'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Here's the thing: some of the worst miscarriages of justice have happened when everybody was absolutely certain of the guilt of the accused.
Needs to be asked: would you execute Lucy Letby?
I don't believe her guilt is obvious. I am not convinced any crime has actually occurred. Compare with the bastard killing the girls in Southport where we KNOW they were killed and that he did it.
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
9,710 UK medical graduate applications to specialty training programmes.
6,913 International medical graduate applications to speciality training programmes.
In 2025:
12,316 UK medical graduate applications to specialty training programmes.
20,807 International medical graduate applications to speciality training programmes.
No wonder UK grads now finish university, do two years on the job training as foundation doctors and then end up unemployed.
Number of grad applications though increased for both UK and overseas applicants but the number of doctor and consultant training places hasn't. There are only 12,000 such training places a year and only 23% of overseas applicants are successful compared to 69% of UK applicants
Yes, but that means 5 000 successful IMG applications out of 12 807 places, so over a 3rd of ST places go to IMGs.
Yes but given the majority of applications are from overseas now that is a far lower success rate for ST places than UK applicants
That isn’t the point. The point is that we (i.e. the country) have paid a lot of money to train our best and brightest as doctors to leave them unemployed. That’s a ridiculous state of affairs.
So ban immigrants from overseas taking medical jobs then I presume, British doctor jobs for only British medical grads! Nige and Rupert would be proud of you!
Alternatively, give anyone graduating from a U.K. university absolute priority for a training place.
Which is effectively the same thing, given there are 12,316 UK medical grad applicants and only 12,000 training places available
Some applicants will apply for more than one training programme so not quite
'The government has put an offer to the British Medical Association (BMA) that would put in place emergency legislation for UK and Republic of Ireland medical graduates and doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period of time to be prioritised for specialty training and tackling bottlenecks through an overhaul of recruitment for medical training. Should the BMA accept this offer, the government will accelerate plans to prioritise these medics, addressing the current system that has led to soaring competition ratios - with current applicants set to benefit from the 2026 intake.
Not sure the BMA will approve of that particular use of Brexit Freedoms. I wonder if it's open to legal challenge from settled status EU citizens.
Would it be based on UK and Irish citizenship, or UK and Irish Universities?
If a settled status EU citizen went into a British Uni, then they'd be counted within the 12,316 UK medical grad applicants surely?
If a UK citizen has not been resident in the UK for three years before, they pay overseas fees at university. So, would they be counted or not?
As I've discovered with my daughter's applications, it's complicated! Edinburgh just asked for a full list of dates she's been in the UK in the last 10 years, and the email contains the line "we're not asking for tickets at this stage".
I mean... what?
You will have to pay regardless
My half-Thai, half British grandchildren are at/applying to Australian universities. Much more financially appealing, apparently, than British ones.
I find it interesting that the cost of living in Australia used to be aboult half that of the UK only a few decades ago, now it's about double. Shows how things can change a lot in a historically short space of time.
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
Probably the best place I've visited. September 2012, 4 days.
A long way to go for 4 days
It was a combined trip with South Korea where we spent a bit longer. Organised by CTS Horizons which I'm not sure exists now, because I tried to find their website recently without success. China Travel Service.
Have the LDs ever finished last in a by-election where at least one minor/fringe candidate is standing?
Yes, but not for a long time!
They were second from bottom, beating UKIP, in Kingswood in 2024 and likewise before that in the 2011 Inverclyde by-election. They were second from bottom, beating the Green, in the 2014 Heywood and Middleton by-election.
But keep going back and we get to the 2000 Falkirk West by-election. Lab, Con, SNP, LD and Scottish Socialist all stood, and the LD came bottom, beaten by the Scottish Socialist candidate. I think it's fair to call the Scottish Socialist Party a minor party?
Alliance in Northern Ireland came last in the 2018 West Tyrone by-election, the 2013 Mid Ulster by-election and the 2011 Belfast West by-election, but those were without minor candidates. (Well, the last was with PPP, who beat the Alliance candidate, but I think I'd count them as a major party?)
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
We can be certain that Rudakubana killed those girls. But is it absolutely undeniable that he is guilty? There might be a scintilla of doubt that he was sane and not innocent by virtue of insanity.
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
9,710 UK medical graduate applications to specialty training programmes.
6,913 International medical graduate applications to speciality training programmes.
In 2025:
12,316 UK medical graduate applications to specialty training programmes.
20,807 International medical graduate applications to speciality training programmes.
No wonder UK grads now finish university, do two years on the job training as foundation doctors and then end up unemployed.
Number of grad applications though increased for both UK and overseas applicants but the number of doctor and consultant training places hasn't. There are only 12,000 such training places a year and only 23% of overseas applicants are successful compared to 69% of UK applicants
Yes, but that means 5 000 successful IMG applications out of 12 807 places, so over a 3rd of ST places go to IMGs.
Yes but given the majority of applications are from overseas now that is a far lower success rate for ST places than UK applicants
That isn’t the point. The point is that we (i.e. the country) have paid a lot of money to train our best and brightest as doctors to leave them unemployed. That’s a ridiculous state of affairs.
So ban immigrants from overseas taking medical jobs then I presume, British doctor jobs for only British medical grads! Nige and Rupert would be proud of you!
Alternatively, give anyone graduating from a U.K. university absolute priority for a training place.
Which is effectively the same thing, given there are 12,316 UK medical grad applicants and only 12,000 training places available
Some applicants will apply for more than one training programme so not quite
'The government has put an offer to the British Medical Association (BMA) that would put in place emergency legislation for UK and Republic of Ireland medical graduates and doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period of time to be prioritised for specialty training and tackling bottlenecks through an overhaul of recruitment for medical training. Should the BMA accept this offer, the government will accelerate plans to prioritise these medics, addressing the current system that has led to soaring competition ratios - with current applicants set to benefit from the 2026 intake.
Not sure the BMA will approve of that particular use of Brexit Freedoms. I wonder if it's open to legal challenge from settled status EU citizens.
Would it be based on UK and Irish citizenship, or UK and Irish Universities?
If a settled status EU citizen went into a British Uni, then they'd be counted within the 12,316 UK medical grad applicants surely?
If a UK citizen has not been resident in the UK for three years before, they pay overseas fees at university. So, would they be counted or not?
As I've discovered with my daughter's applications, it's complicated! Edinburgh just asked for a full list of dates she's been in the UK in the last 10 years, and the email contains the line "we're not asking for tickets at this stage".
I mean... what?
You will have to pay regardless
I know.
And I showed her Trainspotting last night, so she knows what the locals are like.
That’s now a 30-year-old documentary of life in Edinburgh.
