Saturday 5 August: Hard work ahead to change public perceptions of the justice system

Posted on by Geoff Graham

An unofficial place to discuss the Telegraph letters, established when the DT website turned off its commenting facility (now reinstated, but we prefer ours),
Intelligent, polite, good-humoured debate is welcome, whether on or off topic. Differing opinions are encouraged, but rudeness or personal attacks on other posters will not be tolerated. Posts which – in the opinion of the moderators – make this a less than cordial environment, are likely to be removed, without prior warning.  Persistent offenders will be banned.

Today’s letters (visible only to DT subscribers) are here.

583 thoughts on “Saturday 5 August: Hard work ahead to change public perceptions of the justice system”

    1. Would they bureaucrats be showering her with taxers' money from their red boxes?
      After all, they've now got the government they wanted

  5. Good morning, chums, and thank you Geoff for today's NoTTLe page.

    Wordle 1,148 3/6

    ⬜⬜🟩🟩⬜
    ⬜🟩🟩🟩⬜
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

  6. Useful idiots on social media being exploited by our enemies. Tom Tugendhat. 10 August 2024.

    “Useful idiots” on social media were exploited by Britain’s enemies to stoke rioting around the country, Tom Tugendhat has said.

    The Tory leadership contender, who is a former Army intelligence officer, said malign foreign states had “toyed with” the UK, seeing the Southport stabbings as “an opportunity where we can be divided”.

    It’s Vlad again. Whoever would have guessed?

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/08/09/tom-tugendhat-idiots-social-media-exploited-enemies/

    1. No Tom, all this is the fault of British politicians in recent governments and of most opposition parties, who have supported mass immigration, or who have conveniently turned a blind eye for the sake of their careers.

    2. No Tom, all this is the fault of British politicians in recent governments and of most opposition parties, who have supported mass immigration, or who have conveniently turned a blind eye for the sake of their careers.

  7. SIR – Although I applaud the swift manner in which the Government and police have acted to arrest rioters and put them through the courts, I wonder what might have happened under different circumstances.

    Imagine if the demonstrations supporting a Palestinian state and demanding Israel be wiped off the face of the Earth had been policed so robustly – as they should have been – and the Conservative government had enabled the fast-tracking of protesters into prison cells.

    I’m sure the then Labour opposition, along with Left-wing groups and the usual celebrities, would have been calling the reaction draconian, with human rights lawyers promising to appeal all the way to the European Court of Human Rights.

    Paul Morley
    Skipton, North Yorkshire

    1. Where is the political opposition in the HoC? The only one visible & audible is Farage, and I wouldb't be surprised if the government didn't do a Trump on him.

  8. Tech giants will be forced to ban fake news under Labour plans. 10 August 2024

    Tech companies will be forced to ban fake news from their platforms under plans being considered by the Government in the wake of the riots.

    Sir Keir Starmer suggested on Friday that the Government would review social media laws as part of efforts to prevent further disorder.

    No news is fake until proved to be so. Before that it is just speculation.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/08/09/tech-giants-forced-ban-fake-news-labour/

    1. Use the tactics of the late Soviet Union.
      Allegory and irony. Just say the opposite of what you mean.
      (And, to anyone unwise enough to have "Alexa" in the house, bin her PDQ.)

      1. Quite so.
        If I reach the point where I cannot haul myself from a chair but still have my mental faculties and ability to speak clearly, I think Alexa or similar AI might be useful. Otherwise, why on earth would one provide the Goliath Corporation with an opportunity to spy on one?

  9. CAPTION CONTEST (TWO-KEIR POLICE EDITION)

    Captain Weird
    Right, chaps – machetes are fine, but if you see anyone with a Union flag….

    Lorcx
    Englishmen Sir……..thousands of them…

    https://image.vuukle.com/bc32ce3d-ea0b-425d-8ba9-8bad0c43f236-78b329b9-0a35-48c7-a369-47f19d75eaeb

    Notional Trust
    Yes, Sir, we have had reports of a dog nonce at the BBC but I'm afraid we have no leads yet.

    wroughtironron
    "Listen you lot – my mate is in charge and he's got W-Allah on his side – Alans Snackbar!"
    https://image.vuukle.com/476cf82e-bd62-4623-bd3f-6ef20f5c586d-74c2bf7f-e02c-460d-9769-7410df67acac

    Obnox
    Sir, you are under arrest on suspicion of pretending to be the Prime Minister. You do not have to say anything but anything you say will be considered complete and utter bollox.

    Bruce Everiss
    Make sure you officers always carry your colour charts:

    https://image.vuukle.com/0fb1f625-47b3-4788-9031-5fe43d5ad981-548f57e7-070b-4da3-b3a5-e5b73ce747a8

  10. 391295+ up ticks,

    Morning Each,

    There is NO WAY on Gods creation that anything will change, for the better that is.

    We are suffering from top to bottom, odeeing on WEF / NWO
    fodder and actions odious governance.

    In reality we want ONE political / pharmaceutical NWO / WEF agent brought to book in regards toe the excess deaths odious issue, for the rest to fall in the great unravelling.

    Saturday 5 August: Hard work ahead to change public perceptions of the justice system

    3. That is scary, and some of the comments are even more frightening! The brainless grunts live among us.

      1. This one is a corker:
        "I suppose if you looked at the far rights rejection of science and reason when it comes to inoculation, and global warming, you might fear that science and reason are on their last legs, but happily, despite the grunting, I think they will survive."

  12. Good Moaning.
    Psyching myself up to travel south of the river: courtesy of British Rail or whatever it's called this week.

    2. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7cd7e7aacba471929c365d37b32677e10150d3edbf41db0fa7d6d67d0212737c.png
      The cretin who posted that imbecilic 'X' post is a clear and evident wanker.

      Rachel Swann has now been the full Chief Constable of Derbyshire for over five years. Despite her unusual hair style, she is more than well-respected by all members of staff at Derbyshire Constabulary, both police and civilian. She leads without fear or favour.

      Her predecessor, the Common Purpose idiot, Peter Goodman (he of the purple 'Bobby's helmet') was despised by all his staff and Ms Swann has regained that lost trust.

      2. 391295 +up ticks,

        Morning G,
        If wrong I stand corrected, rightly so.
        My only defence is taking in the overall picture of the guardian force currently.

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

    Russian and African Roulette

    There's this African ambassador visiting Russia and the Russians show the African how to play Russian Roulette.

    The African thinks to himself, "What a strange and daring culture!”

    The next day the African leaves and goes back to Africa.

    About a month later, the same Russian ambassador visits with the African ambassador in his own nation.

    When the Russian gets off the plane the African shows him to a circle of six buxom Nubian babes and says, "We have created our own version of your Russian Roulette!"

    "How do you play?" asks the Russian.

    The African replies, "Any one of these girls will give you a blow job."

    The Russian says "Wow! What a game! But, uh… where's the risk? The thrill?"

    The African says, "Oh, there's risk alright! One of the girls is a cannibal!"

  15. G'morning all,

    Cloudy at Castle McPhee, wind South-West, 16℃ going up to 22℃ this afternoon.

    The hypocrisy of the Great Bloviator is off the scale.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e3e9e20c18a393219fc4b1ceabdef02bafa1d61d958291bfef5b5ae6ea2505ec.png

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/08/09/boris-johnson-keir-starmer-deaf-immigration-concerns/

    Mr Johnson said: “Whatever you may have intended by all this, you gave the clear impression of a man who has no plan to stop illegal immigration because he simply doesn’t care.

    “But nothing excuses a government that seems deaf to public concerns, and that suggests, moreover, that they actively dislike all members of the public who share those concerns.”

    “It is time to reflect, PM, as you sip on your sundowner, on whether you struck exactly the right note on illegal immigration.”

    2. It's more serious than illegal immigration now. It's about authoritarianism and suppression of freedom of speech.
      Looks like Musk was right (and you don't get that rich by not being able to read the room…).

  16. Good morning, all. Broken cloud here and starting as it means to carry on if the forecast is correct.

    Are trails in the sky something to worry about? Masses of rumours abound and yesterday after a hard day's work mixing concrete by hand – I sold my mixer a couple of months ago – I was having a rest accompanied by a cold beer when I noticed this. The first was taken at 16:00 hours and the second and third about an hour later.

    Pictures one and two looking roughly south-east towards the coast. Picture three to the west.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/489301f88577ca4fb489b1f7ab4893d23d58479c15a2b7c3c56774d8b5079b7e.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8dc244355ca6e86c0ef36506ce84761712d884cc53fd98697a3165dc472c928e.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/00041ae55941a90ef250ff34a6c8bd5bcd85c2e03ce92f7f161395e10b3868de.jpg

    Now, segue from the trail pictures to yesterday's The Highwire that has a segment recorded by Aaron Siri, their lawyer, who came up with this little piece of news.

    Siri is investigating a company…

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0c3394ec75f384fdb344297b903e81f8aa0f38f8a5dbaa10234a72c191c04880.png

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/869817628d2c19cafc58b02230d3db155384d77ba318d193bb3658fa948fab6c.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/33b9d8344066a294856242b2b68e70202eb538282cc64c7b3c3047b42689cfbc.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/364e88a4f59bb5bef899de01ed173fb8c9117c935794f69cdb00073d1c788905.png

    …looking to use aerosol sprays to spread "vaccines" to everyone, thus ignoring 'informed consent'. Siri has issued around 30 FOIA requests regarding this disturbing revelation.

    Like using dust to block the Sun's output, what could possibly go wrong?

    The Highwire about 1 hour 18 minutes in. There's also a good segment from Jefferey Jaxon re the state of the UK here

    1. http://www.flightradar24.com might show the activity, but don't forget there are airways for high-level traffic (they leave contrails), most heading east-west and some of which cross. A bit like the picture you posted. You might be able to find the airways using https://skyvector.com/

      So, it might well not be malicious, it might well be civil air traffic on it's way to/from the US, for example. DEpending where you are.

      1. I don't think so. Take it from this old pilot: those trails are not at airliner cruising levels. They are much lower down, probably between 10,000 and 15,000 feet. The random criss-crossing is also a giveaway.

        1. The skyvector has routes for high level, low level and VFR, but I couldn't find the definitions of High & Low. Also, whilst I used to be a glider, that was 45 years ago, and I never was into high level long distance flying (except sitting in the cheap seats, with alcoholic beverage… did masses of that a few years ago), so I bow to your experience and knowledge.
          It just looked like the airways vharts I used to have, that's all.

          1. High level is above Flight Level 245 on the standard pressure setting of 1013.2 hectopascals (millibars). Medium level is a bit more vague and probably depends on the Transition Altitude of the particular block of airspace (in the London TMA it is 6000ft above mean sea level). Low level is below 2000ft above ground level so it is a moveable thing.

