Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
I've never been one of those people who thinks that all Tories are child eating bastards or that everyone on the political left is a wonderful human being - I've seen too many counterexamples on both sides. But I do think that those on the political right are a bit more likely to have a mental hierarchy of human worth lurking somewhere in the back of their mind - the strivers versus the shirkers, Thatcher's 'our people' versus the 'enemy within' , the wealth creators versus those sleeping off a life on benefits, the white British versus the rest. Once you have that kind of hierarchy in place it's rather easier to start treating other people like you are better than them. If you remember that we are all equal in the eyes of God and to treat others how you would wish to be treated then you should be okay. And this kind of mindset is I think a little more consistent with voting left than right, overall.
I'd say I'm broadly centre right and of the Cameron flavour. I thought the coalition was the best government in decades. But the behaviour of too many Tories just pisses me off. They seem to look down on people. I've had this in the past when I did bar work during my degree.
I have a horror of the extreme left for different reasons.
The latter just call their opponents 'Tory Scum' while screaming in their face though of course given the rise of Farage and Reform they now don't bother so much
Did anyone listen to the Starmer speech (beyond my capacity to endure, I admit) ?
I see from reports of it that he did mention nuclear regulation, but did he really go this far ? (I am sceptical.)
The Prime Minister spoke about the Taskforce on Nuclear Energy today:
"Exactly a week ago, John Fingleton reported on our nuclear industry. He found that pointless gold plating, unnecessary red tape, well intentioned but fundamentally misguided environmental regulations, and, I quote – it's quite a stark quote, he said – "a mindset that favours process over outcome" has all made Britain the most expensive place to build nuclear power.
"Now, I agree with him. In fact, I would go further. Because the truth is we see that story repeated again and again right across our economy. For years Britain did not have a proper industrial strategy. For years it cut public investment. For years it did not have a planning framework or frankly a government that would quickly approve new railways, new tramlines, data centres, laboratories, power stations, wind farms, even whole towns.
"So, guided by a simple truth, that rooting out excessive costs in every corner of our economy is an essential step to cutting the cost of living, and creating more dynamic markets for business, we will also clear the path for British business.
"And therefore, in addition to accepting the Fingleton recommendations, I'm asking the Business Secretary to apply these lessons across the entire industrial strategy."
The point about process over outcome is key. Our report is about achieving better outcomes for safety and the environment, which can be done at much lower cost if we get the regulatory framework right.
I would like to thank my fellow Taskforce members and the hard-working team of civil servants who supported us in this review.
I am also grateful to all those who responded very positively to our recommendations. There is a huge appetite for change. Implementation will require tough decisions and hard-work, so it is good to know that there a huge public appetite for change.
For those who have not seen it, the report is available below.
Now, were they actually to adopt every recommendation in the report, it would make a very large difference to costs and timescales. Applied more broadly, and applied effectively, it might even make a significant difference to UK competitiveness.
The problem is that it's swimming in mud (Where's @JosiasJessop when you need him?), to try and change things.
The UK system, from top to bottom is in love with Process. Not outcomes.
And they will deploy the Deadly Argument at every step - that reducing Process is an attack on Human Rights! Security implications! Foreign powers, national interests. We have to consult our allies, top brass. NATO, SEATO, Moscow!
Artic Terns problem for Anglesey nuclear development?
Rare birds threaten to scupper Starmer’s mini nuclear revolution
Arctic Terns are not of great concern in conservation terms. There are quite a few of them. But their migration pattern is extraordinary and worthy of giving them considerable respect. As TS Eliot would say they 'go south in the winter' and do about 30,000 miles a year. I say hi to a few occasionally on Mull, taking my hat off to them.
A short detour ought to be no big teal, then ?
What about my solution for the bats, repurposed?
Protecting bats is impotent. Sure. But rather than close everything down, increase bat nesting opportunities. Make more bats.
In the Goode Olde Days, dovecots were everywhere.
Come up with a picturesque batcot, build 100,000 of them.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
And Kemi's withering and brutal attack on Rachel following the budget doesn't seem to have benefited the Tories quite as much as many predicted.....
Farage and Polanski seem to have benefited from the Budget a little though, Labour unchanged.
Kemi still has 6 months to get the Tories back consistently to 20%+, if not she will almost certainly face a VONC from Tory MPs after next year's local and devolved elections
Did anyone listen to the Starmer speech (beyond my capacity to endure, I admit) ?
I see from reports of it that he did mention nuclear regulation, but did he really go this far ? (I am sceptical.)
The Prime Minister spoke about the Taskforce on Nuclear Energy today:
"Exactly a week ago, John Fingleton reported on our nuclear industry. He found that pointless gold plating, unnecessary red tape, well intentioned but fundamentally misguided environmental regulations, and, I quote – it's quite a stark quote, he said – "a mindset that favours process over outcome" has all made Britain the most expensive place to build nuclear power.
"Now, I agree with him. In fact, I would go further. Because the truth is we see that story repeated again and again right across our economy. For years Britain did not have a proper industrial strategy. For years it cut public investment. For years it did not have a planning framework or frankly a government that would quickly approve new railways, new tramlines, data centres, laboratories, power stations, wind farms, even whole towns.
"So, guided by a simple truth, that rooting out excessive costs in every corner of our economy is an essential step to cutting the cost of living, and creating more dynamic markets for business, we will also clear the path for British business.
"And therefore, in addition to accepting the Fingleton recommendations, I'm asking the Business Secretary to apply these lessons across the entire industrial strategy."
The point about process over outcome is key. Our report is about achieving better outcomes for safety and the environment, which can be done at much lower cost if we get the regulatory framework right.
I would like to thank my fellow Taskforce members and the hard-working team of civil servants who supported us in this review.
I am also grateful to all those who responded very positively to our recommendations. There is a huge appetite for change. Implementation will require tough decisions and hard-work, so it is good to know that there a huge public appetite for change.
For those who have not seen it, the report is available below.
Now, were they actually to adopt every recommendation in the report, it would make a very large difference to costs and timescales. Applied more broadly, and applied effectively, it might even make a significant difference to UK competitiveness.
The problem is that it's swimming in mud (Where's @JosiasJessop when you need him?), to try and change things.
The UK system, from top to bottom is in love with Process. Not outcomes.
And they will deploy the Deadly Argument at every step - that reducing Process is an attack on Human Rights! Security implications! Foreign powers, national interests. We have to consult our allies, top brass. NATO, SEATO, Moscow!
Artic Terns problem for Anglesey nuclear development?
Rare birds threaten to scupper Starmer’s mini nuclear revolution
Arctic Terns are not of great concern in conservation terms. There are quite a few of them. But their migration pattern is extraordinary and worthy of giving them considerable respect. As TS Eliot would say they 'go south in the winter' and do about 30,000 miles a year. I say hi to a few occasionally on Mull, taking my hat off to them.
A short detour ought to be no big teal, then ?
What about my solution for the bats, repurposed?
Protecting bats is impotent. Sure. But rather than close everything down, increase bat nesting opportunities. Make more bats.
In the Goode Olde Days, dovecots were everywhere.
Come up with a picturesque batcot, build 100,000 of them.
Do the same for artic terns.
Er, terns don't live in cots but on nice stony beaches. (Been to the colony on the little island on the Churchill Barriers in Orkney.)
Well, build them some nice new stony beaches. See designs for tidal ponds.
Did anyone listen to the Starmer speech (beyond my capacity to endure, I admit) ?
I see from reports of it that he did mention nuclear regulation, but did he really go this far ? (I am sceptical.)
The Prime Minister spoke about the Taskforce on Nuclear Energy today:
"Exactly a week ago, John Fingleton reported on our nuclear industry. He found that pointless gold plating, unnecessary red tape, well intentioned but fundamentally misguided environmental regulations, and, I quote – it's quite a stark quote, he said – "a mindset that favours process over outcome" has all made Britain the most expensive place to build nuclear power.
"Now, I agree with him. In fact, I would go further. Because the truth is we see that story repeated again and again right across our economy. For years Britain did not have a proper industrial strategy. For years it cut public investment. For years it did not have a planning framework or frankly a government that would quickly approve new railways, new tramlines, data centres, laboratories, power stations, wind farms, even whole towns.
"So, guided by a simple truth, that rooting out excessive costs in every corner of our economy is an essential step to cutting the cost of living, and creating more dynamic markets for business, we will also clear the path for British business.
"And therefore, in addition to accepting the Fingleton recommendations, I'm asking the Business Secretary to apply these lessons across the entire industrial strategy."
The point about process over outcome is key. Our report is about achieving better outcomes for safety and the environment, which can be done at much lower cost if we get the regulatory framework right.
I would like to thank my fellow Taskforce members and the hard-working team of civil servants who supported us in this review.
I am also grateful to all those who responded very positively to our recommendations. There is a huge appetite for change. Implementation will require tough decisions and hard-work, so it is good to know that there a huge public appetite for change.
For those who have not seen it, the report is available below.
Now, were they actually to adopt every recommendation in the report, it would make a very large difference to costs and timescales. Applied more broadly, and applied effectively, it might even make a significant difference to UK competitiveness.
The problem is that it's swimming in mud (Where's @JosiasJessop when you need him?), to try and change things.
The UK system, from top to bottom is in love with Process. Not outcomes.
And they will deploy the Deadly Argument at every step - that reducing Process is an attack on Human Rights! Security implications! Foreign powers, national interests. We have to consult our allies, top brass. NATO, SEATO, Moscow!
Artic Terns problem for Anglesey nuclear development?
Rare birds threaten to scupper Starmer’s mini nuclear revolution
Arctic Terns are not of great concern in conservation terms. There are quite a few of them. But their migration pattern is extraordinary and worthy of giving them considerable respect. As TS Eliot would say they 'go south in the winter' and do about 30,000 miles a year. I say hi to a few occasionally on Mull, taking my hat off to them.
A short detour ought to be no big teal, then ?
What about my solution for the bats, repurposed?
Protecting bats is impotent. Sure. But rather than close everything down, increase bat nesting opportunities. Make more bats.
In the Goode Olde Days, dovecots were everywhere.
Come up with a picturesque batcot, build 100,000 of them.
Do the same for artic terns.
PS You also need more bat food. Insects. Excellent idea that.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Reeves would be in trouble if she'd given a rosier account of the nation's finances than the OBR in advance of the budget. The fact that she gave a gloomier account than the OBR means she, and Starmer, will ride this out easily.
She should, however, learn from this by shutting the fuck up in advance of her next budget. The 'leaks' did her no favours, not did the early morning speech a few weeks ago.
That people made life-changing decisions off the back of the leaks and rumours isn’t a myth.
I’ve had three separate conversations with newcomers to my part of the world in the past month. The brain drain is real, it’s fuelled in large numbers by student loan repayments and graduate unemployment, and in small numbers by relocations to avoid potential “wealth” taxes. The latter only need to be small numbers though, each one taking 7-8-9 figures out of British jurisdiction.
9 figures? How many people do you know who pay over 100,000,000 in taxes?
Quite. In any case it's a fool's errand to try to attract and keep people with extremely mobile bank accounts - who can deem themselves to live in the Canary Islands or wherever at the drop of a hat. People who genuinely live in the UK and uproot themselves to go and genuinely live in Andorra because of a rumoured tax increase taking effect in a couple of years...well, I'd be surprised if it was double figures.
Did anyone listen to the Starmer speech (beyond my capacity to endure, I admit) ?
I see from reports of it that he did mention nuclear regulation, but did he really go this far ? (I am sceptical.)
The Prime Minister spoke about the Taskforce on Nuclear Energy today:
"Exactly a week ago, John Fingleton reported on our nuclear industry. He found that pointless gold plating, unnecessary red tape, well intentioned but fundamentally misguided environmental regulations, and, I quote – it's quite a stark quote, he said – "a mindset that favours process over outcome" has all made Britain the most expensive place to build nuclear power.
"Now, I agree with him. In fact, I would go further. Because the truth is we see that story repeated again and again right across our economy. For years Britain did not have a proper industrial strategy. For years it cut public investment. For years it did not have a planning framework or frankly a government that would quickly approve new railways, new tramlines, data centres, laboratories, power stations, wind farms, even whole towns.
"So, guided by a simple truth, that rooting out excessive costs in every corner of our economy is an essential step to cutting the cost of living, and creating more dynamic markets for business, we will also clear the path for British business.
"And therefore, in addition to accepting the Fingleton recommendations, I'm asking the Business Secretary to apply these lessons across the entire industrial strategy."
The point about process over outcome is key. Our report is about achieving better outcomes for safety and the environment, which can be done at much lower cost if we get the regulatory framework right.
I would like to thank my fellow Taskforce members and the hard-working team of civil servants who supported us in this review.
