created in 2020.
So in 2020 he is an overstayer, but 4 years later, a) still here and b) then convicted of a sexual offence, only to be released back into the community (not deported), before c) committing another crime which resulted in a custodial sentence and then d) incorrectly released. Will he be deported at the end of this sentence?
Oh I’d love to know what Lavrov said to Rubio, that made the Americans almost immediately deploy new sanctions of Russian O&G companies. Nuclear weapons threats?
Russian Foreign Minister sidelined from G20 summit.
Re the NHS, I could not fault in any way, the care I received at Luton & Dunstable Hospital, recently. The staff could not have been more conscientious.
Yeovil Hospital, OTOH, was a sick joke.
Had a good experience on Wednesday. Meeting with consultant at the Fracture clinic, consultant ordered and MRI and whilst I was waiting for a slot they sent me to meet the physios so they could get a heads up on likely recovery programme and give me initial exercises for what they could tell the damage is at present (they have been waiting for the swelling to go down to get the full picture). Finished Physio and rolled along to MRI, scanned then out all in two and a half hours. Letter the next day for next appointment with consultant this coming Wednesday.
I think from all the horror stories about NHS (and similar) it seems that the worst situations are where people need to stay in where bed availability and chaos make the experience beyond grim whereas out-patient services seem to be good if I’ve remembered anecdotes correctly.
It is because the actual experience varies wildly. Chelsea & Westminster hospital has a children's A&E Dept. that is very good. Other hospitals have shit A&E depts. I know this from having been a frequent flier. This isn't because the C&W is posh or in a posh neighbourhood - like most of London, it has plenty of social housing nearby. When you are there you see people from all walks of life.
It's because it's run better.
EDIT: I'll not mention the specific unit at the John Radcliffe in Oxford, given the laws and OGH, but one of the units dealing with elderly patients is fucking useless.
Let me help. Most of them - units dealing with elderly patients - are fucking useless. Because actually, they don't really care whether the elderly patient survives or not. Not really. Of course there are individuals who are great in the NHS but institutionally perhaps because there is precious little accountability (and then only when something "obvious" has gone wrong), it doesn't matter if your 85-yr old aunt lives or dies. Or is neglected. Or isn't fed properly. Or whose bed isn't changed regularly. Or who is or isn't given the correct medication.
I challenge everyone on PB to ask 10 friends about treatment an elderly relative has received at the hands of the NHS and a significant proportion of them will have shocking stories. But of course the ones that have received great care (and of course plenty do) will write letters, call phone-in programmes and bang saucepans to say how marvellous the NHS is.
'Tesla boss Elon Musk has had a record-breaking pay package that could be worth nearly $1tn (£760bn) approved by shareholders.
The unprecedented deal was approved by 75% of votes and drew huge applause from the audience at the firm's annual general meeting on Thursday.
Musk, who is already the world's richest man, must drastically raise the electric car firm's market value over 10 years. If he does this and meets various targets, he will be rewarded with hundreds of millions of new shares.' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyk6kvyxvzo
Having that much and spending all one's time angry and plotting to keep it all and accumulate more is not an indicator of good mental health.
Agreed, I expect Tommy Robinson's barristers and solicitors will be smiling this morning though
It was only a few weeks ago Amorim was getting ' you're going to be sacked in the morning '
I love the manager of the month award for two reasons.
1) Its often a curse - the team loses immediately after 2) It seems to be awarded to the team who win the most games. Now that may correlate with the manager doing something right, but what has Amorim changed since last month?!
If 2 is the rule they follow then 1 is a likely consequence of it -- the manager with the best short term record probably had a run of good luck, and reversion to the mean implies some defeats in their near future.
What irks me the most is I think most of the money will be pissed up the wall.
I think the triple-lock, PIPs for hundreds of thousands of people who've fallen out of the habit of working post Covid, winter fuel allowance, and indulgences, like private cabs, for shuttling around those on adult social care are a terrible use of public funds.
Councils are in a terrible state, some of it cuts, but others by a dramatic increase in costs, obliged on them by the courts moving the line for what they are required to provide. Some costs around children services are extraordinary, there's no cap on looked after children in care costs. A local council to me has a single child in care (one child) costing over £25k a week. A week!!
