Sadly it is, without doubt, “an attack by those with an agenda.”
This is not some staff member within the organisation whistleblowing.
Those who can't see that it's part of a concerted cultural attack by the right just don't want to see.
They kinda see it, except they’ve inserted ’forces of’ between ‘the’ and ‘right’. Gives them a warm, virtuous feeling while cackling manically over an institution they loathe getting a kicking.
If the BBc crashes and burns whose fault will it be? It won't be the critics.....
It won’t crash and burn.
A little while ago, a senior manager at Barratt Homes asked a group why the reputation of his company was so low.
I was a guest of a friend, so I couldn’t tell him the truth.
Some of the new build snag videos on YouTube are absolutely horrendous.
Not just Barratt
My answer would be - "Your company has exactly the reputation they have worked hard for. Invested billions in."
I know of no large company that is building quality.
I’d never consider buying new build. The more I read and watch the videos the less enamoured I am with them. I have cycled round a few new build,sites by me. Hmmmm.
The late lamented @JosiasJessop had the odd horror story, too.
I didn't realise he'd left.
That's my greatest fear. If flounce out, storm off and noone would notice...
Confidential government data reveals 1 in 25 prison service staff could face deportation because of the government's new visa rules.
Sources in the prison unions tell me the system, which is already under fire, “could collapse" because of this.
Why are so many overseas people being employed by prisons? (If that is what is happening).
There are fewer better paid jobs for people with no formal qualifications and only brief training.
Because of staff shortages visas were quite easy in the Boriswave.
And easy pre 2021 under FoM. Unless one doesn't consider Polish prison officers to be foreign (which I suppose, for supporters of a federal Europe, is a perfectly legitimate view).
I think those would have residence as part of the Brexit deal. Its the Nigerians and Ghanaians under risk of deportation, quite a high percentage of Prison Officers.
Oh yes, I didn't mean with regard to deportation. Just with regard to Andy's surprise that foreigners should have that particular job.
Most Prison Officers in Leicester seem to be White British, or maybe its just the ones who get put on hospital escort duty, which seems a popular duty. The convicts behave well too, it being a nice day out for them too.
In the UK it’s a fairly well paid job, with security and an excellent pension.
In the US it’s very often fast food money with poor benefits - the health care plan is often crap.
Sadly it is, without doubt, “an attack by those with an agenda.”
This is not some staff member within the organisation whistleblowing.
Those who can't see that it's part of a concerted cultural attack by the right just don't want to see.
They kinda see it, except they’ve inserted ’forces of’ between ‘the’ and ‘right’. Gives them a warm, virtuous feeling while cackling manically over an institution they loathe getting a kicking.
If the BBc crashes and burns whose fault will it be? It won't be the critics.....
It won’t crash and burn.
A little while ago, a senior manager at Barratt Homes asked a group why the reputation of his company was so low.
I was a guest of a friend, so I couldn’t tell him the truth.
Some of the new build snag videos on YouTube are absolutely horrendous.
Not just Barratt
My answer would be - "Your company has exactly the reputation they have worked hard for. Invested billions in."
I know of no large company that is building quality.
I’d never consider buying new build. The more I read and watch the videos the less enamoured I am with them. I have cycled round a few new build,sites by me. Hmmmm.
The late lamented @JosiasJessop had the odd horror story, too.
I didn't realise he'd left.
That's my greatest fear. If flounce out, storm off and noone would notice...
Vanilla Forums says he was reading this very site an hour ago? So presumably he’s around, but just choosing not to post. Seems a perfectly sane response to the modern world to me.
I'm for once slightly less than fully convinced by a Cyclfree header.
In particular, this: What is needed now is a proper investigation into the concerns raised. What would that mean ?
The BBC spat seems to me (FWIW) significantly different to "the Met Police, the NHS, the Post Office and the City", in that what is being argued about isn't so much matters of fact, or even criminal malfeasance, as matters of contested political opinion on how a public news operation should be conducted.
I'd be interested in Cyclefree expanding on this.
I have a copy only through a gift article in the Telegraph. I have made a copy so if you really want to read it DM me.
As to your second point, I am not convinced by all the accusations Prescott makes. But there are statements of fact he makes from which he draws conclusions of bias etc. So were I being asked what to do, I would investigate those statements of fact, interview the relevant people etc. review the applicable policies, guidance and so on and establish exactly what happened and why and what he (Prescott) may have left out and whether this shows no issue or a breach of guidelines / policies or laws, or, potentially, a problem with internal policies/scrutiny/governance/training etc. This is standard investigative stuff. There will also be mitigating factors, which he does not consider.
I don't think it at all hard to breakdown his accusations into factual matters which can be investigated and simple matters of opinion.
Then in the report you lay all that in detail and set out your conclusions and the reasons for them. It needs to be robust and evidenced. But a good investigative team can do that. And it would be a much better response to the accusations.
@Benpointer has made the point that it is all a right wing attack etc. I think he ignores the concern that left wing women have long had and expressed about the BBC's approach to women's rights. But I have 2 answers to his point.
1. The best answer to this is to be able to show that the factual basis for these attacks is unfounded. If indeed that is the case. Respond with evidenced facts. Let others draw the obvious conclusion that it's a malicious attack etc. Instead, the BBC is responding by saying the conclusion it would like to believe and leaving itself open to the obvious retort that how can it know unless it investigates and until it does it has no business saying otherwise.
And
2. It comes across as naive to complain about political attacks. These have been happening the entire time the BBC has been in existence. It should have developed by now a better way of responding than this.
I have done quite few highly sensitive investigations involving people right at the top of organisations brought by people with obvious - occasionally malicious - agendas. You can still do a bloody good investigation and get it accepted by all parties including, in the cases I'm thinking of, regulators and Swiss politicians. The BBC needs something like this. Because they are panicking now I guarantee you and at a time like this they need people like me who don't panic and can guide them through a time and process which is scary and uncertain and difficult. But it needs them to stop adopting this alternately machismo "we're brilliant" and defensive "poor us" approach.
Hope that helps.
What would the unbiased approach that the BBC could take on Women's/Trans rights? I'm not asking to be sparky but because I think that on highly polarised issues (as most seem to be these days) there's precious little neutral ground that the BBC can take that wouldn't annoy one side or the other.
2. The style guide should not be using terms provided by a one issue lobby group, moreover one which has - as any good equality lawyer will tell you - been providing misleading advice about the law. This is a conflict of interest because it's allowing its factual reporting to be determined by that group's agenda. This would be wrong no matter who the lobby group was. Would you want its reporting on social/ religious issues to be determined by Opus Dei or the Plymouth Brethren? Of course not. The language used has often been very unclear.
I always thought it was a weird one when something like Stonewall would provide training/guidance, or 'grade' employers. When even if they indeed made every effort to sincerely report on what they thought the law was, the very fact of being a lobbying organisation would introduce the risk that they would interpret things in a manner that fitted their desired aims.
Which is part of the incestuous system of third party charities fed on government money. Before you know it, they are part of the state and presenting themselves as the official arbiter on {subject matter}.
Confidential government data reveals 1 in 25 prison service staff could face deportation because of the government's new visa rules.
Sources in the prison unions tell me the system, which is already under fire, “could collapse" because of this.
Why are so many overseas people being employed by prisons? (If that is what is happening).
There are fewer better paid jobs for people with no formal qualifications and only brief training.
Because of staff shortages visas were quite easy in the Boriswave.