I am also grateful to all those who responded very positively to our recommendations. There is a huge appetite for change. Implementation will require tough decisions and hard-work, so it is good to know that there a huge public appetite for change.
For those who have not seen it, the report is available below.
Now, were they actually to adopt every recommendation in the report, it would make a very large difference to costs and timescales. Applied more broadly, and applied effectively, it might even make a significant difference to UK competitiveness.
The problem is that it's swimming in mud (Where's @JosiasJessop when you need him?), to try and change things.
The UK system, from top to bottom is in love with Process. Not outcomes.
And they will deploy the Deadly Argument at every step - that reducing Process is an attack on Human Rights! Security implications! Foreign powers, national interests. We have to consult our allies, top brass. NATO, SEATO, Moscow!
Artic Terns problem for Anglesey nuclear development?
Rare birds threaten to scupper Starmer’s mini nuclear revolution
Arctic Terns are not of great concern in conservation terms. There are quite a few of them. But their migration pattern is extraordinary and worthy of giving them considerable respect. As TS Eliot would say they 'go south in the winter' and do about 30,000 miles a year. I say hi to a few occasionally on Mull, taking my hat off to them.
A short detour ought to be no big teal, then ?
What about my solution for the bats, repurposed?
Protecting bats is impotent. Sure. But rather than close everything down, increase bat nesting opportunities. Make more bats.
In the Goode Olde Days, dovecots were everywhere.
Come up with a picturesque batcot, build 100,000 of them.
Do the same for artic terns.
Er, terns don't live in cots but on nice stony beaches. (Been to the colony on the little island on the Churchill Barriers in Orkney.)
Well, build them some nice new stony beaches. See designs for tidal ponds.
Imagine if, rather than (eg) spending £700m on the Hinckley fish disco, we spent £70m on restoring chalk streams. The environmental benefits could be immeasurably greater for a fraction of what it currently costs to battle environmental NIMBYs to a standstill, at the same time as making our homes, or electricity or any other infrastructure considerably more affordable.
Did anyone listen to the Starmer speech (beyond my capacity to endure, I admit) ?
I see from reports of it that he did mention nuclear regulation, but did he really go this far ? (I am sceptical.)
The Prime Minister spoke about the Taskforce on Nuclear Energy today:
"Exactly a week ago, John Fingleton reported on our nuclear industry. He found that pointless gold plating, unnecessary red tape, well intentioned but fundamentally misguided environmental regulations, and, I quote – it's quite a stark quote, he said – "a mindset that favours process over outcome" has all made Britain the most expensive place to build nuclear power.
"Now, I agree with him. In fact, I would go further. Because the truth is we see that story repeated again and again right across our economy. For years Britain did not have a proper industrial strategy. For years it cut public investment. For years it did not have a planning framework or frankly a government that would quickly approve new railways, new tramlines, data centres, laboratories, power stations, wind farms, even whole towns.
"So, guided by a simple truth, that rooting out excessive costs in every corner of our economy is an essential step to cutting the cost of living, and creating more dynamic markets for business, we will also clear the path for British business.
"And therefore, in addition to accepting the Fingleton recommendations, I'm asking the Business Secretary to apply these lessons across the entire industrial strategy."
The point about process over outcome is key. Our report is about achieving better outcomes for safety and the environment, which can be done at much lower cost if we get the regulatory framework right.
I would like to thank my fellow Taskforce members and the hard-working team of civil servants who supported us in this review.
I am also grateful to all those who responded very positively to our recommendations. There is a huge appetite for change. Implementation will require tough decisions and hard-work, so it is good to know that there a huge public appetite for change.
For those who have not seen it, the report is available below.
Now, were they actually to adopt every recommendation in the report, it would make a very large difference to costs and timescales. Applied more broadly, and applied effectively, it might even make a significant difference to UK competitiveness.
The problem is that it's swimming in mud (Where's @JosiasJessop when you need him?), to try and change things.
The UK system, from top to bottom is in love with Process. Not outcomes.
And they will deploy the Deadly Argument at every step - that reducing Process is an attack on Human Rights! Security implications! Foreign powers, national interests. We have to consult our allies, top brass. NATO, SEATO, Moscow!
Artic Terns problem for Anglesey nuclear development?
Rare birds threaten to scupper Starmer’s mini nuclear revolution
Arctic Terns are not of great concern in conservation terms. There are quite a few of them. But their migration pattern is extraordinary and worthy of giving them considerable respect. As TS Eliot would say they 'go south in the winter' and do about 30,000 miles a year. I say hi to a few occasionally on Mull, taking my hat off to them.
A short detour ought to be no big teal, then ?
What about my solution for the bats, repurposed?
Protecting bats is impotent. Sure. But rather than close everything down, increase bat nesting opportunities. Make more bats.
In the Goode Olde Days, dovecots were everywhere.
Come up with a picturesque batcot, build 100,000 of them.
Do the same for artic terns.
PS You also need more bat food. Insects. Excellent idea that.
Did anyone listen to the Starmer speech (beyond my capacity to endure, I admit) ?
I see from reports of it that he did mention nuclear regulation, but did he really go this far ? (I am sceptical.)
The Prime Minister spoke about the Taskforce on Nuclear Energy today:
"Exactly a week ago, John Fingleton reported on our nuclear industry. He found that pointless gold plating, unnecessary red tape, well intentioned but fundamentally misguided environmental regulations, and, I quote – it's quite a stark quote, he said – "a mindset that favours process over outcome" has all made Britain the most expensive place to build nuclear power.
"Now, I agree with him. In fact, I would go further. Because the truth is we see that story repeated again and again right across our economy. For years Britain did not have a proper industrial strategy. For years it cut public investment. For years it did not have a planning framework or frankly a government that would quickly approve new railways, new tramlines, data centres, laboratories, power stations, wind farms, even whole towns.
"So, guided by a simple truth, that rooting out excessive costs in every corner of our economy is an essential step to cutting the cost of living, and creating more dynamic markets for business, we will also clear the path for British business.
"And therefore, in addition to accepting the Fingleton recommendations, I'm asking the Business Secretary to apply these lessons across the entire industrial strategy."
The point about process over outcome is key. Our report is about achieving better outcomes for safety and the environment, which can be done at much lower cost if we get the regulatory framework right.
I would like to thank my fellow Taskforce members and the hard-working team of civil servants who supported us in this review.
I am also grateful to all those who responded very positively to our recommendations. There is a huge appetite for change. Implementation will require tough decisions and hard-work, so it is good to know that there a huge public appetite for change.
For those who have not seen it, the report is available below.
Now, were they actually to adopt every recommendation in the report, it would make a very large difference to costs and timescales. Applied more broadly, and applied effectively, it might even make a significant difference to UK competitiveness.
The problem is that it's swimming in mud (Where's @JosiasJessop when you need him?), to try and change things.
The UK system, from top to bottom is in love with Process. Not outcomes.
And they will deploy the Deadly Argument at every step - that reducing Process is an attack on Human Rights! Security implications! Foreign powers, national interests. We have to consult our allies, top brass. NATO, SEATO, Moscow!
Artic Terns problem for Anglesey nuclear development?
Rare birds threaten to scupper Starmer’s mini nuclear revolution
Arctic Terns are not of great concern in conservation terms. There are quite a few of them. But their migration pattern is extraordinary and worthy of giving them considerable respect. As TS Eliot would say they 'go south in the winter' and do about 30,000 miles a year. I say hi to a few occasionally on Mull, taking my hat off to them.
A short detour ought to be no big teal, then ?
What about my solution for the bats, repurposed?
Protecting bats is impotent. Sure. But rather than close everything down, increase bat nesting opportunities. Make more bats.
In the Goode Olde Days, dovecots were everywhere.
Come up with a picturesque batcot, build 100,000 of them.
Do the same for artic terns.
Er, terns don't live in cots but on nice stony beaches. (Been to the colony on the little island on the Churchill Barriers in Orkney.)
Well, build them some nice new stony beaches. See designs for tidal ponds.
Did anyone listen to the Starmer speech (beyond my capacity to endure, I admit) ?
I see from reports of it that he did mention nuclear regulation, but did he really go this far ? (I am sceptical.)
The Prime Minister spoke about the Taskforce on Nuclear Energy today:
"Exactly a week ago, John Fingleton reported on our nuclear industry. He found that pointless gold plating, unnecessary red tape, well intentioned but fundamentally misguided environmental regulations, and, I quote – it's quite a stark quote, he said – "a mindset that favours process over outcome" has all made Britain the most expensive place to build nuclear power.
"Now, I agree with him. In fact, I would go further. Because the truth is we see that story repeated again and again right across our economy. For years Britain did not have a proper industrial strategy. For years it cut public investment. For years it did not have a planning framework or frankly a government that would quickly approve new railways, new tramlines, data centres, laboratories, power stations, wind farms, even whole towns.
"So, guided by a simple truth, that rooting out excessive costs in every corner of our economy is an essential step to cutting the cost of living, and creating more dynamic markets for business, we will also clear the path for British business.
"And therefore, in addition to accepting the Fingleton recommendations, I'm asking the Business Secretary to apply these lessons across the entire industrial strategy."
The point about process over outcome is key. Our report is about achieving better outcomes for safety and the environment, which can be done at much lower cost if we get the regulatory framework right.
I would like to thank my fellow Taskforce members and the hard-working team of civil servants who supported us in this review.
I am also grateful to all those who responded very positively to our recommendations. There is a huge appetite for change. Implementation will require tough decisions and hard-work, so it is good to know that there a huge public appetite for change.
For those who have not seen it, the report is available below.
Now, were they actually to adopt every recommendation in the report, it would make a very large difference to costs and timescales. Applied more broadly, and applied effectively, it might even make a significant difference to UK competitiveness.
The problem is that it's swimming in mud (Where's @JosiasJessop when you need him?), to try and change things.
The UK system, from top to bottom is in love with Process. Not outcomes.
And they will deploy the Deadly Argument at every step - that reducing Process is an attack on Human Rights! Security implications! Foreign powers, national interests. We have to consult our allies, top brass. NATO, SEATO, Moscow!
Starmer accepts the Fingleton Review *and* pledges to extend it to other infrastructure: data centres, railways, tramways, towns, labs, and more.
Massive, and a big shift from the Treasury's equivocation. Implementation will be a big battle, but we can win.
(It was an excellent header, btw.)
Just to be clear, this is the best thing Starmer has done as PM, by a long way.
It should be welcomed; he should be praised for it: and watched like a hawk to make sure he delivers.
I really welcome this and he now needs to deliver, and do something about the Aarhus convention too which allows multiple vexatious complaints with the complainants free of the financial consequence.
But this is a fantastic move if he delivers. It’s a big ‘if’ as they’ve spent 16 months talking the talk. They have yet to walk the walk.
Did anyone listen to the Starmer speech (beyond my capacity to endure, I admit) ?
I see from reports of it that he did mention nuclear regulation, but did he really go this far ? (I am sceptical.)
The Prime Minister spoke about the Taskforce on Nuclear Energy today:
"Exactly a week ago, John Fingleton reported on our nuclear industry. He found that pointless gold plating, unnecessary red tape, well intentioned but fundamentally misguided environmental regulations, and, I quote – it's quite a stark quote, he said – "a mindset that favours process over outcome" has all made Britain the most expensive place to build nuclear power.
"Now, I agree with him. In fact, I would go further. Because the truth is we see that story repeated again and again right across our economy. For years Britain did not have a proper industrial strategy. For years it cut public investment. For years it did not have a planning framework or frankly a government that would quickly approve new railways, new tramlines, data centres, laboratories, power stations, wind farms, even whole towns.
"So, guided by a simple truth, that rooting out excessive costs in every corner of our economy is an essential step to cutting the cost of living, and creating more dynamic markets for business, we will also clear the path for British business.
"And therefore, in addition to accepting the Fingleton recommendations, I'm asking the Business Secretary to apply these lessons across the entire industrial strategy."
The point about process over outcome is key. Our report is about achieving better outcomes for safety and the environment, which can be done at much lower cost if we get the regulatory framework right.
I would like to thank my fellow Taskforce members and the hard-working team of civil servants who supported us in this review.
I am also grateful to all those who responded very positively to our recommendations. There is a huge appetite for change. Implementation will require tough decisions and hard-work, so it is good to know that there a huge public appetite for change.
For those who have not seen it, the report is available below.
Now, were they actually to adopt every recommendation in the report, it would make a very large difference to costs and timescales. Applied more broadly, and applied effectively, it might even make a significant difference to UK competitiveness.
The problem is that it's swimming in mud (Where's @JosiasJessop when you need him?), to try and change things.
The UK system, from top to bottom is in love with Process. Not outcomes.
