Scanned this article about the new drink driving laws without properly paying attention, and thought this was strange advice from Alcoholics Anonymous
He said: “The new rules will send a strong message that it is simply not worth taking the risk. Our message at the AA for everyone is clear: if you are going to drink, don’t drive and if you are going to drive, don’t drink.”
Thank-you for the full article link. It's good to see the aspiration to reduce deaths and serious injuries by 2/3 over a decade.
The measures mentioned - 6 month minimum learning period, 20mg/ml drink drive limit for young driver and 50mg/ml limit for others - are evidence based but timid; we really miss Louise Haigh. Blood alcohol of 50mg/ml causes significant impairment of driving ability; it's a bad idea to institutionalise "you can drink and drive after a probationary period".
The headline claim that we will become one of the strictest countries in Europe for DUI is complete baloney (in the article this is modified to "for young drivers"). There ae four tiers in Europe of DUI limit - 80mg/ml, 50, 20 and 0.
The UK is that last one on 80, and this will move us to 50, which is the typical Western European figure, whilst in Eastern Europe it is 20 mg/ml.
It's a great picture of Heidi Alexander with something of the "Grandma from Giles" about her:
I hope you haven't been driving in Scotland: joke, but with a serious point, as the limit has been 50mg for years.
[deleted - my error]
I don't think I have been to Scotland since it was changed in 2014, tbh.
I think we should be doing it properly and going for 20 mg/ml.
In which case even a pint or a glass of wine would put you over the limit and only 1 half might be allowed.
It would also devastate a pub and bar trade already hit by tax rises and a higher minimum wage, it would also do next to nothing to save lives.
Drink driving deaths and injuries are almost entirely caused by those drinking multiple pints and glasses and well over the limit, better to enforce the law against them than just add more nanny state tokenism
Data to support that please? We know that impairment is significant from even a small volume of alcohol, so I'd be very surprised if that was the case.
Tbh a zero-tolerance approach is simpler and fairer on everyone, particularly given the consequences of being caught.
'The number of drink driving deaths has fallen by more than 75% since 1979... 2% - two-thirds of all those who were over the limit - had more than twice the legal amount of blood alcohol in their body 7% of those killed - 40% of those who were over the limit - were at least 2.5 times over the limit' https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-crackdown-on-drink-and-drug-driving'
We need greater enforcement of laws we already have not more nanny state that will destroy an already struggling pub trade, even more reason to vote Tory or Reform therefore and get rid of this useless nanny state government!
There can be no justification for defending deaths by drunk driving
In Scotland the advice is do not drink and drive, and that should be a national rule
The pub trade has wider issues with the government's policies
In rural areas most pubs survive on trade from drinkers and eaters who drive to them. Prosecute drivers for just having one drink and you would kill most of them off and yes it is bad enough with this government's hammering them with tax and an ever higher minimum wage
The practice is largely followed in Scotland and behaviour changes
You cannot be complacent about drink driving, and as medics will tell you one pint to someone may well be different from someone else who may have medication or health conditions that could well take them over the limit without them even knowing
Better safe than sorry
Tell that to the pub landlords taking suicide as you destroy their pubs and livelihoods
People don't want to go to pubs. I went to a local celebrity's gastro pub near me just before Christmas. 2 Michelin rosettes (not stars) and the quality of food was a disappointment. The produce was fine but the cooking was poor. I won't go again.
Someone mentioned Kerridge. The quality he provides is phenomenal, if justifiably expensive, so maybe he has a point, but Landlords providing crap food and beer are the architects of their own downfall.
You are balancing the potential suicide of landlords (which is awful) with the road fatalities of drunk drivers and their victims.
People DO want to go to pubs here, in rural areas like mine there are NO clubs, NO bars, NO cafes and NO restaurants other than that in the pub. Pubs are a vital part of rural life.
As Bart showed a lower drink drive limit makes sod all difference to lives saved, EU nations with lower drink drive limits than ours have more road deaths
The pubs in my village are empty and have been for three or four years. What they provide is poor which is why they are on their arse.
One of our Scottish viewers explained that the fatalities, the casualties and the unacceptable nature of drinking and driving are all recent positives. So you are clearly costing drink-drive fatalities with the survival benefits of non-economic public houses.
Good for your village, the pubs in my village and nearby villages are thriving and the only place you can get a Sunday roast, a meal and a drink in the area. When the Boxing Day hunt was on over a thousand people thronged the green and pub for their mulled wine refreshments or a beer.
As Bart showed, the idea going to a Scottish drink driving limit will save lives is bullshit, most EU nations with the Scottish drink drive limit have more deaths on the roads than England and Wales do. So on that basis saving our wonderful rustic pubs must take priority to leftie nanny statism!!!
You have to remember there are departments of people in Whitehall whose only function is to try to work out how to ban certain “harms”.
They don’t care about pubs closing, it’s outside their remit.
At least on this thread so far, nobody has explained how many lives or crashes this proposal will save. I expect the answer is statistically insignificant.
exactly just the usual bollox and blame every death on someone having had a drink. The killjoys are never ever happy , they want people as miserable as tehy can make them.
Oh Malcolm, your nationalist government has been in the vanguard of lowering drink driving limits in the UK. And good on. 'em.
Bunch of tossers Pete, fit them better if they actually tried running the country sensibly instead of running it into the ground.
PS: At least as many of eth killjoys there as there are in rest of UK, likely more.
Maybe Nigel will reintroduce drink driving. He likes a pint.
Farage would certainly keep the current drink driving limit if he becomes PM, our Nige HATES the nanny state!
You have to remember there are departments of people in Whitehall whose only function is to try to work out how to ban certain “harms”.
They don’t care about pubs closing, it’s outside their remit.
At least on this thread so far, nobody has explained how many lives or crashes this proposal will save. I expect the answer is statistically insignificant.
exactly just the usual bollox and blame every death on someone having had a drink. The killjoys are never ever happy , they want people as miserable as tehy can make them.
Oh Malcolm, your nationalist government has been in the vanguard of lowering drink driving limits in the UK. And good on. 'em.
Bunch of tossers Pete, fit them better if they actually tried running the country sensibly instead of running it into the ground.
PS: At least as many of eth killjoys there as there are in rest of UK, likely more.
Maybe Nigel will reintroduce drink driving. He likes a pint.
Farage would certainly keep the current drink driving limit if he becomes PM, our Nige HATES the nanny state!
You have to remember there are departments of people in Whitehall whose only function is to try to work out how to ban certain “harms”.
They don’t care about pubs closing, it’s outside their remit.
At least on this thread so far, nobody has explained how many lives or crashes this proposal will save. I expect the answer is statistically insignificant.
exactly just the usual bollox and blame every death on someone having had a drink. The killjoys are never ever happy , they want people as miserable as tehy can make them.
We’ve even had a suggestion we should increase the price of supermarket alcohol to ‘help pubs’
Never any suggestion that the way to help pubs is to reduce the burdens on them. Doing that is a ‘subsidy’ and that is not on.
Sadly we are a nation with many joy sponges whose career depends on micro managing our lives.
Fuck off and leave us alone.
