That would seem likely to lead to abuse. We’ll pay you a low rate for your first 40 hours and £1000 per hour for overtime. Bingo - much lower tax bill.
Telegraph: Nigel Farage has pledged to scrap income tax on overtime above 40 hours a week for anyone earning under £75,000
Would that be easy to administrate ?
Nope, and it would be gamed to complete oblivion...
First 40 hours minimum wage the 41st hour £900 (can't be bothered to do exact maths but I think it works),.
Also - separately back in 2024 HMRC wanted to ask for the number of hours an employee worked. I need to dig up the responses but it basically went - most people simply don't have that information accessible within payroll (yes it seems counter intuitive but it turned out to be the case)...
There is nothing socially liberal about wanting to take away women's rights.
I'm not going to stink up PB with the same tired old debate on trans rights - I published pretty much everything I want to say on the subject in my response to Viewcode's article. You can re-read that if you want to rehash the same old arguments. For the hundredth time. Again.
I'll just leave this short clip here of one of your lot - Kellie Jay Keen, the self-declared TERF who popularised the "adult human female" meme, at the Tommy Robinson rally last week, giving a rousing speech. A speech that begins "It's not too late to get Islam out of the building..."
I think I'll throw my lot in with the "socially liberal" types, thank you.
In any event I sincerely hope you're well.
That's like saying you're against vegetarianism because Hitler was vegetarian...
Otoh it can be - and imo usually is - more a sign of arrogance than independence of thought to pay no regard whatsoever to the sorts of people who agree or disagree with an opinion you hold.
Eg say I believe something and it transpires that the vast majority of people whose opinions I usually find repellent agree with me whilst few others do. That won't per se change my mind but it will give me pause and make me take a closer look at it.
Whatever else you may say about Kelly J Kean, she has absolute balls of steel. She actually walks up to people wearing the niquab (with their male companions obviously) and says 'Free your faces'. She'd probably hate courage being connoted with balls, but there we go.
Seriously, I don't see it - there is no "courage" involved.
Posy Parker is reacting to a 'threat' that she has fabricated in her own imagination, by launching a common assault on a member of the public. A common assault is concern that an actual assault may be about to happen, which would then aiui be at least a battery once contact was made.
She is trying to justify her own narrative. Women wearing their chosen outfits are not a threat. If there is an element of coercion involved, which is highly unlikely since we know the large majority of Muslim women in the UK wearing Niqab or Burka do so of their own volition (see the academic literature). Further, such clothing is only warn by a fraction of a percent of Muslim women.
Even if they were an element of coercion involved, it would be despicable behaviour to browbeat such a victim in the presence of their oppressor. But the claim of coercion would be overwhelmingly likely to be fake anyway.
Such behaviour - verbal assault - is what precedes violent attacks, particularly in the partisan climate we now have, and Parker - Kelly J Kean - needs to take a look at herself, do a sanity check, and wind her neck in. I think she's too far down Yaxley-Lennon type rabbit holes, and lost her way several years ago.
This behaviour is unacceptable and un-British. That's my view, anyway.
Sorry - I slightly borked my middle para, in editing the point into a separate para trying to be precise.
If there is an element of coercion involved, which is highly unlikely since we know the large majority of Muslim women in the UK wearing Niqab or Burka do so of their own volition (see the academic literature), it would be terrible to intervene in that situation on the street by having a go at the victim.
Bonus: the % of Muslim women wearing the burka or niqab in the UK is about 0.1%.
1 in 1000 women wearing something so oppressive is absolutely awful if it is that high.
Not if they wear it of their own volition...
Granted I don't think it does them any favours but equally people make stupid decisions that cause themselves harm everyday.
Also it is Muslim women, not "women".
And to impose an alien opinion on them as to whether it is "oppressive" or not is itself an act of oppression.
I don't like it personally, but - unless there is clear evidence justifying an intervention - it is not my call in a free society.
That would seem likely to lead to abuse. We’ll pay you a low rate for your first 40 hours and £1000 per hour for overtime. Bingo - much lower tax bill.
I did the maths already - think it needs to be max £964 at the moment so I put £950 down for a bit of leeway. It would probably be £850 by the time Farage comes into power though.
Reality is it would mean everyone gets a 41 hour week (rather than the typical 35/37.5 most salaried people have worked for the past 20 years) and the 41st hour would be the difference between your salary and the minimum wage.
Indy: As the Reform UK leader faces possible sanctions over a £5m ‘personal’ donation, it would take only a few unfortunate turn of events for him to be ejected from the Commons, says Sonia Sodha
And then a by-election where he is returned with an even bigger majority presumably.
Then he really would be following the Trumpian model.
Although, by then the voters might just be learning lessons.
Now, there is a circumstance for which it really would be the done thing for the other parties to come to an agreement on a unity anti-Farage candidate.
A man in a white suit?
The best anti-Farage candidate would be the man in the white coat.
I think Bell ended his political career with Hamilton.
That would seem likely to lead to abuse. We’ll pay you a low rate for your first 40 hours and £1000 per hour for overtime. Bingo - much lower tax bill.
I mean that is very simple to cut out by saying only applying to base hourly rate or say upto 1.5x hourly rate and you apply averaging so you can't just claim I did 0 hrs one week, 120hrs the next week. However, any of these kind of cliff edges are fraught with unintended concesquences and always open opportunities for creative accounting.
If you want to cut taxes / smooth things out, increase the tax free threshold, get rid of the cliff edges at £60k and £100k. If you were really bold, combine IC and NI. And adjust.
But as Liz Truss found out, we are in lots of debt, we are borrowing lots of money, even if you believe tax cuts stimulate growth, that doesn't happen over night and the bonds markets ain't very keen on even more magic money tree behaviour.
Indy: As the Reform UK leader faces possible sanctions over a £5m ‘personal’ donation, it would take only a few unfortunate turn of events for him to be ejected from the Commons, says Sonia Sodha
And then a by-election where he is returned with an even bigger majority presumably.
Then he really would be following the Trumpian model.
Although, by then the voters might just be learning lessons.
Now, there is a circumstance for which it really would be the done thing for the other parties to come to an agreement on a unity anti-Farage candidate.
A man in a white suit?
The best anti-Farage candidate would be the man in the white coat.
I think Bell ended his political career with Hamilton.
Yes, He tried to unseat Eric Pickles in Brentwood & Ongar in 2001 but failed.
That would seem likely to lead to abuse. We’ll pay you a low rate for your first 40 hours and £1000 per hour for overtime. Bingo - much lower tax bill.
That seems a rather easy loophole to close. Could you not just say that for tax purposes the maximum acceptable overtime rate is 2x (or 3x or whatever) the standard rate?
Another right of centre posted banned. Will Leon be back or is he destined to spend His remaining says in Jessops cuck chair 🥴
He spam blocked himself with his repeated abusive posts.
He's been warned many times previously about this.
Well he's obviously a very naughty boy and writing bad words on walls ticked off enough folk to trigger a switch. Just for the avoidance of doubt, I didn't snitch, and didn't care that he used language better reserved for the Women's Institute.. when he gets back from the cooler, I will chase him on the bet, because there are other people who more deserve to take some cash from me, and I intend to share the love.
Once he stops being the Cowardly Leon I can go back to being the pompous old Hector you all expect.
Another right of centre posted banned. Will Leon be back or is he destined to spend His remaining says in Jessops cuck chair 🥴
You really are a nasty piece of work.
Bye.
You’ve been unpleasant to me consistently so GFY
I don't think so.
I'll make it clear: Mrs J reads PB. @Leon said something she took offence at, and he apologised. A few weeks later, he repeated the comment, and lied by saying he had never apoloigised.
