Friday 18 July: Meddling with the voting age will only harm trust in British democracy

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.

653 thoughts on “Friday 18 July: Meddling with the voting age will only harm trust in British democracy”

      1. So far, so good. I have just walked the Springer for an hour to give my bride a lie in.

    1. from Silver Academy
      "Have you heard of Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”? It’s being sold as *border security, but look closer: it greenlights the largest deployment of biometric surveillance tools in American history. AI-driven risk scores, facial recognition systems, and autonomous monitoring towers are set to blanket highways and critical infrastructure. How safe does that make you feel, knowing your biometric signature will be tracked by a system whose very foundation is opaque to public oversight?

      And let’s not forget: this same law legally blocks any state’s attempt to assert biometric privacy for a decade."

      The same thing is coming to the UK. Similar stuff is being rolled out in Ukraine.

      Recipe:
      Orchestrate invasion
      Elect maverick who promises to stop invasion.
      Roll out complete technocratic control of citizens to fight invasion.

      The End.
      or
      After ten years, we will be safely into the next economic cycle, so the control will be eased up.

      1. Well we cannot go on as we are ,with the far left invasion of everyting we hold dear.

    1. Starmer would love to give the vote to the boat invaders I'm sure, but even he daren't do that.

          1. We are a country of sanctuary of course, so we wouldn’t like to leave anyone out!

  7. Meddling with the voting age will only harm trust in British democracy

    Not many countries have voting at 16 but some that do only allow it if employed
    That sounds like a good idea if we are to bring it in.
    I expect it is all part of some globalist agenda anyway

      1. Indeed. No party brings in these changes unless it perceives an electoral advantage.

    2. Are any 16 year olds employed these days? I thought the goal was to keep them in the brainwashing centres colleges and universities for as long as possible

        3. As is the age in England and Wales for marriage, whatever that means these days.

          And still they refer to them as "children".

    3. Not half as much as the moral and ethical breakdown of our institutions including and especially Parliament. I would trust an honest and honourable teenager more than many of them.

  8. Vast majority of Afghans on ‘kill list’ were bogus asylum seekers

    Sources reveal as few as one in 16 people identified in data breach had genuine claims for resettlement

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/e156f65a48549445

    WhatsApp message urges Afghans to sue Britain

    Thousands affected by ‘kill list’ data breach have instructed lawyers to act on their behalf
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d83a0a43da7a6781de3bb918c26f9874fbd1243a4d13a554dc1c07733a6ca1fb.png
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/45aae837816c8729

    Lawyers seek to use ECHR to force UK into accepting thousands more Afghans

    Up to 100,000 people could claim for resettlement by arguing that their human rights have been breached

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/07/17/lawyers-use-echr-to-force-uk-into-accepting-more-afghans/

    1. their human rights have been breached

      What about my ffffffffffffing Ooman Roits?

    2. OMG our political idiots are even more stupid than anyone could ever have imagined.

    3. When we have as Prime Minister a "human rights" lawyer without any sense of conscience with form acting on behalf of criminals and prosecuting the innocent, what do you expect? Justice?

      No doubt he will slap an injunction on anyone attempting to hold him to account, and his Opposition so fragmented, he only needs a handful of votes to keep him in office.

      I cannot blame the Afghans for trying it on – it must be pretty miserable where they are to believe that Starmer offers them a brighter future!

    4. Gather up every single Barings lawyer and all their extended families and export them to Afghanistan so that they can work from home there.

  9. Good Morning all! Sunny 🌞 here. We were awake very early (before 5) and I managed to persuade OH to make the tea ( and his coffee) early. We will have to call the plumber this morning to fix the overflow on the landing from the hot water cylinder. 💧

    1. Happy birthday, Lacoste. (And any other NoTTLers whose birthdays I missed whilst away.)

  11. Good morning, chums, I'm back from Canterbury and my attendance at this year's Dickens Conference. Thanks to Geoff, for today's new NoTTLe site.

    Wordle 1,490 6/6

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      1. Oi! What do you mean by "Speak of the devil"? But to answer your question it was a good but exhausting conference with the theme of "Dickens and Religion", and in many ways it was information overload. Lots and lots of learned speakers talking about Unitarianism, (which appealed to Dickens for a time), Roman Catholicism (which he wrote about in "Barnaby Rudge"), and so on. Some speakers struggled with Powerpoint and had to be "rescued" by Jacquie, one of our two Management Committee Joint Secretaries. The daily lunch breaks and evening meal (Monday) and banquet (Tuesday) were spectacular, and I dread to think of what my weekly weigh-in will reveal when I step on the scales tomorrow morning.

        1. Good Moaning, Olaf's Relict.

          'Dickens' was once a euphemism for the devil and the expression is first found in print in Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor.

          This came up in a pub quiz on Tuesday.

          1. I did not know that but am happy to take credit for a clever piece of wordplay!
            I didn't know that Elsie was at a conference.

          3. Both our teams plumped for writers later than Shakespeare.
            Boast: this was our first visit to the King's Arms quiz night.
            Granddaughter's team won.
            Ours came second. We were created when our group realised 8 was too large a team when speed of response was also measured. So we came second despite only existing from round two onwards.
            The regular winning teams were not chuffed when granddaughter and her chums were photographed with their £20 voucher.
            p.s. quiz master (or mistress in this case) using a microphone is not a good idea in a pub with low ceilings. It made the use of mobile phones essential.
            Even a 20 year old team member was begging for the return of paper and pencil.

        2. It sounds very interesting! Was it mostly academics or just Dickens fans?
          edit: no put down intended. Real fans would probably make for a livelier conference than purely academics, I should think.

  12. Good morning
    Is there any update from Elsie? I haven't seen a post for several days

    This is a "WTF does that even mean?" day
    Wordle 1,490 4/6

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    1. Good morning, BB2. Yes, I am back from a long break in Canterbury. More details in today's post when you reach it.

    2. When it comes in handy to have watched all the natural history programmes in the 60s and 70s.

  13. One step closer to Dutch or Germany style proportional democracy.. where a coalition of Lefties & Gaza MPs can prevent any reform or change.

  14. Good Moaning to you All, from a dull (weatherwise) Costa del Skeg

    We have been on our travels for a week, in the new car.

    AllI can say about it:

    Lovely to drive
    Lotsa MPG, compared to Disco
    The dashboard has advanced expotentionally, since I started driving
    an extremely rapid increase as in size or extent
    It has a 'noise generator', so when in electric mode, it can be heard

  15. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8e7fd81e5f87498e1ac35ea0961cb6c10b10936afb77876d7a65c8a4671abff5.png From Silver Academy. Russia has announced a gold trading market that won't be linked to London and New York.

    "Market analysts suggest this effort is more than mere self-preservation. It represents a clear effort to realign gold’s value with tangible supply and demand—not derivatives, swaps, or unallocated promises. By prioritizing physical delivery and transparency, the Russian platform could expose discrepancies in the West’s “paper gold” markets, where physical metal backs only a fraction of outstanding claims."

    Bit optimistic there, perhaps…more like that the BRICS countries want to control the price rather than letting the US/London parasite class do it. Unless of course the parasite class's tentacles reach all round the world and it is just Buggins' turn.

    1. The point of the super injunction was to protect agents working in Afghanistan to get our mercenaries to safety before the Taliban got them. This should be lifted the moment they are out of danger.

      I might suggest that a Home Office that cannot tell the difference between an Afghan in mortal danger for collaborating with the Britis and someone with a clever lawyer (and backed and paid for by malign forces abroad) trying it on is not doing its job. If the Home Secretary cannot assure the British nation that it is capable of elementary national security, then she should resign and make way for someone who can. If there is nobody in Parliament who can (and I suspect this to be the case), then there should be a general election with all the incompetents barred from office.

    2. Ah, they would have been “present but not involved “ I believe the phrase is .

    1. Well of course it does. That’s the MO. That’s the whole point of demanding an “Islamophobia” law.

      1. It's just another attempted cop-out for their gross and unofficial unwanted propaganda BS.

      2. I am sure there’s more than one. This one just happens to have been caught out.

    3. The official definition of "antisemitism", most unfortunately, includes opposing the arming of mass murderers and state terrorists, coralling civilians into concentration camps "for their own safety" so they can be shot at when queuing for food, and sending into disgrace-by-association all Jews worldwide by making such atrocities an article of faith.

      It therefore confuses the issue and renders the word, like marriage, meaningless.

      I suggest therefore that before publishing such an article, the definition of antisemitism be limited to Kristallnacht activities and intent, so that we really know what they mean. If Muslims are indulging in that, we should be told, not allow them to get away with the cover of Gaza.

    4. They always squeal when they're to blame. It's tedious. Labour really are putrid, as they're [ushing this muslimphobia law solely to protect their voter base – which is deserting them.

      No such concept should even exist. muslim should be insulted as often as possible. It's a vile, savage sky man fantasy that has no place in a rational country.

  18. 10.15am kickoff for Paul Greaney KC, for the Crown, to begin his cross-examination of innocent victim Mr Amaaz.
    Should be over by lunchtime.

    3. That has absolutely nothing to do his current position of more than enough years as mayor of London.
      He's off the wall with this one.

    4. Will it contain reference to the West Africa Squadron, that forcibly put an end to it? And the tribal chiefs who willingly sold their people into slavery for a few strings of beads?
      No?
      Why not?

