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Sleazy does it – politicalbetting.com

SystemSystem Posts: 13,170
edited April 23 in General
Sleazy does it – politicalbetting.com

62% of Britons see the Labour government as at least as sleazy and disreputable as the previous Conservative governmentMore sleazy: 32%About as sleazy: 30%Less sleazy: 24%yougov.com/en-gb/daily-…

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  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 89,626
    edited April 23
    Morning, fellow sleazeballs.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 89,626
    Is the header implying that we don't have much idea of the kind of climate waiting for us ?
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 60,383
    I mean, hats off to Starmer - heading up a Government even more sleazy than BORIS JOHNSON's - who would have ever thought they could achieve that?
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 128,566
    Mobile and Broadband Providers May Ration UK Network Use to Cut Energy Costs

    Mobile network operators, such as EE, O2, Vodafone and Three UK (VodafoneThree), have reportedly warned the government that, in a worst-case scenario, the current energy crisis and rising costs may force some of them to ration access to their network or slow mobile broadband (4G, 5G) speeds in order to reduce energy usage.

    The option is said to be part of emergency plans that have been pieced together by the operators after the Government excluded them from the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS), which pledged to help cut energy bills by up to 25% for over 10,000 businesses (manufacturers) from April 2027.

    However, mobile operators argue that their networks are a highly energy intensive critical service, consuming just under 1 Terawatt-hour of electricity annually (roughly enough to power 370,000 homes). This is a problem because the cost of their electricity usage has risen by 70% in recent years and the conflict in the Middle East is expected to make things much worse.


    https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/04/mobile-and-broadband-providers-may-ration-uk-network-use-to-cut-energy-costs.html

    The write up in The Times.

    https://www.thetimes.com/uk/technology-uk/article/phone-signal-rationing-proposed-iran-war-d2jmcc30h
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 22,032

    Mobile and Broadband Providers May Ration UK Network Use to Cut Energy Costs

    Mobile network operators, such as EE, O2, Vodafone and Three UK (VodafoneThree), have reportedly warned the government that, in a worst-case scenario, the current energy crisis and rising costs may force some of them to ration access to their network or slow mobile broadband (4G, 5G) speeds in order to reduce energy usage.

    The option is said to be part of emergency plans that have been pieced together by the operators after the Government excluded them from the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS), which pledged to help cut energy bills by up to 25% for over 10,000 businesses (manufacturers) from April 2027.

    However, mobile operators argue that their networks are a highly energy intensive critical service, consuming just under 1 Terawatt-hour of electricity annually (roughly enough to power 370,000 homes). This is a problem because the cost of their electricity usage has risen by 70% in recent years and the conflict in the Middle East is expected to make things much worse.


    https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/04/mobile-and-broadband-providers-may-ration-uk-network-use-to-cut-energy-costs.html

    The write up in The Times.

    https://www.thetimes.com/uk/technology-uk/article/phone-signal-rationing-proposed-iran-war-d2jmcc30h

    Cool
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 60,383
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 136,858
    Damaging for Labour they are now seen as more sleazy than the last government by more voters than less sleazy.

    Though divides on party lines, Conservative and Reform voters think that, Labour and LD and Green voters are still more likely to think the last Tory government more sleazy than this Labour government
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 136,858

    I mean, hats off to Starmer - heading up a Government even more sleazy than BORIS JOHNSON's - who would have ever thought they could achieve that?

    Boris' morals but not Boris' charisma, ouch
  • nico67nico67 Posts: 8,323

    Mobile and Broadband Providers May Ration UK Network Use to Cut Energy Costs

    Mobile network operators, such as EE, O2, Vodafone and Three UK (VodafoneThree), have reportedly warned the government that, in a worst-case scenario, the current energy crisis and rising costs may force some of them to ration access to their network or slow mobile broadband (4G, 5G) speeds in order to reduce energy usage.

    The option is said to be part of emergency plans that have been pieced together by the operators after the Government excluded them from the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS), which pledged to help cut energy bills by up to 25% for over 10,000 businesses (manufacturers) from April 2027.

    However, mobile operators argue that their networks are a highly energy intensive critical service, consuming just under 1 Terawatt-hour of electricity annually (roughly enough to power 370,000 homes). This is a problem because the cost of their electricity usage has risen by 70% in recent years and the conflict in the Middle East is expected to make things much worse.


    https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/04/mobile-and-broadband-providers-may-ration-uk-network-use-to-cut-energy-costs.html

    The write up in The Times.

    https://www.thetimes.com/uk/technology-uk/article/phone-signal-rationing-proposed-iran-war-d2jmcc30h

    They could alternatively just put prices up . This seems to be a lot of hysterical scaremongering because they weren’t included in the government scheme .
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 37,011
    edited April 23
    FPT:

    Happy 23rd April, the day we English celebrate some Greek Christian bloke from modern-day Turkey being prosecuted for killing an endangered species...

    More to the point it's Shakespeare's birthday*. An Englishman we can all be proud of.

    Benpointer's idosyncratic list of greatest English men and women, in no particular order:

    William Shakespeare
    Isaac Newton
    Florence Nightingale
    Charles Darwin
    George Stephenson
    Mary Anning
    Michael Faraday
    Horatio Nelson
    Jane Austen
    Elizabeth I
    Winston Churchill
    Isambard Kingdom Brunel

    (*Probably)
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 37,011
    edited April 23
    Jeez - warning please!

    If that f*cks up my Google search algo results, I'll be seeking revenge.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 128,566

    FPT:

    Happy 23rd April, the day we English celebrate some Greek Christian bloke from modern-day Turkey being prosecuted for killing an endangered species...

    More to the point it's Shakespeare's birthday*. An Englishman we can all be proud of.

    Benpointer's idosyncratic list of greatest English men and women, in no particular order:

    William Shakespeare
    Isaac Newton
    Florence Nightingale
    Charles Darwin
    George Stephenson
    Mary Anning
    Michael Faraday
    Horatio Nelson
    Jane Austen
    Elizabeth I
    Winston Churchill
    Isambard Kingdom Brunel

    (*Probably)
    Brian Blessed is shamefully missing from your list, Harry Rawson too.
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 25,449
    AnneJGP said:

    Mobile and Broadband Providers May Ration UK Network Use to Cut Energy Costs

    Mobile network operators, such as EE, O2, Vodafone and Three UK (VodafoneThree), have reportedly warned the government that, in a worst-case scenario, the current energy crisis and rising costs may force some of them to ration access to their network or slow mobile broadband (4G, 5G) speeds in order to reduce energy usage.

    The option is said to be part of emergency plans that have been pieced together by the operators after the Government excluded them from the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS), which pledged to help cut energy bills by up to 25% for over 10,000 businesses (manufacturers) from April 2027.

