Reform may have well peaked and is falling . These Tory defectors may wish they hadn’t defected came the next GE.
On the other hand they will get a huge publicity boost when they gain several hundred council seats, take over some more councils and become the opposition in Scotland and Wales. Even if they perform below what us politics nerds regard as expectations, they will still get a huge publicity boost. And Pollcheck reports they are still a couple of percent above where they were this time last year.
Depends on the overall results. They need 'wins' - NEV? Probably, overall wards? Maybe/probably. But they'll likely fall short in Wales, i think they'll finish 3rd or 4th in Scotland and similar in London. So the picture will be much less convincing than last year and the spin will be 'falling back from heights'/'not sealing the deal'
Steven Swinford (PolEd at The Times) with a transcript of McSweeney’s 999 call.
No mention at all of who he works for, and gives a personal email and address outside London, but he does say he called ‘work’ to have them track the phone.
If "them" can track the phone it implies it's under an MDM, not a regular user account, because in that case "he" would have to track the phone. If an MDM is running on a civil service issued phone I would be amazed if it's not enforcing a regular full backup, and it it isn't then it's almost certainly breaking regulations as is.
If we're really lucky we might even get a de facto lockdown
Huge energy price rises pile pressure on British companies
Warning of businesses going under as cost of gas set to rise by as much as 80 per cent, while electricity bills to increase by up to 30 per cent
Businesses across the UK are facing “eye-watering” rises in their energy bills because of the conflict in the Middle East, analysis for The Times suggests.
Unlike households, companies are not insulated from volatility in gas and electricity prices, which have almost doubled since the Iran war began.
The problem is particularly acute for the thousands of companies that fix their annual price tariff at the start of the financial year in April and will face an immediate sharp rise in their bills.
Analysis by the energy consultancy Cornwall Insight found that as a result of the conflict, business users’ electricity bills would rise by up to 30 per cent, while the cost of gas could go up by as much as 80 per cent. This would mean that a business such as a larger retail and leisure site, on an average 12-month electricity contract, would have an annual bill of £578,000 — £95,000 more than early last month.
For gas, bills have risen by £376,000, reaching just over £1.02 million a year, an increase of nearly 60 per cent, based on the latest wholesale prices.
On Tuesday Wael Sawan, the chief executive of Shell, warned that Europe risked fuel shortages as soon as next month. At an industry conference in Houston, Texas, he said the global oil and gas supply squeeze had already forced parts of Asia to cut energy consumption and that the “ripple effect” threatened to spread west within days.
Depressing. I’d much rather businesses were given some kind of some support - low interest government loans or similar - than handouts to people who can shoulder this. Loans that could bd used to install solar, heat pumps, batteries.
I include myself in this. We save for emergencies so can weather this out. We do huge mileage each year, but a lot of that is social, weekend driving that we can cut back on. We don’t need any help from the government.
OTOH , we don’t use much gas because we live in an energy-efficient flat, appropriate for two young-ish adults. I’m not sure why people like me should bail out those in big, detached houses. They’ve made their choice.
If only spongers on benefits are getting the help I doubt many will be in big detached houses , once again telling that you spew hatred on a handful of poor pensioners ( unlike the majority) who may have a decent house and no money.
30% of UK households (7mn) are in receipt of Universal Credit. Surprisingly the same spread throughout the UK (England 29% / Wales 30% / Scotland 31%). There are 9mn pensioner households.
So the workers not in receipt of UC are doing a lot of the heavy lifting for pensioners more than anyone else.
You’re obsessed with bloody pensioners receiving benefits but not working age people.
Pension is a contribution based benefit and those receiving it did the heavy lifting in the past.
Rightly or wrongly that’s the case.
Aside from a few benefits, such as contribution based JSA, you cannot say that about most who receive working age benefits and bloody labour, or some of them, want to hand more money to the Boriswave.
Personally I’d tie both pensions and benefits to GDP growth.
@malcolmg what is it with people here who are happy to dump on people who contributed to the benefits system getting something back but radiate their middle class, white, worthiness on those who largely haven’t ?
Hopefully no-one wants to see state support removed for old people but what grates is the huge sense of entitlement of the current generation of pensioners. Who are much better catered for than generations past, and also those to come. Who sound off about how they deserve the lion share of state welfare "because they worked for it", all the while denying any support to people who are actually working, and supposedly feckless and morally inferior.
Sadly all parties indulge this sense of entitlement, hoping these guys will vote for them.
It is not pensioners receiving free childcare despite family incomes of up to £200,000 a year. It is not pensioners whose children enjoy breakfast clubs and after-school clubs. It is not pensioners who get higher rate tax relief on private pension contributions. It *is* pensioners who left school at 15 or 16 and worked for more years to 65 than younger generations who left school at 21 and whose pension age is 67 or 68.
And I still believe this intergenerational spat was started by Russian trolls.
Sorry but this is a shockingly ignorant post. Look at the marginal tax rates on families earning £200k. Look at the gradual erosion of the tax advantages of DC occupational pensions as offered to younger people Vs dB pensions as typically enjoyed by older people, look at the drying up of dB scheme surpluses and the elimination of the generous early retirement provisions enjoyed by earlier generations.
And what on earth is this point about younger people being in "school" until 21 ? They're at university, pushing themselves into debt rather than enjoying the free further education offered to previous generations, trying to improve their chances in a job market being choked by excessive taxation and poor growth.
They're at University being milked. They've been sold a university degree as the best career path, sold tuition fee and maintenance loans as being a good value investment, then charged rents at getting on for the full maintenance loan. The system doesn't care if they get a worthwhile degree, it just wants students to borrow money to pay out as rent.
RPI + 3% debt accruing for your fertile & mortgage paying years and then being wiped is simply bonkers from all perspectives. Effectively 9% extra tax on your working life, disgusting.
I was mulling this over during a long hike yesterday: under the current tax system, it's quite possible that if I were back in my late 20s, just set up my own company, probably making £70-80k a year gross - I could send a client an invoice for £1380 which leaves £1150 after vat, which leaves £1000 to be paid as salary after employer NI, which then suffers 40% income tax, 2% employee NI and 9% student loan repayment. Net salary £490. Oops, hang on, I've got 2 kids so clawback of child benefit at approx 11%, net salary actually £380ish. Effective aggregate tax rate = 72%.
Steven Swinford (PolEd at The Times) with a transcript of McSweeney’s 999 call.
No mention at all of who he works for, and gives a personal email and address outside London, but he does say he called ‘work’ to have them track the phone.
If "them" can track the phone it implies it's under an MDM, not a regular user account, because in that case "he" would have to track the phone. If an MDM is running on a civil service issued phone I would be amazed if it's not enforcing a regular full backup, and it it isn't then it's almost certainly breaking regulations as is.
Round by me houses are selling with small drops in asking price. Although it’s all relative. A decent 3 bed detached with 1 bathroom goes for about £300K
My gaff has fallen about 15% in the last 3 years, Taz, you'll be happy to learn.
I sense the era of making easy money off property has passed and that's got to be a good thing.
