Monday 1 July: Voters should think hard before handing Labour an unearned majority

Posted on by Geoff Graham

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750 thoughts on “Monday 1 July: Voters should think hard before handing Labour an unearned majority”

    1. Morning AS.

      Great to see the French kicking their woke, Globalist Establishment, though the size of the Far Left vote is disturbing, especially as Le Pen's party is, economically, pretty far left itself.

      I'm currently writing an entirely balanced, unbiased article in Free speech backlash on how we should vote in the upcoming called Vote Reform. I would like some help in writing it, and if you have views that are printable, please pop over to freespeechbacklash.com post them on the Daily Gossip page.

      All welcome.

        1. Morning to you Elsie. Hope you are sharpening your axe to use against the Establishment on Thursday.

          2. But I’ll bet you are formidable with it, a bit like Flo Capp and her rolling pin (minus the hair curlers of course).

  3. Good morrow, Gentlefolk, today’s (recycled) story

    The Penis has requested a rise.

    Request by the penis:
    The Penis requests a promotion and a rise for the following reasons:
     has to work hard;
     has to work at great depths;
     has to work upside down;
     has no ventilation or air-conditioned environment at work;
     has to work in a high humidity environment;
     has to work at high temperatures;
     does not get weekends and holidays off;
     does not get time off after extra hours of work;
     has a hazardous work environment that often causes professional sickness.

    Request denied——– for the following reasons:
     does not work 8 hours in a row;
     does not answer immediately to all requests;
     after a short activity period, falls asleep at work;
     shows no fidelity to the workplace;
     retires too early;
     does not work at all unless pushed from behind;
     does not leave the workplace clean after finishing work;
     sometimes finishes work too early.

    1. And even when it does work properly, it always leaves a sticky mess behind for someone else to clean up.

  4. morning all. Still on offa’s dyke, but have had to modify plans, which is a shame. Still, it’s beautiful countryside. We live in a wonderful country, even as it is being destroyed.

  5. Voters should think hard before handing Labour an unearned majority

    Oddest election ever for the Conservatives, not really seen any senior big beast Conservatives step up to the plate to put their case and attack Labour.
    Especially with all the silly mistakes that could only be deliberate in my opinion.
    Will this be known as the baton passing election?

    1. I've wondered if they actually want the job.

      Maybe one reason for dumping a load of key legislation for a July election is that inflation can be held at 2% for a couple of months at most. Hols over, and the credit card is maxed out again and bills go up ready for the next round of executive bonus. Pressure is on from the media to drop interest rates, and up inflation goes again, especially when there is money to be borrowed in order to deliver tax cuts for the protected groups and pay the social justice quangos.

      I wouldn't want to be PM in October, and neither does Rishi Sunak maybe. Starmer doesn't know what's coming, because he is stuffed.

  6. Good Moaning.
    Especially Maggie Belle.
    Looks as if the rain has mucked up the Poole Harbour osprey cameras.
    MB is deprived of his morning peep.

    1. I think they’re ringing them today, so the cameras are off. ‘Morning Anne!

      1. Thank you. MB and I were only discussing that yesterday.
        As the chicks are literally stretching their wings there is only a short window of time to get the job done.
        Maybe Grizz could tell us how it's done.

        1. Using big gauntlets for protection. Them buzzards can't half claw & bite.

    2. Morning Anne,

      Yes , I started to fret when the screen stayed blank earlier, I hope Sue is correct about ringing .

      In fact , I am still anxious about them .

  7. Good morning, chums. A pinch and a punch, white rabbits and welcome to another month. Thank you, Geoff for another day and another month of the NoTTLE site page. I hope you all slept well and have awoken refreshed. And a belated thank you to Sir Jasper for his comments last night on my sentence construction as well as my use of "awaken". I'm sorry but I didn't fully understand the sentence construction remark even though I did follow the remark about "awaken". Regardless, thank you for what you wrote.

    Wordle 1,108 4/6

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    1. By 'sentence construction', I appreciate the use of punctuation, correct spelling and the way my beautiful English language is used.

      1. Sometimes, it's the way things are not said that gives the meaning… Morning, Tom!

    2. By 'sentence construction', I appreciate the use of punctuation, correct spelling and the way my beautiful English language is used.

    3. Four here too

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      1. A lucky three ,here
        Wordle 1,108 3/6

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  8. The sham trial of Evan Gershkovich. 1 July 2024.

    Of course, ferreting out sensitive information – information that the authorities of whatever country or enterprise would prefer not to see the light of day – is as much a spy’s job as it is the job of a journalist. And one person’s journalistic reporting can easily be nefariously presented as spying. It is also well known that intelligence organisations are not above using reporters to pursue their activities. The fact that this happens – yes, in the West, as in the Soviet Union and in Russia today – can give false allegations a plausibility that makes them all the more damaging.

    I always assume these people are guilty because they probably are. It doesn’t have to be formal. What journalist would not pass on any secret information that he came across? I doubt that Gershkovich has been to CIA Spy School but this does not make him harmless. I also doubt that he discovered anything of significance at the tank factory but one has only to imagine the furore if a Russian journalist turned up at Rheinmetall BAE Systems. I think that the kindest thing we can say about Gershkovitch is that he is dumb. The Russians have picked him up as part of the Game. They are going to swap him for one of their guys that we have framed.

    https://www.spiked-online.com/2024/06/29/the-sham-trial-of-evan-gershkovich/

  9. Shops board up, businesses protect themselves as Lefties lose it after losing election in France..
    Expect a hissy fit on July 5th.

    1. There will be a hissy fit in Blighty if the Left don't get their way.
      It will be the Poll Tax riots on steroids.

    2. Good morning, kowloonbhoy. The election in France has neither been won nor lost until the second round of voting takes place next Sunday on July the 7th.

  10. having a quick catch-up at the Speccy (I know, I know).

    This btl on the Gavin Mortimer piece on the French election:

    “How I wish PetaJ still posted here, we'd get the unvarnished French truth from her. One of the people who left during the Nelson Disqus fiasco, wish they'd all return actually.”

    I look forward to coming back from my shortened walk later to hear our French residents’ views on France today…

  11. Putin wants Labour election victory, claims Sunak. 1 July 2024.

    Rishi Sunak has told voters that Vladimir Putin is hoping for a Labour victory as the general election campaign enters its final week.

    Speaking to The Telegraph, the Prime Minister said the UK’s staunch support for Ukraine meant that “Russia does not want us to be re-elected”.

    In a final appeal to stave off a Labour super-majority, he also accused Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, of “appeasing” Moscow, and claimed that Sir Keir Starmer would cut defence spending “on day one”.

    Vlad probably spends two minutes every morning over his boiled egg worrying about the outcome of the UK General Election.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/06/30/putin-wants-labour-election-victory-claims-sunak/

    1. Rishi Sunak has told voters that Vladimir Putin is hoping for a Labour victory
      HA! HA! HA!
      Only idiots would believe that statement… Oh!

  12. 389048+ up ticks,

    Morning Each,

    Monday 1 July: Voters should think hard before handing Labour an unearned majority

    This is asking a great deal of the majority voter who has spent the last four decades in getting us where we are today.

    They have now forced ALL the electorate that is decent peoples inclusive into becoming political shite graders,
    as for "think hard" that comes in forty years too late.

    We are ALL now activist, in the WEF / NWO mans game.

    1. The BBC asked a RN speaker what they would do with an illegal alien camped in Calais waiting for a boat to go to the UK.

      "Send him to a country with a French embassy, and then they can apply through the proper channels for a visa."

      London has a French embassy. Problem solved.

    2. For those feeling like a Kipple this morning, Yer'tis:

      It was not part of their blood,
      It came to them very late
      With long arrears to make good,
      When the English began to hate.

      They were not easily moved,
      They were icy-willing to wait
      Till every count should be proved,
      Ere the English began to hate.

      Their voices were even and low,
      Their eyes were level and straight.
      There was neither sign nor show,
      When the English began to hate.

      It was not preached to the crowd,
      It was not taught by the State.
      No man spoke it aloud,
      When the English began to hate.

      It was not suddenly bred,
      It will not swiftly abate,
      Through the chill years ahead,
      When Time shall count from the date
      That the English began to hate.

    1. Looks like the US politic needs a complete transfusion of new blood. The old buggers are all ga-ga, and there's a lot of them. Is there nobody called Kennedy who can step in and rejuvenate the place?

      1. Sorry to disagree with you but the Kennedys were in it for themselves and no friends of Britain. Joseph Senior was US ambassador to the United Kingdom and was anti British. He advocated America's neutrality and tried to arrange a separate agreement with Hitler to keep the US out of the war. Being an ardent Roman Catholic, he didn't like Jews and habitually referred to them as "kikes or sheenies". In 1945 his son JFK, then 28 said in a diary "Hitler will emerge from the hatred that surrounds him now as one of the most significant figures who ever lived". "He had in him the stuff of which legends are made,". This was after Hitler was dead. JFK also shared a bed with a close friend of Adolf H. He and his brother, Robert FK, were screwing Marilyn Monroe and probably had her murdered. Another brother, Ted, was a brothel creep and, after crashing his car whilst drunk, left Mary Jo Kopechne to drown at Chappaquiddick Creek. Not a family to emulate.

        1. I intended the comment to be a bit light-hearted, and used Kennedy since they have been all over US politics like a dirty shirt since the dawn of time.
          I'm aware of what a thorough bunch of nasty shites they all are, were, and likely will be.

        2. The Kennedy fortune was built on bootlegging.
          Kennedy senior merely got luckier than Al Capone.

  15. ‘The populist movement is irrepressible’ 1 July 2024.

    There is a big debate in France, Britain and the US about why the West is collapsing. Is it because of China, because of India or because of Islam? No, the real reason we’re living in such difficult times is because we have such terrible, idiotic elites. Ordinary working people are the lifeblood of society, but they have been completely excluded from politics, culture and the economy. There is a culture war to be waged, to bring the elites back into the service of the people. I’m confident we will win it.

    Let us hope that M. Guilluy is correct. The struggle for Freedom is eternal. The reason it so important at the moment is that it is now possible for those who would deny it to place the entire world under a perpetual tyranny. This is the aim of the Globalist Cabal. A boot stamping on the face of humanity forever.

    https://www.spiked-online.com/2024/06/30/the-populist-movement-is-irrepressible/

  16. Morning, all Y'all.
    Brilliant sun, cloudless sky, wonderful.
    Hope all Y'all have a grand day.

  17. Bonjour everyone.
    Les elections francaises; please could someone explain the difference between 'hard-Right' and 'far right' with regard to the mainstream media? The BBC uses the latter expression, anon Telegraph article the former. Are the terms interchangeable, like muslim, 1slamist and radical Islamist (etc)?

      1. Ah, but there are Conservatives and conservatives. Russian politicians who resisted Gorbachev's 'modernising' were conservatives.

    3. If you are not Leninist, Marxist or Maoist you are 'Far right'. If you are not socialist, communist, Trotskyite or Bolshevik you are 'Hard right'. If you are not in agreement with the ideology and aims of the BBC you are 'Extreme, hard, furthest possible right'.

  18. Good morning, all. Blue sky and some sunshine. Won't last, of course. Happy month, by the way.

    The MR reminded me that we are going out this morning – so I'll write more later (when it is raining!)

  19. 'Morning All
    Funny Old World when the leftards are winning elections democracy is the best thing since sliced bread when they lose however………..
    https://x.com/BGatesIsaPyscho/status/1807528527895355546
    It's Monday morning and all too too depressing so a few to lighten the mood
    https://x.com/ReturnofColin2/status/1807461671914402205
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9df45290884b9bb4ab8a2484f92265dbdcb5ce157bd9decd5af0014a84b1bf72.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d22210b08637e94373a214d55b8db074229a01b0bf8e5eafcafbf015a5e02073.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ca7a6e9ba6997ee3f3f68e94a5a2160aca6223bc391eb88f3ba4a40f68bcc790.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c5961553b1ee8e8b230adcafcf559de54618e05dbe2e2d725a8f5ec38c578c26.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cd812d6b2c12229bab53194214a1b9dcd5cafb46843086b57ad0932248800f07.gif

    4. Oscar would have pounced on the mouse, 2 crunches of tiny bones and swallowed, then looked at me for a treat. At least that is what he does with voles.

      1. At the weekend, Firstborn's tiny cat was decimating the local vole population. Ended up with about 12 strewn around his truck yesterday! Poor little furry buggers.

    1. Clearly Health and Safety rules have been breached. The option is to shut the whole thing down. What a shame.

    2. I am laughing .

      Here's hoping the Woke flag bearing pro Palestine / migrant loving / diversity / anti oil spoilt twerps appreciate the unwelcome incomers who don't have a ticket ..

  21. Good morning from Audrey and Me .
    I don't post at the Speccie anymore but still read it " The Selfish Case for Immigration " a smug misinformed article from the Spectator this morning to wind up the readership and abuse Reform's patriotic values as they did with another article yesterday. The posters have had enough, I expect more Spexciles by the end of the week .

    5. Thank you, my love.

      The old gramophone records before 45 rpm and 33 rpm came out were made of shellac.

      Like these records I have now turned 78 times – but once per year per year rather than per minute!

      I shall enjoy my Shellac Birthday with a splendid dinner my lovely wife has planned for me and start to celebrate our harmonious marriage by learning how to play the lovely chromatic harmonica she has given me so, at my advanced age, I shall be able to deal with accidentals!

      1. Have a thoroughly splendid birthday yourself after posting so many birthday wishes for others.

          1. Brilliant , wow what a huge collection . Moh has 3 diatonics , and when he practises , the spaniel howls .. wooo wooooooh wow.

            Yes Larry Adler and Bob Dylan , and even Mick Jagger , brilliant.

      8. Happy Birthday, Rastus! Have a brill day! And may you have many happy returns of this day! 🎉🥂🍾🧁🍧🍷🎊😘

    6. Thank you, my love.

      The old gramophone records before 45 rpm and 33 rpm came out were made of shellac.

      Like these records I have now turned 78 times – but per year rather than per minute!