Like every entitlement, every piece of public spending, they'll be some rationale behind it all. But there needs to be some tough loving going on somewhere.
Let’s say that they require 3 staff members per shift (rare but happens, especially with mentally ill teenagers with violent tendencies). That’s 9 core staff members to provide 24/7 cover. Add in another staff member to account for holiday cover and you will easily be a £400,000 p.a. in staff costs. You’ll also need say 25% of a team coordinator which is around £20k additional.
You will need at least a 3 bedroom property to support them - let’s assume that’s £350,000 of capital cost post adaption which they will rent at a 8% annual rate so probably another £30k per year at least.
So we are at £450k per year before you even start thinking about social charges on staff (probably another £40k per year), any medical interventions or support, education and life enhancement programmes. You could very easily get to £1m per year. You then add a 20% margin on top for the company that is doing all of this work and you easily get to £1.2m - £25k per week.
It's just not sustainable. What would have happened to children in this situation twenty five years ago?
They would have been locked up in an institution and forgotten about.
We have rightly moved on from that approach as it is unconscionable
50 years ago maybe, not 25.
How can we make sure we provide the care that is needed, but doesnt wipe out the resources of the local council.
ITV has said it is in "preliminary" discussions to sell its broadcasting business to Sky for £1.6bn, a move that could reshape the UK's television landscape.
The talks focus on ITV's Media and Entertainment division, which includes its free-to-air TV channels as well as the ITV X streaming service.
The discussions with Sky, which is owned by US-based Comcast, come as the television industry faces fierce competition from streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+.
The deal would not include ITV's production arm - ITV Studios - which makes popular programmes such as Love Island and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.
Selling to Comcast; selling to America. The Sky spin is sugar-coating because people forget that it too is now owned by Comcast in the US. A few big-wigs will retire with a sackful of cash as more British infrastructure slips across the Atlantic.
We will basically be down to Comcast (US), Discovery (US), BBC (remember BBC now own 100% of UKTV) and Channel4.
I wonder what price the BBC would fetch?
A pound to Paul Marshall when Brave Sir Nige becomes PM?
It was only a few weeks ago Amorim was getting ' you're going to be sacked in the morning '
I love the manager of the month award for two reasons.
1) Its often a curse - the team loses immediately after 2) It seems to be awarded to the team who win the most games. Now that may correlate with the manager doing something right, but what has Amorim changed since last month?!
If 2 is the rule they follow then 1 is a likely consequence of it -- the manager with the best short term record probably had a run of good luck, and reversion to the mean implies some defeats in their near future.
Absolutely. Steven J Gould wrote about basketball and the concept of 'hot hands' - essentially a player on a streak of making baskets. Similar to players being 'in form' in cricket etc. When you analyse it good players will have runs of good 'form' just through chance alone, but to the observer it looks like the player being in form. Whether there is a mental component to it or not is not entirely clear.
Ninety violent or sex offenders have been mistakenly released from prison in the last year,
Your joking, not another one 90....
Surely it’s a simple process? Prisoner arrives from court and is “checked in”. Papers from court confirm release date. Release date is put into prison system on the Prisoner’s page with name, details and photo.
Prison receives written instructions from MoJ etc to confirm if prisoner is being released early - get prisoner from cell, check they are the same person as the system shows from check-in, release.
Prisoner arrives at check-out for release, prison system checked and the date doesn’t align with prisoner detail on system, prisoner has to wait until MoJ confirm in writing that its correct and he is being released earlier.
Prisoner arrives at check-out for release, system checked and date doesn’t align with prisoner detail on system, prisoner has to wait until MoJ confirm, MoJ say no, prisoner is not being released early so a mistake, prisoner goes back to cell.
It's usually more complicated than that. I was talking to a friend in the Prion Service about this - it isn't the 'end of sentence' releases that are the problem (they know when they are, exactly as you describe). it's when something changes, usually because of the end of a court case when someone has been on remand. Are they in for another offence? What has the court sentenced them to? To run concurrently or consecutively? How long have they already served? etc etc. Then often the instructions from the court are misleading or even wrong (another overstretched, under-resourced and underpaid environment prone to making mistakes).There is also Probation who often do daft things like insist on the prisoner reporting to their home office at 9:30 in the morning 300 miles away when they're being released from the middle of nowhere and there isn't a train until the morning
And then if they are non-UK Nationals they also have to check with Immigration, which means the dead hand of the Home Office.