          3. I watched a video which believed that tptb are messing about with the atmosphere: shooting aluminium particles into it to make the sun reflect its rays back, I think was the claim. All that I know is that I have zero trust in our governments.

          4. Here’s one for you, Fiscal. I can’t find anything useful in web searches, but can a T-tailed propellor driven plane suffer deep stall? Such as, those unfortunates in Brazil yesterday? I’d have thought that you could blow plenty air over/under the tail with the propellors and so recover some elevator authority, but looking at many (rather awful) replays of the plane spinning leisurely down, the nose isn’t coming down (can’t see rudder properly to tell what’s happening there), and the thing just leisurely spirals in…
            Any thoughts?

          5. Yes. All T-tails have the same problem. The T-tailed jet transports – DH Trident, B727, VC10, BAC 1-11 etc, all had this danger. See here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1963_BAC_One-Eleven_test_crash

            As the WiKi page tells you, once the aircraft is stalled, the horizontal stabiliser, being mounted atop the fin, is in a turbulent, non-laminar air flow coming from the stalled wings. It therefore cannot get 'bite' to provide a downwards pitching moment to reduce the angle of attack and unstall the wings. A conventionally mounted low stabiliser, on the other hand, can. It makes you wonder why the T-tail design was ever adopted.

          6. Thanks!
            My wondering was over the placement of the engines – T-tails usually had rear-mounted engines inderneath them, so wing-mounted, especially with propellors, might be in a position to give some forward thrust and so some airflow over the tailplanes – allowing some control recovery.
            Those poor buggers in Brazil really got that one wrong – descent like a sycamore seed, horribly inevitable ending. There but for the Grace of God, and Airbus automation… Aged 17, I once (only) stalled my glider just before entering the circuit, as I had to do a 360 to avoid traffic, but the recovery manoevre worked nicely. It was over so quickly that I didn’t even need a change of underwear!

          7. Yes. All T-tails have the same problem. The T-tailed jet transports – DH Trident, B727, VC10, BAC 1-11 etc, all had this danger. See here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1963_BAC_One-Eleven_test_crash

            As the WiKi page tells you, once the aircraft is stalled, the horizontal stabiliser, being mounted atop the fin, is in a turbulent, non-laminar air flow coming from the stalled wings. It therefore cannot get 'bite' to provide a downwards pitching moment to reduce the angle of attack and unstall the wings. A conventionally mounted low stabiliser, on the other hand, can. It makes you wonder why the T-tail design was ever adopted.

      2. I don't think so. Take it from this old pilot: those trails are not at airliner cruising levels. They are much lower down, probably between 10,000 and 15,000 feet. The random criss-crossing is also a giveaway.

  18. And that's me signing off from my main PC until at least Tuesday, possibly Wednesday.
    Might be back on line with my laptop from whatever pubs I might find!
    TTFN All.

  19. Morning, all Y'all.
    Cool. sort-of rainy. Farming weekend…
    From yesterday, ref the threat to extradite people living abroad for hurty or otherwise truthful tweets: The punishment will be in the process. It will take forever and loadsa money to fight extradition. UK Govt has loads (taxpayers) money, so they don't care.
    But have they lost their minds? The recent headlines and newspaper articles seem to show Starmer government in even more authoritarian mode than Venezuela, China, Iran, the Soviet Union… I always thought that if this ever happened the essentially decent folk in the police, civil service (I was one, once, a long time ago) and so on would not comply with Nazi masters, and so it would never happen.
    Now it IS happening. Arrested and locked up just by passing by a demonstration – what the absolute fuck?

    1. I thought we have the right to protest peacefully. How can it be a bystander's fault if the protest suddenly stops being peaceful and turns into a riot? There is so much potentially wrong with this.

    1. And there I was thinking that it would be a consortium of Miliband of brothers, the Seldom Glummers and George Moonbat.
      Edit – sorry, I forgot that keffiyah wearing Labour donor who used to sub JSO – his name escapes me for the moment.

    2. As one BTL says they don’t include the cost of all the diesel used transporting the pellets from America and the lorries that deliver the pellets to Drax.
      The zealots will say the carbon from shipping is America’s and they will say it’s the UK’s. Both have achieved Net Zero. Isn’t that how it works.
      They all think we’re are stupid as they are.

      1. Not to mention the power required to turn the wood into dry pellets.

        It’s like digging up coal to sell for reburial and calling it carbon offset.

  22. Another one that's good for a laugh.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ed7604794b13380da2f05714cbb7b3e46f120725768563362d0385ecdb4f5d55.png

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/08/10/can-two-tier-keir-starmer-unite-britain/

    Not a snowball's chance in the Sahara.

    Gordon Rayner completely loses it with these comments.

    Has the PM risen to the occasion?

    The true test of any leader is how they respond to events, and in Sir Keir’s case, the first big crisis he has faced has come less than four weeks into the job.

    Some leaders rise to the challenge, like Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, finding resolve in abundance when they face the ultimate test. Others, like Sir Tony Blair, brilliantly make the most of a crisis, as he did when capturing the mood of the nation in his reaction to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

    Well, we all know what the puppet Zelenskiyy is and people of a genuinely conservative mien cringed at Blair.

    Then, right at the end, here's the truth from John Reynolds, a 73-year-old retired tradesman in Dagenham:

    “Starmer doesn’t have the capability to sort this out, because he’s the cause.

    “He doesn’t know what he’s doing and he’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to this country. He should be finding out what the problem really is rather than just responding with force.”

    1. On the subject of Blair's reaction to the death of the Princess of Wales in 1997 I think I nailed it in the satirical song I wrote soon after he came to power:

      The People's party, People's dome, the People's lottery
      I am the People's laxative so the People swallow me
      Pragmatic opportunism has given me success
      A sad girl died and so I dubbed her The People's Princess.

    2. We don't see much of him these days but…

      … Have a happy, happy day, Our Man, followed by 364 happy unbirthdays

    3. Happy Birthday, Man! Hope it's he best yet, and hope to see more of you on NoTTL.

    4. Thank you all for the kind wishes. I have a very busy home and work life at the moment so not a lot of time for active nottling, but rest assured I am watching over you to ensure you continue to play nicely! 😀

      4. Oh to be 57 again ,

        Enjoy your 50's and have a great day..

        Happy birthday and look after yourself .. , mid life crises can be very rewarding and fulfilling .
        .

      6. Good to see you here today, I hope you enjoy lots of variety with the Heinz's you live amongst

  24. 391295+ up ticks,

    What can Britain do to tame Elon Musk’s X after the far-Right riots?

    This question must be asked of the governing politico kapo's
    not decent patriotic folk.

    The SO far right peoples are only concerned with showing unity in peaceful protest, far left / right sword in hand looters are
    in the main, odious governing tools,

    As it stands what the SO far righters can do in regards to helping out MR Musk is offer up some honest high octane rhetoric in support.

      1. Difference of opinion is now trolling, is it? And, they are all at it, all the media.

        1. Not many different opinions in "our" press these days – the DT is full of carp about "extreme right wing thugs"!

      1. In that creature's world, mummy pays for everything. And mummy won't mind because daddy pays for everything. And he won't mind because he earns a shedload off the public purse through having a job in the public sector.

    1. This is the other disgrace that I woke up to this morning after turning on the computor. It is not unrelated to my post about Starmers overthrow of free speech. I suppose if I vehemently insist that this is not a woman but a thug that likes to beat up women, I am guilty of a crime.

    3. Trouble is if they go by chromosomes, all of those trannys will be excluded from female sports.
      What is the BBC to do?

  27. 391295+ up ticks,

    breitbart,

    Over correction Underway? UK Goes to War With The Internet After Social Unrest it Blames on Social Media.

    A serious case of BAD political workmen blaming their tools, the dailys, the BBc etc,etc.

  28. 'Morning All
    In a modern UK where those accused of the vilest rapes and murders are routinely given bail what in the seven hells is going on here??
    " You will be refused bail even if you only watched riots from the sidelines, judge warns

    Whether ‘active participant’ or ‘curious observer’, anybody involved in disorder will be locked up, Belfast court is told "
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/08/09/judge-refuses-bail-riot-bystanders-belfast/
    Anyone might think TPTB are a tad nervous……..

    2. They're on the side of the government that's all, which is itself against ordinary people expressing a point of view.

      Instead of looking at headlines people need to start joining up all Starmer's separate observations, because they build a consistent picture. We hear all the time that the rioters are far right thugs roaming the country stirring up trouble. They aren't locals. Meanwhile the government says it will, "protect local communities" from this supposed "minority". That's just a meaningless word salad for the newspapers. It's as gilt edged a promise as the one about ending illegal immigration. The judges' view appears to be that if far right thugs invade your town and occupy the street outside your house then unless you run away and hide your eyes lest you witness something, then you will be in trouble. I think we can plainly see who Sir Kneelalot is interested in trimming up and it ain't just far right thugs. He is a politician with a very old political methodology about him. It's just he's not very good at being subtle about it.

      Starmer is a lawyer. Starmer is for the rule of lawyers. Judges are lawyers.

      As Shaun Bailey put it, they have picked sides.

    3. People will be arrested for walking on the cracks in the pavement, or looking at a police officer in a funny way.

  29. Yo and Good Moaning from dullish (the weather, not the people) Costa del Skeg

    Just weighed have lost 10lbs in the last fortnight.

      1. YoT_B

        Lotsa laxytives, to clear blocked innards!

        It s that or a deep sleepand a sharp knife

    3. Reminds me of the Aussie guy who came into his local bar boasting about his new-born son who weighed 9 lb. A couple of weeks later he was in the bar again and a pal asked him what the baby weighed now. He said 7lb 4 oz. His pal said "Why has he lost so much weight? He replied "We had him circumcised"

  30. https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/6b1daff003cfc5f39218bc8a2d6b19753b105529/0_0_3500_2790/master/3500.jpg?width=700&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=95c0c9e3759c0b6401bd1bf99ee66113 Burrowing owls on the campus of Scottsdale community college in Arizona, US

    https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/ff0fb5a7892328f71553ef593b30d3c0e3e6acf1/0_0_2649_1913/master/2649.jpg?width=700&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=36c451d605922a34d111cec4aff10bd7 A whale breaches as Brazil’s Tatiana Weston-Webb and Costa Rica’s Brisa Hennessy compete in the women’s surfing semi-finals during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Teahupo’o, Tahiti

    https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/91280fb48d5b791af74e6902ebce44c0fd00e1f1/0_0_3000_2086/master/3000.jpg?width=700&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=d74cb83e03b63223f5a9a79d834c65fc A bedraggled robin after a heavy summer shower in Cheltenham, England

    https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/498505a00548dd4704ecf1eb31c80b6eec686059/0_0_3019_2015/master/3019.jpg?width=700&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=21878e30954143519d48757f4b6950b9 A group of adult and juvenile red deer stags seek shade in the large woodland areas at Granat wildlife reserve, Germany

    https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/6b27f892ca9aa04a316cea01a6324ec23aed874d/0_0_6916_4611/master/6916.jpg?width=700&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=654148b41b1cda99dc8711d339c4b14c A great white egret takes flight at Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    1. 25 years ago on our silver wedding anniversary we went to New England.
      On the boat trip to see the whale's I was standing behind a guy who was explaining everything to his young son probably about 5 years old.
      Suddenly just 15 feet from the side of the boat a huge humpback breached.
      The guys reaction to this was to jump back and up from his son and shout "Holy Shit did you see that" ! I wonder if the 30 year old still remembers that wonderful moment.