      I shall enjoy my Shellac Birthday with a splendid dinner my lovely wife has planned for me and start to celebrate our harmonious marriage by learning how to play the lovely chromatic harmonica she has given me so, at my advanced age, I shall be able to deal with accidentals!

  23. Good morning everyone, 1st time on here after being a Spectator reader for many years, getting really peed off with their articles recently.

    6. Hello! and welcome! You are in good company. We promise not to lead you astray although the primrose paths be many…🤣

  26. Interesting stat from ESPN..
    (i nose stats are lidderally gennycider, Harry told us, but..)

    Phil Foden, "the world's most gifted player".. didn’t once try to dribble past a Slovakian 37-year-old right-back.

    1. Perhaps he was embarrassed by his dribbling. And had forgotten his hanky.

    2. I sometimes get the impression that the England coaching set up tries to stifle any flair.

    3. Stanley Mathews was a man no girl should have married – he dribbled before he shot! And as for Geoffrey Boycott – once you get him in you'll never get him out!

  27. Good start:
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    1. Hi there Reggie! Are you besties with Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon?

  31. Good morning all (77th too),

    Partly cloudy at Castle McPhee this July 1st, wind just North of West, 13℃ with a cool 18℃ forecast. Chem-trails aloft.

    We had our own low-level chem-trails at the Harrier reunion on Saturday evening when the the assembled gathering on the hotel patio were treated to a Red Arrows flypast before going into dinner. It was a great night. Old mates and their wives greeted, old stories re-told and a general catch up. My only beef is we should do it annually and not bi-annually. The 21st century Harrier pilots and engineers may have years ahead of them but those of us who flew and maintained the 'Bona-Jet' in the 1970s, 80s and early 90s don't.

    There is a special spirit among Harrier people. The Harrier force was a sort of air force within the air force (that includes the RN bunch for there was cross-posting and a joint force in the last years). We were known to outsiders as 'the mafia'. There were only ever 4 RAF squadrons of them plus the training unit and two or three RN squadrons so it was a small world in which everyone knew everyone else, if not peronally then by reputation. Two Harrier pilots became Chief of the Air Staff and we had three retired Air Marshals amongst us on Saturday . It didn't matter how long one was associated with the Harrier, whether it be for just a few short years or for a whole career. Once in, you are in a special club for life.

    Me in my jet in 1977.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9179a67ed96be2e9764c3ac3c273b2f74d31b0cd5c2d097316898141feefddc9.jpg

    1. A remarkable aeroplane. As the late, great Tom Sopwith said – shortly before he died:

      "I still don't believe the Harrier. Think of the millions that have been spent on VTO in America and Russia, and quite a bit in Europe, and yet the only vertical take-off aircraft which you can call a success is the Harrier. When I saw the Harrier hovering and flying backwards under control, I reckoned I'd seen everything. And it's not difficult to fly."

      1. "And it's not difficult to fly."

        Provided you stuck within the basic rules worked out by the test pilots and those who learned the hard way in the early years without a two-seat trainer. The tricky bit was the transition from jet-borne to wing-borne flight or back the other way. Between 30 knots and 120 knots airspeed either angle of attack or yaw had to be minimised to prevent an uncontrollable rolling moment occuring leading to 'dead ants in the cabbage patch'.

        1. 'dead ants in the cabbage patch'.

          Not heard that expression before and google is no help. Give us a clue?

    2. I remember a report from 1982 which reported the Harrier's capacity not doing a flypast. When pursued by a Mirage fighter, the Harrier would stop dead and hover, whilst the Argie on the tail was forced into a flypast, only then to be shot down from behind.

      I know you've probably signed the Official Secrets Act, but was this actually true?

      1. Since it's 35 years ago now it hardly matters. As with all these things, the reporting is simplistic. It was called 'Vectoring in Forward Flight or VIFF. We didn't hover. It was essentially a defensive manouvre in which a hard turn towards a threat to meet it could be hugely enhanced by running the nozzles forward to the Braking Stop which meant a very rapid reduction in speed from 400-500 knots to about 150 could be effected. This combined with a barrell roll would force an attacker to fly through without the achievement of a missile shot (too close) or a guns tracking solution. No conventional fighter could live with it. Once that had been achieved, we'd run the jet nozzles fully aft and accelerate just as rapidly back to 400-500 knots and – BANG. It's why many of the current fifth-generation fighters ( Russian as well as Western) have vectorable jet nozzles and can perform the extreme manouevres they do.

        Here's me 'shooting down' a USAF F-15 Eagle during a NATO exercise on the North German plain ( RAF, Dutch, Belgians, some Luftwaffe were 'Blue Air', while the USAF and other Luftwaffe were 'Red Air'). He and his wingman were looking the wrong way and hadn't spotted me pop up from the tree tops behind and beneath them. Not so much 'the Hun in the Sun', more 'the Harrier mate in the weeds'. Moral: Always check your six o'clock low.

        https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0fcaff649546ece86336924c695679a363a34f2018323d89300a09074777fb31.jpg

    3. Your point about annual reunions is well made. I joined my first squadron in 1955. Most aircrew were on 8 or 12 year engagements. On completion we held bi-annual reunions until the numbers thinned out and we held them annually.
      When we became fewer than 10 the reunions ceased. There are now 3 of us left. I have many fond memories of a bunch of great chaps.

    5. We may have (nearly) met. I once guided a Harrier into a woodland clearing in North Germany – but I didn't get to speak to the 'driver'. I also lived in North Camp and often had many strange aircraft flying over the house, especially during the Farnborough Air Show time.

  36. Has Macron done a Cameron?
    https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/has-macron-done-a-cameron/

    BTL

    Anyone who still maintains that Sunak is a stabilising force with good judgement only has to look at the fact that he brought back Cameron, universally loathed, into government. Appallingly bad poliitical judgement!

    And anyone who thinks he is a decent man should look at his ad hominem attacks on Farage. He lied about what Farage said about Ukraine without checking the facts and then he attacked him for what an actor in the pay of Channel 4 said while pretending to be a Reform Party canvasser. Sunak is NOT a decent man.

    1. Who is he, where did he come from. Should never have been PM as he was not elected by his MPs. He was apointed.

    1. "Nigel Farage, you have some very serious allegations made about you by the press.. that you are a racist, a bigot, clearly accepted cash from Russia, a Putin appeaser, pro-Kremlin .. many many people say you are a bad influence on children. The police have mentioned you several times in reports. How do answer these allegations?"

      I will tilt my head, interrupt, and put on a concerned face then repeat this question several times.. until you apologise to Sky News.

    2. "Nigel Farage, you have some very serious allegations made about you by the press.. that you are a racist, a bigot, clearly accepted cash from Russia, a Putin appeaser, pro-Kremlin .. many many people say you are a bad influence on children. The police have mentioned you several times in reports. How do answer these allegations?"

      I will tilt my head, interrupt, and put on a concerned face then repeat this question several times.. until you apologise to Sky News.

    3. "Nigel Farage, you have some very serious allegations made about you by the press.. that you are a racist, a bigot, clearly accepted cash from Russia, a Putin appeaser, pro-Kremlin .. many many people say you are a bad influence on children. The police have mentioned you several times in reports. How do answer these allegations?"

      I will tilt my head, interrupt, and put on a concerned face then repeat this question several times.. until you apologise to Sky News.

    4. If other party leaders, amongst all the other talking heads, are condemning Farage, then he has them seriously rattled. Good.

      1. As Richard Tice said by getting a lot of flak they are clearly over the target.

  39. https://disqus.com/by/spectator-1e625f41f8d636dc4bf8a4d48c1c07bc/ Geoff will be interested in this.
    It's the quite sinister and secret way the Spectator keeps track of all the movements of those who post at the new Spectator comments system . He and other Spexciles will know this looks like a disqus account but it isnt.
    Spectator users only see a plain reply box with no functions . This is what the Spectator have on everyone- they know what articles the posters post and can keep an eye on everyone whereas the posters have no control on anything .

      1. Geoff won't be aware this even exists. it's kept secret from the posters who cannot see this information, it's for the Spectator only when they started their new system . Very far left and sinister

        1. Yes, started around the time of the possible Redbird bid for Telegraph/Spectator grouping (the one Jenrick scuppered, in the House). I think a number of 'graph subscribers found they could also use their Disqus to make comments on the Speccie on (even though I don't know that, I'm no techie), which in turn could have made it seem the subscriber numbers were doubled in some instances (hope this make some sort of sense). Alternatively, another subscriber mentioned it was something related to the new Spectator App (never used it personally). New Editor required. Bring Back Boris (never thought I'd say that in any respect).

    2. Yes…a number of my posts have been 'monitored' (i.e. deleted)…can't for the life of me think why…

    3. I pointed out the @spectator scam the day they changed it and then spent a pleasant half hour trying to bypass the account rules to see if I could get the usual Disqus comment view. In the end it became obvious that despite appearances it wasn't actually a Disqus account at all.

      It's custom built and I suspect because the account has an "@spectator" address it's possibly outsourced on a server that handles several customers having different "@"accounts. @spectator is of course the Spectator's email identifier too. Just speculation over who hosts it, but it ain't Disqus whatever it is.

      1. Because I was twining about it, James (good morning btw), better half took half a glance and declared 'that's just off the shelf **** buyer can change at will'. A man of few words 😀

        1. Hello KJ. Yes, he's correct. Not many words actually required over this.

          1. Agree, James. Moira Girvan wrote a stinging message in the comments section directed at Fraser Nelson, once Disqus restored. He didn’t respond and he’s never explained or apologised in any way shape or form.

      2. So the Spectator has accounts of posters for marketing purposes but they can also have them for nefarious reasons, which is why they’re not widely known about. The Spectator has info on us, can keep an eye on Spectator posters and show ‘ customers ” but the posters / owners of whatever posts cannot see them or be aware of their existence. It’s highly sinister and very far left .

        1. Interestingly, although posters cannot even see their own comment history I’m told on the Spectator site, if I follow your link in my Brave browser I’m held in limbo as the page takes forever to load content. The login button gets loaded first though, so if I use that login button, hey presto I jump into Geoff’s posts. If I then click anyone he’s replied to I jump straight away into their posts.

          All very normal you’d think if it were real Disqus, except I shouldn’t be able to press a login button and just jump into anything without a password. I’m already logged into Disqus itself though, so doubly puzzling. You’d think my Disqus login would load comments without any login button being required at all. I can only conclude that the Spectator comments automatically recognises me from those couple of early days before I closed my account and ceased all involvement in their comments section, so that when I press login I’m taken to the Spectator account comments.

          Another odd thing happens too. If I’m at home and I get problems connecting to Disqus, after resolving itself I’ll get dumped into comments I made about two years ago and not my up to date account. It’s usually the same place that I’m dumped involving an upvote from Anglomicronesian and a familiar comment.

          Something definitely not right. It speaks to me of IP address spoofing going on, maybe.

          1. No the Spectator doesn’t allow posters to access or see the comment history of their own posts. These ‘ accounts ‘ are without any function or features, they are for the Spectator use and eyes only so they can have easy access ( with the disqus abilities ) to access people’s comments for whatever purpose, as you say they are not disqus and not created for or by posters – most of all don’t know they even exist – they only get the reply boxes- no account .
            The Spectator totally washed its hands of disqus.com in March – they decided there site started from the very beginning from then but you can still access your posts and all your posting history etc via the disqus account that belongs to you ( not the Spectator ) but you can’t respond to old articles ( before March with your disqus account) but you can access old Spectator articles but they’ll have the format they have now with the reply boxes ( not disqus ). I can remain logged on with this account and read things at the Spectator ( no need to log off ) I can just touch my avatar picture and it’ll automatically come back to my account.
            Its all very whiffy with the Spectator .

    4. I pointed out the @spectator scam the day they changed it and then spent a pleasant half hour trying to bypass the account rules to see if I could get the usual Disqus comment view. In the end it became obvious that despite appearances it wasn't actually a Disqus account at all.

      It's custom built and I suspect because the account has an "@spectator" address it's possibly outsourced on a server that handles several customers having different "@"accounts. @spectator is of course the Spectator's email identifier too. Just speculation over who hosts it, but it ain't Disqus whatever it is.

    1. Morning Phizzee

      I forgot about a tub of English strawberries , left in the depths of my fridge for a week .

      Not a bit of fluff or rottenness on them , that worried me , so I flung them on the front lawn for the blackbirds to devour .. they remained untouched for over 24 hours .. so I swept them up and binned them .

      Do you think soft fruits are GM modified these days ?

      1. Good morning. Yes i do.
        Always wash your strawberries. Allow to drain thoroughly and then refrigerate. If mine are going over i turn them into a coulis with a little icing sugar which then gets poured over ice cream.

          1. When there is a glut of them i make coulis and freeze it. Goes nice with a Pavlova too.
            I also pass it through a fine sieve to ensure it is completely smooth.

      2. Good observation. Yes, because otherwise it means the use of pesticides. Grow your own? Strawbs bit of a 'mare, but raspberries relatively easy – just need a net to keep birds off 🙂

        1. Spent Sunday hauling raspberry canes out of our blackberry lines. Rasps grow all over the place in Norway, but blackberries are very rate (Bedford Giants – great flavour and sabre-toothed spines…)

        2. We used an allotment years ago , hard work , and heart breaking .

          Mice ate the peas , pheasants ate the rest , deer ate the cabbages , carrot root fly , strawberries and raspberries were knobbled , the netting we used on other things , a grass snake became entangled in it ..

          One rainy year , the vegetable beds were flooded , we grew some lovely runner beans , sweet peas etc

          We had it for six years , then gave it up .

          1. Been there, done that, Belle. Have a polytunnel now, an improvement, but the mice still get in although deer can't and not as many other insects.

          2. MB and I are full of admiration for allotment holders.
            Despite his love of gardening, neither of us have that sort of self-discipline.
            There are two allotments near us; they are lovely and make me feel thoroughly inadequate.

          3. Grow your carrots in a long tom pot or a raised bed; carrot fly can't manage an altitude higher than about 18". Also plant marigolds around them.

        3. If you grow Autumn fruiting, primocane raspberries, you won't need nets. I have grown them for many years, and have never had a problem with birds eating them, and they aren't full of maggots because they flower too late in the maggot season. I put up a fruit cage all those years ago as I didn't realise birds would not be an issue …… other than the big fat wood pigeons that sit on the frame and 'decorate' the canes and fruit below.