    However, mobile operators argue that their networks are a highly energy intensive critical service, consuming just under 1 Terawatt-hour of electricity annually (roughly enough to power 370,000 homes). This is a problem because the cost of their electricity usage has risen by 70% in recent years and the conflict in the Middle East is expected to make things much worse.


    https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/04/mobile-and-broadband-providers-may-ration-uk-network-use-to-cut-energy-costs.html

    The write up in The Times.

    https://www.thetimes.com/uk/technology-uk/article/phone-signal-rationing-proposed-iran-war-d2jmcc30h

    All us humans must reduce our energy usage to ensure that there's enough to power all the AI assistant stuff.
    All these new data centres that will take hundreds of MW each. Just to churn out slop. Crazy.
  • AnneJGPAnneJGP Posts: 5,444
    100% of politicians come from our population. The traits they exhibit are holding up a mirror to us.
  • ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 5,791
    That and their wonderful cover of 'Walk on By' were the band's greatest moments.
  • TazTaz Posts: 28,123

    FPT:

    Happy 23rd April, the day we English celebrate some Greek Christian bloke from modern-day Turkey being prosecuted for killing an endangered species...

    More to the point it's Shakespeare's birthday*. An Englishman we can all be proud of.

    Benpointer's idosyncratic list of greatest English men and women, in no particular order:

    William Shakespeare
    Isaac Newton
    Florence Nightingale
    Charles Darwin
    George Stephenson
    Mary Anning
    Michael Faraday
    Horatio Nelson
    Jane Austen
    Elizabeth I
    Winston Churchill
    Isambard Kingdom Brunel

    (*Probably)
    Brian Blessed is shamefully missing from your list, Harry Rawson too.
    Tom Baker is missing
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 60,383
    edited April 23
    AnneJGP said:

    Mobile and Broadband Providers May Ration UK Network Use to Cut Energy Costs

    Mobile network operators, such as EE, O2, Vodafone and Three UK (VodafoneThree), have reportedly warned the government that, in a worst-case scenario, the current energy crisis and rising costs may force some of them to ration access to their network or slow mobile broadband (4G, 5G) speeds in order to reduce energy usage.

    The option is said to be part of emergency plans that have been pieced together by the operators after the Government excluded them from the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS), which pledged to help cut energy bills by up to 25% for over 10,000 businesses (manufacturers) from April 2027.

    However, mobile operators argue that their networks are a highly energy intensive critical service, consuming just under 1 Terawatt-hour of electricity annually (roughly enough to power 370,000 homes). This is a problem because the cost of their electricity usage has risen by 70% in recent years and the conflict in the Middle East is expected to make things much worse.


    https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/04/mobile-and-broadband-providers-may-ration-uk-network-use-to-cut-energy-costs.html

    The write up in The Times.

    https://www.thetimes.com/uk/technology-uk/article/phone-signal-rationing-proposed-iran-war-d2jmcc30h

    All us humans must reduce our energy usage to ensure that there's enough to power all the AI assistant stuff.
    Worry not, the AI will turn off the power to humans to keep its needs met...
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 37,011

    FPT:

    Happy 23rd April, the day we English celebrate some Greek Christian bloke from modern-day Turkey being prosecuted for killing an endangered species...

    More to the point it's Shakespeare's birthday*. An Englishman we can all be proud of.

    Benpointer's idosyncratic list of greatest English men and women, in no particular order:

    William Shakespeare
    Isaac Newton
    Florence Nightingale
    Charles Darwin
    George Stephenson
    Mary Anning
    Michael Faraday
    Horatio Nelson
    Jane Austen
    Elizabeth I
    Winston Churchill
    Isambard Kingdom Brunel

    (*Probably)
    Brian Blessed is shamefully missing from your list, Harry Rawson too.
    There was too much competition in the Colonial Butchers section to fit Harry in.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 60,383
    AnneJGP said:

    100% of politicians come from our population. The traits they exhibit are holding up a mirror to us.

    Or...scum floats to the top.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 128,566

    FPT:

    Happy 23rd April, the day we English celebrate some Greek Christian bloke from modern-day Turkey being prosecuted for killing an endangered species...

    More to the point it's Shakespeare's birthday*. An Englishman we can all be proud of.

    Benpointer's idosyncratic list of greatest English men and women, in no particular order:

    William Shakespeare
    Isaac Newton
    Florence Nightingale
    Charles Darwin
    George Stephenson
    Mary Anning
    Michael Faraday
    Horatio Nelson
    Jane Austen
    Elizabeth I
    Winston Churchill
    Isambard Kingdom Brunel

    (*Probably)
    Brian Blessed is shamefully missing from your list, Harry Rawson too.
    There was too much competition in the Colonial Butchers section to fit Harry in.
    But he won a war in 38 minutes.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 56,836

    Mobile and Broadband Providers May Ration UK Network Use to Cut Energy Costs

    Mobile network operators, such as EE, O2, Vodafone and Three UK (VodafoneThree), have reportedly warned the government that, in a worst-case scenario, the current energy crisis and rising costs may force some of them to ration access to their network or slow mobile broadband (4G, 5G) speeds in order to reduce energy usage.

    The option is said to be part of emergency plans that have been pieced together by the operators after the Government excluded them from the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS), which pledged to help cut energy bills by up to 25% for over 10,000 businesses (manufacturers) from April 2027.

    However, mobile operators argue that their networks are a highly energy intensive critical service, consuming just under 1 Terawatt-hour of electricity annually (roughly enough to power 370,000 homes). This is a problem because the cost of their electricity usage has risen by 70% in recent years and the conflict in the Middle East is expected to make things much worse.


    https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/04/mobile-and-broadband-providers-may-ration-uk-network-use-to-cut-energy-costs.html

    The write up in The Times.

    https://www.thetimes.com/uk/technology-uk/article/phone-signal-rationing-proposed-iran-war-d2jmcc30h

    So the smartphone ban for under 16's was just the beginning...
  • ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 5,791
    AnneJGP said:

    100% of politicians come from our population. The traits they exhibit are holding up a mirror to us.

    The line about c*nts deserving representation comes to mind.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 60,383
    Another 1,100 Russsian troops and 61 artillery/MLRS not reporting for duty in Ukraine today.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 22,861
    AnneJGP said:

    Mobile and Broadband Providers May Ration UK Network Use to Cut Energy Costs

    Mobile network operators, such as EE, O2, Vodafone and Three UK (VodafoneThree), have reportedly warned the government that, in a worst-case scenario, the current energy crisis and rising costs may force some of them to ration access to their network or slow mobile broadband (4G, 5G) speeds in order to reduce energy usage.

    The option is said to be part of emergency plans that have been pieced together by the operators after the Government excluded them from the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS), which pledged to help cut energy bills by up to 25% for over 10,000 businesses (manufacturers) from April 2027.

    However, mobile operators argue that their networks are a highly energy intensive critical service, consuming just under 1 Terawatt-hour of electricity annually (roughly enough to power 370,000 homes). This is a problem because the cost of their electricity usage has risen by 70% in recent years and the conflict in the Middle East is expected to make things much worse.


    https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/04/mobile-and-broadband-providers-may-ration-uk-network-use-to-cut-energy-costs.html

    The write up in The Times.

    https://www.thetimes.com/uk/technology-uk/article/phone-signal-rationing-proposed-iran-war-d2jmcc30h

    All us humans must reduce our energy usage to ensure that there's enough to power all the AI assistant stuff.
    Bet that's the answer you get if you ask AI to plan for an energy shortage.
  • isamisam Posts: 44,230
    Kemi’s St George’s Day message

    Happy St George’s Day.