      1. About twenty years ago we went out on an evening kayak ride, a whale surfaced right beside us and replenished it's air supply.
        I can still recall the stench of whale snot.

  31. Mixed Medley
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0cba6fabe44e88002ff49e4ac566912e1752421512611b1d644d0a6a7ad60036.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bdc8ab294bd9bdc4d41635184f64071b9cf2778550e48313ea05b30b8a7364b2.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9f3f35cbd3b845535738d0fc2155a7342f191d12447b7b2365f8295fa85807f9.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2fb41c06e4cef8d14beaba63d7f9b202546d08bf2524498c3ca5a78666b6ca83.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/84ad54ffa4c2fdc55b8dad41de0bb6bb75d9615dfca46beff3876a5eea9bb116.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/30c681c575c76f622eb1ecb8c3cc8502cef0ad6341e33d7b1552ab16a38c1059.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e275a217aa24304177eb4cbd6b5548d7607ff4121ee46df5d7899564a540f376.png

    1. How did we get here so quickly?

      Peter Hitchens reveals that Sir Keir attended a sinister Marxist–Leninist summer camp in cold war Czechoslovakia in 1980.. to confront the concerns about the dangers that late 20th-century materialism posed.
      These were the grim years of the show trials of the dissidents.. where counsel for defendant Václav Havel congratulated the state prosecutor on his case and apologised for having to advance a plea of not guilty.

      The UK is cold war Czechoslovakia.

  32. My 'home page' is Fox News. This morning, at 6 am I switched on my compactor to be greeted by this
    https://www.foxnews.com/media/uk-police-commissioner-threatens-extradite-jail-us-citizens-over-social-media-posts-we-come-afte
    Who the hell does this creature of the left wing thug, Starmer, think he is? Is the Marxist agenda of the Labour Party to go international and do these deluded fools think that anyone is going to go along with their diktats?
    We have now come to the point in this country where we are being directly threatened for what we write. The privacy of our minds has been invaded by these tin pot dictators who would dictate to us what we should think and say. If we do not obey we will live in fear of getting a knock on the door with admonishments to correct our thinking or to face jail time. There were a couple of regimes that behaved thus in the 20th Century and it did not end well for them. No one can pretend that we live in a democracy anymore, it is self deception or sheer hypocrisy to believe so. Our country has become a disgrace ruled over by cultural and politically hyenas. I am furious, angry, that these left wing thugs, these bully's, telling me or any English man or woman what we may think and consequentially, what we may do, who we speak to, what we join or the people we may associate with. With the murder of free speech that this dictatorial government is well on its way to completing, that is exactly what they are telling us. To take away our free speech is to take away our conscience and our liberty. And this bunch dare to call those people in the streets "hooligans!

    Good Morning.

      1. I can’t imagine that the US would allow its citizens to be extradited over such trivia. This is an empty threat.

        1. No. Musks remarks fall well within the criteria for free speech in the USA. I suppose because I am so used to the idea of the first amendment this atrocity by the Labour Government actually hits me at the level of a personal assault on my well being. I regard this as deeply evil because it is an attack on all that it means to be a free human being made in the 'image and likeness of God'. Taken that way, it is a blasphemous act.

      2. I am glad that the good Commissioner mentioned that no one is beyond the reach of the law, even if they live abroad. I don't think for example that the Iranian government much approves of him.

        Swords though. Tend to have two edges to them.

      3. I am glad that the good Commissioner mentioned that no one is beyond the reach of the law, even if they live abroad. I don't think for example that the Iranian government much approves of him.

        Swords though. Tend to have two edges to them.

    3. Morning Jonathan. Far left government disapproves of free speech. Who'd a thunk that?

  33. 391295+ up ticks,

    More truth,

    Gerard Batten
    @gjb2021

    ·
    16h

    And what is the state of Britain?

    Fifty years ago we were a more or less cohesive society. Since then mass & indiscriminate immigration & the doctrine of multiculturalism has destroyed that cohesive society.

    Now we have competing elements, the most militant of which is literalist & fundamentalist Islam, which will not rest until Islam dominates Britain. Govnt & the police go in fear of them & have surrendered.

    The white working class are at the bottom of the pile & openly despised by the Labour Party as ‘far right thugs’, as indeed is anyone who questions the insane doctrine of unremitting immigration.

    Multi ethnic societies, where everyone holds the same or similar values, can work; multicultural societies are a recipe for division & conflict & cannot work.

    1. How many languages do the labour councilors speak so that they actually know who might be swearing.
      And who in their rightmind would actually pay that.

      1. Again, it's a naked clamp down on free speech. There already exist laws to deal with bad, offensive or abusive language in public. The difference is that these have context in relation to public order. This though "de-contextualises" bad language, uncoupling it entirely from public order.

        Your language gets policed by council officials. Better than that, all they need is some passer by in hearing distance and the council gets to decide what is and what is not offensive. It doesn't even need to cause offence, just that it "can" be heard.

        The council now get to decide what is and what is not swearing. They'll stretch this. If someone says, "I think immigrants should be made to go home" in public? Offensive? If the council decides that's abusive towards immigrants then I'd say that this law covers it.

        This isn't only about "swear words". People need to wake up.

        1. How many times have motorist shouted at each other, pedestrians shouted at motorist an cyclists been involved in similar aggressive incidents.
          Many weaponised cyclists now have head cameras. Motorist have dash cams and of course pedestrians have mobile phones with cameras that seem to be in constant use.
          But the only people who might be involved in such an incident who would be recognised by the vehicle number plate is obvious.
          Fines could be flying about for ever.
          The political classes never think anything through. This is why our country is now in such a mess.

          1. A few months ago a young man rode his electric bike diagonally across the street at me when I was starting to cross Wimpole Street in central London (he ended up on the wrong side of the road). He just stopped as I stretched out my arm to try to stave him off and clearly found it funny. I screamed “ What the F*** do you think you are doing?” 2 or 3 times. I was so shaken that I wouldn’t have had any chance of filming the incident on my phone.
            I realise now that I should consider myself lucky that Westminster Council didn’t issue me with an on the spot fine for swearing.

    2. That should raise enormous sums, given that "fucking" has become the adjective of choice for far too many people.

    3. The order says: “All persons are prohibited from using foul or abusive language in such a manner that is loud and can be heard by others and cause either alarm or distress to any other person in any public place.” The penalty is £100 to be paid within 28 days but is reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days, KentOnline reports.

      Labour run council, doesn't agree with free speech. Who knew? I can understand it though. Labour has much to fear from free speech.

      Apparently some residents reckoned it "a bit harsh"…

      Beware the fury of the patient man.
      . –       Dryden.

      1. Typically labour and they are not alone in destroying our country and its culture and social structure.
        And when people react, the blame for all the damage caused is redirected towards the victims.

        1. If all you do in politics is to tell lies about your opponents then what else can you do except spew out more lies when challenged? The trouble with lefties is that they've never come to terms with the fact that the people they occasionally get to rule are not actually their political opponents.

          So yes, take it out on the victims every time. That's their m.o.

          1. Well practiced habitual and pathological lying. The most predominant factor in Britain’s political history.
            One lie leads directly to another.
            They really should make a serious attempt to change this. It’s destroying the future of our country.

          2. Endemic. Liberal-minded unthinking types, sly lefties and so on have undermined language. Most of them probably now actually believe their own lies.

          3. The biggest and overall lie Wastemonster has ever committed,
            was to get rid of Elizabeth Filkin.
            Their love of stealing taxpayers money has never been satisfied.
            Cheats and liars all.

      2. People no longer express themselves by saying Gordon Bennett , or Crikey Moses , or Luvaduck , or Christophero Columbos , Hells teeth , buckets of blood , or even Cor Blimey , for goodness sake , heavens above , oh sugar , Blimey o' riley ', cripes , drat, damn, blast, struth , give me strength, Codswallop, Put a sock in it.

        Can any of you add to the list

        2. Cor Blimey? Short for "God blind me" you mean? Depends whose god you're referring to I suppose.

        3. Judas H Priest (a favourite of Lt Howard Hunter in Hill Street Blues)
          Ed. Or it might have just been Judas Priest

          2nd edit How about ‘forsooth!’ Or even ‘od’s boddikins, forsooth!’

        4. Judas H Priest (a favourite of Lt Howard Hunter in Hill Street Blues)
          Ed. Or it might have just been Judas Priest

          2nd edit How about ‘forsooth!’ Or even ‘od’s boddikins, forsooth!’

      3. I hope they fine people shouting 'Allahu Akbar' in a public place, as that causes me alarm and distress.

        1. Think we know what would happen there. Council officials will get to decide what's offensive.

    4. If any fucking street warden fucking tried to fucking fine me for fucking swearing in the fucking street I'd fucking tell him/her/it to FUCK OFF!

    1. This needs to go for Appeal.
      All Appeals need to be denied.. Cabinet memo to Lord Chief Justice.

  36. SIR – Although I applaud the swift manner in which the Government and police have acted to arrest rioters and put them through the courts, I wonder what might have happened under different circumstances.

    Imagine if the demonstrations supporting a Palestinian state and demanding Israel be wiped off the face of the Earth had been policed so robustly – as they should have been – and the Conservative government had enabled the fast-tracking of protesters into prison cells.

    I'm sure the then Labour opposition, along with Left-wing groups and the usual celebrities, would have been calling the reaction draconian, with human rights lawyers promising to appeal all the way to the European Court of Human Rights.

    Paul Morley
    Skipton, North Yorkshire
    ________________________________________

    SIR – It is greatly disturbing that Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, is living in fear as a Muslim politician (report, August 9).

    However, he might now think differently about his inaction when, week after week, Jewish communities in the capital and other cities have been intimidated and left fearing for their lives by some pro-Palestinian marchers.

