Zelenskyy makes a big announcement: “We have already reached 10-year agreements with three key countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. We already have requests from 11 countries – the Middle East and the Gulf, plus we’re also gradually turning our attention to the Caucasus.
“Within this Drone Deal, there will be at least 10 different agreements covering various categories of Ukrainian weapons exports. Co-production is planned – the construction of our production lines both in Ukraine and in other countries.
“New technologies that we are developing jointly with various countries, in which they are investing. There is also an agreement on annual funding for a specific amount, along with a fixed number of years.
“Second: the European track. Work has already begun with Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Of course, we have good relations with the United Kingdom and France. I am confident that all of this will also be implemented there.”
By the end of this war Ukraine just might be the most powerful country in Europe.
It's reminding me of the rapid 'progress' we saw during WW1 with artillery and general 'modern warfare'. Cost, body-count and time pressures leading to innovation after innovation. Meanwhile Russia just seem to be content with pushing more lads into the meat grinder. Which is... grim.
Unfortunately Russia is also learning and adapting quickly, much as I’d love it not to be so.
Zelenskyy makes a big announcement: “We have already reached 10-year agreements with three key countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. We already have requests from 11 countries – the Middle East and the Gulf, plus we’re also gradually turning our attention to the Caucasus.
“Within this Drone Deal, there will be at least 10 different agreements covering various categories of Ukrainian weapons exports. Co-production is planned – the construction of our production lines both in Ukraine and in other countries.
“New technologies that we are developing jointly with various countries, in which they are investing. There is also an agreement on annual funding for a specific amount, along with a fixed number of years.
“Second: the European track. Work has already begun with Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Of course, we have good relations with the United Kingdom and France. I am confident that all of this will also be implemented there.”
By the end of this war Ukraine just might be the most powerful country in Europe.
It's reminding me of the rapid 'progress' we saw during WW1 with artillery and general 'modern warfare'. Cost, body-count and time pressures leading to innovation after innovation. Meanwhile Russia just seem to be content with pushing more lads into the meat grinder. Which is... grim.
Unfortunately Russia is also learning and adapting quickly, much as I’d love it not to be so.
Shoosh. The goodies are winning and the baddies are failing. That is the way of the world.
As the No 10 centre and Treasury block every attempt to rearm ourselves for war against Russia we have this utter tripe:
UK Prime Minister @10DowningStreet · 59m Visiting the crew of a Vanguard-Class submarine as they return from a record-long deployment.
As we face an increasingly volatile world, our nuclear deterrent is more important than ever.
Thank you for keeping Britain and NATO safe 🇬🇧
They will do every contortion they can to avoid having to spend money on defence and have a plan because they are so removed from the reality of war and assume that others will pick up the slack through NATO.
The silly thing is that if they scared the shit out of the population and started talking about drafts, compulsory training, plans for an emergency then it might help by making the population get a bit more serious. At the moment I (and I will likely be put in my box on this here) think we are a bit of a soft joke of a general country. People are addicted to quick hits, fripperies, idiocracy, selfishness.
The country as a whole needs to possibly be a bit more serious - nothing comes fro free.
Unfortunately too many people have got too used to getting too much for free.
I am being bombarded with non stop SNP adverts this evening. It's quite remarkable, there are no other adverts showing. And it is an endless list of "free" and "protected" benefits and rights. Absolutely nothing about growing our economy, improving competitiveness, encouraging investment, attracting foreign investment. Just a list of supposed freebies. This is what our politics is reduced to.
Strangely, I’ve been bombarded with leaflets telling me to vote Tory to prevent an SNP majority. Don’t you have any other policies?
On YouTube, I've been getting very polished Anas Sarwar (next to no mention of Labour) adverts for some time. Very 'Kinnock the Movie'.
SNP just seem to have woken up to this and started doing their own Youtube ads - can't tell you much about it as the soundtrack is pretty much just an annoying tune. As waste of money for the SNP, as many people like me chuck Youtube on while getting ready for work or doing other things, so it needs a voice track. They're not as professional and polished as Labour.
So I started my walk yesterday, and was a bit disappointed by my pace. I’d hoped to walk 27 miles to La Roche Bernard, but by 2pm I’d only managed to go just over 11 miles
I stopped for a beer, and to try to book something a bit closer. The only decent looking place I could find was in a town called Muzillac that was just five miles away
I was a bit irritated that I was only going to get 16 miles done, and had to remind myself that I did break an ankle and seven ribs only nine months back, followed by four months off
I arrived in Muzillac to a lovely, thatched stone farmhouse. The couple who ran it were Swiss and in their late fifties, they’d sold up in Switzerland ten years ago to move to a much bigger place in Brittany
They were so friendly and welcoming; they gave me a bottle of lovely, and strong, local beer, and we chatted in the garden for about an hour. I noticed that time was getting on, so said that I’d need to go out for dinner
They gave me a couple of recommendations, but said if I wanted to, to please stay with them for dinner. I don’t like to look a gift horse in the mouth, so stayed for baked fish, chips, stuffed tomatoes and salad, with a couple of glasses of wine. And a large whisky after
They made me a good breakfast first thing this morning, and then refused to let me pay for the dinner and drinks the night before , so I set off for La Roche Bernard
I arrived there, about eleven miles away, and was rather surprised to find the beautiful, tiny city in the midst of a medieval festival. People were dressed up as soldiers, jesters and wenches. There were bagpipes and drums, fire breathers , jugglers, sword fighting and much more
I stopped for a couple of beers, watched the show and found a place to stay tonight. I booked a little house in a town called Missillac, eight miles further on. I headed off there and arrived at about six thirty
On the way I realised that I hadn’t thought about stocking up with any supplies, and everywhere was shut. I met the host there; another lovely lady, I think in her late thirties. I told her my predicament
She responded by asking if I wanted a beer, she could grab us each one from her house, about 100 metres away, we could drink them together, and then she’d drive me to the golf club, where the clubhouse was definitely open for dinner
We had a really nice chat with the beers, and on the drive to the golf club, then a hug after she dropped me off
I’m now at the clubhouse and have just finished steak tartare for starter and prawn curry with black rice for main. I’m now feeling quite blessed
Superb!
Keep them coming
You must be personally very charming. This doesn’t happen to everyone yet it quite often happens to you
👏
I just smile a lot and try to speak the best French I can; I’m a long way from fluent, but it seems that I can just about coherently convey the meaning intended. And they all love my ancient “Marlborough French” story, and my French holiday motto
Vance is arguing with the Pope about what is a just war without realising or remembering that the Pope was the head of the Augustinian Order and it was St Augustine of Hippo who pretty much invented the Christian idea of "just war". The Pope is likely to understand it a lot better than Vance.
I quite like Leo. He has just been on a visit to North Africa, going to some of the places associated with Augustine.
The theory of just war has been well understood for quite a long time. Though clearly not by JD.
I think he was trying to find it down the back of a sofa, if I remember correctly?
So I started my walk yesterday, and was a bit disappointed by my pace. I’d hoped to walk 27 miles to La Roche Bernard, but by 2pm I’d only managed to go just over 11 miles
I stopped for a beer, and to try to book something a bit closer. The only decent looking place I could find was in a town called Muzillac that was just five miles away
I was a bit irritated that I was only going to get 16 miles done, and had to remind myself that I did break an ankle and seven ribs only nine months back, followed by four months off
I arrived in Muzillac to a lovely, thatched stone farmhouse. The couple who ran it were Swiss and in their late fifties, they’d sold up in Switzerland ten years ago to move to a much bigger place in Brittany
They were so friendly and welcoming; they gave me a bottle of lovely, and strong, local beer, and we chatted in the garden for about an hour. I noticed that time was getting on, so said that I’d need to go out for dinner
They gave me a couple of recommendations, but said if I wanted to, to please stay with them for dinner. I don’t like to look a gift horse in the mouth, so stayed for baked fish, chips, stuffed tomatoes and salad, with a couple of glasses of wine. And a large whisky after
They made me a good breakfast first thing this morning, and then refused to let me pay for the dinner and drinks the night before , so I set off for La Roche Bernard
I arrived there, about eleven miles away, and was rather surprised to find the beautiful, tiny city in the midst of a medieval festival. People were dressed up as soldiers, jesters and wenches. There were bagpipes and drums, fire breathers , jugglers, sword fighting and much more
I stopped for a couple of beers, watched the show and found a place to stay tonight. I booked a little house in a town called Missillac, eight miles further on. I headed off there and arrived at about six thirty
On the way I realised that I hadn’t thought about stocking up with any supplies, and everywhere was shut. I met the host there; another lovely lady, I think in her late thirties. I told her my predicament
She responded by asking if I wanted a beer, she could grab us each one from her house, about 100 metres away, we could drink them together, and then she’d drive me to the golf club, where the clubhouse was definitely open for dinner
We had a really nice chat with the beers, and on the drive to the golf club, then a hug after she dropped me off
I’m now at the clubhouse and have just finished steak tartare for starter and prawn curry with black rice for main. I’m now feeling quite blessed
Superb!
