A good job that no lies or hypocrisy were involved in his defection. That teenager he threatened would surely have a good case to sue after effectively being called a liar for telling the truth.
And also a good job that he doesn't have an - ummm - interesting past in other ways (putting it delicately).
If he isn't a disaster for Reform I'll be very surprised.
I've actually met Andrew twice at Westminster, on a personal level he's very polite and engaging, despite us not agreeing on much as Tories.
(He and i share a similar trait when it comes to subtlety.)
Erm....for the avoidance of doubt, TSE, I think you should make it clear which Andrew you are talking about here.
Rosindell.
Sorry, TSE, I had just been reading a post about that Mountbatten person and got confused.
The extraordinary meeting of EU leaders to discuss Greenland could take physically as soon as Thursday, 22 January, according to EU officials.
It will take place in Brussels after leaders attend the WEF in Davos.
By Thursday the whole meeting could be moot - that leaves 3 days for Trump to open up the gates of the American base there and take over..
Isn't the American base a long way from Nuuk?
Yes, what does a US occupation actually look like?
CIA SADS/SF/PMCs kill or intern the government and take over the airport.
Start flying in the occupying forces on C-17/C-5 from Dover AFB in Maine.
Thing is, the US will “win” any invasion of Greenland. The only metric that would count is how many US servicemen would die v how many Europeans would.
Having no idea I imagine the US would have such superiority that it would be quick but what is the number of dead that make the US population ask “are we the badies?”
Nine UK councils have declared effective bankruptcy since 2018. Over £5 billion in debt. And when I followed the money, I found a pattern: the same companies kept getting paid while your local services collapsed. One man allegedly bought a private jet, a country estate, and a yacht — all with council tax money. A single IT project went from £19 million to £216 million. Treasury advisers took kickbacks to sell councils toxic loans. And the consultants investigating these failures? Often the same firms that helped create them. This is the very profitable business of bankrupting UK councils.
The nine councils that declared bankruptcy: Northamptonshire (2018), Croydon (2020, 2021, 2022), Slough (2021), Thurrock (2022), Woking (2023), Birmingham (2023), Nottingham (2023). Combined debt: Over £5 billion Council jobs lost since 2012: 600,000+ Councils expecting bankruptcy in next 5 years: 50% https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7FUD-ecHFE
A surprisingly well-presented (aside from the spelling) 20-minute video.
I am disappointed nobody spotted the subtle Queen music reference in the headline.
I think your puns are made in heaven. They always have the appropriate amount of innuendo. The miracle is that you keep coming up with them. It's a kind of magic how, whether we are discussing the news of the world or just a day at the races, you still deliver the works.
I am disappointed nobody spotted the subtle Queen music reference in the headline.
I think your puns are made in heaven. They always have the appropriate amount of innuendo. The miracle is that you keep coming up with them. It's a kind of magic how, whether we are discussing the news of the world or just a day at the races, you still deliver the works.
Yes usually we are the champions at squeezing in a music related pun.
Rosindell’s move to Reform is kind of a non-story.
Although I see he was “Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs”, which must say something about the paucity of talent on the Tory benches, given he’s borderline mentally sub-normal.
You actually made me chuckle at home out loud reading that.
I genuinely feel sorry for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor here.
Princess Eugenie has cut off all contact with her disgraced father in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his royal titles in October over his links to the paedophile financier, is said to be 'devastated' at the estrangement from his younger daughter, which followed months of further damaging revelations last year about his relationship with Epstein.
It is understood Eugenie, 35, is refusing to speak to Andrew and did not visit him at Christmas.
There are now 7 Reform UK MPs, two more than they won in the election and now equalling Sinn Fein in size. They've gained 4 (3 defections + 1 by-election win), but lost 2.
Over half (4) were previously Conservative Party MPs. 5/7 previously held elected positions as Conservatives (Pochin was a Conservative councillor and Westminster candidate). All 7 were previously members of the Conservative Party. (The only Reform MP who had not previously been a member of the Conservative Party was James McMurdock).
Let's see if they're still all there by the time of the next election.
I am disappointed nobody spotted the subtle Queen music reference in the headline.
I think your puns are made in heaven. They always have the appropriate amount of innuendo. The miracle is that you keep coming up with them. It's a kind of magic how, whether we are discussing the news of the world or just a day at the races, you still deliver the works.
Yes usually we are the champions at squeezing in a music related pun.
We all prefer 80's music references to a Night at the Opera.
There are now 7 Reform UK MPs, two more than they won in the election and now equalling Sinn Fein in size. They've gained 4 (3 defections + 1 by-election win), but lost 2.
Over half (4) were previously Conservative Party MPs. 5/7 previously held elected positions as Conservatives (Pochin was a Conservative councillor and Westminster candidate). All 7 were previously members of the Conservative Party. (The only Reform MP who had not previously been a member of the Conservative Party was James McMurdock).
Let's see if they're still all there by the time of the next election.
Reform UK hasn't lost a significant member for... let me count... 6 months!
Senegal players walking off the pitch before the penalty is taken.
This is insane!
What happens if they refuse to play any further
I don't know, but if I had to guess, Morocco will be given the win, and Senegal a massive fine and maybe ban?
If you walk off you should be disqualified anyway, even if you later come back.
Like when Pakistan forfeited a match against England after refusing to come out to play (IIRC the ICC tried to smooth the waters over that, but I hope the decision stands).
"Increasingly, some big names on the right are coming to worry that X’s algorithm — which elevates short-form video and audio clips over links to articles or essays — is undermining the right’s political cohesion by promoting the most outlandish and conspiracy-minded members of Trump’s coalition."
The extraordinary meeting of EU leaders to discuss Greenland could take physically as soon as Thursday, 22 January, according to EU officials.
It will take place in Brussels after leaders attend the WEF in Davos.
By Thursday the whole meeting could be moot - that leaves 3 days for Trump to open up the gates of the American base there and take over..
Isn't the American base a long way from Nuuk?
Yes, what does a US occupation actually look like?
CIA SADS/SF/PMCs kill or intern the government and take over the airport.
Start flying in the occupying forces on C-17/C-5 from Dover AFB in Maine.
Thing is, the US will “win” any invasion of Greenland. The only metric that would count is how many US servicemen would die v how many Europeans would.
Having no idea I imagine the US would have such superiority that it would be quick but what is the number of dead that make the US population ask “are we the badies?”