  20. Lord Farquard
    11h
    I preferred this guy and the party when he resigned tbh.
    In other news, Argentina's economy grew 7.6% YoY.

    Perhaps Keith and Rachel from accounts could have a think about how Milei runs the country and contrast with Labour's central-planning, big state, command and control approach.

    1. It all depends on what the aims are.
      Argentina's aim seems to be to go for economic success that can lift everybody because there's money sloshing around in the economy.
      The UK's aim seems to be in charge, boss fold around and fix it so they do what they are told.

  21. Some people say that the Prime Minister is a Liberal, not a totalitarian, but just this week he has purged more of his MPs, politicised the youth and been caught out harming his country behind super injunctions banning the press and politicians from reporting and scrutinising shady deals.
    I can't quite put a name to who he reminds me of from the 1930/40s era
    But I'm sure that I know of at least two

    2. I can't believe how someone brought up educated and has benefited from the generosity of previous governance in this country can subsequently hate everyone else and everything beyond his own existence.

    3. Donald Trump says he is a Liberal, but then he probably thinks the same of Erdogan, Putin, Netanhayu and Kim Yong Un.

    1. Worcester City, which has a Labour MP, managed to hold onto two county councillors. The Greens have four. Labour was wiped out in the rest of the county.

  25. Good Moaning.
    No news that we're allowed to know.
    Feel free to make up your own; it won't be as fantastic as anything the British ruling class can create.

  26. Good Morning!

    The Preston Park Panther has pounced with a wild postulation of your worst nightmare coming true. In TRANSHUMANISM: THE ELEPHANT IN THE CHINA SHOP , PPP tells us what it's really, really, all about. And you know, after conspiracy theories like Brexit betrayal, covid cover ups and killings all proving to be fact, we'd be foolish not to pay heed. Please read and let us know: could it be true?

    Did you answer Frederick Edward very important question: Is Trump – the ultimate disappointment? If not read the article, vote in the poll, and let us know how you see Trump's performance so far. Then look at Graham Wood's in HUMAN RIGHTS – A WILL-O-THE -WISP , on what these rights might be and asks where, ultimately, they come from. This is an important question and not just an intellectual exercise as, if the answer is that they come from the government, then that gives the government the right to take them away.

    Energy Watch: Over the last 24 hours: Britain's electric power was sourced from Gas, 34.2%; Solar, 6.8%: Wind 13%; Imports, 18.4%; Biomass, 10.7%; Nuclear 14.4% and Miscellaneous, 2.6%.

  27. Good morning all

    Another very humid sticky night .

    Moh golfing early ,

    Last night Moh watched the England /Sweden female football match.

    I have to say I became drawn in , because it became so exciting and full on .. I mean it .. They were so much more enervated and stylish than a top male Premier team.

    I can only say that those young women were fit , energetic , competitive , yet kind to the other side .

    Who on earth could have imagined that watching girlies kicking a ball around could be classed as entertainment , because it was .. and very skilful .. no crybabies , no faking , no spitting or gobbing , or dithering , just excellent ball skills , and even a player headed the ball into the goal.

    I do hope England girlies enjoy their next round , and into the finals .. proper team work can be a pleasure to watch .

    1. I went to bed at half time. It seemed that they didn't know what day it was and couldn't get anything right.
      But as if by some sort of lucky charm they came out on top 🤗

      1. Gave up about two minutes before they scored.
        Very, very surprised to see the result this morning.

    2. We watched the whole game. The game changed after substitutions and presumably directions to be rough back in challenges.

      Lucy Bronze scored which changed the game and then scored the decisive penalty. She was defiant in the face of provocation.

  28. 409559+ up ticks,

    Morning Each,

    Dt,
    Vast majority of Afghans on ‘kill list’ were bogus asylum seekers
    Sources reveal as few as one in 16 people identified in data breach had genuine claims for resettlement.

    🎵
    He was watering the flowers by the window sill
    And then he saw them comin' over yonder hill
    Why, there must have been a million of every shape and size
    And so I yelled to everyone, "You'd better get inside".

    Seemingly the indigenous are in anger slow build whilst the political / pharmaceutical gagging on sweat via greed & fear race ahead building up the alien
    army, AT THE TAXPAYERS EXPENSE an update on being charged for the bullet.

    The war started 30 + years ago but was
    NOT acknowledged by the lab/lib/con coalition party busy installing with regular tribal voters input year on year, the WEF / NWO / with royal seal replacement agenda.

    We have now reached, I do believe, in every hamlet, village, town and city what can only be described as
    "weeping nitro point" unstable in a terrorising manner to say the least.

    Every day the replacement / troop invaders arrive so every day, the REPLACEMENT gains power in what is described in crime circles as a "government" accepted invasion.

      1. Cue Labour furiously trying to re-write that to suit themselves and protect against future embarrassment.

        1. 409559+ up ticks,

          “Embarrassment in the future ”
          There should be no time for that.

          There really should be a political
          towering inferno figuratively speaking with a very strong odour of burning political arseholes.

  31. Good morning, all. Bright with a light breeze.

    It would appear that our consent has been usurped by charlatans. IMHO the latter firmly believe that they have a right to rule us as opposed to having our consent to manage the UK's affairs. The creation of the uni-party was political treachery and the crossing of verbal swords in the HoC has been nothing short of theatre ever since.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a85c3128ddf39fa058d65d897e7376c9f133a662d7f44cac9ddbc7021381c01a.png

    1. The only solution is the removal of the lot of them, and their hangers-on. Reassert the will of the People, and make sure these bastards realise they are the representatives, not the rulers. And that they should behave that way.

    2. Thus 'representative democracy' was born however those Mps should be required to consult their constituents on how they will vote.

      To ensure genuine fairness, those constituencies should be far smaller, with their own 'MP' who would, yearly select from their elected number a representative to take that instruction to parliament.

      Of course, only those contributing should be permitted a vote ensuring that most of London has no say whatsoever. This is he only way we clear out the sewer of Westminster – by making it accountable and leashed.

  32. I am looking at the amount of tax and NI i have paid over the past four tax years, and how this has been allocated (available in your personal tax account information on gov.uk )

    This is shocking.

    There are 15 categories. Health, welfare, business and industry, state pensions, education, defence, public order and safety, transport, national debt interest, government administration, housing and utilities like street lighting, environment, culture like sports libraries museums, outstanding payments to EU and overseas aid.

    In 2020/21, National Debt Interest ranked 9th in the list at 8.7%. Last year it ranked 4th, at 11.1% (and in 2022/23 it was third at 12%).

    11-12% of Government income spent on servicing debt interest. Please let that sink in.

    In the meantime, business and industry (goodness knows what this means) has gone down from 14.4% four years ago (ranked 3rd) to 4.2% last year (ranked 9th).

    The top three are health (average 21.2%), welfare (average 20.3%) and state pensions (average 10.7%).

    On average I have paid £62k a year in tax and NI in the last four years. And thats with me stuffing my pension to the max. I await my thank you from HMG but it never comes, just an insinuation i should pay “more” as it’s only “fair”.

    Better do some work!!

    1. Cripes! At least, as a pensioner my income is low and my tax bill is annoying but nothing like yours!

      1. That’s why i get so cross at the utter waste and lack of accountability and the people being given money for doing nothing.

        I would add, i have worked for over 35 years, consistently 10-14 hour days, 26 days holiday plus bank holidays (someone in yesterday’s Terriblegraph was arguing these need to be reduced) and am grateful i have had longevity in my career (we know plenty of people are made redundant in their 50s and struggle ever to get back on the ladder). We cannot keep giving “free stuff” to people who do not contribute and who have never contributed. I don’t know how we get back from where we are now as a country.

        2. The recovery – when there is one, it's inevitable rather than optional now – will be painful.

          Worse, it'll hit those who have nothing incredibly hard because they've been given so much for so long that they haven't the skills to enter the workplace. We simply don't need them. With so many gimmigrants wages have been suppressed for decades.

          With high taxes on business no one is hiring.

          For the low skilled, long term management levels it'll be brutal too. The 'yes men' are irrelevant in a society that demands outcomes, not a talking shop.

          Bluntly there are too many people providing too little value and true market economics – which would resolve the socialist carnage the Left enforce – isn't kind. Again, the state has delliberately, spitefully created the problem.

          1. It isn’t only the taxes that deter employers; employment law makes it difficult to get rid of the useless.

    2. That's some tax! Are you servicing the government debt interest all on your own?

        1. Thankyou for your contributions towards my pension! It's on the lower rate (pre 2016) but I was able to claim it at 60 and still go on working until I retired at a time of my choosing… just before 63. Work was getting more oppressive and ridiculous so I thought – "sod it! I'll retire"……..and I did. I'm grateful for both my pensions and the AVC that I paid for as between them I can travel where I want, when I want as well as pay half the household bills.

    3. I'd present that 'government administration' accounts for well over 60% of the cost. The breakdown hides that gargantuan and destructive category.


  33. Reposted from late last night

    18th July 2025

     https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e6ff219e068c614e529c9f23fad2ceaccda7cb104e29c8c79dc53ddcb8def5d4.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b0728270923d80a6c3036b2bae850f586f5433cbf9bb09b7bb55b1712b9dc561.png https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8d132c48bfb17d867190facfb1e895bf0bcedec8daec6515d2ef37c24bf9bae8.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/af07a8acf0fd9ccb64c4a2a86223fa4a8a52c476b19faf2847064c5617901627.png
    A very early birthday picture?