You'd much rather have a whine about it than actually come up with a solution. Cheap supermarket booze is obviously a reason why people don't head out, the price differential is enormous and there is no way pubs can overcome it given labour and property costs. Whack up tax on it and use it to cut business rates for pubs.
(And a lower business rate for pubs is a subsidy, btw, and something anyone who thinks pubs have a wider social benefit would endorse. )
I’m ’having a whine’ as it’s an idiotic idea usually espoused by the anti alcohol lobby, like MUP. Also lower business rates is not subsidy as has been explained by others before.
Supermarket beer is not cheap. It is already prohibitively taxed and is not allowed to be sold below cost price.
The recent changes in duties have also seen increases in prices or reduction in ABV to keep the price point where it was.
Drinking rates are falling in the UK full stop. Have been consistently since 2004/5. Turn that around and that helps pubs.
You tax something if you want less of it. Whack up the tax on supermarket booze they will just sell less. Doesn’t mean it will translate to more pub business and there’s no guarantee
MUP in Scotland does not stop pub closures there being twice the rate in England. The SLTA supported MUP as they thought it would help them. It didn’t.
You have to remember there are departments of people in Whitehall whose only function is to try to work out how to ban certain “harms”.
They don’t care about pubs closing, it’s outside their remit.
At least on this thread so far, nobody has explained how many lives or crashes this proposal will save. I expect the answer is statistically insignificant.
exactly just the usual bollox and blame every death on someone having had a drink. The killjoys are never ever happy , they want people as miserable as tehy can make them.
Oh Malcolm, your nationalist government has been in the vanguard of lowering drink driving limits in the UK. And good on. 'em.
Bunch of tossers Pete, fit them better if they actually tried running the country sensibly instead of running it into the ground.
PS: At least as many of eth killjoys there as there are in rest of UK, likely more.
Maybe Nigel will reintroduce drink driving. He likes a pint.
Farage would certainly keep the current drink driving limit if he becomes PM, our Nige HATES the nanny state!
You have to remember there are departments of people in Whitehall whose only function is to try to work out how to ban certain “harms”.
They don’t care about pubs closing, it’s outside their remit.
At least on this thread so far, nobody has explained how many lives or crashes this proposal will save. I expect the answer is statistically insignificant.
exactly just the usual bollox and blame every death on someone having had a drink. The killjoys are never ever happy , they want people as miserable as tehy can make them.
Oh Malcolm, your nationalist government has been in the vanguard of lowering drink driving limits in the UK. And good on. 'em.
Bunch of tossers Pete, fit them better if they actually tried running the country sensibly instead of running it into the ground.
PS: At least as many of eth killjoys there as there are in rest of UK, likely more.
Maybe Nigel will reintroduce drink driving. He likes a pint.
You have to remember there are departments of people in Whitehall whose only function is to try to work out how to ban certain “harms”.
They don’t care about pubs closing, it’s outside their remit.
At least on this thread so far, nobody has explained how many lives or crashes this proposal will save. I expect the answer is statistically insignificant.
exactly just the usual bollox and blame every death on someone having had a drink. The killjoys are never ever happy , they want people as miserable as tehy can make them.
Oh Malcolm, your nationalist government has been in the vanguard of lowering drink driving limits in the UK. And good on. 'em.
Bunch of tossers Pete, fit them better if they actually tried running the country sensibly instead of running it into the ground.
PS: At least as many of eth killjoys there as there are in rest of UK, likely more.
Maybe Nigel will reintroduce drink driving. He likes a pint.
Farage would certainly keep the current drink driving limit if he becomes PM, our Nige HATES the nanny state!
You have to remember there are departments of people in Whitehall whose only function is to try to work out how to ban certain “harms”.
They don’t care about pubs closing, it’s outside their remit.
At least on this thread so far, nobody has explained how many lives or crashes this proposal will save. I expect the answer is statistically insignificant.
exactly just the usual bollox and blame every death on someone having had a drink. The killjoys are never ever happy , they want people as miserable as tehy can make them.
Oh Malcolm, your nationalist government has been in the vanguard of lowering drink driving limits in the UK. And good on. 'em.
Bunch of tossers Pete, fit them better if they actually tried running the country sensibly instead of running it into the ground.
PS: At least as many of eth killjoys there as there are in rest of UK, likely more.
Maybe Nigel will reintroduce drink driving. He likes a pint.
Farage would certainly keep the current drink driving limit if he becomes PM, our Nige HATES the nanny state!
He prefers the Granny state.
And here he comes
'Farage slams po-faced Starmer's new drink drive limit as 'a death knell for country pubs'''
You have to remember there are departments of people in Whitehall whose only function is to try to work out how to ban certain “harms”.
They don’t care about pubs closing, it’s outside their remit.
At least on this thread so far, nobody has explained how many lives or crashes this proposal will save. I expect the answer is statistically insignificant.
exactly just the usual bollox and blame every death on someone having had a drink. The killjoys are never ever happy , they want people as miserable as tehy can make them.
Oh Malcolm, your nationalist government has been in the vanguard of lowering drink driving limits in the UK. And good on. 'em.
Bunch of tossers Pete, fit them better if they actually tried running the country sensibly instead of running it into the ground.
PS: At least as many of eth killjoys there as there are in rest of UK, likely more.
Maybe Nigel will reintroduce drink driving. He likes a pint.
On R4 a former Russian Diplomatic Officer suggests that the complete annexation of Greenland destabilises the North Atlantic and that could seriously piss off Russia to the point they could walk into the Baltic States as a response.
Like they walked into Kiev four years ago?
They cannot take Ukraine how on earth will they take the Baltic states ? Spread their resources more thinly ?
Because the NATO forces will be busy elsewhere trying to re-capture Greenland?
The US is the biggest member of NATO, so even if Trump invaded Greenland without being impeached and convicted by Congress, NATO can't go to war to defend a member state invaded by another member state. It would have to be a European and Canadian defence force not a NATO force
If the US invades Greenland even Sir Keir will have to accept that NATO is a goner. He may not even be polite about it.
Trump is saying Venezuela will give the US up to 50 million barrels of oil. This is despite the US not controlling Venezuela, despite the challenges of extracting that oil, and without any apparent agreement with Venezuela. At what point do we say he’s completely delusional?
Venezuela must have a lot of oil already drilled but not sold, owing to American sanctions. It is possible this is what Trump means.
It’s worth noting that Trump will personally control the revenues from this oil. It’s a massive bribe nothing else
It's also massively illegal under US law - though of course this Congress will again do nothing to challenge it.
If it's not complete fantasy (entirely possible), then the chances are a fair percentage of the cargoes' value will end up in the Trump crime family bank accounts.
On a related subject, was discussing the rise in the numbers of single people with my daughter (single, married, divorced, single again). 30 somethings have a real problem in meeting people of their own age as there is less desire to drink. Going to a pub to meet people seems odd to them. WFH also reduces the chances to meet too so they turn to the online apps. The apps it appears are populated by quite a few delusional, nasty and predatory types which turns a lot away from the apps.
Perhaps something like pubs will make a comeback when people get fed up with online life.
You have to remember there are departments of people in Whitehall whose only function is to try to work out how to ban certain “harms”.