          1. Thanks for interesting reply. Canes are over a decade old, still get a good crop, husband is crazy gardener, cuts the whole thing down end of the year. Yes, recognise those decorators, they like to do the windows too. Sparrowhawk sorted a few out recently.

          2. Autumn fruiting primocane rasps just get cut down in late Winter/early Spring. Easy. We then spread a thick layer of home-made compost and pelleted chicken manure over the area.

          4. I rely on MH to ‘turn’ the compost, but he hasn’t done so for the last two Spring time seasons. I had to scrape the dregs from the base of the ‘ready’ bin this year.

          5. You’re not alone, MiB…one year, thousands of fruit flies in house, couldn’t figure it out until I found his ‘secret compost stash’. Fortunately for him, no rats involved (apart from him)….speaking of rats, I kept hens for quite a while until they gradually died (old age). He got some more, put food out all the time…result four-legged, long tailed furry ‘friends’…we’re none of us more than a few feet from a rat..hmm…

          6. I have very occasionally seen a mouse in the garden, though not for many years. Touch wood, our compost bins, so far & fingers crossed, haven’t been infested by anything worse than thousands and thousands of ants.

          7. Field mice are very beautiful, brown rather than grey as house mice, and very clean. Resident owl catches a number of them. Ants usually lay hundreds and more eggs, you may see them as small white pellet shapes…if you have veg planted, they’ll help you ‘harvest’ them…:-) If they should eat you out of house and home, you may see them leaving in a long column.

          8. I had rats when I started feeding the birds (who were such messy eaters they dropped most of it on the ground). I trapped and drowned a few and stopped feeding the birds (I do have lots of berriferous plants so they'll have to make do with those). Result; I haven't seen rattus rattus since.

          9. Feeding is the key. He bought a fancy feeding box, filled it to the gunnels..needed to step on the front flap to release feed ([pellets, no good for egg yolk). Hens cracked it straightaway, but so did… you can guess….when I had fed them, not to be too smug ahem…I used to throw mixed corn or sunflower seed hearts down a couple of times daily, watched who was feeding/not, any injuries etc, whilst they ate. Apparently we’re all no more than a few feet away from a rat 😀

          10. That's interesting.
            I've thought about autumn fruiting raspberries.
            Would they grow in pots?

          11. I have no idea, but I don’t see any reason why not, though you’d need to feed and water regularly. Could the pots be placed on your soil to allow the roots to go deeper for water? Either way, nothing to lose by trying. If I lived nearer, I’d gladly give you some plants, then it wouldn’t cost you anything.
            A few years ago, I grew blueberry plants in big pots, as our soil is too alkaline. Unfortunately, after a couple of years, the roots were munched on by the dreaded vine weevil grubs. I tried removing as much compost as possible, squashing as many grubs as I could spot, then soaked the root ball in a bucket of water to wash off any remaining grubs/eggs. The plants are no longer alive, maybe too many roots had been eaten.

          12. Yes. I gave some to a friend and warned that it might be wise to keep them in a pot or they'd take over. They seem to have flourished.

        4. I have so many raspberries I can afford to let the birds have some. Mine are the autumn fruiting variety as well.

          1. I thought ours were, but they’re fruiting already – possibly because in polytunnel? Dunno. Grey squirrels found a way in……doh…:-D

          2. My raspberries (did I mention they spread?) found their way into the greenhouse, which is across the path from the soft fruit patch. They flowered and fruited months earlier than the main crop.

  43. Morning all 🙂😊
    Pinch and a punch, lovely day a bit cloudy, typical of a UK summer.
    I don't think voting against the useless and deliberate wreckers in the Conservative Party will mean Labour get in. Postal votes will be one of the most predominant factors. It should not be allowed to happen.

  45. Is this to be a momentous week?

    Please, God, find a way, by Friday 5 July, to make Keir Starmer a disappointed, unhappy, and frustrated man.

    1. I am reminded of 1980 and the GLC. The "moderate" Andrew McIntosh was leader of the Labour group. Labour won the election. Immediately Ken Livingstone and henchmen knifed McIntosh in the back and removed him – and in a lightning coup Livingstone became leader. Were I Cur Ikea Slammer – I'd be worried…

      1. Exactly.
        I think to appear sooo caring, they will forego the knifing over the weekend and let him limp along until the New Year.

  46. Is this to be a momentous week?

    Please, God, find a way, by Friday 5 July, to make Keir Starmer a disappointed, unhappy, and frustrated man.

          1. She said the boat people would be put in secure camps to stop them disappearing into the community when they thought their application might be denied.
            The Left/Woke would consider that a hate speech.

          2. It made the Establishment and bog-standsrdized, brainwashed, woke lefties even more full of hate thoughts than usual.

      2. Chinese company fronted in the Cayman Islands blocks British democratic speech. Well, who knew?

        I'm listening out for Oliver Dowding indignantly crying foul!

        Nope… Nope, still nothing….

        Just tumbleweed and wind.

    4. She is a star.
      No wonder she's not been seen on Vine recently she'd leave him and most, if not all, of his far left guests for dead.

      1. Years and years ago (30?), Annie was the guest speaker at a Colchester Conservative fundraiser.
        She looked like a LibDem (at that stage she had a severe black pudding bowl hair style). Then she spoke.
        Yup. She ain't no LibDem. She blew away her audience.

    5. There is no sense —- that is the point. The aim is to create chaos.

  48. very professional.. the Reform gigs are almost presidential in appearance.

    1. She certainly gave William Hague a good dose of it, I think when he suggested touring the country on the back of a flat-back truck:-D Definitely a battler.

      1. Something of the night about Michael Howard.

        (But, I cannot recall her ever saying anything much about Frankie Howerd!)

        1. Yes, another good one Mr T. Frankie was a comedian, a different sort of comedian to some of our politicians 🙂

  51. Morning Bill, only a matter of time before one faction or another gets him, isn't it. In the absence of being able to do much about it I've decided to become a popcorn connoisseur for the near future.

  52. "typical of a UK summer"

    Never a truer word. Some of these catastrophists need to pay attention the next time they start with the 'extreme weather' nonsense.

      1. I quite enjoyed the Top Gun films but it's nice to know your lot were better. ;@)

  55. In that case Lammy could end up as pm.
    All the more reason to vote Reform.

    1. PM Lammy flies to Washington for "high-level talks" with President Ksmala Harris" @!@????

  56. I've always liked Ann Widdecombe, even when I was actively campaigning against her party, and when she was regarded by the liberal-minded as something of the night – Dracula's moll.

    It won't happen in West Worcestershire, which will remain a backwater, nor probably in the West Country or the Home Counties. They like a clown down a water chute, who is hardly a threat, and with Boris gone, someone's got to bring a bit of Butlins spirit to politics.

    What does that leave? The Estuary counties and the Red Wall. Starmer is banking on these reverting to the Labour after lending their vote to Boris.

    What if Reform takes more votes off Labour, from the patriotic commonsense workers, as opposed to the celeb champagne socialists of Davos Inc. and their lawyers?

    1. It chucked it down in Germany again during the football.
      Nothing in mid Herts.

    2. Hello, I mentioned you earlier in relation to the odd Spectator accounts on their readers, I hope that was okay, sorry if its not, I can edit your name out if you tell me to .

        1. Thank you, I’ve mentioned these ‘ accounts ‘ to Opopanax, who you’ll know from here . It’s all very underhanded of the Spectator .

  60. Please, God, make this the week when the opinion pollsters and the sainted Exit Poll all have their pants taken down and are shamed so much that they …. (sorry, ran into a Joe Biden moment)

    1. I place little faith in polls. We'll only know the outcome once the votes are counted. I do, however predict:

      Turnout will be lower than ever
      The Tories will get a drubbing but not the extent the press are suggesting.
      Labour will get a majority, but not as much they think
      Farage will get elected
      Few other Reform candidates will.
      The Lib dems will win more seats (as the two main parties will lose votes to them).

      Economically taxes will go up, wealth will move away, the poorest will suffer most, money will buy less than ever, energy, fuel and food debt and waste will sky rocket, crime will increase dramatically. Services will decline. It'll either be the IMF by 2028 or a genuine Right wing majority either Tory or Reform.

      1. "Turnout will be lower than ever"

        NOTA the winner, undoubtedly. They still won't get any seats, though.

  61. Please, God, make this the week when the opinion pollsters and the sainted Exit Poll all have their pants taken down and are shamed so much that they …. (sorry, ran into a Joe Biden moment)

  62. Once went to hear her do a question and answer session at the British Library conference centre. She took questions from the audience without preparation and gave very satisfactory unscripted answers. Went with an old friend from church and OK, we liked her anyway but even so, we were impressed.

    1. From Coffee House, the Spectator

      The (selfish) case for immigration
      Comments Share 1 July 2024, 6:45am
      The 2024 general election ‘should be the immigration election’, Nigel Farage has said. The Reform leader’s wish has been granted: the topic of immigration is a major focus of debate. It’s also a big issue in the United States’ presidential election. Much of the debate in both countries depicts immigrants as a burden that receiving countries should accept (if at all) only out of altruism or a sense of obligation. But this is misleading, and ignores the many benefits of migration to Britain and other receiving countries.

      Open migration is not just charity for migrants
      Accepting migrants is the right thing to do, in part because it saves many thousands of people from what would otherwise likely be a lifetime of poverty and oppression. Consider such cases as Hong Kongers and Uighurs fleeing Chinese repression, or Russian dissenters and Ukrainians fleeing the brutality of Vladimir Putin. But opening doors to such people also benefits Britain. Immigrants work, start businesses, and contribute to scientific innovation, often at higher rates than native-born citizens. That greatly benefits current UK citizens, as well as migrants themselves.

      The United States is often considered the ‘nation of immigrants’. But Britain also has a long history of welcoming immigrants and benefiting from their contributions. Huguenot Protestant refugees fleeing repression in 17th and 18th century France played an important role in the early development of Britain’s economy, and the beginnings of the industrial revolution. More recently, Jewish and other refugees fleeing Nazi Germany contributed to scientific development, including weapons systems crucial to winning World War II. In the post-war era, British economic growth and scientific research was significantly bolstered by migrants from South Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and elsewhere.

      Today, in Britain, as in the US, immigrants play a disproportionate role starting new businesses. A 2023 study found that 39 per cent of the 100 fastest-growing UK companies have an immigrant founder or co-founder, even though immigrants are only 14.5 per cent of the UK population. UK immigrants are also substantially more likely to start businesses than natives, and engage in other types of entrepreneurship. Such businesses contribute to growth and innovation, and provide valuable job opportunities for both immigrants and natives. Both history and economic theory show that there is no fixed number of jobs, such that more opportunity for migrants diminishes that for natives. Rather, natives and immigrants can help each other prosper in a growing economy with greater innovation.

      Most popular
      John Keiger
      National Rally brings a political earthquake to France

      The benefits of immigration can be literally life-saving. The first two successful Covid-19 vaccines were developed in large part thanks to immigrants or the children thereof.

      Some fear that immigration will overburden the government budget. But most immigrants actually contribute more to the public purse than they take out. The economist Jonathan Portes finds that government data showed that recent increases in migration (which allowed in about 350,000 more migrants than previously expected) could, on net, increase government revenue by about £5 billion per year. The long-term fiscal benefits of higher immigration are likely to be much greater.

      In recent years, some argue that immigration exacerbates housing shortages in the UK. But, in Britain – as in the US – immigrant workers are actually important contributors to housing construction, though that contribution fell since Brexit, which made it more difficult for some migrant construction workers to enter. US data shows that increased deportation of undocumented immigrants reduces housing construction, and thereby might actually exacerbate shortages and increase housing prices.

      In both countries, the main causes of housing shortages are land-use restrictions that in many places make it difficult or impossible to build new housing in response to demand. They can be alleviated by repealing restrictions and letting property owners freely build new housing on their land, thereby creating affordable housing for migrants and natives alike. Immigrant workers can play a vital role in that process. Labor party leader Keir Starmer rightly proposes YIMBY (‘yes in my backyard’) reforms that would curb local governments’ power to block new construction.

      Another common fear about migrants is the apparent lawlessness and disorder arising from unauthorised migration. But some of these problems, at least, stem from the result of immigration restrictions. When migrants fleeing terrible poverty and oppression have no legal means of escape, they understandably resort to illegal ones, including seeking the aid of smugglers and criminals. Similarly, when the United States had a policy of alcohol Prohibition in the 1920s that created a vast black market for alcoholic beverages, one that created opportunities for organised crime, run by the likes of Al Capone. US data shows that increasing opportunities for legal migration reduces illegal border-crossing. Making legal migration easier can help alleviate Britain’s problems with irregular migration too.

      To the extent that migration does cause problems, they can usually be alleviated by ‘keyhole solutions’ that are less draconian than excluding migrants. If, for example, contrary to current evidence, it turns out that migration does burden the public purse, that can be addressed by further limiting migrants’ access to welfare benefits. The US has adopted this approach under its 1996 Welfare Reform Act. The UK already does this for some visa categories. Such restrictions are a better approach than wholesale crackdowns on immigration.

      After all, it’s worth remembering that, ultimately, open migration is not just charity for migrants: it can also help create a stronger and more prosperous Britain.

      Ilya Somin is a professor of law at George Mason University. This piece is based on a paper he is presenting at the Institute of Economic Affairs

      1. "The United States is often considered the ‘nation of immigrants’. But Britain also has a long history of welcoming immigrants and benefiting from their contributions". Douglas Murray tackles that oft made assertion in his book The Strange Death of Europe. It's about numbers. In the 2000 year period prior to 1997, no more than a few hundred thousand people came here. In total. The present numbers are unprecedented.

        2. From the comments thread

          Craig Miller-george
          12 minutes ago
          let’s go ask Sweden how recent high immigration has worked for them.

          This article misses the point: immigration isn’t the problem. It’s high, unrestricted immigration that’s the problem.
          −
          M
          Moira Girvan
          14 minutes ago
          Another one of Fraser’s lefty pals break through the ‘Speccie’ electric fence.