    With very best wishes,

    Caroline and Rastus

      1. Happy Birthday wishes to you, lacoste! Hope you have a wonderful day! 🍺🍾🎂🥂

    4. 🎉Happy Birthday Lacoste I hope you have a lovely day today cheers 🤗😊🍻🥂🍾 have a good one.

  34. Morning All 🙂😊
    A bright start mid 20s later, rain overnight. At last . …
    Meddling with the voting age, typical of a useless load of incompetents who couldn't even run a bath and don't appear to be living in the same worldly environment as the rest of the British public.
    Get the kids in to help and blame them when it all goes wrong.

    1. I forget who posted, it was last night, the experience in Wales and Scotland is that the teenagers don't bother voting.

      1. I am sure that at least some teenagers will vote but I wonder what they will vote for? My guess is that most will vote for left-wing parties and it’s pretty clear that Lbour thinks this too otherwise they would not be thinking of extending the vote to young teenagers.

        1. I bet my shilling to your brass button that all the 16-18 Muslim voters will vote as the Imam tells them and that's assuming they even get to see the postal voting papers when they arrive.

        2. Most of this comes down to kids not knowing what they're talking about. They see others with nice houses and cars and think 'I want that, that rich person should pay for it' or they've come out of school indoctrinated but uneducated and usually live in cities where heating is far cheaper – due to the mass of concrete and steel. They also don't understand that 2 thirds of their bills are tax (because it's never publicised or distorted – such as green taxes coloured green and the actual energy source coloured red).

          Arguably the voting age is too low. It should be 21 or even higher. There's a reason Labour want the voting age lowered: kids are thick and often not working, and thick lazy people vote Labour.

          1. If your parents have paid for your housing, food, utilities, clothing etc, why would you not vote for a party that offered the same?

          2. True, but the same is also true of many mature citizens. I suspect that most voting is still done on a tribal or cultural basis – I always vote XXX because my parents and grandparents did, or I vote XXX because that is the party of the working man/the professional/the wealthy/the class that I’m in/of those who care about whatever.

      1. 409559+ up ticks,

        Morning BB2,
        Politically I would say
        Mrs Thatcher RIP, I see post
        Mrs Thatcher as tainted.

      2. The Quiet Man? Too quiet. His father, I believe, was a Wng Co who fought in Malta. Known as Drunken Duncan according to rumour.

    2. Labour does everything else anti-democratically. Why not the EU as well?

  36. No one likes an unexpected invoice.

    Chancellor Friedrich Merz balks at EU plan to spaff half a trillion of German money.

    Ursula von der Leyen presented an ambitious 2 trillion euro, seven-year EU budget in Brussels..
    She expalins "a budget for a new era that reflects Europe’s ambitions" –
    "the most ambitious EU budget ever: more strategic, flexible, and transparent. We are investing more in our independence and in our capacity to respond,"

    strategic, flexible, and transparent!

    Let's have a larf at that one. Clear as mud.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/81c8475f06521b504ec6515ce250bcedafb6f73e6c5d82baf3911a9fdc1750ac.jpg
    my favs Cohesion. Resilience & Values. 426 million.

          1. And this is the problem we all have Conners, to put up with all these lying disgusting cheats who hide inside the political sphere.

    2. "Cohesion, Resiliance and Values"

      How many prisons will "cohesion" require?
      "Resiliance" of what?
      Whose "Values?"

        1. This is teh woman who bought zillions of covid doses for EU citizens while her husband was working for a vaxx manufacturing company. It’s what is hiding behind the buzzword bingo that worries me more!

    4. What is that, do we think? Fines, lawfare, bureaucracy and waste to make the whole failed nonsense grind on day to day?

      Marketing and bribes to have sewage promote this pointless and irrelevant non-entity?

  37. Very crafty , this Labour government is running scared , and are now in the process of grooming teenagers to vote for them in coming elections .. I wonder what incentives they have in mind to guarantee the right X in the box?

    SIR – If 16-year-olds are deemed sufficiently mature to be enfranchised, this has wider implications. They should also be considered old enough to drive a car, pay adult fares on public transport, buy alcohol and tobacco, be tried in an adult court – and, if convicted, be sent to an adult prison.

    Without such changes, Labour’s plan can only be seen as an attempt to garner votes at the next general election.

    Dr Alf Crossman
    Rudgwick, West Sussex

      1. Oh Lefties will paint it as such but it isn't. Everyone knows it's just desperate vote grubbing.

        Imagine how desperate they are to push this through?

          1. Elbridge Gerry.
            And half of salamander – something to do with the shape of his constituency (really straining my memory now).
            As if Strephon were a crooked American politician.

    3. Labour deliberately restored the whip before the GE because they knew she has a following in Hackney.
      Now she's safely back in, they can withdraw it again.
      They know she'll never vote with the Conservatives or Reform.

    1. Sad, but true. That's why duped people are the most ardent supporters. Their ego cannot allow them to admit their total and utter failure.

      1. 409559+ up ticks,

        Morning W,
        “cannot allow them to admit their total and utter failure”
        Again again,again,& again.

  40. Morning, all Y'all.
    To reach 32C today, apparently. Quite warm already, the sky is polished & shiny, cats faled out. Proper summer!

      1. Hard to do when you are attending a conference in Canterbury from Sunday to Thursday, Paul.

          1. Sorry, Paul, I thought you were talking about washing my clothes as I am doing today. Of course, I had a daily body shower in the hotel where I stayed.

          2. ;-))
            I never doubted it, Elsie. Was just tring to (feebly) jerk your chain…

  42. From https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/17/vast-majority-afghans-kill-list-bogus-asylum-seekers-leak/
    "Vast majority of Afghans on ‘kill list’ were bogus asylum seekers
    Sources reveal as few as one in 16 people identified in data breach had genuine claims for resettlement"
    Dear God, looks like yet another fuckup by those utter morons in charge. Illegal immigrants flown in & accommodated at taxpayers cost!
    It was bad enough that someone "leaked" all the names, or was that yet another lie or stitch-up?

    1. Oh come on Oberst, surely by now it's obvious that there is nothing accidental about this? It's a giant psyop to fill the papers and outrage the public by people whose goal is to bring as many foreigners into the country as possible.
      People are supposed to be so angry about the invasion that they will be gagging for an authoritarian government to stop it.

  43. Good morning from Hameln!
    EVENTUALLY got here yesterday afternoon after a 1h delay due to a train failure somewhere towards Henglo which had us detrain at Appledoorn.
    A small bonus was getting to see this beauty:- https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/adee4b88fe7fa9e624d476faf8bd5bbc8d844166c14c31dd072ca7fa4c8dfceb.jpg Pulling this lot:- https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f9c33abeca3c3e1c0ac75a90f2d7c036f35521787fd5a302314dc1a4317f63bd.jpg Including this rather nice 8 wheeler:-
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fa7d4fdab36f840d347210bceff8338ae0e0ca4d91996b59bd3d490f6e80589f.jpg But eventually got here, totally bloody knackered and then spent the next 15h in bed!
    Excellent continental breakfast and now I'm off into town via the old Bindon Barracks that is only a couple of hundren metres up the road!
    TTFN All

    4. Have a super time.
      p.s. and don't cut down the Black Forest. We need the gateau. (And the Germans might be a smidge miffed.)

  44. OT – the MR and I have been watching on BBC4 TV a series called "The Death of Yugoslavia":

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p00gfbpy/the-death-of-yugoslavia

    Terrifying. The appalling thugs running each of the various "countries" within Yugoslavia; their lies and duplicity. The cruelty to their OWN people who were slaughtered by the thousand. The sheer uselessness of the United Nations (and the EU). Made Al Capone and his chums seem like philanthropists.

    Well worth watching on catch-up.

    1. Hello Bill

      I just don't understand the requirement to control and slaughter ..

      It seems to me that when people become angry enough to protest , government appears to have the right to supress , control and kill.

      I reckon we are hurtling towards a Marxist led repression , and we should be fearful .

      1. Government usually creates the problem it then crushes. Good government never really has these problems because it gives the public power over it. Bad government – Left wing, fascist types are consistently rejected by the public and so those governments always use force to suppress dissent.

        It is always Lefty governments, too. Thus why fascism is a Left wing ideology. There are no right wing fascists. It simply isn't in the mindset.

      2. Remember how POS mugabe murdered around twenty thousand of his own people because he knew that they would never have voted for him.
        Wilson and the left wing kicked Ian Smith out previously. And nobody batted an eyelid when the mugabe murders took place.

    1. Instead of having airmen and airwomen, the RAF now has “aviators”, rather forgetting that the correct term for females of the species is “aviatrix”.

    2. Don't joke. Again! Remember your Orwell!

      The purpose of Newspeak was not only to provide a medium of expression for the world-view and mental habits proper to the devotees of Ingsoc, but to make all other modes of thought impossible.

    3. And then unexpectedly someone smacks them in the face..
      they burst into tears, and the entire company immediately drop their firearms and gather round to offer comfort & compassion.

    4. Some women when, they are in a position of authority become Man agers – in that their authoritarian manner makes men feel older!

    5. Only one response allowed, Maggie…(clue…second word is 'off', first word can be any one of your choice.)

  47. Increasingly the state is getting ever more heavy handed and brutal solely to cover up it's own intentional actions.

    It makes refusing 'climate change' illegal, it keepsimporting gimmigrants who rape children and then sets about crushing those angry at it. It keeps importing more gimmigrants and passes laws to use force to silence dissent.