They don’t care about pubs closing, it’s outside their remit.
At least on this thread so far, nobody has explained how many lives or crashes this proposal will save. I expect the answer is statistically insignificant.
exactly just the usual bollox and blame every death on someone having had a drink. The killjoys are never ever happy , they want people as miserable as tehy can make them.
Oh Malcolm, your nationalist government has been in the vanguard of lowering drink driving limits in the UK. And good on. 'em.
Bunch of tossers Pete, fit them better if they actually tried running the country sensibly instead of running it into the ground.
PS: At least as many of eth killjoys there as there are in rest of UK, likely more.
Maybe Nigel will reintroduce drink driving. He likes a pint.
Farage would certainly keep the current drink driving limit if he becomes PM, our Nige HATES the nanny state!
He prefers the Granny state.
And here he comes
'Farage slams po-faced Starmer's new drink drive limit as 'a death knell for country pubs'''
On R4 a former Russian Diplomatic Officer suggests that the complete annexation of Greenland destabilises the North Atlantic and that could seriously piss off Russia to the point they could walk into the Baltic States as a response.
I've heard it suggested the Russians would start with a (say) 5-mile incursion into one of the Baltic states - then see what happens.
This shows up all the people calling for an end to military cooperation with the US in response to the action in Venezuela as Putin's useful idiots.
Not if one believes Trump is a Putin asset. Evidence is compelling.
I think the Russian asset thing rather misses the point. Trump is obviously the asset of whoever pays him the fee. Alternatively he is the mob boss who extorts money for protection.
Just Wtf is on the Mariana that Russia is deploying subs and the US/UK have sent special forces to seize it
That really is the question of the day.
There’s no chance at this point it’s just an empty old oil tanker.
Putin?
(Actually Trump ordering Putin captured on his oil tanker hideaway would be hilarious)
Pretty sure it’s not Putin himself. The ship sailed from Iran, heading for Venezuela, ran into the US blockade there, and has done an about-turn to head for what’s presumably St. Petersburg.
Most likely it’s full of weapons, or the ship itself is something special.
The alternative view is that the US observed some sort of ship-to-ship transfer which could be from Venezuela.
Just Wtf is on the Mariana that Russia is deploying subs and the US/UK have sent special forces to seize it
That really is the question of the day.
There’s no chance at this point it’s just an empty old oil tanker.
Putin?
(Actually Trump ordering Putin captured on his oil tanker hideaway would be hilarious)
Pretty sure it’s not Putin himself. The ship sailed from Iran, heading for Venezuela, ran into the US blockade there, and has done an about-turn to head for what’s presumably St. Petersburg.
Most likely it’s full of weapons, or the ship itself is something special.
The alternative view is that the US observed some sort of ship-to-ship transfer which could be from Venezuela.
Russia has a border with Iran; why send them 15k miles around the world?
Russia and Iran don't have a land border. Only very tenuously could they be said to have a watery border.
They have a border in the Caspian.
Checking, afaics trade volume is in the millions of tons per annum. A bit more detail:
Indeed. A border sufficiently tenuous that Wikipedia doesn't list it in the list of Iranian borders either by land or by water. There are a total of 13 of these.
Absolute steamer on GB News reckons we should take Orban's Hungary as a role model.
“Controversial as Mr Orban may be, he has time and again been proven right over the last decade, as one by one, Western liberal post-war orthodoxies have fallen…many countries will regret their failure to pay attention to Hungary.” https://x.com/miriam_cates/status/2008547266068705442
On R4 a former Russian Diplomatic Officer suggests that the complete annexation of Greenland destabilises the North Atlantic and that could seriously piss off Russia to the point they could walk into the Baltic States as a response.
I've heard it suggested the Russians would start with a (say) 5-mile incursion into one of the Baltic states - then see what happens.
Starmer would certainly have to get his arse off the fence. A dilemma for Nigel. Does he still follow the line that NATO and EU expansion into former Soviet states was responsible for pissing poor Mr Putin off?
On a related subject, was discussing the rise in the numbers of single people with my daughter (single, married, divorced, single again). 30 somethings have a real problem in meeting people of their own age as there is less desire to drink. Going to a pub to meet people seems odd to them. WFH also reduces the chances to meet too so they turn to the online apps. The apps it appears are populated by quite a few delusional, nasty and predatory types which turns a lot away from the apps.
Perhaps something like pubs will make a comeback when people get fed up with online life.
Well, if they want to meet any more "delusional, nasty and predatory types" without resorting to apps, they could always join their preferred local politicql party.
On R4 a former Russian Diplomatic Officer suggests that the complete annexation of Greenland destabilises the North Atlantic and that could seriously piss off Russia to the point they could walk into the Baltic States as a response.
Like they walked into Kiev four years ago?
They cannot take Ukraine how on earth will they take the Baltic states ? Spread their resources more thinly ?
Because the NATO forces will be busy elsewhere trying to re-capture Greenland?
The US is the biggest member of NATO, so even if Trump invaded Greenland without being impeached and convicted by Congress, NATO can't go to war to defend a member state invaded by another member state. It would have to be a European and Canadian defence force not a NATO force
If the US invades Greenland even Sir Keir will have to accept that NATO is a goner. He may not even be polite about it.
If Starmer hasn't realised that moment has already passed he's a bigger fool than he looks. He can't say that yet, but he might have to soon.
You have to remember there are departments of people in Whitehall whose only function is to try to work out how to ban certain “harms”.
They don’t care about pubs closing, it’s outside their remit.
At least on this thread so far, nobody has explained how many lives or crashes this proposal will save. I expect the answer is statistically insignificant.
exactly just the usual bollox and blame every death on someone having had a drink. The killjoys are never ever happy , they want people as miserable as tehy can make them.
Oh Malcolm, your nationalist government has been in the vanguard of lowering drink driving limits in the UK. And good on. 'em.
Bunch of tossers Pete, fit them better if they actually tried running the country sensibly instead of running it into the ground.
PS: At least as many of eth killjoys there as there are in rest of UK, likely more.
Maybe Nigel will reintroduce drink driving. He likes a pint.
Farage would certainly keep the current drink driving limit if he becomes PM, our Nige HATES the nanny state!
He prefers the Granny state.
And here he comes
'Farage slams po-faced Starmer's new drink drive limit as 'a death knell for country pubs'''
The Tories also respond 'Tory Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden said: “The real risks on Britain’s roads are the lack of enforcement against drug- driving, uninsured and unlicensed drivers, and dangerous drivers.
“It is crucial that, rather than just printing new rules, those that we have are properly enforced against the minority of drivers who put everyone’s lives at risk.”'
My Anglo-Canadian partnership idea, first spawned about three years ago, and recently written up as a PB header, looks ever more prescient.
We will have the US surrounded, Canada in the north, the UK covering the Atlantic coast, the massed armies of the BVI coming up from their vulnerable south and the Pitcairn Navy sweeping into an unprepared California.
On R4 a former Russian Diplomatic Officer suggests that the complete annexation of Greenland destabilises the North Atlantic and that could seriously piss off Russia to the point they could walk into the Baltic States as a response.