And they will deploy the Deadly Argument at every step - that reducing Process is an attack on Human Rights! Security implications! Foreign powers, national interests. We have to consult our allies, top brass. NATO, SEATO, Moscow!
Artic Terns problem for Anglesey nuclear development?
Rare birds threaten to scupper Starmer’s mini nuclear revolution
Arctic Terns are not of great concern in conservation terms. There are quite a few of them. But their migration pattern is extraordinary and worthy of giving them considerable respect. As TS Eliot would say they 'go south in the winter' and do about 30,000 miles a year. I say hi to a few occasionally on Mull, taking my hat off to them.
Best not to take your hat off to arctic terns during nesting season. They can be quite aggressive with their dive bombing.
Too right. Arctic skuas would also skua your head.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Obviously Not the Right Sort of Voter so can be ignored, is that the logic?
So it's OK for Tories to commit potential crimes in public if they only do it to the wrong sort of voter?
Did anyone listen to the Starmer speech (beyond my capacity to endure, I admit) ?
I see from reports of it that he did mention nuclear regulation, but did he really go this far ? (I am sceptical.)
The Prime Minister spoke about the Taskforce on Nuclear Energy today:
"Exactly a week ago, John Fingleton reported on our nuclear industry. He found that pointless gold plating, unnecessary red tape, well intentioned but fundamentally misguided environmental regulations, and, I quote – it's quite a stark quote, he said – "a mindset that favours process over outcome" has all made Britain the most expensive place to build nuclear power.
"Now, I agree with him. In fact, I would go further. Because the truth is we see that story repeated again and again right across our economy. For years Britain did not have a proper industrial strategy. For years it cut public investment. For years it did not have a planning framework or frankly a government that would quickly approve new railways, new tramlines, data centres, laboratories, power stations, wind farms, even whole towns.
"So, guided by a simple truth, that rooting out excessive costs in every corner of our economy is an essential step to cutting the cost of living, and creating more dynamic markets for business, we will also clear the path for British business.
"And therefore, in addition to accepting the Fingleton recommendations, I'm asking the Business Secretary to apply these lessons across the entire industrial strategy."
The point about process over outcome is key. Our report is about achieving better outcomes for safety and the environment, which can be done at much lower cost if we get the regulatory framework right.
I would like to thank my fellow Taskforce members and the hard-working team of civil servants who supported us in this review.
I am also grateful to all those who responded very positively to our recommendations. There is a huge appetite for change. Implementation will require tough decisions and hard-work, so it is good to know that there a huge public appetite for change.
For those who have not seen it, the report is available below.
Now, were they actually to adopt every recommendation in the report, it would make a very large difference to costs and timescales. Applied more broadly, and applied effectively, it might even make a significant difference to UK competitiveness.
The problem is that it's swimming in mud (Where's @JosiasJessop when you need him?), to try and change things.
The UK system, from top to bottom is in love with Process. Not outcomes.
And they will deploy the Deadly Argument at every step - that reducing Process is an attack on Human Rights! Security implications! Foreign powers, national interests. We have to consult our allies, top brass. NATO, SEATO, Moscow!
Artic Terns problem for Anglesey nuclear development?
Rare birds threaten to scupper Starmer’s mini nuclear revolution
Arctic Terns are not of great concern in conservation terms. There are quite a few of them. But their migration pattern is extraordinary and worthy of giving them considerable respect. As TS Eliot would say they 'go south in the winter' and do about 30,000 miles a year. I say hi to a few occasionally on Mull, taking my hat off to them.
A short detour ought to be no big teal, then ?
What about my solution for the bats, repurposed?
Protecting bats is impotent. Sure. But rather than close everything down, increase bat nesting opportunities. Make more bats.
In the Goode Olde Days, dovecots were everywhere.
Come up with a picturesque batcot, build 100,000 of them.
Do the same for artic terns.
PS You also need more bat food. Insects. Excellent idea that.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
Reeves would be in trouble if she'd given a rosier account of the nation's finances than the OBR in advance of the budget. The fact that she gave a gloomier account than the OBR means she, and Starmer, will ride this out easily.
She should, however, learn from this by shutting the fuck up in advance of her next budget. The 'leaks' did her no favours, not did the early morning speech a few weeks ago.
That people made life-changing decisions off the back of the leaks and rumours isn’t a myth.
I’ve had three separate conversations with newcomers to my part of the world in the past month. The brain drain is real, it’s fuelled in large numbers by student loan repayments and graduate unemployment, and in small numbers by relocations to avoid potential “wealth” taxes. The latter only need to be small numbers though, each one taking 7-8-9 figures out of British jurisdiction.
9 figures? How many people do you know who pay over 100,000,000 in taxes?
Quite. In any case it's a fool's errand to try to attract and keep people with extremely mobile bank accounts - who can deem themselves to live in the Canary Islands or wherever at the drop of a hat. People who genuinely live in the UK and uproot themselves to go and genuinely live in Andorra because of a rumoured tax increase taking effect in a couple of years...well, I'd be surprised if it was double figures.
One thing about immigration is that the immigrants are used to moving about. In my office quite a lot are looking at moving to other offices in the same bank. In other countries. To them, it's a visa change - why shouldn't they?
Did anyone listen to the Starmer speech (beyond my capacity to endure, I admit) ?
I see from reports of it that he did mention nuclear regulation, but did he really go this far ? (I am sceptical.)
The Prime Minister spoke about the Taskforce on Nuclear Energy today:
"Exactly a week ago, John Fingleton reported on our nuclear industry. He found that pointless gold plating, unnecessary red tape, well intentioned but fundamentally misguided environmental regulations, and, I quote – it's quite a stark quote, he said – "a mindset that favours process over outcome" has all made Britain the most expensive place to build nuclear power.
"Now, I agree with him. In fact, I would go further. Because the truth is we see that story repeated again and again right across our economy. For years Britain did not have a proper industrial strategy. For years it cut public investment. For years it did not have a planning framework or frankly a government that would quickly approve new railways, new tramlines, data centres, laboratories, power stations, wind farms, even whole towns.
"So, guided by a simple truth, that rooting out excessive costs in every corner of our economy is an essential step to cutting the cost of living, and creating more dynamic markets for business, we will also clear the path for British business.
"And therefore, in addition to accepting the Fingleton recommendations, I'm asking the Business Secretary to apply these lessons across the entire industrial strategy."
The point about process over outcome is key. Our report is about achieving better outcomes for safety and the environment, which can be done at much lower cost if we get the regulatory framework right.
I would like to thank my fellow Taskforce members and the hard-working team of civil servants who supported us in this review.
I am also grateful to all those who responded very positively to our recommendations. There is a huge appetite for change. Implementation will require tough decisions and hard-work, so it is good to know that there a huge public appetite for change.
For those who have not seen it, the report is available below.
Now, were they actually to adopt every recommendation in the report, it would make a very large difference to costs and timescales. Applied more broadly, and applied effectively, it might even make a significant difference to UK competitiveness.
The problem is that it's swimming in mud (Where's @JosiasJessop when you need him?), to try and change things.
The UK system, from top to bottom is in love with Process. Not outcomes.
And they will deploy the Deadly Argument at every step - that reducing Process is an attack on Human Rights! Security implications! Foreign powers, national interests. We have to consult our allies, top brass. NATO, SEATO, Moscow!
Starmer accepts the Fingleton Review *and* pledges to extend it to other infrastructure: data centres, railways, tramways, towns, labs, and more.
Massive, and a big shift from the Treasury's equivocation. Implementation will be a big battle, but we can win.
(It was an excellent header, btw.)
Just to be clear, this is the best thing Starmer has done as PM, by a long way.
It should be welcomed; he should be praised for it: and watched like a hawk to make sure he delivers.
I really welcome this and he now needs to deliver, and do something about the Aarhus convention too which allows multiple vexatious complaints with the complainants free of the financial consequence.
But this is a fantastic move if he delivers. It’s a big ‘if’ as they’ve spent 16 months talking the talk. They have yet to walk the walk.
Yes, he's fooled us once on housebuilding. Just didn't happen. Whether that was Rayner being in charge of it, or inexperience in government, or just that they weren't serious about it, is anyone's guess. It doesn't really matter much though; they failed.
Still, we'll know if they're actually serious about this, well before the May elections. Or it isn't happening.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
You have voting at the age of 8 in England? Jings!
Did anyone listen to the Starmer speech (beyond my capacity to endure, I admit) ?
I see from reports of it that he did mention nuclear regulation, but did he really go this far ? (I am sceptical.)
The Prime Minister spoke about the Taskforce on Nuclear Energy today:
"Exactly a week ago, John Fingleton reported on our nuclear industry. He found that pointless gold plating, unnecessary red tape, well intentioned but fundamentally misguided environmental regulations, and, I quote – it's quite a stark quote, he said – "a mindset that favours process over outcome" has all made Britain the most expensive place to build nuclear power.
"Now, I agree with him. In fact, I would go further. Because the truth is we see that story repeated again and again right across our economy. For years Britain did not have a proper industrial strategy. For years it cut public investment. For years it did not have a planning framework or frankly a government that would quickly approve new railways, new tramlines, data centres, laboratories, power stations, wind farms, even whole towns.
"So, guided by a simple truth, that rooting out excessive costs in every corner of our economy is an essential step to cutting the cost of living, and creating more dynamic markets for business, we will also clear the path for British business.
"And therefore, in addition to accepting the Fingleton recommendations, I'm asking the Business Secretary to apply these lessons across the entire industrial strategy."
The point about process over outcome is key. Our report is about achieving better outcomes for safety and the environment, which can be done at much lower cost if we get the regulatory framework right.
I would like to thank my fellow Taskforce members and the hard-working team of civil servants who supported us in this review.
I am also grateful to all those who responded very positively to our recommendations. There is a huge appetite for change. Implementation will require tough decisions and hard-work, so it is good to know that there a huge public appetite for change.
For those who have not seen it, the report is available below.
Now, were they actually to adopt every recommendation in the report, it would make a very large difference to costs and timescales. Applied more broadly, and applied effectively, it might even make a significant difference to UK competitiveness.
The problem is that it's swimming in mud (Where's @JosiasJessop when you need him?), to try and change things.
The UK system, from top to bottom is in love with Process. Not outcomes.
And they will deploy the Deadly Argument at every step - that reducing Process is an attack on Human Rights! Security implications! Foreign powers, national interests. We have to consult our allies, top brass. NATO, SEATO, Moscow!
Artic Terns problem for Anglesey nuclear development?
Rare birds threaten to scupper Starmer’s mini nuclear revolution
Arctic Terns are not of great concern in conservation terms. There are quite a few of them. But their migration pattern is extraordinary and worthy of giving them considerable respect. As TS Eliot would say they 'go south in the winter' and do about 30,000 miles a year. I say hi to a few occasionally on Mull, taking my hat off to them.
Globally, maybe not. But they were placed on the UK Conservation Red List last year.
From RSPB:
"A review of the status of the UK’s breeding seabird populations has seen five species added to the Red list of highest conservation concern. Arctic Tern, Leach’s Storm-petrel, Common Gull and Great Black-backed Gull join other seabird species such as Puffin because of severe population declines driven by multiple pressures, in particular climate change impacts, invasive predators and lack of food. In addition, ‘bird flu’ (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza or HPAI) has caused population declines in several other seabird species and has led to Great Skua being added to the Red list."
Did anyone listen to the Starmer speech (beyond my capacity to endure, I admit) ?
I see from reports of it that he did mention nuclear regulation, but did he really go this far ? (I am sceptical.)
The Prime Minister spoke about the Taskforce on Nuclear Energy today:
"Exactly a week ago, John Fingleton reported on our nuclear industry. He found that pointless gold plating, unnecessary red tape, well intentioned but fundamentally misguided environmental regulations, and, I quote – it's quite a stark quote, he said – "a mindset that favours process over outcome" has all made Britain the most expensive place to build nuclear power.
"Now, I agree with him. In fact, I would go further. Because the truth is we see that story repeated again and again right across our economy. For years Britain did not have a proper industrial strategy. For years it cut public investment. For years it did not have a planning framework or frankly a government that would quickly approve new railways, new tramlines, data centres, laboratories, power stations, wind farms, even whole towns.
"So, guided by a simple truth, that rooting out excessive costs in every corner of our economy is an essential step to cutting the cost of living, and creating more dynamic markets for business, we will also clear the path for British business.
"And therefore, in addition to accepting the Fingleton recommendations, I'm asking the Business Secretary to apply these lessons across the entire industrial strategy."
The point about process over outcome is key. Our report is about achieving better outcomes for safety and the environment, which can be done at much lower cost if we get the regulatory framework right.
I would like to thank my fellow Taskforce members and the hard-working team of civil servants who supported us in this review.