    Be proud.

    Fly the flag 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿


    https://x.com/kemibadenoch/status/2047214979120545923?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q
  • isamisam Posts: 44,230

    That and their wonderful cover of 'Walk on By' were the band's greatest moments.
    ‘Gordon Brown’ is my favourite
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 128,566

    Jeez - warning please!

    If that f*cks up my Google search algo results, I'll be seeking revenge.
    If this didn't, nothing will.

    https://www.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2025/04/19/i-visited-illicitencounters-com-so-you-dont-have-to/
  • ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 5,791
    isam said:

    That and their wonderful cover of 'Walk on By' were the band's greatest moments.
    ‘Gordon Brown’ is my favourite
    I'm assuming that was deliberate?
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 56,836
    isam said:

    Kemi’s St George’s Day message

    Happy St George’s Day.

    Be proud.

    Fly the flag 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿


    https://x.com/kemibadenoch/status/2047214979120545923?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q

    The Patron saint of Palestine, which we imported via returning Crusaders.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 37,011
    Top powers by century:
    C17th - Spain
    C18th - France
    C19th - Britain
    C20th - USA
    C21st - China ...or maybe not:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0ep28drllo
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 60,383

    That and their wonderful cover of 'Walk on By' were the band's greatest moments.
    Back in the day when Radio 1 was the only station to listen to, they also managed to get "Golden Brown" as Radio 2 Record of the Week.

    A song about heroin.
  • stodgestodge Posts: 16,675
    edited April 23
    HYUFD said:

    I mean, hats off to Starmer - heading up a Government even more sleazy than BORIS JOHNSON's - who would have ever thought they could achieve that?

    Boris' morals but not Boris' charisma, ouch
    Well, perhaps, but Mr Charisma won as many General Elections as the current incumbent.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 37,011

    Jeez - warning please!

    If that f*cks up my Google search algo results, I'll be seeking revenge.
    If this didn't, nothing will.

    https://www.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2025/04/19/i-visited-illicitencounters-com-so-you-dont-have-to/
    I'm not even going there. Mrs. P's weekly search history audit is hanging over me.
  • edmundintokyoedmundintokyo Posts: 17,989
    nico67 said:

    Mobile and Broadband Providers May Ration UK Network Use to Cut Energy Costs

    Mobile network operators, such as EE, O2, Vodafone and Three UK (VodafoneThree), have reportedly warned the government that, in a worst-case scenario, the current energy crisis and rising costs may force some of them to ration access to their network or slow mobile broadband (4G, 5G) speeds in order to reduce energy usage.

    The option is said to be part of emergency plans that have been pieced together by the operators after the Government excluded them from the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS), which pledged to help cut energy bills by up to 25% for over 10,000 businesses (manufacturers) from April 2027.

    However, mobile operators argue that their networks are a highly energy intensive critical service, consuming just under 1 Terawatt-hour of electricity annually (roughly enough to power 370,000 homes). This is a problem because the cost of their electricity usage has risen by 70% in recent years and the conflict in the Middle East is expected to make things much worse.


    https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/04/mobile-and-broadband-providers-may-ration-uk-network-use-to-cut-energy-costs.html

    The write up in The Times.

    https://www.thetimes.com/uk/technology-uk/article/phone-signal-rationing-proposed-iran-war-d2jmcc30h

    They could alternatively just put prices up . This seems to be a lot of hysterical scaremongering because they weren’t included in the government scheme .
    Yeah, I'm too lazy to do maths but Claude says that's 14.84 kWh per person per year or 0.0406 kWh per person per day. What do you pay for that in the UK rn, maybe 1p and say it doubles it goes to 2p? You get a lot of value out of that penny so it would be a weird place to cut back usage.
  • Pro_RataPro_Rata Posts: 6,305
    edited April 23
    And a bit of 'Sweden' as a chaser! Ready for the morning now :)



    Another 1,100 Russsian troops and 61 artillery/MLRS not reporting for duty in Ukraine today.

    But unfortunately not (All Quiet on the Eastern Front), although Ukraine been doing quite well recently.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 60,383

    AnneJGP said:

    100% of politicians come from our population. The traits they exhibit are holding up a mirror to us.

    The line about c*nts deserving representation comes to mind.
    C*nts are over-represened in Reform - or about right? Discuss, using both sides of the paper...
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 63,928
    Foxy said:

    isam said:

    Kemi’s St George’s Day message

    Happy St George’s Day.

    Be proud.

    Fly the flag 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿


    https://x.com/kemibadenoch/status/2047214979120545923?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q

    The Patron saint of Palestine, which we imported via returning Crusaders.
    'Whom'.

    Most patron saints appear to come from outside lands.

    Why this particular Greek or Roman (as you like) chap gets mentioned as special in this way is beyond me.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 37,011

    FPT:

    Happy 23rd April, the day we English celebrate some Greek Christian bloke from modern-day Turkey being prosecuted for killing an endangered species...

    More to the point it's Shakespeare's birthday*. An Englishman we can all be proud of.

    Benpointer's idosyncratic list of greatest English men and women, in no particular order:

    William Shakespeare
    Isaac Newton
    Florence Nightingale
    Charles Darwin
    George Stephenson
    Mary Anning
    Michael Faraday
    Horatio Nelson
    Jane Austen
    Elizabeth I
    Winston Churchill
    Isambard Kingdom Brunel

    (*Probably)
    Brian Blessed is shamefully missing from your list, Harry Rawson too.
    There was too much competition in the Colonial Butchers section to fit Harry in.
    But he won a war in 38 minutes.
    I'd never heard of him tbh but I am sure DJT has won one in 37 mins, so... meh!
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 60,383
    isam said:

    Kemi’s St George’s Day message

    Happy St George’s Day.

    Be proud.

    Fly the flag 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿


    https://x.com/kemibadenoch/status/2047214979120545923?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q

    *Lady Nugee's head just exploded...*
  • Can’t really disagree, this government stinks.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 17,429

    FPT:

    Happy 23rd April, the day we English celebrate some Greek Christian bloke from modern-day Turkey being prosecuted for killing an endangered species...

    More to the point it's Shakespeare's birthday*. An Englishman we can all be proud of.

    Benpointer's idosyncratic list of greatest English men and women, in no particular order:

    William Shakespeare
    Isaac Newton
    Florence Nightingale
    Charles Darwin
    George Stephenson
    Mary Anning
    Michael Faraday
    Horatio Nelson
    Jane Austen
    Elizabeth I
    Winston Churchill
    Isambard Kingdom Brunel

    (*Probably)
    Yes. The birth is guessed by working back from the date of baptism, 26th April.

    23rd April is also Shakespeare's date of death, and especially for Cumbrians, the date of death in 1850 of Wordsworth.

    (Wordsworth, born 1770, lived into the life of Thomas Hardy, who in turn missed living into the the life of Desmond Morris, who died last week, by a mere 13 days. History has long arms.)
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 60,383

    FPT:

    Happy 23rd April, the day we English celebrate some Greek Christian bloke from modern-day Turkey being prosecuted for killing an endangered species...

    More to the point it's Shakespeare's birthday*. An Englishman we can all be proud of.