I've heard it suggested the Russians would start with a (say) 5-mile incursion into one of the Baltic states - then see what happens.
I would unleash the Polish tanks, and issue a No Quarter order. (Not that one would be required)
My Anglo-Canadian partnership idea, first spawned about three years ago, and recently written up as a PB header, looks ever more prescient.
The JEF is a useful format for us to be thinking in terms of. However our weak growth and reluctance to boost defence spending much makes it harder for us to lead.
My Anglo-Canadian partnership idea, first spawned about three years ago, and recently written up as a PB header, looks ever more prescient.
The JEF is a useful format for us to be thinking in terms of. However our weak growth and reluctance to boost defence spending much makes it harder for us to lead.
Defence spending % is in part a lagging indicator. So is growth. They are downstream of actual vision and leadership.
If Starmer and Carney announced the intention to form a single market and a series of defence initiatives, including a saner energy policy (as Carney has started to do), investor sentiment would be positive.
UK needs a growth “shock” to turn around profoundly negative investor sentiment, much of which is narrative-based rather than related to fundamentals. Liz Truss kind of fathomed this but her solution was batshit.
On R4 a former Russian Diplomatic Officer suggests that the complete annexation of Greenland destabilises the North Atlantic and that could seriously piss off Russia to the point they could walk into the Baltic States as a response.
I've heard it suggested the Russians would start with a (say) 5-mile incursion into one of the Baltic states - then see what happens.
The Baltic States aren't too worried about that at first. They say they're happy to simply shoot any Russians trying that.
What they're worried about is how the rest of NATO responds, and whether they'll get the support they'd hope for.
My Anglo-Canadian partnership idea, first spawned about three years ago, and recently written up as a PB header, looks ever more prescient.
We will have the US surrounded, Canada in the north, the UK covering the Atlantic coast, the massed armies of the BVI coming up from their vulnerable south and the Pitcairn Navy sweeping into an unprepared California.
I know you are joking, but the intent is obviously not aggressive but more about defensive positioning in the “High North”, primarily versus Russia.
You have to remember there are departments of people in Whitehall whose only function is to try to work out how to ban certain “harms”.
They don’t care about pubs closing, it’s outside their remit.
At least on this thread so far, nobody has explained how many lives or crashes this proposal will save. I expect the answer is statistically insignificant.
exactly just the usual bollox and blame every death on someone having had a drink. The killjoys are never ever happy , they want people as miserable as tehy can make them.
Oh Malcolm, your nationalist government has been in the vanguard of lowering drink driving limits in the UK. And good on. 'em.
Bunch of tossers Pete, fit them better if they actually tried running the country sensibly instead of running it into the ground.
PS: At least as many of eth killjoys there as there are in rest of UK, likely more.
Maybe Nigel will reintroduce drink driving. He likes a pint.
Did Starmer really make a jibe about Reform celebrating Orthodox Christmas? How crass.
Indeed, Ukraine is mostly Orthodox Christian too
They now mostly celebrate on 25 December. As the Greeks have done for some time. 7 January is only Christmas for *some* Orthodox churches
Many Ukrainians are Catholic. They also used to celebrate 7 Jan, but have also now moved to 25 Dec.
They're Greek Rite catholics, so orthodox in liturgy but recognise the Pope (rather like the Maronites in Lebanon). So yes, they mostly used to celebrate Christmas on 7 January but due to recent events have transitioned to 25 December. I believe many Ukrainians have celebrated both for some time, as the traditions are quite different
I'm starting to think there won't be an election in 2029 because we'll be in the middle of WW3.
Quite possible. But before that comes the November mid-terms in the USA. Is it too conspiracy theory laden to wonder if the Venezuela/Greenland moves are the beginning of the run up to a state of emergency/conflict of some sort which would be the excuse for not holding them?
The terminally thick Shelagh Fogarty on LBC is calling the oil tanker incident as a joint UK- USA operation.
We apparently have planes up monitoring the Russian naval presence. Even if that's all, we are obviously facilitating the operation. So I'd say she's right
The terminally thick Shelagh Fogarty on LBC is calling the oil tanker incident as a joint UK- USA operation.
Only, surely, in the sense that the U.S. used UK airbases.
Which they are perfectly entitled to do. I understand RAF planes went up for observation purposes. Fogarty has just said again that the RAF "supported " the USAF. I assume that is just summisation on her part.
The terminally thick Shelagh Fogarty on LBC is calling the oil tanker incident as a joint UK- USA operation.
If this is actually the case, then it must have something quite serious on it. A Russian shadow fleet vessel went down in the Med in 2024 and almost certainly had two nuclear tractors on it.
The terminally thick Shelagh Fogarty on LBC is calling the oil tanker incident as a joint UK- USA operation.
We apparently have planes up monitoring the Russian naval presence. Even if that's all, we are obviously facilitating the operation. So I'd say she's right
If it is in our waters we are perfectly entitled to do that. We don't have to coordinate with the US.
The terminally thick Shelagh Fogarty on LBC is calling the oil tanker incident as a joint UK- USA operation.
Only, surely, in the sense that the U.S. used UK airbases.
Could US airbases become a political issue for the first time since the 1980s?
Depends on what the ships were carrying. If it turns out it was nukes or something equally hostile to NATO interests then I suspect there will be general acceptance
Read an interesting theory on X maybe that Putin has been encouraging Trump’s focus on Venezuela and Greenland.
The Monroe 2.0 doctrine helps justify Russian free rein in Eastern Europe.
Dunno how this latest seizure fits with all of that, though.
This seems to be a variant of these very dubious conspiracy theories about some kind of pact between Trump, Putin and Xi to divide the world into three zones.
People have such a bad case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that removing a Russian client in South America somehow has to be in Putin's interests.
Did Starmer really make a jibe about Reform celebrating Orthodox Christmas? How crass.
Indeed, Ukraine is mostly Orthodox Christian too
In fact there are three churches in UA that are orthodox in liturgy: The "Greek Catholics", who are Orthodox in liturgy, but follow the Latin Pope, mostly in Western Ukraine. The autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine, under the metropolitan in Kyiv, the result of a merger of two other Orthodox churches (its complicated) whose recognition by the Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul triggered the schism with Moscow, and the Ukrainian Orthodox church under the Moscow Patriarchate. This last is under major pressure since it is perceived as being pro Russian.
There are also some Latin Catholics, Protestants and Slavic pagans, not to mention the Muslim Tatars of Crimea.
Read an interesting theory on X maybe that Putin has been encouraging Trump’s focus on Venezuela and Greenland.
The Monroe 2.0 doctrine helps justify Russian free rein in Eastern Europe.
Dunno how this latest seizure fits with all of that, though.
Russia has nothing to trade- the contrast between the US and Russia "special military operations" is pitiful for Moscow. Bardakistan is in full effect. This, plus Kadryov is going to shake the regime mightily.
The terminally thick Shelagh Fogarty on LBC is calling the oil tanker incident as a joint UK- USA operation.
We apparently have planes up monitoring the Russian naval presence. Even if that's all, we are obviously facilitating the operation. So I'd say she's right
If it is in our waters we are perfectly entitled to do that. We don't have to coordinate with the US.