    Sue Crouch
    Stroud, Gloucestershire
    ________________________________________

    SIR – I see that a rioter has received a three-year sentence for striking a police officer – a well-deserved punishment, in my view.

    I will be curious to see what sentence is given to the person responsible for breaking the nose of a female police officer at Manchester Airport recently.

    Malcolm Reid
    Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire

        1. Thank you Jasper. Haven’t been over to the Telegraph today. Off now to read.

    2. Deafening silence from lefties over Draconian application of law. I suspect they understand fully this time around no one is coming for them.

  37. Morning all 🙂😊
    Bright again, have a good day all Nottlers invited to the lunch.
    Hard work ahead to change the public perceptions of the 'justice' system.
    When a government completely ignore public opinion, there never will be a working justice system. Only fascism.
    Stop robbing the hard working tax payer's and pensioners. Stop the illegal invaders and stop sending our money to foriegn countries who don't even seem to appreciate it. Well the leaders seem to lap it up.
    There's a good start to real and meaningful justice.

  38. Too often recently, Neil Oliver's addresses have been almost tired, as though he can't find anything more to say about the state of the nation and simply reworks previous messages. Here, though the theme may be familiar, the delivery is not. This time it's angry, the first time for a long time. And even if you were inclined to think the state of the UK today is as more cock-up than conspiracy, simply weakness on behalf of successive administrations, you'll change your mind.

    And note his reference to Ralph Schoellhammer and the continuity of civilisations, social contracts between the dead, the living and those yet to be born. Our contract has been burned…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F91O0YwtvM

    1. There is no "compare". If you are on the left you are privileged and can do what you like. If you are an uneducated twerp or identify as politically on the right, you are a thug worthy of any sentence that Judge Jeffries chooses to hand out. Pity there is no more public execution, I suppose we will have to wait for that circa 2060.

    2. And nothing if you are a pead o phile caught with 19000 indecent images of children…

  40. Tommy Robinson providing proof that the MSM manipulates, edits his words, in order to make it appear that he is saying things that he is not. Sky did't realize that this new interview was being recorded. I would remind that Robinson recorded the BBC Panorama programme doing the same thing, in fact trying to bribe one of the people working for him in order to defame him.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv3rkqgwPsw&t=14s

  41. Billy Joel, Principality Stadium, Cardiff, review: Pop icon hits the high notes in his seventies
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/concerts/billy-joel-principality-stadium-cardiff-review/

    Billy Joel's song writing, singing and piano playing makes Elton John look ordinary by comparison.

    Was it the word "cocked" that the AI moderator didn't like?

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2ba9c9863f242400ff68f60d298fe82614a49e9e684033b8b341ae851f581f90.png

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5a3020b2794593f495f1bd57d3b992153bb5092e1bcd0d9681d5b80107bfb015.png

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxEPV4kolz0

  42. Are we in a time machine? This forum is on Saturday 5 August. I didn't know we were still in 2023. Or have I been transported back there?

    What have I missed out on over the past year?🤣

    2. I have been wrestling with this/ and logging in since 07.30 this morning, Griz. It would appear that Graham has created 'Saturday 5 2024' – but searching cannot find it!

  44. Is anyone having problems with text on Discus? I keep being mis-corrected. For example. I noticed in one of my posts 'computer' was corrected to 'compactor', quite annoying. I appreciate the ordinary spelling thinggy that underlines spelling errors but this other thing is annoying. Anyone know how to get rid of it?

    1. I have problems with Disqus too, usually accessing the darned thing…also the spelling…no sorry don't know how to change settings.

    2. Can't do anything about it I'd say.

      It is a low form of AI at work I believe. It looks at what you're writing and makes a guess as to what you meant based upon what you tend to usually write about. Additionally there are key words I'd think that those good ole bros from Californ-nee-I write into the system that get autocorrected, usually I find related to computing specialist terms.

    2. Not bad, the Canadian women's team beat NZ 22 – 19 earlier this year,

      I am tempted to day that the all blacks are past their prime but that would probably result in the thought police knocking on the door

  48. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7fa723d550948a9e75a51751d6f0988684ba5fc1599f852b6ac87a94750c7e59.png https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ff7341a0818bed4073d5f35107ceba851f2c436005d3b0d7284d7867a692c033.png
    Apropos the earlier discussion on the current calibre of Chief Constables of British police forces (I discussed the relative merits of Rachel Swann, currently CC of Derbyshire), I give you two former Chief Constables of Derbyshire: the former was CC when I started; the latter took office (thankfully) well after my retirement. Their testimonials speak for themselves.

    Sir Walter Stansfield CBE CStJ MC QPM CPM (15 February 1917 – 14 December 1984) was a British police officer and soldier who was Chief Constable of Denbighshire Constabulary (1964–67) and Derbyshire Constabulary (1967–79).

    Stansfield was born in Brighouse, Yorkshire, on 15 February 1917, the son of F. and A. G. Stansfield. He was educated at Chartres, France, and at the Heath Grammar School, Halifax, Yorkshire, before joining the West Riding Constabulary in 1939. Three years later, he joined the Royal Artillery and a year later joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE).

    He parachuted into France (near Severac, Aveyron), in June 1944 in order to organise maquis groups and direct sabotage and attacks on the retreating Germans. He was Lieutenant Colonel during the Control Commission in Germany during 1945–46 and was seconded to the Special Police Corps in Germany from 1946 until 1950.

    Stansfield served in the West Riding Constabulary (1950–56) before being seconded to the Cyprus Police Force from 1956 to 1959.[2] He returned to the West Riding Constabulary in 1959 and was Assistant Chief Constable from 1962 to 1964. He was appointed Chief Constable of Denbighshire Constabulary in 1964, and then became Chief Constable of Derbyshire Constabulary in 1967.

    In 1981, he was the Joint Editor (with James Fryer) of the 24th edition of Cecil C. H. Moriarty's handbook of police law, Moriarty' s Police Law: An Arrangement of Law and Regulations for the Use of Police Officers. Stansfield died on 14 December 1984.

    Stansfield was awarded the Military Cross (MC) in 1945 and was also the recipient of the French Croix de Guerre (with Palm) in 1947. He received the Colonial Police Medal (CPM) in 1959 and the Queen's Police Medal (QPM) in 1969. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1974 New Year Honours. Stansfield became a Knight Bachelor in the 1979 New Year Honours and was appointed a Commander of the Order of St John of Jerusalem (CStJ) later the same year.

    Peter Goodman,Common Purpose, Purple Helmet, abolished the Derbyshire Constabulary Male Voice Choir, and promoted "Diversity".

    I was honoured to have served under Sir Walter. I am truly thankful I did not serve under Goodman!

      2. May I 'fiddle'

        The purple helmet must make its wearer want feel a bit of a dick.

        oooooops

      3. May I 'fiddle'

        The purple helmet must make its wearer want feel a bit of a dick.

        oooooops

    2. I was at b/school with a girl with the same surname , but who had a good family history , I wonder whether she was his daughter . (My school , North Yorkshire )

    4. Police men you could respect – and we did.
      I thought the piece about the customised police helmet was satire?

      1. He wished he'd never had that picture taken. Other bobbies posted it all over the internet and ridiculed him so he promptly removed it from the Force's website, but much too late.

    1. The "bad guys", the white working class, probably support him and the Royal Family to a far greater extent than the "good guys", immigrants and lefties.
      It's never a good idea to alienate your friends and supporters in favour of your enemies.

    2. Bonjour Mr T and everyone.
      "King calls for unity in wake of riots"
      The Telegraph headline writers were being mischievous.
      Unity departed in 1948, before the King was born.
      R.I.P. Mrs Freeman-Mitford (8th August 1914 – 28th May 1948)

      Edit: the interwebby informs me that the French use the phrase “Madeleine de Proust” to describe smells, tastes, sounds reminding you of your childhood or bringing back emotional memories from a long time ago. childish, but the word 'unity' is paired with 'Mitford' in my rapidly shrinking brain.

      1. Some believe that she didn’t die in 1948 but the news was put out there to enable her to escape whatever come-uppance she was due.

    3. All institutions have been captured by the Progressive Liberals.. with the exceptions of The Monarchy & The Military. Starkey.

      Statement needs updating.

    4. I wonder if anyone might have taken the opportunity to explain to him what has been the real cause of the mounting and therefore
      terrible unrest ?

    1. Terrible people. Living in luxury like that, out of the largesse afforded to them from trading in poor black slaves. Wicked people.

    3. Two of 'em 'ave boots on! And one 'as a cap! Luxury! Nah when I were a lad…

          3. 391295+ up ticks,

            G,
            Sam Small, new to me also, you being blocked can it just be some sort of screw up ?

          5. It may be somebody who used to use another handle but hasn’t changed their email.

  54. Sir Tony Sewell: ‘Starmer and Angela Rayner taking the knee was a disaster’

    The author of a landmark report into racism says the Prime Minister needs to ‘get a grip’ on the recent riots or risk them being repeated

    Gordon Rayner, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
    9 August 2024 • 8:00pm

    If Sir Keir Starmer wants to know why Britain’s worst riots in more than a decade have happened on his watch, he need only pay a visit to Lord Sewell, the man who wrote a landmark report on racial and ethnic disparities in 2021.

    Tony Sewell, as he was then, ruffled feathers – particularly on the Left – by concluding that deprivation, rather than ethnicity, was the biggest driver of inequality, and that poor white people in “left behind” towns made up the largest group of disadvantaged people in the country.

    Three years on, his report seems uncannily prescient, and Lord Sewell believes that unless Sir Keir confronts the underlying issues that have driven so many people onto the streets in recent days, the appalling scenes that have shamed the country will only be repeated.

    Sewell, a big bear of a man, is not afraid to speak his mind, even if what he says is regarded as heresy by many of the Left-wing academics with whom he has spent his career as a teacher and lecturer in Brent, Leeds and Jamaica.

    His suggestion in his report that Britain was not institutionally racist earned him a comparison to Joseph Goebbels from one academic, while the Labour MP Clive Lewis tweeted a picture of a Ku Klux Klan member.

    He refuses, though, to be cowed, and remains thoroughly robust in his views as we discuss Starmer’s handling of the riots and why they happened in the first place.

    “Racism is a reality and it does affect people,” he says, “but people do have legitimate concerns which need to be addressed. And I think that politicians need to be able to disentangle the two [and not] stigmatise whole communities.”

    Sir Keir has laid the blame for the civil unrest squarely at the feet of far-Right thugs, but Sewell believes he has boxed himself in by “talking this tough talk” and will now find it difficult to accept publicly that there is more to it than that.

    “It comes down to leadership,” he says. “I don’t believe personally that Keir Starmer has shown me anything that is going to be any different.”

