A referendum was held to name the new leisure centre in Millom.
The winning name was, wait for it, Millom Leisure Centre.
Makes you proud to be British.
I've just looked this up on the BBC.
If I may be forgiven for reading far too much into a story - this illustrates a fundamental chasm in British society. The tone of the story is very much "ha ha, look at the thickies from the regions who called their leisure centre a leisure centre" - but I would suggest that the vast majority of the country, in Millom and elsewhere, prefer their leisure centres called things like "Millom Leisure Centre". As the vote shows. We are, however, governed by the sorts of earnest people who do not agree.
This is Millom's third claim to modest fame. The first is that it is the least accessible of all English towns, which means that no-one (except perhaps Cyclefree) ever goes there. The second is that it is the birthplace of Norman Nicholson, a poet famous in Cumberland and would be widely famous if he were not a lifelong provincial. His masterpiece (IMO) is 'The Pot geranium' which I link here. Don't miss it. There is a plaque on the house where he was born lived and died. I went on pilgrimage to it not long ago.
I stayed in a bungalow there overlooking the estuary for a holiday, once. It was a cheap way to stay near the Lake District. As I recall Millom itself didn’t offer anything interesting by way of eating out and seemed rather a sad town.
A referendum was held to name the new leisure centre in Millom.
The winning name was, wait for it, Millom Leisure Centre.
Makes you proud to be British.
I've just looked this up on the BBC.
If I may be forgiven for reading far too much into a story - this illustrates a fundamental chasm in British society. The tone of the story is very much "ha ha, look at the thickies from the regions who called their leisure centre a leisure centre" - but I would suggest that the vast majority of the country, in Millom and elsewhere, prefer their leisure centres called things like "Millom Leisure Centre". As the vote shows. We are, however, governed by the sorts of earnest people who do not agree.
This is Millom's third claim to modest fame. The first is that it is the least accessible of all English towns, which means that no-one (except perhaps Cyclefree) ever goes there. The second is that it is the birthplace of Norman Nicholson, a poet famous in Cumberland and would be widely famous if he were not a lifelong provincial. His masterpiece (IMO) is 'The Pot geranium' which I link here. Don't miss it. There is a plaque on the house where he was born lived and died. I went on pilgrimage to it not long ago.
Oh Kemi, defending Tommy Robinson is not a good look, there’s a reason why even Farage avoids him like the plague.
"There is something very specific happening to Jewish communities”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch says she supports a moratorium on pro-Palestinian marches but not for the march led by far-right activist Tommy Robinson later this month
I can’t see him getting past the NEC before Starmer announces he is quitting. Maybe not even then.
If Starmer quits, there won’t be time before a contest to get Burnham into Parliament.
Unless the whole thing is turned into a triumphal parade. And there are enough people who want the job to say no to that.
I agree with all that, not that I believed the Burnham-led fantasy that Starmer's right wing faction is going to play ball and facilitate Burnham's coronation anyway.
But even more of a hurdle is Burnham's need to get past the NEC for a pending winnable by-election (where?) before Streeting announces he is running, in a contest which IMO is going to happen within a week of the local elections regardless of what Starmer does. Even if Starmer does announce that he will step down later in 2026, Streeting needs an early contest and so will just announce that things have to be resolved now not left in limbo in Downing Street for another 6 months, and I think he would have a point.
Everything points to Streeting acting with haste now while Burnham is out of the running and Rayner is somewhat compromised by the HMRC uncertainty. Being compromised doesn't mean that Rayner won't join in anyway once the contest has been triggered, I think she will but if she feels she can't then Miliband can be expected to step up as the soft left candidate.
Streeting's best chance is a Streeting v Rayner v (possibly) Starmer contest in the middle of which HMRC pronounce and do significant damage to Rayner. Much more likely is that Burnham and Miliband weigh in behind Rayner and she wins at a canter backed by a membership unlikely to be swayed much by whatever HMRC say, Starmer quite possibly seeing off Streeting in the first round.
I just don't see a credible path for Burnham and as such I view his odds as being ridiculously short.
A referendum was held to name the new leisure centre in Millom.
The winning name was, wait for it, Millom Leisure Centre.
Makes you proud to be British.
I've just looked this up on the BBC.
If I may be forgiven for reading far too much into a story - this illustrates a fundamental chasm in British society. The tone of the story is very much "ha ha, look at the thickies from the regions who called their leisure centre a leisure centre" - but I would suggest that the vast majority of the country, in Millom and elsewhere, prefer their leisure centres called things like "Millom Leisure Centre". As the vote shows. We are, however, governed by the sorts of earnest people who do not agree.
This is Millom's third claim to modest fame. The first is that it is the least accessible of all English towns, which means that no-one (except perhaps Cyclefree) ever goes there. The second is that it is the birthplace of Norman Nicholson, a poet famous in Cumberland and would be widely famous if he were not a lifelong provincial. His masterpiece (IMO) is 'The Pot geranium' which I link here. Don't miss it. There is a plaque on the house where he was born lived and died. I went on pilgrimage to it not long ago.
I stayed in a bungalow there overlooking the estuary for a holiday, once. It was a cheap way to stay near the Lake District. As I recall Millom itself didn’t offer anything interesting by way of eating out and seemed rather a sad town.