And easy pre 2021 under FoM. Unless one doesn't consider Polish prison officers to be foreign (which I suppose, for supporters of a federal Europe, is a perfectly legitimate view).
I think those would have residence as part of the Brexit deal. Its the Nigerians and Ghanaians under risk of deportation, quite a high percentage of Prison Officers.
Oh yes, I didn't mean with regard to deportation. Just with regard to Andy's surprise that foreigners should have that particular job.
Most Prison Officers in Leicester seem to be White British, or maybe its just the ones who get put on hospital escort duty, which seems a popular duty. The convicts behave well too, it being a nice day out for them too.
In the UK it’s a fairly well paid job, with security and an excellent pension.
In the US it’s very often fast food money with poor benefits - the health care plan is often crap.
In the old days Prison Officer was a post military career job for guys in their 40s and 50s
Sadly it is, without doubt, “an attack by those with an agenda.”
This is not some staff member within the organisation whistleblowing.
Those who can't see that it's part of a concerted cultural attack by the right just don't want to see.
They kinda see it, except they’ve inserted ’forces of’ between ‘the’ and ‘right’. Gives them a warm, virtuous feeling while cackling manically over an institution they loathe getting a kicking.
If the BBc crashes and burns whose fault will it be? It won't be the critics.....
It won’t crash and burn.
A little while ago, a senior manager at Barratt Homes asked a group why the reputation of his company was so low.
I was a guest of a friend, so I couldn’t tell him the truth.
Some of the new build snag videos on YouTube are absolutely horrendous.
Not just Barratt
My answer would be - "Your company has exactly the reputation they have worked hard for. Invested billions in."
I know of no large company that is building quality.
I’d never consider buying new build. The more I read and watch the videos the less enamoured I am with them. I have cycled round a few new build,sites by me. Hmmmm.
The late lamented @JosiasJessop had the odd horror story, too.
I didn't realise he'd left.
That's my greatest fear. If flounce out, storm off and noone would notice...
Confidential government data reveals 1 in 25 prison service staff could face deportation because of the government's new visa rules.
Sources in the prison unions tell me the system, which is already under fire, “could collapse" because of this.
Why are so many overseas people being employed by prisons? (If that is what is happening).
There are fewer better paid jobs for people with no formal qualifications and only brief training.
Because of staff shortages visas were quite easy in the Boriswave.
And easy pre 2021 under FoM. Unless one doesn't consider Polish prison officers to be foreign (which I suppose, for supporters of a federal Europe, is a perfectly legitimate view).
I think those would have residence as part of the Brexit deal. Its the Nigerians and Ghanaians under risk of deportation, quite a high percentage of Prison Officers.
Oh yes, I didn't mean with regard to deportation. Just with regard to Andy's surprise that foreigners should have that particular job.
Most Prison Officers in Leicester seem to be White British, or maybe its just the ones who get put on hospital escort duty, which seems a popular duty. The convicts behave well too, it being a nice day out for them too.
I can't find nationality data online, but prison officers are ethnically 85% white. Which compares to 75% of prisoners...
Edit: when I lived in Leicester I did enjoy the fairytale looking prison. Only from the outside though.
Yes, when in Victorian times we started building prisons (before that it was transportation, or prison hulks, or the gallows) architects copied castles, as a number of castles were used as prisons*. So Leicrster and other Victorian prisons often look like castles, crenelations and all.
I often see Chinese students taking photos of Leicester Prison as if it is some great historical building.
*Lincoln castle has a very interesting old prison in its grounds, and a law court too.
Off topic - my son works in retail. Today his place of work was robbed for the 4th time in as many weeks: on 3 occasions it's been shoplifters. Today it was a group of men in balaclavas with a van. My son tackled one of them and got some of the goods back. And yes he's been told - by me and others - not to do this because his safety and life are more important. But he finds it infuriating because even in leafy Hampstead crime is out of control. His bike has been stolen 3 times in 3 years. That's in addition to the brake levers, wheels and axle being taken on other occasions. Tesco is regularly robbed. Now his place of work. Etc.,. And the police are completely uninterested.
This cannot go on. Security staff can't do anything. CCTV is there but is no use if no-one investigates.
Starmer’s allies briefed against a leadership plot to try to smoke it out - but that briefing exploded the question of his leadership. So instead of smoking out a plot, Starmer actually set fire to himself - so in effect he has moved against himself to take himself out as leader
What the hell is going on at Newsnight at the moment? Pure leadership speculation posing as hard news..then Barry Gardiner just walks in live on air..🤔🥴
Starmer’s allies briefed against a leadership plot to try to smoke it out - but that briefing exploded the question of his leadership. So instead of smoking out a plot, Starmer actually set fire to himself - so in effect he has moved against himself to take himself out as leader
@Peston · 3m We are witnessing full-on Downing Street chaos tonight - which has led the official spokesman for the health secretary Wes Streeting to give me a formal statement denying that Streeting is plotting behind the scenes to oust the PM.
So many aspects of this are comic. But my favourite is that Kitty Ussher, who used to be a Labour Treasury minister and is now a senior director at Barclays, gave a presentation to all Labour special advisers, at the invitation of Downing Street officials, in which she said government bond prices were depressed because investors fear that Starmer and Reeves would be ousted.
The message from Ussher was “be loyal or government borrowing costs will go through the roof”.
So what has happened in the last few hours? Out of an almost clear blue sky Downing Street officials are warning that the plotters are out to get Starmer and Reeves, and that Starmer will fight them to the death.
Maybe they know something about an imminent Streeting coup that is hidden from the rest of us? That is possible.
What is very probable is that the price of government bonds, gilts, will fall tomorrow morning - which is a dreadful precursor to Reeves’s looming tax-raising budget.
This would be farcical if the potential economic damage wasn’t real.
And in case you are interested, here is Streeting’s “not me gov” statement: “These claims are categorically untrue. Wes’s focus has entirely been on cutting waiting lists for the first time in 15 years, recruiting 2,500 more GPs, and rebuilding the NHS that saved his life.”
Off topic - my son works in retail. Today his place of work was robbed for the 4th time in as many weeks: on 3 occasions it's been shoplifters. Today it was a group of men in balaclavas with a van. My son tackled one of them and got some of the goods back. And yes he's been told - by me and others - not to do this because his safety and life are more important. But he finds it infuriating because even in leafy Hampstead crime is out of control. His bike has been stolen 3 times in 3 years. That's in addition to the brake levers, wheels and axle being taken on other occasions. Tesco is regularly robbed. Now his place of work. Etc.,. And the police are completely uninterested.
This cannot go on. Security staff can't do anything. CCTV is there but is no use if no-one investigates.
The solution is simple.
Think laterally. The Community Leaders of Northern Ireland are bored. The NI economy is OK but could do with a boost.
Franchise the Community Justice system. Each area is rented by the Community Leader (CL) from the government. Franchise renewal is based on KPIs. Low crime. Though as a balance, @Foxy’s Orthopedics colleagues shouldn’t get an excessive amount of work.
You notice it with young women about Glasgow who are surely without any need of anti-aging procedures. I can only think they want the Botox induced pouting salmon lips look.
Off topic - my son works in retail. Today his place of work was robbed for the 4th time in as many weeks: on 3 occasions it's been shoplifters. Today it was a group of men in balaclavas with a van. My son tackled one of them and got some of the goods back. And yes he's been told - by me and others - not to do this because his safety and life are more important. But he finds it infuriating because even in leafy Hampstead crime is out of control. His bike has been stolen 3 times in 3 years. That's in addition to the brake levers, wheels and axle being taken on other occasions. Tesco is regularly robbed. Now his place of work. Etc.,. And the police are completely uninterested.
