For the new towns names, why not go with much loved fictitious British places like Blandings or Walmington-on-Sea, or Walford or Emmerdale? Trumpton is probably out.
Midsomer, perhaps.
That name for me has a sinister vibe to it. I associate it with brutal murders and Wicker Man type activities. Wouldn't visit.
And you might run into John Nettles and nobody wants that
Elizabethtown is a little colonial (and wasn’t there a terrible zombie movie called that).
Attleeton and Athelstan are a little pretentious.
Pankhurst and Seacole work (although the latter should be far inland just to confuse future generations)
Let's be honest, those have only be selected because they needed to cover off gender and race: (1) Pankhurst is considered a feminist icon, and, (2) Mary Seacole was black and around in Victorian times.
I can only assume a Turingville is in the offing to cover off the "LGBT community".
Yes they are rubbish names for a dozen reasons, but mostly because these names have no local historical connection.
Naming a town after Hardy in Dorset, Nelson in west Norfolk, Elgar in Worcestershire etc has a sense of place, but as far as I can see none of these names do.
If there was one in Devon, we could elegantly compromise by naming a town after a famous smack addled poet born in Ottery St Mary and Britain's first major non-white composer.
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
Apart from anything else, I cannot see a way for us to keep the Strait open by military force. If 2 carrier groups of the US Navy cannot, then how can we?
The only realistic way to open the strait is through negotiation with Tehran. In which case bombing Iran is unlikely to help.
EXCLUSIVE: Tory ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel BLOCKED the FBI from quizzing Andrew over Epstein
Priti Patel prevented the FBI from questioning Andrew about his links to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, despite officers having 'documentary evidence suggesting he knew about sex trafficking'
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
As John McDonnell said it starts with an acorn and before you know it you're facing an oak tree.
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
As John McDonnell said it starts with an acorn and before you know it you're facing an oak tree.
I am not suggesting we engage further, however to an extent we are hamstring over Fairford and Diego Garcia. I wonder whether Trump could launch a coup from Lakenheath. Governor General Andrew Tate would be fully compliant over attacks on Iran.
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
As John McDonnell said it starts with an acorn and before you know it you're facing an oak tree.
John McDonnell is a stain on the Labour Party.
Gutless coward like Corbyn, Abbott, Long Bailey, Burgeon.
They cannot be allowed to regain influence. Should have been binned off long ago.
Not sure if it was mentioned yesterday as i went out but Restore Britain are fully registered with the EC now and can stand candidates. How many they muster by May is another question......
EXCLUSIVE: Tory ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel BLOCKED the FBI from quizzing Andrew over Epstein
Priti Patel prevented the FBI from questioning Andrew about his links to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, despite officers having 'documentary evidence suggesting he knew about sex trafficking'
And the Americans refused to send Anne Sacoolas to the UK after she killed Harry Dunn for her court appearance
Good morning
I just do not see this as any different to any UK home secretary including Mahmoud
Is there any precedent for a foreign FBI interviewing any member of the royal family here in the UK
Patel upsets the left but on this I just cannot see it
Politically it's a terrible look, when Tories are attacking Labour over Mandelson whose business links to Epstein are well known but who has never been linked to any of his sexual deviency, when Patel has denied permission for Andrew Windsor to be questioned over sexual deviency.
If the shoe was on the other foot, Patel would be all over it.
She clearly has very serious questions to answer as does Badenoch if she doesn't remove her.
Assuming Trump cancels the war, what happens next?
Even if Iran takes no further action and opens the Strait of Hormuz, what are the economic conseqences? It will take some time for things to normalise, possibly quite a long time for oil and gas to come back to prewar prices.
So far stock markets etc haven't taken much of a hit, so look still very overpriced to me. Are we due a major correction or even a bear market?
If he calls the win he can simple drop out as the victor.
What the ghost of Bibi has up his sleeve however...
Even with his XXXL brass neck, not even Trump can call victory whilst the world's oil isn't flowing through the Straits of Hormuz.
We may yet get the outcome that following talks, the GCC gets the oil flowing, but with a tacit nod that Iran can get on with making a Bomb if that is what it takes...
I read yesterday that Mr Trump's approach (yesterday) was that the USA had achieved their aims and it was up to the countries whose trade uses the Straits to get them reopened.
That's very good! Well it made me laugh.
Most of the world just thinks the US looks ridiculous
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
Apart from anything else, I cannot see a way for us to keep the Strait open by military force. If 2 carrier groups of the US Navy cannot, then how can we?
The only realistic way to open the strait is through negotiation with Tehran. In which case bombing Iran is unlikely to help.
Overnight Iran launched 2 ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia 4,000 kilometres away
London is 4,400 kilometres way from Iran
Let that sink in
Starmer promises increased defence spending but no defence review yet and no agreement with the treasury
Trump has created the most extraordinary and dangerous crisis for he wes,t and in particular UK and European defence spending requiring billions of immediate invesrtment
Labour and the treasury are complaining about how unlucky they are, but welcome to the world of Johnson and the conservatives who saw covid and the war in Ukraine erupt on their watch and we all saw what happened in 2024
EXCLUSIVE: Tory ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel BLOCKED the FBI from quizzing Andrew over Epstein
Priti Patel prevented the FBI from questioning Andrew about his links to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, despite officers having 'documentary evidence suggesting he knew about sex trafficking'
EXCLUSIVE: Tory ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel BLOCKED the FBI from quizzing Andrew over Epstein
Priti Patel prevented the FBI from questioning Andrew about his links to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, despite officers having 'documentary evidence suggesting he knew about sex trafficking'
And the Americans refused to send Anne Sacoolas to the UK after she killed Harry Dunn for her court appearance
Good morning
I just do not see this as any different to any UK home secretary including Mahmoud
Is there any precedent for a foreign FBI interviewing any member of the royal family here in the UK
Patel upsets the left but on this I just cannot see it
Politically it's a terrible look, when Tories are attacking Labour over Mandelson whose business links to Epstein are well known but who has never been linked to any of his sexual deviency, when Patel has denied permission for Andrew Windsor to be questioned over sexual deviency.
If the shoe was on the other foot, Patel would be all over it.
She clearly has very serious questions to answer as does Badenoch if she doesn't remove her.
Nothing says 'never been linked to sexual deviancy' like being photographed before a bunch of Epstein's underage 'guests' in your underpants.
For the new towns names, why not go with much loved fictitious British places like Blandings or Walmington-on-Sea, or Walford or Emmerdale? Trumpton is probably out.
Midsomer, perhaps.
That name for me has a sinister vibe to it. I associate it with brutal murders and Wicker Man type activities. Wouldn't visit.
And you might run into John Nettles and nobody wants that
My mum likes him.
He used to be with writer Rose Tremain, some many years ago...
Assuming Trump cancels the war, what happens next?
Even if Iran takes no further action and opens the Strait of Hormuz, what are the economic conseqences? It will take some time for things to normalise, possibly quite a long time for oil and gas to come back to prewar prices.
So far stock markets etc haven't taken much of a hit, so look still very overpriced to me. Are we due a major correction or even a bear market?
If he calls the win he can simple drop out as the victor.
What the ghost of Bibi has up his sleeve however...
Even with his XXXL brass neck, not even Trump can call victory whilst the world's oil isn't flowing through the Straits of Hormuz.
We may yet get the outcome that following talks, the GCC gets the oil flowing, but with a tacit nod that Iran can get on with making a Bomb if that is what it takes...
I read yesterday that Mr Trump's approach (yesterday) was that the USA had achieved their aims and it was up to the countries whose trade uses the Straits to get them reopened.
That's very good! Well it made me laugh.
Most of the world just thinks the US looks ridiculous
Yep - but Trump isn't bright enough to grasp that the quickest fix for Europe and the Gulf would be to normalise relationships with Iran...
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
Apart from anything else, I cannot see a way for us to keep the Strait open by military force. If 2 carrier groups of the US Navy cannot, then how can we?
The only realistic way to open the strait is through negotiation with Tehran. In which case bombing Iran is unlikely to help.
to be fair they were scared they would get their paint scratched and legged it, never near the strait. US need a real navy to do the job for them.
Hearing Trump's absolute refusal to accept that the Ukrainians have helped the US with drone defence in the Middle East makes clear *again* how deep-seated his personal animus against Zelensky and Ukraine is.
I think this bet is terrible, btw. Three weeks into the war, still fighting, yet 100% won, the US doesn't use Hormuz, yet gas prices are up, easy to keep it open, but the US can't do it alone. Even despite all of these massive contradictions Trump is able to keep the overwhelming support of his MAGA base.
I know I've been surprised that the war is still going, but it's clear that Trump is desperate for it to end (100% won is a tell) so I just can't see it dragging on for long enough for his base to finally recognise they've been had.
One thing that has surprised me about Trump47, and something that I was totally wrong about, is how much he likes a military misadventure.
Trump45, quite correctly, realised that overseas military interventions were a waste of everything and largely counterproductive. Now, he fucking loves them even when executing them is contrary to his interests. All that the SPO gets him are the good graces and unreliable largesse of Miriam Adelson and others of the Zionist Pro Max ilk.
Trump likes power; it's the ultimate expression of that. Venezuela made him think it's easy.
EXCLUSIVE: Tory ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel BLOCKED the FBI from quizzing Andrew over Epstein
Priti Patel prevented the FBI from questioning Andrew about his links to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, despite officers having 'documentary evidence suggesting he knew about sex trafficking'
And the Americans refused to send Anne Sacoolas to the UK after she killed Harry Dunn for her court appearance
Good morning
I just do not see this as any different to any UK home secretary including Mahmoud
Is there any precedent for a foreign FBI interviewing any member of the royal family here in the UK
Patel upsets the left but on this I just cannot see it
Politically it's a terrible look, when Tories are attacking Labour over Mandelson whose business links to Epstein are well known but who has never been linked to any of his sexual deviency, when Patel has denied permission for Andrew Windsor to be questioned over sexual deviency.
If the shoe was on the other foot, Patel would be all over it.
She clearly has very serious questions to answer as does Badenoch if she doesn't remove her.
Other opinions are available
You have been utterly obsessed with Badenoch and Patel and many will ask what is your problem ?
Badenoch is not going to take advice from the left, including yourself, and no amount of howling in the wind is going to change that
EXCLUSIVE: Tory ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel BLOCKED the FBI from quizzing Andrew over Epstein
Priti Patel prevented the FBI from questioning Andrew about his links to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, despite officers having 'documentary evidence suggesting he knew about sex trafficking'
And the Americans refused to send Anne Sacoolas to the UK after she killed Harry Dunn for her court appearance
Good morning
I just do not see this as any different to any UK home secretary including Mahmoud
Is there any precedent for a foreign FBI interviewing any member of the royal family here in the UK
Patel upsets the left but on this I just cannot see it
Politically it's a terrible look, when Tories are attacking Labour over Mandelson whose business links to Epstein are well known but who has never been linked to any of his sexual deviency, when Patel has denied permission for Andrew Windsor to be questioned over sexual deviency.
If the shoe was on the other foot, Patel would be all over it.
She clearly has very serious questions to answer as does Badenoch if she doesn't remove her.