    While the killings of three girls at a dance class in Southport on July 29 and the online disinformation about the background of the suspect were the spark for the rioting that followed, “a lot of these rumblings were going on well before that”, Sewell says.

    In 2020, Sewell was asked by Boris Johnson to be chairman of a Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, and with 10 other commissioners, all but one of whom were from ethnic minorities, he produced a 258-page report into the fissures in society.

    Driven by data, it reported that “most of the ethnic minorities in Britain, particularly in education, but also in some employment outcomes and in aspects of health, were doing well”, he says.

    “The group that was doing the worst was the white group. If you’re an ethnic minority, living in London, your chances in education are much greater than any other group in the country.

    “So what we concluded was that, in fact, the biggest driver for disparities was nothing to do with race at all, but geography … all those areas today that you see in riot situations.”

    What those areas have in common, he says, is that: “All of those areas have been left behind or neglected and we just pointed that out in the report.

    “It’s actually got the answers, or at least part of the analysis, as to why we’re here today.”

    He says that Right-wing groups have “manipulated” the situation and that racism is clearly driving many of the rioters, but by failing to deal with “left behind” white communities, politicians have “allowed the fox to come into the chicken coop”.

    If you wanted to give a name to that fox, it might be Tommy Robinson, the English Defence League founder accused of helping stoke unrest in the chicken coop of deprived white communities.

    If, as he says, there have been “rumblings” for several years, is it just bad luck for Labour that the riots have happened on their watch or is there a direct link to the change of government?

    “A lot of people now feel homeless politically,” he says. “They didn’t vote for Labour. They felt let down, Boris Johnson came in as a champion of their cause and then they got let down by him and … they found themselves in his no man’s land. Nobody’s really championing their cause.

    “So in a sense, what you’ve got is a situation where people who’ve got nowhere to go politically go to the streets, or get manipulated by these extreme groups.

    “What you can’t do in your country is leave your populace disenfranchised, which is really what it is – a sense that nobody is listening to you.”

    I ask whether Labour’s decision to drop the Rwanda scheme without having an alternative ready to go might have contributed to the anti-immigration sentiments on display. He says “there is some sense in which that being stopped and no alternative being put is definitely an answer” but is adamant that “if you went to a great school and had good job prospects you wouldn’t take to the streets in this way because you would have had a comfortable existence”.

    Born in Brixton and raised in Penge, south London, Sewell experienced plenty of racism as a child in the 1960s and 70s, saying that the police’s behaviour towards young black people was “like The Sweeney times 10”. Some of his contemporaries, he says, have never come to terms with it to this day.

    Despite that experience, Sewell has little time for the Black Lives Matter movement, a response to the murder by a white police officer of George Floyd, a black father of five, in Minnesota in 2020.

    He rolls his eyes at the recollection of Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner taking the knee to show solidarity with the BLM movement the same year.

    “Taking the knee, him and Angela Rayner – disaster!” he says. “Both of them were just taking their lead from the US. They’d found this strange cause that was in America and were bringing it to Britain and yet the Sewell Report was telling you that for [disadvantaged] white people the outcomes were poor. Were you taking the knee for them? It was nothing to do with them, so you’ve just alienated half the population, why would you ignore the majority population?”

    He suggests that Sir Keir and Ms Rayner “went along because it was the trendy thing to do, so that for me was the Achilles heel in there.

    “I think he regrets that. I think looking back, probably a lot of people are embarrassed by a lot of that stuff that came after BLM.”

    He believes that the police response to BLM protests, which resulted in injuries to police officers and the toppling of public statues, is at the root of current accusations from the far- Right of “two tier policing”, in which protests against some causes are allegedly policed more harshly than others. Sir Keir and Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, have denied such a thing exists.

    “I think that what happened after BLM was very strange,” says Sewell. “The police got themselves in a scenario where they didn’t police that in the way they should and almost – they ran with the whole kind of George Floyd thing themselves because they felt it was about police, they were part of the problem, so they were taking the knee as well.

    “So the problem started there. Normally what you would do in that situation is crack down, but they allowed people just to let off steam so I think they got themselves in this scenario and I think that that’s where the two-tier has its origins because there is a group of white people coming along and protesting and they’re getting cracked down on, so that’s the problem.”

    Sewell is speaking on a Zoom call from Jamaica, where he has just celebrated his 65th birthday. Although he lives with his wife Adele – with whom he has one daughter – in Coulsdon, south London, he has a holiday home on the north coast of Jamaica looking out onto Goldeneye, Ian Fleming’s beloved writing retreat, where the author rattled out his James Bond books while smoking himself to death.

    “He is my role model, apart from all the smoking and the womanising!” Sewell grins. “I hope the next Bond is somebody that we can be proud of, and that means getting back to having a traditional Bond, not a woke Bond, because it’s all about the character. There are plenty of others who can do shoot ups and car chases but with Bond, the character is the character.”

    After studying English Literature at Essex University and later obtaining a doctorate in education, Sewell forged a career as one of the country’s leading educational consultants, where his work with academy schools brought him to the attention of Boris Johnson, then Mayor of London. Having been chairman of an inquiry into education in the capital for him, he was asked in 2020 to become chairman of the race commission.

    Having received a CBE in 2016 for his services to education, in 2022 he was elevated to the House of Lords as Baron Sewell of Sanderstead.

    When Sewell was teaching in Jamaica in the 1980s he decided that while every empire in history – including the British Empire – had been guilty of atrocities, it was also important to acknowledge the positives from Britain’s legacy, such as Jamaica’s legal system, its educational system and its parliament.

    “What’s frustrating,” he says, “is that you see in the university sector, you see in parts of the media, this almost sadomasochistic kind of indulgence in saying ‘we are so terrible’, yet the legacies we have left have not been that, it’s not been all negative.

    “This whole notion of decolonising everything, which is really just another way of saying just be ashamed of yourself, does not acknowledge the positives.”

    He recalls a lecture he did for American students attending a summer school in Oxford, where he taught them about the British roots of so many of their structures and traditions, and says he realised that white British children would have enjoyed it because “they don’t understand their own history, they don’t understand their own culture”.

    Instead of having something to be proud of, “they’ve been told, mainly by a London elite, that they’re rubbish and they’re part of this white privilege.

    “If they’re living on a council estate in Newcastle they are not really in touch with anything that is privileged but they’re told they are.”

    As for his own childhood, Sewell, the eldest of three children, speaks fondly of his church and his Sunday school, which fed into a sense of community, and of his formidable Jamaican mother, “a towering figure, even though she was tiny”, who worked in a factory where she was the only black woman, alongside 20 white men.

    “I felt sorry for the 20 white men because woe betide if they missed her birthday or anything,” he laughs.

    He saw in the Caribbean community a resilience, a refusal to be defined as victims, and an entrepreneurial spirit that convinced him that an individual’s drive and determination played a far bigger role in their chances of success than their skin colour.

    One of those who spoke out in support of the Sewell Report was Kemi Badenoch, who Sewell is now backing for the Tory leadership.

    He says she “got it” because she picked up on the need for an “inclusive Britain”, though Sewell prefers the term united Britain.

    The way to achieve it, he says, “isn’t just people getting around a tree and singing Kumbaya or feeling good when we’re playing football and suddenly the country is united for a day”.

    Instead, as you might expect for an educational consultant, he believes the answer lies in our schools.

    If children work and play together in schools – as distinct from doing that side-by-side – they are more likely to grow up living and socialising together, he thinks.

    He points out that the most racially integrated schools are private schools, but says that their success can be replicated in state schools if good head teachers are allowed to get on with the job of transforming their schools into centres of excellence.

    Hackney in north London is his case study: in 1990 only 14 per cent of children in the borough achieved five or more GCSEs at grades A to C, but the introduction of academies in the early 2000s has lifted the equivalent pass rate to more than 80 per cent in some schools today.

    As a result, Hackney has become more prosperous as middle-class parents move into the area because of its now excellent state schools, which is in turn contributing to better racial integration.

    “So if you get people coming in and spending money that’s transformative that is levelling up in itself, isn’t it?” he says.

    That is a long-term plan, but what would Sewell tell Starmer he needs to do right now to promote harmony?

    “Get rid, first of all, of all of the identity politics, all of the nonsense, all of the rhetoric around diversity, exclusion, inclusion, blaming the majority for ills in the past. It’s not actually taking us anywhere. It’s actually making the country disunited.”

    Another immediate change should be to pump more resources into academy schools, and he also believes that some “second tier universities” need to close and become skill centres, effectively a return to the polytechnic system.

    Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, should have been “straight out of the box” tackling issues of inequality of education, but instead, Sewell says, Labour is obsessing about diversity, equity and inclusion.

    Sewell now runs a charity called Generating Genius, which encourages and helps children to study science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects at university.

    It began as a programme for black children in London but has now spread to the whole country and all ethnicities.

    Last week, he says, a group of children from Newcastle came to the House of Lords for a dinner he had organised, and some of their teachers were close to tears because, they said, “nobody gives us anything from London”.

    It sounds as though Labour needs to adopt the Tories’ policy of levelling up, I suggest, and he agrees, though he insists it must focus on education rather than housing or transport.

    He says he would be happy to help Sir Keir, and would tell him “he has to now get a grip”.

    “But getting a grip does not mean just dealing with the policing issues,” he adds. “You know, we need to see a Prime Minister who says, ‘OK, I get it now. I’m in charge of the whole country’.”

    *********************

    R Travis
    15 HRS AGO
    Spot on analysis. No wonder the Left detest him.

    1. I always stop reading if the writer refers to “the murder” of George Floyd, I know there’s little point carrying on after that point.

    2. Is it not time for the Growler to feel the full force of the law for labelling Rishi Sunak ‘pint sized’?

  56. With not much to do but sit around I looked through the recordings I have made over the past year or so.
    I found The Good the Bad and the Ugly.
    Filmed and released late 60s.
    3 hours 35 minutes.
    it reminded me so much of all the AHs in modern day politics.
    But the best man won, which could be a slight encouragement in the present situation.

    2. That is RN's only Aircraft Carrier.

      The masts are lowered forward when it goes to Flying Stations

    5. That's a Gaff-rigged, Three-masted Schooner, F_A; there's not many in British waters these days.

      I assume 'in the loch' means in one of our sea lochs?

        1. I reckon the yacht might be 'Blue Clipper' – built in 1991 and owned by the famous Brandy Company Henessey. Previously named ‘Spirit of Hennessy’, she has appeared in various TV programs and commercials.

          'Maybe Sailing' acquired the yacht in 2016 and carried out an extensive maintenance and refit.

          Apparently, she is presently available for 'hands-on' charter on the West Coast, F_A; don't ask the price!