Why would that please me ? I may disagree with you on here but I wish you, not anyone here, no ill fortune.
Well it certainly pleases me. It reduces the inequality between our 2 streets.
Steven Swinford (PolEd at The Times) with a transcript of McSweeney’s 999 call.
No mention at all of who he works for, and gives a personal email and address outside London, but he does say he called ‘work’ to have them track the phone.
If "them" can track the phone it implies it's under an MDM, not a regular user account, because in that case "he" would have to track the phone. If an MDM is running on a civil service issued phone I would be amazed if it's not enforcing a regular full backup, and it it isn't then it's almost certainly breaking regulations as is.
Exactly. They have record keeping regulations, and *plenty* of previous cases around message retention.
Either the IT team at No.10 is not fit for purpose, or the politicians are lying.
(The No.10 IT team will be the best guys they can find at each grade, looking to use the posting for quick promotion under their arcane CS rules about salaries. They really need to throw serious money at a few ‘nerds’ if they want to solve the problem, but until they do the assumption will be that those right at the top would rather the problem wasn’t solved. )
As I’ve said continuously I’m fully supportive of more North Sea oil drilling but I think the idea it would have any impact on energy bills is thin.
I don't think it would have any impact given it is a global market. However, the additional tax revenue generated could be used to support a subsidy or, perhaps more usefully, the push to renewables.
Lebanon below the river Litani, which is happening, and now this proposal.
‘ 🇮🇱🇬🇷 A representative of the Israel Defense Minister's party has proposed Israel purchase islands in Greece “for the good of the Jewish people.”
Avri Steiner, a board member of the Jewish National Fund, proposed the purchasing Greek islands as an emergency “safe haven” for Jews, and claims a framework could be created with the Greek government to eventually transfer full sovereignty.
[In 1917] Greece's Foreign Minister told the editor of the Salonica Jewish organ Pro-Israel that "the establishment of a Jewish State meets in Greece with full and sincere sympathy ... A Jewish Palestine would become an ally of Greece."
If we're really lucky we might even get a de facto lockdown
Huge energy price rises pile pressure on British companies
Warning of businesses going under as cost of gas set to rise by as much as 80 per cent, while electricity bills to increase by up to 30 per cent
Businesses across the UK are facing “eye-watering” rises in their energy bills because of the conflict in the Middle East, analysis for The Times suggests.
Unlike households, companies are not insulated from volatility in gas and electricity prices, which have almost doubled since the Iran war began.
The problem is particularly acute for the thousands of companies that fix their annual price tariff at the start of the financial year in April and will face an immediate sharp rise in their bills.
Analysis by the energy consultancy Cornwall Insight found that as a result of the conflict, business users’ electricity bills would rise by up to 30 per cent, while the cost of gas could go up by as much as 80 per cent. This would mean that a business such as a larger retail and leisure site, on an average 12-month electricity contract, would have an annual bill of £578,000 — £95,000 more than early last month.
For gas, bills have risen by £376,000, reaching just over £1.02 million a year, an increase of nearly 60 per cent, based on the latest wholesale prices.
On Tuesday Wael Sawan, the chief executive of Shell, warned that Europe risked fuel shortages as soon as next month. At an industry conference in Houston, Texas, he said the global oil and gas supply squeeze had already forced parts of Asia to cut energy consumption and that the “ripple effect” threatened to spread west within days.
Depressing. I’d much rather businesses were given some kind of some support - low interest government loans or similar - than handouts to people who can shoulder this. Loans that could bd used to install solar, heat pumps, batteries.
I include myself in this. We save for emergencies so can weather this out. We do huge mileage each year, but a lot of that is social, weekend driving that we can cut back on. We don’t need any help from the government.
OTOH , we don’t use much gas because we live in an energy-efficient flat, appropriate for two young-ish adults. I’m not sure why people like me should bail out those in big, detached houses. They’ve made their choice.
If only spongers on benefits are getting the help I doubt many will be in big detached houses , once again telling that you spew hatred on a handful of poor pensioners ( unlike the majority) who may have a decent house and no money.
30% of UK households (7mn) are in receipt of Universal Credit. Surprisingly the same spread throughout the UK (England 29% / Wales 30% / Scotland 31%). There are 9mn pensioner households.
So the workers not in receipt of UC are doing a lot of the heavy lifting for pensioners more than anyone else.
You’re obsessed with bloody pensioners receiving benefits but not working age people.
Pension is a contribution based benefit and those receiving it did the heavy lifting in the past.
Rightly or wrongly that’s the case.
Aside from a few benefits, such as contribution based JSA, you cannot say that about most who receive working age benefits and bloody labour, or some of them, want to hand more money to the Boriswave.
Personally I’d tie both pensions and benefits to GDP growth.
@malcolmg what is it with people here who are happy to dump on people who contributed to the benefits system getting something back but radiate their middle class, white, worthiness on those who largely haven’t ?
Hopefully no-one wants to see state support removed for old people but what grates is the huge sense of entitlement of the current generation of pensioners. Who are much better catered for than generations past, and also those to come. Who sound off about how they deserve the lion share of state welfare "because they worked for it", all the while denying any support to people who are actually working, and supposedly feckless and morally inferior.
Sadly all parties indulge this sense of entitlement, hoping these guys will vote for them.
It is not pensioners receiving free childcare despite family incomes of up to £200,000 a year. It is not pensioners whose children enjoy breakfast clubs and after-school clubs. It is not pensioners who get higher rate tax relief on private pension contributions. It *is* pensioners who left school at 15 or 16 and worked for more years to 65 than younger generations who left school at 21 and whose pension age is 67 or 68.
And I still believe this intergenerational spat was started by Russian trolls.
Sorry but this is a shockingly ignorant post. Look at the marginal tax rates on families earning £200k. Look at the gradual erosion of the tax advantages of DC occupational pensions as offered to younger people Vs dB pensions as typically enjoyed by older people, look at the drying up of dB scheme surpluses and the elimination of the generous early retirement provisions enjoyed by earlier generations.
And what on earth is this point about younger people being in "school" until 21 ? They're at university, pushing themselves into debt rather than enjoying the free further education offered to previous generations, trying to improve their chances in a job market being choked by excessive taxation and poor growth.
They're at University being milked. They've been sold a university degree as the best career path, sold tuition fee and maintenance loans as being a good value investment, then charged rents at getting on for the full maintenance loan. The system doesn't care if they get a worthwhile degree, it just wants students to borrow money to pay out as rent.
RPI + 3% debt accruing for your fertile & mortgage paying years and then being wiped is simply bonkers from all perspectives. Effectively 9% extra tax on your working life, disgusting.
I was mulling this over during a long hike yesterday: under the current tax system, it's quite possible that if I were back in my late 20s, just set up my own company, probably making £70-80k a year gross - I could send a client an invoice for £1380 which leaves £1150 after vat, which leaves £1000 to be paid as salary after employer NI, which then suffers 40% income tax, 2% employee NI and 9% student loan repayment. Net salary £490. Oops, hang on, I've got 2 kids so clawback of child benefit at approx 11%, net salary actually £380ish. Effective aggregate tax rate = 72%.