          The bits the writer leaves out are almost quite laughable.
          −
          S
          Spectator User
          21 minutes ago
          The author conveniently overlooks the inconvenient reality of radical Islamism that has increased in tandem with the influx since Merkel’s 2015 open invitation with the classic ” they’re all Drs & scientists line.”

          Seriously! You’re treating the readership with utter contempt.
          −
          S
          Spectator User
          28 minutes ago
          I can’t remember subscribing to the Guardian…
          −
          S
          Stanley
          34 minutes ago
          You should stop ranting, and listen to what Farage actually said.

          He wants NET immigration to come down to zero.

          That means if 1000 leave then 1000 can come in, and the 1000 who leave can be anyone, even UK nationals.

          Farage does not want to stop migration, please keep up, and get your facts right, Frage’s wife is an immigrant.
          −
          J
          Jack Saunders
          36 minutes ago
          It’s basic economics that when you increase the supply of something the price goes goes down if demand does not massively increase also.

          If you massively increase immigration and the number of working people then they are worth less overall, hence the lower wages since the Blair/New Labour start of mass immigration.

          You can’t got from the postwar era up to 1997 of having net immigration of less than 100,000 a year to doubling/tripling and more a year and there not be consequences in terms of housing/ public services/wages.

          The people arguing for mass immigration only see the potential positives and ignore the negatives like it’s a religious belief, and that’s why like how the NHS is perceived that things are going wrong.
          −
          D
          Dickie Hart Jack Saunders
          21 minutes ago
          The positives of immigration are always potential
          −
          N
          neptic Dickie Hart
          14 minutes ago
          And rarely realised.
          −
          J
          Jerry Owen
          38 minutes ago
          Fastest growing companies? Would these be nail bars, ‘Turkish’ barbers, hand car wash’s, chicken burger takeaway shops and taxi companies?
          None of which we need.
          −
          N
          neptic
          43 minutes ago edited
          Yes immigration to countries like Britain has so many benefits. For the immigrants. Meanwhile, I see my children, all in good jobs, struggling to afford a home. Because homes are demanded every year by hundreds of thousands of incomers. Some of my grandchildren are held up at school, because increasing numbers of foreign children with very rudimentary English and alien, hostile cultural traditions are being dumped in their classes.
          I see penniless people who claim asylum here because their home countries are unsafe, mysteriously find the means to open their own businesses after a few years here and suddenly find their home countries are quite safe to go back to for family holidays. We see our health service being transformed into a free pick and mix service for people who will never contribute a penny towards it. We see the insidious spread of the hateful ideology of islam into every institution, along with the inextricably linked and inevitable erosion of free speech and other traditional rights. We see second and third generation immigrants with not an ounce of loyalty to the country that has fed and housed them, but who still won’t speak English any more than necessary, who demand and get British taxpayer funded interpreters at the drop of a hat and whose alien, supremacist religion controls their lives. Yes, immigration has many benefits. Just not many of them are felt by those of us who actually belong here and whose families have done the hard work of creating the safe country we lived in.
          −
          P
          Peter D.
          an hour ago
          How did this utter &hackneyed tosh get by Spectator editor?

          The one question only that needs to be asked is how many is enough? especially when ‘enough’ was reached 20years ago in UK.
          −
          T
          Titus Pullo
          2 hours ago
          Whole article is complete tosh. Britain has long suffered the consequences of high immigration. I doubt Ilya or his family from US would feel the agony of cultural enrichment any time soon. Or pay the consequences for allowing it to come to our shores.
          −
          D
          Daisy Rose
          2 hours ago
          This article completely fails to mention the one issue that so many of us are upset about ie the creeping nature of Islam within our society. How can you discuss immigration without mentioning this matter? A dishonest and silly article.
          −
          V
          Veen Daisy Rose
          25 minutes ago edited
          Mr Slomin “fails to mention it” because he encourages one type of migration in particular. Namely the migration of Palestinians from Israel to Western countries.
          −
          K
          Keen Observer
          2 hours ago
          Replacement deniers will always claim that migration is a good thing.
          −
          O
          OldScrotum
          2 hours ago
          As for “lawlessness and disorder”. Well, knife crime, acid attacks and dishonour killings were pretty much unknown until we became enriched. Machetes? Used in jungles only.
          −
          M
          Mark Johnson
          2 hours ago
          No-one has a problem with immigration its the sheer scale and uncontrolled nature of it that is the problem.
          −
          O
          OldScrotum
          2 hours ago
          Last year the UK ‘welcomed’ more net immigrants than the population of Sheffield. Just think how many houses, GPs, hospitals, schools, coppers, etc., are in Sheffield. Have that many been built or found? No? Then there’s going to be longer queues for everyone for everything – can’t be anything else.
          −
          B
          Blindsideflanker OldScrotum
          2 hours ago
          And higher prices as the market balances excessive demand with a shortage of supply.
          −
          R
          Robert Lancs
          2 hours ago edited
          STC article- straight to comments.

        3. Immigrants to the US were not given any state aid and mostly became American citizens. Yes, many called themselves Italian Americans, Polish Americans etc but they became Americans.

      2. Full of lies and deceit. If immigration is economically beneficial then Britain would be thriving. Selective immigration is a different beast to mass immigration.

        Immigrant crime is a result of immigrant restrictions? A very creative theory.

        Immigrants do not contribute more than they take out as numerous studies have shown and yes, they do impact infrastructure which should be costed in and too often isn't.

        Immigrant start up businesses? Barbers and takeaways. Obesity is a huge problem so we do not need more takeaways. And startups often fail so what then? Welfare is what. I would like to see a stat to show how many immigrants are on welfare of some kind. Out of 1.4 million who arrived last year, only 15% came to work.

        Such a badly put together article. Written by a Jew I believe. Sorry, but does he advocate open borders for Israel?

      4. What a load of carp.

        I'm not for net zero immigration (including asylum seekers). I'm for zero immigration except in exceptional circumstances. What's the use of having a tax paying Brit leave to be replaced with a gimmiegrant, (who may or may not pay more tax than they gt in benefits) who will then use human rights law to potentially get in up to four wives, and then breed.

  64. What do folk think of the joilers being arrested for 'allegedly' planning to stage a protest at an airport?

    I'm in two minds.

    The first that 'thoughtcrime' is an absurd, destructive overreach of government power. Planning to, intending to is very different from doing.

    Second, if plod had enforced the law and prevented the first criminal action of the joilers and kept the roads clear as the law demands then this wouldn't be necessary. They'd either be in jail or more sensibly under house arrest.

    1. Same old story back off and away, showing a weakness and the perpetrator's will take advantage of it. Who Knew ?

    2. What became of 'loitering with intent'? The copper's remedy was to move someone on, rather than bothering with an arrest.

    3. I like the way that Paiute Tribal Rangers dealt with climiate loonies blocking a highway in Nevada. It appeared that no-one was hurt but the protesters were removed at gun point and their whimpering was ignored.

    4. They are making it illegal to think bad thoughts over here.
      There is a bill working its way through trudeaus parliament where someone can be tried for thinking hateful thoughts. If someone is upset that you might say something offensive to them, they will be able to call the police.

    5. I'm with your first thought. To the second – the police had the laws necessary to deal with the nuisance; they just chose not to enforce them. Arresting people for what someone else thinks they may do in the future is a very slippery slope. (Laws already exist to stop people who are striding around purposefully with knives, bombs etc.)

    6. I'm with your first thought. To the second – the police had the laws necessary to deal with the nuisance; they just chose not to enforce them. Arresting people for what someone else thinks they may do in the future is a very slippery slope. (Laws already exist to stop people who are striding around purposefully with knives, bombs etc.)

    7. Does Plod have evidence such as emails or WhatsApps?
      Otherwise, I am very worried about "thought crime".

  65. An idea is to annex Calais. Just declare it a UK protectorate. Then if the dinghy bunch pootle here we drag them back there.

    We're in a stupid situation.

    Massive immigration has brought many people here to work.
    However that's destroyed jobs the locals could be taking, putting them on welfare.
    High taxes on food, fuel and energy are applied for ideological reasons which hit the poorest, hardest.
    That then necessitates ever higher costs for those groups in welfare in the form of working tax credits or 'warm homes' grants – but the costs and taxes remain.
    The government tries to apply heavy taxes to landlords which put up rents and create shortages.

    The state taxes fuel, food and energy so heavily we're heading for shortages.
    It damages the economy by taking from the worker and giving to the shirker.
    It hikes taxes and overspends because it has to – it's created a spiral of dependence. It has forced socialism.

    Worse, there are thicko Lefties who demand 'da wich' pay more tax never realising that the taxes they demand are just slapped on to their bills – because government deliberately disguises the facts to keep the spending going

    Reversing the damage done by big fat state will take a very, very painful generation. It would be cruel – especially to see some of the truly staggeringly gorgeous Poles, Hungarians and Lithuanians leave but to resolve the mess big fat state has caused means turning off the taps.

      1. Until it was lost during the reign of Bloody Mary.
        She claimed that when she died "Calais" would be found engraved on her heart.

  66. Widdicombe simply expressed what a majority of ordinary people probably think. It is common sense to keep unknown aliens away from us until we/they can prove who they are, can prove they are genuine asylum seekers (which, as we all know, most are not) and that they pose no danger to the public/national security.

    1. Which, as the majority are muslims, the Christians having accidentally fallen overboard, they do (pose a threat to the public/national security).

  67. Personally any of these obviously fake claims resound in this fashion, that they are are scared stiff or other adjectives, that Nigel will bet them into the ground. And I hope he does. I believe their nasty stupid descriptive procedures are having the adverse effect.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13580081/My-daughters-hear-people-call-effing-p-makes-angry-Furious-Rishi-Sunak-says-Nigel-Farage-questions-answer-Reform-racism-row-party-leader-claims-campaigner-caught-film-actor.html#comments

    1. Because of course the Prime Minister has no questions to answer over anything.

  68. I'm sorry, RichardIII, but I take offence at being called 'two-faced'.

    I try to be honest in my comments and say it as it is. If you disagree with anything I say, then brace me there and then. Less of the sweeping statements, please!

    I'm happy to see you've had the decency to remove your post.

    1. I am sure you have as many faces as you have genders, and you are not even buried in a car park.

    2. Didn't see the post, but nobody in their right mind would call you 2-faced, Tom. You are pretty well the most consistent person I know.

    3. He appears to have closed his account. Maybe he had second thoughts having cast aspersions on several regulars here.

    1. I haven't flagged a post in ages but i went to flag that one and it was already removed.

      1. Why?
        I would have left it up, to show just what the individual was up to.
        Edit
        and to allow people to judge for themselves.

        1. We seem to be at loggerheads about how to approach this. You do have a point though.

          1. Of course there has been quite a lot of controversary over The Leicester Car Park Man (Aka Richard lll)

            Some say he was not as Shakespeare portrays him, a man twisted of mind and body who had a penchant for smothering children in the Tower of London but a really nice guy who never forgot to give his mother a card and a bunch of flowers on Mothering Sunday.

    2. It wasn't removed……..he has closed his account. Maybe had second thoughts about what he'd said. He's clearly struggling with his bereavement, which until he mentioned it last week, few people here knew about. Citroen visits here so infrequently that I would think it highly unlikely that he knew. Apart from you, his post was aimed at the three people he met in person for lunch last year. He was also instrumental in contacting Tom and Sue M when Tom was threatening to end it all.

      It's a shame as he's a good man and is grieving. He would get support here but he's thrown it back because of one remark.

      1. Thank you for the update.
        I understood why he selected me for venom, although I stand by every response I made to him.

        1. If that party beverage were liberally drunk it could make you feel as if you were spinning round upside down on the end of a bungee rope.

          1. I probably would be – keys falling out of pockets, spectacles everywhere…. 🙁

    2. Always a delight to see and hear, they are very happy together and a lovely couple.

    3. Good luck to them both. I hope they will be very happy.

      Patrick Christys has rapidly become one of the very best GB News presenters. He has a very good grasp of the facts and a good ironic and understated sense of humour. I have not seen much of Emily Carver but she looks like a very pleasant girl

    2. Must have been early in their parade, the Gaza mob got in the way and stopped them at some point. I love it when woke fight each other.

      needless to say, Trudeau and many of the lefty politicians were around for the perv fest.

      1. I'm hoping that wasn't down Bay Street – Bloor where my grandchildren would have seen it from their balcony.

    4. Same in New York, the lefties had a really good punch up to celebrate their pride in being conventional

    1. Princess Anne was the spare only before the birth of Prince Andrew. That said, I'd have cheerfully changed the law so that she could have succeeded the late Queen.

    2. We have a lot of time for Anne – cut from the cloth her Mother was made from.

    1. That's it then. One taste of venison and it's screw the Police Canteen.

    1. He knows he has no chance. Prize twit. Wasting everyone's time and our money.

        2. The most prolific copulators would get a free pass – like they do on everything else. How else can they fill the world with Muslets?

  78. 94mins gone, the election is almost over. Starmer is as-good-as through to No.10, and England is done for..
    but wait.. a flick-on and Farage is there with a bicycle kick.

    The proof is in the pudding.. Eat that Lefties.

    2. From Coffee House, the Spectator

      Farage turns on Marine Le Pen
      Steerpike1 July 2024, 11:26am
      Ooh la la! After a tricky few weeks for Reform UK, leader Nigel Farage has aimed his sights towards the old enemy. Reform’s polling figures first dipped following that Nick Robinson interview and in recent days Farage has faced serious questions over the behaviour of both candidates and activists. The party’s former candidate in Erewash, Liam Booth-Isherwood, yesterday disowned the outfit and backed his Tory rival instead. Now, as he battles to keep momentum up ahead of 4 July, Farage has distanced himself from fellow Eurosceptic Marine Le Pen.

      Following yesterday’s Reform rally – with 4,500 attendees in tow – the leader used an interview with Unherd to distance himself from Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National (RN). Attacking her fiscal policy, he claimed: ‘[They’ll be] even worse for the economy than the current lot’. He then praised Italy premier Giorgia Meloni as an example for Le Pen to learn from. ‘She’s brought her party [Brothers of Italy] into the 21st century… she’s been a very good thing and she’s made her party electable’. However, with RN coming out on top in the first round of the French Legislatives only hours later, it seems that voters across the Channel may disagree.