Crap I’m getting old, I was 18 when that movie came out in 1996!
No Prime Minister, a reduction in the rate of inflation is not a reduction in prices or an increase in affordability.
Starmer isn't making that claim. He said, "Lower food and petrol prices are helping ease the pressure on household budgets." That is, he is claiming those things have gone down, and their going down is part of why inflation has reduced.
A fascinating 10 minute segment from Heather Cox Richardson (Yank historian, huge on Substack/Youtube) on why Trump's FCC Chair Brendan Carr is going for James Talarico, a Member of teh Texas House of Representatives, and bending the rules to keep his interviews off the air.
Trump's core remaining solid base is white nationalist Evangelicals. Talarico is an 8th generation Texan & a former seminary student, who is attacking them theologically on the basis that Christian Nationalism is a perversion of their faith, as it erases "Love your neighbour" from the Great Commandment * "Love God and love your neighbour".
* Matthew 22:35-9 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 l The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
No Prime Minister, a reduction in the rate of inflation is not a reduction in prices or an increase in affordability.
Starmer isn't making that claim. He said, "Lower food and petrol prices are helping ease the pressure on household budgets." That is, he is claiming those things have gone down, and their going down is part of why inflation has reduced.
Petrol's certainly lower round here that it was. Interesting the fall is greater at the places which were expensive than at those which were cheaper. e.g a supermarket which a few months ago was charging £1.30, or thereabouts is now down at £1.28 whereas somewhere that was £1.38 is now round about £1.32.
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
Birmingham Six, Guildford Four, Stefan Kiszko.
Was everyone convinced of the Birmingham Six's guilt? Was there not a long campaign about it? For sure those are cases where absolute certainty could not be agreed.
U-Turn #2565465 incoming. By "slow" they mean kick so far into the long grass. Fail to plan, plan to fail.
One factor likely pushing up youth unemployment in the UK is AI take-up. I've seen an interesting chart showing the increase in youth unemployment is greater in countries like the UK with relatively high rates of AI adoption. Certainly makes sense with respect to the timing of the rise, which started two years before Labour came in and enacted all these supposed job destroying policies.
The AI narrative is massive overstated at the moment. It doesn't really fit as it was shit 3 years ago and its still minor usage. I am as big a fan / user of AI as there is and I don't think it anywhere near there yet to making masses of people unemployed.
Also yes been rising for 3-4 years, but there was big bump the last year. I think its much simpler, the economy hasn't been growing for years, things are tight, you don't hire as much, especially inexperienced*, and the current government have made that worse by tanking business confidence and raising taxes / minimum wage making the problem worse.
* also I have heard from both those in academia and business that the cohort who came through under COVID are really lacking in many aspects.
Calude Cowork is getting really good.
As far as I understand it is just a nice wrapper around Claude Code to make it easier for the less terminal ninjas of the world to use the functionality. I use Claude Code extensively.
There is one big drawback with Cowork, no memory between sessions. The beauty of Claude Code is the that ability to pick things back up again, and if you actually get it to write a work in progress doc in markdown / latex, it is even better.
Security-minded jobsworths worry about secrets leaking via AI. As well as programmers directly spilling the company IP beans to a chatbot, a more subtle way is that code generation tools create hidden directories at the top of a source tree – .ai-whatever, say – which then gets blasted out to github or wherever because these new dot directories have not been added to the exclusion list.
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
We can be certain that Rudakubana killed those girls. But is it absolutely undeniable that he is guilty? There might be a scintilla of doubt that he was sane and not innocent by virtue of insanity.
Is being insane really a defence? What does insanity mean? Was Hitler insane? Was the Yorkshire Ripper insane? Jimmy Saville?
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
Birmingham Six, Guildford Four, Stefan Kiszko.
Was everyone convinced of the Birmingham Six's guilt? Was there not a long campaign about it? For sure those are cases where absolute certainty could not be agreed.
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Here's the thing: some of the worst miscarriages of justice have happened when everybody was absolutely certain of the guilt of the accused.
Then you get into arguments over who deserves to die, and who doesn't, and unless you're willing to execute hundreds of people each year, it all becomes pretty arbitrary. And, in my experience, the typical murderer is not irredeemably evil (conversely, there are non-murderers who are irredeemably evil.)
I see no point in sparing traitors in time of war, or war criminals in its immediate aftermath, (and in such cases, there will rarely be any doubt about guilt), but the death penalty in peacetime is more trouble than it is worth.
I'm not actually in favour of the death penalty, but I would make suicide an option for prisoners. I don't see why we should feed, clothe, keep them warm etc for the next 30-40 years.
"Subsequently, Rommel was given a choice between suicide or facing a trial that would result in his disgrace and execution. He ultimately chose the former and took a cyanide pill."
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
Birmingham Six, Guildford Four, Stefan Kiszko.
Was everyone convinced of the Birmingham Six's guilt? Was there not a long campaign about it? For sure those are cases where absolute certainty could not be agreed.
Well, the West Midlands police seemed to be.
Were they though? Or was it "these Irish chaps will do"?
Nrw Scottish polling from MiC, very tight for 2nd to 5th now NEW 🏴 Holyrood voting intention. SNP lead by 14 but their constituency vote down 15 since 2021. Lab and Reform in close fight for 2nd Constituency vote: 🟡 SNP 33% (-2) 🌹 LAB 19% (+1) ➡️ REF UK 18% (-1) 🌳 CON 11% (nc) 🔶 LIB DEM 11% (+1) 🌍 GREEN 6% (+1) Change vs 3/2
Regional vote: 🟡 SNP 31% (+6) ➡️ REF UK 16% (-4) 🌹 LAB 16% (-3) 🔶 LIB DEM 12% (-1) 🌳 CON 12% (nc) 🌍 GREEN 9% (nc) 🟦 ALBA 2% (+1) ⬜ OTHER 1% (+1) Change vs 3 Feb 2026
A fascinating 10 minute segment from Heather Cox Richardson (Yank historian, huge on Substack/Youtube) on why Trump's FCC Chair Brendan Carr is going for James Talarico, a Member of teh Texas House of Representatives, and bending the rules to keep his interviews off the air.
Trump's core remaining solid base is white nationalist Evangelicals. Talarico is an 8th generation Texan & a former seminary student, who is attacking them theologically on the basis that Christian Nationalism is a perversion of their faith, as it erases "Love your neighbour" from the Great Commandment * "Love God and love your neighbour".
* Matthew 22:35-9 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 l The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
Talarico just loves taking on MAGA with scripture.
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
We can be certain that Rudakubana killed those girls. But is it absolutely undeniable that he is guilty? There might be a scintilla of doubt that he was sane and not innocent by virtue of insanity.