I left PB. Since then, you have repeated variants of his comment, sometimes tagging me sometimes not. And called *me* a bully.
So, I'm off. I probably won't even read it any more, in case I get dragged back in again.
Edit: the thing is, I've only glanced on PB a few times this week, and one of the times I see you doing this.
(Snip)
Today is the first time I’ve ever mentioned that specific comment from Leon.
From just going back on when you tagged me. ISTR there are others where you don't use the at symbol.
And there were more before that, but my notifications feed is filled with you calling me a 'moron'.
I was off PB. Before today, my last comment was October last year Yet you keep on tagging me as you insult me.
So seriously, you are the one with a problem. Some on here lament that there are not enough women posting on PB. I might suggest that the attitude of @Leon, yourself and others is somewhat to do with that.
There is nothing socially liberal about wanting to take away women's rights.
I'm not going to stink up PB with the same tired old debate on trans rights - I published pretty much everything I want to say on the subject in my response to Viewcode's article. You can re-read that if you want to rehash the same old arguments. For the hundredth time. Again.
I'll just leave this short clip here of one of your lot - Kellie Jay Keen, the self-declared TERF who popularised the "adult human female" meme, at the Tommy Robinson rally last week, giving a rousing speech. A speech that begins "It's not too late to get Islam out of the building..."
I think I'll throw my lot in with the "socially liberal" types, thank you.
In any event I sincerely hope you're well.
That's like saying you're against vegetarianism because Hitler was vegetarian...
Otoh it can be - and imo usually is - more a sign of arrogance than independence of thought to pay no regard whatsoever to the sorts of people who agree or disagree with an opinion you hold.
Eg say I believe something and it transpires that the vast majority of people whose opinions I usually find repellent agree with me whilst few others do. That won't per se change my mind but it will give me pause and make me take a closer look at it.
Whatever else you may say about Kelly J Kean, she has absolute balls of steel. She actually walks up to people wearing the niquab (with their male companions obviously) and says 'Free your faces'. She'd probably hate courage being connoted with balls, but there we go.
Seriously, I don't see it - there is no "courage" involved.
Posy Parker is reacting to a 'threat' that she has fabricated in her own imagination, by launching a common assault on a member of the public. A common assault is concern that an actual assault may be about to happen, which would then aiui be at least a battery once contact was made.
She is trying to justify her own narrative. Women wearing their chosen outfits are not a threat. If there is an element of coercion involved, which is highly unlikely since we know the large majority of Muslim women in the UK wearing Niqab or Burka do so of their own volition (see the academic literature). Further, such clothing is only warn by a fraction of a percent of Muslim women.
Even if they were an element of coercion involved, it would be despicable behaviour to browbeat such a victim in the presence of their oppressor. But the claim of coercion would be overwhelmingly likely to be fake anyway.
Such behaviour - verbal assault - is what precedes violent attacks, particularly in the partisan climate we now have, and Parker - Kelly J Kean - needs to take a look at herself, do a sanity check, and wind her neck in. I think she's too far down Yaxley-Lennon type rabbit holes, and lost her way several years ago.
This behaviour is unacceptable and un-British. That's my view, anyway.
Sorry - I slightly borked my middle para, in editing the point into a separate para trying to be precise.
If there is an element of coercion involved, which is highly unlikely since we know the large majority of Muslim women in the UK wearing Niqab or Burka do so of their own volition (see the academic literature), it would be terrible to intervene in that situation on the street by having a go at the victim.
Bonus: the % of Muslim women wearing the burka or niqab in the UK is about 0.1%.
1 in 1000 women wearing something so oppressive is absolutely awful if it is that high.
I thought you were a libertarian? If someone wants to wear whatever, let them.
How do Trump's PB advocates defend this kind of stuff ?
Not getting enough attention: the one-page order from Todd Blanche to wipe out every audit of Donald Trump.
Many experts believe it’s illegal, and here’s why.
Federal law prohibits the President or his aides from directing or halting an IRS audit. Agents who carry out a politically motivated audit, or stop one at the direction of the White House, can face prison time. That is the statute on the books.
Now look at what just happened.
Todd Blanche, the Acting Attorney General and Donald Trump’s former personal criminal defense lawyer, signed a one-page order demanding the IRS drop every existing audit of Trump, his family, and their “affiliates.” One of those audits reportedly could have cost Trump more than $100 million.
The Treasury Department’s top lawyer resigned over it.
The acting top IRS lawyer had to recuse himself because he previously represented Trump in his tax cases.
There is no precedent for an Attorney General ordering an end to audits of a group of taxpayers. Many experts say the Attorney General has no authority to do this.
So we have a likely illegal order, signed by the President’s former lawyer, on behalf of the President, protecting the President. And the only people with jurisdiction to investigate it work for the President. https://x.com/MikeLevin/status/2058175259358998929
Got to be in it to win it.
And he needs to remain in power until the statute of limitations means this is ancient history otherwise it makes sense for his replacement to throw Trump and his family to the wolves..
Sounds like another example for the Monarchist Hack - the idea that Trump's second term is "designed" to reveal all the places in the constitution and functioning of the US government that can help enable a demagogic monarchy.
The job for the Dems if they ever win again is to fix all the exposed faults.
Could be a full four year term of work at this rate.
4 years - suspect it will require 8, it's a lot harder to fix than destroy.
That assumes a future president will want to reverse Trump's greatly enhanced presidential powers. No British prime minister has reversed Mrs Thatcher's Number 10 power grab.
ETA scooped by Fishing. I must remember to refresh before responding.
That would seem likely to lead to abuse. We’ll pay you a low rate for your first 40 hours and £1000 per hour for overtime. Bingo - much lower tax bill.
It’s unworkable and open to fraud . Farage is hoping that the public are stupid enough to fall for this .
Telegraph: Nigel Farage has pledged to scrap income tax on overtime above 40 hours a week for anyone earning under £75,000
Would that be easy to administrate ?
Nope, and it would be gamed to complete oblivion...
First 40 hours minimum wage the 41st hour £900 (can't be bothered to do exact maths but I think it works),.
Also - separately back in 2024 HMRC wanted to ask for the number of hours an employee worked. I need to dig up the responses but it basically went - most people simply don't have that information accessible within payroll (yes it seems counter intuitive but it turned out to be the case)...
It's not at all counterintuitive. Very very many jobs are "do the hours necessary to complete these duties." Others are the kind of ZHC where a 41st hour is an unimaginable dream. Or the kind of piecework where hours aren't the point. Or the sort of job where people take a pile of stuff home to read/think about/prepare at home.
But if your understanding of work stopped evolving a couple of decades ago, you might not notice. Alternatively if you are in the sort of professional service that's so awash with money that your firm can cope with processing timesheets in 6 minute increments, you won't know what the problem is. And those are the two main branches of the Reform coalition.
That would seem likely to lead to abuse. We’ll pay you a low rate for your first 40 hours and £1000 per hour for overtime. Bingo - much lower tax bill.
I did the maths already - think it needs to be max £964 at the moment so I put £950 down for a bit of leeway. It would probably be £850 by the time Farage comes into power though.
Reality is it would mean everyone gets a 41 hour week (rather than the typical 35/37.5 most salaried people have worked for the past 20 years) and the 41st hour would be the difference between your salary and the minimum wage.
If we regular folk can all spot how to cheat this within minutes, imagine what professional tax experts will do!
As also said, lots of jobs, your hours are not recorded or clear. There’s no clocking in/out in my profession and many put in unpaid overtime. It’s part of the job.