Yes, and we wonder why today’s young entrepreneurs are moving to the US, to Dubai, and to Singapore.
Round by me houses are selling with small drops in asking price. Although it’s all relative. A decent 3 bed detached with 1 bathroom goes for about £300K
My gaff has fallen about 15% in the last 3 years, Taz, you'll be happy to learn.
I sense the era of making easy money off property has passed and that's got to be a good thing.
Why would that please me ? I may disagree with you on here but I wish you, not anyone here, no ill fortune.
Well it certainly pleases me. It reduces the inequality between our 2 streets.
As I’ve said continuously I’m fully supportive of more North Sea oil drilling but I think the idea it would have any impact on energy bills is thin.
I don't think it would have any impact given it is a global market. However, the additional tax revenue generated could be used to support a subsidy or, perhaps more usefully, the push to renewables.
That argument makes sense. But it’s not the one most people are making.
If we're really lucky we might even get a de facto lockdown
Huge energy price rises pile pressure on British companies
Warning of businesses going under as cost of gas set to rise by as much as 80 per cent, while electricity bills to increase by up to 30 per cent
Businesses across the UK are facing “eye-watering” rises in their energy bills because of the conflict in the Middle East, analysis for The Times suggests.
Unlike households, companies are not insulated from volatility in gas and electricity prices, which have almost doubled since the Iran war began.
The problem is particularly acute for the thousands of companies that fix their annual price tariff at the start of the financial year in April and will face an immediate sharp rise in their bills.
Analysis by the energy consultancy Cornwall Insight found that as a result of the conflict, business users’ electricity bills would rise by up to 30 per cent, while the cost of gas could go up by as much as 80 per cent. This would mean that a business such as a larger retail and leisure site, on an average 12-month electricity contract, would have an annual bill of £578,000 — £95,000 more than early last month.
For gas, bills have risen by £376,000, reaching just over £1.02 million a year, an increase of nearly 60 per cent, based on the latest wholesale prices.
On Tuesday Wael Sawan, the chief executive of Shell, warned that Europe risked fuel shortages as soon as next month. At an industry conference in Houston, Texas, he said the global oil and gas supply squeeze had already forced parts of Asia to cut energy consumption and that the “ripple effect” threatened to spread west within days.
Depressing. I’d much rather businesses were given some kind of some support - low interest government loans or similar - than handouts to people who can shoulder this. Loans that could bd used to install solar, heat pumps, batteries.
I include myself in this. We save for emergencies so can weather this out. We do huge mileage each year, but a lot of that is social, weekend driving that we can cut back on. We don’t need any help from the government.
OTOH , we don’t use much gas because we live in an energy-efficient flat, appropriate for two young-ish adults. I’m not sure why people like me should bail out those in big, detached houses. They’ve made their choice.
If only spongers on benefits are getting the help I doubt many will be in big detached houses , once again telling that you spew hatred on a handful of poor pensioners ( unlike the majority) who may have a decent house and no money.
30% of UK households (7mn) are in receipt of Universal Credit. Surprisingly the same spread throughout the UK (England 29% / Wales 30% / Scotland 31%). There are 9mn pensioner households.
So the workers not in receipt of UC are doing a lot of the heavy lifting for pensioners more than anyone else.
You’re obsessed with bloody pensioners receiving benefits but not working age people.
Pension is a contribution based benefit and those receiving it did the heavy lifting in the past.
Rightly or wrongly that’s the case.
Aside from a few benefits, such as contribution based JSA, you cannot say that about most who receive working age benefits and bloody labour, or some of them, want to hand more money to the Boriswave.
Personally I’d tie both pensions and benefits to GDP growth.
@malcolmg what is it with people here who are happy to dump on people who contributed to the benefits system getting something back but radiate their middle class, white, worthiness on those who largely haven’t ?
Hopefully no-one wants to see state support removed for old people but what grates is the huge sense of entitlement of the current generation of pensioners. Who are much better catered for than generations past, and also those to come. Who sound off about how they deserve the lion share of state welfare "because they worked for it", all the while denying any support to people who are actually working, and supposedly feckless and morally inferior.
Sadly all parties indulge this sense of entitlement, hoping these guys will vote for them.
It is not pensioners receiving free childcare despite family incomes of up to £200,000 a year. It is not pensioners whose children enjoy breakfast clubs and after-school clubs. It is not pensioners who get higher rate tax relief on private pension contributions. It *is* pensioners who left school at 15 or 16 and worked for more years to 65 than younger generations who left school at 21 and whose pension age is 67 or 68.
And I still believe this intergenerational spat was started by Russian trolls.
Sorry but this is a shockingly ignorant post. Look at the marginal tax rates on families earning £200k. Look at the gradual erosion of the tax advantages of DC occupational pensions as offered to younger people Vs dB pensions as typically enjoyed by older people, look at the drying up of dB scheme surpluses and the elimination of the generous early retirement provisions enjoyed by earlier generations.
And what on earth is this point about younger people being in "school" until 21 ? They're at university, pushing themselves into debt rather than enjoying the free further education offered to previous generations, trying to improve their chances in a job market being choked by excessive taxation and poor growth.
They're at University being milked. They've been sold a university degree as the best career path, sold tuition fee and maintenance loans as being a good value investment, then charged rents at getting on for the full maintenance loan. The system doesn't care if they get a worthwhile degree, it just wants students to borrow money to pay out as rent.
RPI + 3% debt accruing for your fertile & mortgage paying years and then being wiped is simply bonkers from all perspectives. Effectively 9% extra tax on your working life, disgusting.
I was mulling this over during a long hike yesterday: under the current tax system, it's quite possible that if I were back in my late 20s, just set up my own company, probably making £70-80k a year gross - I could send a client an invoice for £1380 which leaves £1150 after vat, which leaves £1000 to be paid as salary after employer NI, which then suffers 40% income tax, 2% employee NI and 9% student loan repayment. Net salary £490. Oops, hang on, I've got 2 kids so clawback of child benefit at approx 11%, net salary actually £380ish. Effective aggregate tax rate = 72%.
Yes, and we wonder why today’s young entrepreneurs are moving to the US, to Dubai, and to Singapore.
Is it because they’re greedy for wanting to keep a reasonable proportion of what they’ve earned ?
Steven Swinford (PolEd at The Times) with a transcript of McSweeney’s 999 call.
No mention at all of who he works for, and gives a personal email and address outside London, but he does say he called ‘work’ to have them track the phone.
If "them" can track the phone it implies it's under an MDM, not a regular user account, because in that case "he" would have to track the phone. If an MDM is running on a civil service issued phone I would be amazed if it's not enforcing a regular full backup, and it it isn't then it's almost certainly breaking regulations as is.
Exactly. They have record keeping regulations, and *plenty* of previous cases around message retention.
Either the IT team at No.10 is not fit for purpose, or the politicians are lying.