      Farage’s attack is a marked contrast with his previous warm words for Le Pen. Although acknowledging that antisemitism was ‘embedded’ in her party’s DNA, he has long hailed her as a ‘sincere Eurosceptic’. With Le Pen set to dominate the headlines ahead of France’s second round of voting on Sunday, perhaps Farage’s comments are a savvy way to distance himself from the RN.

      So much for the Entente Cordiale eh?

      1. The Entente stopped being Cordiale decades, if not centuries ago. In fact I don't think it ever truly existed – at least not from the French side.

          1. Левая рука немного опущена 💥 – oooh! Naski!

        1. Not so bad, thanks. Had job interview today, which, based on the fact I enjoyed it, probably went well (cf Joe Biden). In any case, it was about my favourite subject – me! Left me utterly knackered, so it’s time for vacation and some hard physical work to relax with.
          How’s life treating you? Do you have any summer?

          1. It’s not been too bad, sunshine hours are down (I can tell from my solar panel readings). I’m surviving life in the slow lane without too many aches and pains. Hope you get the job

      1. Used to happen frequently but only about twice a year now – apparently exercises are expensive 😘

      2. Used to happen frequently but only about twice a year now – apparently exercises are expensive 😘

    5. That's very interesting – the Hunt class Atherstone [M38] was sold to Harland & Wolff to be used as a donor for another Hunt that was due to be sold to another navy [Lithuania?] and subsequent rebuild for non naval service! The photos look more like a Single Role Minehunter [eg HMS Grimsby] but they have a three digit side number?? The RN website doesn't seem to indicate that M38 has been reassigned? Not trying to be pedantic here – I'm just wondering what is going on!

      1. There is some white writing at the stern which I can't read and the M38 is very faded or perhaps an attempt has been made to remove it, you can make out the number if you magnify the photo.. M38 has been a visitor to the loch many times up to a couple of years ago so you may be right

  81. Will you vote on Thursday? Made up your mind or still thinking about it? Either way, please pop over to our new, free, magazine Free Speech Backlash and read the new article on why we thing you should vote for Reform (https://www.freespeechbacklash.com/article/vote-reform). Agree or disagree, leave a comment and tell us why. I need my comments folk!

    1. Tom, the front page shows as "Page Not Found" but all the links to articles, Disqus etc do work, so anyone seeing that should ignore it!

      1. Thanks Sue. The link freespeechbacklash.com should work. Hope to see more of you.

      1. I’m a pushy sort o lad James, but I do want more visits and more comments. I get lonely else.

        1. Tom, you need patience and you'll need to spend a lot of time at the Spectator subtly finding names you remember ( some may not have returned ) individually having a quiet word , many may have settled back at the Spectator until they are next upset ( probably on Friday ) the Squire is only at the Spectator now but he'd be interested. I recall from my brief time at the Spectator names such as- Andrew Hotson ,
          Sir Eldred Godson, Captain Black, Steph, Jellybee Fin ( sfin) Demosthenes, Plainsdrifter, What The Doormouse Said, Steve 3085, Prickly Thistle, Jean de Vallette, Finknottle , The Lyle of Orpheus – some names I recall .

          1. I have approached a few, Kitty, but I think they find it a bit weird. The Speccie is blocking so many of my comments now with weird and mendacious banners that I shortly will withdraw completely (again!).

          2. Do be careful with them opo. it's probably best if Tom sent more posts there, but individually which isn't easy as there isn't any notification . I looked back on my account more then several months back, many names are not at the Speccie anymore.
            I'd wish someone informed the Squire ( who doesn't post here anymore ) What The Doormouse Said has gone . Steph Mandeville J, Plainsdrifter, Demosthenes and Sfin .

          3. Steph still appears there from time to time. I suspect that many are waiting for their sub to expire and can't be arsed to comment anyway. Much how I feel.

            Conversely, there are many new names posting in tune with the Carter/Harman/john axis.

          4. Thanks mate. I recognise some of those names. I guess I am a bit pushy – but I’ve had to be, and I know patience is a virtue. Unfortunately it’s not one of mine.

        2. Pushy? I hadn’t noticed 🤭

          I just had a look at your piece on why you will vote Reform on FSB, by the way. Very good.

          1. I left school at 15 with no qualifications and a strong North East accent – I had to push or perish!

    3. Hi Tom
      I suspect you have Disqus automoderation turned on my comment which would fly through here is held for moderation

      1. Oh dear, I’ll get my computer whizz to have a look. We are Free Speech warriors after all!

      2. No.2 sons looked and replied as follows:
        If you go to the link below (having logged in):
        https://free-speech-backlash.disqus.com/admin/settings/moderation/
        … it looks like it's as lenient as it can be It does say:

        Pre-moderation is always enabled for guest comments.

        So nothing we can do about that. but he reckons that

        It explains why there are three pending for guest comments and for the member comment it didn't like the word 'cock', but you can configure/remove words in this link below:

        So two actions needed:

        1) Approve the pending comments
        2) Remove some words from the restricted words list that you think are OK.

        So, as you are the cocksmith, I'll swallow my blushed and try to enable you to cockcrow.

  82. A vicar who has been helping with the rescue effort following a devastating V1 attack on the Highland Road and Lunham Road area of Upper Norwood, pauses in his work to smoke a cigarette and chat to one of his parishioners. The vicar is wearing overalls and a steel helmet. He also appears to have a pair of motorcycle goggles resting on the brim of his hat. They, and the Civil Defence workers around them, are standing on piles of rubble and timbers. Behind them, the devastated remains of several houses can be seen.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b51f9b3b5841e3079d19d129c89e20b37b22564ac53e3c2b381d48550478890a.jpg

      1. Now – and then. A friend, whose father served in the RAF and was awarded a DFC – kept everything from the war. Friend and sisters wanted to donate some of the stuff to the RAF Museum in Duxford. Included was his untouched medical kit – burn cream, morphia and syringe in original tin. Item REFUSED. Contains class A drugs and dangerous poison. I ask you.

        2. Complete insanity. They should jump at the chance of such a valuable donation. if they are that concerned about the class A and other contents, why can't they remove them before putting the kit on display?

          2. And they have no appreciation, not even a smidgen, of the sacrifices that generation made, whether in the forces or on the home front.

          1. Not any more, they aren't. It's heartbreaking. I think it's called de-colonisation

    2. I hope he realises that the cigarette could kill him, also the chat itself for that matter. Then there's the terrible burden on the NHS that he's creating through his selfishness. Oh yes, forgot. There's no NHS. He's not selfish, either.

    3. Video I saw part of just now, but couldn't finish. The Ukies apparently sending out a guy to no-man's land to get the attention of the Russians, so the Ukies know where they are. The man picks his way between several maimed corpses of those who tried this already.
      Fucking awful images. Right disturbing, so they are. Don't watch it.

      1. Indeed – but all things must pass. Most things including pedestrians find it very easy to pass a narrowboat (even when it is moving!)

      1. End of an era…………

        Stephenroi
        David Wainwright
        18 hours ago

        Thank you David. I have thought long and hard. The locks are deteriorating taking more physical effort to operate and I am aging. Friends who 'encouraged' me to take the plunge and acquire a narrowboat and who subsequently shared some delightful adventures (think 3 men in a boat!) are older than me with health /family issues. One set of grandchildren are so young that by the time they are old enough to go boating I will be approaching 80. The boat itself will need repainting in a few year's time. To do it properly requires sand blasting to remove rust and then spray painting – it would be a bill in excess of £7,000. So yes I have mixed feelings. But que sera, sera…

      2. Boat for sale.One OAP careful owner. Low Milage MOT. Where speed limits permit can be used for water skiing!

          1. Indeed that’s why I’m taking up Archery and continuing to play Bridge.

          2. Indeed that’s why I’m taking up Archery and continuing to play Bridge.

          1. Indeed I am selling it. Have signed the brokerage papers. It is in a marina just off the River Kennett not far from Aldermaston.

        4. Is that last a challenge? 😉

          Sorry to hear that. A beautiful boat, and I shall always treasure the memory of my wonderful afternoon on board. May you find someone who appreciates the care you have taken of it. And the bath..

          1. Shush …don’t mention the bath – folk will talk!!

            No I seriously believe that at 3,000 revs in wide water the boat is capable of towing a(n upright) water Skier!! :-)))

          2. I can actually believe that. When I was learning to waterski, the bloke driving the boat used to take *huge* pleasuŕe in making me fall in the water. 🙄🤣 One of his things was to suddenly slow to minimum speed. I became a pretty damn good waterskier out of sheer defiance! 🤣🤣

            PS Right. I shan’t mention the bath, then.

        3. What? NO more barging? Or have you been banned for dangerous sailing?

          On the bright side – think of the savings in cash….

          2. Sadly not. However, I suspect the boat could carry about 15 tons of contraband!

          4. The Labour Party in power will probably appreciate those savings before I even get to enjoy them! 🙁

        4. What? NO more barging? Or have you been banned for dangerous sailing?

          On the bright side – think of the savings in cash….

  85. Right it had slipped my mind but I shall now share this with you all. I went down town on Saturday for some test strips for my Accu-Chek blood sugar monitor. Eventually I went into Boots and unable to find any on the shelves enquired at the prescription desk. A young trans person served me. I’m unsure of the motivation here because despite her efforts to disguise it they were of undoubtedly female origin, which would seem to nullify its purpose. Anyway that is my first outside the realms of the MSM.

    2. Same experience recently with a substitute dentist, Minty, except that I am no stranger to trannies, inhabiting, as I do, a very camp milieu. I was introduced to this apparent chap as a male name (let's call him Tim) and first of all just thought, going by his voice and gestures, that he was a raging quean. But I suddenly noticed that I was towering above him (I am far from tall) and then noticed how very tiny his hands were (I have tiny hands. Renowned for it.). As Tim attended to my teeth, I was moved to scan beneath the soft beard for an Adam's Apple. There was none.

      1. That's quite a picture you paint there, opopanax. Adam's Apple or lack thereof always the give-away. As if we believe you inhabit a very camp milieu.

        1. I had a trans customer when I was working at the DWP, who I got to know quite well. Shoulders and chips…….. but had surgery to remove the Adam's Apple and modify the voice. Still not a very convincing female though.

          1. Yes, hairy arms, large hands etc ….I’d like there to be more research, objective and published, into trans issues including non-reversible ops, Ndovu…might just be a few regrets at some future point. Right now, seems wicked to me.

      2. That's one way to distract a patient from whatever torture the dentist is inflicting.

    3. Our local department store has a perfectly maquilaged assistant on the Clinique section.
      Being a nicely brung up girl, I dealt impeccably with the situation.

  86. 389048+ up ticks,

    The truth will out,

    Gerard Batten
    @gjb2021

    ·
    1h

    Great news! Didn’t she do well!

    According to the MSM anyone who isn’t to the left of Marx, Lenin & Stalin is HARD-RIGHT!

    I was friendly with Mde Le Pen in Brussels when Farage didn’t want to know her. Now he’ll try & bathe in her reflected glory before Thursday unless I’m much mistaken.

    Marine Le Pen’s hard-right party humiliates Macron in French polls — The Times and The Sunday Times

    Marine Le Pen hailed an unprecedented triumph for her populist right National Rally in the first round of French parliamentary elections last night. With the second round next week, the Rally is now within

    1. Gerard is wrong there, if we are to believe reports of his reaction (NF's, that is). Of course, we cannot believe anything these days, not even what we see with our own eyes.

      I really like Le Pen, btw, she has natural grace and exquisite manners. Watch her with the ghastly Cathy whostsit a couple of years ago.

        1. Indeed. How can such a leftie be labelled "hard right"? I still like her, though

    2. Gerard is wrong there, if we are to believe reports of his reaction (NF's, that is). Of course, we cannot believe anything these days, not even what we see with our own eyes.

      I really like Le Pen, btw, she has natural grace and exquisite manners. Watch her with the ghastly Cathy whostsit a couple of years ago.

      1. 389048+ up ticks,

        Afternoon AS,
        Well past that time I would say, when one go’s others will follow.

    3. I'm a Bridgen fan re: vaccines. Sincerely hope he has water-tight evidence for these allegations, otherwise it could mean real trouble for him.

      1. It would be great to see that little oik hauled back from California to face justice along with Hancock, Boris, Whitty.etc.
        we can dream

          4. Glad I gave you a laugh, opopanax….if he loses likely still land on his drain-piped feet, in the City or similar. Probably already had offers, come to think of it. Tea??!!! :-DDD

          6. Thanks BB2, I think he’s said he intends to stay, win or lose. But if he loses, he’ll have lost his seat, so not sure what he’ll do – City, perhaps.

  89. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/91d36edf37dd7c73a3ee919636b1ca850af899f3f6dc498a9cb2713da184ed37.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dc244fd3c85ddf439618ea10d0973c207c8a03cdbe7c53165ed3abafedb74690.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ff8bebd6cbdc5c7165ce18863d5e82553f2302f90cff6781d1682ab4ccfe6f50.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/311472802b683cfeb44de51388bac4f369742f55304924e02fc6624bea628cf1.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/07b67a57df8233c37f7e2d6b80b7519aef7853c8f23bb24df878d0f243135707.jpg
    Phew!
    Just taking a coffee-break from my labours. I've finished the construction of the cold-smoking cabinet I have designed and am now seasoning it with a dry-run of smoking without food.

    I've installed the smoke-generator on a tray on the bottom shelf. It is filled with hickory sawdust and is now smouldering. On the shelf above that I placed the smoke baffle, designed to distribute the smoke evenly throughout the cabinet. Above that, on one of the four other available shelves, is one of two wire food racks. Two steel rods near the top accommodate some hanging meat hooks, and on the top shelf is a fly-screen.

    A hinged door at the front gives access to all parts of the cabinet and the hinged lid can be fastened in any position to permit smoke escape and protect the food in inclement weather. On the side of the cabinet is a fly-proof air-intake and a temperature probe to keep an eye on the internal temperature.