I am also grateful to all those who responded very positively to our recommendations. There is a huge appetite for change. Implementation will require tough decisions and hard-work, so it is good to know that there a huge public appetite for change.
For those who have not seen it, the report is available below.
Now, were they actually to adopt every recommendation in the report, it would make a very large difference to costs and timescales. Applied more broadly, and applied effectively, it might even make a significant difference to UK competitiveness.
The problem is that it's swimming in mud (Where's @JosiasJessop when you need him?), to try and change things.
The UK system, from top to bottom is in love with Process. Not outcomes.
And they will deploy the Deadly Argument at every step - that reducing Process is an attack on Human Rights! Security implications! Foreign powers, national interests. We have to consult our allies, top brass. NATO, SEATO, Moscow!
Starmer accepts the Fingleton Review *and* pledges to extend it to other infrastructure: data centres, railways, tramways, towns, labs, and more.
Massive, and a big shift from the Treasury's equivocation. Implementation will be a big battle, but we can win.
(It was an excellent header, btw.)
Just to be clear, this is the best thing Starmer has done as PM, by a long way.
It should be welcomed; he should be praised for it: and watched like a hawk to make sure he delivers.
I really welcome this and he now needs to deliver, and do something about the Aarhus convention too which allows multiple vexatious complaints with the complainants free of the financial consequence.
But this is a fantastic move if he delivers. It’s a big ‘if’ as they’ve spent 16 months talking the talk. They have yet to walk the walk.
Yes, he's fooled us once on housebuilding. Just didn't happen. Whether that was Rayner being in charge of it, or inexperience in government, or just that they weren't serious about it, is anyone's guess. It doesn't really matter much though; they failed.
Still, we'll know if they're actually serious about this, well before the May elections. Or it isn't happening.
On housebuilding I just think they over promised. Which is odd really, as they were very keen not to promise much with the Ming Vase strategy.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
Are you out of breath, HYUFD? Because that's a lot of jumping to conclusions you were doing there.
So why did she lie to her Cabinet colleagues and why did Starmer connive in that lie?
I think the answer is reasonably straightforward. She was trying to prevent a series of claims for more money from the Cabinet and the back benches. She was trying to find enough leverage to at least cut the rate of growth of spending, even if it was beyond her party to actually make cuts as were required. She also found the run up to this budget deeply frustrating with every month's figures threatening to knock her off course or back on again. She wanted a buffer in future budgets because it would make it look like she was more in control rather than being tossed around like an autumn leaf in a storm.
All of which is quite sensible, really. There are two problems, firstly a Labour party which still cannot accept the idea of austerity because they remain hooked on the fantasy that this was a Tory "choice" and secondly a top team of Chancellor and PM who are simply dishonest and cannot be trusted. There will be a price to pay for both.
Good morning
Austerity is living within your means
Labour have no idea how to achieve that
Neither, in all fairness, did the Conservatives when in Government.
No one has come up with a coherent and politically practical approach to getting borrowing down substantially - all we can do in the short term is slow the train. Talk of cutting £100 billion from benefits, as espoused by one or two on here, isn't going to happen even with Kemi Badenoch in charge.
I'd love to hear an alternative approach which makes sense but, as with the "small boats" (remember them?), there isn't an easy answer.
You need to do it gradually. It took Osborne 9 years to eliminate the huge structural deficit that he inherited. He managed to keep the economy growing, somewhat slowly, throughout that period by carefully calibrating the reduction each year. After Covid and Ukraine things are nearly as bad as they were in 2010 and we are starting with more than double the debt we had then as a share of GDP. It will take time, patience and skill, some things we seem to lack. A budget that actually increased borrowing for the next 3 years was a seriously bad step in the wrong direction. More debt is the last thing we need.
He added £555bn to the national debt, and lied about 'paying down the debt'.
Well, as I said you need to reduce a deficit gradually. If you try to do it all at once the economy collapses. This is why the Reform platform is an absurd joke. That gradualism meant that the borrowing did not stop in 2010, it continued all the way to 2019. And, when you think about it, if you are right about your £555bn, that is an average of £61bn a year. Reeves would give her eye teeth for that as would Sunak have.
I’m not sure what the reform platform is now. They seem to have rowed back from their ludicrous manifesto promises.
Tactically to get elected they should a Starmer and make very limited promises, just focus on Labour aren't working and we can fix migration.
If they want to actually govern well, rather than just get elected, they will be disappointed regardless, so may as well just focus on getting elected.
They tried the former with the local elections with mixed results so far. Some counties, like Kent, seem shambolic. They don’t seem to be too bad in Durham so far.
I haven't noticed any difference, although I am in one of the only non Reform wards and I'm not really paying any attention anyway.
They have a very interesting airports policy.
Genuine question: is the Durham micro-congestion charge still in place?
Yes. I'm not really sure who it affects, as you say it's a micro area that it's hard to see any reason to drive there unless you're one of the few non-student residents who I assume have a discount, are significantly disabled to the extent you can't use the bus (who I assume also have a discount) or are delivering stuff (but it only operates at certain times of day).
My entirely parochial interest is that I will support a nuclear strike if they try and name it after Robin Hood.
(Update: I've got my Councils confused, haven't I ? The airport I am thinking of is "Doncaster Sheffield Airport", and the ructions about that are on Doncaster Council.)
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
I've never been one of those people who thinks that all Tories are child eating bastards or that everyone on the political left is a wonderful human being - I've seen too many counterexamples on both sides. But I do think that those on the political right are a bit more likely to have a mental hierarchy of human worth lurking somewhere in the back of their mind - the strivers versus the shirkers, Thatcher's 'our people' versus the 'enemy within' , the wealth creators versus those sleeping off a life on benefits, the white British versus the rest. Once you have that kind of hierarchy in place it's rather easier to start treating other people like you are better than them. If you remember that we are all equal in the eyes of God and to treat others how you would wish to be treated then you should be okay. And this kind of mindset is I think a little more consistent with voting left than right, overall.
There is a lot of us v them, on parts of the left, but it tends to be a self-righteous hatred, rather than a hatred founded upon social snobbery.
Oppressor v Oppressed, Gammon v Progressive, Employer v Worker, Zionist v Palestinian etc.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
If he's a student he's probably only been able to vote for a couple of years.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
If he's a student he's probably only be able to vote for a couple of years.
Since he has been able to vote 90% likely he voted Labour or Green
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
I've never been one of those people who thinks that all Tories are child eating bastards or that everyone on the political left is a wonderful human being - I've seen too many counterexamples on both sides. But I do think that those on the political right are a bit more likely to have a mental hierarchy of human worth lurking somewhere in the back of their mind - the strivers versus the shirkers, Thatcher's 'our people' versus the 'enemy within' , the wealth creators versus those sleeping off a life on benefits, the white British versus the rest. Once you have that kind of hierarchy in place it's rather easier to start treating other people like you are better than them. If you remember that we are all equal in the eyes of God and to treat others how you would wish to be treated then you should be okay. And this kind of mindset is I think a little more consistent with voting left than right, overall.
There is a lot of us v them, on parts of the left, but it tends to be a self-righteous hatred, rather than a hatred founded upon social snobbery.
Oppressor v Oppressed, Gammon v Progressive, Employer v Worker, Zionist v Palestinian etc.
Left liberals and most socialists tend to be intellectual snobs, conservatives tend to be social and wealth and income snobs, British nationalists tend to be often hostile to non whites and non British natives, social conservatives are sometimes still hostile to the LGBT community and unmarried, Scottish and Welsh and Irish nationalists are often hostile to the English. So pick your prejudice to match your political ideology!
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
1) He was not 'asked to serve at a Tory do' - he was at work as usual. 2) The comment was one example, not the entirety of the behaviour 3) Endless whinge? No - a passing comment talking about our respective weekends.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
If he's a student he's probably only be able to vote for a couple of years.
Since he has been able to vote 90% likely he voted Labour or Green
Or LD if he's a Bath resident.
Incidentally, Mr HYUFD, how is your wife doing these days? Coming to terms with the situation I hope.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
1) He was not 'asked to serve at a Tory do' - he was at work as usual. 2) The comment was one example, not the entirety of the behaviour 3) Endless whinge? No - a passing comment talking about our respective weekends.
You have no case.
Yes, so his pay cheque required him to serve at the Tory do.
Please then show me other examples of the offensive language he allegedly heard from others?
Of course it was a whinge, he is clearly not a Tory or Reform voter and so would have been seeking out evidence to back his prejudice against rightwingers
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
If he's a student he's probably only be able to vote for a couple of years.
Since he has been able to vote 90% likely he voted Labour or Green
Or LD if he's a Bath resident.
Incidentally, Mr HYUFD, how is your wife doing these days? Coming to terms with the situation I hope.
Or LD but only as a tactical vote, she is managing, on leave until January, thanks for asking
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
1) He was not 'asked to serve at a Tory do' - he was at work as usual. 2) The comment was one example, not the entirety of the behaviour 3) Endless whinge? No - a passing comment talking about our respective weekends.
You have no case.
Yes, so his pay cheque required him to serve at the Tory do.
Please then show me other examples of the offensive language he allegedly heard from others?
Of course it was a whinge, he is clearly not a Tory or Reform voter and so would have been seeking out evidence to back his prejudice against rightwingers
I think I see what's happened. You must have been there. Because clearly you know a lot more about what happened than the person who was working there...
"he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you."
Are you working as a lawyer for the NHS Fife team by any chance? I've never seen quite so much over-reach and supposition in one paragraph before.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
If he's a student he's probably only be able to vote for a couple of years.
Since he has been able to vote 90% likely he voted Labour or Green
Or LD if he's a Bath resident.
Incidentally, Mr HYUFD, how is your wife doing these days? Coming to terms with the situation I hope.
Or LD but only as a tactical vote, she is managing, on leave until January, thanks for asking
Best wishes to you both, HY. Conscious that Christmas may be a challenging time for you.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
If he's a student he's probably only be able to vote for a couple of years.
Since he has been able to vote 90% likely he voted Labour or Green
Or LD if he's a Bath resident.
Incidentally, Mr HYUFD, how is your wife doing these days? Coming to terms with the situation I hope.
Or LD but only as a tactical vote, she is managing, on leave until January, thanks for asking
Best wishes to you both, HY. Conscious that Christmas may be a challenging time for you.
Thanks. Yes, we are just having a quiet one this year in Dartmoor
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
1) He was not 'asked to serve at a Tory do' - he was at work as usual. 2) The comment was one example, not the entirety of the behaviour 3) Endless whinge? No - a passing comment talking about our respective weekends.
You have no case.
Yes, so his pay cheque required him to serve at the Tory do.
Please then show me other examples of the offensive language he allegedly heard from others?
Of course it was a whinge, he is clearly not a Tory or Reform voter and so would have been seeking out evidence to back his prejudice against rightwingers
I think I see what's happened. You must have been there. Because clearly you know a lot more about what happened than the person who was working there...
"he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you."
Are you working as a lawyer for the NHS Fife team by any chance? I've never seen quite so much over-reach and supposition in one paragraph before.
So anymore examples of awful language and behaviour from these obnoxious Bath Tory members other than the one member you already mentioned?
Did anyone listen to the Starmer speech (beyond my capacity to endure, I admit) ?
I see from reports of it that he did mention nuclear regulation, but did he really go this far ? (I am sceptical.)
The Prime Minister spoke about the Taskforce on Nuclear Energy today:
"Exactly a week ago, John Fingleton reported on our nuclear industry. He found that pointless gold plating, unnecessary red tape, well intentioned but fundamentally misguided environmental regulations, and, I quote – it's quite a stark quote, he said – "a mindset that favours process over outcome" has all made Britain the most expensive place to build nuclear power.
"Now, I agree with him. In fact, I would go further. Because the truth is we see that story repeated again and again right across our economy. For years Britain did not have a proper industrial strategy. For years it cut public investment. For years it did not have a planning framework or frankly a government that would quickly approve new railways, new tramlines, data centres, laboratories, power stations, wind farms, even whole towns.
"So, guided by a simple truth, that rooting out excessive costs in every corner of our economy is an essential step to cutting the cost of living, and creating more dynamic markets for business, we will also clear the path for British business.
"And therefore, in addition to accepting the Fingleton recommendations, I'm asking the Business Secretary to apply these lessons across the entire industrial strategy."
The point about process over outcome is key. Our report is about achieving better outcomes for safety and the environment, which can be done at much lower cost if we get the regulatory framework right.
I would like to thank my fellow Taskforce members and the hard-working team of civil servants who supported us in this review.
I am also grateful to all those who responded very positively to our recommendations. There is a huge appetite for change. Implementation will require tough decisions and hard-work, so it is good to know that there a huge public appetite for change.
For those who have not seen it, the report is available below.