Peter principle will cut in. If this guy is a business genius, I’ll eat my niqab
Well quite, a floor guy on the LME, which is the furthest he ever got , is not a job which requires any actual knowledge of... Well anything very much.
Another right of centre posted banned. Will Leon be back or is he destined to spend His remaining says in Jessops cuck chair 🥴
He spam blocked himself with his repeated abusive posts.
He's been warned many times previously about this.
Well he's obviously a very naughty boy and writing bad words on walls ticked off enough folk to trigger a switch. Just for the avoidance of doubt, I didn't snitch, and didn't care that he used language better reserved for the Women's Institute.. when he gets back from the cooler, I will chase him on the bet, because there are other people who more deserve to take some cash from me, and I intend to share the love.
Once he stops being the Cowardly Leon I can go back to being the pompous old Hector you all expect.
Indy: As the Reform UK leader faces possible sanctions over a £5m ‘personal’ donation, it would take only a few unfortunate turn of events for him to be ejected from the Commons, says Sonia Sodha
And then a by-election where he is returned with an even bigger majority presumably.
He got 46% in the election, with the Tories second on 28%. Some reports suggest he is not popular locally, what with not holding surgeries etc. I think an anti-corruption independent supported by the other parties would have a good chance of winning. If anti-Reform voters come together behind the Tory, maybe they win?
Farage would presumably campaign on how the Establishment is out to get him, but it’s maybe a bit difficult railing against the Establishment when everyone knows you’ve been given £5 million.
I could forsee T Robinson or similar standing against him and Joe Swash romping home as an independent.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is highly concerned about the current peace deal under discussion and has urged President Trump to launch another round of strikes against Iran, Israeli officials tell Axios.
That would seem likely to lead to abuse. We’ll pay you a low rate for your first 40 hours and £1000 per hour for overtime. Bingo - much lower tax bill.
I did the maths already - think it needs to be max £964 at the moment so I put £950 down for a bit of leeway. It would probably be £850 by the time Farage comes into power though.
Reality is it would mean everyone gets a 41 hour week (rather than the typical 35/37.5 most salaried people have worked for the past 20 years) and the 41st hour would be the difference between your salary and the minimum wage.
If we regular folk can all spot how to cheat this within minutes, imagine what professional tax experts will do!
As also said, lots of jobs, your hours are not recorded or clear. There’s no clocking in/out in my profession and many put in unpaid overtime. It’s part of the job.
Then there's the small problem when the person on £75 000 gets a £1 pay rise...
That would seem likely to lead to abuse. We’ll pay you a low rate for your first 40 hours and £1000 per hour for overtime. Bingo - much lower tax bill.
Course it will. It's dross.
I suppose he's chanelling Trump's thing on 'tips'.
I think people are overthinking the Farage announcement. There is an election on, it gets people talking about high taxes again and him to talk about rewarding hard working tradespeople, nurses, etc and trying to form a dividing line between high tax Labour....
OSINTdefender @sentdefender\ The United States and Iran have agreed to a draft proposal approved by top negotiators, including Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalifbaf and Vice President JD Vance, with both sides expected to announce the finalization of a peace deal to end the fighting on all fronts by Sunday afternoon, a source close to the negotiations told The Washington Times.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is highly concerned about the current peace deal under discussion and has urged President Trump to launch another round of strikes against Iran, Israeli officials tell Axios.
He needs the bombs to start raining down again to improve his election prospects ensure a proper balance of power in the Middle East
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is highly concerned about the current peace deal under discussion and has urged President Trump to launch another round of strikes against Iran, Israeli officials tell Axios.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is highly concerned about the current peace deal under discussion and has urged President Trump to launch another round of strikes against Iran, Israeli officials tell Axios.
Can't have peace deals. Which it won't be anyway. It'll just be cover for Trump to get out of this mess before the WC.
The issue about overtime is that it’s marginal productivity. People are either too nackered or have been playing the system. It’s an idea worthy of that genius, Kemi B, who has never worked in her life.
The issue about overtime is that it’s marginal productivity. People are either too nackered or have been playing the system. It’s an idea worthy of that genius, Kemi B, who has never worked in her life.
Thats not true. She became working class while doing a summer job in McDonalds.
Talking about Dan Neidle, he's got a report coming out next week that will make a few law firms rather unhappy but should final put the loan charge schemes of 2002 to 2018 or so to bed..
OSINTdefender @sentdefender\ The United States and Iran have agreed to a draft proposal approved by top negotiators, including Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalifbaf and Vice President JD Vance, with both sides expected to announce the finalization of a peace deal to end the fighting on all fronts by Sunday afternoon, a source close to the negotiations told The Washington Times.
Apart from the obvious gaming there would be a colossal increase in admin.
Two people earning say £30k would pay different amounts of income tax so would have different net pay.
How would that feed through to the benefits system? Would they get the same or different amounts of universal credit etc.
Plus it would massively complicate P60s, P45s etc.
You would also have to completely rework the HMRC online self-assessment system - at the moment a certain amount of gross income means a certain amount of tax payable - under Farage's system that would no longer be the case.
It's blindingly obvious HMRC would say on Day 1 that this could not be implemented.
Talking about Dan Neidle, he's got a report coming out next week that will make a few law firms rather unhappy but should final put the loan charge schemes of 2002 to 2018 or so to bed..
Is that those dodgy schemes contractors used to avoid paying tax ?
Talking about Dan Neidle, he's got a report coming out next week that will make a few law firms rather unhappy but should final put the loan charge schemes of 2002 to 2018 or so to bed..
Is that those dodgy schemes contractors used to avoid paying tax ?
Yep - the tax has been paid (that was sorted out in 2019) but some of the dodgier providers have been trying to demand repayment of the "loans" with menaces..
Indy: As the Reform UK leader faces possible sanctions over a £5m ‘personal’ donation, it would take only a few unfortunate turn of events for him to be ejected from the Commons, says Sonia Sodha
And then a by-election where he is returned with an even bigger majority presumably.
Then he really would be following the Trumpian model.
Although, by then the voters might just be learning lessons.
Now, there is a circumstance for which it really would be the done thing for the other parties to come to an agreement on a unity anti-Farage candidate.
A man in a white suit?
The best anti-Farage candidate would be the man in the white coat.
I think Bell ended his political career with Hamilton.
Yes, He tried to unseat Eric Pickles in Brentwood & Ongar in 2001 but failed.
On a fairly weak premise, as I recall. Something about Pickles allowing some Evangelical church some sort of 'influence' in the local area. I forget exactly what it was, but there wasn't a strong case, and he didn't get the levels of external support he received in 1997..
Even if one was supportive of his anti-Hamilton campaign (and didn't find the other major parties withdrawing unsportsmanlike) the anti-Pickles sequel just made Bell look less authentically principled and more egregiously Toryphobic.
Probably for the best he gave up after that, and let Dr. Richard Whatshisface take over the mantle of Indie parliamentarian.
Talking about Dan Neidle, he's got a report coming out next week that will make a few law firms rather unhappy but should final put the loan charge schemes of 2002 to 2018 or so to bed..
Is that those dodgy schemes contractors used to avoid paying tax ?
Yep - the tax has been paid (that was sorted out in 2019) but some of the dodgier providers have been trying to demand repayment of the "loans" with menaces..
Yes, I saw on one of the contractor forums a couple of years or so ago. Some had been buying up the loans and demanding payment.
So glad I was risk averse and used a brolly when I was interim working.
Another right of centre posted banned. Will Leon be back or is he destined to spend His remaining says in Jessops cuck chair 🥴
He spam blocked himself with his repeated abusive posts.
He's been warned many times previously about this.