    My other task today was to slice up the piece of pork loin that I have dry-cured to make green [i.e. unsmoked] back bacon. I dry cured it in the fridge for eight days in my own recipe black-treacle cure — no nitrites or nitrates, whatsoever — inside a vacuum-packed polythene bag. A further day had me rinsing off the bacon piece and then soaking it in clean water for 24-hours to remove excess saltiness. It the remained uncovered in the fridge on a wire rack for a further five days to 'normalise' [i.e. finish the curing process].

    I placed it in the freezer for an hour (to firm up) before slicing it on my meat slicer. My yield was 14 packets of three rasher each, all now in the freezer. A small chunk, which was too thin to slice has been cut up into lardons to be used in a pasta sauce. I fried a couple of small rasher scraps to gauge the flavour and I personally think it is the tastiest bacon that I have made to date.

    All in all a very busy, but most satisfactory day.

    8. We did wonder where you’d gone! Glad you’re back with a very impressive smoker!

      1. Thanks, Pet. I’ve already started on the next project: a substantial castored table to hold a large marble slab for pastry making.

        1. Send us a picture when it's done.
          So I can go a deep shade of envious green

    9. Dead jealous.
      I'd love to have a go at smoking (food). I'm too mean to give the government any more tax.

  90. To be fair to alcohol I've done some really stupid things stone cold sober.

  91. Many people tell you that they're your friend
    You believe them
    You need them
    For what's round the river bend
    Make sure that you're receiving the signals they send
    'Cause brother, you've only got two hands to lend
    Maybe there's someone who makes you weep
    And some nights loom up ahead
    When you're asleep
    Some days there's things on your mind you should keep
    Sometimes, it's tougher to look than to leap
    better watch out for the skin deep
    (Ooh-ooh) better watch out for the skin deep
    (Brother, watch out) watch out for the skin deep
    (Brother, watch out) watch out for the skin deep
    Better watch out for the skin deep
    One day, the track that you're climbing gets steep
    Your emotions are frayed
    And your nerves are starting to creep
    Just remember the days
    As long as the time that you keep
    Brother, you better watch out for the skin deep
    better watch out for the skin deep
    (Ooh-ooh) better watch out for the skin deep
    (Brother, watch out) watch out for the skin deep
    (Brother, watch out) watch out for the skin deep
    Better watch out for the skin deep
    watch out for the skin deep
    (Brother, watch out) watch out for the skin deep
    Better watch out for the skin deep
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4bd96db5f33257def0589620aa2eebfdb8ccf98cd9f8331702e9a77d42491dd8.jpg

      2. I'm a big Stranglers fan and I probably just prefer their earlier stuff – Hanging Around, Something Better Change, basically anything off Rattus Norvegicus!
        I went to see them at King George's Hall in Blackburn in 1979 (I think). Hugh Cornwell addressed the crowd – 'Listen everybody, the Stranglers dont like spitting!!' (they never were really that happy with being associated with punk) and he was met with a disgusting hail of gob which was amplified by the stage lights!
        Hughie went mad and threatened to storm off but they were real troopers and delivered a fantastic set.

        1. I also saw The Stranglers when Cornwell was with them and they gave the crowd a good laugh during their rendition of The Kinks’ All Day And All Of The Night. It may have been a contrivance for the entertainment of the crowd but it came across as genuine. Halfway through the song, Hugh started to sing another verse when the rest of the band had started playing the instrumental break. As soon as they realised the cacophony they all stopped playing. Jean-Jacques simply walked across the stage, stood directly in front of Hugh’s face, and shouted, “TWAT!”. Hugh replied to the audience, “Er … sorry ’bout that.” The band then replayed the entire sing without mishap.

          Sadly Dave Greenfield and Jet Black (Brian Duffy) are no longer with us.

  92. I think this video may have been posted here before but have another look anyway. To watch it for any length of time you'll have to turn off the sound. To step through year by year, just hold/release/hold the start button. No wonder many Europeans are such a mixed up lot. No wonder they regard us as smug…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY9P0QSxlnI

  93. I think they are deluded and it's a mental heath issue. Whatever they do to convince themselves, they do not become the opposite sex or as they prefer "gender".

    1. Agree. There are reasons/other players behind it, some online some not. One day, we’ll know why and who.

  96. I’ve given them a link to your site, I think a couple of them also posted at the Spectator .

  97. A bleeding byword Bogey Six!

    Wordle 1,108 6/6
    ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
    ⬜🟨⬜🟨⬜
    ⬜🟨🟩⬜⬜
    ⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩
    ⬜⬜🟩🟨🟩
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    1. Could be worse.
      3 today.

      Wordle 1,108 3/6

      🟩⬜⬜⬜🟩
      🟩⬜⬜🟨🟩
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

      4. I was uninspired today, including a silly mistake…
        Wordle 1,108 5/6

        🟩🟩⬜🟨⬜
        🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩
        🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩
        🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩
        🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    2. Could be worse.
      3 today.

      Wordle 1,108 3/6

      🟩⬜⬜⬜🟩
      🟩⬜⬜🟨🟩
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    3. Par, as the saying goes.

      Wordle 1,108 4/6

      🟩🟩⬜🟨⬜
      🟩🟩🟨⬜⬜
      🟩🟩⬜⬜🟩
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    4. Happy with a par today…

      Wordle 1,108 4/6

      ⬜🟨⬜🟨⬜
      ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
      ⬜⬜🟨🟩🟩
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

  98. Put your hands together for Sue Mac.
    She woz rite.
    Osprey chicks have been ringed. Probably this morning as they are eating fit to bust so possibly missed breakfast.
    How on earth do the bird ringers get up there, ward off the parents and get the chicks tagged?
    Even an osprey chick is strong and has a very nasty beak.
    Respect.

    1. "Osprey chicks have been ringed" – tut tut. I think you meant to say, "…have been telephoned."

      2. Runged she meant. Or was that the process for getting up the ladder so that they can be telephoned. I'm so doddery these days.

      3. Runged she meant. Or was that the process for getting up the ladder so that they can be telephoned. I'm so doddery these days.

    2. Fanx Anne! I was up early as I was taking daughter to work, and was looking at the Loch Arkaig nest. The 2 remaining osplets were due to be translocated to a rescue centre in Spain today, as the male Louis had been missing for several days. When he came back he seemed not to be well and fish was supplied to the nest. The decision was taken to remove the young as there was a doubt they could be fledged. It’s worth looking at the website as there is plenty of discussion into the rights and wrongs of the decision!

        1. Typo?? Moi? No really I think it’s the right word! It’s what they use in the comments on the website. We also use ‘bobs’ for when they’re smaller as their heads bob up and down when they feed! I’m a bit of an osprey groupie, and I’ve been watching this nest/nests for 5 years! My family think I’m a saddo, but the grandchildren like the livestream!

    3. As a former licensed bird-ringer I can tell you that the sharp bills of raptors are not a threat. It is the talons — their primary method of killing — that you have to be aware of. The first time I ringed a sparrowhawk I was told to hold its legs together firmly and to ignore its bill. Ringers being careless have had their fingers —bones and all — impaled right through by a talon-or-three. They always wish to break free and fly off but they never use their bills to bite.

      Access to those nests is made by use of a ladder or scaffolding platform.

      1. MB and I were wondering that. Presumably it would be something like those tall cherry pickers used by firemen (YES … to all you trans and feminazie obsessives. FIREMEN!!!)
        How would the parents be fended off during the process?

        1. It would, I imagine, have been timed like a military operation to take place while the parents were out shopping

        2. They tend to sit close by and screech a bit. It was the same when we ringed tawny owl chicks. One ringer would ascend the ladder and tap on the large nest box (one we had erected some years before). The parent bird would flee the box and sit watching from afar. The ascender would then reach into the box, remove the fledglings and place them, one by one, into their own large cotton bag (we had acquired a number of bank cash bags, which proved just the job). Each bag would then be lowered on a long string to the rest of us waiting on the ground, The owlets would be weighed, measurements taken, and a ring affixed to its leg before being placed back into the bag and being hoisted back up to the ascender who would return it to its nesting box.

          Tawny owlets are very funny when they see the outside world for the first time. They twist their heads around in curiosity at what they see around them and show little fear of the experience.

      2. No expert, but having rescued both an injured sparrowhawk and a confused kestrel recently i can attest to the fact that their beaks are also pretty dangerous.

    1. Glastonbury would be the perfect place to put all the illegal immigrants.

      They can salvage tents, use the toilet facilities, and it could be made secure very easily.
      Plenty of space.

      Why isn't the government doing so?

          2. But but but
            I thought Glastonbury was pro boat people.
            He should be paying for the privilege.

      3. And the place is already filthy and littered, so they would soon feel 'at home.'

        1. You do know we are only talking about the 12 foot Ash Barge Pole….don't you?

  101. MB and I have been discussing the Biden situation.
    Quite frankly, the Democrats deserve to be annihilated. Through their lies and constant manipulations for electoral advantage, they have placed not only the United States in grave danger, but also the entire western world.
    Bad cess to them.

    1. They have the damned cheek to call Trump arrogant. Trump is the deal maker. The Democrats have brought us closer to both civil and nuclear war !

      1. Add to that Trump made his own money. The Biden's are up to their necks in dirty money with Ukraine and China, drugs, illegal guns (Hunter) and Labs making us sick. Vote Demoncrat…vote to go to hell.

        *This has been a party political broadcast on behalf of the Phizzee Party.

        Vote REFORM !

    2. Many feel sympathy for what they perceive as a rambling old politician. That is wrong. Biden should garner no sympathy because he is an habitual liar, a pervert, as bent as a nine bob note and pure evil.

  102. As promised, I shall post my short account of the last two weeks. I said it would rain – and raining it is.

    First week at Erquy – small fishing port on the north Brittany coast. We rented a first floor flat – very nicely appointed and furnished – overlooking the harbour. Always lots of activity. It also overlooked a small boulodrome – which gave me hours of pleasure (and of recollection – for 20 years I played most afternoons). Lots of cliffs and moors nearby. Did a lot of walking – several miles most days. Too cold to paddle, let alone swim – though we did see two people IN BIKINIS in the water. Being there on the Summer Solstice we saw that there really WAS an extra low (and then high) tide. The sea went out to the usual place – then went on going about as though someone had pulled a plug out! Nice churches, beaches. A really very agreeable part of France – and, for us, it makes up for what we have lost by leaving Laure and finding that the Cote d'Azur is now just too far to drive. We had lunch with Caroline and Richard Tracey and their younger son and his lady. Very agreeable to catch up in person.

    Will definitely return to Erquy next year (DV etc etc)

    Then to Normandy. It is 50 years since I last visited. A great deal has changed- there is far more of an "industry" than back then. Our billet was a house overlooking the beach at Asnelles – where the units of the Dorset, Devon and Hampshire Regts landed. The enormous beach was ten steps from the front gate of the house. We went to – the British Normandy Memorial, which was stunning. The more so as there is a temporary display of 1,475 black silhouettes of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and nurses who lost their lives ON D-Day. This lasts until 31 August 2024 and was (is) tremendously moving. Also went to the US cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer. Vast – thousands of headstones but NO flowers; no walking among the graves allowed. Made it seem very sombre and cold. Quite unlike the peaceful arrangement at CWGC cemeteries.

    Went also to Arromanches to see the new museum. Very impressive and informative. The MR was gob-smacked by the enormous size of the Mulberry Harbour when in full working order. The town is awful – chip shops, places selling tat, "genuine militaria" (made while you wait) and parking is a nightmare. Then to the Canadian cemetery at Beny, to Tilly-sur-Seulles (the MR wanted to see the grave of the poet Keith Douglas)
    the site of ferocious battles for six weeks. The village changed hands 23 times. Finally to Pegasus Bridge – another remarkable museum – and Ranville. The village church (bang next to the cemetery) has two stained glass windows dedicated to the Parachute Regiment and the cross beind the altar is draped with two parachutes. We also looked in on the Merville Battery site – rather dully presented, though they do have an actual restored Dakota – acquired from Bosnia. The plane really flew during the War!

    The French have really gone out of their way to mark the 80th anniversary. Allied flags everywhere – not only at municipal sites – but in gardens and on houses. Very touching. In virtually all towns and villages, lamp-posts have large photographs of allied personnel – always of those people relevant to the particular place. There was just one village where the Maire was obviously boshie and refused to have anything to do with it! The brochures and information leaflets were very well written and illustrated. Where there were English versions, the translation had been done by an English person rather than the lightly grim/dire versions that some French authorities prepared in the past!

    It was a very memorable week.The scale and – ultimate – success of the invasion was brought home time and time again. One could just not imagine anything like it happening today. And as we read the words of Winston and de Gaulle and other great military leaders of vision and determination and confidence that, eventually, right would triumph, one could not but compare and contrast with the pygmies in politics throughout Europe (and the USA) today. That was extremely depressing. However, I did lost 3 kg – which was nice!

    If you can face fighting Border Farce etc – DO go to the British Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer before the end of August. You won't regret it.

    The cats were pleased to see us – in an off-hand sort of way. Our immediate neighbour did send us a snap of Pickles reclining on one of their armchairs. Apparently he visited most days – just for some human contact!

    1. Thank you. That brought back memories of my visit to Arromanches in 1967. If I remember correctly 18081 British and Commonwealth personnel were killed in the Battle of Normandy in 1944.

    2. I went to Arromanches (from Seine Maritime) about 30 years ago. How time flies!

      1. I fear you would not recognise it. Full of tattooed people eating as they walk – dropping their litter as they go.

          1. Fortunately, there were very few at the British Normandy Memorial. Where a French gent nodded approvingly at Charles's wreath and said, "Ah. le Roi"….

        2. It begs the question why it always seem to be a certain type of brit, fat flabbed , crude in manner, and seemingly always in drink, was it their up bringing so dire, or as I get older, perhaps it was it their grandparents that started the decline in manners and common decency. I suppose as I look back on my life, it was the sixties that started the slid.
          I really am a grumpy old granddad, but never mind eh!