    Benpointer's idosyncratic list of greatest English men and women, in no particular order:

    William Shakespeare
    Isaac Newton
    Florence Nightingale
    Charles Darwin
    George Stephenson
    Mary Anning
    Michael Faraday
    Horatio Nelson
    Jane Austen
    Elizabeth I
    Winston Churchill
    Isambard Kingdom Brunel

    (*Probably)
    Brian Blessed is shamefully missing from your list, Harry Rawson too.
    Harry Ramsden?

    Agatha Chrisite - the only person to sell more books is God.
  • ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 5,791

    AnneJGP said:

    100% of politicians come from our population. The traits they exhibit are holding up a mirror to us.

    The line about c*nts deserving representation comes to mind.
    C*nts are over-represened in Reform - or about right? Discuss, using both sides of the paper...
    I think there is a rough alignment between the proportion of representatives and voters.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 128,566
    edited April 23
    Let's be honest, killing a dragon is as believable as a virgin birth.

    St George was likely to off his tits on drugs when he thought he killed a dragon.
  • Sweeney74Sweeney74 Posts: 629
    Happy St George's Day

    The Times - Keir Starmer could face sleaze inquiry over Mandelson scandal
    Commons speaker is being urged to refer the prime minister to the privileges committee — the body that ended Boris Johnson’s career
    Opposition parties are urging the Speaker of the Commons to refer Sir Keir Starmer to an official parliamentary sleaze inquiry amid claims he misled MPs over the Lord Mandelson scandal.
    The prime minister is facing mounting criticism from cabinet ministers and MPs over his handling of the crisis before critical elections across the country in two weeks’ time.
    drip, drip, drip.

    The Cabinet are not quite in open revolt it seems, but it's getting there. How bad a drubbing in the locals would it take for the grumble to become a roar?
  • isamisam Posts: 44,230
    Black children across England and Wales are almost eight times more likely to be strip-searched by police than their white peers according to a new report by the Children's Commissioner.

    Nearly half of all searches resulted in no further action.

    https://x.com/channel4news/status/2046923850009444817?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q
  • BattlebusBattlebus Posts: 3,244
    Foxy said:

    isam said:

    Kemi’s St George’s Day message

    Happy St George’s Day.

    Be proud.

    Fly the flag 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿


    https://x.com/kemibadenoch/status/2047214979120545923?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q

    The Patron saint of Palestine, which we imported via returning Crusaders.
    It's 1000 years after the birth of another import. Then there was the Scottish import and the Dutch one. There's the Germans and the Greeks. So many imports
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 56,836

    Foxy said:

    isam said:

    Kemi’s St George’s Day message

    Happy St George’s Day.

    Be proud.

    Fly the flag 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿


    https://x.com/kemibadenoch/status/2047214979120545923?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q

    The Patron saint of Palestine, which we imported via returning Crusaders.
    'Whom'.

    Most patron saints appear to come from outside lands.

    Why this particular Greek or Roman (as you like) chap gets mentioned as special in this way is beyond me.
    I think it is because the concept of Patron Saint predates that of modern nationalism. It originates in a time when loyalties were based in heirarchy and dynasty rather than the concept of a nation.

    Hence the King could choose their own colours and symbol and followers would adopt it to show their loyalty, independent of their national or ethnic origin. The world consisted of multicultural monarchies, and the concept of Patron Saint is both a throwback and a modern innovation.
  • Sweeney74Sweeney74 Posts: 629

    Let's be honest, killing a dragon is as believable as a virgin birth.

    St George was likely to off his tits on drugs when he thought he killed a dragon.

    Similar to what St Patrick was inhaling when he drove the "snakes" out of Ireland I think.
  • This government simply cannot function anymore. It’s a zombie.

    Sir Keir needs to go. I’m of the view that Labour can get this show back on the road but not with this Prime Minister.

    He simply must go. Anyone would be better.
  • AnneJGPAnneJGP Posts: 5,444

    Another 1,100 Russsian troops and 61 artillery/MLRS not reporting for duty in Ukraine today.

    Is Not Reporting For Duty a euphemism for killed or injured? (Hence they can't bring the equipment?)
  • nico67nico67 Posts: 8,323
    edited April 23
    Sweeney74 said:

    Happy St George's Day

    The Times - Keir Starmer could face sleaze inquiry over Mandelson scandal

    Commons speaker is being urged to refer the prime minister to the privileges committee — the body that ended Boris Johnson’s career
    Opposition parties are urging the Speaker of the Commons to refer Sir Keir Starmer to an official parliamentary sleaze inquiry amid claims he misled MPs over the Lord Mandelson scandal.
    The prime minister is facing mounting criticism from cabinet ministers and MPs over his handling of the crisis before critical elections across the country in two weeks’ time.
    drip, drip, drip.

    The Cabinet are not quite in open revolt it seems, but it's getting there. How bad a drubbing in the locals would it take for the grumble to become a roar?


    I think it’s priced in already . It’s going to be a disaster we’re just waiting to see when actual moves are made against the PM .

  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 60,383
    isam said:

    Black children across England and Wales are almost eight times more likely to be strip-searched by police than their white peers according to a new report by the Children's Commissioner.

    Nearly half of all searches resulted in no further action.

    https://x.com/channel4news/status/2046923850009444817?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q

    So - more than half of all searches led to further action?
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 63,525

    Let's be honest, killing a dragon is as believable as a virgin birth.

    St George was likely to off his tits on drugs when he thought he killed a dragon.

    So you are saying that an undocumented immigrant, working without a work permit and bringing unlicensed weaponry into the country, hallucinated killing an endangered animal, while on drugs?

    Someone call the Daily Mail, quick!
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 61,687
    AnneJGP said:

    Another 1,100 Russsian troops and 61 artillery/MLRS not reporting for duty in Ukraine today.

    Is Not Reporting For Duty a euphemism for killed or injured? (Hence they can't bring the equipment?)
    Yes.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 56,836

    Let's be honest, killing a dragon is as believable as a virgin birth.

    St George was likely to off his tits on drugs when he thought he killed a dragon.

    Ancient peoples were much more intelligent. They understood the power of mythology and of allegory.

    Take Mohammad's night journey to heaven on a Buraq as a similar piece of allegory.
  • boulayboulay Posts: 8,878

    FPT:

    Happy 23rd April, the day we English celebrate some Greek Christian bloke from modern-day Turkey being prosecuted for killing an endangered species...

    More to the point it's Shakespeare's birthday*. An Englishman we can all be proud of.

    Benpointer's idosyncratic list of greatest English men and women, in no particular order:

    William Shakespeare
    Isaac Newton
    Florence Nightingale
    Charles Darwin
    George Stephenson
    Mary Anning
    Michael Faraday
    Horatio Nelson
    Jane Austen
    Elizabeth I
    Winston Churchill
    Isambard Kingdom Brunel

    (*Probably)
    Douglas Jardine surely. No Englishman has ever made so many Australians whines and cry.
  • Sweeney74Sweeney74 Posts: 629
    edited April 23
    nico67 said:

    Sweeney74 said:

    Happy St George's Day

    The Times - Keir Starmer could face sleaze inquiry over Mandelson scandal
    Commons speaker is being urged to refer the prime minister to the privileges committee — the body that ended Boris Johnson’s career
    Opposition parties are urging the Speaker of the Commons to refer Sir Keir Starmer to an official parliamentary sleaze inquiry amid claims he misled MPs over the Lord Mandelson scandal.
    The prime minister is facing mounting criticism from cabinet ministers and MPs over his handling of the crisis before critical elections across the country in two weeks’ time.

    drip, drip, drip.