This cannot go on. Security staff can't do anything. CCTV is there but is no use if no-one investigates.
What though is the answer?
Massive more resources for the police?
What do we cut instead?
The state's first job is security or The Leviathan means nothing but something else will have to give.
You notice it with young women about Glasgow who are surely without any need of anti-aging procedures. I can only think they want the Botox induced pouting salmon lips look.
Sadly it is, without doubt, “an attack by those with an agenda.”
This is not some staff member within the organisation whistleblowing.
Those who can't see that it's part of a concerted cultural attack by the right just don't want to see.
True- though that doesn't mean that the criticisms are wrong, or even silly. (Though some, like the 'where was the balancing documentary on what's bad about Harris?' surely were.)
Yes agreed. The Panorama edit was poor but hardly a 'phone-hacking' level crime. You'd think maybe a retraction and apology would be in order.
I'm reminded of a comment made by a Private Eye hack that many newspaper corrections add to the inaccuracy of the newspaper publishing the correction. (Yes, that seems paradoxical, but consider that the correction will be steered by one participant in the story.)
I suspect that the Prescott report, by highlighting certain imbalances that some people see in BBC coverage, is having much the same effect.
Classic attacking the messenger there. Basically there are far too many people on here who either believe the BBC can do no wrong or, if they do wrong it is only against people you don't like anyway do it doesn’t matter.
You are just another bunch of apologists for your own special interests and it is amusing that you end up using many of the excuses Cyclefree highlights in her excellent article.
Cyclefree lists a bunch of things she's not really going to allow in defence of the BBC. Well that's like charging someone with a crime and then saying we're not allowing any of the usual defences like an alibi, CCTV, DNA evidence, witness statements, lack of motivation or opportunity, etc.
Just because @Cyclefree has listed them in a pre-emptive strike, it doesn't invalidate genuinely important points. Indeed most of her headlines have some validity in this case.
Most of all this was without doubt: 3. An attack by those with an agenda.
The so-called defences, that @Cyclefree are disallowing, are the generic bullshit reactions of organisations trying to shrug off problems.
Sorry, Timmy, you can't use "The Dog Ate My Homework" as an excuse.
@Benpointer is I am sorry to say talking nonsense because he has done what so many organisations do: formed his opinion (a right wing attack) without any regard to the underlying facts relevant to the criticisms. Also he thinks only an employee can be a whistleblower. Not true.
What I have set out are not in any sense "defences". They are the very common reactions to criticisms. They are hopeless. The best defence is evidence which shows the criticism to be wrong. That is precisely what the BBC is not doing. It is being its own worst enemy by not engaging properly with the criticisms and either accepting them, where valid, and putting matters right or explaining why they are wrong. It is a great pity.
As for having an agenda: all whistleblowers and complainants have an agenda. But an investigator who allows that agenda to stop them investigating properly is a very bad one indeed. An organisation who does that is an organisation in denial. That is their agenda and it is a harmful one.
I cannot assess the validity of the Prescott criticisms. Some seem a little overblown; others much more serious. The Trump Panorama one seems to my mind less serious than some of the others. The conflict of interest determining how women's rights should be discussed is much more serious both because it has been longer lasting but also because such conflicts are always by definition more serious and harder to resolve. It is notable that it is the one area which the BBC and many of its defenders have ignored in their responses. What's the agenda there?
I wrote this as a critical friend. It pains me to see organisations make such a hash of their responses to problems like this. It is not hard to get it right. It is so easy to get it wrong and it shouldn't be because so much should have been learnt from others. And there are lots of people who could help them get it right professionally. But too many organisations are too arrogant, stupid or panicky to realise that they need help. And so we see the shitshow we've been seeing in the last few days.
And those who will do anything to destroy the best of the BBC will get their chance. It is so important to distinguish between the destroyers and critical friends. The BBC needs critical friends right now. The John Simpsons and others are not being critical friends. They are reinforcing the impression of an arrogant aloof organisation which thinks it knows best. It is a great pity.
That makes sense.
But I'm now even more puzzled by the reference to the PO etc, and their respective investigations in the header.
Because I can point to exactly the same responses in those organisations when problems were pointed out to them.
There is a very large difference between (for example) ignoring claims of fraud, which are subsequently proved, and deflecting a claim of political bias in reporting, though.
My point is that the latter is far less amenable to being resolved by the kind of investigation you favour.
I wouldn't argue that the BBC is immune to the kind of vices you diagnose (indeed I submitted a complaint of my own regarding their US election coverage, which got a similar, in my view inadequate response).
It's more that getting any kind of consensus on where they are going wrong - or objectively investigating that - is going to be far more difficult.
I wouldn't say that it's easy to investigate. But I think you can do an investigation. And I think you have to.
And if the BBC doesn't have any sort of investigative unit to look at stuff like this, it ought to be creating one. That means something more than those in charge confirming to themselves that they've done nothing wrong.
I know it's late. But I have thought quite hard over the years about how an organisation investigates problems, what's involved, what does independence mean, how do you make it robust, how do you get people's confidence, what about HR issues, whistleblowing etc etc etc. It's never easy but it is essential. Because making a mess of the response makes everything very much worse in the end.
You can choose to live through that near death experience. Or you can choose to learn from others and make the process much less painful.
Off topic - my son works in retail. Today his place of work was robbed for the 4th time in as many weeks: on 3 occasions it's been shoplifters. Today it was a group of men in balaclavas with a van. My son tackled one of them and got some of the goods back. And yes he's been told - by me and others - not to do this because his safety and life are more important. But he finds it infuriating because even in leafy Hampstead crime is out of control. His bike has been stolen 3 times in 3 years. That's in addition to the brake levers, wheels and axle being taken on other occasions. Tesco is regularly robbed. Now his place of work. Etc.,. And the police are completely uninterested.
This cannot go on. Security staff can't do anything. CCTV is there but is no use if no-one investigates.
The solution is simple.
Think laterally. The Community Leaders of Northern Ireland are bored. The NI economy is OK but could do with a boost.
Franchise the Community Justice system. Each area is rented by the Community Leader (CL) from the government. Franchise renewal is based on KPIs. Low crime. Though as a balance, @Foxy’s Orthopedics colleagues shouldn’t get an excessive amount of work.
Off topic - my son works in retail. Today his place of work was robbed for the 4th time in as many weeks: on 3 occasions it's been shoplifters. Today it was a group of men in balaclavas with a van. My son tackled one of them and got some of the goods back. And yes he's been told - by me and others - not to do this because his safety and life are more important. But he finds it infuriating because even in leafy Hampstead crime is out of control. His bike has been stolen 3 times in 3 years. That's in addition to the brake levers, wheels and axle being taken on other occasions. Tesco is regularly robbed. Now his place of work. Etc.,. And the police are completely uninterested.
This cannot go on. Security staff can't do anything. CCTV is there but is no use if no-one investigates.
The solution is simple.
Think laterally. The Community Leaders of Northern Ireland are bored. The NI economy is OK but could do with a boost.
Franchise the Community Justice system. Each area is rented by the Community Leader (CL) from the government. Franchise renewal is based on KPIs. Low crime. Though as a balance, @Foxy’s Orthopedics colleagues shouldn’t get an excessive amount of work.