Well he's obviously a very naughty boy and writing bad words on walls ticked off enough folk to trigger a switch. Just for the avoidance of doubt, I didn't snitch, and didn't care that he used language better reserved for the Women's Institute.. when he gets back from the cooler, I will chase him on the bet, because there are other people who more deserve to take some cash from me, and I intend to share the love.
Once he stops being the Cowardly Leon I can go back to being the pompous old Hector you all expect.
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to ban social media for under 16s.
A government consultation on curbs ends on Tuesday & no final decision will be taken until after that. But I understand No10 policy chiefs have privately said they expect a total ban
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is highly concerned about the current peace deal under discussion and has urged President Trump to launch another round of strikes against Iran, Israeli officials tell Axios.
Highly concerned about the peace element of the peace deal I imagine. Time to fcuk it up again.
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to ban social media for under 16s.
A government consultation on curbs ends on Tuesday & no final decision will be taken until after that. But I understand No10 policy chiefs have privately said they expect a total ban
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to ban social media for under 16s.
A government consultation on curbs ends on Tuesday & no final decision will be taken until after that. But I understand No10 policy chiefs have privately said they expect a total ban
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is highly concerned about the current peace deal under discussion and has urged President Trump to launch another round of strikes against Iran, Israeli officials tell Axios.
Highly concerned about the peace element of the peace deal I imagine. Time to fcuk it up again.
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to ban social media for under 16s.
A government consultation on curbs ends on Tuesday & no final decision will be taken until after that. But I understand No10 policy chiefs have privately said they expect a total ban
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to ban social media for under 16s.
A government consultation on curbs ends on Tuesday & no final decision will be taken until after that. But I understand No10 policy chiefs have privately said they expect a total ban
Food prices are set to rise further after ministers rejected pleas to scrap a £2 billion packaging tax, the cost of which will be passed on to shoppers.
It had been hoped that EPR, which added an estimated 0.5 percentage points to food inflation, according to the Bank of England, would be scrapped to ease the burden on households that are grappling food price increases in the wake of the Iran war.
OT - I can see a route to Restore doing well if REFUK made a deal with the Cons. That would leave a lot of space to their right and Lowe does get some traction. He didn't just spank Reform and the Cons (in Yarmouth the latter are the old local UKIP leadership) he polled twice Reform's vote in almost every Yarmouth Division. Very impressive and I suspect he could pick up a lot of the current REFUK structure and candidates if Nigel did a deal with the Cons - ESPECIALLY if that was a deal with Badenoch.
OT - I can see a route to Restore doing well if REFUK made a deal with the Cons. That would leave a lot of space to their right and Lowe does get some traction. He didn't just spank Reform and the Cons (in Yarmouth the latter are the old local UKIP leadership) he polled twice Reform's vote in almost every Yarmouth Division. Very impressive and I suspect he could pick up a lot of the current REFUK structure and candidates if Nigel did a deal with the Cons - ESPECIALLY if that was a deal with Badenoch.
I'm seeing him in Great Yarmouth as a bit like George Wallace in Alabama. He can break out and win similar places but how many similar places are there?
OT - I can see a route to Restore doing well if REFUK made a deal with the Cons. That would leave a lot of space to their right and Lowe does get some traction. He didn't just spank Reform and the Cons (in Yarmouth the latter are the old local UKIP leadership) he polled twice Reform's vote in almost every Yarmouth Division. Very impressive and I suspect he could pick up a lot of the current REFUK structure and candidates if Nigel did a deal with the Cons - ESPECIALLY if that was a deal with Badenoch.
I'm seeing him in Great Yarmouth as a bit like George Wallace in Alabama. He can break out and win similar places but how many similar places are there?
Pub garden anecdote. I’m at the Duck in Pett Bottom, onetime local of Ian Fleming who wrote you only live twice here, after a very hot and backbreaking few hours of bud-rubbing at the vineyard. I’m within earshot of the most logorrhoeic pub bore I’ve ever encountered. Olympian standard. I think he may be with his adult son (frequent references to “your mother”, and insistence that “I did send a card. I sent it!”)
He’s delivering a non-stop political monologue. He’s very passionate and performatively (but one suspects not actually viscerally) angry. Only here’s the thing: it’s been 20 minutes now and I still can’t work out if he’s left wing or right wing.
He certainly doesn’t like Starmer. He seems to feel some affection for Russia. He’s posh, and very articulate. But he could equally be casting his ballots for Zack or Nigel. Is he @Dura_Ace or @Leon_VotedForStarmer ?
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to ban social media for under 16s.
A government consultation on curbs ends on Tuesday & no final decision will be taken until after that. But I understand No10 policy chiefs have privately said they expect a total ban
Luckily teenagers never rebel against pointless rules and have no history at all of hacking.
This argument always comes up with the whole restricting screen use for children debate, but honestly I think most of us parents find it a lot easier when someone in authority (which by definition is not the parent) decrees something is verboten.
There are 3 types of children on the discipline spectrum: 1. born rebels, who will do what they want regardless and may even be spurred on to rebellion by silly rules; 2. goody two-shoes who do what they’re told and tell on anyone who doesn't; and the majority, 3. who respect authority and rules but are not averse to stretching them when the opportunity presents itself.
My eldest - who’s 18, so I can’t tell him what to do anyway- is borderline 1/3. My youngest is a 3. A social media ban for under 16s will have a big impact on that third group.
How do Trump's PB advocates defend this kind of stuff ?
Not getting enough attention: the one-page order from Todd Blanche to wipe out every audit of Donald Trump.
Many experts believe it’s illegal, and here’s why.
Federal law prohibits the President or his aides from directing or halting an IRS audit. Agents who carry out a politically motivated audit, or stop one at the direction of the White House, can face prison time. That is the statute on the books.
Now look at what just happened.
Todd Blanche, the Acting Attorney General and Donald Trump’s former personal criminal defense lawyer, signed a one-page order demanding the IRS drop every existing audit of Trump, his family, and their “affiliates.” One of those audits reportedly could have cost Trump more than $100 million.
The Treasury Department’s top lawyer resigned over it.
The acting top IRS lawyer had to recuse himself because he previously represented Trump in his tax cases.
There is no precedent for an Attorney General ordering an end to audits of a group of taxpayers. Many experts say the Attorney General has no authority to do this.
So we have a likely illegal order, signed by the President’s former lawyer, on behalf of the President, protecting the President. And the only people with jurisdiction to investigate it work for the President. https://x.com/MikeLevin/status/2058175259358998929
Got to be in it to win it.
And he needs to remain in power until the statute of limitations means this is ancient history otherwise it makes sense for his replacement to throw Trump and his family to the wolves..
Sounds like another example for the Monarchist Hack - the idea that Trump's second term is "designed" to reveal all the places in the constitution and functioning of the US government that can help enable a demagogic monarchy.
The job for the Dems if they ever win again is to fix all the exposed faults.
Could be a full four year term of work at this rate.
A future Democrat President may well find that he rather enjoys the still more Imperial Presidency that Trump and the Supreme Court have established between them.
Authoritarianism is not the sole preserve of the right, in America or anywhere else.
Pub garden anecdote. I’m at the Duck in Pett Bottom, onetime local of Ian Fleming who wrote you only live twice here, after a very hot and backbreaking few hours of bud-rubbing at the vineyard. I’m within earshot of the most logorrhoeic pub bore I’ve ever encountered. Olympian standard. I think he may be with his adult son (frequent references to “your mother”, and insistence that “I did send a card. I sent it!”)