Is being insane really a defence? What does insanity mean? Was Hitler insane? Was the Yorkshire Ripper insane? Jimmy Saville?
"Now you're talking semantics. What if I told you insane was working fifty hours a week in some office for fifty years... at the end of which they tell you to piss off? Ending up in some retirement village... hoping to die before suffering the indignity of trying to make it to the toilet on time. Wouldn't you consider that to be insane?"
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
Birmingham Six, Guildford Four, Stefan Kiszko.
Was everyone convinced of the Birmingham Six's guilt? Was there not a long campaign about it? For sure those are cases where absolute certainty could not be agreed.
Well, the West Midlands police seemed to be.
Were they though? Or was it "these Irish chaps will do"?
They seemed to have been convinced, if the work notes etc are to believed.
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
Birmingham Six, Guildford Four, Stefan Kiszko.
Was everyone convinced of the Birmingham Six's guilt? Was there not a long campaign about it? For sure those are cases where absolute certainty could not be agreed.
Well, the West Midlands police seemed to be.
Were they though? Or was it "these Irish chaps will do"?
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
We can be certain that Rudakubana killed those girls. But is it absolutely undeniable that he is guilty? There might be a scintilla of doubt that he was sane and not innocent by virtue of insanity.
Is being insane really a defence? What does insanity mean? Was Hitler insane? Was the Yorkshire Ripper insane? Jimmy Saville?
I don't know. My point is that maybe such questions mean it is not "absolutely undeniable" he is guilty.
Nrw Scottish polling from MiC, very tight for 2nd to 5th now NEW 🏴 Holyrood voting intention. SNP lead by 14 but their constituency vote down 15 since 2021. Lab and Reform in close fight for 2nd Constituency vote: 🟡 SNP 33% (-2) 🌹 LAB 19% (+1) ➡️ REF UK 18% (-1) 🌳 CON 11% (nc) 🔶 LIB DEM 11% (+1) 🌍 GREEN 6% (+1) Change vs 3/2
Regional vote: 🟡 SNP 31% (+6) ➡️ REF UK 16% (-4) 🌹 LAB 16% (-3) 🔶 LIB DEM 12% (-1) 🌳 CON 12% (nc) 🌍 GREEN 9% (nc) 🟦 ALBA 2% (+1) ⬜ OTHER 1% (+1) Change vs 3 Feb 2026
+6 on the Regional vote is a big change over just a fortnight... and a fortnight where the main news has been about Murrell's trial!
9,710 UK medical graduate applications to specialty training programmes.
6,913 International medical graduate applications to speciality training programmes.
In 2025:
12,316 UK medical graduate applications to specialty training programmes.
20,807 International medical graduate applications to speciality training programmes.
No wonder UK grads now finish university, do two years on the job training as foundation doctors and then end up unemployed.
Number of grad applications though increased for both UK and overseas applicants but the number of doctor and consultant training places hasn't. There are only 12,000 such training places a year and only 23% of overseas applicants are successful compared to 69% of UK applicants
Yes, but that means 5 000 successful IMG applications out of 12 807 places, so over a 3rd of ST places go to IMGs.
Yes but given the majority of applications are from overseas now that is a far lower success rate for ST places than UK applicants
That isn’t the point. The point is that we (i.e. the country) have paid a lot of money to train our best and brightest as doctors to leave them unemployed. That’s a ridiculous state of affairs.
So ban immigrants from overseas taking medical jobs then I presume, British doctor jobs for only British medical grads! Nige and Rupert would be proud of you!
Alternatively, give anyone graduating from a U.K. university absolute priority for a training place.
Which is effectively the same thing, given there are 12,316 UK medical grad applicants and only 12,000 training places available
Some applicants will apply for more than one training programme so not quite
'The government has put an offer to the British Medical Association (BMA) that would put in place emergency legislation for UK and Republic of Ireland medical graduates and doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period of time to be prioritised for specialty training and tackling bottlenecks through an overhaul of recruitment for medical training. Should the BMA accept this offer, the government will accelerate plans to prioritise these medics, addressing the current system that has led to soaring competition ratios - with current applicants set to benefit from the 2026 intake.
Not sure the BMA will approve of that particular use of Brexit Freedoms. I wonder if it's open to legal challenge from settled status EU citizens.
Would it be based on UK and Irish citizenship, or UK and Irish Universities?
If a settled status EU citizen went into a British Uni, then they'd be counted within the 12,316 UK medical grad applicants surely?
If a UK citizen has not been resident in the UK for three years before, they pay overseas fees at university. So, would they be counted or not?
As I've discovered with my daughter's applications, it's complicated! Edinburgh just asked for a full list of dates she's been in the UK in the last 10 years, and the email contains the line "we're not asking for tickets at this stage".
I mean... what?
You will have to pay regardless
I know.
And I showed her Trainspotting last night, so she knows what the locals are like.
I am sure she will avoid those areas for sure, certainly brilliant for good pubs and restaurants in the better parts.
Funny but the bits* that feature in Trainspotting are often now the places you'll find all the young people in coffee shops.
No Prime Minister, a reduction in the rate of inflation is not a reduction in prices or an increase in affordability.
Starmer isn't making that claim. He said, "Lower food and petrol prices are helping ease the pressure on household budgets." That is, he is claiming those things have gone down, and their going down is part of why inflation has reduced.
Petrol's certainly lower round here that it was. Interesting the fall is greater at the places which were expensive than at those which were cheaper. e.g a supermarket which a few months ago was charging £1.30, or thereabouts is now down at £1.28 whereas somewhere that was £1.38 is now round about £1.32.
9,710 UK medical graduate applications to specialty training programmes.
6,913 International medical graduate applications to speciality training programmes.
In 2025:
12,316 UK medical graduate applications to specialty training programmes.
20,807 International medical graduate applications to speciality training programmes.
No wonder UK grads now finish university, do two years on the job training as foundation doctors and then end up unemployed.
Number of grad applications though increased for both UK and overseas applicants but the number of doctor and consultant training places hasn't. There are only 12,000 such training places a year and only 23% of overseas applicants are successful compared to 69% of UK applicants
Yes, but that means 5 000 successful IMG applications out of 12 807 places, so over a 3rd of ST places go to IMGs.
Yes but given the majority of applications are from overseas now that is a far lower success rate for ST places than UK applicants
That isn’t the point. The point is that we (i.e. the country) have paid a lot of money to train our best and brightest as doctors to leave them unemployed. That’s a ridiculous state of affairs.
So ban immigrants from overseas taking medical jobs then I presume, British doctor jobs for only British medical grads! Nige and Rupert would be proud of you!
Alternatively, give anyone graduating from a U.K. university absolute priority for a training place.