(The No.10 IT team will be the best guys they can find at each grade, looking to use the posting for quick promotion under their arcane CS rules about salaries. They really need to throw serious money at a few ‘nerds’ if they want to solve the problem, but until they do the assumption will be that those right at the top would rather the problem wasn’t solved. )
They are going to look incredibly dodgy if they have to argue "actually we don't routinely backup the phones we issue".
You see. He was clearly frustrated with the exchange at this moment but the picture doesnt capture that. You cant let yourself be photographed with your head in your hands in parliament under questioning
As I’ve said continuously I’m fully supportive of more North Sea oil drilling but I think the idea it would have any impact on energy bills is thin.
I don't think it would have any impact given it is a global market. However, the additional tax revenue generated could be used to support a subsidy or, perhaps more usefully, the push to renewables.
If the Straight of Hormuz remains closed for any length of time, the price is irrelevant compared to the ability to actually supply the stuff. The problem isn’t about to be the price of oil, it’s about to be the supply of oil.
Except for me, I’m expecting petrol prices in the sandpit to fall significantly next month, from the current 50p/litre.
Kemi and her front bench team are going to have to u-turn on this, so they are in future backed up by the science and the facts in what they are claiming.
As I’ve said continuously I’m fully supportive of more North Sea oil drilling but I think the idea it would have any impact on energy bills is thin.
I don't think it would have any impact given it is a global market. However, the additional tax revenue generated could be used to support a subsidy or, perhaps more usefully, the push to renewables.
If the Straight of Hormuz remains closed for any length of time, the price is irrelevant compared to the ability to actually supply the stuff. The problem isn’t about to be the price of oil, it’s about to be the supply of oil.
Except for me, I’m expecting petrol prices in the sandpit to fall significantly next month, from the current 50p/litre.
Yeah, supply is the issue in the short term. Not sure there is much that can be done about that given refining capacity.
Kemi and her front bench team are going to have to u-turn on this, so they are in future backed up by the science and the facts in what they are claiming.
I think undoubtedly it would provide tax revenue.
But that’s not the argument Badenoch and co are making. Indeed it’s not the one they made whilst in charge. Why not?
Can't messages sent/received by phone be accessed without the phone?
Depends on the app and the settings.
For WhatsApp, you can choose to back the messages up in the cloud, and then it doesn't matter if you lose your phone. But if you don't back up the messages, then they're gone.
Can't messages sent/received by phone be accessed without the phone?
Depends on the app and the settings.
For WhatsApp, you can choose to back the messages up in the cloud, and then it doesn't matter if you lose your phone. But if you don't back up the messages, then they're gone.
The backup functionality is two fold.
There’s WhatsApp itself (which I think is turned off by default and in any case doesn’t back up constantly it’s only once per day and even then it’s only best effort - mine frequently doesn’t work).
Then there’s iCloud backup which is on by default and is once a day and very reliable.
Either would require a restore to another phone to get the content back.
Kemi and her front bench team are going to have to u-turn on this, so they are in future backed up by the science and the facts in what they are claiming.
Extending the life of currently running down North Sea fields could have a short-term impact, but imo as you say Horse drilling new fields or going for fracking will take years - and by then alternatives (renewables / small nuclear) will be well on the way.
Lebanon below the river Litani, which is happening, and now this proposal.
‘ 🇮🇱🇬🇷 A representative of the Israel Defense Minister's party has proposed Israel purchase islands in Greece “for the good of the Jewish people.”
Avri Steiner, a board member of the Jewish National Fund, proposed the purchasing Greek islands as an emergency “safe haven” for Jews, and claims a framework could be created with the Greek government to eventually transfer full sovereignty.
If we're really lucky we might even get a de facto lockdown
Huge energy price rises pile pressure on British companies
Warning of businesses going under as cost of gas set to rise by as much as 80 per cent, while electricity bills to increase by up to 30 per cent
Businesses across the UK are facing “eye-watering” rises in their energy bills because of the conflict in the Middle East, analysis for The Times suggests.
Unlike households, companies are not insulated from volatility in gas and electricity prices, which have almost doubled since the Iran war began.
The problem is particularly acute for the thousands of companies that fix their annual price tariff at the start of the financial year in April and will face an immediate sharp rise in their bills.
Analysis by the energy consultancy Cornwall Insight found that as a result of the conflict, business users’ electricity bills would rise by up to 30 per cent, while the cost of gas could go up by as much as 80 per cent. This would mean that a business such as a larger retail and leisure site, on an average 12-month electricity contract, would have an annual bill of £578,000 — £95,000 more than early last month.
For gas, bills have risen by £376,000, reaching just over £1.02 million a year, an increase of nearly 60 per cent, based on the latest wholesale prices.
On Tuesday Wael Sawan, the chief executive of Shell, warned that Europe risked fuel shortages as soon as next month. At an industry conference in Houston, Texas, he said the global oil and gas supply squeeze had already forced parts of Asia to cut energy consumption and that the “ripple effect” threatened to spread west within days.
Depressing. I’d much rather businesses were given some kind of some support - low interest government loans or similar - than handouts to people who can shoulder this. Loans that could bd used to install solar, heat pumps, batteries.
I include myself in this. We save for emergencies so can weather this out. We do huge mileage each year, but a lot of that is social, weekend driving that we can cut back on. We don’t need any help from the government.
OTOH , we don’t use much gas because we live in an energy-efficient flat, appropriate for two young-ish adults. I’m not sure why people like me should bail out those in big, detached houses. They’ve made their choice.
If only spongers on benefits are getting the help I doubt many will be in big detached houses , once again telling that you spew hatred on a handful of poor pensioners ( unlike the majority) who may have a decent house and no money.
30% of UK households (7mn) are in receipt of Universal Credit. Surprisingly the same spread throughout the UK (England 29% / Wales 30% / Scotland 31%). There are 9mn pensioner households.
So the workers not in receipt of UC are doing a lot of the heavy lifting for pensioners more than anyone else.
You’re obsessed with bloody pensioners receiving benefits but not working age people.
Pension is a contribution based benefit and those receiving it did the heavy lifting in the past.
Rightly or wrongly that’s the case.
Aside from a few benefits, such as contribution based JSA, you cannot say that about most who receive working age benefits and bloody labour, or some of them, want to hand more money to the Boriswave.
Personally I’d tie both pensions and benefits to GDP growth.
@malcolmg what is it with people here who are happy to dump on people who contributed to the benefits system getting something back but radiate their middle class, white, worthiness on those who largely haven’t ?
Hopefully no-one wants to see state support removed for old people but what grates is the huge sense of entitlement of the current generation of pensioners. Who are much better catered for than generations past, and also those to come. Who sound off about how they deserve the lion share of state welfare "because they worked for it", all the while denying any support to people who are actually working, and supposedly feckless and morally inferior.
Sadly all parties indulge this sense of entitlement, hoping these guys will vote for them.