Now, were they actually to adopt every recommendation in the report, it would make a very large difference to costs and timescales. Applied more broadly, and applied effectively, it might even make a significant difference to UK competitiveness.
As I said, I am extremely sceptical.
Hinckley point c is such an expensive disaster that it should kill uk nuclear power for a generation
Conservative party should be ashamed
I doubt it was the Conservative Party per se, rather the civil service and process state.
It was in 2007 that the then boss of EDF (UK) said that electricity from Hinkley Point C would be cooking turkeys for Christmas dinner in 2017. Eight years on from that date and the current expected completion date is somewhere between 2029 and 2031.
It's been such a long-running saga of delay that it started under the Labour government before the Coalition. I don't think anyone could credibly claim that the result would have been any different if there had been Labour Prime Ministers during the years 2010-2024. Both parties have presided over the same failings.
Former colleague worked there relatively recently, said that EDF had lost control of the contractors and that delays and costs will carry on escalating.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
If he's a student he's probably only be able to vote for a couple of years.
Since he has been able to vote 90% likely he voted Labour or Green
Or LD if he's a Bath resident.
Incidentally, Mr HYUFD, how is your wife doing these days? Coming to terms with the situation I hope.
Or LD but only as a tactical vote, she is managing, on leave until January, thanks for asking
Best wishes to you both, HY. Conscious that Christmas may be a challenging time for you.
Thanks. Yes, we are just having a quiet one this year in Dartmoor
One never gets over the loss of a child. Even when, as in our case the 'child' was an adult, with children of her own!
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
1) He was not 'asked to serve at a Tory do' - he was at work as usual. 2) The comment was one example, not the entirety of the behaviour 3) Endless whinge? No - a passing comment talking about our respective weekends.
You have no case.
Yes, so his pay cheque required him to serve at the Tory do.
Please then show me other examples of the offensive language he allegedly heard from others?
Of course it was a whinge, he is clearly not a Tory or Reform voter and so would have been seeking out evidence to back his prejudice against rightwingers
I think I see what's happened. You must have been there. Because clearly you know a lot more about what happened than the person who was working there...
"he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you."
Are you working as a lawyer for the NHS Fife team by any chance? I've never seen quite so much over-reach and supposition in one paragraph before.
So anymore examples of awful language and behaviour from these obnoxious Bath Tory members other than the one member you already mentioned?
I can get a list if you want. But I don't think it was just one example. You are being ridiculous. Student came to me and, unprompted, said how awful it was working at the event because of the behaviour. I have no wish to waste his and my time putting it on here. Suffice to say the hotel will not be having them back next year.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
If he's a student he's probably only be able to vote for a couple of years.
Since he has been able to vote 90% likely he voted Labour or Green
Or LD if he's a Bath resident.
Incidentally, Mr HYUFD, how is your wife doing these days? Coming to terms with the situation I hope.
Or LD but only as a tactical vote, she is managing, on leave until January, thanks for asking
Best wishes to you both, HY. Conscious that Christmas may be a challenging time for you.
Thanks. Yes, we are just having a quiet one this year in Dartmoor
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
1) He was not 'asked to serve at a Tory do' - he was at work as usual. 2) The comment was one example, not the entirety of the behaviour 3) Endless whinge? No - a passing comment talking about our respective weekends.
You have no case.
Yes, so his pay cheque required him to serve at the Tory do.
Please then show me other examples of the offensive language he allegedly heard from others?
Of course it was a whinge, he is clearly not a Tory or Reform voter and so would have been seeking out evidence to back his prejudice against rightwingers
I think I see what's happened. You must have been there. Because clearly you know a lot more about what happened than the person who was working there...
"he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you."
Are you working as a lawyer for the NHS Fife team by any chance? I've never seen quite so much over-reach and supposition in one paragraph before.
So anymore examples of awful language and behaviour from these obnoxious Bath Tory members other than the one member you already mentioned?
I can get a list if you want. But I don't think it was just one example. You are being ridiculous. Student came to me and, unprompted, said how awful it was working at the event because of the behaviour. I have no wish to waste his and my time putting it on here. Suffice to say the hotel will not be having them back next year.
The last sentence says all that needs to be said about the behaviour at the event!
"US and UK agree zero tariffs deal on pharmaceuticals"
Hard for the layman to know how much we got screwed here. Can anyone opine?
Others may (probably will) know better but my understanding is that neither side imports all that much from each other, but what is traded is expensive.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
If he's a student he's probably only be able to vote for a couple of years.
Since he has been able to vote 90% likely he voted Labour or Green
Or LD if he's a Bath resident.
Incidentally, Mr HYUFD, how is your wife doing these days? Coming to terms with the situation I hope.
Or LD but only as a tactical vote, she is managing, on leave until January, thanks for asking
Best wishes to you both, HY. Conscious that Christmas may be a challenging time for you.
Thanks. Yes, we are just having a quiet one this year in Dartmoor
One never gets over the loss of a child. Even when, as in our case the 'child' was an adult, with children of her own!
Indeed, you never do but you learn to manage and cope I suppose and sorry to hear about your child's bereavement too, even though they clearly lived a full life it was nonetheless sadly cut short.
For our part we have buried Theo's ashes in the Parish church near my parents with a nice view of the valley so at least convenient to visit
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
1) He was not 'asked to serve at a Tory do' - he was at work as usual. 2) The comment was one example, not the entirety of the behaviour 3) Endless whinge? No - a passing comment talking about our respective weekends.
You have no case.
Yes, so his pay cheque required him to serve at the Tory do.
Please then show me other examples of the offensive language he allegedly heard from others?
Of course it was a whinge, he is clearly not a Tory or Reform voter and so would have been seeking out evidence to back his prejudice against rightwingers
I think I see what's happened. You must have been there. Because clearly you know a lot more about what happened than the person who was working there...
"he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you."
Are you working as a lawyer for the NHS Fife team by any chance? I've never seen quite so much over-reach and supposition in one paragraph before.
So anymore examples of awful language and behaviour from these obnoxious Bath Tory members other than the one member you already mentioned?
I can get a list if you want. But I don't think it was just one example. You are being ridiculous. Student came to me and, unprompted, said how awful it was working at the event because of the behaviour. I have no wish to waste his and my time putting it on here. Suffice to say the hotel will not be having them back next year.
Provide the list then, statistically you are always likely to get one or two bad eggs at any big do
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
I've never been one of those people who thinks that all Tories are child eating bastards or that everyone on the political left is a wonderful human being - I've seen too many counterexamples on both sides. But I do think that those on the political right are a bit more likely to have a mental hierarchy of human worth lurking somewhere in the back of their mind - the strivers versus the shirkers, Thatcher's 'our people' versus the 'enemy within' , the wealth creators versus those sleeping off a life on benefits, the white British versus the rest. Once you have that kind of hierarchy in place it's rather easier to start treating other people like you are better than them. If you remember that we are all equal in the eyes of God and to treat others how you would wish to be treated then you should be okay. And this kind of mindset is I think a little more consistent with voting left than right, overall.
I'd say I'm broadly centre right and of the Cameron flavour. I thought the coalition was the best government in decades. But the behaviour of too many Tories just pisses me off. They seem to look down on people. I've had this in the past when I did bar work during my degree.
I have a horror of the extreme left for different reasons.
The extreme left are frequently quite vile and also notoriously stupid. Corbyn's main problem as Labour leader was that he thought there was a place for Trots in a broader coalition of the left with Labour, failing to realise how utterly toxic they are in every way.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
1) He was not 'asked to serve at a Tory do' - he was at work as usual. 2) The comment was one example, not the entirety of the behaviour 3) Endless whinge? No - a passing comment talking about our respective weekends.
You have no case.
Yes, so his pay cheque required him to serve at the Tory do.
Please then show me other examples of the offensive language he allegedly heard from others?
Of course it was a whinge, he is clearly not a Tory or Reform voter and so would have been seeking out evidence to back his prejudice against rightwingers
I think I see what's happened. You must have been there. Because clearly you know a lot more about what happened than the person who was working there...
"he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you."
Are you working as a lawyer for the NHS Fife team by any chance? I've never seen quite so much over-reach and supposition in one paragraph before.
So anymore examples of awful language and behaviour from these obnoxious Bath Tory members other than the one member you already mentioned?
I can get a list if you want. But I don't think it was just one example. You are being ridiculous. Student came to me and, unprompted, said how awful it was working at the event because of the behaviour. I have no wish to waste his and my time putting it on here. Suffice to say the hotel will not be having them back next year.
Provide the list then, statistically you are always likely to get one or two bad eggs at any big do
We had 250 people at our 50th, the venue said we were all lovely and they'd be glad to have us back any time. The £300 tip maybe helped. Not many Tories in attendance...
Did anyone listen to the Starmer speech (beyond my capacity to endure, I admit) ?
I see from reports of it that he did mention nuclear regulation, but did he really go this far ? (I am sceptical.)
The Prime Minister spoke about the Taskforce on Nuclear Energy today:
"Exactly a week ago, John Fingleton reported on our nuclear industry. He found that pointless gold plating, unnecessary red tape, well intentioned but fundamentally misguided environmental regulations, and, I quote – it's quite a stark quote, he said – "a mindset that favours process over outcome" has all made Britain the most expensive place to build nuclear power.
"Now, I agree with him. In fact, I would go further. Because the truth is we see that story repeated again and again right across our economy. For years Britain did not have a proper industrial strategy. For years it cut public investment. For years it did not have a planning framework or frankly a government that would quickly approve new railways, new tramlines, data centres, laboratories, power stations, wind farms, even whole towns.
"So, guided by a simple truth, that rooting out excessive costs in every corner of our economy is an essential step to cutting the cost of living, and creating more dynamic markets for business, we will also clear the path for British business.
"And therefore, in addition to accepting the Fingleton recommendations, I'm asking the Business Secretary to apply these lessons across the entire industrial strategy."
The point about process over outcome is key. Our report is about achieving better outcomes for safety and the environment, which can be done at much lower cost if we get the regulatory framework right.
I would like to thank my fellow Taskforce members and the hard-working team of civil servants who supported us in this review.
I am also grateful to all those who responded very positively to our recommendations. There is a huge appetite for change. Implementation will require tough decisions and hard-work, so it is good to know that there a huge public appetite for change.
For those who have not seen it, the report is available below.
Now, were they actually to adopt every recommendation in the report, it would make a very large difference to costs and timescales. Applied more broadly, and applied effectively, it might even make a significant difference to UK competitiveness.
As I said, I am extremely sceptical.
Hinckley point c is such an expensive disaster that it should kill uk nuclear power for a generation
Conservative party should be ashamed
I doubt it was the Conservative Party per se, rather the civil service and process state.
It was in 2007 that the then boss of EDF (UK) said that electricity from Hinkley Point C would be cooking turkeys for Christmas dinner in 2017. Eight years on from that date and the current expected completion date is somewhere between 2029 and 2031.
It's been such a long-running saga of delay that it started under the Labour government before the Coalition. I don't think anyone could credibly claim that the result would have been any different if there had been Labour Prime Ministers during the years 2010-2024. Both parties have presided over the same failings.
Former colleague worked there relatively recently, said that EDF had lost control of the contractors and that delays and costs will carry on escalating.
Oh good. That really bodes well for Sizewell C, currently ripping up the countryside round here. And I see that we're all going to have to pay a Sizewell C levy. What fun. There seems to be a real determination to race the Suffolk countryside, with Sizewell, Sealink, and bloody solar farms all over the shop.
Did anyone listen to the Starmer speech (beyond my capacity to endure, I admit) ?
I see from reports of it that he did mention nuclear regulation, but did he really go this far ? (I am sceptical.)
The Prime Minister spoke about the Taskforce on Nuclear Energy today:
"Exactly a week ago, John Fingleton reported on our nuclear industry. He found that pointless gold plating, unnecessary red tape, well intentioned but fundamentally misguided environmental regulations, and, I quote – it's quite a stark quote, he said – "a mindset that favours process over outcome" has all made Britain the most expensive place to build nuclear power.
"Now, I agree with him. In fact, I would go further. Because the truth is we see that story repeated again and again right across our economy. For years Britain did not have a proper industrial strategy. For years it cut public investment. For years it did not have a planning framework or frankly a government that would quickly approve new railways, new tramlines, data centres, laboratories, power stations, wind farms, even whole towns.
"So, guided by a simple truth, that rooting out excessive costs in every corner of our economy is an essential step to cutting the cost of living, and creating more dynamic markets for business, we will also clear the path for British business.
"And therefore, in addition to accepting the Fingleton recommendations, I'm asking the Business Secretary to apply these lessons across the entire industrial strategy."
The point about process over outcome is key. Our report is about achieving better outcomes for safety and the environment, which can be done at much lower cost if we get the regulatory framework right.