Which is effectively the same thing, given there are 12,316 UK medical grad applicants and only 12,000 training places available
Some applicants will apply for more than one training programme so not quite
'The government has put an offer to the British Medical Association (BMA) that would put in place emergency legislation for UK and Republic of Ireland medical graduates and doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period of time to be prioritised for specialty training and tackling bottlenecks through an overhaul of recruitment for medical training. Should the BMA accept this offer, the government will accelerate plans to prioritise these medics, addressing the current system that has led to soaring competition ratios - with current applicants set to benefit from the 2026 intake.
Not sure the BMA will approve of that particular use of Brexit Freedoms. I wonder if it's open to legal challenge from settled status EU citizens.
Would it be based on UK and Irish citizenship, or UK and Irish Universities?
If a settled status EU citizen went into a British Uni, then they'd be counted within the 12,316 UK medical grad applicants surely?
If a UK citizen has not been resident in the UK for three years before, they pay overseas fees at university. So, would they be counted or not?
As I've discovered with my daughter's applications, it's complicated! Edinburgh just asked for a full list of dates she's been in the UK in the last 10 years, and the email contains the line "we're not asking for tickets at this stage".
I mean... what?
You will have to pay regardless
My half-Thai, half British grandchildren are at/applying to Australian universities. Much more financially appealing, apparently, than British ones.
I find it interesting that the cost of living in Australia used to be aboult half that of the UK only a few decades ago, now it's about double. Shows how things can change a lot in a historically short space of time.
I don't doubt the stats, but the places I lived in Melbourne and Sydney were significantly cheaper than their Edinburgh/London equivalents. Beer was very expensive, but then I got done for a £7 pint last Saturday...
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
We can be certain that Rudakubana killed those girls. But is it absolutely undeniable that he is guilty? There might be a scintilla of doubt that he was sane and not innocent by virtue of insanity.
Is being insane really a defence? What does insanity mean? Was Hitler insane? Was the Yorkshire Ripper insane? Jimmy Saville?
"Now you're talking semantics. What if I told you insane was working fifty hours a week in some office for fifty years... at the end of which they tell you to piss off? Ending up in some retirement village... hoping to die before suffering the indignity of trying to make it to the toilet on time. Wouldn't you consider that to be insane?"
One of my cousins, and her husband, ended up in a retirement village. Said her daughter had persuaded them and it was one of the best decisions they ever made. He died at 97 just before last Christmas and she followed him last September. She and I used to have 'phone conversations and they'd always been doing something.
A fascinating 10 minute segment from Heather Cox Richardson (Yank historian, huge on Substack/Youtube) on why Trump's FCC Chair Brendan Carr is going for James Talarico, a Member of teh Texas House of Representatives, and bending the rules to keep his interviews off the air.
Trump's core remaining solid base is white nationalist Evangelicals. Talarico is an 8th generation Texan & a former seminary student, who is attacking them theologically on the basis that Christian Nationalism is a perversion of their faith, as it erases "Love your neighbour" from the Great Commandment * "Love God and love your neighbour".
It really shows her bias that she thinks the Epstein files don't implicate anyone on the Clinton side of the fence. Has the Mandelson affair completely passed her by?
Nrw Scottish polling from MiC, very tight for 2nd to 5th now NEW 🏴 Holyrood voting intention. SNP lead by 14 but their constituency vote down 15 since 2021. Lab and Reform in close fight for 2nd Constituency vote: 🟡 SNP 33% (-2) 🌹 LAB 19% (+1) ➡️ REF UK 18% (-1) 🌳 CON 11% (nc) 🔶 LIB DEM 11% (+1) 🌍 GREEN 6% (+1) Change vs 3/2
Regional vote: 🟡 SNP 31% (+6) ➡️ REF UK 16% (-4) 🌹 LAB 16% (-3) 🔶 LIB DEM 12% (-1) 🌳 CON 12% (nc) 🌍 GREEN 9% (nc) 🟦 ALBA 2% (+1) ⬜ OTHER 1% (+1) Change vs 3 Feb 2026
It'll be rather humiliating for Labour if they're beaten by Reform in Scotland.
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
Birmingham Six, Guildford Four, Stefan Kiszko.
Was everyone convinced of the Birmingham Six's guilt? Was there not a long campaign about it? For sure those are cases where absolute certainty could not be agreed.
Well, the West Midlands police seemed to be.
Were they though? Or was it "these Irish chaps will do"?
They seemed to have been convinced, if the work notes etc are to believed.
Group think plus confirmation bias at work.
This is absoliutely key, and is why terrible mistakes get made all the time. People suppress any natural concerns they might have, because well... everybody else is sure...
Nrw Scottish polling from MiC, very tight for 2nd to 5th now NEW 🏴 Holyrood voting intention. SNP lead by 14 but their constituency vote down 15 since 2021. Lab and Reform in close fight for 2nd Constituency vote: 🟡 SNP 33% (-2) 🌹 LAB 19% (+1) ➡️ REF UK 18% (-1) 🌳 CON 11% (nc) 🔶 LIB DEM 11% (+1) 🌍 GREEN 6% (+1) Change vs 3/2
Regional vote: 🟡 SNP 31% (+6) ➡️ REF UK 16% (-4) 🌹 LAB 16% (-3) 🔶 LIB DEM 12% (-1) 🌳 CON 12% (nc) 🌍 GREEN 9% (nc) 🟦 ALBA 2% (+1) ⬜ OTHER 1% (+1) Change vs 3 Feb 2026
+6 on the Regional vote is a big change over just a fortnight... and a fortnight where the main news has been about Murrell's trial!
2% swings respectively from Ref to Con and Lab to LD would mske for fun on May 8
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
We can be certain that Rudakubana killed those girls. But is it absolutely undeniable that he is guilty? There might be a scintilla of doubt that he was sane and not innocent by virtue of insanity.
Is being insane really a defence? What does insanity mean? Was Hitler insane? Was the Yorkshire Ripper insane? Jimmy Saville?
I don't know. My point is that maybe such questions mean it is not "absolutely undeniable" he is guilty.
Then we would be into what 'guilt' means, I guess.
Nrw Scottish polling from MiC, very tight for 2nd to 5th now NEW 🏴 Holyrood voting intention. SNP lead by 14 but their constituency vote down 15 since 2021. Lab and Reform in close fight for 2nd Constituency vote: 🟡 SNP 33% (-2) 🌹 LAB 19% (+1) ➡️ REF UK 18% (-1) 🌳 CON 11% (nc) 🔶 LIB DEM 11% (+1) 🌍 GREEN 6% (+1) Change vs 3/2
Regional vote: 🟡 SNP 31% (+6) ➡️ REF UK 16% (-4) 🌹 LAB 16% (-3) 🔶 LIB DEM 12% (-1) 🌳 CON 12% (nc) 🌍 GREEN 9% (nc) 🟦 ALBA 2% (+1) ⬜ OTHER 1% (+1) Change vs 3 Feb 2026
It'll be rather humiliating for Labour if they're beaten by Reform in Scotland.
