A very interesting article indeed - thanks, @GarethoftheVale2 Two points, if I may.......
1. Don't be too quick to write off the Lib Dems as an "outsider" party. Yes, their MPs may all be as sleek and smooth as all other manifestations of "the blob", but out in the wild they have capitalised on the "plague on both your houses" idea long before it became a meme. Perhaps that might explain why their poll ratings are still so abnormally high - they are still taped in to the "sod the lot of them" vibe.
2. I am about as bourgeois as it's possible to be on my income, mainly because I have strived to become as middle class as possible. However, I have a number of working class friends, of all ages and races, because I am a regular church-goer. From an anthropological point of view they are still very interesting places where "all sorts and conditions of men" (and women) get together and socialise. I can't think of any other forums in my town where that happens.
Our village has one pub. All classes meet there, from the retired Army Major to the road sweeper. That’s an advantage of living in a village.
Use it or lose it! Village pubs are closing by the hundreds.
Labour backbenchers are now publicly warning Sir Keir Starmer that his own future will be in doubt unless he sacks his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney
It's effectively an ultimatum that's being echoed across the backbenches
Karl Turner, a Labour MP, says the mood on the backbenches is 'dire'. He says that unless Starmer sacks his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney he will be 'up against it' and have to make a decision about his own future
He tells @TimesRadio the atmosphere in the Commons was the 'angriest' he has ever seen it, but that the anger was directed at his advisers
He says he forwarded messages from people expressing their anger directly to the prime minister last night. 'He thanked me, and I suspect he thanked those who were then messaging him'
'My advice to the prime minister is get rid of those advisers who have frankly given terrible advice to him over weeks and months. The PM needs to deal with that and make a decision. If the PM decides he has to be surrounded by advisers who give him shoddy advice the reality of that is the prime minister is going to have to make a decision about his future some point soon
'If McSweeney is still in 10 Downing Street the PM is up against it'
That's a tricky one, because aiui the top team are essentially McSweeney Todd appointees.
So SKS is in no position to remove one without potentially losing a lot more.
Reportedly it is about an expectation that MPs be rubber stamps, and that No 10 is a bit of an ivory tower at present with little engagement.
Just one other thing. If anybody seriously thinks we have reached the bottom of the allegations about Mandelson, Epstein, Russia, and what Starmer knew (or should have known) they're living in cloud-cuckoo land.
If it turns out that Mandelson was feeding national security and finance stuff to the Russians via his bestie then the entire government could be brought down never mind changing PMs.
What feels to be missing in this narrative is an Israeli connection.
Surely Maxwell is an obvious contender.
I’m quite sure that if Epstein was trading information to Russia, he was doing so to China as well.
Given he was using his personal bt internet email account for everything seem likely they will have known everything regardless.
Labour backbenchers are now publicly warning Sir Keir Starmer that his own future will be in doubt unless he sacks his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney
It's effectively an ultimatum that's being echoed across the backbenches
Karl Turner, a Labour MP, says the mood on the backbenches is 'dire'. He says that unless Starmer sacks his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney he will be 'up against it' and have to make a decision about his own future
He tells @TimesRadio the atmosphere in the Commons was the 'angriest' he has ever seen it, but that the anger was directed at his advisers
He says he forwarded messages from people expressing their anger directly to the prime minister last night. 'He thanked me, and I suspect he thanked those who were then messaging him'
'My advice to the prime minister is get rid of those advisers who have frankly given terrible advice to him over weeks and months. The PM needs to deal with that and make a decision. If the PM decides he has to be surrounded by advisers who give him shoddy advice the reality of that is the prime minister is going to have to make a decision about his future some point soon
'If McSweeney is still in 10 Downing Street the PM is up against it'
That's a tricky one, because aiui the top team are essentially McSweeney Todd appointees.
So SKS is in no position to remove one without potentially losing a lot more.
Reportedly it is about an expectation that MPs be rubber stamps, and that No 10 is a bit of an ivory tower at present with little engagement.
Just one other thing. If anybody seriously thinks we have reached the bottom of the allegations about Mandelson, Epstein, Russia, and what Starmer knew (or should have known) they're living in cloud-cuckoo land.
If it turns out that Mandelson was feeding national security and finance stuff to the Russians via his bestie then the entire government could be brought down never mind changing PMs.
Is Dan on the money or has he lost his mind?
Anyway my understanding from ex CIA agents is Epstein was an active Mossad agent. I don't believe either the Russian or the CIA link has been explored let alone verified.
For those considering Sir Keir Starmer's potential replacement, NB since 1902 every Prime Minister who has ascended to that position, as opposed to being elected, has in the past been Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary or Chancellor of the Exchequer.
If that rule were followed here, that means we consider Reeves, Lammy, Cooper and Mahmood. That's a short list.
I'd also consider Miliband, as a former leader, and Rayner and Powell by virtue of their party role.
You'll note even Streeting is lightweight on this test.
In the new world of directly elected mayors I suppose you might add Khan and Burnham as major figures in devolved govt.
But if it's happening in the next few weeks, you can pretty much ignore anyone else.
Best to take note of what's happening on the ground rather than follow arcane rules
Current Ladbrokes odds on Labour figures for next PM, generally they're one of the more informed betting companies: Rayner 11/4 Streeting 7/2 Miliband 6/1 Burnham, Powell, Mahmood 12/1 Lammy, Cooper 25/1
Far too short odds on non MP Burnham which I think reflect only the weight of bets already levied plus the ability to cream in money from uninformed punters.
A very interesting article indeed - thanks, @GarethoftheVale2 Two points, if I may.......
1. Don't be too quick to write off the Lib Dems as an "outsider" party. Yes, their MPs may all be as sleek and smooth as all other manifestations of "the blob", but out in the wild they have capitalised on the "plague on both your houses" idea long before it became a meme. Perhaps that might explain why their poll ratings are still so abnormally high - they are still taped in to the "sod the lot of them" vibe.
2. I am about as bourgeois as it's possible to be on my income, mainly because I have strived to become as middle class as possible. However, I have a number of working class friends, of all ages and races, because I am a regular church-goer. From an anthropological point of view they are still very interesting places where "all sorts and conditions of men" (and women) get together and socialise. I can't think of any other forums in my town where that happens.
Our village has one pub. All classes meet there, from the retired Army Major to the road sweeper. That’s an advantage of living in a village.
Use it or lose it! Village pubs are closing by the hundreds.
Talking to the landlord of my local, The Chequers, about price of beer going up mentioned business rates. He said "As I am the only pub in the village I don't pay business rates -get 100% relief." But we have a Lib Dem led coalition council.
The comment about working class friends is interesting. I had, when younger, many working class friends. Nowadays those I am still friends with would not be deemed working class. White colllar jobs, nice homes, comfortably off.
The working class has always had people who wallow in it and people who aspire to do better. That’s where most of my friendship group from my younger years ended up. I do also have posh friends who were privately educated.
This thread is key to me. There is little substantive consequence for misdeeds.
‘ We see scandal after scandal, and the politicians keep uttering the same trite phrase, “lessons will be learned”. The public want to see people being actually held to account.
After the collapse of RBS, Fred Goodwin lost part of his pension, but I doubt he is living in a council house. Paula Vennells of the Post Office handed back her CBE in 2024, but she was only awarded it in 2019, well after the scandal was known about.’
Well, Prince Andrew was evicted from his free house on a royal estate, so now he is forced to live in *checks notes* a free house on a different royal estate.
Andrew should be sent to live in a homeless shelter.
TBF (slightly) to Andrew, it was hardly "free" as he spent umpteen million up front.
Since it is Norfolk, surely it should be a static caravan next to the beach?
Well, there's always Cromer, but maybe that's being a bit too harsh.
Look who's alone now It's not me, it's not me Those three wise men They've got a semi by the sea Gotta ask yourself the question Where are you now? Gotta ask yourself the question Where are you now?
To get back to insiders, apols if I missed it but has there been anny comment on Bezos laying off a huge chunk of the Washington Post's journalists? That cnut arsing about with penis shaped rockets and multi $m weddings in Venice while turning a serious newspaper into Völkischer Beobachter epitomises the state we're in.
I'm not generally someone who does protests or boycotts, but I am so revolted by Bezos' recent antics that I have actually resolved to stop using Amazon. I have been spending £3k-6k a year with them for at least 20 years. No more. No Prime, no Audible, no physical goods through the post. It's going to cost me maybe 5% extra on that spend, plus some extra time finding new sources for some stuff, but I'm so p****d off at this new kakistocracy.
No physical goods through the post? Why?
A sensible way to de-Amazon involves working out how to buy direct for many things.
More and more vendors are setting up to sell direct - seems the trend to shut down their own sites and move 100% to Amazon has reversed.
They still have store fronts there, but they are emphasising their own
Yes, I cancelled my Prime subscription last year. I was going to anyway because I thought it was no longer worth the price, but Bezos's doings and a wish to start distancing myself from US stuff gave the final impetus.
I haven't missed it. These days Amazon usually isn't the cheapest place to shop, and there never seemed to be anything worth watching on Prime Video either. I occasionally have to wait a little longer for things, but the £95 I was paying for Prime buys a lot of expedited delivery if I want something quickly.
I have been following politics for over 60 years. I have lost count of the times I've been told that Labour/the Conservatives (delete to taste) will never be in power again, or that the Conservative/Labour duopoly is over, that some other party will win the next election or that we will see permanent coalitions with no party able to win a majority. Somehow it has never happened. It may be that this time is different, but I wouldn't bet on it. Reform are going down in the polls. Labour and the Conservatives are on an upward trend, although recent events may push Labour back down again. And, unlike Gareth, I think the defections have been a net positive for the Conservatives. And, of course, the experience of Reform actually running things has not been good in many areas.
As things stand, we are probably at least 2 years away from a general election. A lot can change in that time. It may be that Reform will turn round its current decline and hold on to the lead in the polls. But, as I say, I wouldn't bet on it.
Fair comments but 2024 was a change - Con/Lab won 59% of the vote and 532 seats which is still very high but a long way off the 90% they were getting in the 1960s.
There's a tipping point (and we weren't far from it last time) where the dominance ends - probably around 50% and with current polling putting Con/Lab at 40% there's a reasonable argument more seats will be won by other parties.
Yet we are two or perhaps three years off an election and we've seen this kind of thing before - UKIP polled strongly in the 2010s and the Alliance in the 1980s but even then Con/Lab still had at least 60%.