Apart from Norman Nicholson, the fact that it is a proper but run down Cumberland town, and is remarkably inaccessible by road it has little to commend it. It has not really recovered form the death of the iron works.
But it has this, in a sense the hub of the town is the station, perched as it is on the remarkable Cumbrian west coast line, which takes about three days to get from Carlisle to Barrow (I live close to the same line about 1000 miles distant). The station features a proper ticket office, a cafe and a quite interesting local museum. Rail is the principal means by which the youth of Millom have a life. The options for escape include fashionable hot spots like Barrow and Whitehaven. Other stations on the line feature nothing but rails and a rubbish bin.
Yield on UK 30-year gilt at highest level since 1998... (just below 5.8%)
I want to know how is sterling holding up so well with our sky high gilt yields ?
The Euro area rate is 3.511%, we're even 0.8% over the US on the same timeframe.
Higher gilt rates, up to a certain point, should increase the value of Sterling not diminish it because assets held in Sterling are likely to give a higher return. Of course if we get to a crash point all bets are off and Sterling would collapse.
Sterling flirted with €1.10 during the Truss Calamity, rallied to €1.20 during the first Starmer winter, and is now down to around the midpoint of that range ~€1.15, which is about where it has been since the Brexit referendum devaluation.
Incidentally, the Brexit devaluation is something that ought to have been part of Fishing's analysis on the effect of Brexit on the economy. Before the referendum the £/$ exchange rate had been above $1.50 for nearly three decades, and often a fair bit higher. Since the devaluation following the Brexit referendum, the £ has not been above $1.50 (monthly averages) and it has mostly been around $1.30. All things being equal, you would have expected a devaluation to boost exports, and thereby the growth of the economy, but it didn't happen, or there was enough damage from another source that it doesn't show up.
I can’t see him getting past the NEC before Starmer announces he is quitting. Maybe not even then.
If Starmer quits, there won’t be time before a contest to get Burnham into Parliament.
Unless the whole thing is turned into a triumphal parade. And there are enough people who want the job to say no to that.
I agree with all that, not that I believed the Burnham-led fantasy that Starmer's right wing faction is going to play ball and facilitate Burnham's coronation anyway.
But even more of a hurdle is Burnham's need to get past the NEC for a pending winnable by-election (where?) before Streeting announces he is running, in a contest which IMO is going to happen within a week of the local elections regardless of what Starmer does. Even if Starmer does announce that he will step down later in 2026, Streeting needs an early contest and so will just announce that things have to be resolved now not left in limbo in Downing Street for another 6 months, and I think he would have a point.
Everything points to Streeting acting with haste now while Burnham is out of the running and Rayner is somewhat compromised by the HMRC uncertainty. Being compromised doesn't mean that Rayner won't join in anyway once the contest has been triggered, I think she will but if she feels she can't then Miliband can be expected to step up as the soft left candidate.
Streeting's best chance is a Streeting v Rayner v (possibly) Starmer contest in the middle of which HMRC pronounce and do significant damage to Rayner. Much more likely is that Burnham and Miliband weigh in behind Rayner and she wins at a canter backed by a membership unlikely to be swayed much by whatever HMRC say, Starmer quite possibly seeing off Streeting in the first round.
I just don't see a credible path for Burnham and as such I view his odds as being ridiculously short.
I can’t see him getting past the NEC before Starmer announces he is quitting. Maybe not even then.
If Starmer quits, there won’t be time before a contest to get Burnham into Parliament.
Unless the whole thing is turned into a triumphal parade. And there are enough people who want the job to say no to that.
I agree with all that, not that I believed the Burnham-led fantasy that Starmer's right wing faction is going to play ball and facilitate Burnham's coronation anyway.
But even more of a hurdle is Burnham's need to get past the NEC for a pending winnable by-election (where?) before Streeting announces he is running, in a contest which IMO is going to happen within a week of the local elections regardless of what Starmer does. Even if Starmer does announce that he will step down later in 2026, Streeting needs an early contest and so will just announce that things have to be resolved now not left in limbo in Downing Street for another 6 months, and I think he would have a point.
Everything points to Streeting acting with haste now while Burnham is out of the running and Rayner is somewhat compromised by the HMRC uncertainty. Being compromised doesn't mean that Rayner won't join in anyway once the contest has been triggered, I think she will but if she feels she can't then Miliband can be expected to step up as the soft left candidate.
Streeting's best chance is a Streeting v Rayner v (possibly) Starmer contest in the middle of which HMRC pronounce and do significant damage to Rayner. Much more likely is that Burnham and Miliband weigh in behind Rayner and she wins at a canter backed by a membership unlikely to be swayed much by whatever HMRC say, Starmer quite possibly seeing off Streeting in the first round.
I just don't see a credible path for Burnham and as such I view his odds as being ridiculously short.
Indeed - why would any of them consent to delaying the contest for months, after Starmer fires the starting gun by announcing he is going?
Someone’s a little worried about drones raining on their parade on 9th…
With all the air defence focussed on Moscow, that will be the day for Ukraine to do $25 billion in damage to the Russian hydrocarbons sector...