It is not pensioners receiving free childcare despite family incomes of up to £200,000 a year. It is not pensioners whose children enjoy breakfast clubs and after-school clubs. It is not pensioners who get higher rate tax relief on private pension contributions. It *is* pensioners who left school at 15 or 16 and worked for more years to 65 than younger generations who left school at 21 and whose pension age is 67 or 68.
And I still believe this intergenerational spat was started by Russian trolls.
Sorry but this is a shockingly ignorant post. Look at the marginal tax rates on families earning £200k. Look at the gradual erosion of the tax advantages of DC occupational pensions as offered to younger people Vs dB pensions as typically enjoyed by older people, look at the drying up of dB scheme surpluses and the elimination of the generous early retirement provisions enjoyed by earlier generations.
And what on earth is this point about younger people being in "school" until 21 ? They're at university, pushing themselves into debt rather than enjoying the free further education offered to previous generations, trying to improve their chances in a job market being choked by excessive taxation and poor growth.
They're at University being milked. They've been sold a university degree as the best career path, sold tuition fee and maintenance loans as being a good value investment, then charged rents at getting on for the full maintenance loan. The system doesn't care if they get a worthwhile degree, it just wants students to borrow money to pay out as rent.
RPI + 3% debt accruing for your fertile & mortgage paying years and then being wiped is simply bonkers from all perspectives. Effectively 9% extra tax on your working life, disgusting.
I was mulling this over during a long hike yesterday: under the current tax system, it's quite possible that if I were back in my late 20s, just set up my own company, probably making £70-80k a year gross - I could send a client an invoice for £1380 which leaves £1150 after vat, which leaves £1000 to be paid as salary after employer NI, which then suffers 40% income tax, 2% employee NI and 9% student loan repayment. Net salary £490. Oops, hang on, I've got 2 kids so clawback of child benefit at approx 11%, net salary actually £380ish. Effective aggregate tax rate = 72%.
Yes, and we wonder why today’s young entrepreneurs are moving to the US, to Dubai, and to Singapore.
Is it because they’re greedy for wanting to keep a reasonable proportion of what they’ve earned ?
Well my small company in Dubai is working on 5% VAT, and 9% corporation tax (above $100k profit, which I’m not at). No personal income tax or capital gains tax.
Against that, I’m paying about three hundred quid a month on comprehensive health insurance, and if I had kids I’d need to pay £8-10k for education, but most of the larger employers out here cover both for their staff.
You see. He was clearly frustrated with the exchange at this moment but the picture doesnt capture that. You cant let yourself be photographed with your head in your hands in parliament under questioning
I think you can when the questioner is so wrong even other opposition leaders (LDs) feel obliged to point it out in their contributions
Shocker of a session for KEMI the whole of her front/ backbench have their metophrical heads in their hands with that performance
Head in hands photo going viral. Bacon Sandwich moment? When people want to mock and think the worst, these unfortunate snaps can be cruel and damaging
As I’ve said continuously I’m fully supportive of more North Sea oil drilling but I think the idea it would have any impact on energy bills is thin.
I don't think it would have any impact given it is a global market. However, the additional tax revenue generated could be used to support a subsidy or, perhaps more usefully, the push to renewables.
If the Straight of Hormuz remains closed for any length of time, the price is irrelevant compared to the ability to actually supply the stuff. The problem isn’t about to be the price of oil, it’s about to be the supply of oil.
Except for me, I’m expecting petrol prices in the sandpit to fall significantly next month, from the current 50p/litre.
Though beyond a certain point, cheapness doesn't matter. It's not as if you can drink the stuff.
Round by me houses are selling with small drops in asking price. Although it’s all relative. A decent 3 bed detached with 1 bathroom goes for about £300K
House prices are seasonal. They go up on/after Easter, continue high until September, then stabilize/decline over Winter.
Having said that, I have also heard about the London flat price falling that isn't obviously seasonal.
Not just flats. London property is generally well off the peak.
Varies by area I think. Where we are in SE14 prices are down marginally. Our house price has still almost doubled since we bought it in 2011 (not allowing for the rennovation/extension work) according to Zoopla. We still get handwritten notes from people saying they want to buy our house, demand still seems quite strong.
Quite an interesting video from Wheels for Wellbeing explaining why Chicane Barriers at the end of footpaths and cycle tracks are a bad thing, and destroy undermine accessibility and safety. 12 minutes.
You see. He was clearly frustrated with the exchange at this moment but the picture doesnt capture that. You cant let yourself be photographed with your head in your hands in parliament under questioning
I think you can when the questioner is so wrong even other opposition leaders (LDs) feel obliged to point it out in their contributions
Shocker of a session for KEMI the whole of her front/ backbench have their metophrical heads in their hands with that performance
Ed Davey hitching his wagon to Starmers pony is not new though
Doesn't it tell you all you need to know about todays Tory Party that when the world is in real peril their MPs are staying awake at night debating whether Kemi should lead PMQs on the theft of Morgan McSweeney's phone?
Irrespective of politics it should concern all of us that McSweeney's phone, with all the confidential information and government communications, was stolen and dismissed by the police with just a crime number
This phone could provide enormous potential for blackmail and should have been immediately referred to the National Crime Agency
There has to be a back up of it anyway. To think otherwise would be stretching credulity to breaking point
The phone(s) of recipient from/sender to MMcS will have them all, and having nothing to hide will have nothing to fear. No problem.
Round by me houses are selling with small drops in asking price. Although it’s all relative. A decent 3 bed detached with 1 bathroom goes for about £300K
My gaff has fallen about 15% in the last 3 years, Taz, you'll be happy to learn.
I sense the era of making easy money off property has passed and that's got to be a good thing.
Why would that please me ? I may disagree with you on here but I wish you, not anyone here, no ill fortune.
Well it certainly pleases me. It reduces the inequality between our 2 streets.
That’s fine but doesn’t address my point.
There's an unaddressed point? We can't have that on here. If you steer me to it I will damn well rectify.
Can't messages sent/received by phone be accessed without the phone?
Depends on the app and the settings.
For WhatsApp, you can choose to back the messages up in the cloud, and then it doesn't matter if you lose your phone. But if you don't back up the messages, then they're gone.
Is it a user action to have backup or to stop the auto backup, do we know?
Also, what's the consensus speculation - that MM, knowing what was coming, destroyed his phone and pretended it was stolen?
Round by me houses are selling with small drops in asking price. Although it’s all relative. A decent 3 bed detached with 1 bathroom goes for about £300K
House prices are seasonal. They go up on/after Easter, continue high until September, then stabilize/decline over Winter.
Having said that, I have also heard about the London flat price falling that isn't obviously seasonal.
Not just flats. London property is generally well off the peak.
Varies by area I think. Where we are in SE14 prices are down marginally. Our house price has still almost doubled since we bought it in 2011 (not allowing for the rennovation/extension work) according to Zoopla. We still get handwritten notes from people saying they want to buy our house, demand still seems quite strong.
It’s variation by segment and quality.
So Edwardian flats with freehold, 3m ceilings, newly fitted sash windows with double glazing, modern heating and electrics etc are holding up
Modern built cramped crap, with giant service charges and leasehold, not so much.