Keep them coming
You must be personally very charming. This doesn’t happen to everyone yet it quite often happens to you
👏
I just smile a lot and try to speak the best French I can; I’m a long way from fluent, but it seems that I can just about coherently convey the meaning intended. And they all love my ancient “Marlborough French” story, and my French holiday motto
Ahh, you speak French!? That explains a lot. The French are these days pathetically grateful if anyone deigns to speak their parochial dialect (seriously - I’ve seen it)
I doubt you’d have gotten that treatment if you’d been the normal monoglot Brit (like me)
Not that this detracts from your charm. Bravo, mon ami
Just been reading about the working conditions of Ulster linen weavers 1850–1900 (mainly female from the age of 12)
Jesus Ballycastle Christ
Barefoot ankle deep in scalding water breathing fetid air that carried endless diseases in front of machinery that made them deaf and generally crippled them by the age of 30
Their life expectancy was lower than coal miners of the same era
White privilege, eh?
Just wait until Reform abolish Health & Safety legislation. You’ll be knapping underground in a cave in Brandon with blood pouring from your hands.
Have you not read the reports on the Leicester garment trade? Exposed by COVID.
According to local politicians, “imposing” minimum wage or even the Factory Acts would collapse it.
When the brands being supplied from them found out, they lost most of their business anyway. Brands are very sensitive to Labour allegations now. Which is a nice thing, I think.
So I started my walk yesterday, and was a bit disappointed by my pace. I’d hoped to walk 27 miles to La Roche Bernard, but by 2pm I’d only managed to go just over 11 miles
I stopped for a beer, and to try to book something a bit closer. The only decent looking place I could find was in a town called Muzillac that was just five miles away
I was a bit irritated that I was only going to get 16 miles done, and had to remind myself that I did break an ankle and seven ribs only nine months back, followed by four months off
I arrived in Muzillac to a lovely, thatched stone farmhouse. The couple who ran it were Swiss and in their late fifties, they’d sold up in Switzerland ten years ago to move to a much bigger place in Brittany
They were so friendly and welcoming; they gave me a bottle of lovely, and strong, local beer, and we chatted in the garden for about an hour. I noticed that time was getting on, so said that I’d need to go out for dinner
They gave me a couple of recommendations, but said if I wanted to, to please stay with them for dinner. I don’t like to look a gift horse in the mouth, so stayed for baked fish, chips, stuffed tomatoes and salad, with a couple of glasses of wine. And a large whisky after
They made me a good breakfast first thing this morning, and then refused to let me pay for the dinner and drinks the night before , so I set off for La Roche Bernard
I arrived there, about eleven miles away, and was rather surprised to find the beautiful, tiny city in the midst of a medieval festival. People were dressed up as soldiers, jesters and wenches. There were bagpipes and drums, fire breathers , jugglers, sword fighting and much more
I stopped for a couple of beers, watched the show and found a place to stay tonight. I booked a little house in a town called Missillac, eight miles further on. I headed off there and arrived at about six thirty
On the way I realised that I hadn’t thought about stocking up with any supplies, and everywhere was shut. I met the host there; another lovely lady, I think in her late thirties. I told her my predicament
She responded by asking if I wanted a beer, she could grab us each one from her house, about 100 metres away, we could drink them together, and then she’d drive me to the golf club, where the clubhouse was definitely open for dinner
We had a really nice chat with the beers, and on the drive to the golf club, then a hug after she dropped me off
I’m now at the clubhouse and have just finished steak tartare for starter and prawn curry with black rice for main. I’m now feeling quite blessed
Superb!
Keep them coming
You must be personally very charming. This doesn’t happen to everyone yet it quite often happens to you
👏
I just smile a lot and try to speak the best French I can; I’m a long way from fluent, but it seems that I can just about coherently convey the meaning intended. And they all love my ancient “Marlborough French” story, and my French holiday motto
Ahh, you speak French!? That explains a lot. The French are these days pathetically grateful if anyone deigns to speak their parochial dialect (seriously - I’ve seen it)
I doubt you’d have gotten that treatment if you’d been the normal monoglot Brit (like me)
Not that this detracts from your charm. Bravo, mon ami
I think throwing yourself on the kindness of strangers is a charming thing, if done in the right way. I’m bad at that generally - too reticent.
Zelenskyy makes a big announcement: “We have already reached 10-year agreements with three key countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. We already have requests from 11 countries – the Middle East and the Gulf, plus we’re also gradually turning our attention to the Caucasus.
“Within this Drone Deal, there will be at least 10 different agreements covering various categories of Ukrainian weapons exports. Co-production is planned – the construction of our production lines both in Ukraine and in other countries.
“New technologies that we are developing jointly with various countries, in which they are investing. There is also an agreement on annual funding for a specific amount, along with a fixed number of years.
“Second: the European track. Work has already begun with Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Of course, we have good relations with the United Kingdom and France. I am confident that all of this will also be implemented there.”
By the end of this war Ukraine just might be the most powerful country in Europe.
It's reminding me of the rapid 'progress' we saw during WW1 with artillery and general 'modern warfare'. Cost, body-count and time pressures leading to innovation after innovation. Meanwhile Russia just seem to be content with pushing more lads into the meat grinder. Which is... grim.
Unfortunately Russia is also learning and adapting quickly, much as I’d love it not to be so.
The main gap is to do with communications. Russia doesn't have a high speed satellite data system. The Ukrainians do. This means they can control things at essentially infinite range - complete with live video, with multiple views.
So far, there is one provided - Starlink. Amazon are getting there, slowly. China is beginning to build their own.
OneWebb is nice but doesn't have the capability. This is orders of magnitude bigger.
Europe rejected building a mega constellation in favour of trying to subsidise a smaller effort by The Traditional Suspects.
Sir Keir Starmer's war with Olly Robbins just went to a whole new level
The government has tonight taken the pretty extraordinary step of publishing what appears to be* a new legal opinion on the legislation surrounding national security vetting
Allies of Robbins have cited the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act, which states that ministers do not oversee the national security vetting system
Robbins is using this as part of his argument for not informing Starmer that Mandelson had failed his initial security vetting. The process, they say, is 'rightly independent' - something ministers have also said in the Commons
But the government appears to have commissioned new legal advice which states: 'No law stops civil servants sensibly flagging UK Security Vetting recommendations'
The government appears to have commissioned an ad hoc legal opinion as ammunition for Starmer ahead of his appearance in the Commons tomorrow
Allies of Robbins point out two things. 1) This appears to be new legal advice - it didn't exist when Mandelson was appointed 2) It doesn't demonstrate that Robbins *should* have informed Starmer. It is effectively passive
They say that the government appears to be attempting to retrofit a legal opinion to make Starmer's argument against Robbins
* I say appears to be as it doesn't seem to have been signed off by a government lawyer, but that's v much the suggestion I'm getting from inside Govt
As the No 10 centre and Treasury block every attempt to rearm ourselves for war against Russia we have this utter tripe:
UK Prime Minister @10DowningStreet · 59m Visiting the crew of a Vanguard-Class submarine as they return from a record-long deployment.
As we face an increasingly volatile world, our nuclear deterrent is more important than ever.
Thank you for keeping Britain and NATO safe 🇬🇧
Imagine the disappointment of returning from a record-long nuclear missile submarine deployment to find that, not only is Starmer still Prime Minister, but he's come to welcome you home and delay you from returning to your family/going out on the lash/visiting the local professionals.
But it is reassuring to know that PMs now last longer than a submarine deployment.
Just been reading about the working conditions of Ulster linen weavers 1850–1900 (mainly female from the age of 12)
Jesus Ballycastle Christ
Barefoot ankle deep in scalding water breathing fetid air that carried endless diseases in front of machinery that made them deaf and generally crippled them by the age of 30
Their life expectancy was lower than coal miners of the same era
White privilege, eh?
The jute mills of Dundee were no better. A brilliant song about it:
Oh, dear me, the mill is running fast And we poor shifters canna get nae rest Shifting bobbins coarse and fine They fairly make you work for your ten and nine
O, dear me, I wish this day were done Running up and doon the Pass is nae fun Shiftin', piecin', spinning warp, weft and twine To feed and clothe ma bairnie offa ten and nine
O, dear me, the world is ill-divided Them that works the hardest are the least provided But I maun bide contented, dark days or fine There's no much pleasure living offa ten and nine
So I started my walk yesterday, and was a bit disappointed by my pace. I’d hoped to walk 27 miles to La Roche Bernard, but by 2pm I’d only managed to go just over 11 miles
I stopped for a beer, and to try to book something a bit closer. The only decent looking place I could find was in a town called Muzillac that was just five miles away
I was a bit irritated that I was only going to get 16 miles done, and had to remind myself that I did break an ankle and seven ribs only nine months back, followed by four months off
I arrived in Muzillac to a lovely, thatched stone farmhouse. The couple who ran it were Swiss and in their late fifties, they’d sold up in Switzerland ten years ago to move to a much bigger place in Brittany
They were so friendly and welcoming; they gave me a bottle of lovely, and strong, local beer, and we chatted in the garden for about an hour. I noticed that time was getting on, so said that I’d need to go out for dinner
They gave me a couple of recommendations, but said if I wanted to, to please stay with them for dinner. I don’t like to look a gift horse in the mouth, so stayed for baked fish, chips, stuffed tomatoes and salad, with a couple of glasses of wine. And a large whisky after
They made me a good breakfast first thing this morning, and then refused to let me pay for the dinner and drinks the night before , so I set off for La Roche Bernard
I arrived there, about eleven miles away, and was rather surprised to find the beautiful, tiny city in the midst of a medieval festival. People were dressed up as soldiers, jesters and wenches. There were bagpipes and drums, fire breathers , jugglers, sword fighting and much more
I stopped for a couple of beers, watched the show and found a place to stay tonight. I booked a little house in a town called Missillac, eight miles further on. I headed off there and arrived at about six thirty
On the way I realised that I hadn’t thought about stocking up with any supplies, and everywhere was shut. I met the host there; another lovely lady, I think in her late thirties. I told her my predicament
She responded by asking if I wanted a beer, she could grab us each one from her house, about 100 metres away, we could drink them together, and then she’d drive me to the golf club, where the clubhouse was definitely open for dinner
We had a really nice chat with the beers, and on the drive to the golf club, then a hug after she dropped me off
I’m now at the clubhouse and have just finished steak tartare for starter and prawn curry with black rice for main. I’m now feeling quite blessed
Superb!