He’s delivering a non-stop political monologue. He’s very passionate and performatively (but one suspects not actually viscerally) angry. Only here’s the thing: it’s been 20 minutes now and I still can’t work out if he’s left wing or right wing.
He certainly doesn’t like Starmer. He seems to feel some affection for Russia. He’s posh, and very articulate. But he could equally be casting his ballots for Zack or Nigel. Is he @Dura_Ace or @Leon_VotedForStarmer ?
Dura is teetotal.
Never said the man was drinking. I myself was only half drinking: a pint of Hawkstone plus a Coke Zero.
Pub garden anecdote. I’m at the Duck in Pett Bottom, onetime local of Ian Fleming who wrote you only live twice here, after a very hot and backbreaking few hours of bud-rubbing at the vineyard. I’m within earshot of the most logorrhoeic pub bore I’ve ever encountered. Olympian standard. I think he may be with his adult son (frequent references to “your mother”, and insistence that “I did send a card. I sent it!”)
He’s delivering a non-stop political monologue. He’s very passionate and performatively (but one suspects not actually viscerally) angry. Only here’s the thing: it’s been 20 minutes now and I still can’t work out if he’s left wing or right wing.
He certainly doesn’t like Starmer. He seems to feel some affection for Russia. He’s posh, and very articulate. But he could equally be casting his ballots for Zack or Nigel. Is he @Dura_Ace or @Leon_VotedForStarmer ?
Dura is teetotal.
Never said the man was drinking. I myself was only half drinking: a pint of Hawkstone plus a Coke Zero.
There is nothing socially liberal about wanting to take away women's rights.
I'm not going to stink up PB with the same tired old debate on trans rights - I published pretty much everything I want to say on the subject in my response to Viewcode's article. You can re-read that if you want to rehash the same old arguments. For the hundredth time. Again.
I'll just leave this short clip here of one of your lot - Kellie Jay Keen, the self-declared TERF who popularised the "adult human female" meme, at the Tommy Robinson rally last week, giving a rousing speech. A speech that begins "It's not too late to get Islam out of the building..."
I think I'll throw my lot in with the "socially liberal" types, thank you.
In any event I sincerely hope you're well.
That's like saying you're against vegetarianism because Hitler was vegetarian...
Otoh it can be - and imo usually is - more a sign of arrogance than independence of thought to pay no regard whatsoever to the sorts of people who agree or disagree with an opinion you hold.
Eg say I believe something and it transpires that the vast majority of people whose opinions I usually find repellent agree with me whilst few others do. That won't per se change my mind but it will give me pause and make me take a closer look at it.
Whatever else you may say about Kelly J Kean, she has absolute balls of steel. She actually walks up to people wearing the niquab (with their male companions obviously) and says 'Free your faces'. She'd probably hate courage being connoted with balls, but there we go.
Seriously, I don't see it - there is no "courage" involved.
Posy Parker is reacting to a 'threat' that she has fabricated in her own imagination, by launching a common assault on a member of the public. A common assault is concern that an actual assault may be about to happen, which would then aiui be at least a battery once contact was made.
She is trying to justify her own narrative. Women wearing their chosen outfits are not a threat. If there is an element of coercion involved, which is highly unlikely since we know the large majority of Muslim women in the UK wearing Niqab or Burka do so of their own volition (see the academic literature). Further, such clothing is only warn by a fraction of a percent of Muslim women.
Even if they were an element of coercion involved, it would be despicable behaviour to browbeat such a victim in the presence of their oppressor. But the claim of coercion would be overwhelmingly likely to be fake anyway.
Such behaviour - verbal assault - is what precedes violent attacks, particularly in the partisan climate we now have, and Parker - Kelly J Kean - needs to take a look at herself, do a sanity check, and wind her neck in. I think she's too far down Yaxley-Lennon type rabbit holes, and lost her way several years ago.
This behaviour is unacceptable and un-British. That's my view, anyway.
Sorry - I slightly borked my middle para, in editing the point into a separate para trying to be precise.
If there is an element of coercion involved, which is highly unlikely since we know the large majority of Muslim women in the UK wearing Niqab or Burka do so of their own volition (see the academic literature), it would be terrible to intervene in that situation on the street by having a go at the victim.
Bonus: the % of Muslim women wearing the burka or niqab in the UK is about 0.1%.
I think the percentage side is irrelevant to Kean's behaviour, as she's only speaking to people who are wearing it.
As I have said, Kean's comments are impolite, but I don't find your notion of it being a common assault to be in any way convincing. It is a woman's choice to wear a niquab, and we must hope (rather than believe) that it is a choice based solely on their personal conscience. That being the case, saying 'free your face' feels within the tradition of bra burning and other feminist campaigns. As you say, it becomes far more serious (for all parties) if it isn't their choice. But that again isn't Kean's fault, although her behaviour is undoubtedly insensitive.
Pub garden anecdote. I’m at the Duck in Pett Bottom, onetime local of Ian Fleming who wrote you only live twice here, after a very hot and backbreaking few hours of bud-rubbing at the vineyard. I’m within earshot of the most logorrhoeic pub bore I’ve ever encountered. Olympian standard. I think he may be with his adult son (frequent references to “your mother”, and insistence that “I did send a card. I sent it!”)
He’s delivering a non-stop political monologue. He’s very passionate and performatively (but one suspects not actually viscerally) angry. Only here’s the thing: it’s been 20 minutes now and I still can’t work out if he’s left wing or right wing.
He certainly doesn’t like Starmer. He seems to feel some affection for Russia. He’s posh, and very articulate. But he could equally be casting his ballots for Zack or Nigel. Is he @Dura_Ace or @Leon_VotedForStarmer ?
Dura is teetotal.
Never said the man was drinking. I myself was only half drinking: a pint of Hawkstone plus a Coke Zero.
"From Hell, Hull, and Halifax, good Lord deliver us"
Alotalliteration. Are you J.B. Priestley?
I thought it was a well known Yorkshire sentiment (Leeds in all likelihood)
The Thieves Litany.
https://shortfinals.org/2014/01/14/from-hell-hull-and-halifax-may-the-good-lord-deliver-us/ ..These words form part of the so-called Thieves’ Litany, uttered in Mediaeval Yorkshire as a leave-taking ‘prayer’ between two thieves as they parted. Hell was to be feared, course, as was Hull Gaol (in Yorkshire) with its evil reputation. Halifax – also in Yorkshire – was one of those towns granted the right to a ‘gibbet’, a particular savage form of early guillotine, and was notorious for its quick use against suspected villains. ..
With the gibbet gone, Halifax is a notably civilised locale.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is highly concerned about the current peace deal under discussion and has urged President Trump to launch another round of strikes against Iran, Israeli officials tell Axios.
Is Trump just his puppet ?
That apart, why should anyone care what he thinks ?
Pub garden anecdote. I’m at the Duck in Pett Bottom, onetime local of Ian Fleming who wrote you only live twice here, after a very hot and backbreaking few hours of bud-rubbing at the vineyard. I’m within earshot of the most logorrhoeic pub bore I’ve ever encountered. Olympian standard. I think he may be with his adult son (frequent references to “your mother”, and insistence that “I did send a card. I sent it!”)
He’s delivering a non-stop political monologue. He’s very passionate and performatively (but one suspects not actually viscerally) angry. Only here’s the thing: it’s been 20 minutes now and I still can’t work out if he’s left wing or right wing.
He certainly doesn’t like Starmer. He seems to feel some affection for Russia. He’s posh, and very articulate. But he could equally be casting his ballots for Zack or Nigel. Is he @Dura_Ace or @Leon_VotedForStarmer ?
Dura is teetotal.
Never said the man was drinking. I myself was only half drinking: a pint of Hawkstone plus a Coke Zero.