Confidential government data reveals 1 in 25 prison service staff could face deportation because of the government's new visa rules.
Sources in the prison unions tell me the system, which is already under fire, “could collapse" because of this.
Why are so many overseas people being employed by prisons? (If that is what is happening).
There are fewer better paid jobs for people with no formal qualifications and only brief training.
Because of staff shortages visas were quite easy in the Boriswave.
And easy pre 2021 under FoM. Unless one doesn't consider Polish prison officers to be foreign (which I suppose, for supporters of a federal Europe, is a perfectly legitimate view).
I think those would have residence as part of the Brexit deal. Its the Nigerians and Ghanaians under risk of deportation, quite a high percentage of Prison Officers.
Oh yes, I didn't mean with regard to deportation. Just with regard to Andy's surprise that foreigners should have that particular job.
Most Prison Officers in Leicester seem to be White British, or maybe its just the ones who get put on hospital escort duty, which seems a popular duty. The convicts behave well too, it being a nice day out for them too.
In the UK it’s a fairly well paid job, with security and an excellent pension.
In the US it’s very often fast food money with poor benefits - the health care plan is often crap.
In the old days Prison Officer was a post military career job for guys in their 40s and 50s
See Porridge.
I guess those days are gone.
I knew someone ex-forces who did it, he said it was OK until Grayling then it was horrendous. 3 POs looking after 50 prisoners of which 5 or so would be on suicide watch leaving hardly any time to monitor the others. He had a nervous breakdown.
Reform 32%, Con 19%, Labour 17%, Green 13%, Lib Dem 13%.
The Kemi surge is definitely on!
That's a bit better. I might lift an eyelid for a moment at that.
FWIW, I think getting rid of Kemi would be a mistake. She seems to be growing slowly into the job and the obvious replacement may as well be in Reform so what's the point?
Tories need to play the long game. Let Kemi set out a distinctive position from Lab and Reform (most obviously on reform of public spending/finance/sound money etc) and be ready for 2033/4.
Off topic - my son works in retail. Today his place of work was robbed for the 4th time in as many weeks: on 3 occasions it's been shoplifters. Today it was a group of men in balaclavas with a van. My son tackled one of them and got some of the goods back. And yes he's been told - by me and others - not to do this because his safety and life are more important. But he finds it infuriating because even in leafy Hampstead crime is out of control. His bike has been stolen 3 times in 3 years. That's in addition to the brake levers, wheels and axle being taken on other occasions. Tesco is regularly robbed. Now his place of work. Etc.,. And the police are completely uninterested.
This cannot go on. Security staff can't do anything. CCTV is there but is no use if no-one investigates.
The solution is simple.
Think laterally. The Community Leaders of Northern Ireland are bored. The NI economy is OK but could do with a boost.
Franchise the Community Justice system. Each area is rented by the Community Leader (CL) from the government. Franchise renewal is based on KPIs. Low crime. Though as a balance, @Foxy’s Orthopedics colleagues shouldn’t get an excessive amount of work.
Can’t see a problem with this.
The Sicilian Mafia run a similar racket.
I’ve heard it said that all organised crime has a beginning in organised vigilante activity.
Edit: the ultimate version of this is in Russia, where the Thieves By Statute merged with the former KGB to create the current goverement.
Sadly it is, without doubt, “an attack by those with an agenda.”
This is not some staff member within the organisation whistleblowing.
Those who can't see that it's part of a concerted cultural attack by the right just don't want to see.
They kinda see it, except they’ve inserted ’forces of’ between ‘the’ and ‘right’. Gives them a warm, virtuous feeling while cackling manically over an institution they loathe getting a kicking.
If the BBc crashes and burns whose fault will it be? It won't be the critics.....
It won’t crash and burn.
A little while ago, a senior manager at Barratt Homes asked a group why the reputation of his company was so low.
I was a guest of a friend, so I couldn’t tell him the truth.
Some of the new build snag videos on YouTube are absolutely horrendous.
Not just Barratt
My answer would be - "Your company has exactly the reputation they have worked hard for. Invested billions in."
I know of no large company that is building quality.
I’d never consider buying new build. The more I read and watch the videos the less enamoured I am with them. I have cycled round a few new build,sites by me. Hmmmm.
The late lamented @JosiasJessop had the odd horror story, too.
I didn't realise he'd left.
That's my greatest fear. If flounce out, storm off and noone would notice...
I was stuck in the backrooms/toilets for two years when I got made a "Responsible Person" (not my capitals, that's how it was styled), only able to communicate with people via private messages. Absolutely nobody missed me ☹️
Gabriel Pogrund @Gabriel_Pogrund As @patrickkmaguire and I wrote in our book, when Starmer looked like he might have to resign in opposition, it was Streeting who cornered Reeves in Parliament and sought to discuss which of them would stand for leader.
She declined the offer.
Years later health secretary’s strength remains his weakness — the perceived obviousness of his ambition. Question is whether No10 effort to flush out challengers forces him to rule himself out/does political damage … or only cements idea Starmer is weak and approaching a reckoning after locals in May.
Another issue is what Streeting would represent politically/intellectually that isn’t already part of the Starmer/McSweeney project.
Is the Starmer No 10 even less competent than the Sunak regime? Or even (whisper it) the Truss regime? If bond prices collapse then we’re seeing Trussian levels of fiscal incompetence.
Truss made a single massive fuck-up & paid for it immediately. Starmer has (so far) been a long drawn-out demonstration of ineptitude. I’m not sure which is worse frankly.
Didn't hold their nerve on winter fuel, couldn't face down their backbenchers on welfare, raised just about the worst tax for economic activity.
Reform 32%, Con 19%, Labour 17%, Green 13%, Lib Dem 13%.
The Kemi surge is definitely on!
That's a bit better. I might lift an eyelid for a moment at that.
FWIW, I think getting rid of Kemi would be a mistake. She seems to be growing slowly into the job and the obvious replacement may as well be in Reform so what's the point?
Tories need to play the long game. Let Kemi set out a distinctive position from Lab and Reform (most obviously on reform of public spending/finance/sound money etc) and be ready for 2033/4.
Do they have time for the long game though? If Reform don't implode and the Tories remain in the doldrums for long enough and the yearnings of those who want to be the Reform-Conservatives will be hard to ignore, and will the rump still be there for 2033 then?
Confidential government data reveals 1 in 25 prison service staff could face deportation because of the government's new visa rules.
Sources in the prison unions tell me the system, which is already under fire, “could collapse" because of this.
Why are so many overseas people being employed by prisons? (If that is what is happening).
There are fewer better paid jobs for people with no formal qualifications and only brief training.
Because of staff shortages visas were quite easy in the Boriswave.
And easy pre 2021 under FoM. Unless one doesn't consider Polish prison officers to be foreign (which I suppose, for supporters of a federal Europe, is a perfectly legitimate view).
I think those would have residence as part of the Brexit deal. Its the Nigerians and Ghanaians under risk of deportation, quite a high percentage of Prison Officers.
Oh yes, I didn't mean with regard to deportation. Just with regard to Andy's surprise that foreigners should have that particular job.
Most Prison Officers in Leicester seem to be White British, or maybe its just the ones who get put on hospital escort duty, which seems a popular duty. The convicts behave well too, it being a nice day out for them too.
In the UK it’s a fairly well paid job, with security and an excellent pension.
In the US it’s very often fast food money with poor benefits - the health care plan is often crap.