Half of me wants the Russian hydrocarbons sector to be utterly obliterated this week, but the other half of me really wants the Ukranians to land a drone in Red Square in the middle of their damn parade. It would be humiliating for Putin, in a way that nothing else could be.
A referendum was held to name the new leisure centre in Millom.
The winning name was, wait for it, Millom Leisure Centre.
Makes you proud to be British.
I've just looked this up on the BBC.
If I may be forgiven for reading far too much into a story - this illustrates a fundamental chasm in British society. The tone of the story is very much "ha ha, look at the thickies from the regions who called their leisure centre a leisure centre" - but I would suggest that the vast majority of the country, in Millom and elsewhere, prefer their leisure centres called things like "Millom Leisure Centre". As the vote shows. We are, however, governed by the sorts of earnest people who do not agree.
This is Millom's third claim to modest fame. The first is that it is the least accessible of all English towns, which means that no-one (except perhaps Cyclefree) ever goes there. The second is that it is the birthplace of Norman Nicholson, a poet famous in Cumberland and would be widely famous if he were not a lifelong provincial. His masterpiece (IMO) is 'The Pot geranium' which I link here. Don't miss it. There is a plaque on the house where he was born lived and died. I went on pilgrimage to it not long ago.
Good without being great I would say. He certainly likes his enjambement. And it definitely beats the other 2 claims to fame.
Yes. Quite fair. Of course those of us who stick up for Cumberland, Cumbria and all things far north west Englandish, especially the bits outside the lake district no-one knows, are going to stick up for Norman Nicholson. However over the years I have met with the occasional person whose eyes light up at the words 'The Pot Geranium'. And when you look at the house he was born in (link below) it seems that something in his soul fired him up beyond his quotidien life.
Surely the dramatic fall in Polanski ratings must improve the chances of Starmer surviving.
I think postal votes are only approx 20% of total vote - the fall in Polanski approval is timed almost perfectly to hit the Green vote on Thursday.
A lower Green vote obviously helps all other parties to some degree but I think it disproportionately favours Labour.
And just on this thread we have two non-Labour supporters saying they are likely to vote Labour for tactical reasons.
Expectations for Labour performance are incredibly low - there must be a good chance Labour exceeds expectations - and if they do then surely Starmer will survive.
A referendum was held to name the new leisure centre in Millom.
The winning name was, wait for it, Millom Leisure Centre.
Makes you proud to be British.
I suppose we should be grateful it wasn't Swimmy McSwimface. I have to say I am somewhat confused by this story - first, why is it odd that they called it Millom Leisure Centre? Seems an entirely sensible choice. Secondly, where the hell is Millom? Should I feel bad that I have never heard of this place with its prosaic naming conventions?
I live nearby. I use its library, named Millom Library. The alternative names for the Leisure Centre were daft. There is an interesting story behind the building of this leisure centre which tells you a lot about how people and councils have interacted over time and what this tells you about politics more generally. That story has been written about locally and a good journalist with an inquiring mind and a bit of basic research could have written something much better.
Millom has an interesting history. It is the home of Norman Nicholson, a well-regarded poet. Roman ruins have been found nearby. Turner sketched the Norman church. There are two theatres. Parts of the town are listed. The people living here are more varied, capable and interesting than you might expect but like a lot of former industrial areas in remote parts it has been somewhat neglected over decades and politicians have taken its voters for granted. This leisure centre and other work is part of the levelling up money.
A referendum was held to name the new leisure centre in Millom.
The winning name was, wait for it, Millom Leisure Centre.
Makes you proud to be British.
I've just looked this up on the BBC.
If I may be forgiven for reading far too much into a story - this illustrates a fundamental chasm in British society. The tone of the story is very much "ha ha, look at the thickies from the regions who called their leisure centre a leisure centre" - but I would suggest that the vast majority of the country, in Millom and elsewhere, prefer their leisure centres called things like "Millom Leisure Centre". As the vote shows. We are, however, governed by the sorts of earnest people who do not agree.
This is Millom's third claim to modest fame. The first is that it is the least accessible of all English towns, which means that no-one (except perhaps Cyclefree) ever goes there. The second is that it is the birthplace of Norman Nicholson, a poet famous in Cumberland and would be widely famous if he were not a lifelong provincial. His masterpiece (IMO) is 'The Pot geranium' which I link here. Don't miss it. There is a plaque on the house where he was born lived and died. I went on pilgrimage to it not long ago.
I stayed in a bungalow there overlooking the estuary for a holiday, once. It was a cheap way to stay near the Lake District. As I recall Millom itself didn’t offer anything interesting by way of eating out and seemed rather a sad town.
Apart from Norman Nicholson, the fact that it is a proper but run down Cumberland town, and is remarkably inaccessible by road it has little to commend it. It has not really recovered form the death of the iron works.
But it has this, in a sense the hub of the town is the station, perched as it is on the remarkable Cumbrian west coast line, which takes about three days to get from Carlisle to Barrow (I live close to the same line about 1000 miles distant). The station features a proper ticket office, a cafe and a quite interesting local museum. Rail is the principal means by which the youth of Millom have a life. The options for escape include fashionable hot spots like Barrow and Whitehaven. Other stations on the line feature nothing but rails and a rubbish bin.