Keep them coming
You must be personally very charming. This doesn’t happen to everyone yet it quite often happens to you
👏
I just smile a lot and try to speak the best French I can; I’m a long way from fluent, but it seems that I can just about coherently convey the meaning intended. And they all love my ancient “Marlborough French” story, and my French holiday motto
Ahh, you speak French!? That explains a lot. The French are these days pathetically grateful if anyone deigns to speak their parochial dialect (seriously - I’ve seen it)
I doubt you’d have gotten that treatment if you’d been the normal monoglot Brit (like me)
Not that this detracts from your charm. Bravo, mon ami
I think throwing yourself on the kindness of strangers is a charming thing, if done in the right way. I’m bad at that generally - too reticent.
Blanche is showing us how it should be done.
You do need the lingo tho. In some places
I am capable of turning on the charm. Indeed it’s saved me great pain and possibly my life more than once (long stories)
Charm is a mixture of things. I’ve spent a lifetime working it out as it has been so helpful to me
First, listen. Let the other person speak
SHOW INTEREST. And make it sincere
Second. Read their body language and facial tics. They tell you so much. More than their words. Watch for that fleeting frown, see the tiny shrug of discomfort
Third. Self deprecate. “Ah, I am an idiot. Sorry”. By itself this disarms 80% of people who will then smile and try and help you
Fourth. Be funny. Hardest of all but the most powerful
This just per Wiki. I've not hunted the domestic results links.
Progressive Bulgaria: 38% GERB: 15% PP-DB 13% Revival: expected to hit threshold
A swing left at first sight, though perhaps more nuance than I can provide here.
As I understand it, the long serving President, one Ruman Radev, who had been Head of State since 2017, came to the conclusion the only one who could break the political deadlock was him and the only way he could do it would be to set up his own political movement.
He handed over the Presidency at the end of january to his Vice President, one Iliana Iotova, who had served as VP since 2017 and set up Progressive Bulgaria as his own party which was formalised on March 2nd.
It looks as though Radev's party will poll just shy of 40% and be comfortably the largest party in the National Assembly but short of a majority (perhaps 110 out of 240 seats) but there are enough allies among the smaller parties for Radev to form a Government,
Meanwhile, in Denmark, plenty of fun and games following their election, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, the Moderate leader, has been enjoying the power his party's 14 seats provides between the traditional centre-left and centre-right blocs.
He wants a five party Government featuring the Social Democrats and Radical Liberals from the "Red" side, the Venstre (Liberals) and Conservatives from the "Blue" side and the Moderates and that administration would have 93 seats and a clear majortiy in the Folketing.
Both the Red and Blue blocs have courted Rasmussen to join them and he has rebuffed them both. I'm sure he is enjoying himself.
Vance is arguing with the Pope about what is a just war without realising or remembering that the Pope was the head of the Augustinian Order and it was St Augustine of Hippo who pretty much invented the Christian idea of "just war". The Pope is likely to understand it a lot better than Vance.
I quite like Leo. He has just been on a visit to North Africa, going to some of the places associated with Augustine.
The theory of just war has been well understood for quite a long time. Though clearly not by JD.
I think he was trying to find it down the back of a sofa, if I remember correctly?
Sir Keir Starmer's war with Olly Robbins just went to a whole new level
The government has tonight taken the pretty extraordinary step of publishing what appears to be* a new legal opinion on the legislation surrounding national security vetting
Allies of Robbins have cited the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act, which states that ministers do not oversee the national security vetting system
Robbins is using this as part of his argument for not informing Starmer that Mandelson had failed his initial security vetting. The process, they say, is 'rightly independent' - something ministers have also said in the Commons
But the government appears to have commissioned new legal advice which states: 'No law stops civil servants sensibly flagging UK Security Vetting recommendations'
The government appears to have commissioned an ad hoc legal opinion as ammunition for Starmer ahead of his appearance in the Commons tomorrow
Allies of Robbins point out two things. 1) This appears to be new legal advice - it didn't exist when Mandelson was appointed 2) It doesn't demonstrate that Robbins *should* have informed Starmer. It is effectively passive
They say that the government appears to be attempting to retrofit a legal opinion to make Starmer's argument against Robbins
* I say appears to be as it doesn't seem to have been signed off by a government lawyer, but that's v much the suggestion I'm getting from inside Govt
'Independent' is one of those nice words that are actually bad news. Effectively it means 'unnaccountable'. And in this instance the idea of a decision like this being kept hidden from the politician making the appointment frankly borders on farce.
I am not one to give Sir Security Risk an easy ride. But this is turning into yet another story of Civil Service arrogance, complacency and utter incompetence.
I would suggest all this desperate defence by Starmer will not wash with the public, who just do not like bosses blaming their workers/officials rather than accepting their own responsibility
Sir Keir Starmer's war with Olly Robbins just went to a whole new level
The government has tonight taken the pretty extraordinary step of publishing what appears to be* a new legal opinion on the legislation surrounding national security vetting
Allies of Robbins have cited the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act, which states that ministers do not oversee the national security vetting system
Robbins is using this as part of his argument for not informing Starmer that Mandelson had failed his initial security vetting. The process, they say, is 'rightly independent' - something ministers have also said in the Commons
But the government appears to have commissioned new legal advice which states: 'No law stops civil servants sensibly flagging UK Security Vetting recommendations'
The government appears to have commissioned an ad hoc legal opinion as ammunition for Starmer ahead of his appearance in the Commons tomorrow
Allies of Robbins point out two things. 1) This appears to be new legal advice - it didn't exist when Mandelson was appointed 2) It doesn't demonstrate that Robbins *should* have informed Starmer. It is effectively passive
They say that the government appears to be attempting to retrofit a legal opinion to make Starmer's argument against Robbins
* I say appears to be as it doesn't seem to have been signed off by a government lawyer, but that's v much the suggestion I'm getting from inside Govt
My main reaction to this is that it is perhaps uniquely British (and is somewhat to both Robbins' and Starmer's credit) to have a massive bust up about the correct interpretation of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act.
I can't see Johnson (or Trump for that matter) bothering to do the same.
Just been reading about the working conditions of Ulster linen weavers 1850–1900 (mainly female from the age of 12)
Jesus Ballycastle Christ
Barefoot ankle deep in scalding water breathing fetid air that carried endless diseases in front of machinery that made them deaf and generally crippled them by the age of 30
Their life expectancy was lower than coal miners of the same era
White privilege, eh?
The jute mills of Dundee were no better. A brilliant song about it:
Oh, dear me, the mill is running fast And we poor shifters canna get nae rest Shifting bobbins coarse and fine They fairly make you work for your ten and nine
O, dear me, I wish this day were done Running up and doon the Pass is nae fun Shiftin', piecin', spinning warp, weft and twine To feed and clothe ma bairnie offa ten and nine
O, dear me, the world is ill-divided Them that works the hardest are the least provided But I maun bide contented, dark days or fine There's no much pleasure living offa ten and nine
Nice
I do wonder how much of the Troubles was suppressed inherited trauma from the linen mills
The young men of the 60s would have seen their grandmothers dying young and crippled from the awful linen work if they saw them at all. And the family stories would have been passed down
And generally it was Catholic women that did the very worst work (tho plenty of prods as well)
I would suggest all this desperate defence by Starmer will not wash with the public, who just do not like bosses blamimg their workers/officials rather than accepting their own responsibility
I seemed to remember a boss once said it was wrong to throwing their employees under the bus was totally wrong and they would never do such a thing, they would take responsbility for the organisation they led....i can't remember who it was though.
Just been reading about the working conditions of Ulster linen weavers 1850–1900 (mainly female from the age of 12)
Jesus Ballycastle Christ
Barefoot ankle deep in scalding water breathing fetid air that carried endless diseases in front of machinery that made them deaf and generally crippled them by the age of 30
Their life expectancy was lower than coal miners of the same era
White privilege, eh?
The jute mills of Dundee were no better. A brilliant song about it:
Oh, dear me, the mill is running fast And we poor shifters canna get nae rest Shifting bobbins coarse and fine They fairly make you work for your ten and nine
O, dear me, I wish this day were done Running up and doon the Pass is nae fun Shiftin', piecin', spinning warp, weft and twine To feed and clothe ma bairnie offa ten and nine
O, dear me, the world is ill-divided Them that works the hardest are the least provided But I maun bide contented, dark days or fine There's no much pleasure living offa ten and nine
Nice
I do wonder how much of the Troubles was suppressed inherited trauma from the linen mills
The young men of the 60s would have seen their grandmothers dying young and crippled from the awful linen work if they saw them at all. And the family stories would have been passed down
And generally it was Catholic women that did the very worst work (tho plenty of prods as well)
A lot of them were catholic in Dundee as well, Irish immigrants living in Lochee. But Dundee became a very matriarchal society because the men found it much harder to get work.