And all this happens at 4:30 in the afternoon because that's when the courts get round to sending the paperwork out.
The other source of error is because the prisons are all full, often people are in the wrong one temporarily to balance out numbers so there are a lot of moves taking place all the time it's easier than you think to make mistakes.
So as is often the case, what seems easy, isn't.
Stick to the bottom line here - soon as Labour got into power and saying too many people locked up too long, in other words Labour on side of criminals not victims, has there been an explosion of manhunts for mistaken release or not?
I’m pleased the media have stopped trying to pretend it just one or two, and now asking just how many unsolved manhunts due to early release do the police have outstanding at the moment - that is the only question to be answered and put into headlines right now.
Not. The rapid rise started in 2022 according to the statistics. Around the same time that the prison system went to the point of needing prayer to stop it collapsing.
The only relevant statistic right now is how manhunts due to early release still ongoing, how many criminals out there free who according to their sentence should be inside, with goodness knows what they are up to. That is the only relevant statistic right now. How many unsolved ongoing manhunts due to early release.
You would say that because you want to pretend this is Labour's fault.
Operational shambles at local level are hell for politicians because they are not directly responsible for what happens - regardless of party.
But, they are happening because the system is a mess. And its a mess because of you lot - that it remains a mess is Labour's fault but they inherited it from you.
This is why Tories get such ridicule on social media and short shrift in the polls. You are lying, we all know you are lying, so why go on lying?
I’m not lying by flagging up the truth. Theres hundreds of released early still at large, isn’t there. Why do you want to shut this story down?
This is happening. What lie have I told?
Skys arrest footage needs to be hit with a d notice and taken off air - sky are making people sympathetic to the criminals as criminals sad victims of Lammy’s incompetence.
These are people who should be banged up, they are not Lammy’s victims!
More than 1000 small boat migrants have crossed the Channel in the last 24 hours...
This weeks friday evening copy / pasta tweets on weekly achievements from Labour MPs might be a bit quiet on how successful one thousand in, one out....
More than 1000 small boat migrants have crossed the Channel in the last 24 hours...
This weeks friday evening copy / pasta tweets on weekly achievements from Labour MPs might be a bit quiet on how successful one thousand in, one out....
Once again - the number of immigrants crossing the channel is a function of the weather.
When it's good they come. When it's bad, they don't
The UK construction PMI has shown a historic contraction, with the latest reading in October 2025 at 44.1, marking the tenth consecutive month below the 50-point expansion/contraction threshold. This marks the longest period of continuous decline since the global financial crisis. The sector has been negatively impacted by sluggish demand, a lack of new tender opportunities, and falling employment, with civil engineering activity falling particularly sharply.
Recent performance and key trends
Continuous contraction: The S&P Global UK Construction PMI has been below 50 for ten straight months as of October 2025, indicating a sustained downturn.
Sharpest decline in over five years: The rate of contraction in October 2025 was the sharpest since May 2020.
Weakening demand and new work: Construction firms report poor market conditions and fewer new projects, with civil engineering activity falling at the fastest pace since May 2020 due to a lack of new work to replace completed projects.
Job losses: Employment in the sector has dropped significantly, with the pace of job shedding accelerating to its fastest since November 2020 in some recent months.
Sector-specific performance: While commercial and residential building both declined, civil engineering activity has been the weakest-performing segment.
Cost pressures: Despite weak demand, some periods have seen rising cost pressures from materials and wages.
Looking ahead
Business expectations: Business confidence has fluctuated, sometimes remaining positive due to hopes for future projects despite short-term challenges.
Contributing factors: Reasons cited for the downturn include economic uncertainty, higher borrowing costs, and a shortage of new projects.
Policy impact: The figures have been influenced by fiscal worries and potential tax changes, such as those rumoured for the November 2025 Budget.
When do we get the apologies from Reeves and Rayner ?