In the old days Prison Officer was a post military career job for guys in their 40s and 50s
See Porridge.
I guess those days are gone.
I knew someone ex-forces who did it, he said it was OK until Grayling then it was horrendous. 3 POs looking after 50 prisoners of which 5 or so would be on suicide watch leaving hardly any time to monitor the others. He had a nervous breakdown.
I have a friend who is ex-forces who had a business moving prisoners around. The least hippy guy you will ever meet. But he said come the full moon, the prisoners would play up something rotten. He has no doubt there was a primeval link.
Remember when all the daft PB'ers (usually lawyers, usually, millionaires, usually masonic with their silly ways) actually thought Stamer and Reeves were going to "end the chaos"
Remember when all the daft PB'ers (usually lawyers, usually, millionaires, usually masonic with their silly ways) actually though Stamer and Reeves were going to "end the chaos)
Remember when all the daft PB'ers (usually lawyers, usually, millionaires, usually masonic with their silly ways) actually though Stamer and Reeves were going to "end the chaos)
How we all laughed!!!
😂😂😂
It didn't seem that crazy at the time. I mean, what were the odds two governments with large majorities in a row would become so unpopular and risk averse so quickly?
Remember when all the daft PB'ers (usually lawyers, usually, millionaires, usually masonic with their silly ways) actually though Stamer and Reeves were going to "end the chaos)
How we all laughed!!!
😂😂😂
Even Leon voted for Starmer once
I am pleased to report that I didn't vote Labour 👍
Remember when all the daft PB'ers (usually lawyers, usually, millionaires, usually masonic with their silly ways) actually though Stamer and Reeves were going to "end the chaos)
How we all laughed!!!
😂😂😂
Even Leon voted for Starmer once
I voted for Labour in 2024 but I did so knowing we'd have an enormous amount of fun on here watching it all implode 😂
Remember when all the daft PB'ers (usually lawyers, usually, millionaires, usually masonic with their silly ways) actually thought Stamer and Reeves were going to "end the chaos"
How we all laughed!!!
😂😂😂
Is there anyone in the country who could end the chaos? That's the problematic question.
We need a unity figure to run the country. Maybe Matthew Syed.
Remember when all the daft PB'ers (usually lawyers, usually, millionaires, usually masonic with their silly ways) actually thought Stamer and Reeves were going to "end the chaos"
How we all laughed!!!
😂😂😂
Is there anyone in the country who could end the chaos? That's the problematic question.
We need a unity figure to run the country. Maybe Matthew Syed.
Remember when all the daft PB'ers (usually lawyers, usually, millionaires, usually masonic with their silly ways) actually though Stamer and Reeves were going to "end the chaos)
How we all laughed!!!
😂😂😂
It didn't seem that crazy at the time. I mean, what were the odds two governments with large majorities in a row would become so unpopular and risk averse so quickly?
I could never bring myself to vote for Starmer but even I was hpeful that we would have a period of stable, boring government where I just disagreed with them but didn't actively fear how much of a screw up they would make.
Sadly I was wrong. I still await our much needed boring, stable PM (of any party) who just quietly gets on with the job.
Is the Starmer No 10 even less competent than the Sunak regime? Or even (whisper it) the Truss regime? If bond prices collapse then we’re seeing Trussian levels of fiscal incompetence.
Truss made a single massive fuck-up & paid for it immediately. Starmer has (so far) been a long drawn-out demonstration of ineptitude. I’m not sure which is worse frankly.
Definitely worse than Sunak. It's not even worth debating. Not quite as bad as Truss, as yet.
Is the Starmer No 10 even less competent than the Sunak regime? Or even (whisper it) the Truss regime? If bond prices collapse then we’re seeing Trussian levels of fiscal incompetence.
Truss made a single massive fuck-up & paid for it immediately. Starmer has (so far) been a long drawn-out demonstration of ineptitude. I’m not sure which is worse frankly.
Definitely worse than Sunak. It's not even worth debating. Not quite as bad as Truss, as yet.
If bond prices collapse (yields rise) then this is job done me thinks in the eyes of the apparatchiks who surround the PM.
They will have shown that après moi the deluge is real.
Since the gilt market would be melting down based on the thought of losing Starmer-Reeves.
Remember when all the daft PB'ers (usually lawyers, usually, millionaires, usually masonic with their silly ways) actually thought Stamer and Reeves were going to "end the chaos"
How we all laughed!!!
😂😂😂
Is there anyone in the country who could end the chaos? That's the problematic question.
We need a unity figure to run the country. Maybe Matthew Syed.
All power corrupts but some must govern, and in that case I will reluctantly scramble to the top of the heap
Remember when all the daft PB'ers (usually lawyers, usually, millionaires, usually masonic with their silly ways) actually thought Stamer and Reeves were going to "end the chaos"
How we all laughed!!!
😂😂😂
Is there anyone in the country who could end the chaos? That's the problematic question.
We need a unity figure to run the country. Maybe Matthew Syed.
All power corrupts but some must govern, and in that case I will reluctantly scramble to the top of the heap
Off topic - my son works in retail. Today his place of work was robbed for the 4th time in as many weeks: on 3 occasions it's been shoplifters. Today it was a group of men in balaclavas with a van. My son tackled one of them and got some of the goods back. And yes he's been told - by me and others - not to do this because his safety and life are more important. But he finds it infuriating because even in leafy Hampstead crime is out of control. His bike has been stolen 3 times in 3 years. That's in addition to the brake levers, wheels and axle being taken on other occasions. Tesco is regularly robbed. Now his place of work. Etc.,. And the police are completely uninterested.
This cannot go on. Security staff can't do anything. CCTV is there but is no use if no-one investigates.
I see people fare-dodging on the tube every time I visit London now. Used to be unusual in terms of noticing it. Must have happened less frequently so you weren't aware of it.
Remember when all the daft PB'ers (usually lawyers, usually, millionaires, usually masonic with their silly ways) actually though Stamer and Reeves were going to "end the chaos)
How we all laughed!!!
😂😂😂
Even Leon voted for Starmer once
He's one of the millionaires I think.
Or would be based on the sales of a weird spooky thriller translation rights if he hadn't gone and blown all the money on a noom redecoration of his flat and purchases of 17th century glassware.
Remember when all the daft PB'ers (usually lawyers, usually, millionaires, usually masonic with their silly ways) actually though Stamer and Reeves were going to "end the chaos)
How we all laughed!!!
😂😂😂
Even Leon voted for Starmer once
I voted for Labour in 2024 but I did so knowing we'd have an enormous amount of fun on here watching it all implode 😂
I voted Labour as least worst option.
By September last year, however, it was already obvious that they hadn't prepped themselves for what was required when they got into Government. Trouble is the other options are all worse and I can no longer pack up and move abroad.
Starmer’s allies briefed against a leadership plot to try to smoke it out - but that briefing exploded the question of his leadership. So instead of smoking out a plot, Starmer actually set fire to himself - so in effect he has moved against himself to take himself out as leader
What was Starmer thinking?
Everyone knows Labour is completely incapable of getting rid of leaders.
In other news the pro BBC crowd seem to be embarrassing themselves. The Prescott report is irrelevant to them it seems and the real problem is the board, in particular Tory stooge Robbie Gibb.
Remember when all the daft PB'ers (usually lawyers, usually, millionaires, usually masonic with their silly ways) actually though Stamer and Reeves were going to "end the chaos)
How we all laughed!!!