    The Cabinet are not quite in open revolt it seems, but it's getting there. How bad a drubbing in the locals would it take for the grumble to become a roar?


    I think it’s priced in already . It’s going to be a disaster we’re just waiting to see when actual moves are made against the PM .

    I suspect you are correct, but Labour doesn't make this easy.

  • nico67nico67 Posts: 8,323
    I’d add Alan Turing and David Attenborough to the list .
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 19,654
    edited April 23
    "There's no rush"

    The world doesn't actually need oil, gas, fertiliser, food etc

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c0mjev4kn9jt?post=asset:24417ac3-19e7-4b3c-8ae6-87f9e619f03e#post
  • stodgestodge Posts: 16,675
    isam said:

    Kemi’s St George’s Day message

    Happy St George’s Day.

    Be proud.

    Fly the flag 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿


    https://x.com/kemibadenoch/status/2047214979120545923?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q

    I think Samuel Johnson had it right on patriotism and the early morning "message" from Badenoch rather confirms it.
  • isamisam Posts: 44,230
    I don’t think Goodwin etc are correct about this. For me a landlord should be able to advertise for specific tenants. Of course there would be uproar from the left if it were ‘white’ or ‘Christian’ instead of Muslim, but so what? They aren’t the left. I think there are far too many Muslims in the UK, but fair enough if people want to stick to their own, that’s human nature. It shows that multiculturalism doesn’t really work, but it never was going to.

    This is outrageous. Landlords are illegally advertising for “Muslim only” tenants across London and the south-east, The Telegraph has found.

    The property listings feature phrases such as “only for Muslims”, “for 2 Muslim boys or 2 Muslim girls” and “Muslims preferred”.

    This is illegal, is unBritish, and should be shut down immediately.

    Can you imagine the total uproar in Westminster & the BBC if landlords were advertising for “whites only” or “Christians only”?!


    https://x.com/goodwinmj/status/2046866650855518701?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 128,566
    edited April 23
    A top envoy to Donald Trump suggested the swap to Fifa president Gianni Infantino and the US president, as leader of the country co-hosting the tournament, arguing that Italy’s four World Cup titles in the tournament's history justify awarding it the slot.

    A top envoy to President Donald Trump has asked Fifa to replace Iran with Italy in the upcoming World Cup, setting up high-stakes US sports diplomacy involving a spurned ally and a sworn enemy.

    US special envoy Paolo Zampolli suggested the swap to Fifa president Gianni Infantino and Trump, as leader of the country co-hosting the tournament. He argued that Italy’s four World Cup titles justify awarding it the slot, according to people familiar with the matter.

    The plan was an effort to repair ties between Trump and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after the two fell out amid the US president’s attacks against Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war, the people said.

    But Iran issued a statement on Wednesday saying it is prepared for the tournament and plans to participate.


    https://www.ft.com/content/1ff3a3fd-8d46-4eb4-9b15-0b9183925c6f
  • isamisam Posts: 44,230

    Let's be honest, killing a dragon is as believable as a virgin birth.

    St George was likely to off his tits on drugs when he thought he killed a dragon.

    https://x.com/terminallyOL/status/1823042320817672256?s=20
  • nico67nico67 Posts: 8,323
    FF43 said:

    "There's no rush"

    The world doesn't actually need oil, gas, fertiliser, food etc

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c0mjev4kn9jt?post=asset:24417ac3-19e7-4b3c-8ae6-87f9e619f03e#post

    I suspect China might be looking at the longer game and will be upping its aid to Iran .

    The longer this goes on the more damage to Trump and a further rapprochement from the rest of the world towards China .
  • isamisam Posts: 44,230
    edited April 23
    Somewhere in the vast array of documents the Cabinet Office has gathered on the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador in Washington, there is a text message which Keir Starmer sent the night before he made the announcement. ‘You’ll be brilliant in challenging circumstances,’ he told Mandelson. ‘And after many years of our discussions, we get to work together side by side. I really look forward to that.’

    https://spectator.com/article/its-worse-than-during-the-worst-of-boris-how-the-civil-service-turned-against-starmer/
  • stodgestodge Posts: 16,675
    edited April 23
    Morning all :)

    I must thank @Battlebus for being the only contributor who responded to my post on the Christian People's Alliance manifesto for Newham.

    It's an interesting set of ideas which seems to rely on the Council working alongside "Christian" charities and rather forgets the work done by Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and other religious groups.

    The idea of funding accommodation and meals for rough sleepers will tick the charitable box but if Newham offered it and no one else did, we'd have every rough sleeper in London heading our way.

    The most interesting proposal was the one aimed at business - replacing business rates with a turnover tax levied at 5% starting at £125,000. Many moons ago, betting tax paid by the punter was replaced with a gross profits tax paid by the bookie and all punters got tax free betting - one of Nigel Lawson's ideas I believe.

    How would a turnover tax work the CPA's view it would stop multi-national organisations paying little or no Corporation Tax sounds superficially attractive but I have my doubts based on "if it were that simple, why has it not been tried?".

    I did wonder when I first read the proposal if this was a second attempt at the "pasty tax" but related to other baked or half-baked products?
  • isam said:

    I don’t think Goodwin etc are correct about this. For me a landlord should be able to advertise for specific tenants. Of course there would be uproar from the left if it were ‘white’ or ‘Christian’ instead of Muslim, but so what? They aren’t the left. I think there are far too many Muslims in the UK, but fair enough if people want to stick to their own, that’s human nature. It shows that multiculturalism doesn’t really work, but it never was going to.

    This is outrageous. Landlords are illegally advertising for “Muslim only” tenants across London and the south-east, The Telegraph has found.

    The property listings feature phrases such as “only for Muslims”, “for 2 Muslim boys or 2 Muslim girls” and “Muslims preferred”.

    This is illegal, is unBritish, and should be shut down immediately.

    Can you imagine the total uproar in Westminster & the BBC if landlords were advertising for “whites only” or “Christians only”?!


    https://x.com/goodwinmj/status/2046866650855518701?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q

    Here’s a question for you old bean: what exactly is your issue with Muslims?
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 128,566
    boulay said:

    FPT:

    Happy 23rd April, the day we English celebrate some Greek Christian bloke from modern-day Turkey being prosecuted for killing an endangered species...

    More to the point it's Shakespeare's birthday*. An Englishman we can all be proud of.