The mills preferred the young hands of girls to go in and out and if they lost the odd finger, well, too bad. My gran had a friend Annie who I couldn't understand when I was growing up because she had been hit in the face by a bobbin and lets just say not a lot was spent on plastic surgery. Tough times, really tough.
They are giving off the vibe of being terminally rattled...
I expect tomorrow Starmer will have the most hostile questioning and reactions to what he says across the chamber with his mps watching on in disbelief
So I started my walk yesterday, and was a bit disappointed by my pace. I’d hoped to walk 27 miles to La Roche Bernard, but by 2pm I’d only managed to go just over 11 miles
I stopped for a beer, and to try to book something a bit closer. The only decent looking place I could find was in a town called Muzillac that was just five miles away
I was a bit irritated that I was only going to get 16 miles done, and had to remind myself that I did break an ankle and seven ribs only nine months back, followed by four months off
I arrived in Muzillac to a lovely, thatched stone farmhouse. The couple who ran it were Swiss and in their late fifties, they’d sold up in Switzerland ten years ago to move to a much bigger place in Brittany
They were so friendly and welcoming; they gave me a bottle of lovely, and strong, local beer, and we chatted in the garden for about an hour. I noticed that time was getting on, so said that I’d need to go out for dinner
They gave me a couple of recommendations, but said if I wanted to, to please stay with them for dinner. I don’t like to look a gift horse in the mouth, so stayed for baked fish, chips, stuffed tomatoes and salad, with a couple of glasses of wine. And a large whisky after
They made me a good breakfast first thing this morning, and then refused to let me pay for the dinner and drinks the night before , so I set off for La Roche Bernard
I arrived there, about eleven miles away, and was rather surprised to find the beautiful, tiny city in the midst of a medieval festival. People were dressed up as soldiers, jesters and wenches. There were bagpipes and drums, fire breathers , jugglers, sword fighting and much more
I stopped for a couple of beers, watched the show and found a place to stay tonight. I booked a little house in a town called Missillac, eight miles further on. I headed off there and arrived at about six thirty
On the way I realised that I hadn’t thought about stocking up with any supplies, and everywhere was shut. I met the host there; another lovely lady, I think in her late thirties. I told her my predicament
She responded by asking if I wanted a beer, she could grab us each one from her house, about 100 metres away, we could drink them together, and then she’d drive me to the golf club, where the clubhouse was definitely open for dinner
We had a really nice chat with the beers, and on the drive to the golf club, then a hug after she dropped me off
I’m now at the clubhouse and have just finished steak tartare for starter and prawn curry with black rice for main. I’m now feeling quite blessed
Superb!
Keep them coming
You must be personally very charming. This doesn’t happen to everyone yet it quite often happens to you
👏
I just smile a lot and try to speak the best French I can; I’m a long way from fluent, but it seems that I can just about coherently convey the meaning intended. And they all love my ancient “Marlborough French” story, and my French holiday motto
Ahh, you speak French!? That explains a lot. The French are these days pathetically grateful if anyone deigns to speak their parochial dialect (seriously - I’ve seen it)
I doubt you’d have gotten that treatment if you’d been the normal monoglot Brit (like me)
Not that this detracts from your charm. Bravo, mon ami
I think throwing yourself on the kindness of strangers is a charming thing, if done in the right way. I’m bad at that generally - too reticent.
Blanche is showing us how it should be done.
Last thursday we asked the greek restaurant opposite our hotel if they had any space. 1 hour the maitre'd declared. So, as we're both quick eaters and can choose food fast took our seats, went to order when the restaurant suddenly realised there was no hour and the restaurant was about to be filled ! So we were offered and accepted a glass of wine, beer and a decent starter on the pavement outside (The area was pleasent enough, and it was a warm pleasent evening so it was pas probleme) to hastily evacuate our seats. In fact the starters and pittas offered were so filling we didn't actually need to go out that evening ! It also gave me the best photo of the holiday of my other half - which I'll avoid posting here as she's far too shy. I think the fact I speak, or at least try to speak some rudiementary french went down well when we were out and about in Paris last week too.
Just been reading about the working conditions of Ulster linen weavers 1850–1900 (mainly female from the age of 12)
Jesus Ballycastle Christ
Barefoot ankle deep in scalding water breathing fetid air that carried endless diseases in front of machinery that made them deaf and generally crippled them by the age of 30
Their life expectancy was lower than coal miners of the same era
White privilege, eh?
The jute mills of Dundee were no better. A brilliant song about it:
Oh, dear me, the mill is running fast And we poor shifters canna get nae rest Shifting bobbins coarse and fine They fairly make you work for your ten and nine
O, dear me, I wish this day were done Running up and doon the Pass is nae fun Shiftin', piecin', spinning warp, weft and twine To feed and clothe ma bairnie offa ten and nine
O, dear me, the world is ill-divided Them that works the hardest are the least provided But I maun bide contented, dark days or fine There's no much pleasure living offa ten and nine
Nice
I do wonder how much of the Troubles was suppressed inherited trauma from the linen mills
The young men of the 60s would have seen their grandmothers dying young and crippled from the awful linen work if they saw them at all. And the family stories would have been passed down
And generally it was Catholic women that did the very worst work (tho plenty of prods as well)
A lot of them were catholic in Dundee as well, Irish immigrants living in Lochee. But Dundee became a very matriarchal society because the men found it much harder to get work.
The mills preferred the young hands of girls to go in and out and if they lost the odd finger, well, too bad. My gran had a friend Annie who I couldn't understand when I was growing up because she had been hit in the face by a bobbin and lets just say not a lot was spent on plastic surgery. Tough times, really tough.
Jeezo
We don’t know we’re born do we?
My maternal grandmother - sent to work as a barefoot bal maiden at the age of 10. Up at grass at at Agnes mines on the cliffs. Sorting rocks for extra ore by the deafening mine stamps. She had 8 kids and died in her late 40s
That’s just two generations back. What would she think of me? Lolling about being flown around the world to convey a few thoughts on a laptop
I wonder if she’d be proud. Or just totally bewildered
I would suggest all this desperate defence by Starmer will not wash with the public, who just do not like bosses blamimg their workers/officials rather than accepting their own responsibility
I seemed to remember a boss once said it was wrong to throwing their employees under the bus was totally wrong and they would never do such a thing, they would take responsbility for the organisation they led....i can't remember who it was though.
Sure, though let's be honest, a) if PMs really did quit when their employees mucked up they'd never last a week, and b) to a degree we'd expect some people throwing themselves on their sword to safeguard political leadership - though on the understanding it is not done lightly, or too frequently.
Just been reading about the working conditions of Ulster linen weavers 1850–1900 (mainly female from the age of 12)
Jesus Ballycastle Christ
Barefoot ankle deep in scalding water breathing fetid air that carried endless diseases in front of machinery that made them deaf and generally crippled them by the age of 30
Their life expectancy was lower than coal miners of the same era
White privilege, eh?
The jute mills of Dundee were no better. A brilliant song about it:
Oh, dear me, the mill is running fast And we poor shifters canna get nae rest Shifting bobbins coarse and fine They fairly make you work for your ten and nine
O, dear me, I wish this day were done Running up and doon the Pass is nae fun Shiftin', piecin', spinning warp, weft and twine To feed and clothe ma bairnie offa ten and nine
O, dear me, the world is ill-divided Them that works the hardest are the least provided But I maun bide contented, dark days or fine There's no much pleasure living offa ten and nine
Nice
I do wonder how much of the Troubles was suppressed inherited trauma from the linen mills
The young men of the 60s would have seen their grandmothers dying young and crippled from the awful linen work if they saw them at all. And the family stories would have been passed down
And generally it was Catholic women that did the very worst work (tho plenty of prods as well)
A lot of them were catholic in Dundee as well, Irish immigrants living in Lochee. But Dundee became a very matriarchal society because the men found it much harder to get work.
The mills preferred the young hands of girls to go in and out and if they lost the odd finger, well, too bad. My gran had a friend Annie who I couldn't understand when I was growing up because she had been hit in the face by a bobbin and lets just say not a lot was spent on plastic surgery. Tough times, really tough.
Jeezo
We don’t know we’re born do we?
My maternal grandmother - sent to work as a barefoot bal maiden at the age of 10. Up at grass at at Agnes mines on the cliffs. Sorting rocks for extra ore by the deafening mine stamps. She had 8 kids and died in her late 40s
That’s just two generations back. What would she think of me? Lolling about being flown around the world to convey a few thoughts on a laptop
I wonder if she’d be proud. Or just totally bewildered
If you’re not Catholic the Pope is an irrelevance. If you are Catholic, then he’s the holy appointee of god. If you question him, then are you really Catholic?
Just been reading about the working conditions of Ulster linen weavers 1850–1900 (mainly female from the age of 12)
Jesus Ballycastle Christ
Barefoot ankle deep in scalding water breathing fetid air that carried endless diseases in front of machinery that made them deaf and generally crippled them by the age of 30
Their life expectancy was lower than coal miners of the same era
White privilege, eh?