😂😂😂
Even Leon voted for Starmer once
One day they will all be saying "well I voted Sunak". But we know them.
Starmer’s allies briefed against a leadership plot to try to smoke it out - but that briefing exploded the question of his leadership. So instead of smoking out a plot, Starmer actually set fire to himself - so in effect he has moved against himself to take himself out as leader
What was Starmer thinking?
Everyone knows Labour is completely incapable of getting rid of leaders.
In other news the pro BBC crowd seem to be embarrassing themselves. The Prescott report is irrelevant to them it seems and the real problem is the board, in particular Tory stooge Robbie Gibb.
And the Gibb thing is not even satire. It genuinely appears to be the progressive position to hold, that the whole thing is caused by Gibb.
Remember when all the daft PB'ers (usually lawyers, usually, millionaires, usually masonic with their silly ways) actually thought Stamer and Reeves were going to "end the chaos"
How we all laughed!!!
😂😂😂
Is there anyone in the country who could end the chaos? That's the problematic question.
We need a unity figure to run the country. Maybe Matthew Syed.
All power corrupts but some must govern, and in that case I will reluctantly scramble to the top of the heap
Has the ball come lose from the scrum?
I think the only time I scored a try was when the scrum collapsed, at school.
Everyone was struggling in the mud. I was left with the ball.
It took them about 5 minutes to notice that the ball wasn't there. I was sitting on it, the other end of the pitch....
Sadly it is, without doubt, “an attack by those with an agenda.”
This is not some staff member within the organisation whistleblowing.
Those who can't see that it's part of a concerted cultural attack by the right just don't want to see.
They kinda see it, except they’ve inserted ’forces of’ between ‘the’ and ‘right’. Gives them a warm, virtuous feeling while cackling manically over an institution they loathe getting a kicking.
If the BBc crashes and burns whose fault will it be? It won't be the critics.....
It won’t crash and burn.
A little while ago, a senior manager at Barratt Homes asked a group why the reputation of his company was so low.
I was a guest of a friend, so I couldn’t tell him the truth.
Some of the new build snag videos on YouTube are absolutely horrendous.
Not just Barratt
My answer would be - "Your company has exactly the reputation they have worked hard for. Invested billions in."
I know of no large company that is building quality.
I’d never consider buying new build. The more I read and watch the videos the less enamoured I am with them. I have cycled round a few new build,sites by me. Hmmmm.
The late lamented @JosiasJessop had the odd horror story, too.
What happened to JJ? I have been dipping in and out irregularly due to work and injury and it wasn't until I saw your comment that I realised he was missing.
Luke Tryl @LukeTryl · 1h Was any of this briefing done with the public in mind? Hard to think of a more perfect example of why so many people are now thinking, whatever the risks we may as well roll the dice on Reform/the Greens/someone else because it’s perma chaos as it is.
Luke Tryl @LukeTryl · 1h Was any of this briefing done with the public in mind? Hard to think of a more perfect example of why so many people are now thinking, whatever the risks we may as well roll the dice on Reform/the Greens/someone else because it’s perma chaos as it is.
It's a genius move to out-of-the-blue start talking about a leadership election destabilising the markets two weeks before a critical budget.
Luke Tryl @LukeTryl · 1h Was any of this briefing done with the public in mind? Hard to think of a more perfect example of why so many people are now thinking, whatever the risks we may as well roll the dice on Reform/the Greens/someone else because it’s perma chaos as it is.
It's a genius move to out-of-the-blue start talking about a leadership election destabilising the markets two weeks before a critical budget.
Luke Tryl @LukeTryl · 1h Was any of this briefing done with the public in mind? Hard to think of a more perfect example of why so many people are now thinking, whatever the risks we may as well roll the dice on Reform/the Greens/someone else because it’s perma chaos as it is.
It's a genius move to out-of-the-blue start talking about a leadership election destabilising the markets two weeks before a critical budget.
Senior No 10 figures say they had been told that Wes Streeting had 50 frontbenchers willing to resign if the Budget went down badly and Keir Starmer didn’t resign
Just check the news after a busy day and what what? A challenge to Starmer? What is going on?!
Me too. A brief summary anyone?
This is one of my favourite bland LLM summaries of all time - after repeated "no, you're doing this very badly - here's what to do" guidelines
Keir Starmer faces rising discontent in Labour due to falling poll ratings and fears of big election losses next year. Despite rumors of a leadership challenge led by figures like Wes Streeting, Starmer’s allies warn such a move would be reckless, causing market chaos and party collapse so close to the Budget and elections. Starmer is determined to fight off any challenge and stabilize his leadership amid internal party tensions and policy struggles, emphasizing the dangers of upheaval now and focusing on delivering results to regain public tru
Luke Tryl @LukeTryl · 1h Was any of this briefing done with the public in mind? Hard to think of a more perfect example of why so many people are now thinking, whatever the risks we may as well roll the dice on Reform/the Greens/someone else because it’s perma chaos as it is.
It's a genius move to out-of-the-blue start talking about a leadership election destabilising the markets two weeks before a critical budget.
4-d chess?
At least 27-d
That way you fold space time and end up punching yourself in the back of the head.
Just check the news after a busy day and what what? A challenge to Starmer? What is going on?!
Me too. A brief summary anyone?
There's no challenge.
It seems some around Starmer think there was going to be a challenge by Streeting the day after the Income Tax Bomb Budget From Hell and so the best approach was to stop it in its tracks by spooking the bond markets tomorrow.
Luke Tryl @LukeTryl · 1h Was any of this briefing done with the public in mind? Hard to think of a more perfect example of why so many people are now thinking, whatever the risks we may as well roll the dice on Reform/the Greens/someone else because it’s perma chaos as it is.
It's a genius move to out-of-the-blue start talking about a leadership election destabilising the markets two weeks before a critical budget.
4-d chess?
Or 1-d? It's a roll of the dice really. Which, speaking personally, is exactly what I want in the roll up to one of the most important budgets of the past 20 years.
Just check the news after a busy day and what what? A challenge to Starmer? What is going on?!
Me too. A brief summary anyone?
There's no challenge.
It seems some around Starmer think there was going to be a challenge by Streeting the day after the Income Tax Bomb Budget From Hell and so the best approach was to stop it in its tracks by spooking the bond markets tomorrow.
Or something...
Edit: my seemingly witty response was not, as someone else has already beat me to it.
It sounds like someone thinking they’re playing n 4D chess, but with a set of draughts.
On the Stonewall discussion - basically this boils down to cowardice on the part of government at all levels, and perhaps a lack of funding/expertise.
Too often policy is offloaded entirely to these organisations because the government is incapable of delivering something itself. It's absolutely correct to, for example, consult with the RSPB about wildlife impacts, or Sustrans on new cycle infrastructure, but policy development and implementation should still be well within the capabilities of government, and still independent.
Sadly, we often find that when they DIY this stuff they completely mess it up, so people like me implore the council to just let Sustrans (etc) do it instead. It's not healthy, but explains the problem.
Just check the news after a busy day and what what? A challenge to Starmer? What is going on?!
No.10 and No.11 are being undermined, so it is your time to step up.
We've had the same chancellor and PM for over a year. It's almost unprecedented in modern politics. Time for a change! Liz, where are you? And do you even know yourself? Can you find the door? Liz? .... Liz?!