The invasion of Suez in 1956 was well underway when it came to a shuddering halt after America effectively cut the credit line to the UK.
The bloodbath we can expect in the US markets later on thus week will just be a taster for similar pressure on the US... the massive US debt mountain coukd come down in the sort of avalanche that knocked Liz Truss out of office. Trump may not be ousted, but he will be crippled.
2 Apologies to anyone who listened to me saying that Rozzer was a loyal Conservative in a way that Jenrick wasn't.
3 Eagles is right about his people skills; from the point of view of being seen around the place, and available for weddings and bar mitzvahs, he's the best. I doubt there are many public buildings in Romford that don't have a portrait of the monarch, generously presented by the local MP.
4 But despite being an MP since 2001, I don't think he was ever a minister. Admittedly, he was unavailable in the mad bit of summer 2022 when BoJo was desperate for anyone to serve, but it's still indicative of his skillset.
5 The Chagos thing has to be nonsense, doesn't it? Not that he doesn't believe in their cause, but it surely isn't a reason to jump to Reform now.
6 I wonder how his old party will respond.
7 So much for the really careful vetting that el Nige promised us.
8 The council elections for Havering (3.5 months away) will presumably be even more of a shitshow than they were going to be already. (One of our local Conservative councillors, talented and going places but deselected for insufficient loyalty to the Andrissimo, recently changed his social media pic to the Traitors logo.)
9 Did I say blimey?
I'm surprised because his minions were still out and about working hard for him right before Christmas. I'm not surprised because there has been hardly a fag paper of difference between him and Farage's party (under whatever branding).
He definitely fits the liar or crook or both mould of the other Reform MPs (I have heard some interesting stories from recent members of the Romford Conservative Association). He is personally very polite but also crashingly dull with no sense of humour at all. He adds nothing to them except anther failed Tory, except in his case nobody gas ever trusted him to run anything so I suppose you can't really accuse him of failure.
It's a shame the news broke when it did because I was with a Conservative councillor until about 5 minutes before, who clearly didn't know about it either because we were discussing local politics! I imagine the party will be in disarray locally as it was very much his private fiefdom, purged of anyone except Rosindell loyalists. Presumably they will also all now join Reform, and half of the current Reform members will leave.
On the positive side for the Conservatives it does open the possibility that I might vote Tory in a GE for the first time ever, if they select a sensible candidate.
"Increasingly, some big names on the right are coming to worry that X’s algorithm — which elevates short-form video and audio clips over links to articles or essays — is undermining the right’s political cohesion by promoting the most outlandish and conspiracy-minded members of Trump’s coalition."
"Breitbart editor Raheem Kassam bleakly proclaimed that he was deleting the app from his phone.
“X is a post-apocalyptic cesspool of bots, pedophilia and political illiteracy,” Kassam wrote in a text message when asked about his decision. “I deleted it from my phone because it was making me dumber.”"
EXCLUSIVE: Tony Blair has distanced himself from Trump’s demand that countries pay $1 billion to join his Board of Peace full-time — and Canada won’t pay the money
Blair was appointed to the ‘executive board’ for the project but he does not endorse Trump’s request for payment
His spokesperson says the fee and membership are nothing to do with him and questions on it are for the Trump administration
We can also reveal Canada will refuse to pay the fee. Mark Carney says specifics will have to be discussed
These are clear signs that Trump’s Board of Peace is already struggling to maintain the support of US allies and partners following the remarkable demand for money
Some countries will likely refuse to join the Board as a result of Trump’s terms, people familiar with the matter said
Others may agree in principle to joining but decline to pay the fee for permanent membership, they added. They would then either seek to negotiate it away or quit the board if Trump insists on the money
I genuinely feel sorry for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor here.
Princess Eugenie has cut off all contact with her disgraced father in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his royal titles in October over his links to the paedophile financier, is said to be 'devastated' at the estrangement from his younger daughter, which followed months of further damaging revelations last year about his relationship with Epstein.
It is understood Eugenie, 35, is refusing to speak to Andrew and did not visit him at Christmas.
Hard to feel that sorry for consequences to one's actions.
About 25 years ago for a few weeks I thought my relationship with my parents was irretrievably broken down thanks to my decision to tell them about my 'lifestyle choices', it was an utterly shit few weeks for me and them.
EXCLUSIVE: Tony Blair has distanced himself from Trump’s demand that countries pay $1 billion to join his Board of Peace full-time — and Canada won’t pay the money
Blair was appointed to the ‘executive board’ for the project but he does not endorse Trump’s request for payment
His spokesperson says the fee and membership are nothing to do with him and questions on it are for the Trump administration
We can also reveal Canada will refuse to pay the fee. Mark Carney says specifics will have to be discussed
These are clear signs that Trump’s Board of Peace is already struggling to maintain the support of US allies and partners following the remarkable demand for money
Some countries will likely refuse to join the Board as a result of Trump’s terms, people familiar with the matter said
Others may agree in principle to joining but decline to pay the fee for permanent membership, they added. They would then either seek to negotiate it away or quit the board if Trump insists on the money
2 Apologies to anyone who listened to me saying that Rozzer was a loyal Conservative in a way that Jenrick wasn't.
3 Eagles is right about his people skills; from the point of view of being seen around the place, and available for weddings and bar mitzvahs, he's the best. I doubt there are many public buildings in Romford that don't have a portrait of the monarch, generously presented by the local MP.
4 But despite being an MP since 2001, I don't think he was ever a minister. Admittedly, he was unavailable in the mad bit of summer 2022 when BoJo was desperate for anyone to serve, but it's still indicative of his skillset.
5 The Chagos thing has to be nonsense, doesn't it? Not that he doesn't believe in their cause, but it surely isn't a reason to jump to Reform now.
6 I wonder how his old party will respond.
7 So much for the really careful vetting that el Nige promised us.
8 The council elections for Havering (3.5 months away) will presumably be even more of a shitshow than they were going to be already. (One of our local Conservative councillors, talented and going places but deselected for insufficient loyalty to the Andrissimo, recently changed his social media pic to the Traitors logo.)
9 Did I say blimey?
I'm surprised because his minions were still out and about working hard for him right before Christmas. I'm not surprised because there has been hardly a fag paper of difference between him and Farage's party (under whatever branding).