The jute mills of Dundee were no better. A brilliant song about it:
Oh, dear me, the mill is running fast And we poor shifters canna get nae rest Shifting bobbins coarse and fine They fairly make you work for your ten and nine
O, dear me, I wish this day were done Running up and doon the Pass is nae fun Shiftin', piecin', spinning warp, weft and twine To feed and clothe ma bairnie offa ten and nine
O, dear me, the world is ill-divided Them that works the hardest are the least provided But I maun bide contented, dark days or fine There's no much pleasure living offa ten and nine
I have that song on an LP by the Ian Campbell Folk Group. Ian Campbell was the father of Ally Campbell of UB40.
Just been reading about the working conditions of Ulster linen weavers 1850–1900 (mainly female from the age of 12)
Jesus Ballycastle Christ
Barefoot ankle deep in scalding water breathing fetid air that carried endless diseases in front of machinery that made them deaf and generally crippled them by the age of 30
Their life expectancy was lower than coal miners of the same era
White privilege, eh?
The jute mills of Dundee were no better. A brilliant song about it:
Oh, dear me, the mill is running fast And we poor shifters canna get nae rest Shifting bobbins coarse and fine They fairly make you work for your ten and nine
O, dear me, I wish this day were done Running up and doon the Pass is nae fun Shiftin', piecin', spinning warp, weft and twine To feed and clothe ma bairnie offa ten and nine
O, dear me, the world is ill-divided Them that works the hardest are the least provided But I maun bide contented, dark days or fine There's no much pleasure living offa ten and nine
Nice
I do wonder how much of the Troubles was suppressed inherited trauma from the linen mills
The young men of the 60s would have seen their grandmothers dying young and crippled from the awful linen work if they saw them at all. And the family stories would have been passed down
And generally it was Catholic women that did the very worst work (tho plenty of prods as well)
A lot of them were catholic in Dundee as well, Irish immigrants living in Lochee. But Dundee became a very matriarchal society because the men found it much harder to get work.
The mills preferred the young hands of girls to go in and out and if they lost the odd finger, well, too bad. My gran had a friend Annie who I couldn't understand when I was growing up because she had been hit in the face by a bobbin and lets just say not a lot was spent on plastic surgery. Tough times, really tough.
Jeezo
We don’t know we’re born do we?
My maternal grandmother - sent to work as a barefoot bal maiden at the age of 10. Up at grass at at Agnes mines on the cliffs. Sorting rocks for extra ore by the deafening mine stamps. She had 8 kids and died in her late 40s
That’s just two generations back. What would she think of me? Lolling about being flown around the world to convey a few thoughts on a laptop
I wonder if she’d be proud. Or just totally bewildered
GB News acting as the propaganda wing of Reform UK.
I didn't have you down as a regular viewer.
I do actually follow them on X if you can believe it.
One incredible success they appear to have head, billions of views on YouTube. I presume they must have somebody who knows how to play the online game. I was a bit suss at first that they were perhaps buying views, but even if they were originally, 3 billion views, they must be playing the social media game pretty well.
Its not something I ever watch, but I find it an odd operation. They actually at times hired some not totally mad people e.g Liam Halligan and a number of Sky news presenters, then they seem to sack them. Maybe not willing to kiss the ring of Reformy-land, who knows.
A dozen Carlingford oysters for my lunch. By Carlingford lough. In Carlingford. Does it get better than that?
Yes. It does. Because after this they were so good I ordered another half dozen
Are you finding it hard?
I wonder just how much narcissistic supply pbCOM gives this guy. Probably 20% or so. Who gives flying fuck what SeanT eats?
Fully agreed. Doesn’t he have a blog or publication he can post this stuff in?
You could just scroll past. It adds to life’s rich tapestry here and is infinitely better than cut and paste posts about “my team good/your team bad”. Why don’t you tell us about interesting things you do in your life, there must be some surely?
A dozen Carlingford oysters for my lunch. By Carlingford lough. In Carlingford. Does it get better than that?
Yes. It does. Because after this they were so good I ordered another half dozen
Are you finding it hard?
I wonder just how much narcissistic supply pbCOM gives this guy. Probably 20% or so. Who gives flying fuck what SeanT eats?
Fully agreed. Doesn’t he have a blog or publication he can post this stuff in?
You could just scroll past. It adds to life’s rich tapestry here and is infinitely better than cut and paste posts about “my team good/your team bad”. Why don’t you tell us about interesting things you do in your life, there must be some surely?
If you’re not Catholic the Pope is an irrelevance. If you are Catholic, then he’s the holy appointee of god. If you question him, then are you really Catholic?
The Pope is not, I think, an irrelevance, as a significant international leader.
Nor is Donald Trump an irrelevance - for the same reason.
JD, however, probably is an irreleVANCE, in the main.
It's about time they linked Il Papa to Obama as the next conspiracy theory, since both are associated with Chicago.
A dozen Carlingford oysters for my lunch. By Carlingford lough. In Carlingford. Does it get better than that?
Yes. It does. Because after this they were so good I ordered another half dozen
Are you finding it hard?
I wonder just how much narcissistic supply pbCOM gives this guy. Probably 20% or so. Who gives flying fuck what SeanT eats?
Fully agreed. Doesn’t he have a blog or publication he can post this stuff in?
You could just scroll past. It adds to life’s rich tapestry here and is infinitely better than cut and paste posts about “my team good/your team bad”. Why don’t you tell us about interesting things you do in your life, there must be some surely?
Sir Keir Starmer's war with Olly Robbins just went to a whole new level
The government has tonight taken the pretty extraordinary step of publishing what appears to be* a new legal opinion on the legislation surrounding national security vetting
Allies of Robbins have cited the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act, which states that ministers do not oversee the national security vetting system
Robbins is using this as part of his argument for not informing Starmer that Mandelson had failed his initial security vetting. The process, they say, is 'rightly independent' - something ministers have also said in the Commons
But the government appears to have commissioned new legal advice which states: 'No law stops civil servants sensibly flagging UK Security Vetting recommendations'
The government appears to have commissioned an ad hoc legal opinion as ammunition for Starmer ahead of his appearance in the Commons tomorrow
Allies of Robbins point out two things. 1) This appears to be new legal advice - it didn't exist when Mandelson was appointed 2) It doesn't demonstrate that Robbins *should* have informed Starmer. It is effectively passive
They say that the government appears to be attempting to retrofit a legal opinion to make Starmer's argument against Robbins
* I say appears to be as it doesn't seem to have been signed off by a government lawyer, but that's v much the suggestion I'm getting from inside Govt
GB News acting as the propaganda wing of Reform UK.
I didn't have you down as a regular viewer.
I do actually follow them on X if you can believe it.
One incredible success they appear to have head, billions of views on YouTube. I presume they must have somebody who knows how to play the online game. I was a bit suss at first that they were perhaps buying views, but even if they were originally, 3 billion views, they must be playing the social media game pretty well.
Its not something I ever watch, but I find it an odd operation. They actually at times hired some not totally mad people e.g Liam Halligan and a number of Sky news presenters, then they seem to sack them. Maybe not willing to kiss the ring of Reformy-land, who knows.
It’s following the Daily Mail mould. Churn out videos and content quickly and constantly.
Their website is also absolute trash and like the Mail breaks most web standards and conventions but somehow works.
I can’t knock their operation from a business sense. They definitely know their target market.
But to call them news is pretty suspect. I’m not just saying this because I’m centre left it’s just that they don’t even really try to provide balance to anything they report. But perhaps that’s not an issue?
As I said, they present essentially the worldview of Reform UK. It can’t necessarily be bad to have that represented.
Just been reading about the working conditions of Ulster linen weavers 1850–1900 (mainly female from the age of 12)
Jesus Ballycastle Christ
Barefoot ankle deep in scalding water breathing fetid air that carried endless diseases in front of machinery that made them deaf and generally crippled them by the age of 30
Their life expectancy was lower than coal miners of the same era
White privilege, eh?
The jute mills of Dundee were no better. A brilliant song about it:
Oh, dear me, the mill is running fast And we poor shifters canna get nae rest Shifting bobbins coarse and fine They fairly make you work for your ten and nine
O, dear me, I wish this day were done Running up and doon the Pass is nae fun Shiftin', piecin', spinning warp, weft and twine To feed and clothe ma bairnie offa ten and nine
O, dear me, the world is ill-divided Them that works the hardest are the least provided But I maun bide contented, dark days or fine There's no much pleasure living offa ten and nine
Nice
I do wonder how much of the Troubles was suppressed inherited trauma from the linen mills
The young men of the 60s would have seen their grandmothers dying young and crippled from the awful linen work if they saw them at all. And the family stories would have been passed down
And generally it was Catholic women that did the very worst work (tho plenty of prods as well)
A lot of them were catholic in Dundee as well, Irish immigrants living in Lochee. But Dundee became a very matriarchal society because the men found it much harder to get work.
The mills preferred the young hands of girls to go in and out and if they lost the odd finger, well, too bad. My gran had a friend Annie who I couldn't understand when I was growing up because she had been hit in the face by a bobbin and lets just say not a lot was spent on plastic surgery. Tough times, really tough.
Jeezo
We don’t know we’re born do we?
My maternal grandmother - sent to work as a barefoot bal maiden at the age of 10. Up at grass at at Agnes mines on the cliffs. Sorting rocks for extra ore by the deafening mine stamps. She had 8 kids and died in her late 40s
That’s just two generations back. What would she think of me? Lolling about being flown around the world to convey a few thoughts on a laptop
I wonder if she’d be proud. Or just totally bewildered
It is kinda ridiculous
Bewildered, I would think.