We don't have to, but they're our allies so we're perfectly entitled to do so.
Be good if Trump understood the notion of allies and backed off Greenland as they're his allies too.
The terminally thick Shelagh Fogarty on LBC is calling the oil tanker incident as a joint UK- USA operation.
We apparently have planes up monitoring the Russian naval presence. Even if that's all, we are obviously facilitating the operation. So I'd say she's right
If it is in our waters we are perfectly entitled to do that. We don't have to coordinate with the US.
The Telegraph are reporting that a British Poseidon MRA1 recon aircraft provided support. If that is correct then it sounds like more than just observing.
Read an interesting theory on X maybe that Putin has been encouraging Trump’s focus on Venezuela and Greenland.
The Monroe 2.0 doctrine helps justify Russian free rein in Eastern Europe.
Dunno how this latest seizure fits with all of that, though.
Russia has nothing to trade- the contrast between the US and Russia "special military operations" is pitiful for Moscow. Bardakistan is in full effect. This, plus Kadryov is going to shake the regime mightily.
Any chance you could be a little less cryptic and post in plain english?
The terminally thick Shelagh Fogarty on LBC is calling the oil tanker incident as a joint UK- USA operation.
We apparently have planes up monitoring the Russian naval presence. Even if that's all, we are obviously facilitating the operation. So I'd say she's right
If it is in our waters we are perfectly entitled to do that. We don't have to coordinate with the US.
We don't have to, but they're our allies so we're perfectly entitled to do so.
Be good if Trump understood the notion of allies and backed off Greenland as they're his allies too.
The terminally thick Shelagh Fogarty on LBC is calling the oil tanker incident as a joint UK- USA operation.
We apparently have planes up monitoring the Russian naval presence. Even if that's all, we are obviously facilitating the operation. So I'd say she's right
If it is in our waters we are perfectly entitled to do that. We don't have to coordinate with the US.
We don't have to, but they're our allies so we're perfectly entitled to do so.
Be good if Trump understood the notion of allies and backed off Greenland as they're his allies too.
Listen to Stephen Miller being interviewed.
Going it alone is far more romantic.
Abra-abracadabra, he wants to reach out and grab ya
UK military supported US operation to seize tanker in Atlantic, MoD says
The UK Ministry of Defence says it supported US efforts to seize the Russian-flagged tanker in the North Atlantic today, including with RAF aircraft.
Here's a statement from UK Defence Secretary John Healey:
"Today our UK Armed Forces showed skill and professionalism in support of a successful U.S. interception of the vessel Bella 1 while on its way to Russia.
"This action formed part of global efforts to crack down on sanctions busting.
"This ship, with a nefarious history, is part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fuelling terrorism, conflict, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine.
"The UK will continue to step up our action against shadow fleet activity to protect our national security, our economy, and global stability – making Britain secure at home and strong abroad."
The terminally thick Shelagh Fogarty on LBC is calling the oil tanker incident as a joint UK- USA operation.
We apparently have planes up monitoring the Russian naval presence. Even if that's all, we are obviously facilitating the operation. So I'd say she's right
If it is in our waters we are perfectly entitled to do that. We don't have to coordinate with the US.
We don't have to, but they're our allies so we're perfectly entitled to do so.
Be good if Trump understood the notion of allies and backed off Greenland as they're his allies too.
Listen to Stephen Miller being interviewed.
Going it alone is far more romantic.
Abra-abracadabra, he wants to reach out and grab ya
The terminally thick Shelagh Fogarty on LBC is calling the oil tanker incident as a joint UK- USA operation.
We apparently have planes up monitoring the Russian naval presence. Even if that's all, we are obviously facilitating the operation. So I'd say she's right
If it is in our waters we are perfectly entitled to do that. We don't have to coordinate with the US.
We don't have to, but they're our allies so we're perfectly entitled to do so.
Be good if Trump understood the notion of allies and backed off Greenland as they're his allies too.
Listen to Stephen Miller being interviewed.
Going it alone is far more romantic.
Abra-abracadabra, he wants to reach out and grab ya
I remember just after Trump won the election and there was a meme on Facebook with a picture of Miller which said “why does Miller have such short arms? So he can’t grab women off the street.”
I thought at the time that it was a very harsh level of attack to make on a political figure.
The terminally thick Shelagh Fogarty on LBC is calling the oil tanker incident as a joint UK- USA operation.
We apparently have planes up monitoring the Russian naval presence. Even if that's all, we are obviously facilitating the operation. So I'd say she's right
If it is in our waters we are perfectly entitled to do that. We don't have to coordinate with the US.
The Telegraph are reporting that a British Poseidon MRA1 recon aircraft provided support. If that is correct then it sounds like more than just observing.
In that case, perhaps when Nigel becomes PM he could hand Starmer over to Putin for war crimes.
UK military supported US operation to seize tanker in Atlantic, MoD says
The UK Ministry of Defence says it supported US efforts to seize the Russian-flagged tanker in the North Atlantic today, including with RAF aircraft.
Here's a statement from UK Defence Secretary John Healey:
"Today our UK Armed Forces showed skill and professionalism in support of a successful U.S. interception of the vessel Bella 1 while on its way to Russia.
"This action formed part of global efforts to crack down on sanctions busting.
"This ship, with a nefarious history, is part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fuelling terrorism, conflict, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine.
"The UK will continue to step up our action against shadow fleet activity to protect our national security, our economy, and global stability – making Britain secure at home and strong abroad."
Tell tale signs of using ChatGPT in that final sentence.
I'm tentatively willing to give some credit to Starmer on this if he can demonstrate that this was really about Russia rather than massaging Trump's ego. My misgivings are that there have been plenty of incidents with shadow fleet vessels fiddling with our subsea cables where we didn't take such decisive action - why was it different this time? Hopefully it's a change in tune rather than just US subservience.
Did Starmer really make a jibe about Reform celebrating Orthodox Christmas? How crass.
Indeed, Ukraine is mostly Orthodox Christian too
They now mostly celebrate on 25 December. As the Greeks have done for some time. 7 January is only Christmas for *some* Orthodox churches
Many Ukrainians are Catholic. They also used to celebrate 7 Jan, but have also now moved to 25 Dec.
They're Greek Rite catholics, so orthodox in liturgy but recognise the Pope (rather like the Maronites in Lebanon). So yes, they mostly used to celebrate Christmas on 7 January but due to recent events have transitioned to 25 December. I believe many Ukrainians have celebrated both for some time, as the traditions are quite different
Let's go for a colonoscopy and a ploughman's some time.
The usual suspects have been claiming on X that the Minnesota fraud scandal is no big deal and that it was racist to place Somalis at the centre of it. They lie. Some facts:
The fraud scandals in Minnesota are a very big deal, involving (so far) the theft of over $1 billion in taxpayer funds across multiple schemes, primarily from federal and state programmes meant for child nutrition, autism services and daycares during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal prosecutors have already charged almost 100 people. Dozens convicted or pleading guilty. Investigators suggest the total could exceed $9 billion in fraudulent claims.
It is already the largest pandemic-related fraud case in US history, with money siphoned off for personal luxuries like expensive cars and real estate, rather than the intended recipients — like low-income children.