    It sets about restricting people's freedoms and then attacks the companies providing that forum – blaming them for the state's failure.

    It destroys food production, forcing importing of more food but slaps massive taxes on that import increasing food prices, which leads to less food being imported at higher prices while less is grown locally. It then creates adistortion where those stealing are let off and those paying pay through the nose.

    It blithers about energy whille intentionally making it expensive – the winter fuel allowance being a direct response to the most expensive, due to taxation; energy in the world yet it brainwashes the lie that 'green' is cheaper but lies about the massive subsidy stolen to present that lie.

    Big fat state blithers on about creating jobs but then actively destroys them by taxing employment. It hammers employees with regulation and pretends it's for their benefit.

    It pours cash into public services which just goes on to fat cat salaries rather than front line services.

    It rewards indolence and punishes – spitefully – effort, then it complains about 'da wich' not 'paying their fair share. What is fair about someone not working robbing you of 70% of what you have worked for?

    The feckless and idle, the unintelligent and dross are breeding because they have plenty of other people's money coming in. For far too many it is a form of promotion – another kid means another bedroom. Yet the worker, the striver, the person putting the effort in is too busy to have children and can't afford childcare. The thing that would enable such, genuinely flexible working is being withdrawn (because those enacting it are stupid, gormless morons who don't actually work) to a binary position which forces employers to withdraw it entirely.

    Every single thing is back to front, and the more the state fights normality with tax and regulation the harder the system bites back until all big fat state is left with is just killing those who refuse it. Ultimately the suppression always fails. It is inevitable. Lefties don't understand why becaues, at heart, they are desperately misanthropic and so see nothing wrong with slaughter to achieve their utopia but people do not want utopia. They want to be free to fall on a spiked railing.

    At every single issue what big government is doing is utterly wrong. They don't seem to understand why and are reacting with ever more force when challenged. Everything is back to front. It has been for many years.

    1. Yesterday, I drove along a road leading to Layer de la Haye.
      Three perfectly good, productive fields are now covered in solar panels.

    2. Wonder which politician/CS she belongs to…answers on a sheet of A4….(are you really in London, btw…) xx

          1. Not at the moment Kate – I've more pressing things like replacing the cartridge in the shower mixing valve and a couple of tap washers x

          2. Is that what you were doing the other day, Alec?…I hate diy, I think in part because my mother was always turning the house upside down to decorate, re-decorate and repeat. I’ve completely stopped painting.

          3. I was stripping the shower down the other day to find out what was wrong with it. I now have the replacement part so will be fitting it tomorrow – luckily I can do this so saved a plumbers fee. But decorating is something I hate. Off to t'pit now goodnight Kate x

          4. Good man. I can’t diy but ok decorating, used to help my mum. In mine already..g’night Alec x x

  49. 409559+ up ticks,

    That means that for last thirty plus years I have been right, bejabbers, begorrah in the highest.

    Dt,

    Labour? They’re continuity Sunak
    A prospectus for radical change is needed if there is to be an effective opposition

    May one suggest the,
    Farmers Food and Freedom Party, one reason being they really do not deserve to have, currently, their backs to the wall.

  50. Alex Phillips & partner have just moved to Chiswick(? could be wrong).. anyhow she tells the story of her Liberal-voting-neighbour since the days of David Steele & David Owen now voting Reform. They've had enough. The dog walk in the local park is now too dangerous.

    Britain's Victorian parks: The no-go green spaces blighted by stabbings, stranger rapes, violent muggings and even murder..

  51. Just when you thought it couldn't get worserer ….. up pops Schitz with his pennorth.

    "Sir Grant Shapps has said he would “do the same thing all over again” over the Afghan data leak super-injunction."

    Both major parties are guilty; Conservatives for keeping it beyond the time it took to extract genuine translators and soldiers and Labour for deliberately extending it until it could be hidden no longer.
    As I have said before, we need to go back to the Wars of the Roses to find this country so badly run.

      1. I blame the government, Ndovu – they don't listen to what voters are saying and why, it's easier to say 'racists'. Plus they have no plan, no policy in place to deal with the guge wave of immigration, so …hear nowt, see owt, say nowt. Next GE will tell, if nothing improves, but that could be latest '29, plenty of good weather between now and then.

        1. I beg to differ; they have a plan to import as many as possible to destroy our culture.

      4. The king. He is the fount of all honour (snigger). Sunak recommended the recipient.

  52. Well – that's hung out the two loads of washing……… it's cool & cloudy here now – hopefully will stay dry for a while.

  53. Bilton School closes early over 'eeeeeeeextremist threats' after Union Flag dress row

    The school said..
    "Safeguarding the health, safety and welfare of our future Labour voters is of paramount importance.., or our thoughts and prayers are with our triple-locked pensions, our seven week holiday, and our Cohesion. Resilience & Values."

  54. It’s obvious Labour wants me out, says Diane Abbott
    Hard-left MP suspended for second time after doubling down on claims Jews experience racism differently to black people
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/07/18/labour-wants-me-out-says-diane-abbott-suspended/

    BTL

    You have to be so careful what you say when it comes to racism.

    I have several Arab friends from the Middle East and African friends as well as Jewish friends.

    To give Diane Abbot her due – but not to justify what she said – it is often very difficult to tell whether a European Jew is Jewish or not as he or she looks very much the same as other Europeans. I bet that most of us have Jewish friends without being aware that they are Jewish.

    1. Indeed – one of my closest old schoolfriends is Jewish – her gt grandparents arrived sometime in the 19th century. Her elder brother did some research on their origins.

      1. I have at least one on my family tree. Worth remembering not all Jews support Israel and Netanyahu.

      1. Absolutely. I have quite a lot of African friends – mainly guides and people I've met in Kenya. I've never felt unsafe there, and travel on my own now that OH won't fly any more. Most, but not all of my African friends are Christian.

        1. Good to read 🙂 I used to support Christian Aid many years ago, at that time they seemed to have a policy of helping mostly those who’d been christened. No way of verifying, not sure what the policy is today, if any.

          1. The main charity I support these days is The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. They will be getting a chunk of my will. As there is a small office in the UK, they are able to claim Giftaid on donations. I’d much rather it went to them rather than the taxman. Any donations at my funeral will probably go to Help a Hedgehog Hospital, though I have yet to revise my will………

          2. Mine..grandchildren, with a few wildlife exceptions. I think they’ll need it, my main worry.

    3. (Thinking of things) Like a walk in the park
      Things that we don't do now
      Thinking 'bout the things we used to do

    4. I've just been for a walk and saw nobody, except one of our neighbours who offered me a lift. We're very lucky here.

      1. Quite safe here too. I believe it depends on wether you have large groups of blacks and Paks or not.

        1. Very little diversity here, though I did notice a few at Stroud Show the other day. Not large groups, but individual people.

  60. Good morning…just. Back in A&E at Charing Cross first thing this morning and right arm now bandaged and in a sling apart from for typing, which keeps it at the right angle anyway. Had the full aorta CT scan yesterday afternoon and the canula used to inject the highlight die has caused bad bruising and prolonged bleeding. That hasn't happened before but the Apixaban blood thinner accounts for it of course. The bandage and sling are to prevent the bruise spreading down my arm and are to stay on for three days. Apparently the scan produced good images.

    3. Poor you Sue. They have some very suspect people putting in cannulas and giving injections in hospitals.
      Hopefully the sling will do it’s job.
      I had a ‘healthcare assistant’ remove a cannula after a similar CT scan. Did it in the waiting area and took the cannula out without gauze to press on it. A lovely fountain of blood all over my shirt and trousers. My notes clearly showed that I was on Rivaroxaban. I pressed the wound while she scampered around for dressings.

      1. Aaargh! The lass who put in the canula was a bit ham-fisted but it was the scan technician who removed it and put on the dressing. I removed the dressing after a few hours because that's been alright before. This morning I saw the same Spanish doctor who helped with the excessive bleeding back in January after my tooth extraction and he remembered me, what I do at work…and that I'm on blood thinners!

      1. If the good images don't reveal any damage, yes. I mean good as in clear images. Verdict still to be received on the condition of the aorta.

  61. The CEO of a Software company and his HR Director/Mistress were caught cuddling at a Coldplay concert in the US when the camera picked out members of the audience.

    She covered her face and he dived for cover…. too late!

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/89ca49b9c5688a5f56a692c6e2a43bcf7f2030629c29c480f5bbb34489e7e55e.png
    BTL comments in the Times pretty much along the lines of;

    Can you imagine the embarrassment?? Being caught at a Coldplay concert – the utter shame!!

  62. Morning everyone. Just about to take the dogs for a stroll but I thought I would look in first.

    What trust in democracy? That died in 2016.

  63. I'm 16, and I shouldn't be given the vote

    The country is falling apart at the seams, and Labour is engaging in cynical gerrymandering

    Annabel Hogan • 17th July 2025

    As a member of what is widely considered the most entitled and opinionated generation in recent memory, you might expect I'd support votes for under 18s. But along with most Gen Zs who aren't devoted to Lefties like Keir Starmer and Jeremy Corbyn (there's more of us than you might think), I'm deeply concerned by Labour's rushed announcement.