Yes I agree. So totally beyond her experience and comprehension she wouldn’t understand. Not because she was stupid, simply the enormousness of the changes
The smartphone alone would probably stupefy anyone born before 1920 (like my granny)
A dozen Carlingford oysters for my lunch. By Carlingford lough. In Carlingford. Does it get better than that?
Yes. It does. Because after this they were so good I ordered another half dozen
Are you finding it hard?
I wonder just how much narcissistic supply pbCOM gives this guy. Probably 20% or so. Who gives flying fuck what SeanT eats?
Fully agreed. Doesn’t he have a blog or publication he can post this stuff in?
You could just scroll past. It adds to life’s rich tapestry here and is infinitely better than cut and paste posts about “my team good/your team bad”. Why don’t you tell us about interesting things you do in your life, there must be some surely?
No I am extremely boring and have nothing to say.
I know but try, it might be good for you.
No I’ll stick with being boring and not talking about my life as that’s my business.
If no, Sir Keir stumbles onto the local elections.
This week will be torrid for Starmer and he may survive but at what cost to labour ?
Probably not that much. Partly because similar great scandals (Westland, Hutton, Scott etc etc) mostly confirmed existing views rather than switching opinions, but mostly because Starmer had few fans in the first place.
And compared with many Prime Ministerial fiascos down the years, this one has cost very little money and no lives. Alarmingly , I found myself agreeing with Matthew Syed this morning;
But nobody wants to hear this [that Mandelson is a non-story] because the content of the story isn’t the point; the scandal is the point. We want to scream blue murder. We want to clutch pearls, to bawl at Starmer, to convince ourselves that we are being betrayed. Anything to keep our minds from a ship of state heading towards the rocks, not because of politicians but because of a different group of people. Voters. Us. Politicians cannot tell the truth, whether about Mandelson or anything else, because we don’t wish to hear it. We prefer convenient lies.
Just been reading about the working conditions of Ulster linen weavers 1850–1900 (mainly female from the age of 12)
Jesus Ballycastle Christ
Barefoot ankle deep in scalding water breathing fetid air that carried endless diseases in front of machinery that made them deaf and generally crippled them by the age of 30
Their life expectancy was lower than coal miners of the same era
White privilege, eh?
The jute mills of Dundee were no better. A brilliant song about it:
Oh, dear me, the mill is running fast And we poor shifters canna get nae rest Shifting bobbins coarse and fine They fairly make you work for your ten and nine
O, dear me, I wish this day were done Running up and doon the Pass is nae fun Shiftin', piecin', spinning warp, weft and twine To feed and clothe ma bairnie offa ten and nine
O, dear me, the world is ill-divided Them that works the hardest are the least provided But I maun bide contented, dark days or fine There's no much pleasure living offa ten and nine
Nice
I do wonder how much of the Troubles was suppressed inherited trauma from the linen mills
The young men of the 60s would have seen their grandmothers dying young and crippled from the awful linen work if they saw them at all. And the family stories would have been passed down
And generally it was Catholic women that did the very worst work (tho plenty of prods as well)
A lot of them were catholic in Dundee as well, Irish immigrants living in Lochee. But Dundee became a very matriarchal society because the men found it much harder to get work.
The mills preferred the young hands of girls to go in and out and if they lost the odd finger, well, too bad. My gran had a friend Annie who I couldn't understand when I was growing up because she had been hit in the face by a bobbin and lets just say not a lot was spent on plastic surgery. Tough times, really tough.
Jeezo
We don’t know we’re born do we?
My maternal grandmother - sent to work as a barefoot bal maiden at the age of 10. Up at grass at at Agnes mines on the cliffs. Sorting rocks for extra ore by the deafening mine stamps. She had 8 kids and died in her late 40s
That’s just two generations back. What would she think of me? Lolling about being flown around the world to convey a few thoughts on a laptop
I wonder if she’d be proud. Or just totally bewildered
It is kinda ridiculous
Given where you currently are:
Between my finger and my thumb The squat pen rests; snug as a gun.
Under my window, a clean rasping sound When the spade sinks into gravelly ground: My father, digging. I look down
Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds Bends low, comes up twenty years away Stooping in rhythm through potato drills Where he was digging.
The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft Against the inside knee was levered firmly. He rooted out tall tops, buried the bright edge deep To scatter new potatoes that we picked, Loving their cool hardness in our hands.
By God, the old man could handle a spade. Just like his old man.
My grandfather cut more turf in a day Than any other man on Toner’s bog. Once I carried him milk in a bottle Corked sloppily with paper. He straightened up To drink it, then fell to right away Nicking and slicing neatly, heaving sods Over his shoulder, going down and down For the good turf. Digging.
The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge Through living roots awaken in my head. But I’ve no spade to follow men like them.
Between my finger and my thumb The squat pen rests. I’ll dig with it.
The thoughts are perhaps understandable to anyone who is only a generation or two from hard manual labour.
I predict we will be know the wiser after this week, lots of process was followed, I was never told, I never told them because of legal process, round and round in circles. There won't be any killer document or anybody able to stand up with evidence anything concrete beyond what has been reported.
The stuff like story in the Indy, it will again be never crossed my desk, I am busy person, the people in #10 never told me anything. And as they have gone fishing, we will never know and it again will never have been written down.
This just per Wiki. I've not hunted the domestic results links.
Progressive Bulgaria: 38% GERB: 15% PP-DB 13% Revival: expected to hit threshold
A swing left at first sight, though perhaps more nuance than I can provide here.
As I understand it, the long serving President, one Ruman Radev, who had been Head of State since 2017, came to the conclusion the only one who could break the political deadlock was him and the only way he could do it would be to set up his own political movement.
He handed over the Presidency at the end of january to his Vice President, one Iliana Iotova, who had served as VP since 2017 and set up Progressive Bulgaria as his own party which was formalised on March 2nd.
It looks as though Radev's party will poll just shy of 40% and be comfortably the largest party in the National Assembly but short of a majority (perhaps 110 out of 240 seats) but there are enough allies among the smaller parties for Radev to form a Government,
Meanwhile, in Denmark, plenty of fun and games following their election, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, the Moderate leader, has been enjoying the power his party's 14 seats provides between the traditional centre-left and centre-right blocs.
He wants a five party Government featuring the Social Democrats and Radical Liberals from the "Red" side, the Venstre (Liberals) and Conservatives from the "Blue" side and the Moderates and that administration would have 93 seats and a clear majortiy in the Folketing.
Both the Red and Blue blocs have courted Rasmussen to join them and he has rebuffed them both. I'm sure he is enjoying himself.
It looks like Radev is a rum sort, falling out repeatedly with PMs and exercising vetos all over the place in a parliament first system that nevertheless gives him some power. His rivalry with Borisov is particularly entertaining, culminating in a drone kompromat episode.
But, from our pov, Radev is more Russia aligned than you'd like, and Putin probably claws back some of the loss he suffered in Hungary here, in that Radev is sceptical of Western help in Ukraine and now as PM elect has EU and NATO seats in his name.
If no, Sir Keir stumbles onto the local elections.
This week will be torrid for Starmer and he may survive but at what cost to labour ?
Probably not that much. Partly because similar great scandals (Westland, Hutton, Scott etc etc) mostly confirmed existing views rather than switching opinions, but mostly because Starmer had few fans in the first place.
And compared with many Prime Ministerial fiascos down the years, this one has cost very little money and no lives. Alarmingly , I found myself agreeing with Matthew Syed this morning;
But nobody wants to hear this [that Mandelson is a non-story] because the content of the story isn’t the point; the scandal is the point. We want to scream blue murder. We want to clutch pearls, to bawl at Starmer, to convince ourselves that we are being betrayed. Anything to keep our minds from a ship of state heading towards the rocks, not because of politicians but because of a different group of people. Voters. Us. Politicians cannot tell the truth, whether about Mandelson or anything else, because we don’t wish to hear it. We prefer convenient lies.
“You just have to spell out a few home truths, and gauge the reaction, to see the problem. Here’s one for starters: the triple lock is unaffordable. Mathematically. Indisputably. Any time I write on this topic, however, the top comment is along the lines of: “I deserve my pension! Did you know we have some of the lowest pensions in the developed world”, conveniently ignoring that income from private pensions is far higher in the UK and that the British state takes less in tax from the average voter during their working lives than the European norm. ”
If Starmer had any balls he would pick a fight over the triple lock.
I would suggest all this desperate defence by Starmer will not wash with the public, who just do not like bosses blamimg their workers/officials rather than accepting their own responsibility
I seemed to remember a boss once said it was wrong to throwing their employees under the bus was totally wrong and they would never do such a thing, they would take responsbility for the organisation they led....i can't remember who it was though.