There's also a volatility in the electorate we've not seen for a while.
I think the volatility is a big thing. It indicates that the electorate are looking for an answer and they haven't found it yet.
This presents an opportunity for any politician/party that can present a convincing story to the electorate. It means that we can expect election campaigns to be more important than they have been historically - although we've seen large changes in two of the last three general election campaigns, so we ought to be getting used to it now.
To get back to insiders, apols if I missed it but has there been anny comment on Bezos laying off a huge chunk of the Washington Post's journalists? That cnut arsing about with penis shaped rockets and multi $m weddings in Venice while turning a serious newspaper into Völkischer Beobachter epitomises the state we're in.
I'm not generally someone who does protests or boycotts, but I am so revolted by Bezos' recent antics that I have actually resolved to stop using Amazon. I have been spending £3k-6k a year with them for at least 20 years. No more. No Prime, no Audible, no physical goods through the post. It's going to cost me maybe 5% extra on that spend, plus some extra time finding new sources for some stuff, but I'm so p****d off at this new kakistocracy.
No physical goods through the post? Why?
A sensible way to de-Amazon involves working out how to buy direct for many things.
More and more vendors are setting up to sell direct - seems the trend to shut down their own sites and move 100% to Amazon has reversed.
They still have store fronts there, but they are emphasising their own
Yes. I still have a Prime subscription but will probably let it lapse.
I wouldn't buy anything worth more than a few quid from them now. If I can buy things elsewhere, particularly direct from the supplier/manufacture - thus avoiding any chance of fakes - then I will.
They probably lose money on small items with free delivery, so I feel a bit less guilty about those.
For those considering Sir Keir Starmer's potential replacement, NB since 1902 every Prime Minister who has ascended to that position, as opposed to being elected, has in the past been Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary or Chancellor of the Exchequer.
If that rule were followed here, that means we consider Reeves, Lammy, Cooper and Mahmood. That's a short list.
I'd also consider Miliband, as a former leader, and Rayner and Powell by virtue of their party role.
You'll note even Streeting is lightweight on this test.
In the new world of directly elected mayors I suppose you might add Khan and Burnham as major figures in devolved govt.
But if it's happening in the next few weeks, you can pretty much ignore anyone else.
Best to take note of what's happening on the ground rather than follow arcane rules
Current Ladbrokes odds on Labour figures for next PM, generally they're one of the more informed betting companies: Rayner 11/4 Streeting 7/2 Miliband 6/1 Burnham, Powell, Mahmood 12/1 Lammy, Cooper 25/1
Far too short odds on non MP Burnham which I think reflect only the weight of bets already levied plus the ability to cream in money from uninformed punters.
If Starmer resigns as he feels position untenable, Lammy or Powell would surely be asked to be temporary PM until a Labour leadership takes place? That would put them in a strong position if they chose to run.
Usually when a Labour leader is embattled they would have an army of supporters to defend them. Doubly so a Labour Prime Minister. Surely Starmer's crowning achievement is the alienation of his own party inside of 2 years to the extent that nobody is willing to stand up for him now. Incredible work.
To get back to insiders, apols if I missed it but has there been anny comment on Bezos laying off a huge chunk of the Washington Post's journalists? That cnut arsing about with penis shaped rockets and multi $m weddings in Venice while turning a serious newspaper into Völkischer Beobachter epitomises the state we're in.
I'm not generally someone who does protests or boycotts, but I am so revolted by Bezos' recent antics that I have actually resolved to stop using Amazon. I have been spending £3k-6k a year with them for at least 20 years. No more. No Prime, no Audible, no physical goods through the post. It's going to cost me maybe 5% extra on that spend, plus some extra time finding new sources for some stuff, but I'm so p****d off at this new kakistocracy.
Amazon are often not the cheapest places to buy things these days. The plague of dodgy Chinese sellers (both brands you never heard of playing the algorithm to get listed high up and as FBA sellers) is also a big negative.
Yeah, that was already starting to turn me off to be fair. Even if I knew exactly what I wanted so eg searched for "Anker 60w usb-c charger" the site would bloat the results with cheap crappy alternatives I hadn't asked for and that had no business being weighted so heavily in the results.
Labour backbenchers are now publicly warning Sir Keir Starmer that his own future will be in doubt unless he sacks his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney
It's effectively an ultimatum that's being echoed across the backbenches
Karl Turner, a Labour MP, says the mood on the backbenches is 'dire'. He says that unless Starmer sacks his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney he will be 'up against it' and have to make a decision about his own future
He tells @TimesRadio the atmosphere in the Commons was the 'angriest' he has ever seen it, but that the anger was directed at his advisers
He says he forwarded messages from people expressing their anger directly to the prime minister last night. 'He thanked me, and I suspect he thanked those who were then messaging him'
'My advice to the prime minister is get rid of those advisers who have frankly given terrible advice to him over weeks and months. The PM needs to deal with that and make a decision. If the PM decides he has to be surrounded by advisers who give him shoddy advice the reality of that is the prime minister is going to have to make a decision about his future some point soon
'If McSweeney is still in 10 Downing Street the PM is up against it'
That's a tricky one, because aiui the top team are essentially McSweeney Todd appointees.
So SKS is in no position to remove one without potentially losing a lot more.
Reportedly it is about an expectation that MPs be rubber stamps, and that No 10 is a bit of an ivory tower at present with little engagement.
Just one other thing. If anybody seriously thinks we have reached the bottom of the allegations about Mandelson, Epstein, Russia, and what Starmer knew (or should have known) they're living in cloud-cuckoo land.
If it turns out that Mandelson was feeding national security and finance stuff to the Russians via his bestie then the entire government could be brought down never mind changing PMs.
Its a good job his bt interenet email can't be recovered....
If it is genuinely deleted, perhaps someone might like to try registering it...
To get back to insiders, apols if I missed it but has there been anny comment on Bezos laying off a huge chunk of the Washington Post's journalists? That cnut arsing about with penis shaped rockets and multi $m weddings in Venice while turning a serious newspaper into Völkischer Beobachter epitomises the state we're in.
I'm not generally someone who does protests or boycotts, but I am so revolted by Bezos' recent antics that I have actually resolved to stop using Amazon. I have been spending £3k-6k a year with them for at least 20 years. No more. No Prime, no Audible, no physical goods through the post. It's going to cost me maybe 5% extra on that spend, plus some extra time finding new sources for some stuff, but I'm so p****d off at this new kakistocracy.
No physical goods through the post? Why?
A sensible way to de-Amazon involves working out how to buy direct for many things.
More and more vendors are setting up to sell direct - seems the trend to shut down their own sites and move 100% to Amazon has reversed.
They still have store fronts there, but they are emphasising their own
Yes. I still have a Prime subscription but will probably let it lapse.
I wouldn't buy anything worth more than a few quid from them now. If I can buy things elsewhere, particularly direct from the supplier/manufacture - thus avoiding any chance of fakes - then I will.
They probably lose money on small items with free delivery, so I feel a bit less guilty about those.
If you are planning to let your Amazon Prime subscription lapse, check it is not set for automatic rollover as tends to be the case.
It doesn't help them appear like an outsider party if Reform are obviously just one wing of the Conservative Party striking out on its own.
The SDP were hugely popular at first, although they were just one wing of Labour. A small number (well, 1 MP) of Conservative defections helped perhaps give an impression of something new. It is reported that 65% of the party membership hadn't been in any political party before. But they soon went into the Alliance, which I guess made it easier for them not to appear as just ex-Labour people.
To get back to insiders, apols if I missed it but has there been anny comment on Bezos laying off a huge chunk of the Washington Post's journalists? That cnut arsing about with penis shaped rockets and multi $m weddings in Venice while turning a serious newspaper into Völkischer Beobachter epitomises the state we're in.
I'm not generally someone who does protests or boycotts, but I am so revolted by Bezos' recent antics that I have actually resolved to stop using Amazon. I have been spending £3k-6k a year with them for at least 20 years. No more. No Prime, no Audible, no physical goods through the post. It's going to cost me maybe 5% extra on that spend, plus some extra time finding new sources for some stuff, but I'm so p****d off at this new kakistocracy.
No physical goods through the post? Why?
A sensible way to de-Amazon involves working out how to buy direct for many things.
More and more vendors are setting up to sell direct - seems the trend to shut down their own sites and move 100% to Amazon has reversed.
They still have store fronts there, but they are emphasising their own
No physical goods through the post from Amazon. Honestly thought that was clear.
Labour backbenchers are now publicly warning Sir Keir Starmer that his own future will be in doubt unless he sacks his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney
It's effectively an ultimatum that's being echoed across the backbenches
Karl Turner, a Labour MP, says the mood on the backbenches is 'dire'. He says that unless Starmer sacks his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney he will be 'up against it' and have to make a decision about his own future
He tells @TimesRadio the atmosphere in the Commons was the 'angriest' he has ever seen it, but that the anger was directed at his advisers
He says he forwarded messages from people expressing their anger directly to the prime minister last night. 'He thanked me, and I suspect he thanked those who were then messaging him'
'My advice to the prime minister is get rid of those advisers who have frankly given terrible advice to him over weeks and months. The PM needs to deal with that and make a decision. If the PM decides he has to be surrounded by advisers who give him shoddy advice the reality of that is the prime minister is going to have to make a decision about his future some point soon
'If McSweeney is still in 10 Downing Street the PM is up against it'
That's a tricky one, because aiui the top team are essentially McSweeney Todd appointees.
So SKS is in no position to remove one without potentially losing a lot more.
Reportedly it is about an expectation that MPs be rubber stamps, and that No 10 is a bit of an ivory tower at present with little engagement.
Just one other thing. If anybody seriously thinks we have reached the bottom of the allegations about Mandelson, Epstein, Russia, and what Starmer knew (or should have known) they're living in cloud-cuckoo land.
If it turns out that Mandelson was feeding national security and finance stuff to the Russians via his bestie then the entire government could be brought down never mind changing PMs.
Is Dan on the money or has he lost his mind?
Anyway my understanding from ex CIA agents is Epstein was an active Mossad agent. I don't believe either the Russian or the CIA link has been explored let alone verified.
Epstein was probably selling information to every intelligence agency he could find. For money, favours and protection.
I would bet he had a relationship with Russia *and* the CIA*. And Mossad. And anyone else who wanted to play/pay.