    It was only in 1969 that the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 and, as a 16-year-old who will vote for the first time at the next general election, I'd argue that we'd be better off reverting back to votes at 21. Those in their mid-teens don't need a say in who runs the country.

    Young people already have the opportunity to have much more political impact than they used to. My parents would take to the streets to have their voices heard. Now they only need to take to social media.

    And surely you need to have lived a life and experience being a taxpayer before you have a say in how those taxes are spent? I know some youngsters do start earning below 18 – but they are a minority. If anything, children are more dependent on their parents now than they were when the voting age was last lowered. A report published by the Department for Education showed that around 70 per cent of 16-year-olds remain in full-time education.

    It is hard to avoid the conclusion that this is little more than cynical gerrymandering at a time when Reform are pulling ahead in the polls. That Labour has introduced the policy because it perceives most young people to be Left leaning, and it is therefore in the party's political interests.

    It's hardly surprising when pupils are constantly subjected to unionised, socialist secondary school teachers – and the apparent Left-wing bias on social media. This, combined with the amount of online fake news that is shoved down the throats of people my age means most 16-year-olds don't yet know how to think critically for themselves. They too often exist in hollow echo chambers and follow the herd, largely because alternative opinions have been silenced. Are they seriously ready to be unleashed at the ballot box?

    If 16-year-olds aren't permitted to stand as candidates then why should they be permitted to choose which candidate to vote for? I am not permitted to buy alcohol, marry or go to war without my parents' permission. I cannot even buy a lottery ticket – yet I can pick a Prime Minister? It is incoherent.

    When the economic state of Britain is worsening by the day, time spent by the Government on legislation like this is an insult to the public. There has been no call whatsoever from teens asking for the vote at 16. In fact, a poll by ITV News found only 51 per cent think they should be able to vote – the rest either didn't or were undecided. That's the problem: teenagers are undecided on whether they should even have the vote, let alone how they should exercise that democratic freedom.

    One thing I have noticed, when discussing politics with my peers, is many young people struggle to distinguish between the Conservatives or Labour (though we are hardly alone). Teenagers will not be voting en masse for the "uniparty". They will be looking for disruptors and their votes will be going to the Greens or Reform. If Jeremy Corbyn gets his new party up and running, based on the 2017 "youthquake", many will be enticed.

    When people do not understand politics they search for the clearest messaging, be it saving the planet or a return to what the Corbynistas oxymoronically describe as "luxury Communism". It's possible that, even under the leadership of Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrats may have some appeal to younger voters. If this isn't enough to convince that it's probably best to leave voting to the grown-ups, I don't know what will be.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/17/im-16-and-i-shouldnt-be-given-the-vote

    1. Since most teachers appear to be left-wing, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the only political argument presented to pupils were to be in support of Labour, LibDems and the Greens, with right-of-centre parties (Conservatives, allegedly) and Reform would have their policies attacked and their candidates misrepresented as racist, reactionary scum.

    1. One newspaper’s “thug” is a non-Leftard indigenous member of society’s patriot.

      1. I am so fed up with seeing even the slightest evidence of the existence of that horrible thing.

  66. Phew! it's warm out there now – just walked up the Hill to pass last Saturday's takings on to Maureen, our treasurer. She didn't appear to be in and the dog was silent, so although her car and bike were there, she may have been out with Florrie. But she has a big locked letter box so it will be ok in there.
    Then walked back down through the woods.

  67. SIR – As our Prime Minister announces that he will give 16-year-olds the vote, I look back to my 16th year and shudder at my stupidity. It was only four years later, in 1979, that I voted in my first general election. Fortunately I chose the right candidate.

    Simon Perks
    Poughill, Devon

    Your sixteenth year began on your fifteenth birthday. (That reminds me, where's Griz?)

    2. Where is Minty, she was not well a few weeks ago. She crossed my mind as the Skripals are in the news again.

  68. It sounds all very sinister at the Epping protest, going by reports, local people turn out to peacefully protest, women, children, pensioners from the community, then by all accounts a counter protest of Lefties turns up from outside the area and were shepherded by the police from the train station some distance away right towards the peaceful protesters.
    Then all the trouble kicked off and the media got the excuse to blame the peaceful protesters and call them far right.
    So just who is organising these counter protests? they appear to be acting as political agitators for the state.
    Obviously to frighten off ordinary people protesting while their communities are trashed and made unsafe and to cause trouble thus giving the authorities the excuse for going in and dispersing them, arresting and making examples of bystanders with harsh prison sentences.
    If the state authorities are colluding with this tactic then we really are living under North Korean style totalitarianism.

    2. Agents provocateurs.
      Last seen in Blighty in the grim years after the Napoleonic Wars.

      1. Not quite that long ago.

        I saw some with my own eyes at the end of that huge, glorious, peaceful freedom march in London. All dressed in very similar dark clothing, moving purposefully, and unlike every single other person there, wearing masks. 🙄

        They were the ones who kicked off a short time later and ended up making the headlines ('violent protestors' etc).

        1. It's always the violent protests that make the headlines. The marches I went on between 2012 and 2019 were always very well supported by peaceful people and got no coverage whatsoever by the media, except the ones who had been engaged to film them.

          The silent protest in 2017 was one of the best.
          https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6a45f6c8e0c830b1d91fae9bce7137129679c1fa8b1c99333552da5dc6d323d4.jpg
          March for elephants and rhinos 2016 – Virginia McKenna. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1c2c117ce9fb7b574e608b5cdcd283f1821bdd74682bcf74db3366c450f1517b.jpg
          March against trophy hunting 2019 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ae0670b86110c6b41aee1b55c10647413e5e6c7ad60cedef9a75c7c54fe2ea5e.jpg
          March for Elephants 2015
          https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/aeacf68c5b05ff68ddccd9e6bfc0787d800278ef13c9fb0e0d111f22f16d9dc6.jpg March for Cecil 2015 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8d54d42f8a0f74c398ea0100d71ba0b7239ee5381d98a830a7ad1713b34eaf66.jpg March against canned hunting 2014. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1d41734b344fa5bef70fd98071f20aecc69de69722d46d8bd2f8d3075b247f60.jpg

        3. If the police had any testicular fortitude they would kettle all the lot in masks, then remove them and photograph them for use with facial recognition software at future riots.

          These left-wing agents provocateur should be tracked and traced.

          8. Good question, hang on…….yes, looks like it, so couldn't be that. Possibly an unverified situation?

          10. 🚨Migrant Rapists🚨

            EXCLUSIVE: Last night in Windsor an inebriated girl was by the river. She was surrounded by Asian migrants who requested she took off her clothes & then became naked. My follower takes up the story.

            "My daughter’s friends came across a young teenage girl who was clearly distressed and intoxicated naked teenager.

            "She was surrounded by 3–4 migrant men who I guess are from the local hotel as they are there everyday, they had removed all of her poor girls clothes and were walking her off somewhere further down the river.

            "The boys are just school kids themselves, about 15–16 years old & despite this they intervened & managed to get her away. She was visibly upset & the men initially objected before finally leaving her alone.

            "This happened less than 100m from Windsor Castle King Charles’s doorstep. If girls aren’t safe in a place crawling with Royal Protection officers, where are they safe?"

            The matter has been reported to the @ThamesVP
            Valley Police, who are investigating.

            There is also some video footage, taken in the dark, of a girl putting her clothes in a bag, by torchlight.

          14. We used to take our children to a little fairground by the river in Windsor. * If* this story is true, the attackers are becoming more brazen.
            It is very plausible but on the other hand, as someone else commented above, the news does seem as though people are being provoked and obviously, spreading wild rumours via Twitt would be one of the best forms of provocation, to be revealed at the trials as "all lies – should have trusted the BBC."

          15. They know plod will let them off, useless lawyers will be desperate to trough off public money and that even if foud guilty there's no consequences.

            This stops when they're shot on sight.

  70. 409559+ up ticks,

    There must be a reason for this revving up of the illegal intake AKA more truthfully "the invasion."

    my take is things are going to come apart very seriously.

    Would be no surprise to me to see kapo armbands appearing on the high-street., and manipulative crowd kettling.

    https://x.com/patcondell/status/1945958808032874910

      1. We supported the wrong side in the Balkans. I knew something was up then.

    2. Remember the covid marshalls? Plenty of people out there happy to turn on their fellows.

      1. 409559+ up ticks,

        Afternoon Pip,

        Fifth Column,perched, already
        in place.

        The chair shifter's etc,etc.

    4. He's so right. Jointly our political idiots have wrecked our culture and social structure and the future of our British off spring and now they are wrecking the economy.

    5. From Rudyard Kipling
      > **When the English began to hate**
      >
      > It was not suddenly bred.
      > The English had always been a kind people,
      > Slow to wrath, slow to greed.
      >
      > But the English had suffered too often
      > And been fooled too long.
      > And when they began to hate
      > It was with a will strong and enduring,
      > Deep, implacable, grim,
      > Not swayed by passion or humor,
      > Not diverted by aught from its aim,
      > Not moved by pity or rue
      > Or shaken by prayer or pleadings,
      > But steadfast as doom, as the stars,
      > As the sea which they rule and regard not,
      > So did they hate.
      >
      > When the English began to hate
      > They killed with scientific attention to detail,
      > With method and thoughtful foresight,
      > They burned and they broke and they slew,
      > But they kept to their ordered line
      > And kept to their ancient law,
      > And they sent their sons to the strife,
      > And they sent their ships to the sea,
      > And they kept faith with their dead
      > And they kept faith with the living.