He definitely fits the liar or crook or both mould of the other Reform MPs (I have heard some interesting stories from recent members of the Romford Conservative Association). He is personally very polite but also crashingly dull with no sense of humour at all. He adds nothing to them except anther failed Tory, except in his case nobody gas ever trusted him to run anything so I suppose you can't really accuse him of failure.
It's a shame the news broke when it did because I was with a Conservative councillor until about 5 minutes before, who clearly didn't know about it either because we were discussing local politics! I imagine the party will be in disarray locally as it was very much his private fiefdom, purged of anyone except Rosindell loyalists. Presumably they will also all now join Reform, and half of the current Reform members will leave.
On the positive side for the Conservatives it does open the possibility that I might vote Tory in a GE for the first time ever, if they select a sensible candidate.
All this does is cement Kemi's position and I expect her now to lead into the next GE
I am disappointed nobody spotted the subtle Queen music reference in the headline.
I think your puns are made in heaven. They always have the appropriate amount of innuendo. The miracle is that you keep coming up with them. It's a kind of magic how, whether we are discussing the news of the world or just a day at the races, you still deliver the works.
Yes usually we are the champions at squeezing in a music related pun.
We all prefer 80's music references to a Night at the Opera.
Each time someone posts a Queen pun, they Save Me the trouble.
Nine UK councils have declared effective bankruptcy since 2018. Over £5 billion in debt. And when I followed the money, I found a pattern: the same companies kept getting paid while your local services collapsed. One man allegedly bought a private jet, a country estate, and a yacht — all with council tax money. A single IT project went from £19 million to £216 million. Treasury advisers took kickbacks to sell councils toxic loans. And the consultants investigating these failures? Often the same firms that helped create them. This is the very profitable business of bankrupting UK councils.
The nine councils that declared bankruptcy: Northamptonshire (2018), Croydon (2020, 2021, 2022), Slough (2021), Thurrock (2022), Woking (2023), Birmingham (2023), Nottingham (2023). Combined debt: Over £5 billion Council jobs lost since 2012: 600,000+ Councils expecting bankruptcy in next 5 years: 50% https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7FUD-ecHFE
A surprisingly well-presented (aside from the spelling) 20-minute video.
That's a good video.
To me, the key cause is the inability of Councils to employ adequate staff to manage contracts.
"Increasingly, some big names on the right are coming to worry that X’s algorithm — which elevates short-form video and audio clips over links to articles or essays — is undermining the right’s political cohesion by promoting the most outlandish and conspiracy-minded members of Trump’s coalition."
MAGA? We said at the time of the presidential election that Trump's coalition looked unstable. Trump himself may have been captured away from isolationist, Epstein-angered MAGA.
One suspects it is also conservative Americans rather than the Online Safety Act that led to Elon Musk's change of heart on AI-assisted sexual imagery.
"Increasingly, some big names on the right are coming to worry that X’s algorithm — which elevates short-form video and audio clips over links to articles or essays — is undermining the right’s political cohesion by promoting the most outlandish and conspiracy-minded members of Trump’s coalition."
"Breitbart editor Raheem Kassam bleakly proclaimed that he was deleting the app from his phone.
“X is a post-apocalyptic cesspool of bots, pedophilia and political illiteracy,” Kassam wrote in a text message when asked about his decision. “I deleted it from my phone because it was making me dumber.”"
Nine UK councils have declared effective bankruptcy since 2018. Over £5 billion in debt. And when I followed the money, I found a pattern: the same companies kept getting paid while your local services collapsed. One man allegedly bought a private jet, a country estate, and a yacht — all with council tax money. A single IT project went from £19 million to £216 million. Treasury advisers took kickbacks to sell councils toxic loans. And the consultants investigating these failures? Often the same firms that helped create them. This is the very profitable business of bankrupting UK councils.
The nine councils that declared bankruptcy: Northamptonshire (2018), Croydon (2020, 2021, 2022), Slough (2021), Thurrock (2022), Woking (2023), Birmingham (2023), Nottingham (2023). Combined debt: Over £5 billion Council jobs lost since 2012: 600,000+ Councils expecting bankruptcy in next 5 years: 50% https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7FUD-ecHFE
A surprisingly well-presented (aside from the spelling) 20-minute video.
That's a good video.
To me, the key cause is the inability of Councils to employ adequate staff to manage contracts.
And although it is not mentioned, one cannot help but suspect this is the prime motivation for merging local authorities (and cancelling elections) – smear out debts rather than advance democracy.
Nine UK councils have declared effective bankruptcy since 2018. Over £5 billion in debt. And when I followed the money, I found a pattern: the same companies kept getting paid while your local services collapsed. One man allegedly bought a private jet, a country estate, and a yacht — all with council tax money. A single IT project went from £19 million to £216 million. Treasury advisers took kickbacks to sell councils toxic loans. And the consultants investigating these failures? Often the same firms that helped create them. This is the very profitable business of bankrupting UK councils.
The nine councils that declared bankruptcy: Northamptonshire (2018), Croydon (2020, 2021, 2022), Slough (2021), Thurrock (2022), Woking (2023), Birmingham (2023), Nottingham (2023). Combined debt: Over £5 billion Council jobs lost since 2012: 600,000+ Councils expecting bankruptcy in next 5 years: 50% https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7FUD-ecHFE
A surprisingly well-presented (aside from the spelling) 20-minute video.
It's surprising a lot more have not gone bankrupt in the last few years. No idea what the government is planning to do with high needs block deficits.
The easy cuts are long gone, but the public perception is everyone in the sector is useless, and you could also get other people to do it better for half the money
For instance, you'll often still have people saying how if cllr expenses were less the council could do X - when whatever your feelings on how much cllrs should get (it varies in England), it's not a large amount of the council budgets.
Nine UK councils have declared effective bankruptcy since 2018. Over £5 billion in debt. And when I followed the money, I found a pattern: the same companies kept getting paid while your local services collapsed. One man allegedly bought a private jet, a country estate, and a yacht — all with council tax money. A single IT project went from £19 million to £216 million. Treasury advisers took kickbacks to sell councils toxic loans. And the consultants investigating these failures? Often the same firms that helped create them. This is the very profitable business of bankrupting UK councils.