John Le Carre, who had experience of such things, portrayed the world of the information hucksters who hang around the edges of the intelligence world. Especially in Smiley’s People.
*I think it quite possible that Epstein leveraged a CIA connection to get the very sweet deal when he was convicted.
The comment about working class friends is interesting. I had, when younger, many working class friends. Nowadays those I am still friends with would not be deemed working class. White colllar jobs, nice homes, comfortably off.
The working class has always had people who wallow in it and people who aspire to do better. That’s where most of my friendship group from my younger years ended up. I do also have posh friends who were privately educated.
This thread is key to me. There is little substantive consequence for misdeeds.
‘ We see scandal after scandal, and the politicians keep uttering the same trite phrase, “lessons will be learned”. The public want to see people being actually held to account.
After the collapse of RBS, Fred Goodwin lost part of his pension, but I doubt he is living in a council house. Paula Vennells of the Post Office handed back her CBE in 2024, but she was only awarded it in 2019, well after the scandal was known about.’
Well, Prince Andrew was evicted from his free house on a royal estate, so now he is forced to live in *checks notes* a free house on a different royal estate.
Andrew should be sent to live in a homeless shelter.
TBF (slightly) to Andrew, it was hardly "free" as he spent umpteen million up front.
Since it is Norfolk, surely it should be a static caravan next to the beach?
To get back to insiders, apols if I missed it but has there been anny comment on Bezos laying off a huge chunk of the Washington Post's journalists? That cnut arsing about with penis shaped rockets and multi $m weddings in Venice while turning a serious newspaper into Völkischer Beobachter epitomises the state we're in.
I'm not generally someone who does protests or boycotts, but I am so revolted by Bezos' recent antics that I have actually resolved to stop using Amazon. I have been spending £3k-6k a year with them for at least 20 years. No more. No Prime, no Audible, no physical goods through the post. It's going to cost me maybe 5% extra on that spend, plus some extra time finding new sources for some stuff, but I'm so p****d off at this new kakistocracy.
Amazon are often not the cheapest places to buy things these days. The plague of dodgy Chinese sellers (both brands you never heard of playing the algorithm to get listed high up and as FBA sellers) is also a big negative.
Yeah, that was already starting to turn me off to be fair. Even if I knew exactly what I wanted so eg searched for "Anker 60w usb-c charger" the site would bloat the results with cheap crappy alternatives I hadn't asked for and that had no business being weighted so heavily in the results.
And their habit of “binning” products from different vendors means that the fakes are in the same pile as the real items.
So you could buy from the manufacturers store on Amazon. And get a fake.
Labour backbenchers are now publicly warning Sir Keir Starmer that his own future will be in doubt unless he sacks his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney
It's effectively an ultimatum that's being echoed across the backbenches
Karl Turner, a Labour MP, says the mood on the backbenches is 'dire'. He says that unless Starmer sacks his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney he will be 'up against it' and have to make a decision about his own future
He tells @TimesRadio the atmosphere in the Commons was the 'angriest' he has ever seen it, but that the anger was directed at his advisers
He says he forwarded messages from people expressing their anger directly to the prime minister last night. 'He thanked me, and I suspect he thanked those who were then messaging him'
'My advice to the prime minister is get rid of those advisers who have frankly given terrible advice to him over weeks and months. The PM needs to deal with that and make a decision. If the PM decides he has to be surrounded by advisers who give him shoddy advice the reality of that is the prime minister is going to have to make a decision about his future some point soon
'If McSweeney is still in 10 Downing Street the PM is up against it'
That's a tricky one, because aiui the top team are essentially McSweeney Todd appointees.
So SKS is in no position to remove one without potentially losing a lot more.
Reportedly it is about an expectation that MPs be rubber stamps, and that No 10 is a bit of an ivory tower at present with little engagement.
Just one other thing. If anybody seriously thinks we have reached the bottom of the allegations about Mandelson, Epstein, Russia, and what Starmer knew (or should have known) they're living in cloud-cuckoo land.
If it turns out that Mandelson was feeding national security and finance stuff to the Russians via his bestie then the entire government could be brought down never mind changing PMs.
Is Dan on the money or has he lost his mind?
Anyway my understanding from ex CIA agents is Epstein was an active Mossad agent. I don't believe either the Russian or the CIA link has been explored let alone verified.
Epstein was probably selling information to every intelligence agency he could find. For money, favours and protection.
I would bet he had a relationship with Russia *and* the CIA*. And Mossad. And anyone else who wanted to play/pay.
John Le Carre, who had experience of such things, portrayed the world of the information hucksters who hang around the edges of the intelligence world. Especially in Smiley’s People.
*I think it quite possible that Epstein leveraged a CIA connection to get the very sweet deal when he was convicted.
Of the many big questions, what happened with the ridiculously generous plea deal arranged by Acosta remains one of the biggest. Are the US press hounding Acosta for answers? Or are Fox News laying off him because he's MAGA?
The comment about working class friends is interesting. I had, when younger, many working class friends. Nowadays those I am still friends with would not be deemed working class. White colllar jobs, nice homes, comfortably off.
The working class has always had people who wallow in it and people who aspire to do better. That’s where most of my friendship group from my younger years ended up. I do also have posh friends who were privately educated.
This thread is key to me. There is little substantive consequence for misdeeds.
‘ We see scandal after scandal, and the politicians keep uttering the same trite phrase, “lessons will be learned”. The public want to see people being actually held to account.
After the collapse of RBS, Fred Goodwin lost part of his pension, but I doubt he is living in a council house. Paula Vennells of the Post Office handed back her CBE in 2024, but she was only awarded it in 2019, well after the scandal was known about.’
Well, Prince Andrew was evicted from his free house on a royal estate, so now he is forced to live in *checks notes* a free house on a different royal estate.
Yes, for all the guff in the press and on the TV/radio etc, he is still living a pretty good life.
Every royal family has the odd black sheep, who steps out of line and ends up exiled to somewhere remote - but they still look after them.
Tell that to Agrippa Postumus. And his mother, Julia.
Good news for Ukraine. It appears that Russian use of dodgy Starlink terminals was somewhat more widespread than previously realised. As in most of the command posts towards the front lines were using it.
They made the mistake of putting Starlink on drones that crashed on the Ukranian side, alerting the Ukranians to the Russian use of the black market devices. Ukraniane worked hard with SpaceX to create a whitelist of Ukranian, terminals that are now the only ones that work in Ukraine. In the last 24 hours, Russian comms along huge swathes of the front lines have broken down completely.
The comment about working class friends is interesting. I had, when younger, many working class friends. Nowadays those I am still friends with would not be deemed working class. White colllar jobs, nice homes, comfortably off.
The working class has always had people who wallow in it and people who aspire to do better. That’s where most of my friendship group from my younger years ended up. I do also have posh friends who were privately educated.
This thread is key to me. There is little substantive consequence for misdeeds.
‘ We see scandal after scandal, and the politicians keep uttering the same trite phrase, “lessons will be learned”. The public want to see people being actually held to account.
After the collapse of RBS, Fred Goodwin lost part of his pension, but I doubt he is living in a council house. Paula Vennells of the Post Office handed back her CBE in 2024, but she was only awarded it in 2019, well after the scandal was known about.’
Well, Prince Andrew was evicted from his free house on a royal estate, so now he is forced to live in *checks notes* a free house on a different royal estate.
Andrew should be sent to live in a homeless shelter.
BBC was reporting last night that Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was moving into "temporary accommodation". Temporary accommodation in normal usage means squalid small hotel rooms typically where homeless families often with children are dumped for long periods. My thoughts in his case were "if only", before reflecting further on what risks that would pose to the children next door.
It doesn't help them appear like an outsider party if Reform are obviously just one wing of the Conservative Party striking out on its own.
The SDP were hugely popular at first, although they were just one wing of Labour. A small number (well, 1 MP) of Conservative defections helped perhaps give an impression of something new. It is reported that 65% of the party membership hadn't been in any political party before. But they soon went into the Alliance, which I guess made it easier for them not to appear as just ex-Labour people.
The bitter, failed and expelled Conservative and Unionist party Hence the obsession with destroying mother
No doubt the Reform obsessives here approve of this. Wouldn’t be surprised if some would have been tempted to join in the online stuff had they known.
Hey, there’s always the Tripadvisor ratings.
Hibou Blanc, a restaurant and bar in Newcastle, which hosted a private Reform event and was besieged by the great unwashed, obviously not troubled by paid employment, has seen its young members of staff suffer online abuse and called Nazis simply for working there.
The comment about working class friends is interesting. I had, when younger, many working class friends. Nowadays those I am still friends with would not be deemed working class. White colllar jobs, nice homes, comfortably off.
The working class has always had people who wallow in it and people who aspire to do better. That’s where most of my friendship group from my younger years ended up. I do also have posh friends who were privately educated.
This thread is key to me. There is little substantive consequence for misdeeds.
‘ We see scandal after scandal, and the politicians keep uttering the same trite phrase, “lessons will be learned”. The public want to see people being actually held to account.
After the collapse of RBS, Fred Goodwin lost part of his pension, but I doubt he is living in a council house. Paula Vennells of the Post Office handed back her CBE in 2024, but she was only awarded it in 2019, well after the scandal was known about.’
Well, Prince Andrew was evicted from his free house on a royal estate, so now he is forced to live in *checks notes* a free house on a different royal estate.
Andrew should be sent to live in a homeless shelter.
BBC was reporting last night that Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was moving into "temporary accommodation". Temporary accommodation in normal usage means squalid small hotel rooms typically where homeless families often with children are dumped for long periods. My thoughts in his case were "if only", before reflecting further on what risks that would pose to the children next door.
In the 2000s, there were few votes for outsider parties. The LDs took an outsider position on Iraq, but it would be hard to call them an outsider party.
I disagree, in the 2000s the LDs were the outsider party. They were the pox on both your houses, none of the above, party.
Yes their leadership were not that, but a very large chunk of their voters were.
The Coalition fractured that. More than tuition fees, it was the very act of going into Government that destroyed what for many LD voters were the LDs very nature of being outsiders and making them just another establishment party.
I remain firmly of the belief (both anecdotally and from data) that a large chunk of the 2015 UKIP vote were ex-LD voters.
You can argue the same will be true for both Reform and the Greens IF either finds themselves in such a position after the next election.