Down here in Devon, builders are complaining there is no work. A mass of second homes are up for sale without even being tarted up. No point spending money as they aren't selling regardless of condition.
"They aren't selling regardless of condition" may be missing something out. There is a magical belief about property that there is a proper price it should fetch. With some exceptions property will sell as long as both parties have the same idea about price. That a house is worth exactly what a buyer is prepared to pay is a deep mystery to a lot of people.
All goes out the window when there is a glut on the market. I'm sure they could sell at massive discounts. But they aren't that desperate. Too expensive as first homes for those that can afford first homes is the real issue.
TBF it's cheaper to buy and then tart it up the way one wants.
When we sold my dad's house, the plumbing was on its last legs - we asked our tame plumber if we should get it redone before sale. He said very firmly no - he'd lost count of the number of times he'd installed a new kitchen/bathroom and then was commissioned to rip it out and put a new one in by new buyers a few months later.
When I lived in the Desperate Housewives* part of Hampstead, it was automatic that, on buying a new house, the old kitchen was ripped out and a new one put in.
I saw this happen, repeatedly, for six figure kitchens.
No-one involved actually cooked. When I went to parties, it was noticeable that the ovens and hobs were untouched, the microwaves in a terrible state. When looking for ice, the freezers were usually full of ready meals...
*Seriously, it was like a documentary, there.
I often think that when watching Grand Designs. Lots of high end kitchens that look great, but do they ever really get used?
Channelling Malc, it's stupid rich morons who know nothing of life.
The sort of people who should be walled up in the Big Brother house forever.
More than 1000 small boat migrants have crossed the Channel in the last 24 hours...
This weeks friday evening copy / pasta tweets on weekly achievements from Labour MPs might be a bit quiet on how successful one thousand in, one out....
Once again - the number of immigrants crossing the channel is a function of the weather.
When it's good they come. When it's bad, they don't
I know that, you know that, but it is why MPs tweeting about a few quiet days are going to look stupid.
One change that does seem to have occurred in recent months is even if some days are nice the smugglers appear to go all in on 1-2 days and try and send as many as possible in a really short space of time (usually weekends) rather than spread it over 3-4-5 days.
We are probably going to find that the French only patrol 4 days a week and never on a Saturday, so they are sending them when highest probability that nobody will bother them.
Ninety violent or sex offenders have been mistakenly released from prison in the last year,
Your joking, not another one 90....
Surely it’s a simple process? Prisoner arrives from court and is “checked in”. Papers from court confirm release date. Release date is put into prison system on the Prisoner’s page with name, details and photo.
Prison receives written instructions from MoJ etc to confirm if prisoner is being released early - get prisoner from cell, check they are the same person as the system shows from check-in, release.
Prisoner arrives at check-out for release, prison system checked and the date doesn’t align with prisoner detail on system, prisoner has to wait until MoJ confirm in writing that its correct and he is being released earlier.
Prisoner arrives at check-out for release, system checked and date doesn’t align with prisoner detail on system, prisoner has to wait until MoJ confirm, MoJ say no, prisoner is not being released early so a mistake, prisoner goes back to cell.
It's usually more complicated than that. I was talking to a friend in the Prion Service about this - it isn't the 'end of sentence' releases that are the problem (they know when they are, exactly as you describe). it's when something changes, usually because of the end of a court case when someone has been on remand. Are they in for another offence? What has the court sentenced them to? To run concurrently or consecutively? How long have they already served? etc etc. Then often the instructions from the court are misleading or even wrong (another overstretched, under-resourced and underpaid environment prone to making mistakes).There is also Probation who often do daft things like insist on the prisoner reporting to their home office at 9:30 in the morning 300 miles away when they're being released from the middle of nowhere and there isn't a train until the morning
And then if they are non-UK Nationals they also have to check with Immigration, which means the dead hand of the Home Office.
And all this happens at 4:30 in the afternoon because that's when the courts get round to sending the paperwork out.
The other source of error is because the prisons are all full, often people are in the wrong one temporarily to balance out numbers so there are a lot of moves taking place all the time it's easier than you think to make mistakes.
So as is often the case, what seems easy, isn't.