In Millom railway connections, I've put hundreds of hours into a steam loco that worked there, at the Hodbarrow Mining Co.
With any luck, she will steam for the first time in over 50 years later this year or early next.
A referendum was held to name the new leisure centre in Millom.
The winning name was, wait for it, Millom Leisure Centre.
Makes you proud to be British.
I've just looked this up on the BBC.
If I may be forgiven for reading far too much into a story - this illustrates a fundamental chasm in British society. The tone of the story is very much "ha ha, look at the thickies from the regions who called their leisure centre a leisure centre" - but I would suggest that the vast majority of the country, in Millom and elsewhere, prefer their leisure centres called things like "Millom Leisure Centre". As the vote shows. We are, however, governed by the sorts of earnest people who do not agree.
This is Millom's third claim to modest fame. The first is that it is the least accessible of all English towns, which means that no-one (except perhaps Cyclefree) ever goes there. The second is that it is the birthplace of Norman Nicholson, a poet famous in Cumberland and would be widely famous if he were not a lifelong provincial. His masterpiece (IMO) is 'The Pot geranium' which I link here. Don't miss it. There is a plaque on the house where he was born lived and died. I went on pilgrimage to it not long ago.
I stayed in a bungalow there overlooking the estuary for a holiday, once. It was a cheap way to stay near the Lake District. As I recall Millom itself didn’t offer anything interesting by way of eating out and seemed rather a sad town.
Apart from Norman Nicholson, the fact that it is a proper but run down Cumberland town, and is remarkably inaccessible by road it has little to commend it. It has not really recovered form the death of the iron works.
But it has this, in a sense the hub of the town is the station, perched as it is on the remarkable Cumbrian west coast line, which takes about three days to get from Carlisle to Barrow (I live close to the same line about 1000 miles distant). The station features a proper ticket office, a cafe and a quite interesting local museum. Rail is the principal means by which the youth of Millom have a life. The options for escape include fashionable hot spots like Barrow and Whitehaven. Other stations on the line feature nothing but rails and a rubbish bin.
I remember first coming across Millom in literature at the age of about 7: I had a map on my wall of the Island of Sodor, and Millom was featured on the edge of it. I have been a fan of the place ever since.
Someone’s a little worried about drones raining on their parade on 9th…
With all the air defence focussed on Moscow, that will be the day for Ukraine to do $25 billion in damage to the Russian hydrocarbons sector...
Half of me wants the Russian hydrocarbons sector to be utterly obliterated this week, but the other half of me really wants the Ukranians to land a drone in Red Square in the middle of their damn parade. It would be humiliating for Putin, in a way that nothing else could be.
Cicero: "The sinews of war are infinite money." Napoleon: "The moral is to the physical as three to one."
Take your pick.
Napoleon did lose in the end, to an enemy who was able to borrow as much money as it needed to. So perhaps the Ukrainians should eschew the opportunity for a propaganda coup and target Russian oil infrastructure.
Solid evidence of Polanski's decline: my daughter initially thought he walked on water and was sufficiently enthused not just to vote Green but to join the party.
Over a pint at the weekend, she mused, and I quote, "Polanski's a bit of a twat, isn't he dad?"
It’s just Corbyn again. We know where this ends as we’ve already lived it.
Labour votes 2017 general election (Corbyn): 12 and a bit million 2019 general election (Corbyn): 10 and a bit million 2024 general election (Starmer): 9 and a bit million
Corbyn: Unite your opponents and lose Starmer: Divide your opponents and win
We must factor in the strong possibility of a late implosion from the Greens. Polanski is a Jezbollah-style disaster with extra titty-whispering
From the Telegraph
“Polanski liked post claiming Zionists control Government The Green Party leader endorses Bluesky message which claims Prime Minister is on the payroll of powerful Jews”
Whatever the result of the election I predict Polanski will be gone within months
Just looking over some data ahead of our elections webinar later and Zack Polanski’s net approval rating has fallen by a fairly chunky 14 points over the last week. Still far ahead of Starmer but also puts him now well below the top three of Badenoch, Davey and Farage.
10,000s joined the Greens just to vote for him. Mainly ex-Corbynites I guess. They'll keep him there I suspect.
I don’t understand the pearl clutching over Polanski calling out the Jews. Unless British Jews publicly condemn the murdering actions of Netanyahu’s regime in Gaza and Lebanon and their illegal occupation of the West Bank, they will have no sympathy from me. I don’t want anyone murdered, but fail to see why a Jewish life should be worth more than a Muslim life, or a Christian, Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist life, for that matter. It makes me think there may be something accurate in Polanski’s comments about Starmer and Labour.
Dear God!
British citizens must endure the risk of being murdered, attacked, arson etc unless they publicly condemn a foreign government.
You forgot to mention what sort of identifying mark should be put on those citizens so that others can know who to attack or not.
Or we could do it with every single citizen - give them a list of all the governments, terror organisations etc they must condemn before they can feel safe from attack - and leave the identifying marks for the three people left in the country.