To go from being owned by Ruth and Douglas to being owned by Lord Offord. Lol.
A fascinating 10 minute segment from Heather Cox Richardson (Yank historian, huge on Substack/Youtube) on why Trump's FCC Chair Brendan Carr is going for James Talarico, a Member of teh Texas House of Representatives, and bending the rules to keep his interviews off the air.
Trump's core remaining solid base is white nationalist Evangelicals. Talarico is an 8th generation Texan & a former seminary student, who is attacking them theologically on the basis that Christian Nationalism is a perversion of their faith, as it erases "Love your neighbour" from the Great Commandment * "Love God and love your neighbour".
* Matthew 22:35-9 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 l The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
Talarico just loves taking on MAGA with scripture.
I don't think it would be so effective here, because many of the Christian Right types eg who were out with Tommy, seem to be cultural, rather than credal, Christians. A lot of them just want a symbol to let them identify with an imaginary past.
They seem to have a problem with he explicit commands running through what they say are their Scriptures to care for the foreigner and the refugee. Or that in 2026 in the UK, the Good Samaritan would be a Good Muslim or a Good Sikh.
(The Evangelical Alliance UK have a very useful classification of Christian Nationalist views based on distinguishing "cultural" and "credal / confessing" Christians and Nationalists - that they call cn, Cn, cN or CN.)
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
We can be certain that Rudakubana killed those girls. But is it absolutely undeniable that he is guilty? There might be a scintilla of doubt that he was sane and not innocent by virtue of insanity.
Is being insane really a defence? What does insanity mean? Was Hitler insane? Was the Yorkshire Ripper insane? Jimmy Saville?
I don't know. My point is that maybe such questions mean it is not "absolutely undeniable" he is guilty.
And had he faced the death penalty he would not have pled guilty. I still think it's a shame his motivation was not tested in court.
9,710 UK medical graduate applications to specialty training programmes.
6,913 International medical graduate applications to speciality training programmes.
In 2025:
12,316 UK medical graduate applications to specialty training programmes.
20,807 International medical graduate applications to speciality training programmes.
No wonder UK grads now finish university, do two years on the job training as foundation doctors and then end up unemployed.
Number of grad applications though increased for both UK and overseas applicants but the number of doctor and consultant training places hasn't. There are only 12,000 such training places a year and only 23% of overseas applicants are successful compared to 69% of UK applicants
Yes, but that means 5 000 successful IMG applications out of 12 807 places, so over a 3rd of ST places go to IMGs.
Yes but given the majority of applications are from overseas now that is a far lower success rate for ST places than UK applicants
That isn’t the point. The point is that we (i.e. the country) have paid a lot of money to train our best and brightest as doctors to leave them unemployed. That’s a ridiculous state of affairs.
So ban immigrants from overseas taking medical jobs then I presume, British doctor jobs for only British medical grads! Nige and Rupert would be proud of you!
Alternatively, give anyone graduating from a U.K. university absolute priority for a training place.
Which is effectively the same thing, given there are 12,316 UK medical grad applicants and only 12,000 training places available
Some applicants will apply for more than one training programme so not quite
'The government has put an offer to the British Medical Association (BMA) that would put in place emergency legislation for UK and Republic of Ireland medical graduates and doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period of time to be prioritised for specialty training and tackling bottlenecks through an overhaul of recruitment for medical training. Should the BMA accept this offer, the government will accelerate plans to prioritise these medics, addressing the current system that has led to soaring competition ratios - with current applicants set to benefit from the 2026 intake.
Not sure the BMA will approve of that particular use of Brexit Freedoms. I wonder if it's open to legal challenge from settled status EU citizens.
Would it be based on UK and Irish citizenship, or UK and Irish Universities?
If a settled status EU citizen went into a British Uni, then they'd be counted within the 12,316 UK medical grad applicants surely?
If a UK citizen has not been resident in the UK for three years before, they pay overseas fees at university. So, would they be counted or not?
As I've discovered with my daughter's applications, it's complicated! Edinburgh just asked for a full list of dates she's been in the UK in the last 10 years, and the email contains the line "we're not asking for tickets at this stage".
I mean... what?
You will have to pay regardless
My half-Thai, half British grandchildren are at/applying to Australian universities. Much more financially appealing, apparently, than British ones.
I find it interesting that the cost of living in Australia used to be aboult half that of the UK only a few decades ago, now it's about double. Shows how things can change a lot in a historically short space of time.
I don't doubt the stats, but the places I lived in Melbourne and Sydney were significantly cheaper than their Edinburgh/London equivalents. Beer was very expensive, but then I got done for a £7 pint last Saturday...
And supermarket wine was gloriously cheap.
I did a year as a Royal Society Fellow in NZ in 1998. Paid in the UK (what a UK fellowship would receive after tax), at a time when NZ was really cheap. I lived well and saved about 5 grand in one year. It was great.
30% of Labour voters and 25% of Green voters and 45% of LDs would vote Tory in a seat where only Reform or the Conservatives could win on that new Yougov poll
Indeed. Reform sweeping East Anglia as per MRPs looks a stretch.
The number of left wing voters who would switch to the Conservatives, and the number of Conservative voters who would switch to Labour, under any circumstances, is miniscule. If Reform really do poll 29%, they will sweep East Anglia.
45% of LDs and 30% of Labour voters being willing to tactically vote Tory to beat Reform with Yougov today is not miniscule it is nearly half of LD voters and nearly a third of Labour voters!
If they really did cross the political divide, it would be big, but we know that in practice, they do not.
We've tested it in 206 local by elections since May 2025. Reform have won 73 (35%) on 27% of the vote. The Conservatives have won 24 (12%) on 17% of the vote. If there were any evidence for left wingers for the Conservatives, we would expect it to show up in real votes.
Tactical voting takes time to emerge; compare the 1983 and 1997 General Elections. At one the Alliance got a quarter of the votes, and about 3% of the seats. At the other they got half the proportion of votes, and twice the number of seats.
And look at Scotland - first there was anti-Tory tactical voting, and then there was unionist tactical voting against the SNP.
Of course, this cuts both ways too: if both Reform and the Conservatives survive as electoral forces, one would expect that -just as with the LibDems vs Labour- the number of seats where they are competing with each other will be very small.