    Benpointer's idosyncratic list of greatest English men and women, in no particular order:

    William Shakespeare
    Isaac Newton
    Florence Nightingale
    Charles Darwin
    George Stephenson
    Mary Anning
    Michael Faraday
    Horatio Nelson
    Jane Austen
    Elizabeth I
    Winston Churchill
    Isambard Kingdom Brunel

    (*Probably)
    Douglas Jardine surely. No Englishman has ever made so many Australians whines and cry.
    He was Scottish!
  • Sweeney74Sweeney74 Posts: 629
    isam said:

    Somewhere in the vast array of documents the Cabinet Office has gathered on the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador in Washington, there is a text message which Keir Starmer sent the night before he made the announcement. ‘You’ll be brilliant in challenging circumstances,’ he told Mandelson. ‘And after many years of our discussions, we get to work together side by side. I really look forward to that.’

    https://spectator.com/article/its-worse-than-during-the-worst-of-boris-how-the-civil-service-turned-against-starmer/

    ha, from the same article:

    Another Westminster veteran says: ‘I hope this will finally kill the absurd “Keir Starmer is a decent man” narrative. He’s a shitweasel whose sole political talent is blaming others for his own failings.’
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 56,836
    stodge said:

    Morning all :)

    I must thank @Battlebus for being the only contributor who responded to my post on the Christian People's Alliance manifesto for Newham.

    It's an interesting set of ideas which seems to rely on the Council working alongside "Christian" charities and rather forgets the work done by Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and other religious groups.

    The idea of funding accommodation and meals for rough sleepers will tick the charitable box but if Newham offered it and no one else did, we'd have every rough sleeper in London heading our way.

    The most interesting proposal was the one aimed at business - replacing business rates with a turnover tax levied at 5% starting at £125,000. Many moons ago, betting tax paid by the punter was replaced with a gross profits tax paid by the bookie and all punters got tax free betting - one of Nigel Lawson's ideas I believe.

    How would a turnover tax work the CPA's view it would stop multi-national organisations paying little or no Corporation Tax sounds superficially attractive but I have my doubts based on "if it were that simple, why has it not been tried?".

    I did wonder when I first read the proposal if this was a second attempt at the "pasty tax" but related to other baked or half-baked products?

    It may well need more work, but a turnover tax would considerably level the playing field between high st and online sales.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 60,383
    nico67 said:

    FF43 said:

    "There's no rush"

    The world doesn't actually need oil, gas, fertiliser, food etc

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c0mjev4kn9jt?post=asset:24417ac3-19e7-4b3c-8ae6-87f9e619f03e#post

    I suspect China might be looking at the longer game and will be upping its aid to Iran .

    The longer this goes on the more damage to Trump and a further rapprochement from the rest of the world towards China .
    Trump has not only shat the bed, he is now rolling around in it.

    China would be very wise to learn lessons - and leave Taiwan the hell alone.

    lthough if they were so minded, they can see how effective a blockade of Taiwan might be. (Assuming Taiwan hasn't yet acquired 100,000 Ukrainian Sea Baby drones...)
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 47,892
    boulay said:

    FPT:

    Happy 23rd April, the day we English celebrate some Greek Christian bloke from modern-day Turkey being prosecuted for killing an endangered species...

    More to the point it's Shakespeare's birthday*. An Englishman we can all be proud of.

    Benpointer's idosyncratic list of greatest English men and women, in no particular order:

    William Shakespeare
    Isaac Newton
    Florence Nightingale
    Charles Darwin
    George Stephenson
    Mary Anning
    Michael Faraday
    Horatio Nelson
    Jane Austen
    Elizabeth I
    Winston Churchill
    Isambard Kingdom Brunel

    (*Probably)
    Douglas Jardine surely. No Englishman has ever made so many Australians whines and cry.
    A Scotchman born in India surely?
    But I read that he spent a bit of his childhood in St Andrews which probably ensured his transformation to an Englishman.
  • nico67nico67 Posts: 8,323
    For those of you who can’t get enough of the Mandelson saga, Cat Little , permanent secretary at the cabinet office is in front of the Commons foreign affairs committee .
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 60,383

    boulay said:

    FPT:

    Happy 23rd April, the day we English celebrate some Greek Christian bloke from modern-day Turkey being prosecuted for killing an endangered species...

    More to the point it's Shakespeare's birthday*. An Englishman we can all be proud of.

    Benpointer's idosyncratic list of greatest English men and women, in no particular order:

    William Shakespeare
    Isaac Newton
    Florence Nightingale
    Charles Darwin
    George Stephenson
    Mary Anning
    Michael Faraday
    Horatio Nelson
    Jane Austen
    Elizabeth I
    Winston Churchill
    Isambard Kingdom Brunel

    (*Probably)
    Douglas Jardine surely. No Englishman has ever made so many Australians whines and cry.
    He was Scottish!
    That's the point - needs a Scotsman to do an Englishman's dirty work!
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 25,449

    FPT:

    Happy 23rd April, the day we English celebrate some Greek Christian bloke from modern-day Turkey being prosecuted for killing an endangered species...

    More to the point it's Shakespeare's birthday*. An Englishman we can all be proud of.

    Benpointer's idosyncratic list of greatest English men and women, in no particular order:

    William Shakespeare
    Isaac Newton
    Florence Nightingale
    Charles Darwin
    George Stephenson
    Mary Anning
    Michael Faraday
    Horatio Nelson
    Jane Austen
    Elizabeth I
    Winston Churchill
    Isambard Kingdom Brunel

    (*Probably)
    Brian Blessed is shamefully missing from your list, Harry Rawson too.
    Harry Ramsden?

    Agatha Chrisite - the only person to sell more books is God.
    What about non-fiction?
  • isamisam Posts: 44,230

    isam said:

    I don’t think Goodwin etc are correct about this. For me a landlord should be able to advertise for specific tenants. Of course there would be uproar from the left if it were ‘white’ or ‘Christian’ instead of Muslim, but so what? They aren’t the left. I think there are far too many Muslims in the UK, but fair enough if people want to stick to their own, that’s human nature. It shows that multiculturalism doesn’t really work, but it never was going to.

    This is outrageous. Landlords are illegally advertising for “Muslim only” tenants across London and the south-east, The Telegraph has found.

    The property listings feature phrases such as “only for Muslims”, “for 2 Muslim boys or 2 Muslim girls” and “Muslims preferred”.

    This is illegal, is unBritish, and should be shut down immediately.

    Can you imagine the total uproar in Westminster & the BBC if landlords were advertising for “whites only” or “Christians only”?!


    https://x.com/goodwinmj/status/2046866650855518701?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q

    Here’s a question for you old bean: what exactly is your issue with Muslims?
    Don’t bother with the ‘old bean’ nonsense please

    I think it is a problem for a country to have competing groups for supremacy, and having so many of a new group that doesn’t really accept the traditional laws or customs of the land is a recipe for disaster. I don’t have an issue with anyone personally on the basis of their religion or colour, I get on with most people and am interested in different cultures, I just think that on a nationwide level it makes for a lot of unnecessary aggravation to have introduced Islam en masse to what was/is a Christian country
  • boulayboulay Posts: 8,878

    boulay said:

    FPT:

    Happy 23rd April, the day we English celebrate some Greek Christian bloke from modern-day Turkey being prosecuted for killing an endangered species...

    More to the point it's Shakespeare's birthday*. An Englishman we can all be proud of.