  60. Wearing or waving Palestinian National flags is becoming 'popular' with marchers and protest groups.

    I wonder how this is regarded by the PTB, the police – and other minorities?

        1. Exactly Tom and until the idiots stop all of those nasty abusive demos they are guilty of helping and even causing the problems.

  61. Hi there, NoTTLRs, I'm thinking of investing in a rubber dinghy. Anyone fancy joining me on a trip over to France to seek asylum?

      1. If Blair is still walking freely I can’t see 2Tier getting nagged up.

        Edit – sorry – that was meant to be ‘banged up’. I can see him getting nagged up as there’s plenty of potential for that in his team.

      1. Please could you let us know if you are hiding a link, as once pressed it takes those reading the discussions on a phone right out and back to the top? Much obliged.

    1. Difficult to believe, sos…she has the women's vote (although I'm one and she wouldn't have mine). Soft words and silly laughs just don't cut it. And let's not forget the southern border.

      1. Look at the who the poll was for, the New York Times, but even so the results suggest mass lunacy.

        1. Apparently the original "research" comes from Fox, via Marquette Law School as follows:

          "Vice President Kamala Harris has established a 4-point lead over former President Trump among registered voters, according to a Thursday poll from Marquette Law School.

          The poll, conducted from July 24 to Aug. 1, surveyed 879 registered voters from across the country. It advertised a margin of error of 4.1%. The poll found that Harris expanded her lead among likely voters, with Trump trailing 6 points in a 53% to 47% matchup.

          Marquette says its likely voters result has a margin of error of 4.7% and was based on a survey of 683 people.

          The poll comes as momentum for Harris continues to surge following President Biden's unprecedented decision to withdraw from the race last month.
          "

          I just don't consider it very good research to promote a bit of market research involving 800-ish voters across a nation the size of USA. Especially to describe it as a "surge". Looks like Never Trumper media snapping at a bit of red meat. Our lefty MSM will lap it up. Early days yet.

          1. I agree, but I am also always surprised by how relatively tiny a sample is needed to get results within such a margin of error.
            When I had to study statistics I could never really come to terms with it as it was so counter-intuitive.

            Of course, if your sample isn’t remotely representative and you pose the questions correctly you can pretty much get the answers you desire.

          2. Yes indeed. To be fair I don’t do stats, so it’s a dark art, but I’ve done a bit of research in my time. I do know about asking the right question in order to provoke the wished for result, of course.

            It’s an old game isn’t it. What’s most worrying is the sensationalist approach to this stuff. Last election here I pretty much ignored the polls. The general agreement these days is that the publishing of polls can influence results. I don’t know how true that is nevertheless it doesn’t stop the pile on.

          3. I just don't believe a word MSM say. And if the Demrats nobbled the last election what is to stop them doing it this time?

          5. My view is that all this Kamala enthusiasm is the msm grooming the public to accept another vote rigging.

        1. A possible sign nevertheless, sos….although if they’d vote for Biden, either Clinton, why not Harris…

          1. They are grasping at straws, aren't they? Put a monkey there with a dem rosette and they'd vote for it, so great is their TDS. This is what we are up against. QV what has happened in the UK

          2. I really can’t think why anyone would vote for such a failed politician (southern border). And I find her incomprehensible. I think Trump’s gonna walk it. Looking like Jenrick’s going to walk it, not been notified of my vote yet. No idea what Braverman’s up to.

      2. Well, I'm a female, KJ and I really do have a problem with crass stupidity. I'm sure I'm not alone

        1. Me2, and hope I’m not one either, and agree yes, as PetaJ would say ‘some people are really stupid’…

    5. Trump had best get his act together and start acting like a serious statesman or he will lose badly.
      Denigrating the opposing persons colour and background is not helping him.

    6. I don't believe a word of it. But we all know where this is going and for what the ground is being prepared

    1. Difficult to call him a Nazi, even if he was a member of the party. I'm not sure if he would have had to be.

          1. A lot of them did so deliberately, I doubt many Germans did.
            Different cultures, rather like Jihadist suicide bombers.

          2. I was sort of thinking of that. The U-boats appear to have had a poor reputation for ‘gallantry’ but is that because they had ‘political’ officers on board I wonder? Hard to imagine a hard line Nazi scrunched in behind a fighter pilot.

      2. Countless stories of German POWs who were relieved to be away from the tyranny of the Fatherland.

  71. A therapeutic Birdie Three!

    Wordle 1,148 3/6
    ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨
    🟩⬜⬜🟨⬜
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    1. Well done Rene! boring par here.

      Wordle 1,148 4/6

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

      1. me too
        Wordle 1,148 4/6

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

    2. Par here today, well done.
      Wordle 1,148 4/6

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

    3. Par as well
      Wordle 1,148 4/6

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

    1. Good looking beans, Grizz!
      LOve them cut into short parallelograms and boiled, then drenched in good gravy beside the meat (pork, beef) with roast potatoes and maybe sprouts, but the bean is the king there!
      Mother used to cook them like that. I do, too.

          6. White cabbage?
            Either steam it with some grated fennel bulb on top.
            Or sauté some garlic in a bit of butter, then stir in the finely-shredded cabbage (salt and black pepper) and stir till it wilts.

          6. My favourite veg:

            1. Broad beans.
            2 Mushy peas.
            3. Roast pork.
            4. Roast lamb.
            5. Roast beef.
            6. Roast goose.
            7. Fried eggs (sunny-side up).
            8. Fried bacon.
            9. Deep-fried battered haddock.
            10. Sausages.

            As you can see, I love my daily '5' of 'fruit and vegetables'.

  73. 391295+ up ticks,

    Dt,

    Can ‘two-tier Keir’ unite a fractured Britain?

    Even if he could he wouldn't, it is NOT the intentions of the lab/lib/con mass uncontrolled /paedophile umbrella coalition party.

    Their true agenda is WEF / NWO orientated with royal seal.

      1. What, the little girl in a high chair kicking off her shoe in a temper tantrum? No, that's not our Anne.

      2. More to come. Anne was a revelation. Couldn't stop with the hugs. Me more than her. Stormy, VW, Alison, Kiki, Tine, Sue, DeeDee, and so many other beautiful ladies who required my special attentions.

        1. Wish I could have been there, Phizzee… food, and lovely ladies… what's not to like?

          1. Trust me. It would have been worth an airline ticket. Not trying to rub it in but the atmosphere was the best from any event i have ever created. I think we all need a bit of that.

        1. Oh! I've only just got it, I didn't realise it was a pun, mon vieux haricot! Talking of les vieux haricots, how is Bill today?

          2. I don’t know who it was intended for now…! I am replying via notifications thus I don’t see everything…. my comment regarding Bill was intended generally

      2. Me too. Another one….anneallan. As one word but the emphasis in the wrong place. Anneal. Still she is a nurse !

  76. Afternoon all, I just called in to let you know I have been busy making shelving in the garage.
    Any rumours that I have come to twotierkier's attention because I had far right thoughts and considered walking down the pub later to slate my thirst is not true.
    I did however consider the fact that his WEF masters must be pleased with his performance since becoming Prime Minister. I'm pretty confident that I will not be seeing plod kick down my door and subject me to twotierjustice as nobody knows I had such thoughts…….. Oh wait bugger…….🤣
    Has twotierkier banned humour yet?

  77. Please be reminded that being a keyboard warrior is definitely an Act of Terrorism.. defo.

    However, killing a British soldier on the street isn't.

    Never underestimate the lunacy of a Progressive Liberal.

  78. Watching the high jump and being reminded of the man, now dead, who completely revolutionised his event.

    I can't think of any other sportsman who so totally changed a sport.

    RIP Dick Fosbury, a flop you most certainly were not!

    1. We have a new trend setter this year , one Rachael Gunn (Raygun) in the Breakdance "sport" who put on such an abysmal display that she has set their event back in the laughable category.

      1. I feel very sorry for her.
        Each “act” has to cover a number of moves and be original.
        I think it’s a daft “sport” but given what she has accomplished in it and for it, I don’t think she deserves the abuse she’s getting.

      2. Someone described it as 'the toddler having a meltdown in the supermarket' display which I think summed it up.

  79. Will I be arrested ?

    A Royal Navy Destroyer stops four Muslims in a row boat, rowing towards Brighton ."The captain gets on the loud hailer and shouts, "Ahoy, small craft, where are you heading?" One of the Muslims stands up and shouts, "We are invading England !"
    The crew of the Destroyer all start laughing and when the captain finally stops laughing, he gets back on the loud hailer and says, "Just the four of you?"
    The Muslim stands up again and shouts, "No, we're the last four. The other 6 million are already there!"

      1. Ditto arachnophobia. It makes 'islamophobia' look ridiculous now. One cannot help having a phobia.

        But hark….. is that a wailing siren I hear; oh I see flashing blue lights hurtling down the Green…… I may be gone some time…

        2. Jesus H Christ! (Sorry to blaspheme). If they make arachnophobia illegal that;s me done. How can you make fear (or any human emotion) illegal?

  80. Is anyone having trouble with X? Timelines were taking ages to NOT load, now all I get is a black screen with the X logo.

    Checked again and it's now back to normal. Odd goings on with the Labour government's latest bogey-man.

  81. Why is it that DT editorials, however correct the sentiment on the most important subjects of the day, read as though they are criticisms of new high street parking regulations?

    The right to write freely is the best defence against disinformation

    Existing laws, if properly enforced, are adequate to combat incitement and deliberate falsehoods

    TELEGRAPH VIEW • 10 August 2024 • 6:00am

    Fake news can have consequences. Disinformation from malevolent actors spread via social media has been blamed, with justification, for fomenting the riots that have scarred our cities and towns this month.

    Inevitably, this has led to calls for the tighter regulation of online speech. The Prime Minister stated yesterday that the Government will need to "look more broadly at social media" and the laws governing it.

    But as Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged, the online world is not "a law-free zone". Indeed, it never has been. Incitement that would be illegal if made in a town square or street corner is also illegal when it is done on X (formerly Twitter) or Telegram. Prosecutions are under way.

    The Online Safety Act, passed last year by the then Tory government, has created new, specifically online offences including the sending of false information intended to cause non-trivial harm. When the Act is fully implemented Ofcom will enjoy far greater regulatory powers over social media.

    During the passage of the legislation through Parliament, measures to require online platforms to flag up "legal but harmful" content were dropped. Now Labour is considering whether this provision should after all make it onto the statute books. This would be an unnecessary and retrograde step, stifling free expression.

    The problem with vague terms such as "legal but harmful" is who will decide what is, and is not, harmful. Views as to what fits the category will indubitably differ.