Stick to the bottom line here - soon as Labour got into power and saying too many people locked up too long, in other words Labour on side of criminals not victims, has there been an explosion of manhunts for mistaken release or not?
I’m pleased the media have stopped trying to pretend it just one or two, and now asking just how many unsolved manhunts due to early release do the police have outstanding at the moment - that is the only question to be answered and put into headlines right now.
Not. The rapid rise started in 2022 according to the statistics. Around the same time that the prison system went to the point of needing prayer to stop it collapsing.
The only relevant statistic right now is how manhunts due to early release still ongoing, how many criminals out there free who according to their sentence should be inside, with goodness knows what they are up to. That is the only relevant statistic right now. How many unsolved ongoing manhunts due to early release.
You would say that because you want to pretend this is Labour's fault.
Operational shambles at local level are hell for politicians because they are not directly responsible for what happens - regardless of party.
But, they are happening because the system is a mess. And its a mess because of you lot - that it remains a mess is Labour's fault but they inherited it from you.
This is why Tories get such ridicule on social media and short shrift in the polls. You are lying, we all know you are lying, so why go on lying?
I’m not lying by flagging up the truth. Theres hundreds of released early still at large, isn’t there. Why do you want to shut this story down?
This is happening. What lie have I told?
Skys arrest footage needs to be hit with a d notice and taken off air - sky are making people sympathetic to the criminals as criminals sad victims of Lammy’s incompetence.
These are people who should be banged up, they are not Lammy’s victims!
'Tesla boss Elon Musk has had a record-breaking pay package that could be worth nearly $1tn (£760bn) approved by shareholders.
The unprecedented deal was approved by 75% of votes and drew huge applause from the audience at the firm's annual general meeting on Thursday.
Musk, who is already the world's richest man, must drastically raise the electric car firm's market value over 10 years. If he does this and meets various targets, he will be rewarded with hundreds of millions of new shares.' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyk6kvyxvzo
The justification for the deal was that Musk might leave Tesla if they didn't throw money at him.
I would've thought Tesla's sales would go up 20% if Musk left!
Comments
Yeovil Hospital, OTOH, was a sick joke.
On WFP, in the same year the state pension was increased by the same order of amount. And so all the pensioners losing the WFP are essentially getting the same thing back indexed forever, just from that one year.
Will there be much left?
It should be worth tens of billions of dollars, but so much of that value hinges on them being *the* public service broadcaster.
However, I suspect the auction example and many other miscategorisations are actually fully intended by the agents, and tolerated by Rightmove, so they'd have to commit to accuracy first.
Trump to the Novo Nordisk CEO: "Maybe you should give us a piece of the company like I've been asking for."
https://x.com/atrupar/status/1986509425356492880
"Thousands of North Sea oil workers are being told they must lose weight if they are to keep flying offshore - or face losing their jobs.
From November next year, industry body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) said the maximum clothed weight for a worker heading offshore should be 124.7kg (19.5 st) - so they can be winched to safety in an emergency."
(Apparently Lammy told them to do more checks. This is infantile, they will already do checks. Problem is, the checks are almost certainly confirming the incorrect release date)
Taking a walk on the wild side?
I saw this happen, repeatedly, for six figure kitchens.
No-one involved actually cooked. When I went to parties, it was noticeable that the ovens and hobs were untouched, the microwaves in a terrible state. When looking for ice, the freezers were usually full of ready meals...
*Seriously, it was like a documentary, there.
I think from all the horror stories about NHS (and similar) it seems that the worst situations are where people need to stay in where bed availability and chaos make the experience beyond grim whereas out-patient services seem to be good if I’ve remembered anecdotes correctly.