That's the thing about "outsider" parties - as long as they are on the outside, they can play that game but as soon as confronted with the consequences of their own electoral success (or the failings of others) they are forced to come "inside" and that, so to speak, taints them for all time (it would seem).
The other side of it is to ask why a party is in business - I've never heard of a party whose sole raison d'etre was to shout in futile anger from the sidelines. No, people form and join parties to achieve policy goals whether social, economic or both. The only way to achieve those goals (currently) is through the electoral system in our democracy but once you have achieved that you then have to do some (not all) of what you promise and on that you are then judged at the next election.
The Conservatives don't want to spend the next 10-15 years shouting at Labour and Reform Governments from the sidelines - they want to be there, in Government, enacting policies, enjoying "power" but as they know full well, the price of that power can be very high but do they want another go at Government? You better believe they do.
We've seen across Europe how outsider potatoes get elected and then sink at the next election.
Potatoes should be parties, obv.
The potato party will been endorsed by King Edward.
For those considering Sir Keir Starmer's potential replacement, NB since 1902 every Prime Minister who has ascended to that position, as opposed to being elected, has in the past been Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary or Chancellor of the Exchequer.
If that rule were followed here, that means we consider Reeves, Lammy, Cooper and Mahmood. That's a short list.
I'd also consider Miliband, as a former leader, and Rayner and Powell by virtue of their party role.
You'll note even Streeting is lightweight on this test.
In the new world of directly elected mayors I suppose you might add Khan and Burnham as major figures in devolved govt.
But if it's happening in the next few weeks, you can pretty much ignore anyone else.
Best to take note of what's happening on the ground rather than follow arcane rules
Current Ladbrokes odds on Labour figures for next PM, generally they're one of the more informed betting companies: Rayner 11/4 Streeting 7/2 Miliband 6/1 Burnham, Powell, Mahmood 12/1 Lammy, Cooper 25/1
Far too short odds on non MP Burnham which I think reflect only the weight of bets already levied plus the ability to cream in money from uninformed punters.
If Starmer resigns as he feels position untenable, Lammy or Powell would surely be asked to be temporary PM until a Labour leadership takes place? That would put them in a strong position if they chose to run.
Works for me! My next PM book
Angela Rayner -£24.29 Wes Streeting -£19.15 Ed Miliband -£93.68 Lucy Powell £632.84 Nigel Farage -£189.25 Shabana Mahmood -£10.25 Yvette Cooper £132.06 Andy Burnham -£198.35 David Lammy £658.95 Alistair Carns £113.44
Usually when a Labour leader is embattled they would have an army of supporters to defend them. Doubly so a Labour Prime Minister. Surely Starmer's crowning achievement is the alienation of his own party inside of 2 years to the extent that nobody is willing to stand up for him now. Incredible work.
Streeting was out defending him yesterday afternoon.
Labour backbenchers are now publicly warning Sir Keir Starmer that his own future will be in doubt unless he sacks his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney
It's effectively an ultimatum that's being echoed across the backbenches
Karl Turner, a Labour MP, says the mood on the backbenches is 'dire'. He says that unless Starmer sacks his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney he will be 'up against it' and have to make a decision about his own future
He tells @TimesRadio the atmosphere in the Commons was the 'angriest' he has ever seen it, but that the anger was directed at his advisers
He says he forwarded messages from people expressing their anger directly to the prime minister last night. 'He thanked me, and I suspect he thanked those who were then messaging him'
'My advice to the prime minister is get rid of those advisers who have frankly given terrible advice to him over weeks and months. The PM needs to deal with that and make a decision. If the PM decides he has to be surrounded by advisers who give him shoddy advice the reality of that is the prime minister is going to have to make a decision about his future some point soon
'If McSweeney is still in 10 Downing Street the PM is up against it'
That's a tricky one, because aiui the top team are essentially McSweeney Todd appointees.
So SKS is in no position to remove one without potentially losing a lot more.
Reportedly it is about an expectation that MPs be rubber stamps, and that No 10 is a bit of an ivory tower at present with little engagement.
Just one other thing. If anybody seriously thinks we have reached the bottom of the allegations about Mandelson, Epstein, Russia, and what Starmer knew (or should have known) they're living in cloud-cuckoo land.
If it turns out that Mandelson was feeding national security and finance stuff to the Russians via his bestie then the entire government could be brought down never mind changing PMs.
Is Dan on the money or has he lost his mind?
Anyway my understanding from ex CIA agents is Epstein was an active Mossad agent. I don't believe either the Russian or the CIA link has been explored let alone verified.
Epstein was probably selling information to every intelligence agency he could find. For money, favours and protection.
I would bet he had a relationship with Russia *and* the CIA*. And Mossad. And anyone else who wanted to play/pay.
John Le Carre, who had experience of such things, portrayed the world of the information hucksters who hang around the edges of the intelligence world. Especially in Smiley’s People.
*I think it quite possible that Epstein leveraged a CIA connection to get the very sweet deal when he was convicted.
The new series of the Night Manager was shit.
I don’t believe it was his story.
I watched the BBC Smileys People on holiday, an episode a day, very good it is too. Michael Lonsdale was excellent. He was also in the best Bond movie so two excellent strings to his bow,
To get back to insiders, apols if I missed it but has there been anny comment on Bezos laying off a huge chunk of the Washington Post's journalists? That cnut arsing about with penis shaped rockets and multi $m weddings in Venice while turning a serious newspaper into Völkischer Beobachter epitomises the state we're in.
I'm not generally someone who does protests or boycotts, but I am so revolted by Bezos' recent antics that I have actually resolved to stop using Amazon. I have been spending £3k-6k a year with them for at least 20 years. No more. No Prime, no Audible, no physical goods through the post. It's going to cost me maybe 5% extra on that spend, plus some extra time finding new sources for some stuff, but I'm so p****d off at this new kakistocracy.
Amazon are often not the cheapest places to buy things these days. The plague of dodgy Chinese sellers (both brands you never heard of playing the algorithm to get listed high up and as FBA sellers) is also a big negative.
Yeah, that was already starting to turn me off to be fair. Even if I knew exactly what I wanted so eg searched for "Anker 60w usb-c charger" the site would bloat the results with cheap crappy alternatives I hadn't asked for and that had no business being weighted so heavily in the results.
And their habit of “binning” products from different vendors means that the fakes are in the same pile as the real items.
So you could buy from the manufacturers store on Amazon. And get a fake.
Can you recommend somewhere online for buying small electrical/electronic stuff: chargers, cables, batteries, phone cases etc etc ?
NHS update: took my son to an outpatients appointment at Lewisham Hospital this morning. Saw a surgeon, had a cast fitted, had an x ray, saw the surgeon again then sorted his next appointment in three weeks time, out again 35 minutes after his appointment time. Everyone was lovely, the whole thing felt like a well oiled machine. When it works it works very well.
To get back to insiders, apols if I missed it but has there been anny comment on Bezos laying off a huge chunk of the Washington Post's journalists? That cnut arsing about with penis shaped rockets and multi $m weddings in Venice while turning a serious newspaper into Völkischer Beobachter epitomises the state we're in.
I'm not generally someone who does protests or boycotts, but I am so revolted by Bezos' recent antics that I have actually resolved to stop using Amazon. I have been spending £3k-6k a year with them for at least 20 years. No more. No Prime, no Audible, no physical goods through the post. It's going to cost me maybe 5% extra on that spend, plus some extra time finding new sources for some stuff, but I'm so p****d off at this new kakistocracy.
Amazon are often not the cheapest places to buy things these days. The plague of dodgy Chinese sellers (both brands you never heard of playing the algorithm to get listed high up and as FBA sellers) is also a big negative.
Yeah, that was already starting to turn me off to be fair. Even if I knew exactly what I wanted so eg searched for "Anker 60w usb-c charger" the site would bloat the results with cheap crappy alternatives I hadn't asked for and that had no business being weighted so heavily in the results.
And their habit of “binning” products from different vendors means that the fakes are in the same pile as the real items.
So you could buy from the manufacturers store on Amazon. And get a fake.
They announced a few weeks ago that they were stopping that.
It made it pretty much impossible to order things like memory sticks, because you’d never know if you were getting a real one or a fake one - even when buying from the official storefront of the manufacturer!
To get back to insiders, apols if I missed it but has there been anny comment on Bezos laying off a huge chunk of the Washington Post's journalists? That cnut arsing about with penis shaped rockets and multi $m weddings in Venice while turning a serious newspaper into Völkischer Beobachter epitomises the state we're in.
I'm not generally someone who does protests or boycotts, but I am so revolted by Bezos' recent antics that I have actually resolved to stop using Amazon. I have been spending £3k-6k a year with them for at least 20 years. No more. No Prime, no Audible, no physical goods through the post. It's going to cost me maybe 5% extra on that spend, plus some extra time finding new sources for some stuff, but I'm so p****d off at this new kakistocracy.
Amazon are often not the cheapest places to buy things these days. The plague of dodgy Chinese sellers (both brands you never heard of playing the algorithm to get listed high up and as FBA sellers) is also a big negative.
Yeah, that was already starting to turn me off to be fair. Even if I knew exactly what I wanted so eg searched for "Anker 60w usb-c charger" the site would bloat the results with cheap crappy alternatives I hadn't asked for and that had no business being weighted so heavily in the results.
And their habit of “binning” products from different vendors means that the fakes are in the same pile as the real items.
So you could buy from the manufacturers store on Amazon. And get a fake.
Yup. And things like Anker chargers are just the kind of thing that get faked.
I definitely wouldn't buy anything of that nature from there - it is asking for trouble.
Morning all. Liked the header..... thanks, Gareth otV. I must say that at the time I thought the appointment of Mandelson to be Ambassador to be odd, but that it might turn out to be inspired. TBH, I still think it might have been but then his history came out and one clearly couldn't trust him an inch. So Starmer, atypically,, gambled and lost. Badly. And, politics being what it is heads, or at least one, have to roll. It was Starmer's decision in the final analysis but you could argue that his chief adviser out to take the heat.
To get back to insiders, apols if I missed it but has there been anny comment on Bezos laying off a huge chunk of the Washington Post's journalists? That cnut arsing about with penis shaped rockets and multi $m weddings in Venice while turning a serious newspaper into Völkischer Beobachter epitomises the state we're in.
I'm not generally someone who does protests or boycotts, but I am so revolted by Bezos' recent antics that I have actually resolved to stop using Amazon. I have been spending £3k-6k a year with them for at least 20 years. No more. No Prime, no Audible, no physical goods through the post. It's going to cost me maybe 5% extra on that spend, plus some extra time finding new sources for some stuff, but I'm so p****d off at this new kakistocracy.