The nine councils that declared bankruptcy: Northamptonshire (2018), Croydon (2020, 2021, 2022), Slough (2021), Thurrock (2022), Woking (2023), Birmingham (2023), Nottingham (2023). Combined debt: Over £5 billion Council jobs lost since 2012: 600,000+ Councils expecting bankruptcy in next 5 years: 50% https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7FUD-ecHFE
A surprisingly well-presented (aside from the spelling) 20-minute video.
That's a good video.
To me, the key cause is the inability of Councils to employ adequate staff to manage contracts.
I'm not so sure about some of the others on the channel, though.
Nine UK councils have declared effective bankruptcy since 2018. Over £5 billion in debt. And when I followed the money, I found a pattern: the same companies kept getting paid while your local services collapsed. One man allegedly bought a private jet, a country estate, and a yacht — all with council tax money. A single IT project went from £19 million to £216 million. Treasury advisers took kickbacks to sell councils toxic loans. And the consultants investigating these failures? Often the same firms that helped create them. This is the very profitable business of bankrupting UK councils.
The nine councils that declared bankruptcy: Northamptonshire (2018), Croydon (2020, 2021, 2022), Slough (2021), Thurrock (2022), Woking (2023), Birmingham (2023), Nottingham (2023). Combined debt: Over £5 billion Council jobs lost since 2012: 600,000+ Councils expecting bankruptcy in next 5 years: 50% https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7FUD-ecHFE
A surprisingly well-presented (aside from the spelling) 20-minute video.
That's a good video.
To me, the key cause is the inability of Councils to employ adequate staff to manage contracts.
And although it is not mentioned, one cannot help but suspect this is the prime motivation for merging local authorities (and cancelling elections) – smear out debts rather than advance democracy.
Pretty sure the economic case has been advanced for it as a primary factor (with a counter that it won't save as much as predicted), albeit not in that specific way.
EXCLUSIVE: Tony Blair has distanced himself from Trump’s demand that countries pay $1 billion to join his Board of Peace full-time — and Canada won’t pay the money
Blair was appointed to the ‘executive board’ for the project but he does not endorse Trump’s request for payment
His spokesperson says the fee and membership are nothing to do with him and questions on it are for the Trump administration
We can also reveal Canada will refuse to pay the fee. Mark Carney says specifics will have to be discussed
These are clear signs that Trump’s Board of Peace is already struggling to maintain the support of US allies and partners following the remarkable demand for money
Some countries will likely refuse to join the Board as a result of Trump’s terms, people familiar with the matter said
Others may agree in principle to joining but decline to pay the fee for permanent membership, they added. They would then either seek to negotiate it away or quit the board if Trump insists on the money
“Now I really can’t wait for Scotland v Morocco at the World Cup,” writes Simon McMahon. “A football mad, expectant nation with a sense of burning injustice fuelled by years of hurt and national embarrassment on the big stage. Plus Morocco. It’ll be epic.”
I am disappointed nobody spotted the subtle Queen music reference in the headline.
I think your puns are made in heaven. They always have the appropriate amount of innuendo. The miracle is that you keep coming up with them. It's a kind of magic how, whether we are discussing the news of the world or just a day at the races, you still deliver the works.
Yes usually we are the champions at squeezing in a music related pun.
We all prefer 80's music references to a Night at the Opera.
Each time someone posts a Queen pun, they Save Me the trouble.
Looking at various twitter comments from (apparently) americans who are in favour of acquiring Greenland, a surprising number are going with a strategy of pretending that no-one had brought up the prospect of using the military, as if a very deliberate not ruling it out means it has not been threatened.
I think it's a mistake by Rosindell. I don't think Farage's deadline would actually have held.
I think it's a much bigger mistake by Farage. His small political grouping is a right mix of oddballs and egomaniacs, with himself as both.
I am amazed by the rapidity by which people described as loyal, hard-working sensible centrist cabinet members whilst in the Conservative Party instantly become oddball and egomaniac extremists fit only for rubbish the instant they defect to Reform. 'Tis a mystery, I tell you.
I think not a few have gone on a journey to Bonkers.
The tories are like those mad women who pretend they are glad to get chucked on Facebook. Jus me an the kids now. Wuz r better of w/o him. xxx
There's not much else they can say in such a situation to be honest. Saying you're sorry to see someone go looks weak, so you go dismissive instead.
Besides, in this case it's unambiguously true. The mystery is why CCHQ didn't lean on Romford incredibly hard to find a different candidate in 2024. .
Because he'd have jumped ship to Reform?
That, of course, is one problem with the 'better inside the tent pissing out' strategy - in addition to not being very good with the direction of the flow even when inside, they can end up just heading out for a piss anyway.
“Now I really can’t wait for Scotland v Morocco at the World Cup,” writes Simon McMahon. “A football mad, expectant nation with a sense of burning injustice fuelled by years of hurt and national embarrassment on the big stage. Plus Morocco. It’ll be epic.”
That refereeing performance, with the favourites in the final in front of a home crowd reminded me of a typical Rangers or Celtic v a non Glasgow team in a Scottish Cup Final, except that the Scottish referee would never allow the non Glasgow team to win.
Nine UK councils have declared effective bankruptcy since 2018. Over £5 billion in debt. And when I followed the money, I found a pattern: the same companies kept getting paid while your local services collapsed. One man allegedly bought a private jet, a country estate, and a yacht — all with council tax money. A single IT project went from £19 million to £216 million. Treasury advisers took kickbacks to sell councils toxic loans. And the consultants investigating these failures? Often the same firms that helped create them. This is the very profitable business of bankrupting UK councils.
The nine councils that declared bankruptcy: Northamptonshire (2018), Croydon (2020, 2021, 2022), Slough (2021), Thurrock (2022), Woking (2023), Birmingham (2023), Nottingham (2023). Combined debt: Over £5 billion Council jobs lost since 2012: 600,000+ Councils expecting bankruptcy in next 5 years: 50% https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7FUD-ecHFE
A surprisingly well-presented (aside from the spelling) 20-minute video.
That's a good video.
To me, the key cause is the inability of Councils to employ adequate staff to manage contracts.
And although it is not mentioned, one cannot help but suspect this is the prime motivation for merging local authorities (and cancelling elections); smear out debts rather than advance democracy.
Over the last 12-15 year we have seen a process of merging services across Councils for anyone who is watching; my own have merged their Planning Dept with a neighbour, and three in London (H&F and ...) iirc have merged some services, I have also seen Rights of Way merged into highways which is a recipe for "sod the publci footpaths", and so on.