The FBI wanted to interview him as a witness, he refused the voluntary request. So they asked the UK to interview him under oath as a witness. No evidence of any crime by him was provided and he was stll a member of the Royal Family and had only just stopped doing active Royal duty and wss still in possession of his titles and patronages. This was 2 years before the Giuffre pay off.
Give credit to Iran here. Lobbing an IRBM at Diego Garcia is showing just how not demolished they are.
Trump now his two choices. The forever war. Or the everyone laughing at Trump forever capitulation.
Saw someone, somewhere, make the point that the humiliation of the US in this war shows that they would not be able to prevent China from conquering Taiwan (whether Taiwan would be able to is a separate question).
In this way Trump's humiliation over Iran in March 2026 mirrors Biden's humiliation over the fall of Kabul in summer 2021, which arguably convinced Putin the US wouldn't actively oppose an invasion of Ukraine (and in that he was right - Biden's response was to offer evacuation help to Zelensky, so Putin's misjudgement was of Zelensky and Ukraine, not Biden and the US).
I'm tentatively penciling in a Chinese invasion of Taiwan for just after Chinese New Year 2027. As a bonus the US will be bitterly divided over the outcome of the midterms, one way or another.
I cannot imagine a better window of opportunity for Xi.
Does any country other than China manufacture solar panels?
Xi would be learning precisely the wrong lesson. Ukraine and Iran both illustrate the folly of a country, no matter how powerful, attempting to win a war that for them is one of choice, but for the target is existential.
If China thinks the lesson from this is that Taiwan would be a walkover then it’s less strategically intelligent than we thought.
The thing is China is still, mostly, Xi. And Xi wants to reunify Taiwan with the mainland. And Xi is an old man in a hurry. And it's a very human failing to rationalise as possible, even likely, what you want to happen.
I think it's definitely a mistake to assume that the people involved will make optimal choices.
What this shows is that if Xi wants regime change in Taiwan it needs Chinese groundtroops which means Chinese body bags. US and Israeli strikes alone are not removing the Iranian regime.
Even then it is not guaranteed, Putin has sent groundtroops into Ukraine but still only captured about a quarter of the country for Russia
If modern warfare proves anything it is that if you’re the defending side, and you have no choice but to fight, you have some big advantages over the attacker. You don’t need to secure total victory, you just need to hurt the enemy until they stop.
By and large, defenders don’t just throw in the towel, for a quiet life. Being attacked tends to strengthen morale and resolve, rather than breaking it.
I don’t doubt that an invasion of Taiwan would result in appalling losses of men and equipment for China. Maybe they’d still win, but it would be an appalling waste.
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
Trump wants to stop and declare victory. Iran wants him to stop so they can declare victory. So I see a Stop coming soon. Certainly hope so. After that, who knows, probably a lasting mess, but I'm keen to reach that stage. Having no plan didn't stop him starting the war and by the same token it shouldn't stop him stopping it. Going to war with no plan and then not stopping until you do have a plan is a recipe for ongoing mayhem. It's madness. Esp since it becomes harder to plan things once conflict has commenced. So c'mon Donald, turn a bug into a feature and just stop 'obliterating' Iran and move on to Cuba or more pretend Ukraine talks or fixing the midterms or whatever. Just be you.
An interesting sign of the times. Ukraine will stop sending recruits abroad for military training because western instructors lack experience in modern combat.
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
As John McDonnell said it starts with an acorn and before you know it you're facing an oak tree.
John McDonnell is a stain on the Labour Party.
Gutless coward like Corbyn, Abbott, Long Bailey, Burgeon.
They cannot be allowed to regain influence. Should have been binned off long ago.
Really? You encourage me to leave and join the Greens, after 13 years in Parliament (not a member of any pressure group or consistently left-wing) and 50 years in the party, though I'm waiting for the local elections and any aftermath before deciding. Defining a party by exclusion is ultimately self-defeating, not least as once you start you end up excluding moderate people who disagree with you on anything.
EXCLUSIVE: Tory ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel BLOCKED the FBI from quizzing Andrew over Epstein
Priti Patel prevented the FBI from questioning Andrew about his links to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, despite officers having 'documentary evidence suggesting he knew about sex trafficking'
And the Americans refused to send Anne Sacoolas to the UK after she killed Harry Dunn for her court appearance
Good morning
I just do not see this as any different to any UK home secretary including Mahmoud
Is there any precedent for a foreign FBI interviewing any member of the royal family here in the UK
Patel upsets the left but on this I just cannot see it
Politically it's a terrible look, when Tories are attacking Labour over Mandelson whose business links to Epstein are well known but who has never been linked to any of his sexual deviency, when Patel has denied permission for Andrew Windsor to be questioned over sexual deviency.
If the shoe was on the other foot, Patel would be all over it.
She clearly has very serious questions to answer as does Badenoch if she doesn't remove her.
The FBI wanted to interview him as a witness, he refused the voluntary request. So they asked the UK to interview him under oath as a witness. No evidence of any crime by him was provided and he was stll a member of the Royal Family and had only just stopped doing active Royal duty and wss still in possession of his titles and patronages. This was 2 years before the Giuffre pay off.
EXCLUSIVE: Tory ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel BLOCKED the FBI from quizzing Andrew over Epstein
Priti Patel prevented the FBI from questioning Andrew about his links to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, despite officers having 'documentary evidence suggesting he knew about sex trafficking'
And the Americans refused to send Anne Sacoolas to the UK after she killed Harry Dunn for her court appearance
Good morning
I just do not see this as any different to any UK home secretary including Mahmoud
Is there any precedent for a foreign FBI interviewing any member of the royal family here in the UK
Patel upsets the left but on this I just cannot see it
Politically it's a terrible look, when Tories are attacking Labour over Mandelson whose business links to Epstein are well known but who has never been linked to any of his sexual deviency, when Patel has denied permission for Andrew Windsor to be questioned over sexual deviency.
If the shoe was on the other foot, Patel would be all over it.
She clearly has very serious questions to answer as does Badenoch if she doesn't remove her.
The FBI wanted to interview him as a witness, he refused the voluntary request. So they asked the UK to interview him under oath as a witness. No evidence of any crime by him was provided and he was stll a member of the Royal Family and had only just stopped doing active Royal duty and wss still in possession of his titles and patronages. This was 2 years before the Giuffre pay off.
It is perhaps worth noting at this point that a favourite trick of US law enforcement agencies is to interview suspects as witnesses on oath, in the hope they will trip themselves up and say something incriminating that they can be got for. This is one reason why witnesses are advised by American lawyers not to talk without immunity being agreed in advance.
Delightful though it would be to see the fat old creep banged up, I can see why he refused and also why the Home Secretary would not wish to get involved given the legal complexities that would arise if they tried that on an interview conducted via the Met.
EXCLUSIVE: Tory ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel BLOCKED the FBI from quizzing Andrew over Epstein
Priti Patel prevented the FBI from questioning Andrew about his links to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, despite officers having 'documentary evidence suggesting he knew about sex trafficking'
And the Americans refused to send Anne Sacoolas to the UK after she killed Harry Dunn for her court appearance
Good morning
I just do not see this as any different to any UK home secretary including Mahmoud
Is there any precedent for a foreign FBI interviewing any member of the royal family here in the UK
Patel upsets the left but on this I just cannot see it
Politically it's a terrible look, when Tories are attacking Labour over Mandelson whose business links to Epstein are well known but who has never been linked to any of his sexual deviency, when Patel has denied permission for Andrew Windsor to be questioned over sexual deviency.
If the shoe was on the other foot, Patel would be all over it.
She clearly has very serious questions to answer as does Badenoch if she doesn't remove her.
If Starmer had done this, you would have praised him for standing up to the Americans.
Hearing Trump's absolute refusal to accept that the Ukrainians have helped the US with drone defence in the Middle East makes clear *again* how deep-seated his personal animus against Zelensky and Ukraine is.
I think this bet is terrible, btw. Three weeks into the war, still fighting, yet 100% won, the US doesn't use Hormuz, yet gas prices are up, easy to keep it open, but the US can't do it alone. Even despite all of these massive contradictions Trump is able to keep the overwhelming support of his MAGA base.
I know I've been surprised that the war is still going, but it's clear that Trump is desperate for it to end (100% won is a tell) so I just can't see it dragging on for long enough for his base to finally recognise they've been had.
One thing that has surprised me about Trump47, and something that I was totally wrong about, is how much he likes a military misadventure.
Trump45, quite correctly, realised that overseas military interventions were a waste of everything and largely counterproductive. Now, he fucking loves them even when executing them is contrary to his interests. All that the SPO gets him are the good graces and unreliable largesse of Miriam Adelson and others of the Zionist Pro Max ilk.
Trump likes power; it's the ultimate expression of that. Venezuela made him think it's easy.
Agreed completely. To quote, well, myself from 3 January:
Anyone focussing on the positives and negatives of this for Venezuela itself is missing the point.
This is the first shot fired in a new era of US imperialism. There is a practically zero percent chance that Trump will stop here after things have (seemingly) gone so smoothly.
An interesting sign of the times. Ukraine will stop sending recruits abroad for military training because western instructors lack experience in modern combat.
EXCLUSIVE: Tory ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel BLOCKED the FBI from quizzing Andrew over Epstein
Priti Patel prevented the FBI from questioning Andrew about his links to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, despite officers having 'documentary evidence suggesting he knew about sex trafficking'
And the Americans refused to send Anne Sacoolas to the UK after she killed Harry Dunn for her court appearance
Good morning
I just do not see this as any different to any UK home secretary including Mahmoud
Is there any precedent for a foreign FBI interviewing any member of the royal family here in the UK
Patel upsets the left but on this I just cannot see it
Politically it's a terrible look, when Tories are attacking Labour over Mandelson whose business links to Epstein are well known but who has never been linked to any of his sexual deviency, when Patel has denied permission for Andrew Windsor to be questioned over sexual deviency.
If the shoe was on the other foot, Patel would be all over it.
She clearly has very serious questions to answer as does Badenoch if she doesn't remove her.
The FBI wanted to interview him as a witness, he refused the voluntary request. So they asked the UK to interview him under oath as a witness. No evidence of any crime by him was provided and he was stll a member of the Royal Family and had only just stopped doing active Royal duty and wss still in possession of his titles and patronages. This was 2 years before the Giuffre pay off.
It is perhaps worth noting at this point that a favourite trick of US law enforcement agencies is to interview suspects as witnesses on oath, in the hope they will trip themselves up and say something incriminating that they can be got for. This is one reason why witnesses are advised by American lawyers not to talk without immunity being agreed in advance.
Delightful though it would be to see the fat old creep banged up, I can see why he refused and also why the Home Secretary would not wish to get involved given the legal complexities that would arise if they tried that on an interview conducted via the Met.