Bit of 'Horseshoe' there if you couldn't work out whether he was into Nigel or Zack.
My bet without even needing to be there - a Nige man. The described aesthetics tells me that.
That would seem likely to lead to abuse. We’ll pay you a low rate for your first 40 hours and £1000 per hour for overtime. Bingo - much lower tax bill.
It’s unworkable and open to fraud . Farage is hoping that the public are stupid enough to fall for this .
It's a bit like Trump's 'no tax on tips' scheme. How did that turn out ?
That would seem likely to lead to abuse. We’ll pay you a low rate for your first 40 hours and £1000 per hour for overtime. Bingo - much lower tax bill.
It’s unworkable and open to fraud . Farage is hoping that the public are stupid enough to fall for this .
It's a bit like Trump's 'no tax on tips' scheme. How did that turn out ?
I think most would be delighted in their work above 40 hours was paid, let alone taxed.
Pub garden anecdote. I’m at the Duck in Pett Bottom, onetime local of Ian Fleming who wrote you only live twice here, after a very hot and backbreaking few hours of bud-rubbing at the vineyard. I’m within earshot of the most logorrhoeic pub bore I’ve ever encountered. Olympian standard. I think he may be with his adult son (frequent references to “your mother”, and insistence that “I did send a card. I sent it!”)
He’s delivering a non-stop political monologue. He’s very passionate and performatively (but one suspects not actually viscerally) angry. Only here’s the thing: it’s been 20 minutes now and I still can’t work out if he’s left wing or right wing.
He certainly doesn’t like Starmer. He seems to feel some affection for Russia. He’s posh, and very articulate. But he could equally be casting his ballots for Zack or Nigel. Is he @Dura_Ace or @Leon_VotedForStarmer ?
Dura is teetotal.
Never said the man was drinking. I myself was only half drinking: a pint of Hawkstone plus a Coke Zero.
Bit of 'Horseshoe' there if you couldn't work out whether he was into Nigel or Zack.
My bet without even needing to be there - a Nige man. The described aesthetics tells me that.
Just for fun, put me down for an imaginary 50p on 'angry centrist'. You can’t work out if he's left or roght wing because he isn't. Think Anna Soubry. Think Jeremy Clarkson. Think Hugo Rifkind. He's posh so could be well off. Not liking Starmer is no indication of anything these days - nobody likes him even if 100% aligned politically. The pro-Russia thing is a bit Reformy I grant you. Listen out for mutterings about Israel, and 'bloody Brexit'.
Pub garden anecdote. I’m at the Duck in Pett Bottom, onetime local of Ian Fleming who wrote you only live twice here, after a very hot and backbreaking few hours of bud-rubbing at the vineyard. I’m within earshot of the most logorrhoeic pub bore I’ve ever encountered. Olympian standard. I think he may be with his adult son (frequent references to “your mother”, and insistence that “I did send a card. I sent it!”)
He’s delivering a non-stop political monologue. He’s very passionate and performatively (but one suspects not actually viscerally) angry. Only here’s the thing: it’s been 20 minutes now and I still can’t work out if he’s left wing or right wing.
He certainly doesn’t like Starmer. He seems to feel some affection for Russia. He’s posh, and very articulate. But he could equally be casting his ballots for Zack or Nigel. Is he @Dura_Ace or @Leon_VotedForStarmer ?
Dura is teetotal.
Never said the man was drinking. I myself was only half drinking: a pint of Hawkstone plus a Coke Zero.
Bit of 'Horseshoe' there if you couldn't work out whether he was into Nigel or Zack.
My bet without even needing to be there - a Nige man. The described aesthetics tells me that.
Just for fun, put me down for an imaginary 50p on 'angry centrist'. You can’t work out if he's left or roght wing because he isn't. Think Anna Soubry. Think Jeremy Clarkson. Think Hugo Rifkind. He's posh so could be well off. Not liking Starmer is no indication of anything these days - nobody likes him even if 100% aligned politically. The pro-Russia thing is a bit Reformy I grant you. Listen out for mutterings about Israel, and 'bloody Brexit'.
The pro Russia 100% rules out a 'centrist', angry or not. They just don't do that.
Another right of centre posted banned. Will Leon be back or is he destined to spend His remaining says in Jessops cuck chair 🥴
You really are a nasty piece of work.
Bye.
You’ve been unpleasant to me consistently so GFY
I don't think so.
I'll make it clear: Mrs J reads PB. @Leon said something she took offence at, and he apologised. A few weeks later, he repeated the comment, and lied by saying he had never apoloigised.
I left PB. Since then, you have repeated variants of his comment, sometimes tagging me sometimes not. And called *me* a bully.
So, I'm off. I probably won't even read it any more, in case I get dragged back in again.
Edit: the thing is, I've only glanced on PB a few times this week, and one of the times I see you doing this.
That’s PB
I used to have to put up with Ishmael making crude comments about my relationship with my wife, archived, and also accusing of wanting to perform oral acts of love on Leon, also archived.
Did I cry ?
No.
Not a murmur from the mods here about it either. I wasn’t the only one. He only got a ban, IIRC, he called out a pollster.
Today is the first time I’ve ever mentioned that specific comment from Leon.
Well he is a rotter and all that, and everyone seems a bit short tempered this evening. For my part your posts- which I often disagree with- are part of what makes the site a good thing, so don't let occasional general twattishness drive you out... Otherwise no one will comment anything anywhere. This can not be a safe space, in fact we should loudly disagree with each other, but, ok let's keep it civil and build on that.
A special shout out to HYFUD some of whose early posts, as a Scot I found pretty much offensive garbage, but who has settled in as the respected "Statto" and who - gasp- has posted stuff that I agree with.
Anyway - some bets please.
I mean Burnham is the winner of the most mediocre politician north of Birmingham, yet it really does seem like Labour will win, get him in, he becomes PM, there's a general Labour love fest and with one bound we're back in Narnia... Not great for the country necessarily, but at least it's back to incompetence, not Faragista treachery.
Shit... Forgot Swinney-easy to do, so most mediocre north of Birmingham and still in England
Yet what evidence is there that a particularly intelligent PM can actually deliver? Cameron, Johnson, Sunak and Starmer have all evidenced particular aspects of well above average intelligence, and look where we are. Politics is a team sport, and match results don’t rely that heavily on one star player, even if he is the captain.
Another right of centre posted banned. Will Leon be back or is he destined to spend His remaining says in Jessops cuck chair 🥴
You really are a nasty piece of work.
Bye.
You’ve been unpleasant to me consistently so GFY
I don't think so.
I'll make it clear: Mrs J reads PB. @Leon said something she took offence at, and he apologised. A few weeks later, he repeated the comment, and lied by saying he had never apoloigised.
I left PB. Since then, you have repeated variants of his comment, sometimes tagging me sometimes not. And called *me* a bully.
So, I'm off. I probably won't even read it any more, in case I get dragged back in again.
Edit: the thing is, I've only glanced on PB a few times this week, and one of the times I see you doing this.
That’s PB
I used to have to put up with Ishmael making crude comments about my relationship with my wife, archived, and also accusing of wanting to perform oral acts of love on Leon, also archived.
Did I cry ?
No.
Not a murmur from the mods here about it either. I wasn’t the only one. He only got a ban, IIRC, he called out a pollster.
Today is the first time I’ve ever mentioned that specific comment from Leon.
Well he is a rotter and all that, and everyone seems a bit short tempered this evening. For my part your posts- which I often disagree with- are part of what makes the site a good thing, so don't let occasional general twattishness drive you out... Otherwise no one will comment anything anywhere. This can not be a safe space, in fact we should loudly disagree with each other, but, ok let's keep it civil and build on that.