Luke Tryl @LukeTryl · 1h Was any of this briefing done with the public in mind? Hard to think of a more perfect example of why so many people are now thinking, whatever the risks we may as well roll the dice on Reform/the Greens/someone else because it’s perma chaos as it is.
It's a genius move to out-of-the-blue start talking about a leadership election destabilising the markets two weeks before a critical budget.
4-d chess?
Or 1-d? It's a roll of the dice really. Which, speaking personally, is exactly what I want in the roll up to one of the most important budgets of the past 20 years.
One of the key things that drew me into Dungeons and Dragons as a teen forty odd years ago was the twelve sided dice!
NEW: There's an end-of-days feeling tonight coming out of No 10 as "paranoid" aides of Sir Keir Starmer turn on would-be challenger Health Secretary Wes Streeting
Luke Tryl @LukeTryl · 1h Was any of this briefing done with the public in mind? Hard to think of a more perfect example of why so many people are now thinking, whatever the risks we may as well roll the dice on Reform/the Greens/someone else because it’s perma chaos as it is.
It's a genius move to out-of-the-blue start talking about a leadership election destabilising the markets two weeks before a critical budget.
4-d chess?
Or 1-d? It's a roll of the dice really. Which, speaking personally, is exactly what I want in the roll up to one of the most important budgets of the past 20 years.
One of the key things that drew me into Dungeons and Dragons as a teen forty odd years ago was the twelve sided dice!
BREAKING: Keir Starmer has announced an urgent review into whether he should be replaced as PM to be led by civil servant trouble shooter Louise Casey.
Patrick Christys @PatrickChristys · 1h 🚨 Wes Streeting is due to give a speech at midday tomorrow, apparently. Could be interesting given tonight’s accusations that Starmer’s team think he’s trying to oust him
Off topic - my son works in retail. Today his place of work was robbed for the 4th time in as many weeks: on 3 occasions it's been shoplifters. Today it was a group of men in balaclavas with a van. My son tackled one of them and got some of the goods back. And yes he's been told - by me and others - not to do this because his safety and life are more important. But he finds it infuriating because even in leafy Hampstead crime is out of control. His bike has been stolen 3 times in 3 years. That's in addition to the brake levers, wheels and axle being taken on other occasions. Tesco is regularly robbed. Now his place of work. Etc.,. And the police are completely uninterested.
This cannot go on. Security staff can't do anything. CCTV is there but is no use if no-one investigates.
I see people fare-dodging on the tube every time I visit London now. Used to be unusual in terms of noticing it. Must have happened less frequently so you weren't aware of it.
Bikes have always been stolen or stripped, houses broken into, shoplifting and fares dodged. I wouldn't say the rate at which I've been robbed or Police indifference have changed over the decades bar zero car theft / break-ins since I left the NE.
Dan Bloom @danbloom1 Hard to overstate the astonishment in our DMs from aides/MPs/ministers at the PM's allies deciding to brief he could face a leadership challenge
It shoots the story to top of the agenda and consumes the oxygen, they say
Going to be some morning round for Wes Streeting tomorrow
Today is Veteran’s Day in the US, and so I would like to pay a small tribute to the veterans of World War II, with this reminder of how far they came:
That task had started with the 16 million men who registered for the draft in the fall of 1940, and who would expand Regular Army and National Guard divisions. By law, however,the draftees and newly federalized National Guard units were restricted to twelve months of service–and only in the western hemisphere or U. S. territories. Physical standards remained fairly rigorous; soon enough, the day would come when new recruits claimed the Army no longer examined eyes, just counted them. A conscript had to stand at least five feet tall and weigh 105 pounds; possess at least twelve of his natural thirty-two teeth; and be free of flat feet, venereal disease, and hernias.
There’s much more on attitudes (lousy) and equipment (“pathetic”).
pp. 8-9 in volume 1 of Rick Atkinson’s Liberation Trilogy
BREAKING: Keir Starmer has announced an urgent review into whether he should be replaced as PM to be led by civil servant trouble shooter Louise Casey.
@CamillaTominey Streeting is undoubtedly the most ambitious man in the Labour Party, if not the country. But surely the time to strike is next May, after what promises to be a disastrous local elections for Starmer, than now. Unless, of course, the Budget on Nov 26 proves to be an extinction level event.
Today is Veteran’s Day in the US, and so I would like to pay a small tribute to the veterans of World War II, with this reminder of how far they came:
That task had started with the 16 million men who registered for the draft in the fall of 1940, and who would expand Regular Army and National Guard divisions. By law, however,the draftees and newly federalized National Guard units were restricted to twelve months of service–and only in the western hemisphere or U. S. territories. Physical standards remained fairly rigorous; soon enough, the day would come when new recruits claimed the Army no longer examined eyes, just counted them. A conscript had to stand at least five feet tall and weigh 105 pounds; possess at least twelve of his natural thirty-two teeth; and be free of flat feet, venereal disease, and hernias.
There’s much more on attitudes (lousy) and equipment (“pathetic”).
pp. 8-9 in volume 1 of Rick Atkinson’s Liberation Trilogy
Luke Tryl @LukeTryl · 1h Was any of this briefing done with the public in mind? Hard to think of a more perfect example of why so many people are now thinking, whatever the risks we may as well roll the dice on Reform/the Greens/someone else because it’s perma chaos as it is.
It's a genius move to out-of-the-blue start talking about a leadership election destabilising the markets two weeks before a critical budget.
4-d chess?
Or 1-d? It's a roll of the dice really. Which, speaking personally, is exactly what I want in the roll up to one of the most important budgets of the past 20 years.
Luke Tryl @LukeTryl · 1h Was any of this briefing done with the public in mind? Hard to think of a more perfect example of why so many people are now thinking, whatever the risks we may as well roll the dice on Reform/the Greens/someone else because it’s perma chaos as it is.
It's a genius move to out-of-the-blue start talking about a leadership election destabilising the markets two weeks before a critical budget.
4-d chess?
Or 1-d? It's a roll of the dice really. Which, speaking personally, is exactly what I want in the roll up to one of the most important budgets of the past 20 years.
Ludo
⁴
Snakes and leaders.
Streeting being the snake and wanting to be leader
Prescott "internal memo" was an unsolicited "billet doux" sent as he departed the building Several of his sources citing BBC bias are Trump aligned wing-nut lobby groups
Comments
In the US it’s very often fast food money with poor benefits - the health care plan is often crap.
See Porridge.
I guess those days are gone.
The Kristi Noem / Kimberly Guilfoyle look is a very 'more done look'.
I often see Chinese students taking photos of Leicester Prison as if it is some great historical building.
*Lincoln castle has a very interesting old prison in its grounds, and a law court too.
Speaker Johnson to swear in Adelita Grijalva at 4pET on Wednesday
She’s got the look….
https://open.spotify.com/track/1aYkkrAbPmMuorVz5HWIqE?si=QlvFJu_wQuKYRrRUJu6smQ
This cannot go on. Security staff can't do anything. CCTV is there but is no use if no-one investigates.
Starmer’s comin’ down. An’ he’s on an express elevator to Hell!
@{cue @Sunil_Prasannan}
Starmer’s allies briefed against a leadership plot to try to smoke it out - but that briefing exploded the question of his leadership. So instead of smoking out a plot, Starmer actually set fire to himself - so in effect he has moved against himself to take himself out as leader
I enjoyed watching Gary Numan and his Harvard Display team. Great rasping sound from the machines as they passed overhead.
If they be hung it best be for a sheep and not a lamb.