          1. An interesting question that I was unable to answer last night as I was asleep!

            My simple view is that it started in the 1970s with a new idea of raising children. Parents had to be their “best friends”. Now I am very fond of my children but they are definitely NOT my best friends. Teachers thought that children were small adults with “rights”. Such as the right to refuse to work; or to cooperate. If a teacher thought a child (or “student” as they were fatuously called) had stolen an item – the child’s “right” to privacy beat the teacher’s right to search his desk, locker, school bag. And it got worse as feral children realised that they could terrorise teachers – and threaten parents (sorry, “carers”) with Childline or the Police. And the feckwit parents went along with it. Because they were “best friends”.

            Eventually, these ghastly young ones became adults – who believed that they had the “right” to be or do exactly what they wanted. Overeat, bash strangers up etc etc. Try asking one of them to pick up his litter and you were likely to be attacked — and, these days, stabbed to death.

            I can see no likelihood of any improvement, either. Ever.

          2. Sadly you could be right. On the other hand, I have five, three girls and two boys, women and men now. We must have done something right, all work, all friendly and polite and a pleasure to be with. All their various friends are of similar natures, so there are glimmers of hope

          3. Of course. It was, natch “other people” at whom my barbs were aimed. Never sensible people such as we are!

      2. I went to Arromanches 30 years ago! We were holidaying in the North of France and it was the 50th anniversary of D-Day – we attended a couple of events that were both very moving and very educational.

    3. When I was a child/teenager, on the way home from Cambridge, my dear old dad would often stop the car at the American Cemetery on Madingly Road, Cambridge. The silence, sheer scale, orderliness and cleanliness always moved me. Barely a blade of grass out of place.

      1. I have visited the American Cemetery at Madingly many times as my in laws lived in Coton. The geometry on a sloping site is remarkable as each headstone is visible from the flagpole at its radial centre.

        I was told by a chap in The Blue Anchor in Helston years ago that many of the graves at Madingly are those of the American soldiers killed in the beach landing preparations that went wrong.

        On the night of 27th April 1944 during World War Two, a terrible tragedy unfolded just off Slapton Sands on the coast of Devon. 946 American servicemen died during Exercise Tiger, the rehearsals for the D-Day landing on Utah Beach in Normandy, France.

      1. I flew in an ex-RAF Dakota from RAF Fayid (Canal Zone) to RAF Nicosia) in 1950. The plane was in the colours of Cyprus Airways.

    5. Very informative thank you.

      You went to lunch with the Tracy’s? I thought you didn’t like people/socialising!

      1. I like socialising with people I have known for 35 years. TracEy – by the way.

    2. I'm seriously hoping that it was the dog that was cocaine-fuelled………

      1. When I was at prep school we learnt a poem by heart each week. I remember learning thisd one.

        Oliver Goldsmith : An Elegy On The Death Of A Mad Dog

        Good people all, of every sort,
        Give ear unto my song;
        And if you find it wondrous short,
        It cannot hold you long.

        In Islington there was a man
        Of whom the world might say,
        That still a godly race he ran—
        Whene'er he went to pray.

        A kind and gentle heart he had,
        To comfort friends and foes;
        The naked every day he clad—
        When he put on his clothes.

        And in that town a dog was found,
        As many dogs there be,
        Both mongrel, puppy, whelp, and hound,
        And curs of low degree.

        This dog and man at first were friends;
        But when a pique began,
        The dog, to gain some private ends,
        Went mad, and bit the man.

        Around from all the neighbouring streets
        The wond'ring neighbours ran,
        And swore the dog had lost its wits
        To bite so good a man.

        The wound it seemed both sore and sad
        To every Christian eye;
        And while they swore the dog was mad,
        They swore the man would die.

        But soon a wonder came to light
        That showed the rogues they lied,—
        The man recovered of the bite,
        The dog it was that died!

    4. That's not a woman. It's a man wearing a wig. And a truly disgusting one at that. Jail time.

      1. Animal cruelty of the highest level, castration ( sorry, ,,(i must be careful) assuming the lady in question is fully manned, as it were) would be in order, followed by a severe flogging and a salt bath. Poor dog.

  105. Why on earth is HE being referred to as 'she?' Filthy, disgusting, deranged pervert. It needs serious psychiatric treatment/lobotomy in a mental institution and complete removal of all his 'tackle'. No doubt , it will be inflicted on a women's prison.

      2. Coincidentally, we had a Valiedictory Service for a retiring Lay Reader yesterday – or Local Licensed Minister, as we're now supposed to call them… I sent out an email to past, present, and associated choir members. A third replied that they were on holiday. Half of those who didn't reply turned up. Including Sir Martin, the High Court Judge, who borrowed choir robes from the Vestry. After the service – "Hello, Martin. Are you OK? You're looking a little ruff…"

        Whoosh…

        1. At RAFA this afternoon we had a talk from Shrewsbury’s Town Crier (all 7’6″ of him!). He was very impressive in his red waistcoat,white jabot, red, blue and gold caped coat (like an Ulster) and tricorn hat. His bell was specially made for him in Whitechapel. It is tuned to his voice and made specially so it will fit in the crook of his arm.

          1. I'm trying and failing to think of anything cooler than having a bell.tuned to one's voice!

  108. Evening, all. A pinch and a punch for the first of the month! It will be a flying visit as, it being the first Monday of the month, I'll be attending the parish council meeting. Hope to catch up afterwards.

    People should think long and hard before giving ANY of the failed parties an unearned majority! We've got experience of how useless they are.

  109. "All Labour governments end in economic failure." (Discuss.)

    Things in general were in a poor shape when Ramsey MacDonald’s minority government lost power in 1924, the postwar boom having petered out under the previous administration (the Zinoviev letter did not help, either), but it would be hard to say that things got materially better under the Conservative administration which took over.

    The financial crisis of 1931 which saw off Ramsay MacDonald for the second time was partly the result of the Wall Street crash (nobody ever accused President Hoover of being a socialist), partly the result of the UK’s return to the gold standard, the work of Chancellor of the Exchequer Winston Churchill (likewise). We might note in passing that the incoming government soon abandoned the gold standard.

    In 1951, unemployment was vanishingly low and living standards were rising. The Labour party polled almost a quarter of a million votes more than the Conservatives and their National Liberal allies combined; won the most votes that Labour has ever won; and won the most votes of any political party in any election in British political history, a record not surpassed until the Conservative Party's victory in 1992. In spite of that, they lost – blame first-past-the-post, not financial incompetence.

    In 1969, the last full year of Harold Wilson’s first administration, the UK had a current account surplus for the first time in many years. This was achieved against a background of full employment and a continuing rise in living standards. Nevertheless, Edward Heath won the election for the Conservatives in 1970. It did not take long for Anthony Barber to unleash the infamous boom which takes his name, a mess to which Wilson would return.

    To be fair, the election of 1979 will always be remembered for uncollected rubbish in the street and dead bodies unburied. While Denis Healy had, with the help of the IMF, restored the UK’s finances to sanity, irresponsible union power had grown in the Seventies: a nettle which no Labour government could afford to grasp.

    The election of 2010 was held not long after the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression. For all his faults, Gordon Brown can hardly be blamed for that. Indeed, he attracted international praise for his swift and decisive reaction to the event which haunts us to this day.

  111. Audrey and me float in within a scented breeze ( its chilly today 🙂 .
    Good evening everyone, it seems to be getting darker this evening .

  113. That poor little child, just one amongst so many others. Pure evil. The same savage mindset that thinks vulnerable girls are theirs for the taking in towns and cities up and down this country.
    https://x.com/Salwan_Momika…
    Edit: I seem to have upset a few Nottlers; that was not my intention, and I am sorry for any offence.

    1. Mum, could you put a warning up for this kind of thing?
      We should know, but not like that.

        1. I'm a bit sensitive today, sorry.
          Horrible article in Noregian newspapers with live footage of dead & dying lads in uniform, in Russia/Ulraine.
          So easily, one could be mine. It really got me going.

          1. Lambs to the slaughter. I dread the thought of mine ever being called up.
            A curse on all world leaders who cause these situations.
            Edit: As older son now has Canadian citizenship, I suppose his risk is raised.

          2. Our grandson has two Russian friends at RHS.
            Now they are 18, and have finished school, we all worry about them.

          4. RHS as in Holbrook, Annie? I have fond memories of a St Edmundsbury Diocesan Choirs Festival in the chapel there. It has prolly the widest organ in the country, and amazing acoustics.

        2. You have, in my opinion, no need to apologise , a picture paints a thousand words.

        3. People need to wake up to what we are welcoming into our country and by extension condoning. it is sick beyond belief.

        4. People need to wake up to what we are welcoming into our country and by extension condoning. it is sick beyond belief.

    3. You shouldn't have posted this without a warning, and probably not at all. We all know what's happening, and we're all angry because we're helpless to do anything meaningful about it. Child trafficking/exploitation is happening in many countries, likely in the UK too to some degree.

      1. This picture should shown on every front page of every daily paper, perhaps then the danger our grandchildren will face will wake people up!

      2. I understand your feelings, but there are those who deliberately close their eyes to such evils in the world and they need to be woken up.

        1. Whilst I agree people need to be 'woken up' Bob, I don't believe this is the place. The Yazidis' story is well known, a number of years ago, widely documented at the time.

          1. Sorry, KJ, I profoundly disagree. People get all riled up about things that are so beyond trivial and then we have this, taking place now in the Islamic world, and coming to a town near you if it's not there already,

          2. I think it could be an old photo but I can’t be sure, likely lifted from the web. It’s been happening a long time, bit surprised people are only just waking up to it, living in their own world I suppose. It’s certainly not a cute little pic. Sorry you profoundly disagree with me, gotya.

          3. Whether the photo is old or new, this is a real child and this is what is still going on with other real children. It must be acknowledged and fought against, not swept under the carpet.

          5. That's OK then? I don't think so, KJ, and am astonished at what you seem to imply.

          6. My point, opopanax, is that it is most certainly not effing ok. Yazidi Genocide around a decade ago..you tell me if any were recovered cos I certainly don’t bloody know. You can be as astonished as you damn well please, and say what you damn well like and I don’t have to agree any more than you do. Btw Yazidi were Christians but you probably know that. Sorry if you don’t like what I imply, hadn’t realised I had the habit of implying. Must do better.

          7. Yazidis were certainly not exclusively Christian, although some were. I don’t think it relevant except in so far as they were not Musslim and therefore fair game for the rapists, slavers and murderers. There are still some of these Yazidi people alive (who have slipped through the net), but this kind of hideous brutality will happen again, and again, and again, and again if we don’t insist that the philosophy behind it is disavowed.

          9. Defunding the BBC would be a start, and on an individual daily basis never fail to speak up for Israel. These things are connected. But I get your point and really do not want to fall out with you, KJ. It is perfectly OK to disagree, and I really do disagree with you on your standpoint re Mumisbusy's post. That poor little girl, if your timeline is correct (big question mark from me) will, by now, if she is still alive (doubtful) be 20ish. There will be others going through the same horrendous experiences that are still 10 (the age of my youngest granddaughter). We must not allow this to be covered up for the sake of some sick idea of "social cohesion" – ie don't offend Muslims or they will kill you.

          10. Really a case of demographics eg my grandmother had at least 12 pregnancies of which only half survived (RfKJr has a lot to say about living conditions and population numbers). Of the six, total five grandchildren. Other words, white population isn’t breeding sufficiently to maintain our economy and therefore way of life. And we have Women’s Lib/contraceptives, women in the workforce either by choice or necessity. This is the reason, in my view, of the rise in immigration, legal numbers that is which are 90% of the total, and only around 10% ‘boat people’. Probably not explaining this very well, been told I have ‘Long Covid Vaccine’ :/- On Muslims, I know a few, all hardworking and decent people – and just as resentful about what they view as unnecessary immigration.

    4. This picture just confirms what absolute filth Islam is, and it's adherents. And we have starmer and Khan discussing how Muslims need more protection.

    5. Fucking, fucking bastards, (sorry Geoff) Fucking, fucking , fucking bastards. That poor little girl, just one of many.

    6. It's very good of you to offer your apologies but I thought your post, as utterly harrowing as it was, serves an important purpose.

      There are many people in this country who are supportive of Isis, directly or indirectly, and presumably supportive, therefore, of activities such as you have exposed above.

      We need a bloody good wake-up call and it's stuff like this that provides it……

      1. Thank you.
        If only those fools could see the post. If only these people would open their eyes, and stop appeasing these creatures.
        It beggars belief that there are many LGBTQXYZ people who support the dangerous and, in some cases, proscribed groups. Are they really that stupid?
        I seem to recall, back when Mad Merkel started inviting the hordes, that a young 'refugees (huh, what refugees?) welcome' woman was r**ed by one of the 'guests' – yet she still supported the madness.

      2. The risk is that it becomes somehow 'normalised'. In this case, Yazidi people – it's genocide 'Stuff like this' can be found easily on internet . This isn't the place. Just my view.

        1. I think I know where you're coming from KJ and I have a degree of sympathy with your position.

          I still believe, however, that these atrocities simply must be exposed, however traumatic an experience that may be – and yes, that does include the publishing of horrific pictures – it can only help the cause.

          As to your view that 'This isnt the place' – I cant agree, this is primarily a political site and, as such, a wholly appropriate platform for the discussion and exposure of these dreadful crimes.

          1. You’re entitled to your view, and I wouldn’t dream of trying to dissuade you from posting. The photo is possibly a decade old, Yazidi genocide, well documented. Agree there is plenty to expose, down to the last place you’d think of UK. Bit surprised people here on this political site seem to have not been aware of it. I’ll get me coat.

          3. Thanks, Gasper..not really a case of differing, merely mentioning this child seems to be Yazidi from approx a decade ago. So..not new, but old…what’s been done, we ask? I suspect not much. Likely see you again, g’night, Kate.

          4. That is not a Yazidi child. it is a European child. Not that it matters, the brutality speaks for itself

    7. It's very good of you to offer your apologies but I thought your post, as utterly harrowing as it was, serves an important purpose.

      There are many people in this country who are supportive of Isis, directly or indirectly, and presumably supportive, therefore, of activities such as you have exposed above.

      We need a bloody good wake-up call and it's stuff like this that provides it……

  114. 389048+ up ticks,

    Listened to radio 4 going on about the loss of democracy having had two MPs murdered that was truly horrendous ,and how dangerous it was to be a serving MP, with input from the likes of jackie smith the one that walked with a police escort wearing a stab proof jacket in her own constituency.