Head in hands photo going viral. Bacon Sandwich moment? When people want to mock and think the worst, these unfortunate snaps can be cruel and damaging
Bacon sandwich moment ! Starmers hair looks lovely .
Quite an interesting video from Wheels for Wellbeing explaining why Chicane Barriers at the end of footpaths and cycle tracks are a bad thing, and destroy undermine accessibility and safety. 12 minutes.
Do they address the reasons these barriers are there in the first place, which is a small number of very antisocial youth on bikes and motorbikes making the paths unusable for pedestrians? Is there a compromise solution? Also bikes running straight into the road at the end, to be collected by a car.
Lebanon below the river Litani, which is happening, and now this proposal.
‘ 🇮🇱🇬🇷 A representative of the Israel Defense Minister's party has proposed Israel purchase islands in Greece “for the good of the Jewish people.”
Avri Steiner, a board member of the Jewish National Fund, proposed the purchasing Greek islands as an emergency “safe haven” for Jews, and claims a framework could be created with the Greek government to eventually transfer full sovereignty.
Round by me houses are selling with small drops in asking price. Although it’s all relative. A decent 3 bed detached with 1 bathroom goes for about £300K
House prices are seasonal. They go up on/after Easter, continue high until September, then stabilize/decline over Winter.
Having said that, I have also heard about the London flat price falling that isn't obviously seasonal.
Not just flats. London property is generally well off the peak.
Varies by area I think. Where we are in SE14 prices are down marginally. Our house price has still almost doubled since we bought it in 2011 (not allowing for the rennovation/extension work) according to Zoopla. We still get handwritten notes from people saying they want to buy our house, demand still seems quite strong.
It will vary quite a lot by area, yes, and I'm sure you're right about yours, but overall a more than marginal drop, I believe. Actual txn prices are the best indicator imo. Here, off about 15% since 22.
Kemi and her front bench team are going to have to u-turn on this, so they are in future backed up by the science and the facts in what they are claiming.
No they don't. They say it won't change oil and gas prices, which it won't.
As a matter of economics, it will earn the country money, and won't make any difference at all to our oil and gas consumption.
We could even put the £2bn or so extra that government might earn into solar plus grid backup projects.
As I’ve said continuously I’m fully supportive of more North Sea oil drilling but I think the idea it would have any impact on energy bills is thin.
I don't think it would have any impact given it is a global market. However, the additional tax revenue generated could be used to support a subsidy or, perhaps more usefully, the push to renewables.
If the Straight of Hormuz remains closed for any length of time, the price is irrelevant compared to the ability to actually supply the stuff. The problem isn’t about to be the price of oil, it’s about to be the supply of oil.
Except for me, I’m expecting petrol prices in the sandpit to fall significantly next month, from the current 50p/litre.
Though beyond a certain point, cheapness doesn't matter. It's not as if you can drink the stuff.
Thankfully there’s a lot of water desalination plants here, so we can actually drink the stuff.
Kemi and her front bench team are going to have to u-turn on this, so they are in future backed up by the science and the facts in what they are claiming.
When Kemi, the unions, the SNP, the industry and even labour mps are demanding it and the Iran crisis has brought it to the front of the agenda they will be on the right side of public opinion
I have always maintained the benefit is from the tax going into the treasury and I would not be surprised that Reeves makes the case as she becomes desperate to find additional revenue
EXCLUSIVE: Each day since the start of the war, U.S. military officials compile a video update for President Trump that shows the biggest, most successful strikes on Iranian targets over the previous 48 hours.
But the military can’t brief Trump on every strike and so the video, while it showcases U.S. capabilities, doesn’t reflect the full scope of the conflict.
“We can’t tell him every single thing that happens,” a current U.S. official said. The official noted that Trump’s briefings tend to draw better feedback from his aides when they focus on U.S. victories.
Starmer has gone viral with his head in his hands Davey outed himself again as a Labour super subscriber Reform did a walk out stunt that looked very foolish
@katiadoyl Current and former officials said the videos are also driving Trump’s increasing frustration with news coverage of the war. Trump has pointed to the success depicted in the daily videos to privately question why his administration can’t better influence the public narrative, asking aides why the news media doesn’t emphasize what he’s seeing.
Looks like Reform will have to stop accepting dodgy money through cryptocurrency.
I expect we’ll hear a load of whining about it being a witch hunt .
Doesn't seem unreasonable to prevent political parties taking untraceable anonymous money, especially in an age of malign foreign powers trying to buy influence in our politics. You'd think Reform would want to be "whiter than white" in this regard (no joke intended) what with their former Welsh leader doing time for taing Russian bribes. On this subject, did we ever find out which who provided that big payment to the leave campaign that was channeled through Northern Ireland to disguise its source?
Starmer has gone viral with his head in his hands Davey outed himself again as a Labour super subscriber Reform did a walk out stunt that looked very foolish
But we are still importing 6.4% of our energy. We really need to close that gap and become a net exporter on days like this. (It was snowing in Aberdeen this morning).
You see. He was clearly frustrated with the exchange at this moment but the picture doesnt capture that. You cant let yourself be photographed with your head in your hands in parliament under questioning
I think you can when the questioner is so wrong even other opposition leaders (LDs) feel obliged to point it out in their contributions
Shocker of a session for KEMI the whole of her front/ backbench have their metophrical heads in their hands with that performance
Yes, truly awful. Sorry to have missed it. I'm motivated to go and view the whole thing on catchup.
Starmer has gone viral with his head in his hands Davey outed himself again as a Labour super subscriber Reform did a walk out stunt that looked very foolish
Not as dull as it seemed
You're missing the biggie.
Big John Owls said Starmer won PMQs.
I thought i'd let you mention it. I'm a generous lover.
Starmer has gone viral with his head in his hands Davey outed himself again as a Labour super subscriber Reform did a walk out stunt that looked very foolish
Not as dull as it seemed
I do not know why Davey doesn't just cross the floor
Farage and Reform walking out in a childish fit reflects on just how dreadful they are
Looks like Reform will have to stop accepting dodgy money through cryptocurrency.
I expect we’ll hear a load of whining about it being a witch hunt .
Doesn't seem unreasonable to prevent political parties taking untraceable anonymous money, especially in an age of malign foreign powers trying to buy influence in our politics. You'd think Reform would want to be "whiter than white" in this regard (no joke intended) what with their former Welsh leader doing time for taing Russian bribes. On this subject, did we ever find out which who provided that big payment to the leave campaign that was channeled through Northern Ireland to disguise its source?
Seems perfectly reasonable to me and, in spite of Nico’s Reform obsession it would affect all parties.
Of course Labour also has its own issues with Russian influence as well.
Starmer has gone viral with his head in his hands Davey outed himself again as a Labour super subscriber Reform did a walk out stunt that looked very foolish
Not as dull as it seemed
You're missing the biggie.
Big John Owls said Starmer won PMQs.
I can't make a decision until @Brixian59 weighs in. He's the most unbiased commentator.