Really, this forum needs to deal with this kind of disgusting filth. X is available if you want comments from those without a moral compass.
The problem British Jews have is that the Israeli government continually calls out any attack on itself as antisemitic.
Which means the Israeli government is very happy for British Jews to take the blame for the action of the Israeli Government.
If i was Jewish I would be calling them out as people taking an extreme view on how best to protect Israel
No. The problem British Jews have is that people in Britain, including some on this forum, don't really think of them as fully British and therefore their rights as Britons are contingent on whether they fall into whatever the current definition of a "good Jew" is, a definition usually made up by people who dislike all Jews and whose terms change all the time so that Jews live in uncertainty and will always fail whatever test is demanded of them.
It is disgusting. There was a time when being a Holocaust denier got you banned from this forum. Now people openly speak about Jews on here in a manner which lacks all human and moral decency.
A referendum was held to name the new leisure centre in Millom.
The winning name was, wait for it, Millom Leisure Centre.
Makes you proud to be British.
I suppose we should be grateful it wasn't Swimmy McSwimface. I have to say I am somewhat confused by this story - first, why is it odd that they called it Millom Leisure Centre? Seems an entirely sensible choice. Secondly, where the hell is Millom? Should I feel bad that I have never heard of this place with its prosaic naming conventions?
I live nearby. I use its library, named Millom Library. The alternative names for the Leisure Centre were daft. There is an interesting story behind the building of this leisure centre which tells you a lot about how people and councils have interacted over time and what this tells you about politics more generally. That story has been written about locally and a good journalist with an inquiring mind and a bit of basic research could have written something much better.
Millom has an interesting history. It is the home of Norman Nicholson, a well-regarded poet. Roman ruins have been found nearby. Turner sketched the Norman church. There are two theatres. Parts of the town are listed. The people living here are more varied, capable and interesting than you might expect but like a lot of former industrial areas in remote parts it has been somewhat neglected over decades and politicians have taken its voters for granted. This leisure centre and other work is part of the levelling up money.
Its location is beautiful with a stunning beach.
Looks nice! I spent a lot of time as a child looking at railway maps and timetables so I feel bad not to know a town with a railway station. I'm more of an east coast person I suppose, apart from Cornwall and the Scottish highlands and islands the west coast including Wales is a bit of a closed book to me.
We must factor in the strong possibility of a late implosion from the Greens. Polanski is a Jezbollah-style disaster with extra titty-whispering
From the Telegraph
“Polanski liked post claiming Zionists control Government The Green Party leader endorses Bluesky message which claims Prime Minister is on the payroll of powerful Jews”
Whatever the result of the election I predict Polanski will be gone within months
Just looking over some data ahead of our elections webinar later and Zack Polanski’s net approval rating has fallen by a fairly chunky 14 points over the last week. Still far ahead of Starmer but also puts him now well below the top three of Badenoch, Davey and Farage.
10,000s joined the Greens just to vote for him. Mainly ex-Corbynites I guess. They'll keep him there I suspect.
I don’t understand the pearl clutching over Polanski calling out the Jews. Unless British Jews publicly condemn the murdering actions of Netanyahu’s regime in Gaza and Lebanon and their illegal occupation of the West Bank, they will have no sympathy from me. I don’t want anyone murdered, but fail to see why a Jewish life should be worth more than a Muslim life, or a Christian, Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist life, for that matter. It makes me think there may be something accurate in Polanski’s comments about Starmer and Labour.
Dear God!
British citizens must endure the risk of being murdered, attacked, arson etc unless they publicly condemn a foreign government.
You forgot to mention what sort of identifying mark should be put on those citizens so that others can know who to attack or not.
Or we could do it with every single citizen - give them a list of all the governments, terror organisations etc they must condemn before they can feel safe from attack - and leave the identifying marks for the three people left in the country.
Really, this forum needs to deal with this kind of disgusting filth. X is available if you want comments from those without a moral compass.
The problem British Jews have is that the Israeli government continually calls out any attack on itself as antisemitic.
Which means the Israeli government is very happy for British Jews to take the blame for the action of the Israeli Government.
If i was Jewish I would be calling them out as people taking an extreme view on how best to protect Israel
No. The problem British Jews have is that people in Britain, including some on this forum, don't really think of them as fully British and therefore their rights as Britons are contingent on whether they fall into whatever the current definition of a "good Jew" is, a definition usually made up by people who dislike all Jews and whose terms change all the time so that Jews live in uncertainty and will always fail whatever test is demanded of them.
It is disgusting. There was a time when being a Holocaust denier got you banned from this forum. Now people openly speak about Jews on here in a manner which lacks all human and moral decency.
🤮
There is a fair amount of talking about all kinds of people in a manner that lacks all human and moral decency going on here TBH.
for the upcoming Holyrood adventure, I've been doing some deep dive analysis of polling/MRP, odds tracking, reporting analysis and so on to produce a region by region breakdown giving (for each constituency): Constituency, Current MSP/successor, Boundary inheritance, 2021 notional, Best placed challenger, YouGov MRP signal, Rating.
I can format each region into tables and paste here if there is an appetite for it, I don't want to spam if not.