Wider full mergers could be a logical next step for some services, if done carefully.
But I expect it will get skimped, then scalped, rather than receive investment.
"In September 2010, Rosindell sponsored the first Erotica event to be held in the Houses of Parliament. Rosindell maintained that he was promoting the hosts, a Romford-based business, as was his duty as the constituency MP.[18]"
"In September 2010, Rosindell sponsored the first Erotica event to be held in the Houses of Parliament. Rosindell maintained that he was promoting the hosts, a Romford-based business, as was his duty as the constituency MP.[18]"
The extraordinary meeting of EU leaders to discuss Greenland could take physically as soon as Thursday, 22 January, according to EU officials.
It will take place in Brussels after leaders attend the WEF in Davos.
By Thursday the whole meeting could be moot - that leaves 3 days for Trump to open up the gates of the American base there and take over..
Isn't the American base a long way from Nuuk?
Yes, what does a US occupation actually look like?
CIA SADS/SF/PMCs kill or intern the government and take over the airport.
Start flying in the occupying forces on C-17/C-5 from Dover AFB in Maine.
That's the takeover. What dues the occupation look like ?
Americans never leave the base.
10km cordon around it - anybody within that can be shot, in an ICE manner.
The locals can otherwise get on with their lives in a grumpy way, making giant obscene snowmen of Trump shagging Hegseth but otherwise impotent.
The funny thing is that the Americans have absolutely no idea about the losses European countries have taken through history. They think the US civil war was bad but they have no understanding of the devastation Europehas taken as “normal” from the Hundred Years’ War, thirty years war, war of the roses, English civil war, seven years war, Napoleonic wars, WW1 and 2 pre US involvement.
We have had a remarkably peaceful period but there is a deep seated culture in Europe that accepts war and brutality that the US has very little concept of.
Badenoch was unable to prevent Jenrick defecting, but she was able to ensure last week that his departure was more on her terms than he and Farage had planned. As a result she received generally favourable reviews last week, better than Reform will have expected. The timing of Rosindell's defection feels like revenge for that, an attempt to sieze back control of that fabled *narrative* that political commentators always talk about.
Reform are hoping to knock the Conservatives off the board now - or at least, in the May elections - to reaffirm that they are the true opposition to Labour. This ought to cheer up Labour supporters if it happens; if the next general election is between Labour and Reform, I expect that the resulting government will be a Labour one, even if Starmer is still leader.
There is a peculiar game of rock-paper-scissors at the moment, with Reform focusing their fire on the Conservatives, the Conservatives focusing on Labour, and Labour bigging up the Reform menace every chance they get.
The general profile of Reform still feels (sorry for generalising) like a party of angry men, and both Jenrick and Rosindell's welcome to it reaffirm that. Despite the recent talk of women shifting to Reform I still think that Badenoch (if she survives to the next election) may get the Mumsnet vote.
2 Apologies to anyone who listened to me saying that Rozzer was a loyal Conservative in a way that Jenrick wasn't.
3 Eagles is right about his people skills; from the point of view of being seen around the place, and available for weddings and bar mitzvahs, he's the best. I doubt there are many public buildings in Romford that don't have a portrait of the monarch, generously presented by the local MP.
4 But despite being an MP since 2001, I don't think he was ever a minister. Admittedly, he was unavailable in the mad bit of summer 2022 when BoJo was desperate for anyone to serve, but it's still indicative of his skillset.
5 The Chagos thing has to be nonsense, doesn't it? Not that he doesn't believe in their cause, but it surely isn't a reason to jump to Reform now.
6 I wonder how his old party will respond.
7 So much for the really careful vetting that el Nige promised us.
8 The council elections for Havering (3.5 months away) will presumably be even more of a shitshow than they were going to be already. (One of our local Conservative councillors, talented and going places but deselected for insufficient loyalty to the Andrissimo, recently changed his social media pic to the Traitors logo.)
9 Did I say blimey?
I'm surprised because his minions were still out and about working hard for him right before Christmas. I'm not surprised because there has been hardly a fag paper of difference between him and Farage's party (under whatever branding).
He definitely fits the liar or crook or both mould of the other Reform MPs (I have heard some interesting stories from recent members of the Romford Conservative Association). He is personally very polite but also crashingly dull with no sense of humour at all. He adds nothing to them except anther failed Tory, except in his case nobody gas ever trusted him to run anything so I suppose you can't really accuse him of failure.
It's a shame the news broke when it did because I was with a Conservative councillor until about 5 minutes before, who clearly didn't know about it either because we were discussing local politics! I imagine the party will be in disarray locally as it was very much his private fiefdom, purged of anyone except Rosindell loyalists. Presumably they will also all now join Reform, and half of the current Reform members will leave.
On the positive side for the Conservatives it does open the possibility that I might vote Tory in a GE for the first time ever, if they select a sensible candidate.
All this does is cement Kemi's position and I expect her now to lead into the next GE
A little counter intuitive!! If she loses many more she she be able to hold her shadow cabinet meetings in a taxi.
The Prime Minister is set to give a press conference tomorrow morning in Downing Street following the frantic diplomatic activity of the past 24 hours in response to Donald Trump’s extraordinary threats to impose tariffs on the UK and other European allies over Greenland @SkyNews
2 Apologies to anyone who listened to me saying that Rozzer was a loyal Conservative in a way that Jenrick wasn't.
3 Eagles is right about his people skills; from the point of view of being seen around the place, and available for weddings and bar mitzvahs, he's the best. I doubt there are many public buildings in Romford that don't have a portrait of the monarch, generously presented by the local MP.
4 But despite being an MP since 2001, I don't think he was ever a minister. Admittedly, he was unavailable in the mad bit of summer 2022 when BoJo was desperate for anyone to serve, but it's still indicative of his skillset.
5 The Chagos thing has to be nonsense, doesn't it? Not that he doesn't believe in their cause, but it surely isn't a reason to jump to Reform now.
6 I wonder how his old party will respond.
7 So much for the really careful vetting that el Nige promised us.
8 The council elections for Havering (3.5 months away) will presumably be even more of a shitshow than they were going to be already. (One of our local Conservative councillors, talented and going places but deselected for insufficient loyalty to the Andrissimo, recently changed his social media pic to the Traitors logo.)