We already know what Labour and Conservative govts look like, so don't need to consider how they run their councils. With Reform we don't know much at all.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(25)00247-0/fulltext
..Of 13 896 125 individuals younger than 18 years (6 784 260 [48·8%] female and 7 111 865 [51·2%] male; 9 979 420 [71·7%] White), 3 903 410 (28·1%) had a COVID-19 diagnosis. COVID-19 diagnosis (compared with no or before diagnosis) was associated with higher risk of arterial thromboembolism (aHR 2·33 [95% CI 1·20–4·51]), venous thromboembolism (4·90 [3·66–6·55]), thrombocytopenia (3·64 [2·21–6·00]), myocarditis or pericarditis (3·46 [2·06–5·80]), and inflammatory conditions (14·84 [11·01–19·99]) in the first week after diagnosis. Incidence declined in weeks 2–4, but remained elevated to beyond 12 months for venous thromboembolism (1·39 [1·14 –1·69]), thrombocytopenia (1·42 [1·01–2·00]), and myocarditis or pericarditis (1·42 [1·05–1·91]). Among 9 245 395 individuals aged between 5 and younger than 18 years who were eligible for vaccination (4 510 490 [48·8%] female and 4 734 905 [51·2%] male; 6 684 140 [72·3%] White), 3 407 560 (36·9%) received a first vaccine. COVID-19 vaccination (compared with no or before vaccination) was associated with elevated risk of myocarditis or pericarditis within the first 4 weeks after vaccination (1·84 [1·25–2·72]). The 6-month absolute excess risks for myocarditis or pericarditis were 2·24 (1·11–3·80) per 100 000 individuals after diagnosis versus before diagnosis or undiagnosed, and 0·85 (0·07–1·91) after vaccination versus before vaccination or unvaccinated.
Interpretation
Children and young people have higher risks of rare vascular and inflammatory diseases up to 12 months after a first COVID-19 diagnosis and higher risk of rare myocarditis or pericarditis up to 4 weeks after a first BNT162b2 vaccine, although the risk following vaccination is substantially lower than the risk following infection. These findings are of great importance for national policy makers and caregivers considering vaccination consent for children, and support the public health strategy of COVID-19 vaccination in children and young people to mitigate the more frequent and persistent risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection...
The unprecedented deal was approved by 75% of votes and drew huge applause from the audience at the firm's annual general meeting on Thursday.
Musk, who is already the world's richest man, must drastically raise the electric car firm's market value over 10 years. If he does this and meets various targets, he will be rewarded with hundreds of millions of new shares.'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyk6kvyxvzo
Well GTA VI got delayed again so I don’t want a PS5 Pro for Christmas any more…
Due to the big rises in construction costs, people are interested in reducing cost where they can. All too easy to scan a barcode/name in a shop and discover the same on the interwebs....
A former Reform councillor has announced he is considering legal action against the party for defamation of his character following his removal. Kent councillor Robert Ford was removed from Reform UK following unofficial complaints from female members of staff.
He said today: “I’m currently taking legal advice regarding the defamation of my character by Reform UK at Kent County Council that occurred on October 13, and I intend in the coming months to pursue this with vigour.” Mr Ford claims the complaints relate to an “erotic novel” he had published, which he had mentioned to people at the authority.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2130674/reform-civil-war-explodes-councillor
I read on here that prisons do everything on paper as they don't have WiFi. This of course is bollocks. Jobcentres didn't have WiFi until a couple of years ago as it wasn't considered secure enough. We had something called a LAN.
Back in the day, if you needed something sorting you would sit down at your kitchen table and you would write to the organisation involved, enclosing all the paperwork and putting it in the post.
That request would land in someone’s in-tray; they would read it, deal with it, probably dictate a letter in response and it would go in the out tray. The post would then be duly delivered back. In all the process might take 3-4 days, depending on the complexity of the ask. Obviously if the action needed passing to another department or a third party, it could take much longer.
Nowadays with all the competing pressures on our life, when we want something we want it dealing with very quickly. We email things out to someone, and because we know it’s with them immediately we expect it will be picked up straight away. The person who is at the receiving end of that email will have a flood of demands coming into them; probably doesn’t have the secretarial support they’d have had even 10-15 years ago, will work through things as best they can but has a flood of extra demands on their time put upon them.
This isn’t excusing poor outcomes - but as the pace of life has become more frenetic so too has its complexity. This makes it very hard for customers to receive consistently high levels of service.
We also tend to shout loudest and longest about the bad experiences, and less so about the good. Its like reviews on Amazon. The three stinkers seem more prominent than the thousands of good.
It's because it's run better.
EDIT: I'll not mention the specific unit at the John Radcliffe in Oxford, given the laws and OGH, but one of the units dealing with elderly patients is fucking useless.