On the back of the data I've also stuck my neck out and forecast the following:
SNP largest but short of a majority; Reform narrowly second; Labour dependent entirely on list seats. SNP + Green majority.
SNP - 60 Ref - 21 Lab - 15 Con - 13 Grn - 10 LD - 10
A referendum was held to name the new leisure centre in Millom.
The winning name was, wait for it, Millom Leisure Centre.
Makes you proud to be British.
I've just looked this up on the BBC.
If I may be forgiven for reading far too much into a story - this illustrates a fundamental chasm in British society. The tone of the story is very much "ha ha, look at the thickies from the regions who called their leisure centre a leisure centre" - but I would suggest that the vast majority of the country, in Millom and elsewhere, prefer their leisure centres called things like "Millom Leisure Centre". As the vote shows. We are, however, governed by the sorts of earnest people who do not agree.
This is Millom's third claim to modest fame. The first is that it is the least accessible of all English towns, which means that no-one (except perhaps Cyclefree) ever goes there. The second is that it is the birthplace of Norman Nicholson, a poet famous in Cumberland and would be widely famous if he were not a lifelong provincial. His masterpiece (IMO) is 'The Pot geranium' which I link here. Don't miss it. There is a plaque on the house where he was born lived and died. I went on pilgrimage to it not long ago.
There is a train station. You can get here very easily from Euston, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh etc. The Beggar's Theatre is on the comedy club circuit and I've seen many famous comedians perform here at fraction of the cost and hassle elsewhere.
Nicholson's poems are wonderful. My husband is Chair of the Norman Nicholson society. His home is currently being renovated as part of the other renovations to the town.
🔵Leads on 13 of 15 attributes 🔵Positive scores on principled (+2), decisive (+2) and competent (+2) 🔵 Weakest on looking like a PM (-17), though still ahead of rivals
We must factor in the strong possibility of a late implosion from the Greens. Polanski is a Jezbollah-style disaster with extra titty-whispering
From the Telegraph
“Polanski liked post claiming Zionists control Government The Green Party leader endorses Bluesky message which claims Prime Minister is on the payroll of powerful Jews”
Whatever the result of the election I predict Polanski will be gone within months
Just looking over some data ahead of our elections webinar later and Zack Polanski’s net approval rating has fallen by a fairly chunky 14 points over the last week. Still far ahead of Starmer but also puts him now well below the top three of Badenoch, Davey and Farage.
10,000s joined the Greens just to vote for him. Mainly ex-Corbynites I guess. They'll keep him there I suspect.
I don’t understand the pearl clutching over Polanski calling out the Jews. Unless British Jews publicly condemn the murdering actions of Netanyahu’s regime in Gaza and Lebanon and their illegal occupation of the West Bank, they will have no sympathy from me. I don’t want anyone murdered, but fail to see why a Jewish life should be worth more than a Muslim life, or a Christian, Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist life, for that matter. It makes me think there may be something accurate in Polanski’s comments about Starmer and Labour.
Dear God!
British citizens must endure the risk of being murdered, attacked, arson etc unless they publicly condemn a foreign government.
You forgot to mention what sort of identifying mark should be put on those citizens so that others can know who to attack or not.
Or we could do it with every single citizen - give them a list of all the governments, terror organisations etc they must condemn before they can feel safe from attack - and leave the identifying marks for the three people left in the country.
Really, this forum needs to deal with this kind of disgusting filth. X is available if you want comments from those without a moral compass.
The problem British Jews have is that the Israeli government continually calls out any attack on itself as antisemitic.
Which means the Israeli government is very happy for British Jews to take the blame for the action of the Israeli Government.
If i was Jewish I would be calling them out as people taking an extreme view on how best to protect Israel
No. The problem British Jews have is that people in Britain, including some on this forum, don't really think of them as fully British and therefore their rights as Britons are contingent on whether they fall into whatever the current definition of a "good Jew" is, a definition usually made up by people who dislike all Jews and whose terms change all the time so that Jews live in uncertainty and will always fail whatever test is demanded of them.
It is disgusting. There was a time when being a Holocaust denier got you banned from this forum. Now people openly speak about Jews on here in a manner which lacks all human and moral decency.
🤮
There is a fair amount of talking about all kinds of people in a manner that lacks all human and moral decency going on here TBH.
Oh Kemi, defending Tommy Robinson is not a good look, there’s a reason why even Farage avoids him like the plague.
"There is something very specific happening to Jewish communities”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch says she supports a moratorium on pro-Palestinian marches but not for the march led by far-right activist Tommy Robinson later this month
If you’re going to ban one then you ban the other aswell .
What's Robinson done that's actually illegal, other than the contempt of court stuff? I grant you he's good at dog-whistling to thugs, but I think he's fairly careful not to do anything that would get him nicked for incitement.
The issue with the pro-Palestinian marches is that there's been a lot of stuff which crosses that line, and the plod don't seem very interested in doing anything about it.
What's Robinson done that's illegal? This is stuff he's been found guilty of in court, unless otherwise specified.