9 Did I say blimey?
I'm surprised because his minions were still out and about working hard for him right before Christmas. I'm not surprised because there has been hardly a fag paper of difference between him and Farage's party (under whatever branding).
He definitely fits the liar or crook or both mould of the other Reform MPs (I have heard some interesting stories from recent members of the Romford Conservative Association). He is personally very polite but also crashingly dull with no sense of humour at all. He adds nothing to them except anther failed Tory, except in his case nobody gas ever trusted him to run anything so I suppose you can't really accuse him of failure.
It's a shame the news broke when it did because I was with a Conservative councillor until about 5 minutes before, who clearly didn't know about it either because we were discussing local politics! I imagine the party will be in disarray locally as it was very much his private fiefdom, purged of anyone except Rosindell loyalists. Presumably they will also all now join Reform, and half of the current Reform members will leave.
On the positive side for the Conservatives it does open the possibility that I might vote Tory in a GE for the first time ever, if they select a sensible candidate.
All this does is cement Kemi's position and I expect her now to lead into the next GE
A little counter intuitive!! If she loses many more she she be able to hold her shadow cabinet meetings in a taxi.
She has only lost 1 Shadow Cabinet member so far, Jenrick and he slagged off virtually all his old Shadow Cabinet colleagues in the process especially Stride and even Patel so they will remain loyal to Kemi
The Prime Minister is set to give a press conference tomorrow morning in Downing Street following the frantic diplomatic activity of the past 24 hours in response to Donald Trump’s extraordinary threats to impose tariffs on the UK and other European allies over Greenland @SkyNews
Anything less than a Love Actually moment and the nation will be sorely disappointed.
Senegal players walking off the pitch before the penalty is taken.
This is insane!
What happens if they refuse to play any further
I don't know, but if I had to guess, Morocco will be given the win, and Senegal a massive fine and maybe ban?
If you walk off you should be disqualified anyway, even if you later come back.
Like when Pakistan forfeited a match against England after refusing to come out to play (IIRC the ICC tried to smooth the waters over that, but I hope the decision stands).
It is one of the less well known laws of the game that you can be booked for leaving or re-entering the field of play without the referee's permission. The ref would therefore have been within his rights to caution every Senegal player who left the field, and again every one that sauntered back onto the pitch. This would have led to most of them being dismissed on the second caution. Once four or more had been sent off, the match would have been abandoned because you cannot continue a game where one side has less than eight players on the field.
The Prime Minister is set to give a press conference tomorrow morning in Downing Street following the frantic diplomatic activity of the past 24 hours in response to Donald Trump’s extraordinary threats to impose tariffs on the UK and other European allies over Greenland @SkyNews
Anything less than a Love Actually moment and the nation will be sorely disappointed.
The Prime Minister is set to give a press conference tomorrow morning in Downing Street following the frantic diplomatic activity of the past 24 hours in response to Donald Trump’s extraordinary threats to impose tariffs on the UK and other European allies over Greenland @SkyNews
Anything less than a Love Actually moment and the nation will be sorely disappointed.
Isn't it a fairly easy one for him?
No nation can be blackmailed like this, and the EU certainly cannot submit to it, so the response has to be eff off Donald and do your worst. The consequences for world trade will be catastrophic, and that obviously impacts the US as much if not more than most countries.
I cannot imagine DT does not blink at that point, but if he doesn't, c'est la vie.
The Prime Minister is set to give a press conference tomorrow morning in Downing Street following the frantic diplomatic activity of the past 24 hours in response to Donald Trump’s extraordinary threats to impose tariffs on the UK and other European allies over Greenland @SkyNews
"Please! I like America! Fancy schmancy! What a cinch! Go fly a kite! Cat got your tongue! Hill of beans! Karoline Leavitt, what a dish! Kristi Noem, nice gams!"
2 Apologies to anyone who listened to me saying that Rozzer was a loyal Conservative in a way that Jenrick wasn't.
3 Eagles is right about his people skills; from the point of view of being seen around the place, and available for weddings and bar mitzvahs, he's the best. I doubt there are many public buildings in Romford that don't have a portrait of the monarch, generously presented by the local MP.
4 But despite being an MP since 2001, I don't think he was ever a minister. Admittedly, he was unavailable in the mad bit of summer 2022 when BoJo was desperate for anyone to serve, but it's still indicative of his skillset.
5 The Chagos thing has to be nonsense, doesn't it? Not that he doesn't believe in their cause, but it surely isn't a reason to jump to Reform now.
6 I wonder how his old party will respond.
7 So much for the really careful vetting that el Nige promised us.
8 The council elections for Havering (3.5 months away) will presumably be even more of a shitshow than they were going to be already. (One of our local Conservative councillors, talented and going places but deselected for insufficient loyalty to the Andrissimo, recently changed his social media pic to the Traitors logo.)
9 Did I say blimey?
I'm surprised because his minions were still out and about working hard for him right before Christmas. I'm not surprised because there has been hardly a fag paper of difference between him and Farage's party (under whatever branding).
He definitely fits the liar or crook or both mould of the other Reform MPs (I have heard some interesting stories from recent members of the Romford Conservative Association). He is personally very polite but also crashingly dull with no sense of humour at all. He adds nothing to them except anther failed Tory, except in his case nobody gas ever trusted him to run anything so I suppose you can't really accuse him of failure.
It's a shame the news broke when it did because I was with a Conservative councillor until about 5 minutes before, who clearly didn't know about it either because we were discussing local politics! I imagine the party will be in disarray locally as it was very much his private fiefdom, purged of anyone except Rosindell loyalists. Presumably they will also all now join Reform, and half of the current Reform members will leave.
On the positive side for the Conservatives it does open the possibility that I might vote Tory in a GE for the first time ever, if they select a sensible candidate.
All this does is cement Kemi's position and I expect her now to lead into the next GE
A little counter intuitive!! If she loses many more she she be able to hold her shadow cabinet meetings in a taxi.
She will lead the official opposition to the GE and so much better without Jenrick and others
Actually Starmer has a much bigger problem and rumbles about Ed Davey not upto it
The Prime Minister is set to give a press conference tomorrow morning in Downing Street following the frantic diplomatic activity of the past 24 hours in response to Donald Trump’s extraordinary threats to impose tariffs on the UK and other European allies over Greenland @SkyNews
Anything less than a Love Actually moment and the nation will be sorely disappointed.