I think what happened in 1983 was the Alliance thought they had a pretty good shot of getting 30-33% of the vote with Michael Foot as Labour leader, and with that share they'd win a lot of seats regardless of whether tactical voting was taking place or not. So they decided to go for a high national vote share rather than spend time on a big tactical voting strategy. In the end it didn't work out when they only got 26%. Maybe having Roy Jenkins as their PM designate wasn't a good decision because he possibly put off potential Alliance voters in the northern half of the country.
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
Birmingham Six, Guildford Four, Stefan Kiszko.
Was everyone convinced of the Birmingham Six's guilt? Was there not a long campaign about it? For sure those are cases where absolute certainty could not be agreed.
There was a very long campaign on the Birmingham 6 and, from memory, a lot of doubt about their guilt. The Brummie Irish I used to work with knew they were innocent.
Nrw Scottish polling from MiC, very tight for 2nd to 5th now NEW 🏴 Holyrood voting intention. SNP lead by 14 but their constituency vote down 15 since 2021. Lab and Reform in close fight for 2nd Constituency vote: 🟡 SNP 33% (-2) 🌹 LAB 19% (+1) ➡️ REF UK 18% (-1) 🌳 CON 11% (nc) 🔶 LIB DEM 11% (+1) 🌍 GREEN 6% (+1) Change vs 3/2
Regional vote: 🟡 SNP 31% (+6) ➡️ REF UK 16% (-4) 🌹 LAB 16% (-3) 🔶 LIB DEM 12% (-1) 🌳 CON 12% (nc) 🌍 GREEN 9% (nc) 🟦 ALBA 2% (+1) ⬜ OTHER 1% (+1) Change vs 3 Feb 2026
What’s that rumbling sound? Why, it’s the ‘SNP won’t get a majority in Holyrood so they can’t ask for a second referendum’ goalposts being moved.
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
Birmingham Six, Guildford Four, Stefan Kiszko.
Was everyone convinced of the Birmingham Six's guilt? Was there not a long campaign about it? For sure those are cases where absolute certainty could not be agreed.
There was a very long campaign on the Birmingham 6 and, from memory, a lot of doubt about their guilt. The Brummie Irish I used to work with knew they were innocent.
30% of Labour voters and 25% of Green voters and 45% of LDs would vote Tory in a seat where only Reform or the Conservatives could win on that new Yougov poll
Indeed. Reform sweeping East Anglia as per MRPs looks a stretch.
The number of left wing voters who would switch to the Conservatives, and the number of Conservative voters who would switch to Labour, under any circumstances, is miniscule. If Reform really do poll 29%, they will sweep East Anglia.
45% of LDs and 30% of Labour voters being willing to tactically vote Tory to beat Reform with Yougov today is not miniscule it is nearly half of LD voters and nearly a third of Labour voters!
If they really did cross the political divide, it would be big, but we know that in practice, they do not.
We've tested it in 206 local by elections since May 2025. Reform have won 73 (35%) on 27% of the vote. The Conservatives have won 24 (12%) on 17% of the vote. If there were any evidence for left wingers for the Conservatives, we would expect it to show up in real votes.
Tactical voting takes time to emerge; compare the 1983 and 1997 General Elections. At one the Alliance got a quarter of the votes, and about 3% of the seats. At the other they got half the proportion of votes, and twice the number of seats.
And look at Scotland - first there was anti-Tory tactical voting, and then there was unionist tactical voting against the SNP.
Of course, this cuts both ways too: if both Reform and the Conservatives survive as electoral forces, one would expect that -just as with the LibDems vs Labour- the number of seats where they are competing with each other will be very small.
I think what happened in 1983 was the Alliance thought they had a pretty good shot of getting 30-33% of the vote with Michael Foot as Labour leader, and with that share they'd win a lot of seats regardless of whether tactical voting was taking place or not. So they decided to go for a high national vote share rather than spend time on a big tactical voting strategy. In the end it didn't work out when they only got 26%. Maybe having Roy Jenkins as their PM designate wasn't a good decision because he possibly put off potential Alliance voters in the northern half of the country.
There's also the fact that the Alliance had MPs who were defending seats (after defecting or byelection victories) which were not naturally fertile territory for them.
This meant that resources weren't properly allocated to places like -say- South West London where there wasn't a sitting MP, but there were lots of supporters.
Brewdog sold 22% of itself to private equity in 2019 - they will always have contracts that say they get money before any other shareholder.
I suspect the issue was that the other crowdfunded share holders didn't understand what the other shareholders meant..
Yes, I know. It’s called sarcasm
Not everything is meant literally 😂
I don’t doubt most of them didn’t understand what they were doing however they will learn a valuable life lesson, a costly one.
Crowdfunding small breweries is a bit of a thing. Most people put small amounts in which they expect to get back in free beer, discounts and invitations to jollies. Putting serious money in on a crowdfunding basis is pretty stupid IMO especially as prepack insolvency is also a bit of a thing with small breweries
I thought young people were largely in favour of mass inward migration 🤷♂️
Why should skilled workers from overseas not apply for these roles ?
I’m not sure striking all the time helps their cause.
Not a good use of taxpayers money is it
Taz is suggesting we spend thousands on training young british doctors up, refuse to pay them a market wage at the end, export them to Australia, and then import lots of foreign doctors to take their place (who leave anyway after a few years after they have picked the requisite experience).
A microcosm UK's economic and immigration policy. Boomernomics.
I suggested nothing of the sort. Please don’t misrepresent what I say.
I have already said upthread I’d favour debt forgiveness to retain them. I’ve also said the proposed govt legislation should be implemented as part of a negotiated settlement. This would prioritise the locally trained.
They had a massive pay award, they also get increments, better holidays and pensions and the chance to advance. Their package is far more than their generous pay.
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
Birmingham Six, Guildford Four, Stefan Kiszko.
Was everyone convinced of the Birmingham Six's guilt? Was there not a long campaign about it? For sure those are cases where absolute certainty could not be agreed.
Well, the West Midlands police seemed to be.
The Birmingham 6 were unequivocally 100% innocent
Fitted up.
My dad was in the City that night stuck on a train for about 3 hours whilst bombs went off above his head.
The Bridgewater 4 if anything was an even greater miscarriage of justice. Carl's family lived close to a friend of minw.I lived close to Yew Tree Farm..
A copycat killing happened 2 years later at a farm 100 yards away across the A449. The man charged and found guilty was a house clearance antiques dealer who also had a job with the Ambulance Service.
Hubert Spencer did time for the second murder. He was known to the Bridgewater, he would have been recognised by Carl.
He was never charged, the case remains unsolved.
The day of the murder Spencer claimed he was ar work. Years later when they checked the paper log where he'd have signed in, that day was missing. The only day they ever found missing.