The majority of those charged (around 85 out of 98 defendants in the core cases) are Somali-American. Why? Because the fraud often involved networks of Somali-owned ‘nonprofits’ and businesses inflating claims or billing for nonexistent services.
Governor Tim Walz labeled the scandal being inflamed by “white supremacy” In fact, systemic fraud was enabled by his state’s lax controls. Walz now so discredited he won’t run for Governor again. His political career is over. How this bozo ever passed Kamala Harris’ vetting procedures to be her running mate is a mystery.
The terminally thick Shelagh Fogarty on LBC is calling the oil tanker incident as a joint UK- USA operation.
We apparently have planes up monitoring the Russian naval presence. Even if that's all, we are obviously facilitating the operation. So I'd say she's right
Flight radar had a Poseidon 8 some of which are based in Lossiemouth in the area though it could have come from Iceland
The terminally thick Shelagh Fogarty on LBC is calling the oil tanker incident as a joint UK- USA operation.
Only, surely, in the sense that the U.S. used UK airbases.
Which they are perfectly entitled to do. I understand RAF planes went up for observation purposes. Fogarty has just said again that the RAF "supported " the USAF. I assume that is just summisation on her part.
As I have just said the Poseidon 8 have a base in Lossiemouth so probably correct
Will China accept a US embargo on its export of oil from Venezuela? I think not. China takes about 80% of Venezuelan oil which is so thick it is basically tar. It is converted into bitumen for Chinese roads and infrastructure. Though it is only about 5% of Chinese imports of oil, it is an important 5%, and more importantly, there is a matter of principle here. Can the US just intervene to stop Chinese imports? I think China will say no.
China already has a spy ship in the Gulf of Paria, between Trinidad and Venezuela, observing US naval assets.
I hope it isn't another Cuba. I think Trump is too weak for that (TACO) and Xi is wily enough to provide Trump with an off ramp. We shall see.
The terminally thick Shelagh Fogarty on LBC is calling the oil tanker incident as a joint UK- USA operation.
Only, surely, in the sense that the U.S. used UK airbases.
Which they are perfectly entitled to do. I understand RAF planes went up for observation purposes. Fogarty has just said again that the RAF "supported " the USAF. I assume that is just summisation on her part.
As I have just said the Poseidon 8 have a base in Lossiemouth so probably correct
Is that not an act of war against Russia by Starmer?
The latest bit of braggadocio from Truth Social. I still have to pinch myself.
“Remember, for all of those big NATO fans, they were at 2% GDP, and most weren’t paying their bills, UNTIL I CAME ALONG. The USA was, foolishly, paying for them! I, respectfully, got them to 5% GDP, AND THEY PAY, immediately. Everyone said that couldn’t be done, but it could, because, beyond all else, they are all my friends. Without my involvement, Russia would have ALL OF UKRAINE right now. Remember, also, I single-handedly ENDED 8 WARS, and Norway, a NATO Member, foolishly chose not to give me the Noble Peace Prize. But that doesn’t matter! What does matter is that I saved Millions of Lives. RUSSIA AND CHINA HAVE ZERO FEAR OF NATO WITHOUT THE UNITED STATES, AND I DOUBT NATO WOULD BE THERE FOR US IF WE REALLY NEEDED THEM. EVERYONE IS LUCKY THAT I REBUILT OUR MILITARY IN MY FIRST TERM, AND CONTINUE TO DO SO. We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us. The only Nation that China and Russia fear and respect is the DJT REBUILT U.S.A. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! President DJT”
Will China accept a US embargo on its export of oil from Venezuela? I think not. China takes about 80% of Venezuelan oil which is so thick it is basically tar. It is converted into bitumen for Chinese roads and infrastructure. Though it is only about 5% of Chinese imports of oil, it is an important 5%, and more importantly, there is a matter of principle here. Can the US just intervene to stop Chinese imports? I think China will say no.
China already has a spy ship in the Gulf of Paria, between Trinidad and Venezuela, observing US naval assets.
I hope it isn't another Cuba. I think Trump is too weak for that (TACO) and Xi is wily enough to provide Trump with an off ramp. We shall see.
Accept? Not much choice, really. What's that spy ship gonna do?
If things really were to hot up China is incredibly vulnerable as so much of its food and energy is imported by sea. They have a fair-sized and growing navy but it can't really force-project much beyond its immediate environs. The US Navy is a completely different proposition.
The latest bit of braggadocio from Truth Social. I still have to pinch myself.
“Remember, for all of those big NATO fans, they were at 2% GDP, and most weren’t paying their bills, UNTIL I CAME ALONG. The USA was, foolishly, paying for them! I, respectfully, got them to 5% GDP, AND THEY PAY, immediately. Everyone said that couldn’t be done, but it could, because, beyond all else, they are all my friends. Without my involvement, Russia would have ALL OF UKRAINE right now. Remember, also, I single-handedly ENDED 8 WARS, and Norway, a NATO Member, foolishly chose not to give me the Noble Peace Prize. But that doesn’t matter! What does matter is that I saved Millions of Lives. RUSSIA AND CHINA HAVE ZERO FEAR OF NATO WITHOUT THE UNITED STATES, AND I DOUBT NATO WOULD BE THERE FOR US IF WE REALLY NEEDED THEM. EVERYONE IS LUCKY THAT I REBUILT OUR MILITARY IN MY FIRST TERM, AND CONTINUE TO DO SO. We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us. The only Nation that China and Russia fear and respect is the DJT REBUILT U.S.A. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! President DJT”
"They are all my friends" Is this an olive branch? Has he realised that he needs friends?
The usual suspects have been claiming on X that the Minnesota fraud scandal is no big deal and that it was racist to place Somalis at the centre of it. They lie. Some facts:
The fraud scandals in Minnesota are a very big deal, involving (so far) the theft of over $1 billion in taxpayer funds across multiple schemes, primarily from federal and state programmes meant for child nutrition, autism services and daycares during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal prosecutors have already charged almost 100 people. Dozens convicted or pleading guilty. Investigators suggest the total could exceed $9 billion in fraudulent claims.
It is already the largest pandemic-related fraud case in US history, with money siphoned off for personal luxuries like expensive cars and real estate, rather than the intended recipients — like low-income children.
The majority of those charged (around 85 out of 98 defendants in the core cases) are Somali-American. Why? Because the fraud often involved networks of Somali-owned ‘nonprofits’ and businesses inflating claims or billing for nonexistent services.
Governor Tim Walz labeled the scandal being inflamed by “white supremacy” In fact, systemic fraud was enabled by his state’s lax controls. Walz now so discredited he won’t run for Governor again. His political career is over. How this bozo ever passed Kamala Harris’ vetting procedures to be her running mate is a mystery.
Where on earth was the oversight on how this money was allocated.
The latest bit of braggadocio from Truth Social. I still have to pinch myself.