Indeed. I cant imagine any HS in 2020 agreeing the request. Embarassing HMQ not on the menu immediately after Proroguegate especially
EXCLUSIVE: Tory ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel BLOCKED the FBI from quizzing Andrew over Epstein
Priti Patel prevented the FBI from questioning Andrew about his links to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, despite officers having 'documentary evidence suggesting he knew about sex trafficking'
And the Americans refused to send Anne Sacoolas to the UK after she killed Harry Dunn for her court appearance
Good morning
I just do not see this as any different to any UK home secretary including Mahmoud
Is there any precedent for a foreign FBI interviewing any member of the royal family here in the UK
Patel upsets the left but on this I just cannot see it
Politically it's a terrible look, when Tories are attacking Labour over Mandelson whose business links to Epstein are well known but who has never been linked to any of his sexual deviency, when Patel has denied permission for Andrew Windsor to be questioned over sexual deviency.
If the shoe was on the other foot, Patel would be all over it.
She clearly has very serious questions to answer as does Badenoch if she doesn't remove her.
The FBI wanted to interview him as a witness, he refused the voluntary request. So they asked the UK to interview him under oath as a witness. No evidence of any crime by him was provided and he was stll a member of the Royal Family and had only just stopped doing active Royal duty and wss still in possession of his titles and patronages. This was 2 years before the Giuffre pay off.
Any Home Secretary would have acted the same
Indeed. If it were to be requested again, tell the FBI they can have their former prince once they have a few Americans in the bag for Epstein associations.
EXCLUSIVE: Tory ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel BLOCKED the FBI from quizzing Andrew over Epstein
Priti Patel prevented the FBI from questioning Andrew about his links to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, despite officers having 'documentary evidence suggesting he knew about sex trafficking'
And the Americans refused to send Anne Sacoolas to the UK after she killed Harry Dunn for her court appearance
Good morning
I just do not see this as any different to any UK home secretary including Mahmoud
Is there any precedent for a foreign FBI interviewing any member of the royal family here in the UK
Patel upsets the left but on this I just cannot see it
Politically it's a terrible look, when Tories are attacking Labour over Mandelson whose business links to Epstein are well known but who has never been linked to any of his sexual deviency, when Patel has denied permission for Andrew Windsor to be questioned over sexual deviency.
If the shoe was on the other foot, Patel would be all over it.
She clearly has very serious questions to answer as does Badenoch if she doesn't remove her.
The FBI wanted to interview him as a witness, he refused the voluntary request. So they asked the UK to interview him under oath as a witness. No evidence of any crime by him was provided and he was stll a member of the Royal Family and had only just stopped doing active Royal duty and wss still in possession of his titles and patronages. This was 2 years before the Giuffre pay off.
Any Home Secretary would have acted the same
Indeed. If it were to be requested again, tell the FBI they can have their former prince once they have a few Americans in the bag for Epstein associations.
Starting with a certain current and former President.
EXCLUSIVE: Tory ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel BLOCKED the FBI from quizzing Andrew over Epstein
Priti Patel prevented the FBI from questioning Andrew about his links to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, despite officers having 'documentary evidence suggesting he knew about sex trafficking'
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
As John McDonnell said it starts with an acorn and before you know it you're facing an oak tree.
John McDonnell is a stain on the Labour Party.
Gutless coward like Corbyn, Abbott, Long Bailey, Burgeon.
They cannot be allowed to regain influence. Should have been binned off long ago.
Really? You encourage me to leave and join the Greens, after 13 years in Parliament (not a member of any pressure group or consistently left-wing) and 50 years in the party, though I'm waiting for the local elections and any aftermath before deciding. Defining a party by exclusion is ultimately self-defeating, not least as once you start you end up excluding moderate people who disagree with you on anything.
For many years on this forum you have been the most interesting and decent poster never turning to foul language or personal abuse and actually provided one of the most gobsmacking and amusing moments in your life and though we are politically a distance apart, your love of animal welfare is very much a cause for our family and the Welsh government's ban on greyhound racing has been well received
You were an excellent MP and a wise advisor and if anyone could persuade me to your views you can
Compare and contrast that with @Brixian59 who makes nastiness an artform and simply just does not understand how much damage he causes for is own political views
Give credit to Iran here. Lobbing an IRBM at Diego Garcia is showing just how not demolished they are.
Trump now his two choices. The forever war. Or the everyone laughing at Trump forever capitulation.
Saw someone, somewhere, make the point that the humiliation of the US in this war shows that they would not be able to prevent China from conquering Taiwan (whether Taiwan would be able to is a separate question).
In this way Trump's humiliation over Iran in March 2026 mirrors Biden's humiliation over the fall of Kabul in summer 2021, which arguably convinced Putin the US wouldn't actively oppose an invasion of Ukraine (and in that he was right - Biden's response was to offer evacuation help to Zelensky, so Putin's misjudgement was of Zelensky and Ukraine, not Biden and the US).
I'm tentatively penciling in a Chinese invasion of Taiwan for just after Chinese New Year 2027. As a bonus the US will be bitterly divided over the outcome of the midterms, one way or another.
I cannot imagine a better window of opportunity for Xi.
Does any country other than China manufacture solar panels?
Xi would be learning precisely the wrong lesson. Ukraine and Iran both illustrate the folly of a country, no matter how powerful, attempting to win a war that for them is one of choice, but for the target is existential.
If China thinks the lesson from this is that Taiwan would be a walkover then it’s less strategically intelligent than we thought.
The thing is China is still, mostly, Xi. And Xi wants to reunify Taiwan with the mainland. And Xi is an old man in a hurry. And it's a very human failing to rationalise as possible, even likely, what you want to happen.
I think it's definitely a mistake to assume that the people involved will make optimal choices.
What this shows is that if Xi wants regime change in Taiwan it needs Chinese groundtroops which means Chinese body bags. US and Israeli strikes alone are not removing the Iranian regime.
Even then it is not guaranteed, Putin has sent groundtroops into Ukraine but still only captured about a quarter of the country for Russia
If modern warfare proves anything it is that if you’re the defending side, and you have no choice but to fight, you have some big advantages over the attacker. You don’t need to secure total victory, you just need to hurt the enemy until they stop.
By and large, defenders don’t just throw in the towel, for a quiet life. Being attacked tends to strengthen morale and resolve, rather than breaking it.
I don’t doubt that an invasion of Taiwan would result in appalling losses of men and equipment for China. Maybe they’d still win, but it would be an appalling waste.
It is quite a stretch of water between Taiwan and the mainland, apart from a few small offshore outposts.
I am sure that Taiwan has invested heavily in seadrones and anti-shipping missiles, so an amphibious landing would very likely be a fiasco.
A naval blockade of Taiwan would be possible, but no quick win.
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
As John McDonnell said it starts with an acorn and before you know it you're facing an oak tree.
John McDonnell is a stain on the Labour Party.
Gutless coward like Corbyn, Abbott, Long Bailey, Burgeon.
They cannot be allowed to regain influence. Should have been binned off long ago.
Really? You encourage me to leave and join the Greens, after 13 years in Parliament (not a member of any pressure group or consistently left-wing) and 50 years in the party, though I'm waiting for the local elections and any aftermath before deciding. Defining a party by exclusion is ultimately self-defeating, not least as once you start you end up excluding moderate people who disagree with you on anything.
I joined the Geens this week. I don't agree with every policy, but they are a breath of fresh air compared to the legacy parties.
Give credit to Iran here. Lobbing an IRBM at Diego Garcia is showing just how not demolished they are.
Trump now his two choices. The forever war. Or the everyone laughing at Trump forever capitulation.
Saw someone, somewhere, make the point that the humiliation of the US in this war shows that they would not be able to prevent China from conquering Taiwan (whether Taiwan would be able to is a separate question).
In this way Trump's humiliation over Iran in March 2026 mirrors Biden's humiliation over the fall of Kabul in summer 2021, which arguably convinced Putin the US wouldn't actively oppose an invasion of Ukraine (and in that he was right - Biden's response was to offer evacuation help to Zelensky, so Putin's misjudgement was of Zelensky and Ukraine, not Biden and the US).
I'm tentatively penciling in a Chinese invasion of Taiwan for just after Chinese New Year 2027. As a bonus the US will be bitterly divided over the outcome of the midterms, one way or another.
I cannot imagine a better window of opportunity for Xi.
Does any country other than China manufacture solar panels?
Xi would be learning precisely the wrong lesson. Ukraine and Iran both illustrate the folly of a country, no matter how powerful, attempting to win a war that for them is one of choice, but for the target is existential.
If China thinks the lesson from this is that Taiwan would be a walkover then it’s less strategically intelligent than we thought.
The thing is China is still, mostly, Xi. And Xi wants to reunify Taiwan with the mainland. And Xi is an old man in a hurry. And it's a very human failing to rationalise as possible, even likely, what you want to happen.
I think it's definitely a mistake to assume that the people involved will make optimal choices.
What this shows is that if Xi wants regime change in Taiwan it needs Chinese groundtroops which means Chinese body bags. US and Israeli strikes alone are not removing the Iranian regime.
Even then it is not guaranteed, Putin has sent groundtroops into Ukraine but still only captured about a quarter of the country for Russia
If modern warfare proves anything it is that if you’re the defending side, and you have no choice but to fight, you have some big advantages over the attacker. You don’t need to secure total victory, you just need to hurt the enemy until they stop.
TBF, you could make a reasonable case that was the lesson of the Battles of Verdun and the Somme.
And it was the lesson the French drew in building the Maginot Line...
Give credit to Iran here. Lobbing an IRBM at Diego Garcia is showing just how not demolished they are.
Trump now his two choices. The forever war. Or the everyone laughing at Trump forever capitulation.
He has way more latitude than that. He can declare victory, withdraw US forces and pressure others to take the incoming to reopen the strait. Starmer and others will fold and do it before too long.
E2A: Trump only needs one of Starmer or Macron on board to get the other. Neither the UK nor France could bear the other getting the limelight and, who knows, it might all go brilliantly. I mean, it won't, but it might.
I can't imagine Starmer and Macron are stupid enough to try and police that Strait - there is zero upside and a lot of downside in doing so..
Starmer, and the British defence establishment who will be guiding him, are 100% stupid enough and Macron is vain enough to do it just because Starmer is.
What do we have to police the strait with ? It would be interesting to watch.
Give credit to Iran here. Lobbing an IRBM at Diego Garcia is showing just how not demolished they are.
Trump now his two choices. The forever war. Or the everyone laughing at Trump forever capitulation.
He has way more latitude than that. He can declare victory, withdraw US forces and pressure others to take the incoming to reopen the strait. Starmer and others will fold and do it before too long.
E2A: Trump only needs one of Starmer or Macron on board to get the other. Neither the UK nor France could bear the other getting the limelight and, who knows, it might all go brilliantly. I mean, it won't, but it might.
I can't imagine Starmer and Macron are stupid enough to try and police that Strait - there is zero upside and a lot of downside in doing so..
Starmer, and the British defence establishment who will be guiding him, are 100% stupid enough and Macron is vain enough to do it just because Starmer is.
What do we have to police the strait with ? It would be interesting to watch.
HMS Mrs Browns Boys and the RN JetSki Display Team are on the case
Give credit to Iran here. Lobbing an IRBM at Diego Garcia is showing just how not demolished they are.
Trump now his two choices. The forever war. Or the everyone laughing at Trump forever capitulation.
He has way more latitude than that. He can declare victory, withdraw US forces and pressure others to take the incoming to reopen the strait. Starmer and others will fold and do it before too long.