West Midlands Police of that era was instituiinally corrupt, mired in secret society, legal backhanders and political corruption.
There are excellent books by the likes of Chris Mullen who found the actual bomber and Paul Foot when exposed the Bridgewater case set up.
The choices this Labour government has made means inflation has fallen today to its lowest rate in a year.
Lower food and petrol prices are helping ease the pressure on household budgets.
I know there’s more to do, cutting the cost of living is my number one priority.
Which supports what I said. Starmer says inflation has fallen (to its lowest rate in a year) and he also says that there are lower food and petrol prices, which there were in January. He doesn't say that lower inflation means prices have dropped.
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
Birmingham Six, Guildford Four, Stefan Kiszko.
Was everyone convinced of the Birmingham Six's guilt? Was there not a long campaign about it? For sure those are cases where absolute certainty could not be agreed.
Well, the West Midlands police seemed to be.
The Birmingham 6 were unequivocally 100% innocent
Fitted up.
My dad was in the City that night stuck on a train for about 3 hours whilst bombs went off above his head.
The Bridgewater 4 if anything was an even greater miscarriage of justice. Carl's family lived close to a friend of minw.I lived close to Yew Tree Farm..
A copycat killing happened 2 years later at a farm 100 yards away across the A449. The man charged and found guilty was a house clearance antiques dealer who also had a job with the Ambulance Service.
Hubert Spencer did time for the second murder. He was known to the Bridgewater, he would have been recognised by Carl.
He was never charged, the case remains unsolved.
The day of the murder Spencer claimed he was ar work. Years later when they checked the paper log where he'd have signed in, that day was missing. The only day they ever found missing.
West Midlands Police of that era was instituiinally corrupt, mired in secret society, legal backhanders and political corruption.
There are excellent books by the likes of Chris Mullen who found the actual bomber and Paul Foot when exposed the Bridgewater case set up.
My Dad was driving back from visiting my Grandad in hospital on the night it happened. Remember it well.
The WMP of that era were awful. Corrupt and racist.
The Carl Bridgewater case was a shocker too. Again they were clearly innocent and I recall the scandal of them having a large deduction from their compensation for board and lodgings. Disgusting.
But we have a system that cannot admit that without losing face so it digs in.
'A Restore Britain Government would hold a referendum on the reintroduction of the death penalty - for the most evil crimes, where the guilt is absolutely undeniable.
Our members would be free to campaign how they choose in that referendum, but we believe that it should be put to the British people.
I would personally be campaigning very much in favour.
In my view, there is no absolutely zero benefit to keeping a monster like Axel Rudakubana alive.
He butchered those beautiful young girls in cold blood.
He does not deserve to live. Tragically, there are too many just like him.
Just try framing into a sentencing statute the concept of 'where the guilt is absolutely undeniable' (where the death penalty may apply) which is able to be clearly distinguished from 'beyond reasonable doubt' (where the death penalty apparently would not.
Gonna be tricky, although surely there are some cases? Southport springs to mind.
Yes, in the sense that the depth, quality and quantity of available evidence about X's responsibility for event Y is going to vary. That's part of reality. However my question or challenge was a different one.
There is a second consideration. Culpability in the maximal criminal sense (the sort for which perhaps you could be put to death by the state) requires not only a culpable act, but also a particular quality of mind. I may be sure that X has done a deed, but am I as sure that he was sane when he did it?
I must live a sheltered life, and so find it hard to feel absolutely sure about the mental state or sanity of a person within our culture who thinks it right, good and sane to stab little girls to death at random.
No doubt the increase in the price of oil and the knock on effect will be blamed on the likes of Shell by the politicians.
‘ BREAKING: Axios reports that there is evidence that US war with Iran is "imminent" and Israel is preparing for a scenario of "war within days," which is expected to include:
1. Weeks-long "full-fledged" war unlike the Venezuela operation, sources say
2. Joint US-Israeli campaign that is much broader in scope than 12-day war in June
3. US armada now consists of 2 aircraft carriers, 12 warships, hundreds of fighter jets, and multiple air defense systems
4. More than 150 US military cargo flights have moved weapons systems and ammunition to the Middle East
5. Another 50 fighter jets in 24 hours, including F-35s, F-22s, and F-16s
Oil prices are surging above $64/barrel on the news.’
Brewdog sold 22% of itself to private equity in 2019 - they will always have contracts that say they get money before any other shareholder.
I suspect the issue was that the other crowdfunded share holders didn't understand what the other shareholders meant..
Yes, I know. It’s called sarcasm
Not everything is meant literally 😂
I don’t doubt most of them didn’t understand what they were doing however they will learn a valuable life lesson, a costly one.
Crowdfunding small breweries is a bit of a thing. Most people put small amounts in which they expect to get back in free beer, discounts and invitations to jollies. Putting serious money in on a crowdfunding basis is pretty stupid IMO especially as prepack insolvency is also a bit of a thing with small breweries
Its scandalous (although not surprising ) what the Brewdog founders have done to the minority shareholders.
Of the £213 million that TSG invested in 2017, £110m went to the founders, the rest was capital but crucially the preference shares came with an 18% coupon. The magic of compound interest means this is now £800m or thereabouts
Preference shares mean they get their money before anyone else.
Didn't stop Brewdog raising money from the little folks later on (2021). They might as well have burned that money and saved on the gas bill. Top “referrers” who put friends and associates into the stock won electric bicycles.
The owner 'gifted' shares to staff in 2022 - 750 salaried employee were given over 4 years shares supposedly worth £120k each.
I'm sure everything has been signed off by lawyers but the breach of moral trust is off the scale.
Difficult to know what the (loss making) brand is actually worth.
As soon as the sexual abuse allegations came out, I stopped buying the beer (and my wife wouldn't have allowed it in the house )
No doubt the increase in the price of oil and the knock on effect will be blamed on the likes of Shell by the politicians.
‘ BREAKING: Axios reports that there is evidence that US war with Iran is "imminent" and Israel is preparing for a scenario of "war within days," which is expected to include:
1. Weeks-long "full-fledged" war unlike the Venezuela operation, sources say
2. Joint US-Israeli campaign that is much broader in scope than 12-day war in June
3. US armada now consists of 2 aircraft carriers, 12 warships, hundreds of fighter jets, and multiple air defense systems
4. More than 150 US military cargo flights have moved weapons systems and ammunition to the Middle East
5. Another 50 fighter jets in 24 hours, including F-35s, F-22s, and F-16s
Oil prices are surging above $64/barrel on the news.’
Double-edged sword for Putin. Means his economy gets to fun the war a bit longer. Downside is his source of Shaheed drones dries up. (Although Russia probably pirates them anyway.)