      1. “When the English Began to Hate” by Rudyard Kipling, which is sometimes also known simply by its first line. It was written during World War I and expresses Kipling’s bitter response to what he saw as German atrocities, as well as the transformation of the English character under the pressure of war.

  71. Stephen Daisley in the Spekkie is writing on the NHS Fife pantomime.
    He has created a marvellous new word: wokescolds.

    "These activists represent what Lord Glasman calls ‘the lanyard class’, a concept developed by Janice Turner, and which broadly describes the dreary wokescolds who have marched through the institutions with ‘be kind…’ on their lips and ‘…or else’ in their eyes."

    1. Very good! egyppius made a pretty good stab recently too when he described western governments as "schoolmarmocracies."

    1. I saw something today on FB about Epstein's alleged suicide in jail. Apparently there were several minutes missing from the clip that was conveniently allowed to be filmed and shown, as 'a body' was removed from the cell. I remember when seeing it originally the face covering moved and there was no way it was him.

      1. I think they're feeding out the details bit by bit to keep people wasting time and energy on this non-story. It's just Kardashians for people with a few more brain cells. The elite network will never turn themselves in and nobody gets into a position of power unless they're compromised. The End.

          1. We live in sad times. One has to accept ‘Reality’ that one gets from all media is to a great extent curated and manipulated. If that seems weird or hard to believe, remember that 200 years ago, people’s experience was overwhelmingly from real life, not from films, tv, newspapers. books or the internet.
            Our brains are still hardwired to judge what we see on the internet as though it was happening in real life.
            So if we get to ‘know’ ‘Lucy’ then we would react as if a friend had been arrested when we hear that ‘she’ has been arrested. But our brains are deceiving us because we have not interacted with a real person, we have interacted with an X account that may or may not have a single real person behind it.

        2. As I mentioned a few days back extremely wealthy cheats and liars probably do not commit suicide because their wealth is a very strong get out clause. Robert Maxwell set the precident. A floating ‘body’ a quick burial and no further questions. Job done.

      2. Or if it is Ed Milliband, 40000000000000000000000000000000000000 to power 4 lightbulbs, but only for 4 hours a day – and you should be grateful that the state provides you with electricity!

        1. Communism that is electrification of the whole country- slogan on a Moscow power station in the late sixties.

        1. Ah, but.
          If you take the child's answer, 4 and 4 and 16 and then multiply them together you get 256.
          Hence why I wanted to see his workings.

          3. Nah, just someone who likes to play mathematician occasionally. Probably never recovered from zipping through Pure and Applied Maths A levels at 16. Headmaster told me I was "throwing my life away" when I chose to study mechanical engineering, not mathematics. However, engineering — both the physical stuff and later on software, served me well.

          4. I envy you.
            O level for me and zero mechanical skills, the exact opposite of my father.

            I still like playing with numbers, but calculus left me cold.
            My godmother was married to one of the finest mathematicians of his generation, world renowned in his field.

          5. You can't use me as a shield anymore Quasimodo. !

            Those bells don't ring the same tune for ex pats.

          6. 64 69s?
            I just assumed it must be you, because I can’t think any other Nottlers who might have a twelve inch tongue and be able to breathe through their ears.

    1. If Lucy Connolly even exists. The alt media is as captured as the legacy media. When something starts running and running, it's time to register a few doubts!

      1. I wonder if you could make a virtual one at home. "Alexa, tell some crappy jokes and then moan about your arthritis!"

    2. Lots of differing opinions at my local, but because you're talking face to face, with usually more than one listener, it rarely gets too acrimonious.

    3. The bar staff, often students, but almost always of a younger generation, are sometimes amused and frequently seen nodding or shaking their heads, thinking, "Mad old bastards."

    1. BBC report "On Friday, the force said detectives had sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service and chosen not to take any further action against Kneecap on the grounds that there was "insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence". Insufficient evidence, really? It seems CPS does stand for "couldn't prosecute Satan".

    1. Genuine question – how do you know she is real?

      (IMO she is probably a real person but she didn't maintain her own X account and I am rather sceptical that she served a full prison sentence.)

      1. I haven't seen her X account – which apparently had a huge following. However I do believe they made an example of her to put others off saying what they thought.

        1. Didn't she delete it when she realised the storm that was brewing was headed directly for her?

        2. I was on X for a short time last year until my account got closed because I re-tweeted news footage of people being arrested in London with a question. During that time, I became aware of the Lucy Connolly account because it was always being shoved under my nose by the X algorithm.
          I followed a lot of people in the alternative space like Leilani Dowling, Paul Weston etc. I never followed LC because she never seemed to produce anything particularly interesting.
          Although her account was everywhere, she only had about 9000 followers apparently.
          MiriAF pretty much debunked Connolly’s X account.

          1. I never saw her account – I’ve been there since 2010. I follow Leilani Dowding and Paul Weston too. But then I have only just over 1,000 followers.

      2. I am beginning to believe that you might not be real either, just an AI bot that swallows and regurgitates the conspiracy theories that your developers want to normalise.

        };-))

        1. No, I try to understand the world. And it is important to understand that the people who have rejected the BBC narratives are being as much manipulated by X algorithms as anyone who gets all their information from the BBC.

          5. I like to read a number of different newspapers, from Norway, UK, Germany, for example – how is the difference in reporting?
            And then disbelieve it all anyway.

          6. They all more or less operate to the same Overton window as far as I can see.
            Ah, those happy days when I used to get the Telegraph, read it and believe that it was true!

          7. I don’t PAY for the propaganda… the esc button works well most times, or just read what they allow you to.

        1. You’d have to ask him….

          I do know if I were in jail, I’d want those precious, rare visits to be from my loved ones, not Richard Tice.

      4. Genuine question – do you believe that Allison Pearson is real?
        Curiously, her surname is Connelly according to the judge who sentenced her.

        1. Allison Pearson has had a long career outside social media, mostly being the establishment limited hangout ‘rebel’.
          Lucy Connolly is only known via social media. It is extremely easy to construct a fake persona on the internet.

  81. Colin Fisher
    7h
    When the Police allow 40 counter protestors through it almost looks like it was contrived.
    Bearing in mind they would not allow two pro Israel counter protestors in London the other day it looks rather like stoking a fire to give us an excuse to stop the protests

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1ae0ebcc57eb6862d81dabdd57188b91d5c1fb0dc0671dd58ece90de10396c95.png
    Puzzled by all this.
    7h
    Isn't it funny how the "pro-refugee’ demonstrators all have matching, printed placards on matching poles, while the "far right" are always a rag tag mob, with no placards, or home made ones?
    Anyone would think that one side was spontaneous, while the other was planned – as if to evidence a certain position.

    Shergar lost
    6h
    "Pro refugee" otherwise known as antifa and from outside the town. There to provoke trouble and they succeeded. Interesting that they don't get arrested and the media imply they are locals who represent the majority in the town. Could make you think they are all working with the state, but that would be conspiracy theory….

    Boudica
    Shergar lost
    6h
    its always the left who turn up and try to antagonise, they are well organised and prepared but almost always mask up? What do they have to hide or do they think it makes them look paramilitary and imposing, conspiracy theory…….?

    1. Undermine the heritage, culture and tradition" – that gives them the safe, comfortable life and influence they so enjoy.
      If they don't like that, why don't they move to a place they'd like the UK to be a replica of – Gaza springs to mind, or perhaps less violently, Lagos, or downtown Dar-es-Salaam?

    2. The genuine local residents should involve their MP – get him to question the Pencil Monitor about "organised protestors protected by the police"…

    3. It is the same organised protest by paid for activists, stupid people bearing identical placards. Note many are wearing those useless ineffective masks thus demonstrating their feeble mindedness.

      Just another protest similar in many ways to a Unite or Unison performance.

  82. The US has rejected the amendments to the WHO health regulations (aka one world health dictatorship)!

    Great, so it will just be us and the EU…

  83. Wordle No. 1,490 3/6

    ⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜
    ⬜🟩⬜🟨⬜
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    Wordle 18 Jul 2025

    Cute but deadly for Birdie Three?

    1. Bogey for me. No idea what the word means but it was the only option left.

      Wordle 1,490 5/6

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

    2. Happy Birthday Rene (again!) and it's a Birthday Birdie from me too.
      I had all letters (apart from the L ) but simply could not see a valid word, I very nearly gave up for the first time ever!
      I was left thinking it has to be either a man's name (B) or a woman's name (D), maybe they mean something else in America (?) before the penny finally dropped!! Weird……

      Edit: I was hoping you might entitle your effort today as 'A slender Birdie Three?'

      Wordle 1,490 3/6

      ⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨
      🟨⬜🟨⬜⬜
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    3. Similar result here. A friend of ours is a professional photographer in Sri Lanka. (Word is not in my pocket Oxford Dictionary).

      Happy Birthday again.

      Wordle 1,490 3/6

      🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜
      ⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    4. Late to the party with my only birdie of the day.

      Wordle 1,490 3/6

      🟨⬜🟨🟨⬜
      ⬜🟨⬜🟩⬜
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    5. Well done, same here. With thanks to the good old natural history programmes of many years ago.