“Remember, for all of those big NATO fans, they were at 2% GDP, and most weren’t paying their bills, UNTIL I CAME ALONG. The USA was, foolishly, paying for them! I, respectfully, got them to 5% GDP, AND THEY PAY, immediately. Everyone said that couldn’t be done, but it could, because, beyond all else, they are all my friends. Without my involvement, Russia would have ALL OF UKRAINE right now. Remember, also, I single-handedly ENDED 8 WARS, and Norway, a NATO Member, foolishly chose not to give me the Noble Peace Prize. But that doesn’t matter! What does matter is that I saved Millions of Lives. RUSSIA AND CHINA HAVE ZERO FEAR OF NATO WITHOUT THE UNITED STATES, AND I DOUBT NATO WOULD BE THERE FOR US IF WE REALLY NEEDED THEM. EVERYONE IS LUCKY THAT I REBUILT OUR MILITARY IN MY FIRST TERM, AND CONTINUE TO DO SO. We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us. The only Nation that China and Russia fear and respect is the DJT REBUILT U.S.A. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! President DJT”
He hasn't got NATO to 5% (although they have mostly increased).
"ENDED 8 WARS" LOL.
"Noble", and he doesn't appear to understand that the Norwegian government has no involvement in the awards.
I'm fairly sure it's Ukraine who has stopped Russa having "ALL OF UKRAINE". Maybe @Sandpit can comment on that.
Will China accept a US embargo on its export of oil from Venezuela? I think not. China takes about 80% of Venezuelan oil which is so thick it is basically tar. It is converted into bitumen for Chinese roads and infrastructure. Though it is only about 5% of Chinese imports of oil, it is an important 5%, and more importantly, there is a matter of principle here. Can the US just intervene to stop Chinese imports? I think China will say no.
China already has a spy ship in the Gulf of Paria, between Trinidad and Venezuela, observing US naval assets.
I hope it isn't another Cuba. I think Trump is too weak for that (TACO) and Xi is wily enough to provide Trump with an off ramp. We shall see.
Accept? Not much choice, really. What's that spy ship gonna do?
If things really were to hot up China is incredibly vulnerable as so much of its food and energy is imported by sea. They have a fair-sized and growing navy but it can't really force-project much beyond its immediate environs. The US Navy is a completely different proposition.
The spy ship is just spying. Watch out for Chinese aircraft being posted to Brazil and Colombia. You don't have to be stronger. You just have to be better at chess and poker.
If Chinese naval vessels approached Venezuela to accompany oil tankers, do you think US naval vessels are going to fire on them and risk starting world war 3? I don't think so.
The usual suspects have been claiming on X that the Minnesota fraud scandal is no big deal and that it was racist to place Somalis at the centre of it. They lie. Some facts:
The fraud scandals in Minnesota are a very big deal, involving (so far) the theft of over $1 billion in taxpayer funds across multiple schemes, primarily from federal and state programmes meant for child nutrition, autism services and daycares during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal prosecutors have already charged almost 100 people. Dozens convicted or pleading guilty. Investigators suggest the total could exceed $9 billion in fraudulent claims.
It is already the largest pandemic-related fraud case in US history, with money siphoned off for personal luxuries like expensive cars and real estate, rather than the intended recipients — like low-income children.
The majority of those charged (around 85 out of 98 defendants in the core cases) are Somali-American. Why? Because the fraud often involved networks of Somali-owned ‘nonprofits’ and businesses inflating claims or billing for nonexistent services.
Governor Tim Walz labeled the scandal being inflamed by “white supremacy” In fact, systemic fraud was enabled by his state’s lax controls. Walz now so discredited he won’t run for Governor again. His political career is over. How this bozo ever passed Kamala Harris’ vetting procedures to be her running mate is a mystery.
Look squirrel!
Andrew Neil is hardly a non partisan when it comes to Republicans and Democrats.
Even if it is a genuine fraud it's a drop in the ocean compared to your President's corruption.
The latest bit of braggadocio from Truth Social. I still have to pinch myself.
“Remember, for all of those big NATO fans, they were at 2% GDP, and most weren’t paying their bills, UNTIL I CAME ALONG. The USA was, foolishly, paying for them! I, respectfully, got them to 5% GDP, AND THEY PAY, immediately. Everyone said that couldn’t be done, but it could, because, beyond all else, they are all my friends. Without my involvement, Russia would have ALL OF UKRAINE right now. Remember, also, I single-handedly ENDED 8 WARS, and Norway, a NATO Member, foolishly chose not to give me the Noble Peace Prize. But that doesn’t matter! What does matter is that I saved Millions of Lives. RUSSIA AND CHINA HAVE ZERO FEAR OF NATO WITHOUT THE UNITED STATES, AND I DOUBT NATO WOULD BE THERE FOR US IF WE REALLY NEEDED THEM. EVERYONE IS LUCKY THAT I REBUILT OUR MILITARY IN MY FIRST TERM, AND CONTINUE TO DO SO. We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us. The only Nation that China and Russia fear and respect is the DJT REBUILT U.S.A. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! President DJT”
"They are all my friends" Is this an olive branch? Has he realised that he needs friends?
No, you're mistakenly treating him as rational. It's just an example of his pathetic insecurity on public display.
The usual suspects have been claiming on X that the Minnesota fraud scandal is no big deal and that it was racist to place Somalis at the centre of it. They lie. Some facts:
The fraud scandals in Minnesota are a very big deal, involving (so far) the theft of over $1 billion in taxpayer funds across multiple schemes, primarily from federal and state programmes meant for child nutrition, autism services and daycares during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal prosecutors have already charged almost 100 people. Dozens convicted or pleading guilty. Investigators suggest the total could exceed $9 billion in fraudulent claims.
It is already the largest pandemic-related fraud case in US history, with money siphoned off for personal luxuries like expensive cars and real estate, rather than the intended recipients — like low-income children.
The majority of those charged (around 85 out of 98 defendants in the core cases) are Somali-American. Why? Because the fraud often involved networks of Somali-owned ‘nonprofits’ and businesses inflating claims or billing for nonexistent services.
Governor Tim Walz labeled the scandal being inflamed by “white supremacy” In fact, systemic fraud was enabled by his state’s lax controls. Walz now so discredited he won’t run for Governor again. His political career is over. How this bozo ever passed Kamala Harris’ vetting procedures to be her running mate is a mystery.
Look squirrel!
Andrew Neil is hardly a non partisan when it comes to Republicans and Democrats.
Even if it is a genuine fraud it's a drop in the ocean compared to your President's corruption.
Polymarket is disputing that the US mission to capture Nicolás Maduro constituted an "invasion", refusing to pay out bets on a contract with $10.5M in wagers (Financial Times)
Comments
As Bart showed, the idea going to a Scottish drink driving limit will save lives is bullshit, most EU nations with the Scottish drink drive limit have more deaths on the roads than England and Wales do. So on that basis saving our wonderful rustic pubs must take priority to leftie nanny statism!!!
Supermarket beer is not cheap. It is already prohibitively taxed and is not allowed to be sold below cost price.
The recent changes in duties have also seen increases in prices or reduction in ABV to keep the price point where it was.
Drinking rates are falling in the UK full stop. Have been consistently since 2004/5. Turn that around and that helps pubs.
You tax something if you want less of it. Whack up the tax on supermarket booze they will just sell less. Doesn’t mean it will translate to more pub business and there’s no guarantee
MUP in Scotland does not stop pub closures there being twice the rate in England. The SLTA supported MUP as they thought it would help them. It didn’t.