Sir Keir Starmer's war with Olly Robbins just went to a whole new level
The government has tonight taken the pretty extraordinary step of publishing what appears to be* a new legal opinion on the legislation surrounding national security vetting
Allies of Robbins have cited the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act, which states that ministers do not oversee the national security vetting system
Robbins is using this as part of his argument for not informing Starmer that Mandelson had failed his initial security vetting. The process, they say, is 'rightly independent' - something ministers have also said in the Commons
But the government appears to have commissioned new legal advice which states: 'No law stops civil servants sensibly flagging UK Security Vetting recommendations'
The government appears to have commissioned an ad hoc legal opinion as ammunition for Starmer ahead of his appearance in the Commons tomorrow
Allies of Robbins point out two things. 1) This appears to be new legal advice - it didn't exist when Mandelson was appointed 2) It doesn't demonstrate that Robbins *should* have informed Starmer. It is effectively passive
They say that the government appears to be attempting to retrofit a legal opinion to make Starmer's argument against Robbins
* I say appears to be as it doesn't seem to have been signed off by a government lawyer, but that's v much the suggestion I'm getting from inside Govt
Just been reading about the working conditions of Ulster linen weavers 1850–1900 (mainly female from the age of 12)
Jesus Ballycastle Christ
Barefoot ankle deep in scalding water breathing fetid air that carried endless diseases in front of machinery that made them deaf and generally crippled them by the age of 30
Their life expectancy was lower than coal miners of the same era
White privilege, eh?
The jute mills of Dundee were no better. A brilliant song about it:
Oh, dear me, the mill is running fast And we poor shifters canna get nae rest Shifting bobbins coarse and fine They fairly make you work for your ten and nine
O, dear me, I wish this day were done Running up and doon the Pass is nae fun Shiftin', piecin', spinning warp, weft and twine To feed and clothe ma bairnie offa ten and nine
O, dear me, the world is ill-divided Them that works the hardest are the least provided But I maun bide contented, dark days or fine There's no much pleasure living offa ten and nine
Nice
I do wonder how much of the Troubles was suppressed inherited trauma from the linen mills
The young men of the 60s would have seen their grandmothers dying young and crippled from the awful linen work if they saw them at all. And the family stories would have been passed down
And generally it was Catholic women that did the very worst work (tho plenty of prods as well)
A lot of them were catholic in Dundee as well, Irish immigrants living in Lochee. But Dundee became a very matriarchal society because the men found it much harder to get work.
The mills preferred the young hands of girls to go in and out and if they lost the odd finger, well, too bad. My gran had a friend Annie who I couldn't understand when I was growing up because she had been hit in the face by a bobbin and lets just say not a lot was spent on plastic surgery. Tough times, really tough.
Jeezo
We don’t know we’re born do we?
My maternal grandmother - sent to work as a barefoot bal maiden at the age of 10. Up at grass at at Agnes mines on the cliffs. Sorting rocks for extra ore by the deafening mine stamps. She had 8 kids and died in her late 40s
That’s just two generations back. What would she think of me? Lolling about being flown around the world to convey a few thoughts on a laptop
I wonder if she’d be proud. Or just totally bewildered
It is kinda ridiculous
Bewildered, I would think.
Yes I agree. So totally beyond her experience and comprehension she wouldn’t understand. Not because she was stupid, simply the enormousness of the changes
The smartphone alone would probably stupefy anyone born before 1920 (like my granny)
There were plenty of people born before the first flight who watched men walk on the moon.
Just been reading about the working conditions of Ulster linen weavers 1850–1900 (mainly female from the age of 12)
Jesus Ballycastle Christ
Barefoot ankle deep in scalding water breathing fetid air that carried endless diseases in front of machinery that made them deaf and generally crippled them by the age of 30
Their life expectancy was lower than coal miners of the same era
White privilege, eh?
The jute mills of Dundee were no better. A brilliant song about it:
Oh, dear me, the mill is running fast And we poor shifters canna get nae rest Shifting bobbins coarse and fine They fairly make you work for your ten and nine
O, dear me, I wish this day were done Running up and doon the Pass is nae fun Shiftin', piecin', spinning warp, weft and twine To feed and clothe ma bairnie offa ten and nine
O, dear me, the world is ill-divided Them that works the hardest are the least provided But I maun bide contented, dark days or fine There's no much pleasure living offa ten and nine
Nice
I do wonder how much of the Troubles was suppressed inherited trauma from the linen mills
The young men of the 60s would have seen their grandmothers dying young and crippled from the awful linen work if they saw them at all. And the family stories would have been passed down
And generally it was Catholic women that did the very worst work (tho plenty of prods as well)
A lot of them were catholic in Dundee as well, Irish immigrants living in Lochee. But Dundee became a very matriarchal society because the men found it much harder to get work.
The mills preferred the young hands of girls to go in and out and if they lost the odd finger, well, too bad. My gran had a friend Annie who I couldn't understand when I was growing up because she had been hit in the face by a bobbin and lets just say not a lot was spent on plastic surgery. Tough times, really tough.
Jeezo
We don’t know we’re born do we?
My maternal grandmother - sent to work as a barefoot bal maiden at the age of 10. Up at grass at at Agnes mines on the cliffs. Sorting rocks for extra ore by the deafening mine stamps. She had 8 kids and died in her late 40s
That’s just two generations back. What would she think of me? Lolling about being flown around the world to convey a few thoughts on a laptop
I wonder if she’d be proud. Or just totally bewildered
It is kinda ridiculous
Bewildered, I would think.
Yes I agree. So totally beyond her experience and comprehension she wouldn’t understand. Not because she was stupid, simply the enormousness of the changes
The smartphone alone would probably stupefy anyone born before 1920 (like my granny)
Reminds me of the TV series Catweazle, which I loved as a 10 year old. Imagine being transported from 1070 to 1970. Arthur C Clarkes 3rd law applies.
So Starmer’s latest defence isn’t that Robbins wasn’t following the process but that it wasn’t illegal for him not to follow the process?
I think their latest tactic is to make it all so complex and opaque our anger devolves into boredom. And Starmer survives
It might well work. But at what cost? Everyone despises him and Labour sink back in the polls. It’s pointless in the larger scheme: it turns the whole British government into a mechanism designed to protect the career of one man who isn’t up to the job
So Starmer’s latest defence isn’t that Robbins wasn’t following the process but that it wasn’t illegal for him not to follow the process?
I think their latest tactic is to make it all so complex and opaque our anger devolves into boredom. And Starmer survives
It might well work. But at what cost? Everyone despises him and Labour sink back in the polls. It’s pointless in the larger scheme: it turns the whole British government into a mechanism designed to protect the career of one man who isn’t up to the job
It’s somewhat shameful
And I don't think the Labour party will let that happen now.
So Starmer’s latest defence isn’t that Robbins wasn’t following the process but that it wasn’t illegal for him not to follow the process?
I think their latest tactic is to make it all so complex and opaque our anger devolves into boredom. And Starmer survives
It might well work. But at what cost? Everyone despises him and Labour sink back in the polls. It’s pointless in the larger scheme: it turns the whole British government into a mechanism designed to protect the career of one man who isn’t up to the job
It’s somewhat shameful
If Starmer didn't understand it, why should he expect that you will?
Vance clearly disagrees with Pope Leo on just war theory. However also he disagrees with him on the type of Roman Catholic leadership he prefers. Vance is very much on the Pope Benedict, Latin Mass, conservative wing of Roman Catholicism while Pope Leo, like Pope Francis before him is much more of a liberal Catholic
With the media all proclaiming this will finally be the week that Sir Keir goes, anyone want to bet?
Cannot see him going yet as Burnham cannot take over, nor can Rayner and he is needed to take the blame for the locals. Oppositions always call for resignations. Starmer did it too.
Dems could do worse than Talarico, win or lose. He's young, telegenic, knowledgeable and eloquent. Not really a Centrist, but very, very radical. The philosophy and teachings of Jesus Christ being extremely radical in today's USA
Comments
This just per Wiki. I've not hunted the domestic results links.
Progressive Bulgaria: 38%
GERB: 15%
PP-DB 13%
Revival: expected to hit threshold
A swing left at first sight, though perhaps more nuance than I can provide here.
...
Right?
A dozen Carlingford oysters for my lunch. By Carlingford lough. In Carlingford. Does it get better than that?
Yes. It does. Because after this they were so good I ordered another half dozen
SNP just seem to have woken up to this and started doing their own Youtube ads - can't tell you much about it as the soundtrack is pretty much just an annoying tune. As waste of money for the SNP, as many people like me chuck Youtube on while getting ready for work or doing other things, so it needs a voice track. They're not as professional and polished as Labour.
I doubt you’d have gotten that treatment if you’d been the normal monoglot Brit (like me)
Not that this detracts from your charm. Bravo, mon ami
According to local politicians, “imposing” minimum wage or even the Factory Acts would collapse it.
When the brands being supplied from them found out, they lost most of their business anyway. Brands are very sensitive to Labour allegations now. Which is a nice thing, I think.
Blanche is showing us how it should be done.
So far, there is one provided - Starlink. Amazon are getting there, slowly. China is beginning to build their own.
OneWebb is nice but doesn't have the capability. This is orders of magnitude bigger.
Europe rejected building a mega constellation in favour of trying to subsidise a smaller effort by The Traditional Suspects.