Think laterally. The Community Leaders of Northern Ireland are bored. The NI economy is OK but could do with a boost.
Franchise the Community Justice system. Each area is rented by the Community Leader (CL) from the government. Franchise renewal is based on KPIs. Low crime. Though as a balance, @Foxy’s Orthopedics colleagues shouldn’t get an excessive amount of work.
Can’t see a problem with this.
Massive more resources for the police?
What do we cut instead?
The state's first job is security or The Leviathan means nothing but something else will have to give.
➡️ REF – 32% (-3)
🔵 CON – 19% (+1)
🔴 LAB – 17% (-3)
🟢 GRN – 13% (+5)
🟠 LD – 13% (-1)
https://x.com/LeftieStats/status/1988285629462180221?s=20
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar-a-Lago_face
Some *very* startling stuff. And NB the fake tans too. Very Sautmarket.
I wasn't expecting that.
And if the BBC doesn't have any sort of investigative unit to look at stuff like this, it ought to be creating one. That means something more than those in charge confirming to themselves that they've done nothing wrong.
I know it's late. But I have thought quite hard over the years about how an organisation investigates problems, what's involved, what does independence mean, how do you make it robust, how do you get people's confidence, what about HR issues, whistleblowing etc etc etc. It's never easy but it is essential. Because making a mess of the response makes everything very much worse in the end.
You can choose to live through that near death experience. Or you can choose to learn from others and make the process much less painful.
And what a beautiful flower it is.
Tories need to play the long game. Let Kemi set out a distinctive position from Lab and Reform (most obviously on reform of public spending/finance/sound money etc) and be ready for 2033/4.
Edit: the ultimate version of this is in Russia, where the Thieves By Statute merged with the former KGB to create the current goverement.
Gabriel Pogrund
@Gabriel_Pogrund
As
@patrickkmaguire
and I wrote in our book, when Starmer looked like he might have to resign in opposition, it was Streeting who cornered Reeves in Parliament and sought to discuss which of them would stand for leader.
She declined the offer.
Years later health secretary’s strength remains his weakness — the perceived obviousness of his ambition. Question is whether No10 effort to flush out challengers forces him to rule himself out/does political damage … or only cements idea Starmer is weak and approaching a reckoning after locals in May.
Another issue is what Streeting would represent politically/intellectually that isn’t already part of the Starmer/McSweeney project.
https://x.com/Gabriel_Pogrund/status/1988352554963554785
How we all laughed!!!
😂😂😂
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/11/milan-prosecutors-investigate-alleged-sniper-tourism-during-bosnian-war
We need a unity figure to run the country. Maybe Matthew Syed.
Sadly I was wrong. I still await our much needed boring, stable PM (of any party) who just quietly gets on with the job.
That’s two very very different narratives. But in both cases the trajectory means it’s not impossible the Tories could close the gap with Reform.
They will have shown that après moi the deluge is real.
Since the gilt market would be melting down based on the thought of losing Starmer-Reeves.
Or would be based on the sales of a weird spooky thriller translation rights if he hadn't gone and blown all the money on a noom redecoration of his flat and purchases of 17th century glassware.
By September last year, however, it was already obvious that they hadn't prepped themselves for what was required when they got into Government. Trouble is the other options are all worse and I can no longer pack up and move abroad.
Everyone knows Labour is completely incapable of getting rid of leaders.
In other news the pro BBC crowd seem to be embarrassing themselves. The Prescott report is irrelevant to them it seems and the real problem is the board, in particular Tory stooge Robbie Gibb.
Everyone was struggling in the mud. I was left with the ball.
It took them about 5 minutes to notice that the ball wasn't there. I was sitting on it, the other end of the pitch....
Luke Tryl
@LukeTryl
·
1h
Was any of this briefing done with the public in mind? Hard to think of a more perfect example of why so many people are now thinking, whatever the risks we may as well roll the dice on Reform/the Greens/someone else because it’s perma chaos as it is.
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/keir-starmer-prime-minister-leadership-challenge-labour-fvztrvcz6
Senior No 10 figures say they had been told that Wes Streeting had 50 frontbenchers willing to resign if the Budget went down badly and Keir Starmer didn’t resign
That way you fold space time and end up punching yourself in the back of the head.
It seems some around Starmer think there was going to be a challenge by Streeting the day after the Income Tax Bomb Budget From Hell and so the best approach was to stop it in its tracks by spooking the bond markets tomorrow.
Or something...
It sounds like someone thinking they’re playing n 4D chess, but with a set of draughts.
Wes “Craven” Streeting briefed that he wasn’t running for PM, but if he was, he would be awesome.
Too often policy is offloaded entirely to these organisations because the government is incapable of delivering something itself. It's absolutely correct to, for example, consult with the RSPB about wildlife impacts, or Sustrans on new cycle infrastructure, but policy development and implementation should still be well within the capabilities of government, and still independent.
Sadly, we often find that when they DIY this stuff they completely mess it up, so people like me implore the council to just let Sustrans (etc) do it instead. It's not healthy, but explains the problem.
This summer's months of drought seem a distant memory already.
@kitty_donaldson
NEW: There's an end-of-days feeling tonight coming out of No 10 as "paranoid" aides of Sir Keir Starmer turn on would-be challenger Health Secretary Wes Streeting
Kitty Donaldson
@kitty_donaldson
Especially on the day the PM went out of his way to appease his backbenchers by effectively announcing the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap
https://x.com/kitty_donaldson/status/1988382497558691939
She will report back in 2028.
Patrick Christys
@PatrickChristys
·
1h
🚨 Wes Streeting is due to give a speech at midday tomorrow, apparently. Could be interesting given tonight’s accusations that Starmer’s team think he’s trying to oust him
@stephenkb
·
38m
The important story behind this story is that someone in Downing Street is having a breakdown:
https://x.com/stephenkb/status/1988383141254345058
@danbloom1
Hard to overstate the astonishment in our DMs from aides/MPs/ministers at the PM's allies deciding to brief he could face a leadership challenge
It shoots the story to top of the agenda and consumes the oxygen, they say
Going to be some morning round for Wes Streeting tomorrow
https://x.com/danbloom1/status/1988389509105664422
That task had started with the 16 million men who registered for the draft in the fall of 1940, and who would expand Regular Army and National Guard divisions. By law, however,the draftees and newly federalized National Guard units were restricted to twelve months of service–and only in the western hemisphere or U. S. territories. Physical standards remained fairly rigorous; soon enough, the day would come when new recruits claimed the Army no longer examined eyes, just counted them. A conscript had to stand at least five feet tall and weigh 105 pounds; possess at least twelve of his natural thirty-two teeth; and be free of flat feet, venereal disease, and hernias.
There’s much more on attitudes (lousy) and equipment (“pathetic”).
pp. 8-9 in volume 1 of Rick Atkinson’s Liberation Trilogy
Camilla Tominey
@CamillaTominey
Streeting is undoubtedly the most ambitious man in the Labour Party, if not the country. But surely the time to strike is next May, after what promises to be a disastrous local elections for Starmer, than now. Unless, of course, the Budget on Nov 26 proves to be an extinction level event.
https://x.com/CamillaTominey/status/1988377776143921210
Snakes and leaders.
Streeting being the snake and wanting to be leader
Prescott "internal memo" was an unsolicited "billet doux" sent as he departed the building
Several of his sources citing BBC bias are Trump aligned wing-nut lobby groups
Also, Nandy has no say in DG appointment