      Wordle 1,490 3/6

      ⬜🟨🟨🟨⬜
      🟨⬜🟩🟩⬜
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

  84. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7b7a0b1428c018352b3b60fdda20d7718bb677c37f1322269721cb26dead6460.jpg

    I had a visitor yesterday , my friend brought her young working cocker over here to see us for a play date with Pip , and as it was a warm late afternoon we drove over to the River Piddle nr Bere Regis , the water was shallow , so the dogs had a paddle and splash .

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/22c837c86cb8dc8c9db7830ebb13c377073aa4454175e3fd4bc110aad576bffa.jpg

        1. Indeed Belle, the Good Lord was on form when he created that area.
          It's absolutely glorious with some very nice small churches.

  85. Saint Peter's, Newnham-on-Severn.
    The photo fifth from top is of a memorial window for three members of the Kerr family killed in the First and Second World Wars, one of them the Captain of HMS Hood, one Captain Ralph Kerr CBE (16th August 1891 – 24th May 1941) and one of the others was his son Russell Kerr, who had served as a captain in the Royal Artillery and as a tank commander, was killed while fighting in Burma in 1945. My friend and I both agreed that our country has had it's money's worth out of the Kerr family.

    St Peter’s Church originally stood on the Nab by the river's edge. Due to erosion by the River Severn, it was replaced in the 14th century on a new site on the hilltop at the Ruddle end of the town, by a church that was subsequently largely rebuilt in 1875. Unfortunately the newly rebuilt church was then mostly destroyed by fire in 1881 and was rebuilt again subsequently. Some features from the early church were retained and re-used in the later church, namely the font, a mutilated tympanum, a small round-headed doorway reset above the south doorway to the building of 1881, and other fragments. Up until 1875 the church comprised nave, chancel, south aisle, small south transept, north porch, and west tower. The tower was rebuilt as a pinnacled and embattled structure of three stages after a faculty had been granted in 1832. By 1875 the lychgate at the north-west corner of the churchyard had been built. In 1875 the chancel and south aisle were rebuilt, the upper stage of the tower was rebuilt with a short spire, and north and south vestries were added during work carried out by Waller. After the fire of 1881 the same architect, Waller, restored the building to the same plan of 1875. The 12th-century font has an arcaded bowl with rudely carved figures of the twelve apostles standing in the niches. The church bells were recast in 1603, and again in 1696, when there were four. John Rudhall recast the bells and added a fifth in 1810. Another bell, by Llewellyn and James, was added in 1868, and two more in 1889. A new ring of eight bells by Mears and Stainbank was dedicated in 1894. In 1895 the bequest of John Hill provided for a new clock and carillon. A new organ by Forster and Andrews of Hull was provided after 1881 and rebuilt in 1955.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2d9a85bb96e68d5c4fd5d05117b966f2feeff734f06eee7370a97942a3773aa4.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e131e6a5ed889385b1ed781549ff81e1945b86a9b247846ba6fc9b0f093f977d.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/44523f650af130abe09c083779d24940d041e2037ad2b32dae2b28e75d9e8844.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e0c1f9f1b6dcacc28cfbaa67ff6ff3a24016a6b04c05f088b760cd17557744e1.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/877e800f2512aca45b8099467bb29acbc431d4b8085db83ff77358e13bf69350.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cf2994971c3376ac51f27d15b59d7cc1196db32411db1ca1c69d5c8fc756b157.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/47a5a0263cb9c26a8540e6a6aaa0928a48841725e7ca240e43bc847d3facd04d.jpg

  86. Well it's the hottest weather I've ever known in Verwood, and I've lived here for donkey's years.
    Although perhaps I should shut down those running jet engines I keep next to my thermometer.?

  87. Dramatic footage and images show French riot police clashing with migrants in Gravelines, east of Calais. Officers used tear gas after being pelted with petrol bombs..

    "Punir les resquilleurs aux ferries. Cela pourrait facilement gâcher votre séjour à Douvres. Des milliers de personnes tentent de rejoindre le port pour embarquer dans leurs bateaux-taxis. Si vous êtes surpris en train de vous mêler à la fête, vous serez sanctionné et empêché d'embarquer jusqu'à ce que les autres soient partis. Parfois, cela implique de vous immobiliser pendant que les autres embarquent."

    1. Yet again, the police are supposed to clear up a problem that is completely caused by bureaucrats and politicians.

  88. Reform’s Zia Yusuf apologises over ‘like’ for anti-Semitic post
    Robert Jenrick, target of ‘racist’ tweet, calls on Farage to sack his former chairman
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/07/18/reform-zia-yusuf-sorry-like-anti-semitic-post-jenrick/

    I think that Zia Yusuf is on a mission to destroy the Reform Party and Farage is too blind to see it. He has such a firm grip on Farage that Farage is no longer capable of seeing the dangers poised to Europe by the advance of Islam.

    Rupert Lowe was rapidly becoming the party's greatest star and this filled Yusuf with jealousy and a twisted desire to do him down; Yusuf managed to get Farage on his side when Farage should have been on Lowe's.

    BTL

    You can take the boy out of Islamabad but you cannot take Islamabad out of the boy.

    1. He's donated/bank rolled Reform to the tune of 100s of thousands, Rastus. Guessing he'll expect a return on that? (PS I like Lowe, very much:-)) eventually, all will be revealed, as usual.

      1. It is sad to be disillusioned.

        Many thought that Reform would offer an effective answer to years of leftist dominance of the political scene but this is clearly no longer the case. Farage has revealed himself to be an egotistical fraud

        So where do disillusioned former Reform supporters go now?

        1. Hear you, Rastus. I believe NF did similarly with UKIP, possibly Tice too. Will they be offered a third chance? only so many times people can be walked up the hill and down again. I don’t know where they will go, and I have no recommendations – although I like Jenrick, Philp…will continue to keep an eye on them. Let me know if you find anyone you think worthwhile? Thanks, Kate x

          3. Two-faced. Disloyal. Not a Tory – an eco-freak Limp Dumb. Wouldn’t trust him farther than I could throw him. And – of course – part and parcel of the despicable “conservative” government that was driven from power last year.

          4. I’ll continue to keep an eye on him. I remember he and Braverman had some sort of falling out, what do you reckon to her?

          6. Thanks Ndovu. I suspect politics a nasty business and likely always has been with a few exceptions (I remember Frank Field being a good man). And I like Braverman although I was disappointed when she was on C4 and didn’t really stand up for herself with the activist protestor. Civil Service is our real and permanent government, the continuation of business as usual. Is there any point in voting? Starting to doubt it ‘democracy’….

          7. Well I take the view that votes for women were hard won – so I do always make the effort and vote.

          8. That’s always been my thinking too, until now. Where’s Thatcher when you need her.

          10. Hopefully haunting the streets beneath No.10, where apparently many CSs toil away daily.

          11. She is the real thing,in my view, Ndovu. She was comprehensibly shafted by the Civil Service and the Media, as was Pritti, who is nowhere near as courageous and clearsighted, but nevertheless fell foul of the Blob. I just wish they had not been so bloody naive and had shown a bit more backbone.

            Anyway, now these people are toast

          1. 490559+ up ticks,

            Evening N,

            The Farmers Food and Freedom Party as umbrella party for Lowe and Habib parties, get Tommy Robinson on board also.

            The Farmers as a rock solid, down to earth party core
            patriots to a man, build on their, proven over the centuries, reputation..

    2. I think you're right, Richard. I no longer trust any mussslims putting money into any such organisation.

  89. Surfing around, I tripped over an article on upgrading the physical infrastructure of Mumbai, now that is a successful finance hub. As someoen who spent time there a while back, at first I thought "good, about time". Then I realised the article talked about roads, bridges, metro, rail, etc., but no mention of the huge issue of undrinkable water. Well, you can drink it, if you are prepared to worship the porcelain god for the next 24 hours – if you are lucky. If I were deciding, a potable water supply followed by a reliable electricity supply, would be at the top of my list.

    1. Florence Nightingale laid on her invalid couch drawing up plans for improved sanitation in India. She called politicians to her side and they went and listened then did nothing.

    2. You can drink it if you buy it in plastic bottles – with or without fizz.
      What was that about the environment and recycling, did you say?

    3. I go there from time to time and it is as you woulf imagine. Hot, and absolutely chaotic

    1. I can't help wishing that a group of very, very hard British patriots would organise a "protest" that attracted a group of antifa thugs and that the GPs then beat 99 flavours of shirt out of the antifa thugs.
      The police might not wish to get involved or they would be exposed as lovers of antifa.

    2. It never ceases to amaze me how fate contrives to force us mere men into having to have a beer.

  92. Foulan
    5h
    Rayner is ignorant of pretty much everything and her Union mentors are the power behind her. Does she have any original thoughts?

    Rob Ellis
    5h
    The majority of farmers are wyte and part of the indigenous population of the U.K. Many have successfully operated their farms for decades and put food on our tables. The Labour Party simply want to destroy this like many other things. I wonder how many casual farmhands who have been working like this for decades actually want guaranteed, completely tied down hours. cancelled shifts usually because of the weather are more than made up for by working 16 hour days when it’s fine and the harvest comes in. Labour leave something you know nothing about well alone
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/70e7ee806f5be933edb26cdcf800574e5309a5898d25db42f80bca9d47b802c6.png

        1. That's going to go down like a plate of cold sick in the constituencies of all those rural liberal democrats…

          Who will be most affected though? Growers of seasonal fruit and veg?