Amazon are often not the cheapest places to buy things these days. The plague of dodgy Chinese sellers (both brands you never heard of playing the algorithm to get listed high up and as FBA sellers) is also a big negative.
Yeah, that was already starting to turn me off to be fair. Even if I knew exactly what I wanted so eg searched for "Anker 60w usb-c charger" the site would bloat the results with cheap crappy alternatives I hadn't asked for and that had no business being weighted so heavily in the results.
And their habit of “binning” products from different vendors means that the fakes are in the same pile as the real items.
So you could buy from the manufacturers store on Amazon. And get a fake.
No doubt the Reform obsessives here approve of this. Wouldn’t be surprised if some would have been tempted to join in the online stuff had they known.
Hey, there’s always the Tripadvisor ratings.
Hibou Blanc, a restaurant and bar in Newcastle, which hosted a private Reform event and was besieged by the great unwashed, obviously not troubled by paid employment, has seen its young members of staff suffer online abuse and called Nazis simply for working there.
Fortunately the Free Speech Union will surely be defending the right of the protestors to exercise their free speech, whether they are being reasonable or completely unfair.
The comment about working class friends is interesting. I had, when younger, many working class friends. Nowadays those I am still friends with would not be deemed working class. White colllar jobs, nice homes, comfortably off.
The working class has always had people who wallow in it and people who aspire to do better. That’s where most of my friendship group from my younger years ended up. I do also have posh friends who were privately educated.
This thread is key to me. There is little substantive consequence for misdeeds.
‘ We see scandal after scandal, and the politicians keep uttering the same trite phrase, “lessons will be learned”. The public want to see people being actually held to account.
After the collapse of RBS, Fred Goodwin lost part of his pension, but I doubt he is living in a council house. Paula Vennells of the Post Office handed back her CBE in 2024, but she was only awarded it in 2019, well after the scandal was known about.’
Well, Prince Andrew was evicted from his free house on a royal estate, so now he is forced to live in *checks notes* a free house on a different royal estate.
Andrew should be sent to live in a homeless shelter.
TBF (slightly) to Andrew, it was hardly "free" as he spent umpteen million up front.
Since it is Norfolk, surely it should be a static caravan next to the beach?
I went to a hard rock covers band festival in Great Yarmouth with my brother once. We stayed in a static caravan. It's to good for AMW.
On the Greens and the markets I listened to the podcast recommended on here with Polanski talking to a left-wing economist. It was interesting that they both recognised the mistake Truss has made - of failing to retain the confidence of the markets - and accepted the necessity of retaining that confidence, rather than seeing the market as something that could be faced down or bypassed.
I think perceptions of the Greens are out of kilter with reality to an extent.
Then what differentiates them from Labour? If they really believe in retaining the confidence of the markets then they'll be exactly the same, an economically orthodox party with slightly leftist rhetoric. What choices could they have made differently over the past year and still retained the confidence of the markets? Apologies for the somewhat rhetorical question.
I think there are lots of things that a government can do that don't involve directly spending money.
Secondly, in the podcast they make the point that the markets aren't concerned with the detail of tax and spend policies, but with the ability of the government to pay debt interest - the implication being that if they want to increase spending they would need to increase taxation rather than borrowing.
A very interesting article indeed - thanks, @GarethoftheVale2 Two points, if I may.......
1. Don't be too quick to write off the Lib Dems as an "outsider" party. Yes, their MPs may all be as sleek and smooth as all other manifestations of "the blob", but out in the wild they have capitalised on the "plague on both your houses" idea long before it became a meme. Perhaps that might explain why their poll ratings are still so abnormally high - they are still taped in to the "sod the lot of them" vibe.
2. I am about as bourgeois as it's possible to be on my income, mainly because I have strived to become as middle class as possible. However, I have a number of working class friends, of all ages and races, because I am a regular church-goer. From an anthropological point of view they are still very interesting places where "all sorts and conditions of men" (and women) get together and socialise. I can't think of any other forums in my town where that happens.
Our village has one pub. All classes meet there, from the retired Army Major to the road sweeper. That’s an advantage of living in a village.
Use it or lose it! Village pubs are closing by the hundreds.
We use it! CAMRA social on Saturday. Lunch on Tuesday, when almost all the tables were full.
Bit of background - after the Air India crash, the apparent cause was one of the pilots shutting the engines down, using the main fuel switches. There was evidence there were manually operated.
The family of the pilot and the pilots union in India tried to find a way that it could be a technical fault.
Then, the above - an Air India pilot, about to fly out of LHR logged an apparent fault with the fuel switches. Then flew the flight anyway.
The U.K. authorities are now demanding to know the details of the failure*, since flying with a non 100% functional fuel switch would be a massive breach of U.K. safety rules.
So either it was someone smashing the safety rules (Airline could get in serious trouble) or they are telling pork pies.
In the 2000s, there were few votes for outsider parties. The LDs took an outsider position on Iraq, but it would be hard to call them an outsider party.
I disagree, in the 2000s the LDs were the outsider party. They were the pox on both your houses, none of the above, party.
Yes their leadership were not that, but a very large chunk of their voters were.
The Coalition fractured that. More than tuition fees, it was the very act of going into Government that destroyed what for many LD voters were the LDs very nature of being outsiders and making them just another establishment party.
I remain firmly of the belief (both anecdotally and from data) that a large chunk of the 2015 UKIP vote were ex-LD voters.
You can argue the same will be true for both Reform and the Greens IF either finds themselves in such a position after the next election.
That's the thing about "outsider" parties - as long as they are on the outside, they can play that game but as soon as confronted with the consequences of their own electoral success (or the failings of others) they are forced to come "inside" and that, so to speak, taints them for all time (it would seem).
The other side of it is to ask why a party is in business - I've never heard of a party whose sole raison d'etre was to shout in futile anger from the sidelines. No, people form and join parties to achieve policy goals whether social, economic or both. The only way to achieve those goals (currently) is through the electoral system in our democracy but once you have achieved that you then have to do some (not all) of what you promise and on that you are then judged at the next election.
The Conservatives don't want to spend the next 10-15 years shouting at Labour and Reform Governments from the sidelines - they want to be there, in Government, enacting policies, enjoying "power" but as they know full well, the price of that power can be very high but do they want another go at Government? You better believe they do.
We've seen across Europe how outsider potatoes get elected and then sink at the next election.
Potatoes should be parties, obv.
The potato party will been endorsed by King Edward.
.... but they will be given a hard time by the political common 'taters.
For those considering Sir Keir Starmer's potential replacement, NB since 1902 every Prime Minister who has ascended to that position, as opposed to being elected, has in the past been Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary or Chancellor of the Exchequer.
If that rule were followed here, that means we consider Reeves, Lammy, Cooper and Mahmood. That's a short list.
I'd also consider Miliband, as a former leader, and Rayner and Powell by virtue of their party role.
You'll note even Streeting is lightweight on this test.
In the new world of directly elected mayors I suppose you might add Khan and Burnham as major figures in devolved govt.
But if it's happening in the next few weeks, you can pretty much ignore anyone else.
Best to take note of what's happening on the ground rather than follow arcane rules
Current Ladbrokes odds on Labour figures for next PM, generally they're one of the more informed betting companies: Rayner 11/4 Streeting 7/2 Miliband 6/1 Burnham, Powell, Mahmood 12/1 Lammy, Cooper 25/1
Far too short odds on non MP Burnham which I think reflect only the weight of bets already levied plus the ability to cream in money from uninformed punters.
If Starmer resigns as he feels position untenable, Lammy or Powell would surely be asked to be temporary PM until a Labour leadership takes place? That would put them in a strong position if they chose to run.
Works for me! My next PM book
Angela Rayner -£24.29 Wes Streeting -£19.15 Ed Miliband -£93.68 Lucy Powell £632.84 Nigel Farage -£189.25 Shabana Mahmood -£10.25 Yvette Cooper £132.06 Andy Burnham -£198.35 David Lammy £658.95 Alistair Carns £113.44
Thinking about it, a bit more, the odds are probably still about right but that does depend on when and how Starmer is expected to resign.
For me it is something like:
10% during Mandelson-gate - favours Lammy and Powell 20% post council elections - favours Rayner, maybe Streeting 30% late 2026, 2027, early 2028 - smooth transition for electability - favours Streeting, maybe Burnham, Rayner still a contender 25% post GE defeat - Badenoch, Farage 15% post GE win - unknown candidate, or from your list Streeting, Mahmood, Carns.
To get back to insiders, apols if I missed it but has there been anny comment on Bezos laying off a huge chunk of the Washington Post's journalists? That cnut arsing about with penis shaped rockets and multi $m weddings in Venice while turning a serious newspaper into Völkischer Beobachter epitomises the state we're in.
I'm not generally someone who does protests or boycotts, but I am so revolted by Bezos' recent antics that I have actually resolved to stop using Amazon. I have been spending £3k-6k a year with them for at least 20 years. No more. No Prime, no Audible, no physical goods through the post. It's going to cost me maybe 5% extra on that spend, plus some extra time finding new sources for some stuff, but I'm so p****d off at this new kakistocracy.
Amazon are often not the cheapest places to buy things these days. The plague of dodgy Chinese sellers (both brands you never heard of playing the algorithm to get listed high up and as FBA sellers) is also a big negative.
Yeah, that was already starting to turn me off to be fair. Even if I knew exactly what I wanted so eg searched for "Anker 60w usb-c charger" the site would bloat the results with cheap crappy alternatives I hadn't asked for and that had no business being weighted so heavily in the results.
And their habit of “binning” products from different vendors means that the fakes are in the same pile as the real items.
So you could buy from the manufacturers store on Amazon. And get a fake.
Yup. And things like Anker chargers are just the kind of thing that get faked.
I definitely wouldn't buy anything of that nature from there - it is asking for trouble.
On the Greens and the markets I listened to the podcast recommended on here with Polanski talking to a left-wing economist. It was interesting that they both recognised the mistake Truss has made - of failing to retain the confidence of the markets - and accepted the necessity of retaining that confidence, rather than seeing the market as something that could be faced down or bypassed.
I think perceptions of the Greens are out of kilter with reality to an extent.