I would like to thank my fellow Taskforce members and the hard-working team of civil servants who supported us in this review.
I am also grateful to all those who responded very positively to our recommendations. There is a huge appetite for change. Implementation will require tough decisions and hard-work, so it is good to know that there a huge public appetite for change.
For those who have not seen it, the report is available below.
Now, were they actually to adopt every recommendation in the report, it would make a very large difference to costs and timescales. Applied more broadly, and applied effectively, it might even make a significant difference to UK competitiveness.
The problem is that it's swimming in mud (Where's @JosiasJessop when you need him?), to try and change things.
The UK system, from top to bottom is in love with Process. Not outcomes.
And they will deploy the Deadly Argument at every step - that reducing Process is an attack on Human Rights! Security implications! Foreign powers, national interests. We have to consult our allies, top brass. NATO, SEATO, Moscow!
Artic Terns problem for Anglesey nuclear development?
Rare birds threaten to scupper Starmer’s mini nuclear revolution
Arctic Terns are not of great concern in conservation terms. There are quite a few of them. But their migration pattern is extraordinary and worthy of giving them considerable respect. As TS Eliot would say they 'go south in the winter' and do about 30,000 miles a year. I say hi to a few occasionally on Mull, taking my hat off to them.
Best not to take your hat off to arctic terns during nesting season. They can be quite aggressive with their dive bombing.
Too right. Arctic skuas would also skua your head.
They would too!
I've been flown at by both Arctic skuas and bonxies (great skuas). Totally menacing. They are definitely best viewed from a safe distance...
Did anyone listen to the Starmer speech (beyond my capacity to endure, I admit) ?
I see from reports of it that he did mention nuclear regulation, but did he really go this far ? (I am sceptical.)
The Prime Minister spoke about the Taskforce on Nuclear Energy today:
"Exactly a week ago, John Fingleton reported on our nuclear industry. He found that pointless gold plating, unnecessary red tape, well intentioned but fundamentally misguided environmental regulations, and, I quote – it's quite a stark quote, he said – "a mindset that favours process over outcome" has all made Britain the most expensive place to build nuclear power.
"Now, I agree with him. In fact, I would go further. Because the truth is we see that story repeated again and again right across our economy. For years Britain did not have a proper industrial strategy. For years it cut public investment. For years it did not have a planning framework or frankly a government that would quickly approve new railways, new tramlines, data centres, laboratories, power stations, wind farms, even whole towns.
"So, guided by a simple truth, that rooting out excessive costs in every corner of our economy is an essential step to cutting the cost of living, and creating more dynamic markets for business, we will also clear the path for British business.
"And therefore, in addition to accepting the Fingleton recommendations, I'm asking the Business Secretary to apply these lessons across the entire industrial strategy."
The point about process over outcome is key. Our report is about achieving better outcomes for safety and the environment, which can be done at much lower cost if we get the regulatory framework right.
I would like to thank my fellow Taskforce members and the hard-working team of civil servants who supported us in this review.
I am also grateful to all those who responded very positively to our recommendations. There is a huge appetite for change. Implementation will require tough decisions and hard-work, so it is good to know that there a huge public appetite for change.
For those who have not seen it, the report is available below.
Now, were they actually to adopt every recommendation in the report, it would make a very large difference to costs and timescales. Applied more broadly, and applied effectively, it might even make a significant difference to UK competitiveness.
As I said, I am extremely sceptical.
Hinckley point c is such an expensive disaster that it should kill uk nuclear power for a generation
Conservative party should be ashamed
I doubt it was the Conservative Party per se, rather the civil service and process state.
It was in 2007 that the then boss of EDF (UK) said that electricity from Hinkley Point C would be cooking turkeys for Christmas dinner in 2017. Eight years on from that date and the current expected completion date is somewhere between 2029 and 2031.
It's been such a long-running saga of delay that it started under the Labour government before the Coalition. I don't think anyone could credibly claim that the result would have been any different if there had been Labour Prime Ministers during the years 2010-2024. Both parties have presided over the same failings.
Former colleague worked there relatively recently, said that EDF had lost control of the contractors and that delays and costs will carry on escalating.
Oh good. That really bodes well for Sizewell C, currently ripping up the countryside round here. And I see that we're all going to have to pay a Sizewell C levy. What fun. There seems to be a real determination to race the Suffolk countryside, with Sizewell, Sealink, and bloody solar farms all over the shop.
I don't get the "Solar Farms destroying the countryside thing" - some of them (such as the latest panels that a chap I know is putting in) don't even require footings. The frames are just weighted with concrete blocks in the corners. So not even a hole in the ground.
He's putting the power electronics in a shed like structure that sits on a concrete "raft" - it's actually a precast slab that was delivered by lorry, the shed bolted to it.
So, if you wanted to, the whole lot would be gone in couple of days. Apparently the sheep really like sheltering under the panels.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
I've never been one of those people who thinks that all Tories are child eating bastards or that everyone on the political left is a wonderful human being - I've seen too many counterexamples on both sides. But I do think that those on the political right are a bit more likely to have a mental hierarchy of human worth lurking somewhere in the back of their mind - the strivers versus the shirkers, Thatcher's 'our people' versus the 'enemy within' , the wealth creators versus those sleeping off a life on benefits, the white British versus the rest. Once you have that kind of hierarchy in place it's rather easier to start treating other people like you are better than them. If you remember that we are all equal in the eyes of God and to treat others how you would wish to be treated then you should be okay. And this kind of mindset is I think a little more consistent with voting left than right, overall.
I'd say I'm broadly centre right and of the Cameron flavour. I thought the coalition was the best government in decades. But the behaviour of too many Tories just pisses me off. They seem to look down on people. I've had this in the past when I did bar work during my degree.
I have a horror of the extreme left for different reasons.
The extreme left are frequently quite vile and also notoriously stupid. Corbyn's main problem as Labour leader was that he thought there was a place for Trots in a broader coalition of the left with Labour, failing to realise how utterly toxic they are in every way.
That's rather sweeping! I know loads of ageing (neo-) Marxists who are renowned for their unfailing courtesy, good humour and high intelligence. Maybe some younger Trots, not so much. How about substituting 'frequently...' for 'occasionally'?
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
I've never been one of those people who thinks that all Tories are child eating bastards or that everyone on the political left is a wonderful human being - I've seen too many counterexamples on both sides. But I do think that those on the political right are a bit more likely to have a mental hierarchy of human worth lurking somewhere in the back of their mind - the strivers versus the shirkers, Thatcher's 'our people' versus the 'enemy within' , the wealth creators versus those sleeping off a life on benefits, the white British versus the rest. Once you have that kind of hierarchy in place it's rather easier to start treating other people like you are better than them. If you remember that we are all equal in the eyes of God and to treat others how you would wish to be treated then you should be okay. And this kind of mindset is I think a little more consistent with voting left than right, overall.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
I've never been one of those people who thinks that all Tories are child eating bastards or that everyone on the political left is a wonderful human being - I've seen too many counterexamples on both sides. But I do think that those on the political right are a bit more likely to have a mental hierarchy of human worth lurking somewhere in the back of their mind - the strivers versus the shirkers, Thatcher's 'our people' versus the 'enemy within' , the wealth creators versus those sleeping off a life on benefits, the white British versus the rest. Once you have that kind of hierarchy in place it's rather easier to start treating other people like you are better than them. If you remember that we are all equal in the eyes of God and to treat others how you would wish to be treated then you should be okay. And this kind of mindset is I think a little more consistent with voting left than right, overall.
I'd say I'm broadly centre right and of the Cameron flavour. I thought the coalition was the best government in decades. But the behaviour of too many Tories just pisses me off. They seem to look down on people. I've had this in the past when I did bar work during my degree.
I have a horror of the extreme left for different reasons.
The extreme left are frequently quite vile and also notoriously stupid. Corbyn's main problem as Labour leader was that he thought there was a place for Trots in a broader coalition of the left with Labour, failing to realise how utterly toxic they are in every way.
That's rather sweeping! I know loads of ageing (neo-) Marxists who are renowned for their unfailing courtesy, good humour and high intelligence. Maybe some younger Trots, not so much. How about substituting 'frequently...' for 'occasionally'?
Having dealt with the ultra-left - the courtesy falls off, a lot, when they get challenged on something they hold dear.
"US and UK agree zero tariffs deal on pharmaceuticals"
Hard for the layman to know how much we got screwed here. Can anyone opine?
Zero tariffs on UK pharmaceutical exports to the USA but higher prices for US drugs in the NHS
As I posted, I don't think we import many pharmaceuticals from the US; it's more a few very expensive items.
"The UK will also increase the overall amount the NHS spends on medicines, with a target to increase that spending from 0.3% of GDP to 0.6% of GDP over the next 10 years."
hmmmmmmm
To me that sounds nuts. You don't target increases in spending. You target improvements in outcome.
Did anyone listen to the Starmer speech (beyond my capacity to endure, I admit) ?
I see from reports of it that he did mention nuclear regulation, but did he really go this far ? (I am sceptical.)
The Prime Minister spoke about the Taskforce on Nuclear Energy today:
"Exactly a week ago, John Fingleton reported on our nuclear industry. He found that pointless gold plating, unnecessary red tape, well intentioned but fundamentally misguided environmental regulations, and, I quote – it's quite a stark quote, he said – "a mindset that favours process over outcome" has all made Britain the most expensive place to build nuclear power.
"Now, I agree with him. In fact, I would go further. Because the truth is we see that story repeated again and again right across our economy. For years Britain did not have a proper industrial strategy. For years it cut public investment. For years it did not have a planning framework or frankly a government that would quickly approve new railways, new tramlines, data centres, laboratories, power stations, wind farms, even whole towns.
"So, guided by a simple truth, that rooting out excessive costs in every corner of our economy is an essential step to cutting the cost of living, and creating more dynamic markets for business, we will also clear the path for British business.
"And therefore, in addition to accepting the Fingleton recommendations, I'm asking the Business Secretary to apply these lessons across the entire industrial strategy."
The point about process over outcome is key. Our report is about achieving better outcomes for safety and the environment, which can be done at much lower cost if we get the regulatory framework right.
I would like to thank my fellow Taskforce members and the hard-working team of civil servants who supported us in this review.
I am also grateful to all those who responded very positively to our recommendations. There is a huge appetite for change. Implementation will require tough decisions and hard-work, so it is good to know that there a huge public appetite for change.
For those who have not seen it, the report is available below.
Now, were they actually to adopt every recommendation in the report, it would make a very large difference to costs and timescales. Applied more broadly, and applied effectively, it might even make a significant difference to UK competitiveness.
As I said, I am extremely sceptical.
Hinckley point c is such an expensive disaster that it should kill uk nuclear power for a generation
Conservative party should be ashamed
I doubt it was the Conservative Party per se, rather the civil service and process state.
It was in 2007 that the then boss of EDF (UK) said that electricity from Hinkley Point C would be cooking turkeys for Christmas dinner in 2017. Eight years on from that date and the current expected completion date is somewhere between 2029 and 2031.
It's been such a long-running saga of delay that it started under the Labour government before the Coalition. I don't think anyone could credibly claim that the result would have been any different if there had been Labour Prime Ministers during the years 2010-2024. Both parties have presided over the same failings.
Former colleague worked there relatively recently, said that EDF had lost control of the contractors and that delays and costs will carry on escalating.
Oh good. That really bodes well for Sizewell C, currently ripping up the countryside round here. And I see that we're all going to have to pay a Sizewell C levy. What fun. There seems to be a real determination to race the Suffolk countryside, with Sizewell, Sealink, and bloody solar farms all over the shop.
Can have political consequences. I noticed when I was last in that area a few years ago, a lot of Green Party posters - it was during the local elections. I imagine that it will have contributed to the election of a Green MP for Waveney Valley which is quite near there. The actual seat that hosts Sizewell went Labour.
"Plans to ban passengers from a peak train service between Manchester and London have been abandoned after a U-turn by the government's rail safety regulator.
The Office of Road and Rail (ORR) reversed its decision to run the 07:00 GMT Avanti West Coast service from Manchester Piccadilly to London without passengers after a public backlash."
Years ago, I read about a California firm which would find an endangered species for you -- if you wanted to block a development, for whatever reason.
Doesn't work. Species are too linked to their habitats. Anyone claiming to find a dipper in a lake would be regarded with considerable suspicion, for instance. Not that it would stay. The animals'd just clear off to somewhere nicer, so no good. And botanists have for centuries been sensitised to the problem of fake records.
Years ago, I read about a California firm which would find an endangered species for you -- if you wanted to block a development, for whatever reason.
That happened here.