    Benpointer's idosyncratic list of greatest English men and women, in no particular order:

    William Shakespeare
    Isaac Newton
    Florence Nightingale
    Charles Darwin
    George Stephenson
    Mary Anning
    Michael Faraday
    Horatio Nelson
    Jane Austen
    Elizabeth I
    Winston Churchill
    Isambard Kingdom Brunel

    (*Probably)
    Douglas Jardine surely. No Englishman has ever made so many Australians whines and cry.
    He was Scottish!
    Was he? Scottish parents but born in India and represented England, mostly educated in England - if we are saying people are the nationality of their parents’ places of birth it could be tricky.
  • isamisam Posts: 44,230
    Sweeney74 said:

    isam said:

    Somewhere in the vast array of documents the Cabinet Office has gathered on the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador in Washington, there is a text message which Keir Starmer sent the night before he made the announcement. ‘You’ll be brilliant in challenging circumstances,’ he told Mandelson. ‘And after many years of our discussions, we get to work together side by side. I really look forward to that.’

    https://spectator.com/article/its-worse-than-during-the-worst-of-boris-how-the-civil-service-turned-against-starmer/

    ha, from the same article:

    Another Westminster veteran says: ‘I hope this will finally kill the absurd “Keir Starmer is a decent man” narrative. He’s a shitweasel whose sole political talent is blaming others for his own failings.’
    He was only a decent man in contrast to Boris in the minds of Remain voters. Someone commented yesterday that people like to have a hero and a villain, with little time for nuance, so Sir Keir was feted as high minded and squeaky clean
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 56,836
    isam said:

    isam said:

    I don’t think Goodwin etc are correct about this. For me a landlord should be able to advertise for specific tenants. Of course there would be uproar from the left if it were ‘white’ or ‘Christian’ instead of Muslim, but so what? They aren’t the left. I think there are far too many Muslims in the UK, but fair enough if people want to stick to their own, that’s human nature. It shows that multiculturalism doesn’t really work, but it never was going to.

    This is outrageous. Landlords are illegally advertising for “Muslim only” tenants across London and the south-east, The Telegraph has found.

    The property listings feature phrases such as “only for Muslims”, “for 2 Muslim boys or 2 Muslim girls” and “Muslims preferred”.

    This is illegal, is unBritish, and should be shut down immediately.

    Can you imagine the total uproar in Westminster & the BBC if landlords were advertising for “whites only” or “Christians only”?!


    https://x.com/goodwinmj/status/2046866650855518701?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q

    Here’s a question for you old bean: what exactly is your issue with Muslims?
    Don’t bother with the ‘old bean’ nonsense please

    I think it is a problem for a country to have competing groups for supremacy, and having so many of a new group that doesn’t really accept the traditional laws or customs of the land is a recipe for disaster. I don’t have an issue with anyone personally on the basis of their religion or colour, I get on with most people and am interested in different cultures, I just think that on a nationwide level it makes for a lot of unnecessary aggravation to have introduced Islam en masse to what was/is a Christian country
    Do you object to Hindus, Sikhs and Jews?
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 47,892

    boulay said:

    FPT:

    Happy 23rd April, the day we English celebrate some Greek Christian bloke from modern-day Turkey being prosecuted for killing an endangered species...

    More to the point it's Shakespeare's birthday*. An Englishman we can all be proud of.

    Benpointer's idosyncratic list of greatest English men and women, in no particular order:

    William Shakespeare
    Isaac Newton
    Florence Nightingale
    Charles Darwin
    George Stephenson
    Mary Anning
    Michael Faraday
    Horatio Nelson
    Jane Austen
    Elizabeth I
    Winston Churchill
    Isambard Kingdom Brunel

    (*Probably)
    Douglas Jardine surely. No Englishman has ever made so many Australians whines and cry.
    He was Scottish!
    Presumably Matt Badloser would say it's impossible for Jardine to be English, unless a peelywally complexion makes the difference.
  • Sweeney74Sweeney74 Posts: 629
    Foxy said:

    stodge said:

    Morning all :)

    I must thank @Battlebus for being the only contributor who responded to my post on the Christian People's Alliance manifesto for Newham.

    It's an interesting set of ideas which seems to rely on the Council working alongside "Christian" charities and rather forgets the work done by Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and other religious groups.

    The idea of funding accommodation and meals for rough sleepers will tick the charitable box but if Newham offered it and no one else did, we'd have every rough sleeper in London heading our way.

    The most interesting proposal was the one aimed at business - replacing business rates with a turnover tax levied at 5% starting at £125,000. Many moons ago, betting tax paid by the punter was replaced with a gross profits tax paid by the bookie and all punters got tax free betting - one of Nigel Lawson's ideas I believe.

    How would a turnover tax work the CPA's view it would stop multi-national organisations paying little or no Corporation Tax sounds superficially attractive but I have my doubts based on "if it were that simple, why has it not been tried?".

    I did wonder when I first read the proposal if this was a second attempt at the "pasty tax" but related to other baked or half-baked products?

    It may well need more work, but a turnover tax would considerably level the playing field between high st and online sales.
    A turnover tax is one of those ideas that sounds clever right up to the point where you notice some firms have huge sales and tiny margins.

    Taxing turnover rather than profit means businesses can be hit even when they’re making very little, or even losing money. That would hammer supermarkets, wholesalers and a lot of high-street retail far more than it would hurt firms with fat margins. Corporation tax, for all its faults, is at least a tax on profits rather than gross sales. (GOV.UK)

    You also get the problem of repeated taxation through the supply chain, which distorts pricing and business structure. There’s a reason most tax systems don’t just slap a flat levy on revenue and call it job done. (OECD)

    If the real complaint is multinationals shifting profits, the answer is tighter rules and enforcement, not replacing one imperfect tax with a much dafter one. Lovely slogan, rotten policy.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 128,566
    Anyhoo, I am very uncomfortable sharing a patron saint with other countries.

    We need to bring back English exceptionalism, we need to make St Edmund our patron saint again.
  • Struggling now not to wishcast but I really want Starmer gone after the local elections.
  • Wulfrun_PhilWulfrun_Phil Posts: 5,208

    This government simply cannot function anymore. It’s a zombie.

    Sir Keir needs to go. I’m of the view that Labour can get this show back on the road but not with this Prime Minister.

    He simply must go. Anyone would be better.

    He will go sooner and not later this year.

    And it won't be Burnham who replaces him.
  • fitalassfitalass Posts: 4,733
    YouGov@yougov.co.uk

    62% of Britons see the Labour government as at least as sleazy and disreputable as the previous Conservative government

    More sleazy: 32%
    About as sleazy: 30%
    Less sleazy: 24%

    That is pretty damning poll findings for Keir Starmer's Labour Government considering they have been in power for less than two years when compared to the Conservative party who were in Office for fourteen years before they lost the last GE.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 23,128
    isam said:

    Kemi’s St George’s Day message

    Happy St George’s Day.

    Be proud.

    Fly the flag 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿


    https://x.com/kemibadenoch/status/2047214979120545923?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q

    Just after thinking she might not be that bad...... That's excruciating
  • RochdalePioneersRochdalePioneers Posts: 32,334
    Trump firing his Navy guy is a great idea. Fire all the generals and replace them with Himmler and Goring.