Then what differentiates them from Labour? If they really believe in retaining the confidence of the markets then they'll be exactly the same, an economically orthodox party with slightly leftist rhetoric. What choices could they have made differently over the past year and still retained the confidence of the markets? Apologies for the somewhat rhetorical question.
I think there are lots of things that a government can do that don't involve directly spending money.
Secondly, in the podcast they make the point that the markets aren't concerned with the detail of tax and spend policies, but with the ability of the government to pay debt interest - the implication being that if they want to increase spending they would need to increase taxation rather than borrowing.
“ lots of things that a government can do that don't involve directly spending money.”
Which is a big part of how we got here - government uses the law to mandate that other people do things at *their* expense. Free public spending sounds awesome, doesn’t it?
In the 2000s, there were few votes for outsider parties. The LDs took an outsider position on Iraq, but it would be hard to call them an outsider party.
I disagree, in the 2000s the LDs were the outsider party. They were the pox on both your houses, none of the above, party.
Yes their leadership were not that, but a very large chunk of their voters were.
The Coalition fractured that. More than tuition fees, it was the very act of going into Government that destroyed what for many LD voters were the LDs very nature of being outsiders and making them just another establishment party.
I remain firmly of the belief (both anecdotally and from data) that a large chunk of the 2015 UKIP vote were ex-LD voters.
You can argue the same will be true for both Reform and the Greens IF either finds themselves in such a position after the next election.
That's the thing about "outsider" parties - as long as they are on the outside, they can play that game but as soon as confronted with the consequences of their own electoral success (or the failings of others) they are forced to come "inside" and that, so to speak, taints them for all time (it would seem).
The other side of it is to ask why a party is in business - I've never heard of a party whose sole raison d'etre was to shout in futile anger from the sidelines. No, people form and join parties to achieve policy goals whether social, economic or both. The only way to achieve those goals (currently) is through the electoral system in our democracy but once you have achieved that you then have to do some (not all) of what you promise and on that you are then judged at the next election.
The Conservatives don't want to spend the next 10-15 years shouting at Labour and Reform Governments from the sidelines - they want to be there, in Government, enacting policies, enjoying "power" but as they know full well, the price of that power can be very high but do they want another go at Government? You better believe they do.
We've seen across Europe how outsider potatoes get elected and then sink at the next election.
Potatoes should be parties, obv.
The potato party will been endorsed by King Edward.
.... but they will be given a hard time by the political common 'taters.
In the 2000s, there were few votes for outsider parties. The LDs took an outsider position on Iraq, but it would be hard to call them an outsider party.
I disagree, in the 2000s the LDs were the outsider party. They were the pox on both your houses, none of the above, party.
Yes their leadership were not that, but a very large chunk of their voters were.
The Coalition fractured that. More than tuition fees, it was the very act of going into Government that destroyed what for many LD voters were the LDs very nature of being outsiders and making them just another establishment party.
I remain firmly of the belief (both anecdotally and from data) that a large chunk of the 2015 UKIP vote were ex-LD voters.
You can argue the same will be true for both Reform and the Greens IF either finds themselves in such a position after the next election.
That's the thing about "outsider" parties - as long as they are on the outside, they can play that game but as soon as confronted with the consequences of their own electoral success (or the failings of others) they are forced to come "inside" and that, so to speak, taints them for all time (it would seem).
The other side of it is to ask why a party is in business - I've never heard of a party whose sole raison d'etre was to shout in futile anger from the sidelines. No, people form and join parties to achieve policy goals whether social, economic or both. The only way to achieve those goals (currently) is through the electoral system in our democracy but once you have achieved that you then have to do some (not all) of what you promise and on that you are then judged at the next election.
The Conservatives don't want to spend the next 10-15 years shouting at Labour and Reform Governments from the sidelines - they want to be there, in Government, enacting policies, enjoying "power" but as they know full well, the price of that power can be very high but do they want another go at Government? You better believe they do.
We've seen across Europe how outsider potatoes get elected and then sink at the next election.
Potatoes should be parties, obv.
The potato party will been endorsed by King Edward.
.... but they will be given a hard time by the political common 'taters.
Potatoes are immigrants. What’s the party for Native Root Vegetables?
Farage has gone very quiet on that big hitting Labour defector.
He reckons '3 big Labour names' in discussion
Danczuk is quite a big name (7 letters). On that basis my money for the next defector is on Duffield (8 letters).
Duffield is interesting as Nowcast suggests it's almost a 3 way - Labour / Reform / Greens. Central Canterbury is a bit run down but it would be ironic if she was to jump, only to see the constituency go Green.
Marco Rubio warned Labour over the appointment of Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the United States.
In comments understood to have been relayed to Downing Street, the US secretary of state is believed to have expressed deep unease about the peer’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and links to China.
One well-placed source told The Telegraph there was a unanimous view of “what are you doing?” in the White House.
Bit of background - after the Air India crash, the apparent cause was one of the pilots shutting the engines down, using the main fuel switches. There was evidence there were manually operated.
The family of the pilot and the pilots union in India tried to find a way that it could be a technical fault.
Then, the above - an Air India pilot, about to fly out of LHR logged an apparent fault with the fuel switches. Then flew the flight anyway.
The U.K. authorities are now demanding to know the details of the failure*, since flying with a non 100% functional fuel switch would be a massive breach of U.K. safety rules.
So either it was someone smashing the safety rules (Airline could get in serious trouble) or they are telling pork pies.
*if it actually happened.
The amazing thing is that, having allegedly found an issue with the switch, they decided to carry out a nine-hour flight with it. Remember that they have had one plane crash already with this issue, and a genuinely faulty switch could potentially shut down an engine in flight.
They should of course have had the switch replaced at Heathrow, but that would have meant the old one ended up either back at Boeing or in the hands of the AAIB. Neither of which suit Air India’s narrative of faulty switches.
So the CAA has asked Air India to explain themselves, with a thinly veiled threat to ban them from the UK if they can’t adequately respond. That’s not an idle threat either, there’s a long list of banned airlines with poor safety records. EU and US would likely copy any UK ban as well, until the issue is resolved.
Marco Rubio warned Labour over the appointment of Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the United States.
In comments understood to have been relayed to Downing Street, the US secretary of state is believed to have expressed deep unease about the peer’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and links to China.
One well-placed source told The Telegraph there was a unanimous view of “what are you doing?” in the White House.
Labour backbenchers are now publicly warning Sir Keir Starmer that his own future will be in doubt unless he sacks his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney
It's effectively an ultimatum that's being echoed across the backbenches
Karl Turner, a Labour MP, says the mood on the backbenches is 'dire'. He says that unless Starmer sacks his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney he will be 'up against it' and have to make a decision about his own future
He tells @TimesRadio the atmosphere in the Commons was the 'angriest' he has ever seen it, but that the anger was directed at his advisers
He says he forwarded messages from people expressing their anger directly to the prime minister last night. 'He thanked me, and I suspect he thanked those who were then messaging him'
'My advice to the prime minister is get rid of those advisers who have frankly given terrible advice to him over weeks and months. The PM needs to deal with that and make a decision. If the PM decides he has to be surrounded by advisers who give him shoddy advice the reality of that is the prime minister is going to have to make a decision about his future some point soon
'If McSweeney is still in 10 Downing Street the PM is up against it'
That's a tricky one, because aiui the top team are essentially McSweeney Todd appointees.
So SKS is in no position to remove one without potentially losing a lot more.
Reportedly it is about an expectation that MPs be rubber stamps, and that No 10 is a bit of an ivory tower at present with little engagement.
Just one other thing. If anybody seriously thinks we have reached the bottom of the allegations about Mandelson, Epstein, Russia, and what Starmer knew (or should have known) they're living in cloud-cuckoo land.
If it turns out that Mandelson was feeding national security and finance stuff to the Russians via his bestie then the entire government could be brought down never mind changing PMs.
Is Dan on the money or has he lost his mind?
Anyway my understanding from ex CIA agents is Epstein was an active Mossad agent. I don't believe either the Russian or the CIA link has been explored let alone verified.
Like the Spectator, Dan’s finger is never far from the pulse.
Bit of background - after the Air India crash, the apparent cause was one of the pilots shutting the engines down, using the main fuel switches. There was evidence there were manually operated.
The family of the pilot and the pilots union in India tried to find a way that it could be a technical fault.
Then, the above - an Air India pilot, about to fly out of LHR logged an apparent fault with the fuel switches. Then flew the flight anyway.
The U.K. authorities are now demanding to know the details of the failure*, since flying with a non 100% functional fuel switch would be a massive breach of U.K. safety rules.
So either it was someone smashing the safety rules (Airline could get in serious trouble) or they are telling pork pies.
*if it actually happened.
Attended a Zoom lecture a couple of weeks ago on the subject of the Potomac crash and in the discussion someone mentioned the Air India crash. the speaker, who we were assured was an airline safety expert, and in any event an experienced military and civil airlines pilot was of the opinion that someone was playing silly whatsis with the switches somewhere and when the final report came out Air India could be in serious trouble.
To get back to insiders, apols if I missed it but has there been anny comment on Bezos laying off a huge chunk of the Washington Post's journalists? That cnut arsing about with penis shaped rockets and multi $m weddings in Venice while turning a serious newspaper into Völkischer Beobachter epitomises the state we're in.
I'm not generally someone who does protests or boycotts, but I am so revolted by Bezos' recent antics that I have actually resolved to stop using Amazon. I have been spending £3k-6k a year with them for at least 20 years. No more. No Prime, no Audible, no physical goods through the post. It's going to cost me maybe 5% extra on that spend, plus some extra time finding new sources for some stuff, but I'm so p****d off at this new kakistocracy.
Amazon are often not the cheapest places to buy things these days. The plague of dodgy Chinese sellers (both brands you never heard of playing the algorithm to get listed high up and as FBA sellers) is also a big negative.
Yeah, that was already starting to turn me off to be fair. Even if I knew exactly what I wanted so eg searched for "Anker 60w usb-c charger" the site would bloat the results with cheap crappy alternatives I hadn't asked for and that had no business being weighted so heavily in the results.
And their habit of “binning” products from different vendors means that the fakes are in the same pile as the real items.
So you could buy from the manufacturers store on Amazon. And get a fake.
I wonder how that is even legal. I know trading standards aren't in a position to take Amazon on, but the buyer is not being supplied with the product they've paid for. It should be the simplest case to prosecute.