E2A: Trump only needs one of Starmer or Macron on board to get the other. Neither the UK nor France could bear the other getting the limelight and, who knows, it might all go brilliantly. I mean, it won't, but it might.
I can't imagine Starmer and Macron are stupid enough to try and police that Strait - there is zero upside and a lot of downside in doing so..
Starmer, and the British defence establishment who will be guiding him, are 100% stupid enough and Macron is vain enough to do it just because Starmer is.
What do we have to police the strait with ? It would be interesting to watch.
HMS Mrs Browns Boys and the RN JetSki Display Team are on the case
Sending the cast of Mrs Brown's Boys to the Strait of Hormuz would almost certainly see the Iranians flee in panic.
Give credit to Iran here. Lobbing an IRBM at Diego Garcia is showing just how not demolished they are.
Trump now his two choices. The forever war. Or the everyone laughing at Trump forever capitulation.
Saw someone, somewhere, make the point that the humiliation of the US in this war shows that they would not be able to prevent China from conquering Taiwan (whether Taiwan would be able to is a separate question).
In this way Trump's humiliation over Iran in March 2026 mirrors Biden's humiliation over the fall of Kabul in summer 2021, which arguably convinced Putin the US wouldn't actively oppose an invasion of Ukraine (and in that he was right - Biden's response was to offer evacuation help to Zelensky, so Putin's misjudgement was of Zelensky and Ukraine, not Biden and the US).
I'm tentatively penciling in a Chinese invasion of Taiwan for just after Chinese New Year 2027. As a bonus the US will be bitterly divided over the outcome of the midterms, one way or another.
I cannot imagine a better window of opportunity for Xi.
Does any country other than China manufacture solar panels?
Xi would be learning precisely the wrong lesson. Ukraine and Iran both illustrate the folly of a country, no matter how powerful, attempting to win a war that for them is one of choice, but for the target is existential.
If China thinks the lesson from this is that Taiwan would be a walkover then it’s less strategically intelligent than we thought.
The thing is China is still, mostly, Xi. And Xi wants to reunify Taiwan with the mainland. And Xi is an old man in a hurry. And it's a very human failing to rationalise as possible, even likely, what you want to happen.
I think it's definitely a mistake to assume that the people involved will make optimal choices.
What this shows is that if Xi wants regime change in Taiwan it needs Chinese groundtroops which means Chinese body bags. US and Israeli strikes alone are not removing the Iranian regime.
Even then it is not guaranteed, Putin has sent groundtroops into Ukraine but still only captured about a quarter of the country for Russia
If modern warfare proves anything it is that if you’re the defending side, and you have no choice but to fight, you have some big advantages over the attacker. You don’t need to secure total victory, you just need to hurt the enemy until they stop.
TBF, you could make a reasonable case that was the lesson of the Battles of Verdun and the Somme.
And it was the lesson the French drew in building the Maginot Line...
The balance shifts back and forth over time, between attack and defence, as it does between ranged weapons and armour. The attacker needs to keep mobile, whereas the defender needs to keep him bogged down, trying to take fixed positions.
The Great Man school of history may be discredited, but there is something to be said for the Incompetent Man school. There are occasions where you get someone in command who would be better suited cleaning latrines, and who causes utter catastrophe.
Maurice Gamelin, the man who thought that the radio was evil, was one such.
Give credit to Iran here. Lobbing an IRBM at Diego Garcia is showing just how not demolished they are.
Trump now his two choices. The forever war. Or the everyone laughing at Trump forever capitulation.
He has way more latitude than that. He can declare victory, withdraw US forces and pressure others to take the incoming to reopen the strait. Starmer and others will fold and do it before too long.
E2A: Trump only needs one of Starmer or Macron on board to get the other. Neither the UK nor France could bear the other getting the limelight and, who knows, it might all go brilliantly. I mean, it won't, but it might.
I can't imagine Starmer and Macron are stupid enough to try and police that Strait - there is zero upside and a lot of downside in doing so..
Starmer, and the British defence establishment who will be guiding him, are 100% stupid enough and Macron is vain enough to do it just because Starmer is.
What do we have to police the strait with ? It would be interesting to watch.
The nation with the strongest interest in reopening the strait, and with the military power to be able to try, is of course China.
If the US were to wash its hands of the disaster it has precipitated, then that leaves a vacuum which they might fill. And the "nations don't have allies, just interests" crowd might just start thinking about making common cause with them.
An interesting sign of the times. Ukraine will stop sending recruits abroad for military training because western instructors lack experience in modern combat.
Give credit to Iran here. Lobbing an IRBM at Diego Garcia is showing just how not demolished they are.
Trump now his two choices. The forever war. Or the everyone laughing at Trump forever capitulation.
He has way more latitude than that. He can declare victory, withdraw US forces and pressure others to take the incoming to reopen the strait. Starmer and others will fold and do it before too long.
E2A: Trump only needs one of Starmer or Macron on board to get the other. Neither the UK nor France could bear the other getting the limelight and, who knows, it might all go brilliantly. I mean, it won't, but it might.
I can't imagine Starmer and Macron are stupid enough to try and police that Strait - there is zero upside and a lot of downside in doing so..
Starmer, and the British defence establishment who will be guiding him, are 100% stupid enough and Macron is vain enough to do it just because Starmer is.
What do we have to police the strait with ? It would be interesting to watch.
HMS Mrs Browns Boys and the RN JetSki Display Team are on the case
Sending the cast of Mrs Brown's Boys to the Strait of Hormuz would almost certainly see the Iranians flee in panic.
Or eliminate them.
No obvious downside...
And you know theyll be there forever. Never changing, just doing the same stuff over and over and over Ultimate weapon
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
As John McDonnell said it starts with an acorn and before you know it you're facing an oak tree.
John McDonnell is a stain on the Labour Party.
Gutless coward like Corbyn, Abbott, Long Bailey, Burgeon.
They cannot be allowed to regain influence. Should have been binned off long ago.
Really? You encourage me to leave and join the Greens, after 13 years in Parliament (not a member of any pressure group or consistently left-wing) and 50 years in the party, though I'm waiting for the local elections and any aftermath before deciding. Defining a party by exclusion is ultimately self-defeating, not least as once you start you end up excluding moderate people who disagree with you on anything.
I joined the Geens this week. I don't agree with every policy, but they are a breath of fresh air compared to the legacy parties.
It clearly wasn't their fiscal continence which attracted you. What was it ?
The nation with the strongest interest in reopening the strait, and with the military power to be able to try, is of course China.
If the US were to wash its hands of the disaster it has precipitated, then that leaves a vacuum which they might fill. And the "nations don't have allies, just interests" crowd might just start thinking about making common cause with them.
The Chinese leadership is evil, but rational. You can deal with them. The US leadership is evil, and insane.
Hearing Trump's absolute refusal to accept that the Ukrainians have helped the US with drone defence in the Middle East makes clear *again* how deep-seated his personal animus against Zelensky and Ukraine is.
I think this bet is terrible, btw. Three weeks into the war, still fighting, yet 100% won, the US doesn't use Hormuz, yet gas prices are up, easy to keep it open, but the US can't do it alone. Even despite all of these massive contradictions Trump is able to keep the overwhelming support of his MAGA base.
I know I've been surprised that the war is still going, but it's clear that Trump is desperate for it to end (100% won is a tell) so I just can't see it dragging on for long enough for his base to finally recognise they've been had.
One thing that has surprised me about Trump47, and something that I was totally wrong about, is how much he likes a military misadventure.
Trump45, quite correctly, realised that overseas military interventions were a waste of everything and largely counterproductive. Now, he fucking loves them even when executing them is contrary to his interests. All that the SPO gets him are the good graces and unreliable largesse of Miriam Adelson and others of the Zionist Pro Max ilk.
Trump likes power; it's the ultimate expression of that. Venezuela made him think it's easy.
The US military is the most spectacular toy on earth and it's at the disposal of the president. No way he'd pass up on playing with it. It shows again, just in case there are still those who don't realise, how it is 100% about impulse gratification. All the more true now he won't face the electorate again. Don't look for ideology or geopolitical strategy or anything of that sort because there isn't any. Nor is he particularly trying to distract from Epstein. He's not even especially fussed about his poll numbers. Why should he be? He's in and having a ball. He has two and a half years left and will be making the most of it. This is the essence of Trump2.
Give credit to Iran here. Lobbing an IRBM at Diego Garcia is showing just how not demolished they are.
Trump now his two choices. The forever war. Or the everyone laughing at Trump forever capitulation.
Saw someone, somewhere, make the point that the humiliation of the US in this war shows that they would not be able to prevent China from conquering Taiwan (whether Taiwan would be able to is a separate question).
In this way Trump's humiliation over Iran in March 2026 mirrors Biden's humiliation over the fall of Kabul in summer 2021, which arguably convinced Putin the US wouldn't actively oppose an invasion of Ukraine (and in that he was right - Biden's response was to offer evacuation help to Zelensky, so Putin's misjudgement was of Zelensky and Ukraine, not Biden and the US).
I'm tentatively penciling in a Chinese invasion of Taiwan for just after Chinese New Year 2027. As a bonus the US will be bitterly divided over the outcome of the midterms, one way or another.
I cannot imagine a better window of opportunity for Xi.
Does any country other than China manufacture solar panels?
Xi would be learning precisely the wrong lesson. Ukraine and Iran both illustrate the folly of a country, no matter how powerful, attempting to win a war that for them is one of choice, but for the target is existential.
If China thinks the lesson from this is that Taiwan would be a walkover then it’s less strategically intelligent than we thought.
The thing is China is still, mostly, Xi. And Xi wants to reunify Taiwan with the mainland. And Xi is an old man in a hurry. And it's a very human failing to rationalise as possible, even likely, what you want to happen.
I think it's definitely a mistake to assume that the people involved will make optimal choices.
What this shows is that if Xi wants regime change in Taiwan it needs Chinese groundtroops which means Chinese body bags. US and Israeli strikes alone are not removing the Iranian regime.
Even then it is not guaranteed, Putin has sent groundtroops into Ukraine but still only captured about a quarter of the country for Russia
If modern warfare proves anything it is that if you’re the defending side, and you have no choice but to fight, you have some big advantages over the attacker. You don’t need to secure total victory, you just need to hurt the enemy until they stop.
TBF, you could make a reasonable case that was the lesson of the Battles of Verdun and the Somme.
And it was the lesson the French drew in building the Maginot Line...
I am not sure that is the lesson of those battles.
At Verdun the German plan was to take the fortress and then the French would exhaust themselves trying to retake what was more a prestige asset rather than a strategic one. In that drawn out battle it was mainly the French attacking and the Germans attriting them.
At the Somme the Geermans shifted from a fixed stronghold system of defence into a more dynamic mobile defence of lightly held forward trenches then counterattack
At Passchendale the British Imperial forces countered what they had struggled with at the Somme by moving to "bite and hold" rather than attempting a break through. They would take the forward German trenches then prepare for the counter attack and take defenders advantage.