    The previous proposals would have exempted traditional media, but newspapers are increasingly consumed digitally. Who is to say they will remain exempted? This extra legal encumbrance would have a chilling effect on free speech. Existing laws, if properly enforced, are adequate to combat incitement and deliberate falsehoods.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2024/08/10/right-to-write-freely-best-defence-against-disinformation/

        1. Well, I'm not so much an extremist now, I've mellowed. Now, I'm just a Far Right Thug.

          1. I think I might be a Far Effing Right Really Extreme Thug. It's so hard to tell where one stands on the spectrum these days

          3. Lost on me, KJ, don't watch telly unless it is forced upon me by an addict in the same room who insists on positioning the infernal machines around the house (growl)

          4. A Beeb production, centered around a Jewish family celebrating Friday Night Dinner, Tamsin Greig the mother, Ritter the father and their two boys, one was Rosenthal's lad and can't recall the other just now. Was very funny. Agree with you and telly in general, although I like something comical lift me out of gloom n doom…just re watching Big Bang Theory for that reason. I only have the one box, I know some have one in each room tho…perhaps they communicate by morse, or email….do you listen to radio?

          5. Friday Night Dinner: my favourite British sitcom of the current century (thus far).

            Big Bang Theory: one of my favourites of all time.

          6. Completely agree, David. Currently rewatching the whole series of BBT, the writing/acting so believable, Kate 🙂

          7. I went to the show in London and met Mark Heap at the stage door. He is as scatty in real life as he was in the show. Love him.

          9. It was Upstart Crow. I had never ever done the fan thing and hanged around but !!! I was there, he was there, and when David Mitchel came out i did the full on phizz. Of course he had taken the wig pros off but guess what i said to his face……….Erm….you look sweaty..
            He smiled at me………. Anyway..some very nice pubs really close by which my and some friends dragged me away

          10. It was good, the BBC was good one time (Better Half tells me ‘it’s been binted’…whatever could he mean.:-D) nice pubs…reminded me of my old local, pub lunch – corned beef/sliced raw onion on freshly made rye/pint draught guiness/crossword – heaven…….now, all ‘binted’…..

          11. Did your other half mean ‘minted’ ?

            After i had collared all the stars (Gemma Whelan was really really lovely when i spoke to her)
            I fell into the pub next door. The bar staff….all big hairy half naked men was a bit of a surprise ! But hey…I needed Gin !!!

          12. No, he has a thing about (not ‘for) ‘bints’ (women he thinks are dopey). Gemma Whelan really lovely person everything I saw/heard. Seen/heard people falling out of pub but not usually in…:-D Bar staff sound like Him Indoors, mine’s a vodka thanks!

          13. I have ended up with more booze than i started with. I said thanks to everyone who brought stuff but i don’t know who brought what. Except for Alf the Great but that’s another story.
            Someone gave a bottle of aged marmalade vodka ! I thought it was just some plonk when i first saw it. I was busy greeting people so didn’t pay much attention.

            It’s on ice for whenever you feel the urge. :@)

          14. I have never heard of marmalade vodka but perhaps similar to vodka with a slice of orange (I’ve known people do that but with gin). At present, Smirnoff and always Fevertree tonic. Alf the Great – sounds like Him currently in/on Tractor Mode. I have a half finished portrait and hope to complete today, assuming I can resist your urge :-))

          15. Like they did with Gin and those tonics they have done similar for vodka. I have a bottle of raspberry crush vodka too. Not that i am trying to tempt you. :@)

            It’s all about reselling the same old to the next generation

          16. They sound a tad ghastly, Phiz. I guess any port in a storm, tho. Ah yes I’ve been in those ‘coffee bars that aren’t’. Far too hot today. Just met a group of young people wandering around, lost. The boys were lovely, girls immediately started screeching, in charge. How today’s boys put up with ’em will never know.

  82. A quote from Disqus, it's the first time I've had it pop up when logging on.

    The future of the open internet depends on publisher independence.

    Are people waking up to which of the two tiers they might end up in?

  83. It's bad enough that so many migrants, whether from EU countries or not, are given social housing but at least Gove's plans, however weak, were effectively based on a first come, first served principle. Now the Stockport Slapper is saying: "Jump the Channel, jump the queue" and sticking two-fingers up to the UK's poorest, some of whom may, of course, be from the long-resident ethnic minorities. Perhaps Labour has abandoned them as well.

    In the wake of the recent riots, surely no one could be quite so stupid…could they?

    Angela Rayner scraps plans to limit social housing applications to long-term British residents

    Labour ends plans by Michael Gove to introduce a 'UK connection test' to limit social housing to those resident for at least 10 years

    Nick Gutteridge, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT and Cameron Henderson • 10 August 2024 • 2:11pm

    Angela Rayner has dropped Tory plans to limit applications for social housing to long-term British residents.

    The Housing Secretary has formally scrapped reforms that would have prevented recently arrived migrants from applying for a council house in England. It comes with almost 1.3 million households on local authority waiting lists for social housing. Ms Rayner has vowed to ramp up the provision of new social homes as part of wider planning reforms to boost housebuilding.

    Official government figures show that in 2022-23, the number of new social lets agreed where the "lead tenant" was a foreign national was 26,176. Under current rules people from abroad need to have an immigration status "with recourse to public funds", such as being eligible for access to benefits, in order to qualify for a social home.

    This can include refugees who have had their asylum applications approved as well as migrants who have been granted indefinite leave to remain. Michael Gove, the former housing secretary, published proposals in January that would have prevented many of those from qualifying in future. He planned to introduce a "UK connection test" which would have restricted social housing to those who had been resident for at least 10 years.

    British and Irish citizens, Commonwealth citizens with a right of abode, and European citizens who were resident before Brexit would have remained eligible.

    The test would have been applied to those people on the waiting list, affecting many foreign nationals already in the queue for a social home. Matthew Pennycook, the housing minister who reports to Ms Rayner, announced last week that Labour would not be going forward with the proposals.

    "The Government does not intend to enact the policy proposals set out in the consultation," he said in response to a written question from Kemi Badenoch.

    Official statistics show that 251,866 social homes were made available in 2022-23, of which one in 10 went to a non-UK national. Of those, 9,824 went to people from the European Economic Area – the EU plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland – and 16,352 to people from the rest of the world.

    The share of social homes granted to foreign nationals has almost doubled over the past 15 years from 5.8 per cent in 2009-10 to 10.4 per cent in 2022-23. Government figures only show who the "lead tenant" is, meaning that British citizens may be living in some of those homes.

    Many migrants do not qualify for social housing, including small boat arrivals who have not yet had their asylum applications processed. Economic migrants on work visas and foreign students do not have recourse to public funds and are therefore not eligible either.

    But the Government is set to fast-track the asylum applications of 90,000 illegal migrants who had been earmarked for deportation to Rwanda.It is expected that two-thirds of them will be granted the right to remain, meaning that they could then qualify to apply for social housing.

    Many would struggle to quickly get a social home though because nine in 10 councils require applicants to have lived in their local area for some time.

    Dr Mike Jones, executive director of Migration Watch UK, said around one in five council homes is now occupied by a foreign national lead tenant, including nearly half in London. "Labour has no plans to cap legal migration or change the Human Rights Act to allow deportations of illegal entrants," he said.

    "They've also dropped the 'British homes for British workers' policy, which would have given priority to people born in the UK. This hits hard at public trust in our institutions and the fairness of the welfare system. Labour isn't putting the 'national interest' first – they're putting non-citizens ahead of British people."

    Government sources suggested that under the Tory reforms most European citizens would have remained eligible for social housing. Those who arrived before June 30 2021 were able to apply for "settled status" giving them equal treatment rights to UK citizens under the Brexit withdrawal deal.

    A spokesman for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: "The vast majority of councils have already adopted local connection tests and 90 per cent of social homes go to UK nationals. Those who do not have a right to stay in the UK are already not eligible for social housing."

    A Tory spokesman said: "It just goes to show that Labour will always put cosying up to the EU ahead of protecting British values like common decency and fairness." [Am I missing something here?]

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/08/10/angela-rayner-social-housing-migrants-drop-restrictions/

    1. More riot material, especially if you read the long piece below by Thomas Sewell.

      1. Yes, I had read it. I had copied it for posting but Citroen beat me to it.

        The establishment quickly dumped Sewell when he said "Some white people are poor as well, you know."

      2. Yes, I had read it. I had copied it for posting but Citroen beat me to it.

        The establishment quickly dumped Sewell when he said "Some white people are poor as well, you know."

    2. We are under no obligation at all to house, feed, subsidise and clothe these people. We need to look after our own

        1. My pics will be posted tomorrow or the day after but others are posting already. I do hope someone took pics of the food !!! At least then they will know what to tell them in A&E. :@(

          1. I wanted to see that, too, Phizzee, but for different reasons, although you have a point

          2. My sister, God bless her, arrived an hour early and helped me finish the plates. She then went around offering canapes to everyone. It was a bit manic at the start as people kept arriving and she was gold.
            I didn't even have time to change into my party frock !

            I did manage to find the time to show off the 'Sparkly Jacket' though… :@)

          10. Do you know……………. i just sparkled. No need for sequins. Ask any of the Pimms punch drunks that were able to crawl off to their taxis.

          12. They certainly were. Though VW found a little bit of gristle in hers, So she won't be invited AGAIN!

          14. I know. The last thing you would want to find in an Alain Ducasse dish.
            All his fault !
            She should have just thrown it to the dogs !
            Then him. T
            hen chucked herself on top and taken the bites.
            Pffttt.
            Some guests just don't know how to behave !

          16. At this time of night i can be a bit oiled. And i do tend to avoid posting after 7pm. However….I am cloud walking at the moment. Such beautiful people. Me obviously….. and all the rest are runners up but lets face it………when you see my hair…….you will agree. :@)

          18. The pics will appear shortly. I do enjoy in my quiet way having a lion main of hair where most have….er… Don't. :@)

          22. I will be posting today. All the clean up is done. My neighbour who was also a guest was going down the alley clanking with bottles. I said while your at it…He said i only have a car not a bloody truck !

          25. Not sure who i like cuddling more between you two. Though the one spitting gristle into the shubberry gets the gold medal……….

    3. We arranged for today's lefty demo outside Farage's Reform HQ in order to distract from the real Hard Core gathering in Fareham. They'll never find us.

        1. Who cares? It's all Phizzee's door and all Phizzee's fault. He's the ring-leader. (Mind you, that A Allen chap is a born troublemaker if ever there was one.)

          4. I believe that the latest threshold for being found guilty of far right extremism is to have just been in the proximity.

        1. With Michael, Mike, John, Andrew, Rik, Geoff on stilts
          i was beginning to think i needed to put sponge foam over my doorways. Some of these guy were 6 foot 5.
          Gandalf visiting the Hobbit house !