On the Greens and the markets I listened to the podcast recommended on here with Polanski talking to a left-wing economist. It was interesting that they both recognised the mistake Truss has made - of failing to retain the confidence of the markets - and accepted the necessity of retaining that confidence, rather than seeing the market as something that could be faced down or bypassed.
I think perceptions of the Greens are out of kilter with reality to an extent.
Then what differentiates them from Labour? If they really believe in retaining the confidence of the markets then they'll be exactly the same, an economically orthodox party with slightly leftist rhetoric. What choices could they have made differently over the past year and still retained the confidence of the markets? Apologies for the somewhat rhetorical question.
I think there are lots of things that a government can do that don't involve directly spending money.
Secondly, in the podcast they make the point that the markets aren't concerned with the detail of tax and spend policies, but with the ability of the government to pay debt interest - the implication being that if they want to increase spending they would need to increase taxation rather than borrowing.
Yes, this is a mistake that quite a lot of people make. There are plenty of countries with a higher tax burden than that UK, but lower borrowing costs.
I watched the BBC Smileys People on holiday, an episode a day, very good it is too. Michael Lonsdale was excellent. He was also in the best Bond movie so two excellent strings to his bow,
I read somewhere that Alan Rickman has a small part in it
Marco Rubio warned Labour over the appointment of Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the United States.
In comments understood to have been relayed to Downing Street, the US secretary of state is believed to have expressed deep unease about the peer’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and links to China.
One well-placed source told The Telegraph there was a unanimous view of “what are you doing?” in the White House.
If there’s any truth in that, surely Starmer is in big trouble? The whole point of Mandy getting the job was because he was someone who could get along with the crazy US administration. Rubio would have been his main contact in Washington, so if he warned against the appointment, why would the PM go through with it?
For those considering Sir Keir Starmer's potential replacement, NB since 1902 every Prime Minister who has ascended to that position, as opposed to being elected, has in the past been Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary or Chancellor of the Exchequer.
If that rule were followed here, that means we consider Reeves, Lammy, Cooper and Mahmood. That's a short list.
I'd also consider Miliband, as a former leader, and Rayner and Powell by virtue of their party role.
You'll note even Streeting is lightweight on this test.
In the new world of directly elected mayors I suppose you might add Khan and Burnham as major figures in devolved govt.
But if it's happening in the next few weeks, you can pretty much ignore anyone else.
Best to take note of what's happening on the ground rather than follow arcane rules
Current Ladbrokes odds on Labour figures for next PM, generally they're one of the more informed betting companies: Rayner 11/4 Streeting 7/2 Miliband 6/1 Burnham, Powell, Mahmood 12/1 Lammy, Cooper 25/1
Far too short odds on non MP Burnham which I think reflect only the weight of bets already levied plus the ability to cream in money from uninformed punters.
If Starmer resigns as he feels position untenable, Lammy or Powell would surely be asked to be temporary PM until a Labour leadership takes place? That would put them in a strong position if they chose to run.
Works for me! My next PM book
Angela Rayner -£24.29 Wes Streeting -£19.15 Ed Miliband -£93.68 Lucy Powell £632.84 Nigel Farage -£189.25 Shabana Mahmood -£10.25 Yvette Cooper £132.06 Andy Burnham -£198.35 David Lammy £658.95 Alistair Carns £113.44
Wasn't Lammy a bag carrier for Mandelson in Dept of Business and Skills. Then he was Foreign Sec when Mandelson was appointed. He must have been aware both times but is strangely quiet.
David Lammy, now Foreign Secretary, served as Minister of State in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills from June 2009 to May 2010—the precise period during which Mandelson was allegedly funnelling sensitive departmental information to Epstein.
Labour backbenchers are now publicly warning Sir Keir Starmer that his own future will be in doubt unless he sacks his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney
It's effectively an ultimatum that's being echoed across the backbenches
Karl Turner, a Labour MP, says the mood on the backbenches is 'dire'. He says that unless Starmer sacks his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney he will be 'up against it' and have to make a decision about his own future
He tells @TimesRadio the atmosphere in the Commons was the 'angriest' he has ever seen it, but that the anger was directed at his advisers
He says he forwarded messages from people expressing their anger directly to the prime minister last night. 'He thanked me, and I suspect he thanked those who were then messaging him'
'My advice to the prime minister is get rid of those advisers who have frankly given terrible advice to him over weeks and months. The PM needs to deal with that and make a decision. If the PM decides he has to be surrounded by advisers who give him shoddy advice the reality of that is the prime minister is going to have to make a decision about his future some point soon
'If McSweeney is still in 10 Downing Street the PM is up against it'
That's a tricky one, because aiui the top team are essentially McSweeney Todd appointees.
So SKS is in no position to remove one without potentially losing a lot more.
Reportedly it is about an expectation that MPs be rubber stamps, and that No 10 is a bit of an ivory tower at present with little engagement.
Just one other thing. If anybody seriously thinks we have reached the bottom of the allegations about Mandelson, Epstein, Russia, and what Starmer knew (or should have known) they're living in cloud-cuckoo land.
If it turns out that Mandelson was feeding national security and finance stuff to the Russians via his bestie then the entire government could be brought down never mind changing PMs.
Is Dan on the money or has he lost his mind?
Anyway my understanding from ex CIA agents is Epstein was an active Mossad agent. I don't believe either the Russian or the CIA link has been explored let alone verified.
Like the Spectator, Dan’s finger is never far from the pulse.
Bit of background - after the Air India crash, the apparent cause was one of the pilots shutting the engines down, using the main fuel switches. There was evidence there were manually operated.
The family of the pilot and the pilots union in India tried to find a way that it could be a technical fault.
Then, the above - an Air India pilot, about to fly out of LHR logged an apparent fault with the fuel switches. Then flew the flight anyway.
The U.K. authorities are now demanding to know the details of the failure*, since flying with a non 100% functional fuel switch would be a massive breach of U.K. safety rules.
So either it was someone smashing the safety rules (Airline could get in serious trouble) or they are telling pork pies.
*if it actually happened.
The amazing thing is that, having allegedly found an issue with the switch, they decided to carry out a nine-hour flight with it. Remember that they have had one plane crash already with this issue, and a genuinely faulty switch could potentially shut down an engine in flight.
They should of course have had the switch replaced at Heathrow, but that would have meant the old one ended up either back at Boeing or in the hands of the AAIB. Neither of which suit Air India’s narrative of faulty switches.
So the CAA has asked Air India to explain themselves, with a thinly veiled threat to ban them from the UK if they can’t adequately respond. That’s not an idle threat either, there’s a long list of banned airlines with poor safety records. EU and US would likely copy any UK ban as well, until the issue is resolved.
Isn't that quite routine, primarily because they have to burn fuel off. As long as they are within ETOPS/EROPS of course.
Dan Thomas, former Barnet Council leader is Reform Wales new leader
Hes an ex Tory surprisingly
Sounds like another member of the metropolitan elite.
I struggle to see Barnet as "metropolitan". I presume it's just a barren, frozen wasteland where people scavenge for scraps and the occasional mammoth wanders past.
Marco Rubio warned Labour over the appointment of Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the United States.
In comments understood to have been relayed to Downing Street, the US secretary of state is believed to have expressed deep unease about the peer’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and links to China.
One well-placed source told The Telegraph there was a unanimous view of “what are you doing?” in the White House.
If there’s any truth in that, surely Starmer is in big trouble? The whole point of Mandy getting the job was because he was someone who could get along with the crazy US administration. Rubio would have been his main contact in Washington, so if he warned against the appointment, why would the PM go through with it?
Starting to wonder if Mandelson got the job because he had something on Trump/Epstein.
To get back to insiders, apols if I missed it but has there been anny comment on Bezos laying off a huge chunk of the Washington Post's journalists? That cnut arsing about with penis shaped rockets and multi $m weddings in Venice while turning a serious newspaper into Völkischer Beobachter epitomises the state we're in.
I'm not generally someone who does protests or boycotts, but I am so revolted by Bezos' recent antics that I have actually resolved to stop using Amazon. I have been spending £3k-6k a year with them for at least 20 years. No more. No Prime, no Audible, no physical goods through the post. It's going to cost me maybe 5% extra on that spend, plus some extra time finding new sources for some stuff, but I'm so p****d off at this new kakistocracy.
Amazon are often not the cheapest places to buy things these days. The plague of dodgy Chinese sellers (both brands you never heard of playing the algorithm to get listed high up and as FBA sellers) is also a big negative.
Yeah, that was already starting to turn me off to be fair. Even if I knew exactly what I wanted so eg searched for "Anker 60w usb-c charger" the site would bloat the results with cheap crappy alternatives I hadn't asked for and that had no business being weighted so heavily in the results.
And their habit of “binning” products from different vendors means that the fakes are in the same pile as the real items.
So you could buy from the manufacturers store on Amazon. And get a fake.
I wonder how that is even legal. I know trading standards aren't in a position to take Amazon on, but the buyer is not being supplied with the product they've paid for. It should be the simplest case to prosecute.
They say they only do it where the SKU (barcode) is the same. The problem is that genuine and fake goods end up in the same bin, because they have the same barcode, even if they’re from different sellers.
Dear PB - James Evans is a MS not AM. Why is it so difficult to get right?
And the appointment of Dan Thomas - former leader of Barnet Council - as Reform's Welsh Leader is 'interesting'...
+Ve: He is Welsh, seems to be a good communicator -Ve: Another ex-Tory, no Welsh political history or connections
Dont know which seat he will stand in...
Apologies, ive been in my time machine again. MS! And id overlooked Dan Thomas Welsh origins, but his lack of political service in Wales makes him, as you say, interesting
Bit of background - after the Air India crash, the apparent cause was one of the pilots shutting the engines down, using the main fuel switches. There was evidence there were manually operated.
The family of the pilot and the pilots union in India tried to find a way that it could be a technical fault.
Then, the above - an Air India pilot, about to fly out of LHR logged an apparent fault with the fuel switches. Then flew the flight anyway.
The U.K. authorities are now demanding to know the details of the failure*, since flying with a non 100% functional fuel switch would be a massive breach of U.K. safety rules.
So either it was someone smashing the safety rules (Airline could get in serious trouble) or they are telling pork pies.
*if it actually happened.
There is an awful lot going on regarding Air India and Boeing with both trying to pin the blame on the other.