Starmer has gone viral with his head in his hands Davey outed himself again as a Labour super subscriber Reform did a walk out stunt that looked very foolish
Not as dull as it seemed
I do not know why Davey doesn't just cross the floor
Farage and Reform walking out in a childish fit reflects on just how dreadful they are
He was probably just gasping for a fag. Or maybe he had an urgent request to do one of those funny videos where he repeats far right memes.
Starmer has gone viral with his head in his hands Davey outed himself again as a Labour super subscriber Reform did a walk out stunt that looked very foolish
But we are still importing 6.4% of our energy. We really need to close that gap and become a net exporter on days like this. (It was snowing in Aberdeen this morning).
Just had white stuff falling here too, but hail, not snow. Bloody cold. I was in shorts at the weekend.
Starmer has gone viral with his head in his hands Davey outed himself again as a Labour super subscriber Reform did a walk out stunt that looked very foolish
Not as dull as it seemed
You're missing the biggie.
Big John Owls said Starmer won PMQs.
I thought i'd let you mention it. I'm a generous lover.
I’m sure your right hand agrees as does your left when it’s time for a change
Starmer has gone viral with his head in his hands Davey outed himself again as a Labour super subscriber Reform did a walk out stunt that looked very foolish
Not as dull as it seemed
I do not know why Davey doesn't just cross the floor
Farage and Reform walking out in a childish fit reflects on just how dreadful they are
He was probably just gasping for a fag. Or maybe he had an urgent request to do one of those funny videos where he repeats far right memes.
Or more likely to hear his funding is going up in smoke !!!!!
Looks like Reform will have to stop accepting dodgy money through cryptocurrency.
I expect we’ll hear a load of whining about it being a witch hunt .
Doesn't seem unreasonable to prevent political parties taking untraceable anonymous money, especially in an age of malign foreign powers trying to buy influence in our politics. You'd think Reform would want to be "whiter than white" in this regard (no joke intended) what with their former Welsh leader doing time for taing Russian bribes. On this subject, did we ever find out which who provided that big payment to the leave campaign that was channeled through Northern Ireland to disguise its source?
Seems perfectly reasonable to me and, in spite of Nico’s Reform obsession it would affect all parties.
Of course Labour also has its own issues with Russian influence as well.
Brexit happened,get over it.
You don't need to tell me that, I spent an hour in a security line at Frankfurt Airport yesterday! Gave me plenty of time to curse the MFs who voted for it...
If Katie Lam is the future of anything then they are truly fucked.
Personally I think the next Tory defection will be to LD in a strong LD area, from a moderate one nation Tory who is unable to accept Badenoch death March right right right.
There aren't many Tory MPs from strong LD areas left though, most LD leaning areas in the likes of Surrey and Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire and Berkshire already went LD at the 2024 general election. The few who did hold on in those areas like Hunt will stay Tory regardless
Here are the possible LD gains and the Tory candidates for defection to LDs:
East Hampshire: Damian Hinds Farnham and Bordon: Gregory Stafford Godalming and Ash : Sir Jeremy Hunt Hamble Valley: Paul Holmes Romsey and Southampton North : Caroline Nokes North Cotswolds: Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown North Dorset: Simon Hoare
All unlikely defectors I think.
Indeed and less than 10% combined of the even relatively small current Tory parliamentary party, only ones I could see possibly going LD of those are Nokes and Hoare. Though if Cleverly replaced Badenoch as Tory leader after May I think even they would stay
Some of those are very strange constituencies. Farnham (posh Surrey town) and Bordon (run down ex military town with a shitload of new housing) have very little in common, ditto Godalming (equally posh Surrey town) and Ash (suburb of Aldershot).
The problem with the Government's in the thrall of the mad Miliband narrative is that its energy policy is identical to the previous government's. Not similar, identical, with one and a half exceptions. The one exception is the previous ban on onshore wind farms. Not even Badenoch claims the country is in a better state Vis a Vis Iran because of a lack of wind energy. The half exception is that the previous government ignored its own policy on no new drilling in the North Sea.
If Miliband is mad, logically the previous government was also mad for having the exact same policies. As a member of that government, Badenoch is simply drawing attention to her own supposed madness.
EXCLUSIVE: Each day since the start of the war, U.S. military officials compile a video update for President Trump that shows the biggest, most successful strikes on Iranian targets over the previous 48 hours.
But the military can’t brief Trump on every strike and so the video, while it showcases U.S. capabilities, doesn’t reflect the full scope of the conflict.
“We can’t tell him every single thing that happens,” a current U.S. official said. The official noted that Trump’s briefings tend to draw better feedback from his aides when they focus on U.S. victories.
This alone is a scandal so huge it's barely comprehensible
It was going to say it sounds like /r/combatfootage, but it can't be because that subreddit would also show the failiures and the successful Iranian strikes. So Trump would literally be better informed if he was doom scrolling.
Starmer has gone viral with his head in his hands Davey outed himself again as a Labour super subscriber Reform did a walk out stunt that looked very foolish
Not as dull as it seemed
You're missing the biggie.
Big John Owls said Starmer won PMQs.
I thought i'd let you mention it. I'm a generous lover.
I’m sure your right hand agrees as does your left when it’s time for a change
Looks like Reform will have to stop accepting dodgy money through cryptocurrency.
I expect we’ll hear a load of whining about it being a witch hunt .
Doesn't seem unreasonable to prevent political parties taking untraceable anonymous money, especially in an age of malign foreign powers trying to buy influence in our politics. You'd think Reform would want to be "whiter than white" in this regard (no joke intended) what with their former Welsh leader doing time for taing Russian bribes. On this subject, did we ever find out which who provided that big payment to the leave campaign that was channeled through Northern Ireland to disguise its source?
Seems perfectly reasonable to me and, in spite of Nico’s Reform obsession it would affect all parties.
Of course Labour also has its own issues with Russian influence as well.
Brexit happened,get over it.
You don't need to tell me that, I spent an hour in a security line at Frankfurt Airport yesterday! Gave me plenty of time to curse the MFs who voted for it...
And the Europeans who can't run a border operation to save their lives. I waltzed through Cambodian, Singaporean and Malaysian airports over the winter, delays at the border are nothing to do whether we are in the EU or not, it is down to basic competence. After all, we are not in ASEAN but they don't feel the need to make us suffer.
Starmer has gone viral with his head in his hands Davey outed himself again as a Labour super subscriber Reform did a walk out stunt that looked very foolish
Not as dull as it seemed
You're missing the biggie.
Big John Owls said Starmer won PMQs.
I can't make a decision until @Brixian59 weighs in. He's the most unbiased commentator.
If they say Badenoch won PMQs then we're living on Bizarro.
Starmer has gone viral with his head in his hands Davey outed himself again as a Labour super subscriber Reform did a walk out stunt that looked very foolish
Not as dull as it seemed
You're missing the biggie.
Big John Owls said Starmer won PMQs.
I can't make a decision until @Brixian59 weighs in. He's the most unbiased commentator.
If they say Badenoch won PMQs then we're living on Bizarro.