          I have a crick in my neck now. :@(

      3. The hostest with the mostest! Glad you had a wonderful sparkly day! 💕👏🏻🎉

      4. Thank you Phizzee a great time had by all. Many familiar faces and a couple of new ones.
        Well done Phizzee.

    5. That's sounds like a good name for a new political faction, the Extremist Luncheon Party, or 'ELP! for short.

  85. I watched the latest Delingpod with Mike Yeadon today, recorded in June. I didn#t think I would learn anythng new from it, however…according to MY, Ivermectin harms fertility.
    This casts a new light on the protocols put out by people like Peter McCullough which iirc, include the regular taking of ivermectin as a prophylactic. Various people have cast nasturtiums at McCullough for taking money from The Wellness Company, which is though to be funded by the usual suspects.

    1. I listened to it as well today while washing the windows. As you say, some new stuff from MY. Recommended.

  86. It's no good, I am wilting and need to have an early night. Good night all, sleep well, and hope to see you all in the morning.

  89. I'm relaxing with a JD and coke in the hotel bar, winding down after a wonderful afternoon at Phizzee's. It was great to see some of the faces I've come to know over the past few years but also to meet more of the bunch in person.

    Thank you Phizz for a great do. great food, loadsa booze, excellent company. I really enjoyed myself.

    SIT! 😄😄

      1. Looks like We missed a grand afternoon, but so lovely knowing the host with the most entertained you all .. I expect Phizzee pulled out the stops with his gastronomic entertaining skills ..

        You must have all travelled from far and wide , sorry I haven't had a chance to say hello to you all properly .

    2. "I'm relaxing with a JD and coke in the hotel bar,"

      He was a bit stingy with the booze then?

      1. Not at all. I'm relaxing with a glass of Yellow Tail Merlot in the kitchen. And Annie and Michael were dispatched to ASDA at one stage to procure more Abbot Ale. And some sort of yellow beer (nasty stuff). So there was no shortage….

    3. Seconded! Great to see everyone and many thanks to Phil!

      Just home and witnessed a theft on the tube. A guy hovered until the doors were just about to close then snatched a woman’s phone and dived through the closing doors. She jumped up after him but the doors closed behind him. He was swarthy, Arabic looking and she was black. Poor thing just left standing there saying, “He just stole my phone”. Nothing she could do.

      1. I'm sorry, but this blatant wrongthink cannot be allowed to go unchallenged in today's wonderfully diverse society. "swarthy, Arabic looking…" Are you one of those far right racist thugs we keep hearing about in the unquestionably truthful and reliable media? Shame on you.

        Hello, GCHQ – was that OK?

        </sarc>

        1. Defo far right racist 😊!
          Report an incident like that these days and what’s the first question in everyone’s minds.? Poor black lass nicely dressed of course. Not one of those.

  90. A general observation about our fellow human beings: While out and about in the warmer weather I couldn't help but notice the extraordinary number of otherwise decent-looking people, women as well as men, who have their shoulders, backs, arms and legs adorned with tattoos, sometimes absolutely covered.

    What is it all about?

      1. Or 'slag tags'. Yes I realise that but I was looking at two respectable-looking and sounding women in a tearoom this afternoon. Both were ostentatiously tattoo'd. It never used to be seen until very recently (last 5 years or so).

          1. I have 3! Tiny black dots which lined up the radiography gun, post breast lump removal! My SiL thinks it’s a hoot! Ma with tats!

          3. Being on blood thinners I bruise up easily and often, especially my forearms. People often think I've had a tattoo. Next time I get an interesting one I'll take a piccy and post it.

          5. I am also on blood thinners Mm, Clopidogrel, my once what were pretty hands , the back of them look terrible and both arms from my recent blood tests look as if I have been attacked .
            I dare not take a piccy of mine ..I feel so maimed . (The blood bods couldn't find a vein )

          6. Mine can take all sorts of shapes, Maggie, but presently nothing interesting. Try to keep your hands from scraping or knocking things, but I know that’s easier said than done.

        2. Weird isn’t it? I wanted one when I was 16/17 but never plucked up courage! Now I just think it’s a selfish indulgence or two-fingers to the world. Unfortunately it’s so common that it’s become a ‘nothing’!

          1. I have a theory that those women with huge amount of flesh covering tatts were probably having problems as youngsters , and might have been sexually abused ..

            Perhaps tattoos are like a suit of armour .. stay unattractive and tough looking so stay untouchable ?

          4. I had an ear pierced in the early seventies and had a gold sleeper. I realised this was a mistake when I was pursued by various Arab men driving their Mercedes along Kensington High Street and entreating me to join them.

            I will admit that I was a handsome young man in those days but a complete ignoramus in the ways of the world. I had been inspired to have the earring having then read the novels of George Borrow, principally ‘Lavengro’ and ‘The Romany Rye’.

    3. 9th July 1979 (joined the navy on the 10th) I promised my mum I wouldn't have a tattoo or start smoking.
      The easiest promises I've ever made as I, to this day can't understand why people do either.

      1. Joined the RAF in November 1971. I did start smoking but never got a tattoo, not even when I worked at sea for 20 years much later in life.
        Edit; A tattoo would probably have been healthier.

      2. Joined the RAF in November 1971. I did start smoking but never got a tattoo, not even when I worked at sea for 20 years much later in life.
        Edit; A tattoo would probably have been healthier.

    4. King George V had the inking done when he visited Japan as a teenager with the Navy.

      The tattoo consists of a dragon and a tiger.

      That is why KGV is always pictured wearing jackets with sleeves!

    5. Horrible, aren't they! There were lots on show last weekend at the steam fair, and so many grossly obese people as well.

      1. I know, and they all wear impossibly small tight clothes which show up lumps and bumps to a degree that I would find it too embarrassing to go out of the house and let other people see how gross I was!

    6. A bit like fashion, remember flared trousers and velvet jackets in the 70s. Unfortunately tattoos are a bit more permanent and less indelible.

    7. Tramp stamps! I call tattoos body graffiti and just as graffiti is often daubed on walls in sleazy areas so tattoos are often daubed and etched into the skin of sub-standard sleazy people.

      2. I noticed quite a number of Olympic athletes are sporting the Olympic rings logo in black on their shoulder blades. Are these logos actual tattoos or are they some sort of indelible rubber stamp mark?

        Given that Russia was not enabled to compete in the Paris Olympics I just wonder why any true athlete should wish to advertise their involvement in such a travesty of the supposed ‘Olympic Spirit’.

        So the USA and China sweep the medal boards but without Russia the whole enterprise is quite frankly a bit of a sham.

  91. Just you watch out for yourself in London, Sue. Hopefully, cameras can identify the bastard, not that it'll help the poor woman.

  94. 'Night All
    Thanks to our great hosts Pip,Steve and Pip's sister for a wonderful afternoon also great to meet so many familiar and new faces….
    The only worrying thing was the vote on which NoTTLer would get banged up first
    Seems I won first prize………

  95. I emailed Bill T, with our commiserations and sympathy for his current poor health .

    Reply this evening …

    Thanks Maggie. Condition has worsened
    spent today in bed when not running to the
    lav.

    Hoping for improvement soon..

    Poor Bill .

    2. I hope it's just a tummy bug and he will be fighting fit again very soon indeed. The trouble with ageing is that one does tend to think that such routine buggerations are the last trump

  96. Me2, have you seen her in some committees….however, I’m not sure she has colleagues’ support. We’ll see. Wish they’d get on with it. I joined a few weeks ago so I could vote, got a membership number with promise of docs to follow, nothing yet. Didn’t exactly inspire confidence…

    1. I have zero confidence in the Con party, KJ. I do like Kemi, and I wish she would jump ship (I also wish this for Braverman) . Jenrick – hmmm

  97. I posted a comment earlier today about the Billy Joel concert last night and I thought how much my son Christo would have loved to have been at it because Billy Joel has always been his favourite singer.

    I received an email a couple of hours ago telling me that he and his wife had been there!

    What a beautiful song this is:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx3QmqV2pHg

    1. Bugger! While being pressed into playing something on Phizzee's piano tonight, I wish I'd remembered Billy Joel. I used to have the songbook, but it's long lost. But a decent job of this was possible on piano. Along with "Just the way you are"…

      2. Two of my favourites. Earlier today I posted that brilliant video of Piano Man which enacts the lyrics of the song.

  98. It doesn't hurt to remember these fine words.

    20th April 1653, London, England:

    It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place,
    which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice.
    Ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government.
    Ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.
    Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess?
    Ye have no more religion than my horse. Gold is your God. Which of you have not bartered your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?
    Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defiled this sacred place, and turned the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices?
    Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation. You were deputed here by the people to get grievances redressed, are yourselves become the greatest grievance.
    Your country therefore calls upon me to cleanse this Augean stable, by putting a final period to your iniquitous proceedings in this House; and which by God's help, and the strength he has given me, I am now come to do.
    I command ye therefore, upon the peril of your lives, to depart immediately out of this place.
    Go, get you out! Make haste! Ye venal slaves be gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors.

    In the name of God, go!

  100. What’s the betting they’ll go for Stride..numbskulls…if so there may be a dash for the exit to Refirm..

  102. I hope you won't, frankly. I was unprepared. I'm not a pianist, don't currently have a practice instrument at home. and – frankly – hymns don't cut it, and it's rather early for carols.

    Presented with the duet score for Fauré's Dolly Suite, I was assured that Piano 2 was stored in the instrument's memory. It wasn't.

    Never mind. No-one was listening (hopefully). Much the same with organ voluntaries. I swear that, should I segue into "I do like to be beside the seaside" before tomorrow's service, hardly anyone would notice. One memorable Easter Day, as snow started falling, I played an improvisation on "In the bleak mid-winter". Did anyone notice? No-one commented, so I guess not.

    1. Oh, Geoff! If I could have a pound for every time that I was thus tricked! (obviously not with an organ, but you know what I mean)

    2. DO IT, Geoff!! I dare you. 😈 Most people won't notice a thing, and those who do will love you forever.

    3. this is true. I am completely unmusical and would never question a note that is played.
      Our organist says that nobody ever notices if she makes a mistake either

    4. I went into the garden and told them all to shut up. Showing off my superior hosting skills !

  103. Evening, all. I shan't be staying long. Early start tomorrow and I've been working in the garden all day, so I'm shattered.

    It isn't the perception of the justice system that needs to be changed, it's the way it's managed.

  104. "Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation. You were deputed here by the people to get grievances redressed, are yourselves become the greatest grievance."

    So true.

    1. Geoff was superb. We even applauded all the bum notes as we thought he was channeling Les Dawson.
      ;@)

  107. Night night everyone, I'm looking forward to seeing the photos tomorrow of today's party bash! Sleep well.

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