Everytime I look it makes me go - best pick airlines and routes the don’t use Boeing planes
For those considering Sir Keir Starmer's potential replacement, NB since 1902 every Prime Minister who has ascended to that position, as opposed to being elected, has in the past been Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary or Chancellor of the Exchequer.
If that rule were followed here, that means we consider Reeves, Lammy, Cooper and Mahmood. That's a short list.
I'd also consider Miliband, as a former leader, and Rayner and Powell by virtue of their party role.
You'll note even Streeting is lightweight on this test.
In the new world of directly elected mayors I suppose you might add Khan and Burnham as major figures in devolved govt.
But if it's happening in the next few weeks, you can pretty much ignore anyone else.
Best to take note of what's happening on the ground rather than follow arcane rules
Current Ladbrokes odds on Labour figures for next PM, generally they're one of the more informed betting companies: Rayner 11/4 Streeting 7/2 Miliband 6/1 Burnham, Powell, Mahmood 12/1 Lammy, Cooper 25/1
Far too short odds on non MP Burnham which I think reflect only the weight of bets already levied plus the ability to cream in money from uninformed punters.
If Starmer resigns as he feels position untenable, Lammy or Powell would surely be asked to be temporary PM until a Labour leadership takes place? That would put them in a strong position if they chose to run.
To get back to insiders, apols if I missed it but has there been anny comment on Bezos laying off a huge chunk of the Washington Post's journalists? That cnut arsing about with penis shaped rockets and multi $m weddings in Venice while turning a serious newspaper into Völkischer Beobachter epitomises the state we're in.
I'm not generally someone who does protests or boycotts, but I am so revolted by Bezos' recent antics that I have actually resolved to stop using Amazon. I have been spending £3k-6k a year with them for at least 20 years. No more. No Prime, no Audible, no physical goods through the post. It's going to cost me maybe 5% extra on that spend, plus some extra time finding new sources for some stuff, but I'm so p****d off at this new kakistocracy.
Amazon are often not the cheapest places to buy things these days. The plague of dodgy Chinese sellers (both brands you never heard of playing the algorithm to get listed high up and as FBA sellers) is also a big negative.
Yeah, that was already starting to turn me off to be fair. Even if I knew exactly what I wanted so eg searched for "Anker 60w usb-c charger" the site would bloat the results with cheap crappy alternatives I hadn't asked for and that had no business being weighted so heavily in the results.
And their habit of “binning” products from different vendors means that the fakes are in the same pile as the real items.
So you could buy from the manufacturers store on Amazon. And get a fake.
Yup. And things like Anker chargers are just the kind of thing that get faked.
I definitely wouldn't buy anything of that nature from there - it is asking for trouble.
Cheap chargers are quite the hazard.
Never buy climbing gear online. Never ever. Some horrifying stories about quickdraws in particular.
Comments
Anyway my understanding from ex CIA agents is Epstein was an active Mossad agent. I don't believe either the Russian or the CIA link has been explored let alone verified.
Current Ladbrokes odds on Labour figures for next PM, generally they're one of the more informed betting companies:
Rayner 11/4
Streeting 7/2
Miliband 6/1
Burnham, Powell, Mahmood 12/1
Lammy, Cooper 25/1
Far too short odds on non MP Burnham which I think reflect only the weight of bets already levied plus the ability to cream in money from uninformed punters.
Look who's alone now
It's not me, it's not me
Those three wise men
They've got a semi by the sea
Gotta ask yourself the question
Where are you now?
Gotta ask yourself the question
Where are you now?
I haven't missed it. These days Amazon usually isn't the cheapest place to shop, and there never seemed to be anything worth watching on Prime Video either. I occasionally have to wait a little longer for things, but the £95 I was paying for Prime buys a lot of expedited delivery if I want something quickly.
I've also stopped using AWS to host my web apps.
This presents an opportunity for any politician/party that can present a convincing story to the electorate. It means that we can expect election campaigns to be more important than they have been historically - although we've seen large changes in two of the last three general election campaigns, so we ought to be getting used to it now.
I wouldn't buy anything worth more than a few quid from them now. If I can buy things elsewhere, particularly direct from the supplier/manufacture - thus avoiding any chance of fakes - then I will.
They probably lose money on small items with free delivery, so I feel a bit less guilty about those.
Usually when a Labour leader is embattled they would have an army of supporters to defend them. Doubly so a Labour Prime Minister. Surely Starmer's crowning achievement is the alienation of his own party inside of 2 years to the extent that nobody is willing to stand up for him now. Incredible work.
The SDP were hugely popular at first, although they were just one wing of Labour. A small number (well, 1 MP) of Conservative defections helped perhaps give an impression of something new. It is reported that 65% of the party membership hadn't been in any political party before. But they soon went into the Alliance, which I guess made it easier for them not to appear as just ex-Labour people.
I would bet he had a relationship with Russia *and* the CIA*. And Mossad. And anyone else who wanted to play/pay.
John Le Carre, who had experience of such things, portrayed the world of the information hucksters who hang around the edges of the intelligence world. Especially in Smiley’s People.
*I think it quite possible that Epstein leveraged a CIA connection to get the very sweet deal when he was convicted.
So you could buy from the manufacturers store on Amazon. And get a fake.
https://x.com/front_ukrainian/status/2019326132756054117
They made the mistake of putting Starlink on drones that crashed on the Ukranian side, alerting the Ukranians to the Russian use of the black market devices. Ukraniane worked hard with SpaceX to create a whitelist of Ukranian, terminals that are now the only ones that work in Ukraine. In the last 24 hours, Russian comms along huge swathes of the front lines have broken down completely.
Hence the obsession with destroying mother
Hey, there’s always the Tripadvisor ratings.
Hibou Blanc, a restaurant and bar in Newcastle, which hosted a private Reform event and was besieged by the great unwashed, obviously not troubled by paid employment, has seen its young members of staff suffer online abuse and called Nazis simply for working there.
https://metro.co.uk/2026/02/04/we-let-nigel-farage-visit-bar-now-called-nazis-26706017/
Angela Rayner -£24.29
Wes Streeting -£19.15
Ed Miliband -£93.68
Lucy Powell £632.84
Nigel Farage -£189.25
Shabana Mahmood -£10.25
Yvette Cooper £132.06
Andy Burnham -£198.35
David Lammy £658.95
Alistair Carns £113.44
I don’t believe it was his story.
I watched the BBC Smileys People on holiday, an episode a day, very good it is too. Michael Lonsdale was excellent. He was also in the best Bond movie so two excellent strings to his bow,
It made it pretty much impossible to order things like memory sticks, because you’d never know if you were getting a real one or a fake one - even when buying from the official storefront of the manufacturer!
I definitely wouldn't buy anything of that nature from there - it is asking for trouble.
Cheap chargers are quite the hazard.
Hes an ex Tory surprisingly
Liked the header..... thanks, Gareth otV.
I must say that at the time I thought the appointment of Mandelson to be Ambassador to be odd, but that it might turn out to be inspired. TBH, I still think it might have been but then his history came out and one clearly couldn't trust him an inch.
So Starmer, atypically,, gambled and lost. Badly.
And, politics being what it is heads, or at least one, have to roll. It was Starmer's decision in the final analysis but you could argue that his chief adviser out to take the heat.
Secondly, in the podcast they make the point that the markets aren't concerned with the detail of tax and spend policies, but with the ability of the government to pay debt interest - the implication being that if they want to increase spending they would need to increase taxation rather than borrowing.
Bit of background - after the Air India crash, the apparent cause was one of the pilots shutting the engines down, using the main fuel switches. There was evidence there were manually operated.
The family of the pilot and the pilots union in India tried to find a way that it could be a technical fault.
Then, the above - an Air India pilot, about to fly out of LHR logged an apparent fault with the fuel switches. Then flew the flight anyway.
The U.K. authorities are now demanding to know the details of the failure*, since flying with a non 100% functional fuel switch would be a massive breach of U.K. safety rules.
So either it was someone smashing the safety rules (Airline could get in serious trouble) or they are telling pork pies.
*if it actually happened.
Plaid will attack his lack of Welshness fairly ruthlessly id imagine
For me it is something like:
10% during Mandelson-gate - favours Lammy and Powell
20% post council elections - favours Rayner, maybe Streeting
30% late 2026, 2027, early 2028 - smooth transition for electability - favours Streeting, maybe Burnham, Rayner still a contender
25% post GE defeat - Badenoch, Farage
15% post GE win - unknown candidate, or from your list Streeting, Mahmood, Carns.
Which is a big part of how we got here - government uses the law to mandate that other people do things at *their* expense. Free public spending sounds awesome, doesn’t it?
SEND….
https://x.com/ABridgen/status/2019344837376372763
In comments understood to have been relayed to Downing Street, the US secretary of state is believed to have expressed deep unease about the peer’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and links to China.
One well-placed source told The Telegraph there was a unanimous view of “what are you doing?” in the White House.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2026/02/05/marco-rubio-raised-alarm-with-labour-over-mandelson/
They should of course have had the switch replaced at Heathrow, but that would have meant the old one ended up either back at Boeing or in the hands of the AAIB. Neither of which suit Air India’s narrative of faulty switches.
So the CAA has asked Air India to explain themselves, with a thinly veiled threat to ban them from the UK if they can’t adequately respond. That’s not an idle threat either, there’s a long list of banned airlines with poor safety records. EU and US would likely copy any UK ban as well, until the issue is resolved.
And the appointment of Dan Thomas - former leader of Barnet Council - as Reform's Welsh Leader is 'interesting'...
+Ve: He is Welsh, seems to be a good communicator
-Ve: Another ex-Tory, no Welsh political history or connections
Dont know which seat he will stand in...
https://x.com/matthewstadlen/status/2019191615206682841?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q
https://x.com/tombaldwin66/status/2019174978784985529?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q
If there’s any truth in that, surely Starmer is in big trouble? The whole point of Mandy getting the job was because he was someone who could get along with the crazy US administration. Rubio would have been his main contact in Washington, so if he warned against the appointment, why would the PM go through with it?
David Lammy, now Foreign Secretary, served as Minister of State in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills from June 2009 to May 2010—the precise period during which Mandelson was allegedly funnelling sensitive departmental information to Epstein.
Likely to go down as well as John Redwood did.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA1gBGtOlZU
- a Camden resident
And id overlooked Dan Thomas Welsh origins, but his lack of political service in Wales makes him, as you say, interesting
Everytime I look it makes me go - best pick airlines and routes the don’t use Boeing planes