In 1918 the Germans evolved the "Schosstruppen" approach of bypassing strongpoints and the Imperial forces moved to much more coordinated combined arms approaches with air, artillery, tanks and infantry closely co ordinated, thereby breaking the German Army in the battles of the 100 days, even breaking through the Hindenburg line fairly quickly.
The image of General Melchett is a powerful myth, but at vast cost both armies had figured out how to win battles.
We largely forgot these lessons by 1940 of course.
The nation with the strongest interest in reopening the strait, and with the military power to be able to try, is of course China.
If the US were to wash its hands of the disaster it has precipitated, then that leaves a vacuum which they might fill. And the "nations don't have allies, just interests" crowd might just start thinking about making common cause with them.
The Chinese leadership is evil, but rational. You can deal with them. The US leadership is evil, and insane.
That proves my point. What was completely unthinkable - China as a potential partner in place of the US - is becoming thinkable.
A pretty dismal state of affairs.
Carney's idea of a coalition of medium power democracies is a far more appealing one, but it's not something that seems to have much momentum.
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
As John McDonnell said it starts with an acorn and before you know it you're facing an oak tree.
John McDonnell is a stain on the Labour Party.
Gutless coward like Corbyn, Abbott, Long Bailey, Burgeon.
They cannot be allowed to regain influence. Should have been binned off long ago.
Really? You encourage me to leave and join the Greens, after 13 years in Parliament (not a member of any pressure group or consistently left-wing) and 50 years in the party, though I'm waiting for the local elections and any aftermath before deciding. Defining a party by exclusion is ultimately self-defeating, not least as once you start you end up excluding moderate people who disagree with you on anything.
I joined the Geens this week. I don't agree with every policy, but they are a breath of fresh air compared to the legacy parties.
Wahay. I don't share the view but that's good to hear. The thrust of your postings on everything bar sound money is compatible with the Greens.
Give credit to Iran here. Lobbing an IRBM at Diego Garcia is showing just how not demolished they are.
Trump now his two choices. The forever war. Or the everyone laughing at Trump forever capitulation.
Saw someone, somewhere, make the point that the humiliation of the US in this war shows that they would not be able to prevent China from conquering Taiwan (whether Taiwan would be able to is a separate question).
In this way Trump's humiliation over Iran in March 2026 mirrors Biden's humiliation over the fall of Kabul in summer 2021, which arguably convinced Putin the US wouldn't actively oppose an invasion of Ukraine (and in that he was right - Biden's response was to offer evacuation help to Zelensky, so Putin's misjudgement was of Zelensky and Ukraine, not Biden and the US).
I'm tentatively penciling in a Chinese invasion of Taiwan for just after Chinese New Year 2027. As a bonus the US will be bitterly divided over the outcome of the midterms, one way or another.
I cannot imagine a better window of opportunity for Xi.
Does any country other than China manufacture solar panels?
Xi would be learning precisely the wrong lesson. Ukraine and Iran both illustrate the folly of a country, no matter how powerful, attempting to win a war that for them is one of choice, but for the target is existential.
If China thinks the lesson from this is that Taiwan would be a walkover then it’s less strategically intelligent than we thought.
The thing is China is still, mostly, Xi. And Xi wants to reunify Taiwan with the mainland. And Xi is an old man in a hurry. And it's a very human failing to rationalise as possible, even likely, what you want to happen.
I think it's definitely a mistake to assume that the people involved will make optimal choices.
What this shows is that if Xi wants regime change in Taiwan it needs Chinese groundtroops which means Chinese body bags. US and Israeli strikes alone are not removing the Iranian regime.
Even then it is not guaranteed, Putin has sent groundtroops into Ukraine but still only captured about a quarter of the country for Russia
If modern warfare proves anything it is that if you’re the defending side, and you have no choice but to fight, you have some big advantages over the attacker. You don’t need to secure total victory, you just need to hurt the enemy until they stop.
TBF, you could make a reasonable case that was the lesson of the Battles of Verdun and the Somme.
And it was the lesson the French drew in building the Maginot Line...
I am not sure that is the lesson of those battles.
At Verdun the German plan was to take the fortress and then the French would exhaust themselves trying to retake what was more a prestige asset rather than a strategic one. In that drawn out battle it was mainly the French attacking and the Germans attriting them.
At the Somme the Geermans shifted from a fixed stronghold system of defence into a more dynamic mobile defence of lightly held forward trenches then counterattack
At Passchendale the British Imperial forces countered what they had struggled with at the Somme by moving to "bite and hold" rather than attempting a break through. They would take the forward German trenches then prepare for the counter attack and take defenders advantage.
In 1918 the Germans evolved the "Schosstruppen" approach of bypassing strongpoints and the Imperial forces moved to much more coordinated combined arms approaches with air, artillery, tanks and infantry closely co ordinated, thereby breaking the German Army in the battles of the 100 days, even breaking through the Hindenburg line fairly quickly.
The image of General Melchett is a powerful myth, but at vast cost both armies had figured out how to win battles.
We largely forgot these lessons by 1940 of course.
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
As John McDonnell said it starts with an acorn and before you know it you're facing an oak tree.
John McDonnell is a stain on the Labour Party.
Gutless coward like Corbyn, Abbott, Long Bailey, Burgeon.
They cannot be allowed to regain influence. Should have been binned off long ago.
Really? You encourage me to leave and join the Greens, after 13 years in Parliament (not a member of any pressure group or consistently left-wing) and 50 years in the party, though I'm waiting for the local elections and any aftermath before deciding. Defining a party by exclusion is ultimately self-defeating, not least as once you start you end up excluding moderate people who disagree with you on anything.
I joined the Geens this week. I don't agree with every policy, but they are a breath of fresh air compared to the legacy parties.
It clearly wasn't their fiscal continence which attracted you. What was it ?
No. But they do need members advocating for it.
It is the policies on social issues that convinced me to join.
An interesting sign of the times. Ukraine will stop sending recruits abroad for military training because western instructors lack experience in modern combat.
It's more to do with the unsustainable amount of AWOLs they get in foreign locations. Hundreds a time went missing in Spain. They still wanted to be trained by NATO Instructors (mainly French) because they can't take Ukrainian SNCOs off the front line to do it, they just want it done in Ukraine so gopniks can't leg it.
An interesting sign of the times. Ukraine will stop sending recruits abroad for military training because western instructors lack experience in modern combat.
They have the best army in Europe, now. Before long, they will be training everyone else.
They are already training those who are prepared to listen.
They’re in UAE and Saudi at the moment, training them on how to deal with Shaded drones.
The Shaheds are pretty unconventional weapons, they’re not particularly powerful directly as exploding devices, unless aimed at a fragile O&G facility, but primarily exist to saturate air defences. They’re car-sized and buzz along at only 100kts, and importantly only cost $50k each.
You take them out in the first instance either with other cheap drones or machine guns, only use conventional (scarce and expensive) air defences on them as a last resort. Patriot and THAAD are supposed to be for taking out incoming aircraft and missiles, not for relatively small drones unless they’re about to cause serious damage somewhere.
Hearing Trump's absolute refusal to accept that the Ukrainians have helped the US with drone defence in the Middle East makes clear *again* how deep-seated his personal animus against Zelensky and Ukraine is.
I think this bet is terrible, btw. Three weeks into the war, still fighting, yet 100% won, the US doesn't use Hormuz, yet gas prices are up, easy to keep it open, but the US can't do it alone. Even despite all of these massive contradictions Trump is able to keep the overwhelming support of his MAGA base.
I know I've been surprised that the war is still going, but it's clear that Trump is desperate for it to end (100% won is a tell) so I just can't see it dragging on for long enough for his base to finally recognise they've been had.
One thing that has surprised me about Trump47, and something that I was totally wrong about, is how much he likes a military misadventure.
Trump45, quite correctly, realised that overseas military interventions were a waste of everything and largely counterproductive. Now, he fucking loves them even when executing them is contrary to his interests. All that the SPO gets him are the good graces and unreliable largesse of Miriam Adelson and others of the Zionist Pro Max ilk.
Trump is just the front man. He delivered for the evangelicals (Roe v Wade) who financed him. Now it's the neocons. He's simply open to whoever pays him.
Venezuela was a smash and grab of resources. Iran was the next one with a proposed puppet government. Netanyahu went off-script and continues to do so. If Trump (and his backers) are trying to extract themselves or dumping it on their 'allies', its because they realise that Netanyahu is going full tilt until the October elections.
How come none of the media commentators say Saudis paid Trump for this SPO on Iran? Why the narrative he was only influenced by being placed in a creepy Zionist echo chamber?
House of Saud and Isreal being joined at the hip in wanting this SPO is never mentioned - and it’s all the money gifts to House of Trump from from House of Saud that actually bought him into it.
The nation with the strongest interest in reopening the strait, and with the military power to be able to try, is of course China.
If the US were to wash its hands of the disaster it has precipitated, then that leaves a vacuum which they might fill. And the "nations don't have allies, just interests" crowd might just start thinking about making common cause with them.
The Chinese leadership is evil, but rational. You can deal with them. The US leadership is evil, and insane.
That proves my point. What was completely unthinkable - China as a potential partner in place of the US - is becoming thinkable.
A pretty dismal state of affairs.
Carney's idea of a coalition of medium power democracies is a far more appealing one, but it's not something that seems to have much momentum.
Trump is like the scorpion, in the fable of the scorpion and the frog. He’ll stab you in the back, just because he can.
An interesting sign of the times. Ukraine will stop sending recruits abroad for military training because western instructors lack experience in modern combat.
When the war started there was lots of training on Salisbury plain near me. I came across some fresh trenches while on a walk not far from home. It's interesting to think that the Ukrainians are now the experts.
Give credit to Iran here. Lobbing an IRBM at Diego Garcia is showing just how not demolished they are.
Trump now his two choices. The forever war. Or the everyone laughing at Trump forever capitulation.
He has way more latitude than that. He can declare victory, withdraw US forces and pressure others to take the incoming to reopen the strait. Starmer and others will fold and do it before too long.
E2A: Trump only needs one of Starmer or Macron on board to get the other. Neither the UK nor France could bear the other getting the limelight and, who knows, it might all go brilliantly. I mean, it won't, but it might.
“I mean, it won't, but it might.”
I disagree. It’s bound to go brilliantly and it’s the best quickest option on the table.
Once the US leave the region and stop bombing and leave it to us, it’s easypeasy. We simply chat to the Iranians and do a deal with them.
For the new towns names, why not go with much loved fictitious British places like Blandings or Walmington-on-Sea, or Walford or Emmerdale? Trumpton is probably out.
Midsomer, perhaps.
That name for me has a sinister vibe to it. I associate it with brutal murders and Wicker Man type activities. Wouldn't visit.
And you might run into John Nettles and nobody wants that
My mum likes him.
He used to be with writer Rose Tremain, some many years ago...
Midsoner Norton is not far from me - always crack a joke about murder rates, although the fictional version is home counties.
Elizabethtown is a little colonial (and wasn’t there a terrible zombie movie called that).
Attleeton and Athelstan are a little pretentious.
Pankhurst and Seacole work (although the latter should be far inland just to confuse future generations)
Let's be honest, those have only be selected because they needed to cover off gender and race: (1) Pankhurst is considered a feminist icon, and, (2) Mary Seacole was black and around in Victorian times.