    Not one word said of excessive deaths and life long injuries, plus the deceit, manipulation, blackmail meted our by the political / pharmaceutical deadly. combo.

    Not one word, death, serious injuries amounting to thousand upon thousands.

        1. To be fair; one Labourette is much like another.
          Unless they are of the Slammer persuasion.

      2. Protection from her erstwhile colleagues no doubt! The back panel is very thick.

      3. Protection from her erstwhile colleagues no doubt! The back panel is very thick.

        1. Trouble is, Kate, that – in Surrey at least – he's going to sweep the board. I've now had 20 flyers for Al bloody Illib Undem Pinkerton, one for Gove's successor and nothing from the rest. I offered to deliver Reform leaflets locally. Hell – I even offered to print them, gratis. Answer came there none.

          1. The photo I referred to, Geoff, is still up. I blocked the account Mumisbusy (or similar).

          2. It's useful to know about that kind of shit, but, like dead soldiers in Ukraine, I don't want pictures – that will haunt my sleep.

  116. That's me for this mad midsummer day. Into the second half of the God-awful year (weather-wise). Rain. Cold. The greenhouse thermometer measured a low of 9ºC while were were enjoying the chilly French sunshine.

    So I'll wish you a jolly evening – as the CH turns itself on……

    A demain. One hopes.

      1. It's been dry for more than a month here in Northants. The last serious rainfall was in May, the day that The Fakir stood in Downing Street and threw in the towel.

        The autumn and winter (Oct-Mar) was wet, almost 70% (!) more than average yet we didn't have any really serious flooding although other parts of the country weren't so lucky. It just rained frequently here.

        In the Peak District, the Dovedale stepping stones were damaged in November. Work to repair them hasn't been started because water levels have been high for so long.

        https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/…

    3. Just returned to Co Antrim, and lighting the Aga again. Never before on July the first.

      1. Just as bad. Tried to buy some pellets in yer France. Everywhere sold out.

          1. Thank you. Total bollox. What killed the bastards was the meta chemical now banned (of course) because it killed things.

  121. Weston A. Price Foundation, London Chapter
    @WAPFLondon
    ·
    Jun 30
    How would the registration of backyard chickens work if EVERYBODY who doesn't have a chicken registered a single hen?
    And if when inspectors came they said, "sorry, I've eaten it already".
    Would they be forced to concede defeat and get out of our gardens?!

    1. Where do i sign up? Both Dolly and Harry are self identifying. Cluck woofish.

      1. Actually Phizzee that’s genius. When they turn up, I’ll tell them I self identify as a chicken. If bird flu is mentioned, I’m a cat, of course.

    2. I think those who keep Chickens as a hobby should tell MinAg to Flock off!

        1. Except the ‘Civil Service will simply want to recruit hundreds of staff to deal with the backlog!!

    1. Fantastic place, Anne. I had some primitive notation software at the time, and was asked to produce a workable copy of "For the Fallen" – Laaurence Binyon's words set to music by Mark Blatchly. His original publication was handwritten and hard to follow. I've met him a few times since leaving East Anglia – he was at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, and went to Charterhouse, merely up the road from me. He played "my" organ at Seale for one service for "them at the big house" – I'd be offended, were it not for the fact that I get the fee, whether I play or not… 🙂

    2. Fantastic place, Anne. I had some primitive notation software at the time, and was asked to produce a workable copy of "For the Fallen" – Laaurence Binyon's words set to music by Mark Blatchly. His original publication was handwritten and hard to follow. I've met him a few times since leaving East Anglia – he was at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, and went to Charterhouse, merely up the road from me. He played "my" organ at Seale for one service for "them at the big house" – I'd be offended, were it not for the fact that I get the fee, whether I play or not… 🙂

  123. It’s similar most other places, Geoff…we can only guess how long before it starts to unravel. Trump will eat him, once he’s returned to power:-D Nearly lost it awhile ago, someone posted a photo of a young Yazidi girl being auctioned, thought that was out of order on this site. Think it might have been deleted now. Apologies all round if I was rude/ill-mannered.

      2. First time ever, Geoff, and I hope the last…can’t agree. Hope we’re still mates.

  124. Oh Happy Days!

    "By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com (Saturday Night Post)

    Renowned geopolitical and financial cycle expert Charles Nenner has been warning of a huge war cycle and plunging financial economic cycle. This week, Nenner’s war cycle “turned straight up” and his economic cycle “turned straight down.” The next big conflict is not going to be in Ukraine or Taiwan–just yet. On Saturday, this headline: “Iran Threatens Israel With ‘Obliterating War’ If It Attacks Lebanon.” Nenner says all hell is about to break loose. Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran and Turkey are key players in an escalating war with Israel. Nenner, who lives on the border with Lebanon in Northern Israel, interviewed with USAW just after a barrage of 100 rockets hit near his location. Nenner reports, “The children here have not gone to school for a year, and we are under rocket fire day and night. It is a very strange situation. What I don’t understand is the Arab resistance, led by Iran, did not see what happened in Gaza. If this really goes, Lebanon is going to disappear from the map. . . . How do I know these things? I know these things because I work with several governments in the world. . . . In the 1960’s, there was a war, and half of Cypress ended up Turkish and half of Cypress is Greek. Turkey never accepted that. . . . Israel is using airfields in Cypress. . . . If this really gets going, Turkey is going to take over Cypress because they support Hamas (and Hezbollah). Turkey will invade Cypress, and this will lead to a war between Greece and Turkey. Of course, Iran is going to be involved also. Big boats are heading to Israel, so America is going to be involved. Russia has its ideas too. . . . I don’t think Americans have any clue what is going on there, and they have no background. They are only busy with trying to win the Election, and it’s going to lead to catastrophe. If there is a war, Turkey is going to be involved, Cypress is going to be involved, NATO is going to be involved, and it is going to be much more serious than people think.”

    Nenner says, “We are already in the next big war cycle.” Nenner still thinks China is going to be a big problem and says, “I would say if the world is busy with all this nonsense, then this is a time for China to take Taiwan over. The war cycle is extra up, so we have to be very careful. A lot of my wealthy clients are busy trying to get visas . . . to Caribbean islands. I know many wealthy people busy trying to get visas and trying to get out of America. This is what is going on below the surface, and most small investors don’t know what is going on. . . . They are worried about a nuke strike or terrorists blowing stuff up left and right because they came through the border. This is a very dangerous situation. They are not leaving right now, but they are preparing now. . . . The war cycle has turned up, and it is going to be extra dangerous from the 3rd of July on.”

    Nenner says his big clients are also leaving the cities and buying houses in rural locations. Nenner told me this is a trend that has been going on for about 5 years, but it has picked up speed in the last year and a half.

    Nenner says his economic cycles have turned straight down. In NYC, Nenner points out, “I have very wealthy clients that just got out of commercial real estate with a 67% loss. I also know the banks, they are holding all these bad loans. The banks have US bonds coming to maturity that they have lost a fortune on. So, the banks, especially the regional banks, are going to be in big trouble. . . .The regional banks are very weak. A lot is burning below the surface, which nobody tells you about.”

    And this from yesterday:

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2ccd3c58ca03ec62bdb28a7ece591cdce55b1fc73789c096a17851eb2d557c43.png

    1. Anyone that has any experience of the berobed folks know they are not only cowardly when it gets serious they run away it is also the case that they wouldn't have a clue about which button to press to launch even if the U.S.A said it's the blue button.

  126. It shouldn’t be shown anywhere without a warning, and then only on certain sites. Should imagine there isn’t a parent/relative in the country unaware of the dangers. I could go on further, this isn’t the place.

  128. Not so sure. MiB is usually sensible – maybe she just underestimated the reaction? I'm not sure that I would have been smarter.

  129. Thank you. I have apologised elsewhere too. It seems I have set the cat amongst the pigeons.

    2. Had you shown the other little girls burnt in cages your detractors might have had a point. You have just shown the tip of the iceberg, just a whiff of the brutal depravity that these people would practice here

    3. Had you shown the other little girls burnt in cages your detractors might have had a point. You have just shown the tip of the iceberg, just a whiff of the brutal depravity that these people would practice here

  130. Thanks, think it was she posted a jokey comment about killing a rabbit when driving, sorry can't remember detail. Again, not funny. She'll stay blocked. Sorry not to agree. (I think you would have been smarter, btw.)

  131. But one or two of them do have the capacity to go out with a bang so to speak…..!

    1. Now that is almost certainly HMS Phoebe, the "Fighting 42" which "starred" as HMS Hero in the first series of Warship and IIRC part of the second. Some shots of the ship also appeared later in the series! Not a conventional deployment but interesting!! A very long time ago.

  136. Night night all. An uncharacteristically disconsolate sugar glider is sloping off to her basket. Let's hope that il fait meilleur temps le matin.

    2. Noooo! A sad-eyed sugar glider? I hope the weather is cheerier for.you in the morning.

  138. When did 'don't want them to have it' become 'unearned'? If Labour get a majority they get a majority. It isn't earned. The authority to govern is requested by a majority of the voting public.

    Monies put into savings accounts earn interest. Dividends earn returns. Investments rise in value. Deferred income is simply that.

    1. From Coffee House, the Spectator

      Proportional representation won’t save the Tories
      Comments Share 1 July 2024, 4:14pm
      Members and supporters of the Conservative party do not generally speak in favour of proportional representation (PR) – which is hardly surprising given that the current system has given them 49 out of the past 79 years in power. There are exceptions: Ferdinand Mount, head of the No. 10 Policy Unit under Mrs Thatcher, briefly advocated it during the Conservatives’ long period out of office in the 2010s before changing his mind after the Conservatives returned to power. In a debate in 2019, Conservative MPs Dan Poulter (who defected to Labour earlier this year) and Derek Thomas spoke in favour.

      Whatever the iniquities of this week’s result, Conservatives should plot a path back to power within the current system, not seek to change it.
      Come Friday, there may be rather more Conservatives toying with supporting the idea – especially if the very worst projections come true and the party finds itself with even fewer seats than those serial advocates of PR, the Lib Dems. Under PR, it is not impossible that the Conservatives could cling to power after the election in a coalition with Reform – although the greater likelihood would be of a Labour-Lib Dem coalition. There will be even greater demand for PR from Reform, who have been predicted to win upwards of 15 per cent of the vote on some polls while winning hardly any seats. Reform may well find itself in an unholy alliance with the Lib Dems in demanding electoral reform.

      True, the outcome of this general election could turn out to be even more lop-sided than Mrs Thatcher’s biggest victories. Some polls have Labour winning a 250-seat majority on less than 40 per cent of the popular vote. Yet the cry for PR is, nevertheless, one which needs to be resisted. This is not least because the public rejected a mild form of electoral reform – the alternative vote – by a two-thirds majority in a referendum 13 years ago. Anyone demanding change in the electoral system now would put themselves in the same boat as Nicola Sturgeon, who spent all her time as SNP leader demanding a second Scottish independence referendum. Once the people have rejected – or approved – something in a referendum that should be the matter closed for at least a generation.

      One especially unappealing aspect about PR is that it would mean voters could no longer pass judgement on individual MPs. In a wretched party list system, we could never have moments like Neil Hamilton’s defeat by Martin Bell in 1997. MPs elected under PR would only have to curry favour with their own party officials – after which they could hide behind their party’s popularity. By-elections would become redundant because any MP who died or resigned could simply be replaced with the one next down on the party list. No MP would have a personal mandate. We would lose the independent-minded MPs like Bill Cash or the late Frank Field, who were able to build a personal followings among their constituents. There might be a greater diversity of parties in government, but it would only come at the cost of far greater centralisation of powers by political parties. Party lists would inevitably be drawn up in Westminster, away from local constituencies.

      The British public have shown many signs of being disenchanted with their politicians in recent years, but PR would do nothing to resolve the problem. On the contrary, it would exacerbate many existing problems: our MPs would be more remote and more Westminster-centric. Whatever the iniquities of this week’s result, Conservatives should plot a path back to power within the current system, not seek to change it.

        1. I've not gone yet, Elsie! I was wishing Mum is Busy a good night. I shan't be long, though. I'm just planning my next holiday. Carpe Diem!

  142. Perishing cold this evening for our talk and walk watching swifts flying and going into their nest holes. More like March than July. Now I'm warming up in bed with a hot chocolate.

  145. Off to bed shortly, so Good Night chums. I hope you sleep well and awaken refreshed tomorrow. Bonne nuit mes copains.

  147. I have neglected this site in order to follow a few American podcasters so am reporting for duty rather late in the day.

    I commented earlier about Joe Biden, a disgusting creature who some idiot decided they could install as President and then manipulate the fool. The idiot in question is likely Obama, himself an illegitimate President on account of his having been born in Kenya when the British ran the place.

    I would simply remind everyone that Biden aggressively promoted the Covid jabs, boasted that the jabs were free and taken up by 200 million Americans and that the unvaccinated were the problem. As others at the time reasoned that if the jabs were safe and effective then the jabbed had nothing whatever to fear from the unjabbed who would presumably drop dead on the spot except we never did.

    In the real world, those dropping dead on the spot were the jabbed and the unjabbed had simply to dismiss the criticisms and stand and watch as others were either killed outright or else seriously harmed by the jabs.

    I read recently that during this fake pandemic thousands of UK civil servants and politicians were exempted from taking the jabs whilst many important workers were given no such exemption. No wonder the fat oaf Boris and his chums felt free to enjoy parties in the gardens of Number Ten.

    Do not forget. Do not forgive.

    We are confronted with truly evil people occupying establishment positions in government and its multifarious agencies who clearly wish us harm. I say screw the bastards at the coming election by voting Reform then try the same bastards for obvious crimes against humanity.

    1. You mean these evil prople?
      Democrats Hint At Assassination In Response To Supreme Court Immunity Decision..

      We had to assassinate our rival candidate to "save democracy”, opine very sane Democrats on TikkyTokky.

    1. 'Morning, Geoff and thank you for all the work and effort you have put in to keep us all going. Well done!

Comments are closed.