    Worked for Adolf. Triumph of the Will and all that.
  • isamisam Posts: 44,230
    Foxy said:

    isam said:

    isam said:

    I don’t think Goodwin etc are correct about this. For me a landlord should be able to advertise for specific tenants. Of course there would be uproar from the left if it were ‘white’ or ‘Christian’ instead of Muslim, but so what? They aren’t the left. I think there are far too many Muslims in the UK, but fair enough if people want to stick to their own, that’s human nature. It shows that multiculturalism doesn’t really work, but it never was going to.

    This is outrageous. Landlords are illegally advertising for “Muslim only” tenants across London and the south-east, The Telegraph has found.

    The property listings feature phrases such as “only for Muslims”, “for 2 Muslim boys or 2 Muslim girls” and “Muslims preferred”.

    This is illegal, is unBritish, and should be shut down immediately.

    Can you imagine the total uproar in Westminster & the BBC if landlords were advertising for “whites only” or “Christians only”?!


    https://x.com/goodwinmj/status/2046866650855518701?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q

    Here’s a question for you old bean: what exactly is your issue with Muslims?
    Don’t bother with the ‘old bean’ nonsense please

    I think it is a problem for a country to have competing groups for supremacy, and having so many of a new group that doesn’t really accept the traditional laws or customs of the land is a recipe for disaster. I don’t have an issue with anyone personally on the basis of their religion or colour, I get on with most people and am interested in different cultures, I just think that on a nationwide level it makes for a lot of unnecessary aggravation to have introduced Islam en masse to what was/is a Christian country
    Do you object to Hindus, Sikhs and Jews?
    Why would I?
  • This government simply cannot function anymore. It’s a zombie.

    Sir Keir needs to go. I’m of the view that Labour can get this show back on the road but not with this Prime Minister.

    He simply must go. Anyone would be better.

    He will go sooner and not later this year.

    And it won't be Burnham who replaces him.
    I’d be happy with Streeting but not Rayner.
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 19,654
    nico67 said:

    Mobile and Broadband Providers May Ration UK Network Use to Cut Energy Costs

    Mobile network operators, such as EE, O2, Vodafone and Three UK (VodafoneThree), have reportedly warned the government that, in a worst-case scenario, the current energy crisis and rising costs may force some of them to ration access to their network or slow mobile broadband (4G, 5G) speeds in order to reduce energy usage.

    The option is said to be part of emergency plans that have been pieced together by the operators after the Government excluded them from the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS), which pledged to help cut energy bills by up to 25% for over 10,000 businesses (manufacturers) from April 2027.

    However, mobile operators argue that their networks are a highly energy intensive critical service, consuming just under 1 Terawatt-hour of electricity annually (roughly enough to power 370,000 homes). This is a problem because the cost of their electricity usage has risen by 70% in recent years and the conflict in the Middle East is expected to make things much worse.


    https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/04/mobile-and-broadband-providers-may-ration-uk-network-use-to-cut-energy-costs.html

    The write up in The Times.

    https://www.thetimes.com/uk/technology-uk/article/phone-signal-rationing-proposed-iran-war-d2jmcc30h

    They could alternatively just put prices up . This seems to be a lot of hysterical scaremongering because they weren’t included in the government scheme .
    Also thanks to the previous government's Net Zero policy (ably pursued by Ed Miliband), electricity production in the UK is relatively protected from the Hormuz blockades.
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 128,566
    boulay said:

    boulay said:

    FPT:

    Happy 23rd April, the day we English celebrate some Greek Christian bloke from modern-day Turkey being prosecuted for killing an endangered species...

    More to the point it's Shakespeare's birthday*. An Englishman we can all be proud of.

    Benpointer's idosyncratic list of greatest English men and women, in no particular order:

    William Shakespeare
    Isaac Newton
    Florence Nightingale
    Charles Darwin
    George Stephenson
    Mary Anning
    Michael Faraday
    Horatio Nelson
    Jane Austen
    Elizabeth I
    Winston Churchill
    Isambard Kingdom Brunel

    (*Probably)
    Douglas Jardine surely. No Englishman has ever made so many Australians whines and cry.
    He was Scottish!
    Was he? Scottish parents but born in India and represented England, mostly educated in England - if we are saying people are the nationality of their parents’ places of birth it could be tricky.
    Look where his ashes were scattered.

    his ashes were scattered at the summit of Cross Craigs overlooking Loch Rannoch in Perthshire, Scotland.
  • boulayboulay Posts: 8,878

    boulay said:

    boulay said:

    FPT:

    Happy 23rd April, the day we English celebrate some Greek Christian bloke from modern-day Turkey being prosecuted for killing an endangered species...

    More to the point it's Shakespeare's birthday*. An Englishman we can all be proud of.

    Benpointer's idosyncratic list of greatest English men and women, in no particular order:

    William Shakespeare
    Isaac Newton
    Florence Nightingale
    Charles Darwin
    George Stephenson
    Mary Anning
    Michael Faraday
    Horatio Nelson
    Jane Austen
    Elizabeth I
    Winston Churchill
    Isambard Kingdom Brunel

    (*Probably)
    Douglas Jardine surely. No Englishman has ever made so many Australians whines and cry.
    He was Scottish!
    Was he? Scottish parents but born in India and represented England, mostly educated in England - if we are saying people are the nationality of their parents’ places of birth it could be tricky.
    Look where his ashes were scattered.

    his ashes were scattered at the summit of Cross Craigs overlooking Loch Rannoch in Perthshire, Scotland.
    If your ashes are scattered at sea does it make you a fish?
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 56,836
    isam said:

    Sweeney74 said:

    isam said:

    Somewhere in the vast array of documents the Cabinet Office has gathered on the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador in Washington, there is a text message which Keir Starmer sent the night before he made the announcement. ‘You’ll be brilliant in challenging circumstances,’ he told Mandelson. ‘And after many years of our discussions, we get to work together side by side. I really look forward to that.’

    https://spectator.com/article/its-worse-than-during-the-worst-of-boris-how-the-civil-service-turned-against-starmer/

    ha, from the same article:

    Another Westminster veteran says: ‘I hope this will finally kill the absurd “Keir Starmer is a decent man” narrative. He’s a shitweasel whose sole political talent is blaming others for his own failings.’
    He was only a decent man in contrast to Boris in the minds of Remain voters. Someone commented yesterday that people like to have a hero and a villain, with little time for nuance, so Sir Keir was feted as high minded and squeaky clean
    I think Kier was quite high minded at one point. His youthful publications, pro bono work for the McLibel two, etc.

    Quite when and why he went over to the dark side is unclear. The usual combination of ambition and arrogance I suppose.
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 47,892
    edited April 23

    Trump firing his Navy guy is a great idea. Fire all the generals and replace them with Himmler and Goring.

    Worked for Adolf. Triumph of the Will and all that.

    Tbf the fired guy had no military experience whatsoever and the USN performance in Eyeran hasn't been exactly world (or mullah) beating. However I don't underestimate Trump's ability to select someone even worse.
  • Have we discussed who the next chancellor will be under a Burnham premiership?
This discussion has been closed.