Clearly it was Sir Edward Leigh and his Point of Order as everyone rushed off to the canteen
Kemi and her front bench team are going to have to u-turn on this, so they are in future backed up by the science and the facts in what they are claiming.
No they don't. They say it won't change oil and gas prices, which it won't.
As a matter of economics, it will earn the country money, and won't make any difference at all to our oil and gas consumption.
We could even put the £2bn or so extra that government might earn into solar plus grid backup projects.
So there is no good argument not to do it.
The Unions game here is wholly interested in taxpayers money keeping people in jobs, by government subsidising any industry, anywhere, that’s not economically viable or profit making. That’s what Unions are doing in the lobby.
The industry lobby says it’s all government policy decision, not geology at all. Green Lobby says UK North Sea is waning due to geology, and UK policy is still too much commitment to drilling fossil fuel for far too long. Here’s an example of Green Lobby spin: https://www.upliftuk.org/post/the-declining-economics-of-the-north-sea
North Sea policy is a war. There’s various sides, each have vested interest in not sticking to fact or balance - including government with their net zero policy, and the Conservatives who invented net zero policy in office, but prefer to argue Populist position against net zero in opposition.
Truth is the first casualty of war. It’s very hard to for us to spot what’s smartest in long run with this one imho.
Comments
So the picture will be much less convincing than last year and the spin will be 'falling back from heights'/'not sealing the deal'
supreme accidental comic timing in Commons just now during PMQs:
Keir Starmer: “there is only one party leader who has shown he will say anything, no matter how divisive, if he is paid to do so”
Speaker (calling the next question): “Nigel Farage”
Either the IT team at No.10 is not fit for purpose, or the politicians are lying.
(The No.10 IT team will be the best guys they can find at each grade, looking to use the posting for quick promotion under their arcane CS rules about salaries. They really need to throw serious money at a few ‘nerds’ if they want to solve the problem, but until they do the assumption will be that those right at the top would rather the problem wasn’t solved. )
Fossil fuels will spike every time there is a global event .
Gettng off them asap is the only protection
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balfour_Declaration
You see. He was clearly frustrated with the exchange at this moment but the picture doesnt capture that.
You cant let yourself be photographed with your head in your hands in parliament under questioning
Except for me, I’m expecting petrol prices in the sandpit to fall significantly next month, from the current 50p/litre.
https://theconversation.com/would-more-north-sea-drilling-lower-uk-energy-bills-our-analysis-says-no-278467
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67945281
https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-would-opening-up-north-sea-oil-again-resolve-the-current-energy-price-problems-for-the-uk
Kemi and her front bench team are going to have to u-turn on this, so they are in future backed up by the science and the facts in what they are claiming.
Dame Barbara Cartland's farmyard thrill stands out for me too
But that’s not the argument Badenoch and co are making. Indeed it’s not the one they made whilst in charge. Why not?
For WhatsApp, you can choose to back the messages up in the cloud, and then it doesn't matter if you lose your phone. But if you don't back up the messages, then they're gone.
There’s WhatsApp itself (which I think is turned off by default and in any case doesn’t back up constantly it’s only once per day and even then it’s only best effort - mine frequently doesn’t work).
Then there’s iCloud backup which is on by default and is once a day and very reliable.
Either would require a restore to another phone to get the content back.
I think the departees are all now verboten in Tory circles. They might take Kruger back
Against that, I’m paying about three hundred quid a month on comprehensive health insurance, and if I had kids I’d need to pay £8-10k for education, but most of the larger employers out here cover both for their staff.
TFW Ed Miliband is running the government.
Shocker of a session for KEMI the whole of her front/ backbench have their metophrical heads in their hands with that performance
Just really bad.
When people want to mock and think the worst, these unfortunate snaps can be cruel and damaging
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umI9Z0JW2Vs
Also, what's the consensus speculation - that MM, knowing what was coming, destroyed his phone and pretended it was stolen?
So Edwardian flats with freehold, 3m ceilings, newly fitted sash windows with double glazing, modern heating and electrics etc are holding up
Modern built cramped crap, with giant service charges and leasehold, not so much.
And so on.
For example: Full disclosure: I first heard that joke, in a slightly different form, told about Nikita Khrushchev.
There’s a David Mitchell meme that leaps to mind now.
I expect we’ll hear a load of whining about it being a witch hunt .
My Bitcoin brings all the boys to the yard!
https://x.com/salwashahi/status/2036581825800446410
UAE Ports of Fujairah and Khorfakkan have miles-long queues of lorries waiting to load up, to keep regional logistics going.
They say it won't change oil and gas prices, which it won't.
As a matter of economics, it will earn the country money, and won't make any difference at all to our oil and gas consumption.
We could even put the £2bn or so extra that government might earn into solar plus grid backup projects.
So there is no good argument not to do it.
I have always maintained the benefit is from the tax going into the treasury and I would not be surprised that Reeves makes the case as she becomes desperate to find additional revenue
Not doing it is fiscal irresponsibility
@katiadoyl
EXCLUSIVE: Each day since the start of the war, U.S. military officials compile a video update for President Trump that shows the biggest, most successful strikes on Iranian targets over the previous 48 hours.
But the military can’t brief Trump on every strike and so the video, while it showcases U.S. capabilities, doesn’t reflect the full scope of the conflict.
“We can’t tell him every single thing that happens,” a current U.S. official said. The official noted that Trump’s briefings tend to draw better feedback from his aides when they focus on U.S. victories.
https://x.com/katiadoyl/status/2036761404984758507?s=20
This alone is a scandal so huge it's barely comprehensible
Davey outed himself again as a Labour super subscriber
Reform did a walk out stunt that looked very foolish
Not as dull as it seemed
Current and former officials said the videos are also driving Trump’s increasing frustration with news coverage of the war. Trump has pointed to the success depicted in the daily videos to privately question why his administration can’t better influence the public narrative, asking aides why the news media doesn’t emphasize what he’s seeing.
On this subject, did we ever find out which who provided that big payment to the leave campaign that was channeled through Northern Ireland to disguise its source?
Big John Owls said Starmer won PMQs.
Farage and Reform walking out in a childish fit reflects on just how dreadful they are
Of course Labour also has its own issues with Russian influence as well.
Brexit happened,get over it.
If Miliband is mad, logically the previous government was also mad for having the exact same policies. As a member of that government, Badenoch is simply drawing attention to her own supposed madness.
The industry lobby says it’s all government policy decision, not geology at all.
Green Lobby says UK North Sea is waning due to geology, and UK policy is still too much commitment to drilling fossil fuel for far too long. Here’s an example of Green Lobby spin:
https://www.upliftuk.org/post/the-declining-economics-of-the-north-sea
North Sea policy is a war. There’s various sides, each have vested interest in not sticking to fact or balance - including government with their net zero policy, and the Conservatives who invented net zero policy in office, but prefer to argue Populist position against net zero in opposition.
Truth is the first casualty of war. It’s very hard to for us to spot what’s smartest in long run with this one imho.