I can only assume a Turingville is in the offing to cover off the "LGBT community".
Yes they are rubbish names for a dozen reasons, but mostly because these names have no local historical connection.
Naming a town after Hardy in Dorset, Nelson in west Norfolk, Elgar in Worcestershire etc has a sense of place, but as far as I can see none of these names do.
Declare victory in Iran, negotiate with whoever is left to clear the Strait of Hormuz. Lean on Bibi not to bomb that person.
And here's why he might want to do it....
The real problem with sailing through the Strait is not whizz-bangs but insurance. If America underwrites tankers, it can restore world trade and more importantly, permanently capture marine insurance from Lloyds of London for the benefit of grateful American insurance tycoons willing to pay tribute to The Donald.
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
As John McDonnell said it starts with an acorn and before you know it you're facing an oak tree.
John McDonnell is a stain on the Labour Party.
Gutless coward like Corbyn, Abbott, Long Bailey, Burgeon.
They cannot be allowed to regain influence. Should have been binned off long ago.
Really? You encourage me to leave and join the Greens, after 13 years in Parliament (not a member of any pressure group or consistently left-wing) and 50 years in the party, though I'm waiting for the local elections and any aftermath before deciding. Defining a party by exclusion is ultimately self-defeating, not least as once you start you end up excluding moderate people who disagree with you on anything.
I joined the Geens this week. I don't agree with every policy, but they are a breath of fresh air compared to the legacy parties.
For the new towns names, why not go with much loved fictitious British places like Blandings or Walmington-on-Sea, or Walford or Emmerdale? Trumpton is probably out.
Midsomer, perhaps.
That name for me has a sinister vibe to it. I associate it with brutal murders and Wicker Man type activities. Wouldn't visit.
And you might run into John Nettles and nobody wants that
My mum likes him.
He used to be with writer Rose Tremain, some many years ago...
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
As John McDonnell said it starts with an acorn and before you know it you're facing an oak tree.
John McDonnell is a stain on the Labour Party.
Gutless coward like Corbyn, Abbott, Long Bailey, Burgeon.
They cannot be allowed to regain influence. Should have been binned off long ago.
Really? You encourage me to leave and join the Greens, after 13 years in Parliament (not a member of any pressure group or consistently left-wing) and 50 years in the party, though I'm waiting for the local elections and any aftermath before deciding. Defining a party by exclusion is ultimately self-defeating, not least as once you start you end up excluding moderate people who disagree with you on anything.
I joined the Geens this week. I don't agree with every policy, but they are a breath of fresh air compared to the legacy parties.
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
As John McDonnell said it starts with an acorn and before you know it you're facing an oak tree.
John McDonnell is a stain on the Labour Party.
Gutless coward like Corbyn, Abbott, Long Bailey, Burgeon.
They cannot be allowed to regain influence. Should have been binned off long ago.
Really? You encourage me to leave and join the Greens, after 13 years in Parliament (not a member of any pressure group or consistently left-wing) and 50 years in the party, though I'm waiting for the local elections and any aftermath before deciding. Defining a party by exclusion is ultimately self-defeating, not least as once you start you end up excluding moderate people who disagree with you on anything.
I joined the Geens this week. I don't agree with every policy, but they are a breath of fresh air compared to the legacy parties.
For the new towns names, why not go with much loved fictitious British places like Blandings or Walmington-on-Sea, or Walford or Emmerdale? Trumpton is probably out.
Midsomer, perhaps.
That name for me has a sinister vibe to it. I associate it with brutal murders and Wicker Man type activities. Wouldn't visit.
And you might run into John Nettles and nobody wants that
Give credit to Iran here. Lobbing an IRBM at Diego Garcia is showing just how not demolished they are.
Trump now his two choices. The forever war. Or the everyone laughing at Trump forever capitulation.
Saw someone, somewhere, make the point that the humiliation of the US in this war shows that they would not be able to prevent China from conquering Taiwan (whether Taiwan would be able to is a separate question).
In this way Trump's humiliation over Iran in March 2026 mirrors Biden's humiliation over the fall of Kabul in summer 2021, which arguably convinced Putin the US wouldn't actively oppose an invasion of Ukraine (and in that he was right - Biden's response was to offer evacuation help to Zelensky, so Putin's misjudgement was of Zelensky and Ukraine, not Biden and the US).
I'm tentatively penciling in a Chinese invasion of Taiwan for just after Chinese New Year 2027. As a bonus the US will be bitterly divided over the outcome of the midterms, one way or another.
I cannot imagine a better window of opportunity for Xi.
Does any country other than China manufacture solar panels?
Xi would be learning precisely the wrong lesson. Ukraine and Iran both illustrate the folly of a country, no matter how powerful, attempting to win a war that for them is one of choice, but for the target is existential.
If China thinks the lesson from this is that Taiwan would be a walkover then it’s less strategically intelligent than we thought.
The thing is China is still, mostly, Xi. And Xi wants to reunify Taiwan with the mainland. And Xi is an old man in a hurry. And it's a very human failing to rationalise as possible, even likely, what you want to happen.
I think it's definitely a mistake to assume that the people involved will make optimal choices.
What this shows is that if Xi wants regime change in Taiwan it needs Chinese groundtroops which means Chinese body bags. US and Israeli strikes alone are not removing the Iranian regime.
Even then it is not guaranteed, Putin has sent groundtroops into Ukraine but still only captured about a quarter of the country for Russia
If modern warfare proves anything it is that if you’re the defending side, and you have no choice but to fight, you have some big advantages over the attacker. You don’t need to secure total victory, you just need to hurt the enemy until they stop.
TBF, you could make a reasonable case that was the lesson of the Battles of Verdun and the Somme.
And it was the lesson the French drew in building the Maginot Line...
I am not sure that is the lesson of those battles.
At Verdun the German plan was to take the fortress and then the French would exhaust themselves trying to retake what was more a prestige asset rather than a strategic one. In that drawn out battle it was mainly the French attacking and the Germans attriting them.
At the Somme the Geermans shifted from a fixed stronghold system of defence into a more dynamic mobile defence of lightly held forward trenches then counterattack
At Passchendale the British Imperial forces countered what they had struggled with at the Somme by moving to "bite and hold" rather than attempting a break through. They would take the forward German trenches then prepare for the counter attack and take defenders advantage.
In 1918 the Germans evolved the "Schosstruppen" approach of bypassing strongpoints and the Imperial forces moved to much more coordinated combined arms approaches with air, artillery, tanks and infantry closely co ordinated, thereby breaking the German Army in the battles of the 100 days, even breaking through the Hindenburg line fairly quickly.
The image of General Melchett is a powerful myth, but at vast cost both armies had figured out how to win battles.
We largely forgot these lessons by 1940 of course.
The last bit isn't true. After the failure of 1940 most British battles were essentially 1918 style battles. Surprise, hurricane bombardment, even creeping barrages. Monty basically re ran the hundred days.
EXCLUSIVE: Tory ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel BLOCKED the FBI from quizzing Andrew over Epstein
Priti Patel prevented the FBI from questioning Andrew about his links to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, despite officers having 'documentary evidence suggesting he knew about sex trafficking'
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
As John McDonnell said it starts with an acorn and before you know it you're facing an oak tree.
John McDonnell is a stain on the Labour Party.
Gutless coward like Corbyn, Abbott, Long Bailey, Burgeon.
They cannot be allowed to regain influence. Should have been binned off long ago.
Really? You encourage me to leave and join the Greens, after 13 years in Parliament (not a member of any pressure group or consistently left-wing) and 50 years in the party, though I'm waiting for the local elections and any aftermath before deciding. Defining a party by exclusion is ultimately self-defeating, not least as once you start you end up excluding moderate people who disagree with you on anything.
I joined the Geens this week. I don't agree with every policy, but they are a breath of fresh air compared to the legacy parties.
If enough people vote Green we can look forward to another couple of decades of right wing Government. Not that this current lot have been anything other than continuity Sunak.
Zack does scare me as someone so far out of his depth but with an over confidence that verges on the cavalier.
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
As John McDonnell said it starts with an acorn and before you know it you're facing an oak tree.
John McDonnell is a stain on the Labour Party.
Gutless coward like Corbyn, Abbott, Long Bailey, Burgeon.
They cannot be allowed to regain influence. Should have been binned off long ago.
Really? You encourage me to leave and join the Greens, after 13 years in Parliament (not a member of any pressure group or consistently left-wing) and 50 years in the party, though I'm waiting for the local elections and any aftermath before deciding. Defining a party by exclusion is ultimately self-defeating, not least as once you start you end up excluding moderate people who disagree with you on anything.
I joined the Geens this week. I don't agree with every policy, but they are a breath of fresh air compared to the legacy parties.
If enough people vote Green we can look forward to another couple of decades of right wing Government. Not that this current lot have been anything other than continuity Sunak.
Zack does scare me as someone so far out of his depth but with an over confidence that verges on the cavalier.
If only there were some recent examples of the risks of such politicians surely the public could make wiser choices.....
Give credit to Iran here. Lobbing an IRBM at Diego Garcia is showing just how not demolished they are.
Trump now his two choices. The forever war. Or the everyone laughing at Trump forever capitulation.
He has way more latitude than that. He can declare victory, withdraw US forces and pressure others to take the incoming to reopen the strait. Starmer and others will fold and do it before too long.
E2A: Trump only needs one of Starmer or Macron on board to get the other. Neither the UK nor France could bear the other getting the limelight and, who knows, it might all go brilliantly. I mean, it won't, but it might.
“I mean, it won't, but it might.”
I disagree. It’s bound to go brilliantly and it’s the best quickest option on the table.
Once the US leave the region and stop bombing and leave it to us, it’s easypeasy. We simply chat to the Iranians and do a deal with them.
The Iranians, or at least the mullahs, haven't forgiven us yet for our shady dealings at the time of their revolution. And for sitting on that money for the tanks for which they eventually freed Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
Give credit to Iran here. Lobbing an IRBM at Diego Garcia is showing just how not demolished they are.
Trump now his two choices. The forever war. Or the everyone laughing at Trump forever capitulation.
He has way more latitude than that. He can declare victory, withdraw US forces and pressure others to take the incoming to reopen the strait. Starmer and others will fold and do it before too long.
E2A: Trump only needs one of Starmer or Macron on board to get the other. Neither the UK nor France could bear the other getting the limelight and, who knows, it might all go brilliantly. I mean, it won't, but it might.
“I mean, it won't, but it might.”
I disagree. It’s bound to go brilliantly and it’s the best quickest option on the table.
Once the US leave the region and stop bombing and leave it to us, it’s easypeasy. We simply chat to the Iranians and do a deal with them.
The Iranians, or at least the mullahs, haven't forgiven us yet for our shady dealings at the time of their revolution. And for sitting on that money for the tanks for which they eventually freed Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
Have they not recently acquired two more British hostages?
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
As John McDonnell said it starts with an acorn and before you know it you're facing an oak tree.
John McDonnell is a stain on the Labour Party.
Gutless coward like Corbyn, Abbott, Long Bailey, Burgeon.