'Farage slams po-faced Starmer's new drink drive limit as 'a death knell for country pubs'''
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/2154473/farage-starmer-drink-drive-limit-pubs
If it's not complete fantasy (entirely possible), then the chances are a fair percentage of the cargoes' value will end up in the Trump crime family bank accounts.
Perhaps something like pubs will make a comeback when people get fed up with online life.
“Controversial as Mr Orban may be, he has time and again been proven right over the last decade, as one by one, Western liberal post-war orthodoxies have fallen…many countries will regret their failure to pay attention to Hungary.”
https://x.com/miriam_cates/status/2008547266068705442
“It is crucial that, rather than just printing new rules, those that we have are properly enforced against the minority of drivers who put everyone’s lives at risk.”'
https://www.thesun.co.uk/motors/37831663/laws-alcohol-limit-drink-drive-labour/
How charming,
Getting the Canadians more involved.
So is growth.
They are downstream of actual vision and leadership.
If Starmer and Carney announced the intention to form a single market and a series of defence initiatives, including a saner energy policy (as Carney has started to do), investor sentiment would be positive.
UK needs a growth “shock” to turn around profoundly negative investor sentiment, much of which is narrative-based rather than related to fundamentals. Liz Truss kind of fathomed this but her solution was batshit.
It is time to think boldly.
What they're worried about is how the rest of NATO responds, and whether they'll get the support they'd hope for.
If so we are in for a long year.
Something like that.
The Monroe 2.0 doctrine helps justify Russian free rein in Eastern Europe.
Dunno how this latest seizure fits with all of that, though.
People have such a bad case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that removing a Russian client in South America somehow has to be in Putin's interests.
There are also some Latin Catholics, Protestants and Slavic pagans, not to mention the Muslim Tatars of Crimea.
Be good if Trump understood the notion of allies and backed off Greenland as they're his allies too.
Going it alone is far more romantic.
The UK Ministry of Defence says it supported US efforts to seize the Russian-flagged tanker in the North Atlantic today, including with RAF aircraft.
Here's a statement from UK Defence Secretary John Healey:
"Today our UK Armed Forces showed skill and professionalism in support of a successful U.S. interception of the vessel Bella 1 while on its way to Russia.
"This action formed part of global efforts to crack down on sanctions busting.
"This ship, with a nefarious history, is part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fuelling terrorism, conflict, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine.
"The UK will continue to step up our action against shadow fleet activity to protect our national security, our economy, and global stability – making Britain secure at home and strong abroad."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cwynjdqgellt
Tell tale signs of using ChatGPT in that final sentence.
I thought at the time that it was a very harsh level of attack to make on a political figure.
The usual suspects have been claiming on X that the Minnesota fraud scandal is no big deal and that it was racist to place Somalis at the centre of it. They lie. Some facts:
The fraud scandals in Minnesota are a very big deal, involving (so far) the theft of over $1 billion in taxpayer funds across multiple schemes, primarily from federal and state programmes meant for child nutrition, autism services and daycares during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal prosecutors have already charged almost 100 people. Dozens convicted or pleading guilty. Investigators suggest the total could exceed $9 billion in fraudulent claims.
It is already the largest pandemic-related fraud case in US history, with money siphoned off for personal luxuries like expensive cars and real estate, rather than the intended recipients — like low-income children.
The majority of those charged (around 85 out of 98 defendants in the core cases) are Somali-American. Why? Because the fraud often involved networks of Somali-owned ‘nonprofits’ and businesses inflating claims or billing for nonexistent services.
Governor Tim Walz labeled the scandal being inflamed by “white supremacy” In fact, systemic fraud was enabled by his state’s lax controls. Walz now so discredited he won’t run for Governor again. His political career is over. How this bozo ever passed Kamala Harris’ vetting procedures to be her running mate is a mystery.
No doubt details will emerge
Major toys being thrown out of pram moment on social media.
I think not.
China takes about 80% of Venezuelan oil which is so thick it is basically tar. It is converted into bitumen for Chinese roads and infrastructure. Though it is only about 5% of Chinese imports of oil, it is an important 5%, and more importantly, there is a matter of principle here. Can the US just intervene to stop Chinese imports? I think China will say no.
China already has a spy ship in the Gulf of Paria, between Trinidad and Venezuela, observing US naval assets.
I hope it isn't another Cuba. I think Trump is too weak for that (TACO) and Xi is wily enough to provide Trump with an off ramp. We shall see.
Get very confused.
Remember that "nm" can also stand for "nautical mile".
Nigel will be furious.
HIRE JOHN HARBAUGH, FAST. HE, AND HIS BROTHER, ARE TOTAL WINNERS!!! President DJT
For those that don't know he is a famous coach of a hand egg team that got the sack the other day.
“Remember, for all of those big NATO fans, they were at 2% GDP, and most weren’t paying their bills, UNTIL I CAME ALONG. The USA was, foolishly, paying for them! I, respectfully, got them to 5% GDP, AND THEY PAY, immediately. Everyone said that couldn’t be done, but it could, because, beyond all else, they are all my friends. Without my involvement, Russia would have ALL OF UKRAINE right now. Remember, also, I single-handedly ENDED 8 WARS, and Norway, a NATO Member, foolishly chose not to give me the Noble Peace Prize. But that doesn’t matter! What does matter is that I saved Millions of Lives. RUSSIA AND CHINA HAVE ZERO FEAR OF NATO WITHOUT THE UNITED STATES, AND I DOUBT NATO WOULD BE THERE FOR US IF WE REALLY NEEDED THEM. EVERYONE IS LUCKY THAT I REBUILT OUR MILITARY IN MY FIRST TERM, AND CONTINUE TO DO SO. We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us. The only Nation that China and Russia fear and respect is the DJT REBUILT U.S.A. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! President DJT”
John Healey confirms UK armed forces involved
US and UK in joint operations
Interesting if Davey is going to attack this action
If things really were to hot up China is incredibly vulnerable as so much of its food and energy is imported by sea. They have a fair-sized and growing navy but it can't really force-project much beyond its immediate environs. The US Navy is a completely different proposition.
Imagine this idiot as VP and the scandal erupted.
"ENDED 8 WARS" LOL.
"Noble", and he doesn't appear to understand that the Norwegian government has no involvement in the awards.
I'm fairly sure it's Ukraine who has stopped Russa having "ALL OF UKRAINE". Maybe @Sandpit can comment on that.
Watch out for Chinese aircraft being posted to Brazil and Colombia.
You don't have to be stronger. You just have to be better at chess and poker.
If Chinese naval vessels approached Venezuela to accompany oil tankers, do you think US naval vessels are going to fire on them and risk starting world war 3? I don't think so.
Andrew Neil is hardly a non partisan when it comes to Republicans and Democrats.
Even if it is a genuine fraud it's a drop in the ocean compared to your President's corruption.
NEW THREAD
Polymarket is disputing that the US mission to capture Nicolás Maduro constituted an "invasion", refusing to pay out bets on a contract with $10.5M in wagers (Financial Times)