A special shout out to HYFUD some of whose early posts, as a Scot I found pretty much offensive garbage, but who has settled in as the respected "Statto" and who - gasp- has posted stuff that I agree with.
Anyway - some bets please.
I mean Burnham is the winner of the most mediocre politician north of Birmingham, yet it really does seem like Labour will win, get him in, he becomes PM, there's a general Labour love fest and with one bound we're back in Narnia... Not great for the country necessarily, but at least it's back to incompetence, not Faragista treachery.
Shit... Forgot Swinney-easy to do, so most mediocre north of Birmingham and still in England
Yet what evidence is there that a particularly intelligent PM can actually deliver? Cameron, Johnson, Sunak and Starmer have all evidenced particular aspects of well above average intelligence, and look where we are. Politics is a team sport, and match results don’t rely that heavily on one star player, even if he is the captain.
Fair point., is this a personal or a systemic crisis? The journalist scum think it's personal and want to drive Starmer out, like they drove out the previous four PMs. Just maybe the instinct of the Labour party is right... ?
Pb.com acquired a huge following because it filtered electoral prediction through cold, hard cash. Two things are threatening this preeminence: firstly, too few posters are actually looking for betting tips and won't put their money where their mouth is. (I have, to my cost as some here can testify). Secondly, politicians got too interested and began to try to rig and ramp the markets- as politicians will. The stuff the Tories tried to pull around the last general election is, I think, still under investigation by Plod. This latest naked ramping from Low deserves to be thumped in like manner and should be treated as what it is: a money making opportunity.for political bettors. So if the site needs to get it's mojo back, it is not going to happen by allowing Leon to post racist stuff about matters that are sub judice, it is to suggest politely that he backs his Reform ramping with some reasonable amount of dosh. If you can afford £20 for some slightly naff Crown Derby mug, you can certainly afford to take a few quid and back your mostly drunken and/or demented waffle supporting the treacherous Mr Farage as the likely next Prime Minister.
So, what odds are you giving us?
My lament about the site dying, last night, was based squarely on the fact that it is dying. In two ways
Last night we had barely a few comments over hours. At a time of huge political interest. Similarly, we get no new posters, ever. Except the execrable @Brixian59 who is surely a previous commenter reincarnating anyway. I’ve heard of this happening
Why? One big reason is the Blueskying of the site. It is now completely dominated by Dickless Centrist Dads like you. As relentlessly pompous as you are humourless, devoid of insight, caprice or wit. And fucking dull. And you have managed to push out anyone with a spark of wildness, plus that third of the country susceptible to Reform
If I was a newbie passing by, looking at this parade of sad old middlebrow “opinions”, I’d keep passing by
Sadly it has become the same old people rehashing the same old arguments - and PB would do well to consider why anyone who doesn't fit into one of two buckets of orthodoxy - "centrist (left leaning) dad" or "socially conservative right" tends to leave. I don't fit into either of those buckets and get piled on. I scan most days but rarely bother posting any more as a result.
Some of the more interesting _far_ left posters like 148grss - a literal Marxist if I recall - I disagreed with on almost everything, but found to be incredibly engaging and their arguments very well considered. To the point where they actually changed my mind about some things. That is rare. As for Reform voters, I'm a self confessed liberal metropolitan elite type who sees their voter base as utterly infra dig. But I wouldn't heap scorn on them either, because I've been out to the red wall many times to do focus groups, and absolutely get where the inchoate rage at the system is coming from. We would do well to listen to Reform voters and understand where they are coming from even if we disagree with them. But they are completely under-represented on this site - and dismissed and scorned when they do pop up.
However I don't think the problem is "middlebrow opinions" as much as it is piling on anyone who doesn't conform to the orthodoxy here. The tribalism is tiresome.
It’s not quite tribalism. It’s an aversion to unorthodox opinions that is so self righteously pompous it is off putting to engage in the first place. Cf Bluesky
It is also the utter tedium
There’s a famous, historic and reliable metric for measuring this which I’ve just invented. The LEONDAMUS Index of Commenter Identifiability. LICI
When PB is good and diverse, you can identify a load of commenters from the first couple of sentences they write. Their views are spiky, different, quirky, challenging or notably individual - exactly what you want. A good LICI reading is about 60%
These days the PB LICI reading is down to about 10%. Thr commenters are so dull and witless yet predictably identical in their views - Trump is terrible, Reform are ghastly, etc - you don’t realise who is speaking even after they’ve spoken. I can read whole pages of the same stodgy wearying centrist opinions by @bondegezou, @kinabalu, @Cicero, @thatotherone, @whofuckingcares - that I barely register who in particular has said what and why
They should save time and post their one single generic boring opinion under one name, once a day
Pb.com acquired a huge following because it filtered electoral prediction through cold, hard cash. Two things are threatening this preeminence: firstly, too few posters are actually looking for betting tips and won't put their money where their mouth is. (I have, to my cost as some here can testify). Secondly, politicians got too interested and began to try to rig and ramp the markets- as politicians will. The stuff the Tories tried to pull around the last general election is, I think, still under investigation by Plod. This latest naked ramping from Low deserves to be thumped in like manner and should be treated as what it is: a money making opportunity.for political bettors. So if the site needs to get it's mojo back, it is not going to happen by allowing Leon to post racist stuff about matters that are sub judice, it is to suggest politely that he backs his Reform ramping with some reasonable amount of dosh. If you can afford £20 for some slightly naff Crown Derby mug, you can certainly afford to take a few quid and back your mostly drunken and/or demented waffle supporting the treacherous Mr Farage as the likely next Prime Minister.
So, what odds are you giving us?
My lament about the site dying, last night, was based squarely on the fact that it is dying. In two ways
Last night we had barely a few comments over hours. At a time of huge political interest. Similarly, we get no new posters, ever. Except the execrable @Brixian59 who is surely a previous commenter reincarnating anyway. I’ve heard of this happening
Why? One big reason is the Blueskying of the site. It is now completely dominated by Dickless Centrist Dads like you. As relentlessly pompous as you are humourless, devoid of insight, caprice or wit. And fucking dull. And you have managed to push out anyone with a spark of wildness, plus that third of the country susceptible to Reform
If I was a newbie passing by, looking at this parade of sad old middlebrow “opinions”, I’d keep passing by
Sadly it has become the same old people rehashing the same old arguments - and PB would do well to consider why anyone who doesn't fit into one of two buckets of orthodoxy - "centrist (left leaning) dad" or "socially conservative right" tends to leave. I don't fit into either of those buckets and get piled on. I scan most days but rarely bother posting any more as a result.
Some of the more interesting _far_ left posters like 148grss - a literal Marxist if I recall - I disagreed with on almost everything, but found to be incredibly engaging and their arguments very well considered. To the point where they actually changed my mind about some things. That is rare. As for Reform voters, I'm a self confessed liberal metropolitan elite type who sees their voter base as utterly infra dig. But I wouldn't heap scorn on them either, because I've been out to the red wall many times to do focus groups, and absolutely get where the inchoate rage at the system is coming from. We would do well to listen to Reform voters and understand where they are coming from even if we disagree with them. But they are completely under-represented on this site - and dismissed and scorned when they do pop up.
However I don't think the problem is "middlebrow opinions" as much as it is piling on anyone who doesn't conform to the orthodoxy here. The tribalism is tiresome.