They cannot be allowed to regain influence. Should have been binned off long ago.
Really? You encourage me to leave and join the Greens, after 13 years in Parliament (not a member of any pressure group or consistently left-wing) and 50 years in the party, though I'm waiting for the local elections and any aftermath before deciding. Defining a party by exclusion is ultimately self-defeating, not least as once you start you end up excluding moderate people who disagree with you on anything.
I joined the Geens this week. I don't agree with every policy, but they are a breath of fresh air compared to the legacy parties.
If enough people vote Green we can look forward to another couple of decades of right wing Government. Not that this current lot have been anything other than continuity Sunak.
Zack does scare me as someone so far out of his depth but with an over confidence that verges on the cavalier.
If only there were some recent examples of the risks of such politicians surely the public could make wiser choices.....
Maybe Zack too can come up with the "most Conservative budget since 1986" without OBR oversight, to paraphrase Nigel Farage.
Give credit to Iran here. Lobbing an IRBM at Diego Garcia is showing just how not demolished they are.
Trump now his two choices. The forever war. Or the everyone laughing at Trump forever capitulation.
Saw someone, somewhere, make the point that the humiliation of the US in this war shows that they would not be able to prevent China from conquering Taiwan (whether Taiwan would be able to is a separate question).
In this way Trump's humiliation over Iran in March 2026 mirrors Biden's humiliation over the fall of Kabul in summer 2021, which arguably convinced Putin the US wouldn't actively oppose an invasion of Ukraine (and in that he was right - Biden's response was to offer evacuation help to Zelensky, so Putin's misjudgement was of Zelensky and Ukraine, not Biden and the US).
I'm tentatively penciling in a Chinese invasion of Taiwan for just after Chinese New Year 2027. As a bonus the US will be bitterly divided over the outcome of the midterms, one way or another.
I cannot imagine a better window of opportunity for Xi.
Does any country other than China manufacture solar panels?
Xi would be learning precisely the wrong lesson. Ukraine and Iran both illustrate the folly of a country, no matter how powerful, attempting to win a war that for them is one of choice, but for the target is existential.
If China thinks the lesson from this is that Taiwan would be a walkover then it’s less strategically intelligent than we thought.
The thing is China is still, mostly, Xi. And Xi wants to reunify Taiwan with the mainland. And Xi is an old man in a hurry. And it's a very human failing to rationalise as possible, even likely, what you want to happen.
I think it's definitely a mistake to assume that the people involved will make optimal choices.
What this shows is that if Xi wants regime change in Taiwan it needs Chinese groundtroops which means Chinese body bags. US and Israeli strikes alone are not removing the Iranian regime.
Even then it is not guaranteed, Putin has sent groundtroops into Ukraine but still only captured about a quarter of the country for Russia
If modern warfare proves anything it is that if you’re the defending side, and you have no choice but to fight, you have some big advantages over the attacker. You don’t need to secure total victory, you just need to hurt the enemy until they stop.
TBF, you could make a reasonable case that was the lesson of the Battles of Verdun and the Somme.
And it was the lesson the French drew in building the Maginot Line...
I am not sure that is the lesson of those battles.
At Verdun the German plan was to take the fortress and then the French would exhaust themselves trying to retake what was more a prestige asset rather than a strategic one. In that drawn out battle it was mainly the French attacking and the Germans attriting them.
At the Somme the Geermans shifted from a fixed stronghold system of defence into a more dynamic mobile defence of lightly held forward trenches then counterattack
At Passchendale the British Imperial forces countered what they had struggled with at the Somme by moving to "bite and hold" rather than attempting a break through. They would take the forward German trenches then prepare for the counter attack and take defenders advantage.
In 1918 the Germans evolved the "Schosstruppen" approach of bypassing strongpoints and the Imperial forces moved to much more coordinated combined arms approaches with air, artillery, tanks and infantry closely co ordinated, thereby breaking the German Army in the battles of the 100 days, even breaking through the Hindenburg line fairly quickly.
The image of General Melchett is a powerful myth, but at vast cost both armies had figured out how to win battles.
We largely forgot these lessons by 1940 of course.
The last bit isn't true. After the failure of 1940 most British battles were essentially 1918 style battles. Surprise, hurricane bombardment, even creeping barrages. Monty basically re ran the hundred days.
Yes, Monty's successful battles (El Alamein, D day) were bassically 1918 revisited. When he tried something different like Market Garden it was a major defeat.
What we failed to do in the interwar period was to do what the Germans realised. Schosstruppen plus careful combined arms integration was how the Germans rampaged across europe in 39-41. They did not have superior tanks or aircraft in either quality or numbers, but did have the winning formula for restoring war of manouvre.
Patton was the only commander who really got the formula on the western front, with several Soviet generals getting it too. Bagration was perhaps the finest example there.
Give credit to Iran here. Lobbing an IRBM at Diego Garcia is showing just how not demolished they are.
Trump now his two choices. The forever war. Or the everyone laughing at Trump forever capitulation.
Saw someone, somewhere, make the point that the humiliation of the US in this war shows that they would not be able to prevent China from conquering Taiwan (whether Taiwan would be able to is a separate question).
In this way Trump's humiliation over Iran in March 2026 mirrors Biden's humiliation over the fall of Kabul in summer 2021, which arguably convinced Putin the US wouldn't actively oppose an invasion of Ukraine (and in that he was right - Biden's response was to offer evacuation help to Zelensky, so Putin's misjudgement was of Zelensky and Ukraine, not Biden and the US).
I'm tentatively penciling in a Chinese invasion of Taiwan for just after Chinese New Year 2027. As a bonus the US will be bitterly divided over the outcome of the midterms, one way or another.
I cannot imagine a better window of opportunity for Xi.
Does any country other than China manufacture solar panels?
Xi would be learning precisely the wrong lesson. Ukraine and Iran both illustrate the folly of a country, no matter how powerful, attempting to win a war that for them is one of choice, but for the target is existential.
If China thinks the lesson from this is that Taiwan would be a walkover then it’s less strategically intelligent than we thought.
The thing is China is still, mostly, Xi. And Xi wants to reunify Taiwan with the mainland. And Xi is an old man in a hurry. And it's a very human failing to rationalise as possible, even likely, what you want to happen.
I think it's definitely a mistake to assume that the people involved will make optimal choices.
What this shows is that if Xi wants regime change in Taiwan it needs Chinese groundtroops which means Chinese body bags. US and Israeli strikes alone are not removing the Iranian regime.
Even then it is not guaranteed, Putin has sent groundtroops into Ukraine but still only captured about a quarter of the country for Russia
If modern warfare proves anything it is that if you’re the defending side, and you have no choice but to fight, you have some big advantages over the attacker. You don’t need to secure total victory, you just need to hurt the enemy until they stop.
TBF, you could make a reasonable case that was the lesson of the Battles of Verdun and the Somme.
And it was the lesson the French drew in building the Maginot Line...
The balance shifts back and forth over time, between attack and defence, as it does between ranged weapons and armour. The attacker needs to keep mobile, whereas the defender needs to keep him bogged down, trying to take fixed positions.
The Great Man school of history may be discredited, but there is something to be said for the Incompetent Man school. There are occasions where you get someone in command who would be better suited cleaning latrines, and who causes utter catastrophe.
Maurice Gamelin, the man who thought that the radio was evil, was one such.
As was Wee Jock Poo Plong McPlop, who cleaned the latrines in Aberdeen.
EXCLUSIVE: Tory ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel BLOCKED the FBI from quizzing Andrew over Epstein
Priti Patel prevented the FBI from questioning Andrew about his links to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, despite officers having 'documentary evidence suggesting he knew about sex trafficking'
If Kemi hasn't sacked Pritti Patel and Timothy Nick by Monday she is showling gutless cowadice!
I really would like to run some cod psychology on you to understand why you are so obsessed by Kemi Badenoch.
Because she's a lying gobshite
Robert? Is that you?
This is just a throwaway line from the Daily Mirror who didn’t even use it on front page, so I’m suspicious it’s got either truth or any legs. However.
Maybe the left are doing this to stop Conservative fun with the Mandelson stuff.
At a PMQs Kemi did call the Labour Party the Peado Party, in one of those where her own colleagues look away and roll their eyes. But with this story put about by the Mirror the left wing establishment are trying to introduce “hypocrisy” to any mention or discussion of Mandelson with a “both main parties are the Peado Protection Party”.
Kemi now struggles to mention the credit crisis from Trumps war because of her initial support for it, and with Patel still on front bench, struggles to talk about Mandelson if both parties have form for Peado Protection.
The nation with the strongest interest in reopening the strait, and with the military power to be able to try, is of course China.
If the US were to wash its hands of the disaster it has precipitated, then that leaves a vacuum which they might fill. And the "nations don't have allies, just interests" crowd might just start thinking about making common cause with them.
The Chinese leadership is evil, but rational. You can deal with them. The US leadership is evil, and insane.
I don't think the Chinese or Iranian leadership are comparable to the US leadership in the evil stakes.
Trump is breaching boundaries and taboos he never should have in a Western country, which shocks us to the core, but his regime isn't totalitarian.
Give credit to Iran here. Lobbing an IRBM at Diego Garcia is showing just how not demolished they are.
Trump now his two choices. The forever war. Or the everyone laughing at Trump forever capitulation.
He has way more latitude than that. He can declare victory, withdraw US forces and pressure others to take the incoming to reopen the strait. Starmer and others will fold and do it before too long.
E2A: Trump only needs one of Starmer or Macron on board to get the other. Neither the UK nor France could bear the other getting the limelight and, who knows, it might all go brilliantly. I mean, it won't, but it might.
“I mean, it won't, but it might.”
I disagree. It’s bound to go brilliantly and it’s the best quickest option on the table.
Once the US leave the region and stop bombing and leave it to us, it’s easypeasy. We simply chat to the Iranians and do a deal with them.
The Iranians, or at least the mullahs, haven't forgiven us yet for our shady dealings at the time of their revolution. And for sitting on that money for the tanks for which they eventually freed Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
Have they not recently acquired two more British hostages?
Indeed they have. A couple foolish enough to try to cross Iran without escort. I gather it wasn't too dangerous to go in an escorted party, but no way should you go on your own. Even with, as this couple had, an official guide.
Give credit to Iran here. Lobbing an IRBM at Diego Garcia is showing just how not demolished they are.
Trump now his two choices. The forever war. Or the everyone laughing at Trump forever capitulation.
Saw someone, somewhere, make the point that the humiliation of the US in this war shows that they would not be able to prevent China from conquering Taiwan (whether Taiwan would be able to is a separate question).
In this way Trump's humiliation over Iran in March 2026 mirrors Biden's humiliation over the fall of Kabul in summer 2021, which arguably convinced Putin the US wouldn't actively oppose an invasion of Ukraine (and in that he was right - Biden's response was to offer evacuation help to Zelensky, so Putin's misjudgement was of Zelensky and Ukraine, not Biden and the US).
I'm tentatively penciling in a Chinese invasion of Taiwan for just after Chinese New Year 2027. As a bonus the US will be bitterly divided over the outcome of the midterms, one way or another.