2003: assaulted a police officer 2011: threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour ("Robinson reportedly led the group of Luton fans and played an integral part in starting a 100-man brawl, during which he chanted, "EDL till I die."") 2011: re-arrested while on bail for breaking bail conditions by attending another English Defence League demonstration 2011: assault (of another EDL member) 2011: illegal protest on rooftop of the FIFA building in Zurich 2012: use of a false passport 2012: mortgage fraud 2017: contempt of court (filming and posting about an ongoing trial) 2018: another contempt of court 2018: libelled a Syrian refugee child 2020: arrested for breaking COVID-19 lockdown rules (unclear if this led to a fine, charge or what) 2021: stalking a journalist 2022: fined for failing to appear in court over proceedings related to his declaring bankruptcy in 2021 2024: investigation started into Robinson's alleged role in inciting the Southport riots - still ongoing AFAIK 2024: investigation started into his tax affairs - still ongoing AFAIK 2024: contempt of court (repeating the 2018 libel) 2024: harrassing two more journalists: charged in 2025, trial due later this year
A referendum was held to name the new leisure centre in Millom.
The winning name was, wait for it, Millom Leisure Centre.
Makes you proud to be British.
I've just looked this up on the BBC.
If I may be forgiven for reading far too much into a story - this illustrates a fundamental chasm in British society. The tone of the story is very much "ha ha, look at the thickies from the regions who called their leisure centre a leisure centre" - but I would suggest that the vast majority of the country, in Millom and elsewhere, prefer their leisure centres called things like "Millom Leisure Centre". As the vote shows. We are, however, governed by the sorts of earnest people who do not agree.
I was once in one of those market research focus groups and they wanted us to come up with a name for an amusement park based on a building block toy. "You mean Lego?," we asked. "We can't divulge the name of the client," they said. We said, "But you mean Lego?" They admitted they meant Lego. "Well, why not just call it Legoland?," we suggested. "We've been asked to investigate other names," they said. So, we brainstormed other names for half an hour. (I came up with "Allegory", which I liked.) Today, you can go visit Legoland Windsor.
All of you who were so correctly triggered by Lady Victoria's gifted underwear and Starmer's free spectacles, why are you not triggered by Farage's personally donated buckshee £5m from a Thai based crypto-billionaire?
Er, I've mentioned it a few times on here in the last few days!
I am still seeing nothing more than PB tumbleweed. I suppose it's Nigel so it is fine ?
It seems to have been mentioned quite a few times.
And surely, the correct version of your second sentence is 'I suppose it's Nigel so donations of dodgy money are to be expected.'
@Mexicanpete - I probably commented a lot more on Alligate than I did on this latest Nigel donation. This is not because I consider Alligate *worse* - of course getting policy dictated by shadowy cryptobillionaires is worse - it is because: - Nigel getting massive dodgy donations is lamentable but uninteresting - we know he's dodgy. - Labour went so quickly from 'look at the sleazy Tories' to 'but it was a really nice bribe which was very hard to turn down'. - Labour are in power - there was a lot more to Alligate than just some free undies.
Volume of comments does not equate to how grisly I find a certain behaviour. Otherwise we'd do little but lament the behaviour of Trump and Putin.
The total disinterest in the dubious financial dealings of the man that could be our next Prime Minister is quite remarkable. Farage was a late cancellation for his usual slot on Kuennsberg, so no questions there.
Alligate was worthy of a mention if we are castigating Johnson over Lady Bamford and Lord Btownlow, but don't forget Farage was demanding answers from Starmer too, which is fair enough if you are not accepting a personal donation of £5m to your personal Lloyds Bank account from a crypto billionaire who lives in Thailand operating under a Thai name (as opposed to his UK name). The issue is nor whether Farage collected the cash, which by all accounts is legal, but that the legacy media outside the Guardian are not interested. Perhaps they will change their minds should Farage go boots on for crypto.
Comments
But even more of a hurdle is Burnham's need to get past the NEC for a pending winnable by-election (where?) before Streeting announces he is running, in a contest which IMO is going to happen within a week of the local elections regardless of what Starmer does. Even if Starmer does announce that he will step down later in 2026, Streeting needs an early contest and so will just announce that things have to be resolved now not left in limbo in Downing Street for another 6 months, and I think he would have a point.
Everything points to Streeting acting with haste now while Burnham is out of the running and Rayner is somewhat compromised by the HMRC uncertainty. Being compromised doesn't mean that Rayner won't join in anyway once the contest has been triggered, I think she will but if she feels she can't then Miliband can be expected to step up as the soft left candidate.
Streeting's best chance is a Streeting v Rayner v (possibly) Starmer contest in the middle of which HMRC pronounce and do significant damage to Rayner. Much more likely is that Burnham and Miliband weigh in behind Rayner and she wins at a canter backed by a membership unlikely to be swayed much by whatever HMRC say, Starmer quite possibly seeing off Streeting in the first round.
I just don't see a credible path for Burnham and as such I view his odds as being ridiculously short.
But it has this, in a sense the hub of the town is the station, perched as it is on the remarkable Cumbrian west coast line, which takes about three days to get from Carlisle to Barrow (I live close to the same line about 1000 miles distant). The station features a proper ticket office, a cafe and a quite interesting local museum. Rail is the principal means by which the youth of Millom have a life. The options for escape include fashionable hot spots like Barrow and Whitehaven. Other stations on the line feature nothing but rails and a rubbish bin.