It’s not quite tribalism. It’s an aversion to unorthodox opinions that is so self righteously pompous it is off putting to engage in the first place. Cf Bluesky
It is also the utter tedium
There’s a famous, historic and reliable metric for measuring this which I’ve just invented. The LEONDAMUS Index of Commenter Identifiability. LICI
When PB is good and diverse, you can identify a load of commenters from the first couple of sentences they write. Their views are spiky, different, quirky, challenging or notably individual - exactly what you want. A good LICI reading is about 60%
These days the PB LICI reading is down to about 10%. Thr commenters are so dull and witless yet predictably identical in their views - Trump is terrible, Reform are ghastly, etc - you don’t realise who is speaking even after they’ve spoken. I can read whole pages of the same stodgy wearying centrist opinions by @bondegezou, @kinabalu, @Cicero, @thatotherone, @whofuckingcares - that I barely register who in particular has said what and why
They should save time and post their one single generic boring opinion under one name, once a day
Shannon information entropy is the measure of the complexity of a stream of numbers. From memory it is the ability to predict the next number. Total static has a very low level and is uninformative. A constant drone of the same number has a very high level and is also uninformative. The most informative is somewhere in the middle.
Comments
And to impose an alien opinion on them as to whether it is "oppressive" or not is itself an act of oppression.
I don't like it personally, but - unless there is clear evidence justifying an intervention - it is not my call in a free society.
Reality is it would mean everyone gets a 41 hour week (rather than the typical 35/37.5 most salaried people have worked for the past 20 years) and the 41st hour would be the difference between your salary and the minimum wage.
I think Bell ended his political career with Hamilton.
If you want to cut taxes / smooth things out, increase the tax free threshold, get rid of the cliff edges at £60k and £100k. If you were really bold, combine IC and NI. And adjust.
But as Liz Truss found out, we are in lots of debt, we are borrowing lots of money, even if you believe tax cuts stimulate growth, that doesn't happen over night and the bonds markets ain't very keen on even more magic money tree behaviour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_tVxvnEJko
ETA scooped by Fishing. I must remember to refresh before responding.
But if your understanding of work stopped evolving a couple of decades ago, you might not notice. Alternatively if you are in the sort of professional service that's so awash with money that your firm can cope with processing timesheets in 6 minute increments, you won't know what the problem is. And those are the two main branches of the Reform coalition.
As also said, lots of jobs, your hours are not recorded or clear. There’s no clocking in/out in my profession and many put in unpaid overtime. It’s part of the job.
Essex really should not be allowed to elect MPs
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is highly concerned about the current peace deal under discussion and has urged President Trump to launch another round of strikes against Iran, Israeli officials tell Axios.
I suppose he's chanelling Trump's thing on 'tips'.
This time next year its long since disappeared.
https://x.com/julianhjessop/status/2058252641872822607?s=61
OSINTdefender
@sentdefender\
The United States and Iran have agreed to a draft proposal approved by top negotiators, including Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalifbaf and Vice President JD Vance, with both sides expected to announce the finalization of a peace deal to end the fighting on all fronts by Sunday afternoon, a source close to the negotiations told The Washington Times.
https://x.com/sentdefender/status/2058248113593496010
improve his election prospectsensure a proper balance of power in the Middle EastWell I’m shocked. It won’t make any difference.
The US and Israel have fucked up with this war.
They will have to live with the consequences.
It's Al bullshit my dears
Apart from the obvious gaming there would be a colossal increase in admin.
Two people earning say £30k would pay different amounts of income tax so would have different net pay.
How would that feed through to the benefits system? Would they get the same or different amounts of universal credit etc.
Plus it would massively complicate P60s, P45s etc.
You would also have to completely rework the HMRC online self-assessment system - at the moment a certain amount of gross income means a certain amount of tax payable - under Farage's system that would no longer be the case.
It's blindingly obvious HMRC would say on Day 1 that this could not be implemented.
It's lovely, and also comedy. The hotels still advertise that they have a colour TV in each room and the decor dates from about 1976.
On a fairly weak premise, as I recall. Something about Pickles allowing some Evangelical church some sort of 'influence' in the local area. I forget exactly what it was, but there wasn't a strong case, and he didn't get the levels of external support he received in 1997..
Even if one was supportive of his anti-Hamilton campaign (and didn't find the other major parties withdrawing unsportsmanlike) the anti-Pickles sequel just made Bell look less authentically principled and more egregiously Toryphobic.
Probably for the best he gave up after that, and let Dr. Richard Whatshisface take over the mantle of Indie parliamentarian.
So glad I was risk averse and used a brolly when I was interim working.
A government consultation on curbs ends on Tuesday & no final decision will be taken until after that. But I understand No10 policy chiefs have privately said they expect a total ban
https://x.com/kateferguson4/status/2058249068237787279?s=20
Channel 4 is understood to have held talks with Huw Edwards about making a television programme in which the disgraced newsreader will try to “state his case”.
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/media/article/channel-4-huw-edwards-documentary-tv-latest-jfq95nx2c
It had been hoped that EPR, which added an estimated 0.5 percentage points to food inflation, according to the Bank of England, would be scrapped to ease the burden on households that are grappling food price increases in the wake of the Iran war.
https://www.thetimes.com/business/companies-markets/article/food-prices-packaging-tax-rachel-reeves-0l6v8t6cx
Now about that few pence off a kiddies menu at Harvester the government promised to help with cossie lives crisis.
A loophole begging to be abused.
Among those likely to vote:
Reform: 25% (-1)
Labour: 24% (-1)
Conservatives: 17% (-)
Green: 10% (-2)
Liberal Democrat: 10% (-1)
https://trajectorypartnership.com/optimism-index-opinion-polling-latest/
https://x.com/nigel_farage/status/2058261064957989288
Burnham 43% (Labour)
Kenyon 40% (Reform)
Shepherd 7% (Restore)
He can make the argument he didn't ask for the illegal images and they were just sent to him. But no-one wants to hear it.
There are 3 types of children on the discipline spectrum: 1. born rebels, who will do what they want regardless and may even be spurred on to rebellion by silly rules; 2. goody two-shoes who do what they’re told and tell on anyone who doesn't; and the majority, 3. who respect authority and rules but are not averse to stretching them when the opportunity presents itself.
My eldest - who’s 18, so I can’t tell him what to do anyway- is borderline 1/3. My youngest is a 3.
A social media ban for under 16s will have a big impact on that third group.
As I have said, Kean's comments are impolite, but I don't find your notion of it being a common assault to be in any way convincing. It is a woman's choice to wear a niquab, and we must hope (rather than believe) that it is a choice based solely on their personal conscience. That being the case, saying 'free your face' feels within the tradition of bra burning and other feminist campaigns. As you say, it becomes far more serious (for all parties) if it isn't their choice. But that again isn't Kean's fault, although her behaviour is undoubtedly insensitive.
...and of course he's quite right
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzbMRN2Ahx8
NEW THREAD
https://shortfinals.org/2014/01/14/from-hell-hull-and-halifax-may-the-good-lord-deliver-us/
..These words form part of the so-called Thieves’ Litany, uttered in Mediaeval Yorkshire as a leave-taking ‘prayer’ between two thieves as they parted. Hell was to be feared, course, as was Hull Gaol (in Yorkshire) with its evil reputation. Halifax – also in Yorkshire – was one of those towns granted the right to a ‘gibbet’, a particular savage form of early guillotine, and was notorious for its quick use against suspected villains. ..
With the gibbet gone, Halifax is a notably civilised locale.
It is definitely a time warp. But seemingly perfectly normal to everyone else here.
That apart, why should anyone care what he thinks ?
My bet without even needing to be there - a Nige man. The described aesthetics tells me that.
How did that turn out ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entropy_(information_theory)