Isn't it a fairly easy one for him?
No nation can be blackmailed like this, and the EU certainly cannot submit to it, so the response has to be eff off Donald and do your worst. The consequences for world trade will be catastrophic, and that obviously impacts the US as much if not more than most countries.
I cannot imagine DT does not blink at that point, but if he doesn't, c'est la vie.
or,
"Protect and Survive leaflets will be arriving in your post in the next few days. Please take the time to read and study them and pass on the information to your family. It is important at this very crucial time that we as a country are well prepared. This is not a time for panic. It is a time for cool heads and judicious preparation"
The Prime Minister is set to give a press conference tomorrow morning in Downing Street following the frantic diplomatic activity of the past 24 hours in response to Donald Trump’s extraordinary threats to impose tariffs on the UK and other European allies over Greenland @SkyNews
Anything less than a Love Actually moment and the nation will be sorely disappointed.
Stand-ins having sex?
As long as it's not the Wedding Video Man scene, like Bozza pastiched in 2019.
Like a lot of the film, the more you think about it, the less charming it gets. The moral basically being to not think about it.
The Prime Minister is set to give a press conference tomorrow morning in Downing Street following the frantic diplomatic activity of the past 24 hours in response to Donald Trump’s extraordinary threats to impose tariffs on the UK and other European allies over Greenland @SkyNews
"Please! I like America! Fancy schmancy! What a cinch! Go fly a kite! Cat got your tongue! Hill of beans! Karoline Leavitt, what a dish! Kristi Noem, nice gams!"
"Having received no assurance from the President that he will not invade Greenland, I have today authorised GCHQ to release OUR Epstein files.
2 Apologies to anyone who listened to me saying that Rozzer was a loyal Conservative in a way that Jenrick wasn't.
3 Eagles is right about his people skills; from the point of view of being seen around the place, and available for weddings and bar mitzvahs, he's the best. I doubt there are many public buildings in Romford that don't have a portrait of the monarch, generously presented by the local MP.
4 But despite being an MP since 2001, I don't think he was ever a minister. Admittedly, he was unavailable in the mad bit of summer 2022 when BoJo was desperate for anyone to serve, but it's still indicative of his skillset.
5 The Chagos thing has to be nonsense, doesn't it? Not that he doesn't believe in their cause, but it surely isn't a reason to jump to Reform now.
6 I wonder how his old party will respond.
7 So much for the really careful vetting that el Nige promised us.
8 The council elections for Havering (3.5 months away) will presumably be even more of a shitshow than they were going to be already. (One of our local Conservative councillors, talented and going places but deselected for insufficient loyalty to the Andrissimo, recently changed his social media pic to the Traitors logo.)
9 Did I say blimey?
I'm surprised because his minions were still out and about working hard for him right before Christmas. I'm not surprised because there has been hardly a fag paper of difference between him and Farage's party (under whatever branding).
He definitely fits the liar or crook or both mould of the other Reform MPs (I have heard some interesting stories from recent members of the Romford Conservative Association). He is personally very polite but also crashingly dull with no sense of humour at all. He adds nothing to them except anther failed Tory, except in his case nobody gas ever trusted him to run anything so I suppose you can't really accuse him of failure.
It's a shame the news broke when it did because I was with a Conservative councillor until about 5 minutes before, who clearly didn't know about it either because we were discussing local politics! I imagine the party will be in disarray locally as it was very much his private fiefdom, purged of anyone except Rosindell loyalists. Presumably they will also all now join Reform, and half of the current Reform members will leave.
On the positive side for the Conservatives it does open the possibility that I might vote Tory in a GE for the first time ever, if they select a sensible candidate.
All this does is cement Kemi's position and I expect her now to lead into the next GE
A little counter intuitive!! If she loses many more she she be able to hold her shadow cabinet meetings in a taxi.
She will lead the official opposition to the GE and so much better without Jenrick and others
Yes to the first part, possibly to the second, but it could be the last GE the Conservative Party in its current form contests.
Comments
Start flying in the occupying forces on C-17/C-5 from Dover AFB in Maine.
Justice is done.
Having no idea I imagine the US would have such superiority that it would be quick but what is the number of dead that make the US population ask “are we the badies?”
Nine UK councils have declared effective bankruptcy since 2018. Over £5 billion in debt. And when I followed the money, I found a pattern: the same companies kept getting paid while your local services collapsed.
One man allegedly bought a private jet, a country estate, and a yacht — all with council tax money. A single IT project went from £19 million to £216 million. Treasury advisers took kickbacks to sell councils toxic loans. And the consultants investigating these failures? Often the same firms that helped create them.
This is the very profitable business of bankrupting UK councils.
The nine councils that declared bankruptcy: Northamptonshire (2018), Croydon (2020, 2021, 2022), Slough (2021), Thurrock (2022), Woking (2023), Birmingham (2023), Nottingham (2023).
Combined debt: Over £5 billion
Council jobs lost since 2012: 600,000+
Councils expecting bankruptcy in next 5 years: 50%
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7FUD-ecHFE
A surprisingly well-presented (aside from the spelling) 20-minute video.
Like when Pakistan forfeited a match against England after refusing to come out to play (IIRC the ICC tried to smooth the waters over that, but I hope the decision stands).
"Increasingly, some big names on the right are coming to worry that X’s algorithm — which elevates short-form video and audio clips over links to articles or essays — is undermining the right’s political cohesion by promoting the most outlandish and conspiracy-minded members of Trump’s coalition."
James Heale
@JAHeale
Tory source: "Reform are welcome to him.“
https://x.com/JAHeale/status/2012994049649586442
The bloodbath we can expect in the US markets later on thus week will just be a taster for similar pressure on the US... the massive US debt mountain coukd come down in the sort of avalanche that knocked Liz Truss out of office. Trump may not be ousted, but he will be crippled.
He definitely fits the liar or crook or both mould of the other Reform MPs (I have heard some interesting stories from recent members of the Romford Conservative Association). He is personally very polite but also crashingly dull with no sense of humour at all. He adds nothing to them except anther failed Tory, except in his case nobody gas ever trusted him to run anything so I suppose you can't really accuse him of failure.