Incidentally, the Brexit devaluation is something that ought to have been part of Fishing's analysis on the effect of Brexit on the economy. Before the referendum the £/$ exchange rate had been above $1.50 for nearly three decades, and often a fair bit higher. Since the devaluation following the Brexit referendum, the £ has not been above $1.50 (monthly averages) and it has mostly been around $1.30. All things being equal, you would have expected a devaluation to boost exports, and thereby the growth of the economy, but it didn't happen, or there was enough damage from another source that it doesn't show up.
Former Tory MP and The Times columnist Matthew Parris confesses his vote will be for Labour on May 7.
He says the “terrible record” of Tower Hamlets Mayor Luftur Rahman warrants motivating non-Bangladeshis to vote as a bloc against him.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg3kgzd3v6o
Still, it will make Bart happy. No doubt there will be a watch party going down somewhere in the North West when this happens.
‘ Israel is coordinating with the U.S. on a potential new round of strikes in Iran targeting energy facilities and senior Iranian officials. - CNN’
https://x.com/osint613/status/2051622432742445177?s=61
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intourist
I think postal votes are only approx 20% of total vote - the fall in Polanski approval is timed almost perfectly to hit the Green vote on Thursday.
A lower Green vote obviously helps all other parties to some degree but I think it disproportionately favours Labour.
And just on this thread we have two non-Labour supporters saying they are likely to vote Labour for tactical reasons.
Expectations for Labour performance are incredibly low - there must be a good chance Labour exceeds expectations - and if they do then surely Starmer will survive.
Millom has an interesting history. It is the home of Norman Nicholson, a well-regarded poet. Roman ruins have been found nearby. Turner sketched the Norman church. There are two theatres. Parts of the town are listed. The people living here are more varied, capable and interesting than you might expect but like a lot of former industrial areas in remote parts it has been somewhat neglected over decades and politicians have taken its voters for granted. This leisure centre and other work is part of the levelling up money.
Its location is beautiful with a stunning beach.
With any luck, she will steam for the first time in over 50 years later this year or early next.
https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/avonside-engine-co-works-no-1563-millom-0-4-0st/
Napoleon: "The moral is to the physical as three to one."
Take your pick.
Napoleon did lose in the end, to an enemy who was able to borrow as much money as it needed to. So perhaps the Ukrainians should eschew the opportunity for a propaganda coup and target Russian oil infrastructure.
Taking myself as the centre of the universe, I can be there in under 3 hours from now, something that can't be said for e.g. Hitchin.
NEW THREAD
Starmer: Divide your opponents and win
It is disgusting. There was a time when being a Holocaust denier got you banned from this forum. Now people openly speak about Jews on here in a manner which lacks all human and moral decency.
🤮
I can format each region into tables and paste here if there is an appetite for it, I don't want to spam if not.
On the back of the data I've also stuck my neck out and forecast the following:
SNP largest but short of a majority; Reform narrowly second; Labour dependent entirely on list seats. SNP + Green majority.
SNP - 60
Ref - 21
Lab - 15
Con - 13
Grn - 10
LD - 10
Nicholson's poems are wonderful. My husband is Chair of the Norman Nicholson society. His home is currently being renovated as part of the other renovations to the town.
For Kemi Badenoch, the picture is much stronger:
🔵Leads on 13 of 15 attributes
🔵Positive scores on principled (+2), decisive (+2) and competent (+2)
🔵 Weakest on looking like a PM (-17), though still ahead of rivals
https://x.com/opiniumresearch/status/2051653717686972420?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q
2003: assaulted a police officer
2011: threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour ("Robinson reportedly led the group of Luton fans and played an integral part in starting a 100-man brawl, during which he chanted, "EDL till I die."")
2011: re-arrested while on bail for breaking bail conditions by attending another English Defence League demonstration
2011: assault (of another EDL member)
2011: illegal protest on rooftop of the FIFA building in Zurich
2012: use of a false passport
2012: mortgage fraud
2017: contempt of court (filming and posting about an ongoing trial)
2018: another contempt of court
2018: libelled a Syrian refugee child
2020: arrested for breaking COVID-19 lockdown rules (unclear if this led to a fine, charge or what)
2021: stalking a journalist
2022: fined for failing to appear in court over proceedings related to his declaring bankruptcy in 2021
2024: investigation started into Robinson's alleged role in inciting the Southport riots - still ongoing AFAIK
2024: investigation started into his tax affairs - still ongoing AFAIK
2024: contempt of court (repeating the 2018 libel)
2024: harrassing two more journalists: charged in 2025, trial due later this year
Alligate was worthy of a mention if we are castigating Johnson over Lady Bamford and Lord Btownlow, but don't forget Farage was demanding answers from Starmer too, which is fair enough if you are not accepting a personal donation of £5m to your personal Lloyds Bank account from a crypto billionaire who lives in Thailand operating under a Thai name (as opposed to his UK name). The issue is nor whether Farage collected the cash, which by all accounts is legal, but that the legacy media outside the Guardian are not interested. Perhaps they will change their minds should Farage go boots on for crypto.