The government has tonight taken the pretty extraordinary step of publishing what appears to be* a new legal opinion on the legislation surrounding national security vetting
Allies of Robbins have cited the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act, which states that ministers do not oversee the national security vetting system
Robbins is using this as part of his argument for not informing Starmer that Mandelson had failed his initial security vetting. The process, they say, is 'rightly independent' - something ministers have also said in the Commons
But the government appears to have commissioned new legal advice which states: 'No law stops civil servants sensibly flagging UK Security Vetting recommendations'
The government appears to have commissioned an ad hoc legal opinion as ammunition for Starmer ahead of his appearance in the Commons tomorrow
Allies of Robbins point out two things. 1) This appears to be new legal advice - it didn't exist when Mandelson was appointed 2) It doesn't demonstrate that Robbins *should* have informed Starmer. It is effectively passive
They say that the government appears to be attempting to retrofit a legal opinion to make Starmer's argument against Robbins
* I say appears to be as it doesn't seem to have been signed off by a government lawyer, but that's v much the suggestion I'm getting from inside Govt
https://x.com/Steven_Swinford/status/2045952658872431002?s=20
Oh, dear me, the mill is running fast
And we poor shifters canna get nae rest
Shifting bobbins coarse and fine
They fairly make you work for your ten and nine
O, dear me, I wish this day were done
Running up and doon the Pass is nae fun
Shiftin', piecin', spinning warp, weft and twine
To feed and clothe ma bairnie offa ten and nine
O, dear me, the world is ill-divided
Them that works the hardest are the least provided
But I maun bide contented, dark days or fine
There's no much pleasure living offa ten and nine
I am capable of turning on the charm. Indeed it’s saved me great pain and possibly my life more than once (long stories)
Charm is a mixture of things. I’ve spent a lifetime working it out as it has been so helpful to me
First, listen. Let the other person speak
SHOW INTEREST. And make it sincere
Second. Read their body language and facial tics. They tell you so much. More than their words. Watch for that fleeting frown, see the tiny shrug of discomfort
Third. Self deprecate. “Ah, I am an idiot. Sorry”. By itself this disarms 80% of people who will then smile and try and help you
Fourth. Be funny. Hardest of all but the most powerful
He handed over the Presidency at the end of january to his Vice President, one Iliana Iotova, who had served as VP since 2017 and set up Progressive Bulgaria as his own party which was formalised on March 2nd.
It looks as though Radev's party will poll just shy of 40% and be comfortably the largest party in the National Assembly but short of a majority (perhaps 110 out of 240 seats) but there are enough allies among the smaller parties for Radev to form a Government,
Meanwhile, in Denmark, plenty of fun and games following their election, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, the Moderate leader, has been enjoying the power his party's 14 seats provides between the traditional centre-left and centre-right blocs.
He wants a five party Government featuring the Social Democrats and Radical Liberals from the "Red" side, the Venstre (Liberals) and Conservatives from the "Blue" side and the Moderates and that administration would have 93 seats and a clear majortiy in the Folketing.
Both the Red and Blue blocs have courted Rasmussen to join them and he has rebuffed them both. I'm sure he is enjoying himself.
I am not one to give Sir Security Risk an easy ride. But this is turning into yet another story of Civil Service arrogance, complacency and utter incompetence.
I can't see Johnson (or Trump for that matter) bothering to do the same.
I do wonder how much of the Troubles was suppressed inherited trauma from the linen mills
The young men of the 60s would have seen their grandmothers dying young and crippled from the awful linen work if they saw them at all. And the family stories would have been passed down
And generally it was Catholic women that did the very worst work (tho plenty of prods as well)
The mills preferred the young hands of girls to go in and out and if they lost the odd finger, well, too bad. My gran had a friend Annie who I couldn't understand when I was growing up because she had been hit in the face by a bobbin and lets just say not a lot was spent on plastic surgery. Tough times, really tough.
So we were offered and accepted a glass of wine, beer and a decent starter on the pavement outside (The area was pleasent enough, and it was a warm pleasent evening so it was pas probleme) to hastily evacuate our seats. In fact the starters and pittas offered were so filling we didn't actually need to go out that evening ! It also gave me the best photo of the holiday of my other half - which I'll avoid posting here as she's far too shy. I think the fact I speak, or at least try to speak some rudiementary french went down well when we were out and about in Paris last week too.
We don’t know we’re born do we?
My maternal grandmother - sent to work as a barefoot bal maiden at the age of 10. Up at grass at at Agnes mines on the cliffs. Sorting rocks for extra ore by the deafening mine stamps. She had 8 kids and died in her late 40s
That’s just two generations back. What would she think of me? Lolling about being flown around the world to convey a few thoughts on a laptop
I wonder if she’d be proud. Or just totally bewildered
It is kinda ridiculous
If no, Sir Keir stumbles onto the local elections.
Follow
Bulgaria, 95% of Myara parallel count:
National parliament election
PB-*: 45.3% (+45.3)
PP-DB-RE|EPP: 12.2% (-1.5)
GERB-SDS-EPP: 12.1% (-14.3)
DPS-NN-NI: 7.0% (-4.5)
V-ESN: 4.2% (-9.2)
MECh-*: 3.3% (-1.3)
Velichie-*: 3.2% (-0.8)
...
+/- vs. Last election result
https://bsky.app/profile/europeelects.bsky.social/post/3mjusfbo25g23
I am much more humble so I merely comment here with my vague ramblings
A bad decision in my view. But that’s what he’s doing
I never watch it anyway
Seat projection national parliament
PB-*: 135 (+135)
GERB-SDS-EPP: 36 (-30)
PP-DB-RE|EPP: 36
DPS-NN-NI: 21 (-8)
V-ESN: 12 (-21)
BSPOL-S&D: 0 (-19)
APS-RE: 0 (-19)
ITN-ECR: 0 (-17)
MECh-*: 0 (-11)
Its not something I ever watch, but I find it an odd operation. They actually at times hired some not totally mad people e.g Liam Halligan and a number of Sky news presenters, then they seem to sack them. Maybe not willing to kiss the ring of Reformy-land, who knows.
I just cannot see it. He’ll resign when he fancies it.
Nor is Donald Trump an irrelevance - for the same reason.
JD, however, probably is an irreleVANCE, in the main.
It's about time they linked Il Papa to Obama as the next conspiracy theory, since both are associated with Chicago.
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/nigel-farage-vows-to-deport-asylum-seekers-who-arrived-by-small-boat-tlqq58rfx
Their website is also absolute trash and like the Mail breaks most web standards and conventions but somehow works.
I can’t knock their operation from a business sense. They definitely know their target market.
But to call them news is pretty suspect. I’m not just saying this because I’m centre left it’s just that they don’t even really try to provide balance to anything they report. But perhaps that’s not an issue?
As I said, they present essentially the worldview of Reform UK. It can’t necessarily be bad to have that represented.
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/olly-robbins-government-tribunal-sacking-k9sg2tz8l
The smartphone alone would probably stupefy anyone born before 1920 (like my granny)
And compared with many Prime Ministerial fiascos down the years, this one has cost very little money and no lives. Alarmingly , I found myself agreeing with Matthew Syed this morning;
But nobody wants to hear this [that Mandelson is a non-story] because the content of the story isn’t the point; the scandal is the point. We want to scream blue murder. We want to clutch pearls, to bawl at Starmer, to convince ourselves that we are being betrayed. Anything to keep our minds from a ship of state heading towards the rocks, not because of politicians but because of a different group of people. Voters. Us. Politicians cannot tell the truth, whether about Mandelson or anything else, because we don’t wish to hear it. We prefer convenient lies.
https://www.thetimes.com/article/d421140e-6b51-4f13-88f4-835227d554be?shareToken=4e14923446453e585d1a31b2fea1f8c2
Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests; snug as a gun.
Under my window, a clean rasping sound
When the spade sinks into gravelly ground:
My father, digging. I look down
Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds
Bends low, comes up twenty years away
Stooping in rhythm through potato drills
Where he was digging.
The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft
Against the inside knee was levered firmly.
He rooted out tall tops, buried the bright edge deep
To scatter new potatoes that we picked,
Loving their cool hardness in our hands.
By God, the old man could handle a spade.
Just like his old man.
My grandfather cut more turf in a day
Than any other man on Toner’s bog.
Once I carried him milk in a bottle
Corked sloppily with paper. He straightened up
To drink it, then fell to right away
Nicking and slicing neatly, heaving sods
Over his shoulder, going down and down
For the good turf. Digging.
The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap
Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge
Through living roots awaken in my head.
But I’ve no spade to follow men like them.
Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests.
I’ll dig with it.
The thoughts are perhaps understandable to anyone who is only a generation or two from hard manual labour.
The stuff like story in the Indy, it will again be never crossed my desk, I am busy person, the people in #10 never told me anything. And as they have gone fishing, we will never know and it again will never have been written down.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumen_Radev?wprov=sfla1
But, from our pov, Radev is more Russia aligned than you'd like, and Putin probably claws back some of the loss he suffered in Hungary here, in that Radev is sceptical of Western help in Ukraine and now as PM elect has EU and NATO seats in his name.
”
If Starmer had any balls he would pick a fight over the triple lock.
But the papers never crossed my desk.
That’s when Starmer should have gone
It might well work. But at what cost? Everyone despises him and Labour sink back in the polls. It’s pointless in the larger scheme: it turns the whole British government into a mechanism designed to protect the career of one man who isn’t up to the job
It’s somewhat shameful
Is asylum a lifetime right? It seems to me that it should be reviewed every few years.
"Save money on expensive oysters by simply drinking sea water out of an ashtray."
Oppositions always call for resignations. Starmer did it too.
He's young, telegenic, knowledgeable and eloquent.
Not really a Centrist, but very, very radical.
The philosophy and teachings of Jesus Christ being extremely radical in today's USA