It's a shame the news broke when it did because I was with a Conservative councillor until about 5 minutes before, who clearly didn't know about it either because we were discussing local politics! I imagine the party will be in disarray locally as it was very much his private fiefdom, purged of anyone except Rosindell loyalists. Presumably they will also all now join Reform, and half of the current Reform members will leave.
On the positive side for the Conservatives it does open the possibility that I might vote Tory in a GE for the first time ever, if they select a sensible candidate.
“X is a post-apocalyptic cesspool of bots, pedophilia and political illiteracy,” Kassam wrote in a text message when asked about his decision. “I deleted it from my phone because it was making me dumber.”"
But it feels like home to @Leon
EXCLUSIVE: Tony Blair has distanced himself from Trump’s demand that countries pay $1 billion to join his Board of Peace full-time — and Canada won’t pay the money
Blair was appointed to the ‘executive board’ for the project but he does not endorse Trump’s request for payment
His spokesperson says the fee and membership are nothing to do with him and questions on it are for the Trump administration
We can also reveal Canada will refuse to pay the fee. Mark Carney says specifics will have to be discussed
These are clear signs that Trump’s Board of Peace is already struggling to maintain the support of US allies and partners following the remarkable demand for money
Some countries will likely refuse to join the Board as a result of Trump’s terms, people familiar with the matter said
Others may agree in principle to joining but decline to pay the fee for permanent membership, they added. They would then either seek to negotiate it away or quit the board if Trump insists on the money
https://x.com/alexwickham/status/2012932137427595477?s=20
Jus me an the kids now. Wuz r better of w/o him. xxx
To me, the key cause is the inability of Councils to employ adequate staff to manage contracts.
One suspects it is also conservative Americans rather than the Online Safety Act that led to Elon Musk's change of heart on AI-assisted sexual imagery.
AFCON is brilliant but bonkers entertainment.
• Monday and Tuesday: meetings of Eurozone and EU finance ministers
• Tuesday and Wednesday: Donald Trump and five U.S. cabinet members in Davos, where he’ll meet Ursula Von Der Leyen among others
• Thursday: EU leaders meet to discuss deploying the ‘trade bazooka’ and outright trade war with USA
The easy cuts are long gone, but the public perception is everyone in the sector is useless, and you could also get other people to do it better for half the money
For instance, you'll often still have people saying how if cllr expenses were less the council could do X - when whatever your feelings on how much cllrs should get (it varies in England), it's not a large amount of the council budgets.
Israel pushes back on Trump's picks for executives on Gaza 'Board of Peace'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd0y453yd90o
“Now I really can’t wait for Scotland v Morocco at the World Cup,” writes Simon McMahon. “A football mad, expectant nation with a sense of burning injustice fuelled by years of hurt and national embarrassment on the big stage. Plus Morocco. It’ll be epic.”
InteractivePolls
@IAPolls2022
CBS POLL: Do you approve or disapprove of US using military force to take Greenland?
🟢 Approve: 14%
🟤 Disapprove: 86%
https://x.com/IAPolls2022/status/2012891694996308117
It's possible that Reform recognise this, which is why it's come out on Sunday evening without a press conference.
That, of course, is one problem with the 'better inside the tent pissing out' strategy - in addition to not being very good with the direction of the flow even when inside, they can end up just heading out for a piss anyway.
Wider full mergers could be a logical next step for some services, if done carefully.
But I expect it will get skimped, then scalped, rather than receive investment.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Rosindell
Liz Truss - Queen Killer
What dues the occupation look like ?
10km cordon around it - anybody within that can be shot, in an ICE manner.
The locals can otherwise get on with their lives in a grumpy way, making giant obscene snowmen of Trump shagging Hegseth but otherwise impotent.
We have had a remarkably peaceful period but there is a deep seated culture in Europe that accepts war and brutality that the US has very little concept of.
Reform are hoping to knock the Conservatives off the board now - or at least, in the May elections - to reaffirm that they are the true opposition to Labour. This ought to cheer up Labour supporters if it happens; if the next general election is between Labour and Reform, I expect that the resulting government will be a Labour one, even if Starmer is still leader.
There is a peculiar game of rock-paper-scissors at the moment, with Reform focusing their fire on the Conservatives, the Conservatives focusing on Labour, and Labour bigging up the Reform menace every chance they get.
The general profile of Reform still feels (sorry for generalising) like a party of angry men, and both Jenrick and Rosindell's welcome to it reaffirm that. Despite the recent talk of women shifting to Reform I still think that Badenoch (if she survives to the next election) may get the Mumsnet vote.
U.S. Department of Labor
@USDOL
250 Years of One Nation Under God.
Happy Sunday, America.
‘A Church Picnic’ —Arthur Sarnoff
https://x.com/USDOL/status/2012970682846466148
Whether he’s the last ever depends on polling and just how disastrous the May locals are.
If announcing non-entities they may be better off doing a group at once so the volume makes people notice.
While they're at it perhaps clarify their position on Trump and tariffs.
The Prime Minister is set to give a press conference tomorrow morning in Downing Street following the frantic diplomatic activity of the past 24 hours in response to Donald Trump’s extraordinary threats to impose tariffs on the UK and other European allies over Greenland
@SkyNews
Now that would have been fun!
No nation can be blackmailed like this, and the EU certainly cannot submit to it, so the response has to be eff off Donald and do your worst. The consequences for world trade will be catastrophic, and that obviously impacts the US as much if not more than most countries.
I cannot imagine DT does not blink at that point, but if he doesn't, c'est la vie.
Which if it ever looks like hitting that tipping point, is certainly possible.
To lose two is downright careless.
And the Tories didn't have that many to begin with.
Actually Starmer has a much bigger problem and rumbles about Ed Davey not upto it
"Protect and Survive leaflets will be arriving in your post in the next few days. Please take the time to read and study them and pass on the information to your family. It is important at this very crucial time that we as a country are well prepared. This is not a time for panic. It is a time for cool heads and judicious preparation"
Like a lot of the film, the more you think about it, the less charming it gets. The moral basically being to not think about it.
@slow_developer
Computer scientist Judea Pearl:
There are mathematical limits to LLMs that cannot be crossed by scaling alone
LLMs don't discover world models from raw data; they merely summarize the interpretations humans have already written down
"this path is not the way to get AGI"
https://x.com/slow_developer/status/2012885184597958713
Boy, do we have the goods..."