There are consultancies offering NIMBY packages - lawfare, prepackaged setups for campaign groups etc. They will even tell you upfront that you can only delay a project, not stop it.
On the endangered animal stuff - a very stupid lady dumped some newts she had bought at a pet shop at a development in the London commuter belt. Tropical newts, IIRC. She got caught and is being threatened with prosecution - invasive species etc.
Years ago, I read about a California firm which would find an endangered species for you -- if you wanted to block a development, for whatever reason.
Great crested newts are good for that. Developers hate them. I love them.
I'd watch out. Developers have got wise to people dropping off wildlife. Hidden cameras. Then you get charged for mucking around with endangered species, invasive species etc.
"Plans to ban passengers from a peak train service between Manchester and London have been abandoned after a U-turn by the government's rail safety regulator.
The Office of Road and Rail (ORR) reversed its decision to run the 07:00 GMT Avanti West Coast service from Manchester Piccadilly to London without passengers after a public backlash."
Power to the people!
Talking about regulators, someone needs to put another rocket under the OfWat. My daughter in Tunbridge Wells has been without water for days when South East Water overdid the chemical dosing of the supply.
"Plans to ban passengers from a peak train service between Manchester and London have been abandoned after a U-turn by the government's rail safety regulator.
The Office of Road and Rail (ORR) reversed its decision to run the 07:00 GMT Avanti West Coast service from Manchester Piccadilly to London without passengers after a public backlash."
Power to the people!
Wasn't that perhaps because the "ration" of passengers was taken over by one of those firms which thinks it should be allowed to push the fimr that's rented the route aside and pick and choose when to run, usually a prize slot in the timetable and diagram? But I am not informed on this, so would be interested to know your view.
"Plans to ban passengers from a peak train service between Manchester and London have been abandoned after a U-turn by the government's rail safety regulator.
The Office of Road and Rail (ORR) reversed its decision to run the 07:00 GMT Avanti West Coast service from Manchester Piccadilly to London without passengers after a public backlash."
Power to the people!
Talking about regulators, someone needs to put another rocket under the OfWat. My daughter in Tunbridge Wells has been without water for days when South East Water overdid the chemical dosing of the supply.
She's disgusted.
Did any retired Colonel’s write to the local paper ?
"Plans to ban passengers from a peak train service between Manchester and London have been abandoned after a U-turn by the government's rail safety regulator.
The Office of Road and Rail (ORR) reversed its decision to run the 07:00 GMT Avanti West Coast service from Manchester Piccadilly to London without passengers after a public backlash."
Power to the people!
Talking about regulators, someone needs to put another rocket under the OfWat. My daughter in Tunbridge Wells has been without water for days when South East Water overdid the chemical dosing of the supply.
She's disgusted.
Did any retired Colonel’s write to the local paper ?
TBF not a joke if it happens - the Camelford incident is quite frightening. Worst British poisoning event, at least as a single event.
"Plans to ban passengers from a peak train service between Manchester and London have been abandoned after a U-turn by the government's rail safety regulator.
The Office of Road and Rail (ORR) reversed its decision to run the 07:00 GMT Avanti West Coast service from Manchester Piccadilly to London without passengers after a public backlash."
Power to the people!
Talking about regulators, someone needs to put another rocket under the OfWat. My daughter in Tunbridge Wells has been without water for days when South East Water overdid the chemical dosing of the supply.
She's disgusted.
Did any retired Colonel’s write to the local paper ?
Ha
I worked with an Indian developer a few years back. Had been in the reserve military in India. Lived near Tunbridge Wells. He used to joke that he wished he'd kept up the reserve thing. So, when he retired, he could write letters to The Times signed - "X, Col. Indian Army, Retired"
"If Kemi Badenoch carries on like this, she’ll be elected prime minister
The leader of the Conservative Party has rediscovered a clarity and verve that will have Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, and even Nigel Farage worried, says Emily Sheffield"
Years ago, I read about a California firm which would find an endangered species for you -- if you wanted to block a development, for whatever reason.
That happened here.
There are consultancies offering NIMBY packages - lawfare, prepackaged setups for campaign groups etc. They will even tell you upfront that you can only delay a project, not stop it.
On the endangered animal stuff - a very stupid lady dumped some newts she had bought at a pet shop at a development in the London commuter belt. Tropical newts, IIRC. She got caught and is being threatened with prosecution - invasive species etc.
Good.
Fuck her. She deserves the full force of the law and the consequences of her actions.
Years ago, I read about a California firm which would find an endangered species for you -- if you wanted to block a development, for whatever reason.
That happened here.
There are consultancies offering NIMBY packages - lawfare, prepackaged setups for campaign groups etc. They will even tell you upfront that you can only delay a project, not stop it.
On the endangered animal stuff - a very stupid lady dumped some newts she had bought at a pet shop at a development in the London commuter belt. Tropical newts, IIRC. She got caught and is being threatened with prosecution - invasive species etc.
OTOH developers play games too. I've seen them put up nets over hedges in the winter to stop birds breeding. Survey in the spring finds nothing. Bang it into the planning permission. Result!
Also know of a case where the survey was carefully made in midwinter or something - completely missed a major breeding colony of a bird species. But Result again!
"Plans to ban passengers from a peak train service between Manchester and London have been abandoned after a U-turn by the government's rail safety regulator.
The Office of Road and Rail (ORR) reversed its decision to run the 07:00 GMT Avanti West Coast service from Manchester Piccadilly to London without passengers after a public backlash."
Power to the people!
Talking about regulators, someone needs to put another rocket under the OfWat. My daughter in Tunbridge Wells has been without water for days when South East Water overdid the chemical dosing of the supply.
She's disgusted.
Did any retired Colonel’s write to the local paper ?
TBF not a joke if it happens - the Camelford incident is quite frightening. Worst British poisoning event, at least as a single event.
"Plans to ban passengers from a peak train service between Manchester and London have been abandoned after a U-turn by the government's rail safety regulator.
The Office of Road and Rail (ORR) reversed its decision to run the 07:00 GMT Avanti West Coast service from Manchester Piccadilly to London without passengers after a public backlash."
Power to the people!
Talking about regulators, someone needs to put another rocket under the OfWat. My daughter in Tunbridge Wells has been without water for days when South East Water overdid the chemical dosing of the supply.
She's disgusted.
Did any retired Colonel’s write to the local paper ?
TBF not a joke if it happens - the Camelford incident is quite frightening. Worst British poisoning event, at least as a single event.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
1) He was not 'asked to serve at a Tory do' - he was at work as usual. 2) The comment was one example, not the entirety of the behaviour 3) Endless whinge? No - a passing comment talking about our respective weekends.
You have no case.
Yes, so his pay cheque required him to serve at the Tory do.
Please then show me other examples of the offensive language he allegedly heard from others?
Of course it was a whinge, he is clearly not a Tory or Reform voter and so would have been seeking out evidence to back his prejudice against rightwingers
I think I see what's happened. You must have been there. Because clearly you know a lot more about what happened than the person who was working there...
"he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you."
Are you working as a lawyer for the NHS Fife team by any chance? I've never seen quite so much over-reach and supposition in one paragraph before.
So anymore examples of awful language and behaviour from these obnoxious Bath Tory members other than the one member you already mentioned?
I think that for any member of staff to be called a retard, the relationship has gone very wrong, quite possibly on both sides. Even if 'retard' springs too readily to someone's lips, it is hardly going to have been a response to 'Good evening let me show you to your table.'. You're hearing half the story, and making a massive sweeping judgement.
Anecdote - Why is the Tory party so full of shits and wankers?
One of my students works in a Bath hotel. Played host to the local Tory party Christmas do. Poor behaviour all round - called a member of staff 'a retard'.
That's one student never voting Tory.
Not excusing the behaviour of the member who used 'retard' as an insult but that student was clearly anti Tory beforehand i suspect and would never have voted Tory anyway. Bath is also a seat the Tories failed to even win in 2019 when they won a landslide UK wide
You have zero evidence for the bit in bold. Zero. The student brought the story up un prompted when he saw me today.
Of course I do, he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
1) He was not 'asked to serve at a Tory do' - he was at work as usual. 2) The comment was one example, not the entirety of the behaviour 3) Endless whinge? No - a passing comment talking about our respective weekends.
You have no case.
Yes, so his pay cheque required him to serve at the Tory do.
Please then show me other examples of the offensive language he allegedly heard from others?
Of course it was a whinge, he is clearly not a Tory or Reform voter and so would have been seeking out evidence to back his prejudice against rightwingers
I think I see what's happened. You must have been there. Because clearly you know a lot more about what happened than the person who was working there...
"he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you."
Are you working as a lawyer for the NHS Fife team by any chance? I've never seen quite so much over-reach and supposition in one paragraph before.
So anymore examples of awful language and behaviour from these obnoxious Bath Tory members other than the one member you already mentioned?
I can get a list if you want. But I don't think it was just one example. You are being ridiculous. Student came to me and, unprompted, said how awful it was working at the event because of the behaviour. I have no wish to waste his and my time putting it on here. Suffice to say the hotel will not be having them back next year.
Provide the list then, statistically you are always likely to get one or two bad eggs at any big do
Tell you what - keep believing what you want and watch the Tories slide into history.
"If Kemi Badenoch carries on like this, she’ll be elected prime minister
The leader of the Conservative Party has rediscovered a clarity and verve that will have Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, and even Nigel Farage worried, says Emily Sheffield"
"Plans to ban passengers from a peak train service between Manchester and London have been abandoned after a U-turn by the government's rail safety regulator.
The Office of Road and Rail (ORR) reversed its decision to run the 07:00 GMT Avanti West Coast service from Manchester Piccadilly to London without passengers after a public backlash."
Power to the people!
Wasn't that perhaps because the "ration" of passengers was taken over by one of those firms which thinks it should be allowed to push the fimr that's rented the route aside and pick and choose when to run, usually a prize slot in the timetable and diagram? But I am not informed on this, so would be interested to know your view.
Yes. Some cowboy operator is running trains from a few shacks in Scotland to "meet untapped demand"...
... and just happen to also pick up passengers in Carlisle, Preston and Milton Keynes.
"US and UK agree zero tariffs deal on pharmaceuticals"
Hard for the layman to know how much we got screwed here. Can anyone opine?
Zero tariffs on UK pharmaceutical exports to the USA but higher prices for US drugs in the NHS
As I posted, I don't think we import many pharmaceuticals from the US; it's more a few very expensive items.
"The UK will also increase the overall amount the NHS spends on medicines, with a target to increase that spending from 0.3% of GDP to 0.6% of GDP over the next 10 years."
hmmmmmmm
To me that sounds nuts. You don't target increases in spending. You target improvements in outcome.
Mounjaro and a lot of biologics come from the USA.
But its just about letting Trump pretend he has struck a deal. Our pharmacists will buy alternatives from elsewhere if cheaper.
"If Kemi Badenoch carries on like this, she’ll be elected prime minister
The leader of the Conservative Party has rediscovered a clarity and verve that will have Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, and even Nigel Farage worried, says Emily Sheffield"
Look, I rather like Kemi, and I think when she brings her A-Game she can be very good indeed. But making an (admittedly excellent) speech in the HOC does not a future PM make.
She needs credible policies, a unified party, a strong team, and a plan. And she needs to exorcise the ghost of the previous Tory government.
- she’s started on the road towards articulating an alternative economic vision, but that is far from firmed-up and I see little that suggests the Tories are really looking at tackling some of the bigger structural problems in our economy and society; - her party don’t fully endorse her and are still in a holding pattern from the election. There’s still a sense that she’s a stopgap; - I’m far from convinced she has a top-drawer team ready to really push for power; - they still can’t break away from their record, and they’re still being judged for it. Time alone (if they have the benefit of that time) may heal that.
So I think it’s far too soon to start talking about her as the next PM. Perhaps the slimmest and palest of green shoots, but it could all fall apart again very quickly.
If I were her I’d be out of the blocks fast in the new year trying to build on this momentum and address some of these issues.
"Plans to ban passengers from a peak train service between Manchester and London have been abandoned after a U-turn by the government's rail safety regulator.
The Office of Road and Rail (ORR) reversed its decision to run the 07:00 GMT Avanti West Coast service from Manchester Piccadilly to London without passengers after a public backlash."
Power to the people!
Talking about regulators, someone needs to put another rocket under the OfWat. My daughter in Tunbridge Wells has been without water for days when South East Water overdid the chemical dosing of the supply.
She's disgusted.
Did any retired Colonel’s write to the local paper ?
TBF not a joke if it happens - the Camelford incident is quite frightening. Worst British poisoning event, at least as a single event.