Comments
https://x.com/keir_starmer/status/2024038700326293983
No Prime Minister, a reduction in the rate of inflation is not a reduction in prices or an increase in affordability.
Crap I’m getting old, I was 18 when that movie came out in 1996!
Trump's core remaining solid base is white nationalist Evangelicals. Talarico is an 8th generation Texan & a former seminary student, who is attacking them theologically on the basis that Christian Nationalism is a perversion of their faith, as it erases "Love your neighbour" from the Great Commandment * "Love God and love your neighbour".
https://youtu.be/y26XxXhTIQg?t=2660
* Matthew 22:35-9
One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 l The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
e.g a supermarket which a few months ago was charging £1.30, or thereabouts is now down at £1.28 whereas somewhere that was £1.38 is now round about £1.32.
NEW 🏴 Holyrood voting intention. SNP lead by 14 but their constituency vote down 15 since 2021. Lab and Reform in close fight for 2nd
Constituency vote:
🟡 SNP 33% (-2)
🌹 LAB 19% (+1)
➡️ REF UK 18% (-1)
🌳 CON 11% (nc)
🔶 LIB DEM 11% (+1)
🌍 GREEN 6% (+1)
Change vs 3/2
Regional vote:
🟡 SNP 31% (+6)
➡️ REF UK 16% (-4)
🌹 LAB 16% (-3)
🔶 LIB DEM 12% (-1)
🌳 CON 12% (nc)
🌍 GREEN 9% (nc)
🟦 ALBA 2% (+1)
⬜ OTHER 1% (+1)
Change vs 3 Feb 2026
Group think plus confirmation bias at work.
*Actually filmed mainly in Glasgow.
Down to the government.....good idea, quick win, implemented without much cost - do they bother to tell anyone or claim credit? Nah.
And supermarket wine was gloriously cheap.
He died at 97 just before last Christmas and she followed him last September. She and I used to have 'phone conversations and they'd always been doing something.
https://x.com/keir_starmer/status/2024038700326293983
The choices this Labour government has made means inflation has fallen today to its lowest rate in a year.
Lower food and petrol prices are helping ease the pressure on household budgets.
I know there’s more to do, cutting the cost of living is my number one priority.
They seem to have a problem with he explicit commands running through what they say are their Scriptures to care for the foreigner and the refugee. Or that in 2026 in the UK, the Good Samaritan would be a Good Muslim or a Good Sikh.
(The Evangelical Alliance UK have a very useful classification of Christian Nationalist views based on distinguishing "cultural" and "credal / confessing" Christians and Nationalists - that they call cn, Cn, cN or CN.)
Not everything is meant literally 😂
I don’t doubt most of them didn’t understand what they were doing however they will learn a valuable life lesson, a costly one.
Its a bit ambiguous though.
https://x.com/heraldscotland/status/2024122195589357733?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q
NEW THREAD
This meant that resources weren't properly allocated to places like -say- South West London where there wasn't a sitting MP, but there were lots of supporters.
Petrol was down about 3p a litre in January compared to December.
The ONS basket of food cost 0.1% less in January than in December.
No, it's not a big fall- but it is a fall.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/consumerpriceinflation/january2026
I have already said upthread I’d favour debt forgiveness to retain them. I’ve also said the proposed govt legislation should be implemented as part of a negotiated settlement. This would prioritise the locally trained.
They had a massive pay award, they also get increments, better holidays and pensions and the chance to advance. Their package is far more than their generous pay.
Do they want to dole money out to the WASPI leeches ?
Fitted up.
My dad was in the City that night stuck on a train for about 3 hours whilst bombs went off above his head.
The Bridgewater 4 if anything was an even greater miscarriage of justice. Carl's family lived close to a friend of minw.I lived close to Yew Tree Farm..
A copycat killing happened 2 years later at a farm 100 yards away across the A449. The man charged and found guilty was a house clearance antiques dealer who also had a job with the Ambulance Service.
Hubert Spencer did time for the second murder. He was known to the Bridgewater, he would have been recognised by Carl.
He was never charged, the case remains unsolved.
The day of the murder Spencer claimed he was ar work. Years later when they checked the paper log where he'd have signed in, that day was missing. The only day they ever found missing.
West Midlands Police of that era was instituiinally corrupt, mired in secret society, legal backhanders and political corruption.
There are excellent books by the likes of Chris Mullen who found the actual bomber and Paul Foot when exposed the Bridgewater case set up.
The WMP of that era were awful. Corrupt and racist.
The Carl Bridgewater case was a shocker too. Again they were clearly innocent and I recall the scandal of them having a large deduction from their compensation for board and lodgings. Disgusting.
But we have a system that cannot admit that without losing face so it digs in.
There is a second consideration. Culpability in the maximal criminal sense (the sort for which perhaps you could be put to death by the state) requires not only a culpable act, but also a particular quality of mind. I may be sure that X has done a deed, but am I as sure that he was sane when he did it?
I must live a sheltered life, and so find it hard to feel absolutely sure about the mental state or sanity of a person within our culture who thinks it right, good and sane to stab little girls to death at random.
The warmongers will have a frisson of excitement.
No doubt the increase in the price of oil and the knock on effect will be blamed on the likes of Shell by the politicians.
‘ BREAKING: Axios reports that there is evidence that US war with Iran is "imminent" and Israel is preparing for a scenario of "war within days," which is expected to include:
1. Weeks-long "full-fledged" war unlike the Venezuela operation, sources say
2. Joint US-Israeli campaign that is much broader in scope than 12-day war in June
3. US armada now consists of 2 aircraft carriers, 12 warships, hundreds of fighter jets, and multiple air defense systems
4. More than 150 US military cargo flights have moved weapons systems and ammunition to the Middle East
5. Another 50 fighter jets in 24 hours, including F-35s, F-22s, and F-16s
Oil prices are surging above $64/barrel on the news.’
https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/2024104466144739617?s=61
Of the £213 million that TSG invested in 2017, £110m went to the founders, the rest was capital but crucially the preference shares came with an 18% coupon. The magic of compound interest means this is now £800m or thereabouts
Preference shares mean they get their money before anyone else.
Didn't stop Brewdog raising money from the little folks later on (2021). They might as well have burned that money and saved on the gas bill.
Top “referrers” who put friends and associates into the stock won electric bicycles.
The owner 'gifted' shares to staff in 2022 - 750 salaried employee were given over 4 years shares supposedly worth £120k each.
I'm sure everything has been signed off by lawyers but the breach of moral trust is off the scale.
Difficult to know what the (loss making) brand is actually worth.
As soon as the sexual abuse allegations came out, I stopped buying the beer (and my wife wouldn't have allowed it in the house