I cannot imagine a better window of opportunity for Xi.
Does any country other than China manufacture solar panels?
Xi would be learning precisely the wrong lesson. Ukraine and Iran both illustrate the folly of a country, no matter how powerful, attempting to win a war that for them is one of choice, but for the target is existential.
If China thinks the lesson from this is that Taiwan would be a walkover then it’s less strategically intelligent than we thought.
The thing is China is still, mostly, Xi. And Xi wants to reunify Taiwan with the mainland. And Xi is an old man in a hurry. And it's a very human failing to rationalise as possible, even likely, what you want to happen.
I think it's definitely a mistake to assume that the people involved will make optimal choices.
What this shows is that if Xi wants regime change in Taiwan it needs Chinese groundtroops which means Chinese body bags. US and Israeli strikes alone are not removing the Iranian regime.
Even then it is not guaranteed, Putin has sent groundtroops into Ukraine but still only captured about a quarter of the country for Russia
If modern warfare proves anything it is that if you’re the defending side, and you have no choice but to fight, you have some big advantages over the attacker. You don’t need to secure total victory, you just need to hurt the enemy until they stop.
TBF, you could make a reasonable case that was the lesson of the Battles of Verdun and the Somme.
And it was the lesson the French drew in building the Maginot Line...
The balance shifts back and forth over time, between attack and defence, as it does between ranged weapons and armour. The attacker needs to keep mobile, whereas the defender needs to keep him bogged down, trying to take fixed positions.
The Great Man school of history may be discredited, but there is something to be said for the Incompetent Man school. There are occasions where you get someone in command who would be better suited cleaning latrines, and who causes utter catastrophe.
Maurice Gamelin, the man who thought that the radio was evil, was one such.
As was Wee Jock Poo Plong McPlop, who cleaned the latrines in Aberdeen.
If you tether yourself to an incontinent donkey you're going to get showered. To the great British public Starmer has joinied Trumps madcap army.. The fact that he's been assigned the job of cleaning the toilets just makes us look worse.
Would Carney or Macron have volunteered?
You are facing down an economic event of Biblical proportions thanks to Trump and Bibi's ghost. I can't see that doing nothing to defend access to the straits is an option. How to strategize that without loss of military personnel is quite the conundrum.
Trump wants to stop and declare victory. Iran wants him to stop so they can declare victory. So I see a Stop coming soon. Certainly hope so. After that, who knows, probably a lasting mess, but I'm keen to reach that stage. Having no plan didn't stop him starting the war and by the same token it shouldn't stop him stopping it. Going to war with no plan and then not stopping until you do have a plan is a recipe for ongoing mayhem. It's madness. Esp since it becomes harder to plan things once conflict has commenced. So c'mon Donald, turn a bug into a feature and just stop 'obliterating' Iran and move on to Cuba or more pretend Ukraine talks or fixing the midterms or whatever. Just be you.
There's no point in anyone providing plans for Trump as he has neither the patience or fixity of purpose to see any through.
Turns out the attack on DG was a few days ago and Starmer couldnt be bothered to inform parliament or us.
Nor did the US. But they were busy doing their Japan bombing jokes. 💥
There must have been some security reason for block out on it. Like if an allied boat is hit and sinking, we won’t be watching it live on TV, news will be blocked out about it. China keen on anything we say about it, so we have to be careful what we say,
You are right, we need more details. How close did they come to success? Are we even sure they didn’t have some success? Would we even ever be told if it was partially successful? I don’t think so.
Comments
So we have Coleridge Taylor Town.
The only realistic way to open the strait is through negotiation with Tehran. In which case bombing Iran is unlikely to help.
I just do not see this as any different to any UK home secretary including Mahmoud
Is there any precedent for a foreign FBI interviewing any member of the royal family here in the UK
Patel upsets the left but on this I just cannot see it
Gutless coward like Corbyn, Abbott, Long Bailey, Burgeon.
They cannot be allowed to regain influence. Should have been binned off long ago.
How many they muster by May is another question......
If the shoe was on the other foot, Patel would be all over it.
She clearly has very serious questions to answer as does Badenoch if she doesn't remove her.
Most of the world just thinks the US looks ridiculous
London is 4,400 kilometres way from Iran
Let that sink in
Starmer promises increased defence spending but no defence review yet and no agreement with the treasury
Trump has created the most extraordinary and dangerous crisis for he wes,t and in particular UK and European defence spending requiring billions of immediate invesrtment
Labour and the treasury are complaining about how unlucky they are, but welcome to the world of Johnson and the conservatives who saw covid and the war in Ukraine erupt on their watch and we all saw what happened in 2024
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/20/uk-ministers-begin-contingency-planning-amid-fears-for-economic-effects-of-iran-war?CMP=share_btn_url
https://assets.londonist.com/uploads/2022/06/fictionallocationsengland.jpg
Venezuela made him think it's easy.
You have been utterly obsessed with Badenoch and Patel and many will ask what is your problem ?
Badenoch is not going to take advice from the left, including yourself, and no amount of howling in the wind is going to change that
By and large, defenders don’t just throw in the towel, for a quiet life. Being attacked tends to strengthen morale and resolve, rather than breaking it.
I don’t doubt that an invasion of Taiwan would result in appalling losses of men and equipment for China. Maybe they’d still win, but it would be an appalling waste.
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/ukraine-stop-sending-troops-abroad-training/
Delightful though it would be to see the fat old creep banged up, I can see why he refused and also why the Home Secretary would not wish to get involved given the legal complexities that would arise if they tried that on an interview conducted via the Met.
Anyone focussing on the positives and negatives of this for Venezuela itself is missing the point.
This is the first shot fired in a new era of US imperialism. There is a practically zero percent chance that Trump will stop here after things have (seemingly) gone so smoothly.
For many years on this forum you have been the most interesting and decent poster never turning to foul language or personal abuse and actually provided one of the most gobsmacking and amusing moments in your life and though we are politically a distance apart, your love of animal welfare is very much a cause for our family and the Welsh government's ban on greyhound racing has been well received
You were an excellent MP and a wise advisor and if anyone could persuade me to your views you can
Compare and contrast that with @Brixian59 who makes nastiness an artform and simply just does not understand how much damage he causes for is own political views
I am sure that Taiwan has invested heavily in seadrones and anti-shipping missiles, so an amphibious landing would very likely be a fiasco.
A naval blockade of Taiwan would be possible, but no quick win.
And it was the lesson the French drew in building the Maginot Line...
It would be interesting to watch.
Or eliminate them.
No obvious downside...
The Great Man school of history may be discredited, but there is something to be said for the Incompetent Man school. There are occasions where you get someone in command who would be better suited cleaning latrines, and who causes utter catastrophe.
Maurice Gamelin, the man who thought that the radio was evil, was one such.
If the US were to wash its hands of the disaster it has precipitated, then that leaves a vacuum which they might fill.
And the "nations don't have allies, just interests" crowd might just start thinking about making common cause with them.
Ultimate weapon
What was it ?
At Verdun the German plan was to take the fortress and then the French would exhaust themselves trying to retake what was more a prestige asset rather than a strategic one. In that drawn out battle it was mainly the French attacking and the Germans attriting them.
At the Somme the Geermans shifted from a fixed stronghold system of defence into a more dynamic mobile defence of lightly held forward trenches then counterattack
At Passchendale the British Imperial forces countered what they had struggled with at the Somme by moving to "bite and hold" rather than attempting a break through. They would take the forward German trenches then prepare for the counter attack and take defenders advantage.
In 1918 the Germans evolved the "Schosstruppen" approach of bypassing strongpoints and the Imperial forces moved to much more coordinated combined arms approaches with air, artillery, tanks and infantry closely co ordinated, thereby breaking the German Army in the battles of the 100 days, even breaking through the Hindenburg line fairly quickly.
The image of General Melchett is a powerful myth, but at vast cost both armies had figured out how to win battles.
We largely forgot these lessons by 1940 of course.
What was completely unthinkable - China as a potential partner in place of the US - is becoming thinkable.
A pretty dismal state of affairs.
Carney's idea of a coalition of medium power democracies is a far more appealing one, but it's not something that seems to have much momentum.
It is the policies on social issues that convinced me to join.
The Shaheds are pretty unconventional weapons, they’re not particularly powerful directly as exploding devices, unless aimed at a fragile O&G facility, but primarily exist to saturate air defences. They’re car-sized and buzz along at only 100kts, and importantly only cost $50k each.
You take them out in the first instance either with other cheap drones or machine guns, only use conventional (scarce and expensive) air defences on them as a last resort. Patriot and THAAD are supposed to be for taking out incoming aircraft and missiles, not for relatively small drones unless they’re about to cause serious damage somewhere.
House of Saud and Isreal being joined at the hip in wanting this SPO is never mentioned - and it’s all the money gifts to House of Trump from from House of Saud that actually bought him into it.
I disagree. It’s bound to go brilliantly and it’s the best quickest option on the table.
Once the US leave the region and stop bombing and leave it to us, it’s easypeasy. We simply chat to the Iranians and do a deal with them.
Declare victory in Iran, negotiate with whoever is left to clear the Strait of Hormuz. Lean on Bibi not to bomb that person.
And here's why he might want to do it....
The real problem with sailing through the Strait is not whizz-bangs but insurance. If America underwrites tankers, it can restore world trade and more importantly, permanently capture marine insurance from Lloyds of London for the benefit of grateful American insurance tycoons willing to pay tribute to The Donald.
Follow the money.
* Sorry, I squeezed that one out last week too.
(Actually fat finger syndrome while gardening)
Zack does scare me as someone so far out of his depth but with an over confidence that verges on the cavalier.
Lickenham
Fuxbridge
Pants Hill
Shagenham
What we failed to do in the interwar period was to do what the Germans realised. Schosstruppen plus careful combined arms integration was how the Germans rampaged across europe in 39-41. They did not have superior tanks or aircraft in either quality or numbers, but did have the winning formula for restoring war of manouvre.
Patton was the only commander who really got the formula on the western front, with several Soviet generals getting it too. Bagration was perhaps the finest example there.
Maybe the left are doing this to stop Conservative fun with the Mandelson stuff.
At a PMQs Kemi did call the Labour Party the Peado Party, in one of those where her own colleagues look away and roll their eyes. But with this story put about by the Mirror the left wing establishment are trying to introduce “hypocrisy” to any mention or discussion of Mandelson with a “both main parties are the Peado Protection Party”.
Kemi now struggles to mention the credit crisis from Trumps war because of her initial support for it, and with Patel still on front bench, struggles to talk about Mandelson if both parties have form for Peado Protection.
That’s the game being played isn’t it?
Trump is breaching boundaries and taboos he never should have in a Western country, which shocks us to the core, but his regime isn't totalitarian.
https://youtu.be/mg0O5gBopzs?si=RU8DM1ScALLNbT_Q
There must have been some security reason for block out on it. Like if an allied boat is hit and sinking, we won’t be watching it live on TV, news will be blocked out about it. China keen on anything we say about it, so we have to be careful what we say,
You are right, we need more details. How close did they come to success? Are we even sure they didn’t have some success? Would we even ever be told if it was partially successful? I don’t think so.