"If Kemi Badenoch carries on like this, she’ll be elected prime minister
The leader of the Conservative Party has rediscovered a clarity and verve that will have Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, and even Nigel Farage worried, says Emily Sheffield"
She's a dud. But if she becomes PM, she'll be first among *equals* which sort of sums up the current Conservative Party. Or should we call them the Reformed Conservative Party.
"If Kemi Badenoch carries on like this, she’ll be elected prime minister
The leader of the Conservative Party has rediscovered a clarity and verve that will have Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, and even Nigel Farage worried, says Emily Sheffield"
What time are we expecting Reeves' resignation letter?
She isn’t going for this.
There’s just about enough plausible deniability, and it gives the Tories far too much of a big scalp. Plus jeopardises Starmer’s position.
The damage regarding the public perception of Reeves was done a very long time ago; and this budget won’t have helped it one bit. That’s pretty much the long and short of it. She is now very toxic, but it’s hard to see a way that allows her to go without causing damage to Starmer, so they will keep her lashed to the wheel.
Yes, it was a sin of omission rather than commission and she'll get away with it. It's a bit like me not telling Mrs PtP about that fifty I had on an 8/1 winner. It's dishonest but you like to hold a bit back for tougher times if you can.
I wouldn't overegg the toxicity. The budget was generally well received and the markets reacted well. Her stock rose briefly as a consequence. Perhaps that explains the hysteria over a bit of fibbing. The Usual Suspects had to nail her for something. What she did wasn't right, but the parliamentary dishonesty bar was set pretty high a few PMs back so I don't see her falling on her sword any time soon.
Well received.??I think not. Everyone i have spoken to has been pretty angry about it
"If Kemi Badenoch carries on like this, she’ll be elected prime minister
The leader of the Conservative Party has rediscovered a clarity and verve that will have Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, and even Nigel Farage worried, says Emily Sheffield"
Look, I rather like Kemi, and I think when she brings her A-Game she can be very good indeed. But making an (admittedly excellent) speech in the HOC does not a future PM make.
She needs credible policies, a unified party, a strong team, and a plan. And she needs to exorcise the ghost of the previous Tory government.
- she’s started on the road towards articulating an alternative economic vision, but that is far from firmed-up and I see little that suggests the Tories are really looking at tackling some of the bigger structural problems in our economy and society; - her party don’t fully endorse her and are still in a holding pattern from the election. There’s still a sense that she’s a stopgap; - I’m far from convinced she has a top-drawer team ready to really push for power; - they still can’t break away from their record, and they’re still being judged for it. Time alone (if they have the benefit of that time) may heal that.
So I think it’s far too soon to start talking about her as the next PM. Perhaps the slimmest and palest of green shoots, but it could all fall apart again very quickly.
If I were her I’d be out of the blocks fast in the new year trying to build on this momentum and address some of these issues.
Hard to know who is going to be more put out by Kemi finding her feet and finding her voice - Farage or Jenrick.
"If Kemi Badenoch carries on like this, she’ll be elected prime minister
The leader of the Conservative Party has rediscovered a clarity and verve that will have Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, and even Nigel Farage worried, says Emily Sheffield"
Look, I rather like Kemi, and I think when she brings her A-Game she can be very good indeed. But making an (admittedly excellent) speech in the HOC does not a future PM make.
She needs credible policies, a unified party, a strong team, and a plan. And she needs to exorcise the ghost of the previous Tory government.
- she’s started on the road towards articulating an alternative economic vision, but that is far from firmed-up and I see little that suggests the Tories are really looking at tackling some of the bigger structural problems in our economy and society; - her party don’t fully endorse her and are still in a holding pattern from the election. There’s still a sense that she’s a stopgap; - I’m far from convinced she has a top-drawer team ready to really push for power; - they still can’t break away from their record, and they’re still being judged for it. Time alone (if they have the benefit of that time) may heal that.
So I think it’s far too soon to start talking about her as the next PM. Perhaps the slimmest and palest of green shoots, but it could all fall apart again very quickly.
If I were her I’d be out of the blocks fast in the new year trying to build on this momentum and address some of these issues.
I also rather like Kemi, and have from the start. When she's good, she's very very good. But she needs someone to keep an eye on her. All too often she goes on themes which just sound weird outside certain right wing online bubbles (like about Christianity). If she can just get her quality control team firing properly, she'll be a good candidate. Which doesn't, of course, equate to being a good PM. But one thing at a time.
"If Kemi Badenoch carries on like this, she’ll be elected prime minister
The leader of the Conservative Party has rediscovered a clarity and verve that will have Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, and even Nigel Farage worried, says Emily Sheffield"
Look, I rather like Kemi, and I think when she brings her A-Game she can be very good indeed. But making an (admittedly excellent) speech in the HOC does not a future PM make.
She needs credible policies, a unified party, a strong team, and a plan. And she needs to exorcise the ghost of the previous Tory government.
- she’s started on the road towards articulating an alternative economic vision, but that is far from firmed-up and I see little that suggests the Tories are really looking at tackling some of the bigger structural problems in our economy and society; - her party don’t fully endorse her and are still in a holding pattern from the election. There’s still a sense that she’s a stopgap; - I’m far from convinced she has a top-drawer team ready to really push for power; - they still can’t break away from their record, and they’re still being judged for it. Time alone (if they have the benefit of that time) may heal that.
So I think it’s far too soon to start talking about her as the next PM. Perhaps the slimmest and palest of green shoots, but it could all fall apart again very quickly.
If I were her I’d be out of the blocks fast in the new year trying to build on this momentum and address some of these issues.
I also rather like Kemi, and have from the start. When she's good, she's very very good. But she needs someone to keep an eye on her. All too often she goes on themes which just sound weird outside certain right wing online bubbles (like about Christianity). If she can just get her quality control team firing properly, she'll be a good candidate. Which doesn't, of course, equate to being a good PM. But one thing at a time.
She didn't 'go for a theme of Christianity', she offered an intelligent response to a question that a hack tried to make into a headline.
Comments
"For example, orders to fire upon the shipwrecked would be clearly illegal..."
https://x.com/mattyglesias/status/1995211751332237605
I'm guessing Hegseth finally got around to reading that last week.
He said "Pete told me he didn't order it" which doesn't mean he didn't order it, but if he did he's going down alone
Seems like an odd use of his time, unless he thinks he can talk the Irish round to taking their defence seriously. But even then.
Kemi still has 6 months to get the Tories back consistently to 20%+, if not she will almost certainly face a VONC from Tory MPs after next year's local and devolved elections
The environmental benefits could be immeasurably greater for a fraction of what it currently costs to battle environmental NIMBYs to a standstill, at the same time as making our homes, or electricity or any other infrastructure considerably more affordable.
Self sabotage isn't "green"; it's just stupid.
But this is a fantastic move if he delivers. It’s a big ‘if’ as they’ve spent 16 months talking the talk. They have yet to walk the walk.
Meanwhile https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/risk-averse-infrastructure-fish-disco-p8gjhncml
So it's OK for Tories to commit potential crimes in public if they only do it to the wrong sort of voter?
Probably end up having to tax the insect and bat farms.
Has he voted Tory at all in the last 10 years? if not, I rest my case!
Whether that was Rayner being in charge of it, or inexperience in government, or just that they weren't serious about it, is anyone's guess. It doesn't really matter much though; they failed.
Still, we'll know if they're actually serious about this, well before the May elections. Or it isn't happening.
From RSPB:
"A review of the status of the UK’s breeding seabird populations has seen five species added to the Red list of highest conservation concern.
Arctic Tern, Leach’s Storm-petrel, Common Gull and Great Black-backed Gull join other seabird species such as Puffin because of severe population declines driven by multiple pressures, in particular climate change impacts, invasive predators and lack of food. In addition, ‘bird flu’ (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza or HPAI) has caused population declines in several other seabird species and has led to Great Skua being added to the Red list."
(Update: I've got my Councils confused, haven't I ? The airport I am thinking of is "Doncaster Sheffield Airport", and the ructions about that are on Doncaster Council.)
Oppressor v Oppressed, Gammon v Progressive, Employer v Worker, Zionist v Palestinian etc.
"I wouldn't start from here."
2) The comment was one example, not the entirety of the behaviour
3) Endless whinge? No - a passing comment talking about our respective weekends.
You have no case.
Incidentally, Mr HYUFD, how is your wife doing these days? Coming to terms with the situation I hope.
Please then show me other examples of the offensive language he allegedly heard from others?
Of course it was a whinge, he is clearly not a Tory or Reform voter and so would have been seeking out evidence to back his prejudice against rightwingers
"he was asked to serve at a Tory do so I suspect was looking for any bad behaviour in a way he probably wouldn't at a standard corporate do. So latched onto one Tory member's rude comment (which was standard banter in most schools sadly when I was growing up) and a comment made by probably less than 1% of attendees and then has endlessly whinged about it to you."
Are you working as a lawyer for the NHS Fife team by any chance? I've never seen quite so much over-reach and supposition in one paragraph before.
"US and UK agree zero tariffs deal on pharmaceuticals"
Hard for the layman to know how much we got screwed here. Can anyone opine?
For our part we have buried Theo's ashes in the Parish church near my parents with a nice view of the valley so at least convenient to visit
Trump: They were perfect like my phone call where I got impeached. Absolutely perfect. If you want to have it released, I’ll release it.
Reporter: Can you tell us what they were looking at?
Trump: For what? Releasing?
Reporter: No, what part of the body was the MRI looking at?
Trump: I have no idea.
https://x.com/Acyn/status/1995266122007117997
I like presidents who know the difference between their head and their ass.
https://x.com/AwesomeNewsom/status/1995278889548120193
I've been flown at by both Arctic skuas and bonxies (great skuas). Totally menacing. They are definitely best viewed from a safe distance...
He's putting the power electronics in a shed like structure that sits on a concrete "raft" - it's actually a precast slab that was delivered by lorry, the shed bolted to it.
So, if you wanted to, the whole lot would be gone in couple of days. Apparently the sheep really like sheltering under the panels.
How about substituting 'frequently...' for 'occasionally'?
See the Comrade Delta saga.
hmmmmmmm
To me that sounds nuts. You don't target increases in spending. You target improvements in outcome.
The Office of Road and Rail (ORR) reversed its decision to run the 07:00 GMT Avanti West Coast service from Manchester Piccadilly to London without passengers after a public backlash."
Power to the people!
There are consultancies offering NIMBY packages - lawfare, prepackaged setups for campaign groups etc. They will even tell you upfront that you can only delay a project, not stop it.
On the endangered animal stuff - a very stupid lady dumped some newts she had bought at a pet shop at a development in the London commuter belt. Tropical newts, IIRC. She got caught and is being threatened with prosecution - invasive species etc.
She's disgusted.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camelford_water_pollution_incident
I worked with an Indian developer a few years back. Had been in the reserve military in India. Lived near Tunbridge Wells. He used to joke that he wished he'd kept up the reserve thing. So, when he retired, he could write letters to The Times signed - "X, Col. Indian Army, Retired"
"If Kemi Badenoch carries on like this, she’ll be elected prime minister
The leader of the Conservative Party has rediscovered a clarity and verve that will have Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, and even Nigel Farage worried, says Emily Sheffield"
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/kemi-badenoch-rise-rachel-reeves-budget-backlash-labour-politics-b2875607.html
Fuck her. She deserves the full force of the law and the consequences of her actions.
Also know of a case where the survey was carefully made in midwinter or something - completely missed a major breeding colony of a bird species. But Result again!
"Labour’s conformism is crushing Britain
Rachel Reeves is just the latest ambassador of a failed political elite
By David Edgerton and Karel Williams"
https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/labour/2025/12/labours-conformism-is-crushing-britain
... and just happen to also pick up passengers in Carlisle, Preston and Milton Keynes.
A significant loss I think, will put borrowing costs up a bit.
But its just about letting Trump pretend he has struck a deal. Our pharmacists will buy alternatives from elsewhere if cheaper.
https://x.com/lewis_goodall/status/1995532021339488370?s=61
She needs credible policies, a unified party, a strong team, and a plan. And she needs to exorcise the ghost of the previous Tory government.
- she’s started on the road towards articulating an alternative economic vision, but that is far from firmed-up and I see little that suggests the Tories are really looking at tackling some of the bigger structural problems in our economy and society;
- her party don’t fully endorse her and are still in a holding pattern from the election. There’s still a sense that she’s a stopgap;
- I’m far from convinced she has a top-drawer team ready to really push for power;
- they still can’t break away from their record, and they’re still being judged for it. Time alone (if they have the benefit of that time) may heal that.
So I think it’s far too soon to start talking about her as the next PM. Perhaps the slimmest and palest of green shoots, but it could all fall apart again very quickly.
If I were her I’d be out of the blocks fast in the new year trying to build on this momentum and address some of these issues.
Which doesn't, of course, equate to being a good PM. But one thing at a time.