Sky have managed to slow the decline by spending vast amounts on sport rights, the others don't have enough money for that. But even sport won't save them as the most valuable sports are starting to realise running their own streaming service is the way forward (F1TV, for example).
Justice Dept appeals judge's order in James Comey criminal case
"The government appeals the magistrate judge’s.. oral order directing the government to produce grand jury materials to the defendant by 5:00 pm on November 6, 2025"
https://x.com/MacFarlaneNews/status/1986545930061898012
I suspect Halligan, and perhaps her law license, will be in some jeopardy.
Operational shambles at local level are hell for politicians because they are not directly responsible for what happens - regardless of party.
But, they are happening because the system is a mess. And its a mess because of you lot - that it remains a mess is Labour's fault but they inherited it from you.
This is why Tories get such ridicule on social media and short shrift in the polls. You are lying, we all know you are lying, so why go on lying?
The “show kitchen” almost never gets used other than at the fancy dinner party, when the hired chefs are there in full view of the guests.
Edit to add, I found the public areas filthy and grim there which was a sad experience.
Mbeumo wins player of the month for October
It was only a few weeks ago Amorim was getting ' you're going to be sacked in the morning '
It's worth considering that everyone who treated you there is now retired.
Also, there can be incredible variations between units in a single hospital.
That's for the ultra-rich crowd, in London.
Anyway in I went, signed in and set off down the corridor to Audiology. Was seen almost immediately and the necessary changes made; about 10 minutes. Walked back to the main reception area again and there was my wife having eventually managed to find a parking space! Fortunately it wasn't far away so we both walked back to the car and home.
https://www.newsinenglish.no/2017/02/27/serial-sex-offender-killed-in-prison/
1) Its often a curse - the team loses immediately after
2) It seems to be awarded to the team who win the most games. Now that may correlate with the manager doing something right, but what has Amorim changed since last month?!
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This shows what a mess the immigration and justice system is,
Kaddour-Cherif, 24, had been convicted in November 2024 of indecent exposure relating to an incident in March that year, police said. He was sentenced to an 18-month community order and placed on the sex offenders' register for five years, the Met added.
He is understood to have entered the UK legally on a visit visa in 2019 but overstayed his visa, with a "probable over-stayer" case created in 2020.
So in 2020 he is an overstayer, but 4 years later, a) still here and b) then convicted of a sexual offence, only to be released back into the community (not deported), before c) committing another crime which resulted in a custodial sentence and then d) incorrectly released. Will he be deported at the end of this sentence?
Russian Foreign Minister sidelined from G20 summit.
https://x.com/jayinkyiv/status/1986699703950405667
I challenge everyone on PB to ask 10 friends about treatment an elderly relative has received at the hands of the NHS and a significant proportion of them will have shocking stories. But of course the ones that have received great care (and of course plenty do) will write letters, call phone-in programmes and bang saucepans to say how marvellous the NHS is.
https://www.lego.com/en-gb/product/star-trek-u-s-s-enterprise-ncc-1701-d-10356
Really doesn't look at first glance as if it has 3.6 kbits in it, I must say. But presumably they are lurking somewhere.
This is happening. What lie have I told?
Skys arrest footage needs to be hit with a d notice and taken off air - sky are making people sympathetic to the criminals as criminals sad victims of Lammy’s incompetence.
These are people who should be banged up, they are not Lammy’s victims!
This weeks friday evening copy / pasta tweets on weekly achievements from Labour MPs might be a bit quiet on how successful one thousand in, one out....
When it's good they come. When it's bad, they don't
The sort of people who should be walled up in the Big Brother house forever.
One change that does seem to have occurred in recent months is even if some days are nice the smugglers appear to go all in on 1-2 days and try and send as many as possible in a really short space of time (usually weekends) rather than spread it over 3-4-5 days.
We are probably going to find that the French only patrol 4 days a week and never on a Saturday, so they are sending them when highest probability that nobody will bother them.
I would've thought Tesla's sales would go up 20% if Musk left!
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/london-pub-walkers-of-whitehall-politicians-westminster-council-licensing-row-b1255939.html