    2. 409559+ up ticks,

      Afternoon C1,

      It took the tribal's 30 plus years to sift through and reject those of decency & patriotic natures, but hand it to the tribal's they got the type "government inclusive of
      "BIG ANGE"they were seeking for so long.

  94. After managing to get online this morning, I had a walk round the old barracks this morning, which now appears to be a retirement village.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9192456356914fb6f5cd81489ef6086550932688dba49473774c2869032a26c9.jpg Some of the buildings have survived, but the old accommodation blocks have been demolished and replaced by modern blocks. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/223c0594f9c9f88d214193fe5444f68184425ec6970bb5bb50c2f521bff16f73.jpg RHQ Block and the Guard Room have survived.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c5d0a4218afe09a2c4d7436adb830a7cd86fefad5ea710ad648c6ebc6d4b7d2a.jpg I then made my way through the Alte Stadt,
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/643c841107ee0e2539d83b174b8b5168477e71f4012a0d4cd6a313ea487a2ae6.jpg took some pictures of the river https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a956b4576f71f3a8bc963660262d411b1bb16969e1c6d3cbe3ae7c899240e10f.jpg met up with several of the lads
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d91d24d11ee043dc57f645ce5ef1d75500fcc4c7542531c794f9d7ac3310cd3c.jpg & ended up having a beer. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9cfe54e8d3deb342ab0c4156ae6e1d3ddd88f1b231412a038a6cbb7a1b19faf0.jpg Just had a snooze and am about to shower ad head off out again.
    TTFN

    2. The Germans must have a phrase for this phenomenon – middle aged Brits walking misty eyed around former garrison towns, taking endless photos and arguing about where the long demolished NAAFI used to stand…

  95. That's me for today. Another hot and very humid one. The Wet Office says there will be thunderstorms ovr night and much of East Anglia may be washed away. Or not.

    Have a jolly evening – do bear that Yugoslavia series in mind – it could be foretelling the next civil war in the UK.

    A demain. I hope.

  96. Khan is to make a memorial to slavery, and I asked whether the WEst Africa squadron would be included. That, and that the tribal chiefs sold their people for a handful of beads.
    ChatGPT contributed:
    The West Africa Squadron was active from 1808 to 1867.

    It was a unit of the British Royal Navy established after the abolition of the British slave trade in 1807. Its mission was to suppress the Atlantic slave trade by patrolling the West African coast, intercepting slave ships, and freeing enslaved Africans on board.

    Although the squadron operated until 1867, British naval efforts to suppress the slave trade in the region continued beyond that, but under different organizational arrangements and with reduced resources.Serving in the **West Africa Squadron** was notoriously dangerous, mainly because of **diseases like malaria and yellow fever**, as well as the perils of naval operations on an unfamiliar and hazardous coastline.

    Exact figures are difficult to pin down, but historians estimate that around **1,500 to 2,000 British sailors** died while serving in the squadron during its roughly **60 years of operation (1808–1867)**.

    To put that in context:

    * Mortality rates were so high that West Africa was often called the "**White Man’s Grave**."
    * Deaths were primarily from disease rather than combat.
    * Many others were invalided home due to illness and never fully recovered.

    It was the Brits that stopped it, but I don't expect that the "White man bad" narrative ti understand that.Let alone be a part of a slavery placard.

    1. What that also tells those that think, is that white men did not go into Africa gathering slaves, but that the Africans brought their captives to the coast to be sold and shipped.

      1. And said Africans then congraulated themselves for finding a new market for their goods.

    1. It makes no difference, they were police an aggravating factor in law. One of them claimed he didnt know they were police… cultural differences you know.

        1. You cynic Sos! Not Guilty, so compo for being beaten by the fuzz… Wonder how the case against Mum is going for claiming benefits whilst in Pakistan.

  101. Afternoon Nottlers! Hope all are well. A beautiful week up here in the wilderness, although it topped out at 32C and 75% humidity which is a little too much for me. Forced to spend the day sipping gin and mint tonics, and sleeping in the basement bedroom (no A/C).

    Looking like another good year for apples, the cider will be plentiful. Wild berries also done well, but the planted ones not so much. Grape vines doing well, so wine stocks should be replenished nicely.

    Herbs also doing well – buckets of basil are bursting to the seams – although I'm not going to be buying pine nuts for pesto as the prices are beyond a joke. Peanuts and walnuts are my stand-by. Rosemary must have doubled in size since I put the pot back outside for the simmer. My thoughts are turning to Focaccia bread….

    The belt for the John Deere Gator arrived this morning after a 2-month wait, and it's really good to be noodling around the place in that again.

        1. Indeed.
          My pool is 30°, too warm really, but at least getting in doesn't take one's breath away.
          Huge thunderstorms due overnight so I must remember to disconnect stuff.

          1. Don't forget as you do so you need a large conical tinfoil hat to protect you from the storm.

      1. Lovely stuff, Conners! Do you have a press or are they more for eatin’?

        2. Large cox apple tree, neighbour presses fruit for juice and gives some bottles, fair exchange etc.

    3. Apples looking good here too, my tomato crop is shite though. Must be nice to have a big piece of land and good fishing.

  102. Caption Contest (Super Malfunction Edition)
     https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b7dc7d76588e4f2f79553aea4a302d1cd05da683382d79019b59d05794729264.png

    Notional Trust
    6h
    No, no, no.

    This isn't what I meant, John, when I said I was interested in Ukrainian privates.

    stephen dean
    5h
    ``Just think that in 40 years time we will still be trying to put you through the courts and fit you up.``

    Rogerborg ⬛🟧
    5h
    "No, of course this isn't the whole army, Prime Minister. Sophie-Molly-Lulu Sparkles will be back on Tuesday after her affirmation surgery."

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/663b6fdd2ba63e247333864c6884d196051e93f0fb5fff87a359ca277a773183.png

    2. The helmeted bloke behind them knows what bollocks are going on, look at his eyes.

  103. Our local papar reported this "hate crime" and didn't disclose what the slogans said.
    It's a pity telling the truth has become a " hate crime"…….. but it's a revolutionary act, as Orwell said.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/18/men-cant-be-women-graffiti-investigated-as-hate-crime/?recomm_id=ee5968a4-9753-4c6c-9850-cc310911ec3d

    Police are treating graffiti stating that “men can’t be women” as a hate crime, The Telegraph understands.

    Gloucestershire Constabulary is investigating after slogans were daubed around Stroud ahead of the town’s annual Pride march.

    Police said the graffiti was “targeted towards transgender people” and the incident was being treated as a “hate crime”, but did not reveal what the slogans said.

    The Telegraph understands that the slogans included statements such as “men can’t be women”. Others included “you can’t change sex”, “being female is not a costume”, and “trans women are men”, according to sources.

    1. The way things are going celebrating Christmas will soon count as islamaphobia.

      1. When Christmas and a major Islamic celebration coincide you will be able to tell who's winning by which gets priority in the MSM.

  104. John Torode’s sacking ‘over a rap lyric’ puts all middle-aged men like me at risk
    Was it really a crime for my former MasterChef colleague to sing along to a catchy tune with provocative lyrics?
     https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/18/john-torodes-sacking-puts-all-middle-aged-men-at-risk/

    I nearly collapsed with shock and outrage and I was aghast with horror.

    I heard that Lammy might have referred to John Torode as

    white trash honky

    though he says he cannot remember doing so but he did join in the karaoke sing-song and sang the Rolling Stones song about a honky tonk woman.

    He should be sacked from his job as foreign secretary without delay.

    1. "You are here before this court on the grounds of hateful word-speak against the trans, the hirsute, lesbians, gay men, and Government economic policy. What do you have to say in your defence?

      "Yes your honour, I heard it on the radio: 'Everywhere is freaks and hairies. Dykes and fairies, tell me where is sanity? Tax the rich, feed the poor, 'til there are no rich no more. Tell me where is sanity."

      https://youtu.be/VdrpJv-zaQA

  105. First Night of the Proms on BBC2. All the BeeBette commentators are getting on my wick. Off to the pub.

  106. Thought for the day courtesy of a BTL comment:

    Anthony Pryer
    6 HRS AGO
    Ironically the one essential ingredient of being a trans woman is that you must actually be a man …

        1. We get a lot of collared doves around here as well as numerous "proper" wood pigeons and a few townies.
          There are several large trapping areas (palombieres) in the forests around us to trap migrating pigeons for eating, mainly in the late autumn.

          1. Unfortunately I don't think wood pigeons migrate. They do seem to breed all year round though.

          2. I’m not sure the birds I refer to are specifically wood pigeons. These arrive and depart in very large groups and the local pigeon trappers appear to work in Spring/Autumn. I’ve no idea what the birds’ range is so migration is probably the incorrect word.

      2. We are infested with wood pigeons. They crap everywhere. And scoff everything they can get into their beaks. They are the politicians of the bird world.

    2. Me2, think the heat, tiring. Please post your take on the puppy show? thanks Conway, hope you enjoy the day.

  111. Lord, how many are my foes!
    How many rise up against me!
    Many are saying of me,
    “God will not deliver him.”

    But you, Lord, are a shield around me,
    my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
    I call out to the Lord,
    and he answers me from his holy mountain.

    I lie down and sleep;
    I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
    I will not fear though tens of thousands
    assail me on every side.

    Arise, Lord!
    Deliver me, my God!
    Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
    break the teeth of the wicked.

    From the Lord comes deliverance.
    May your blessing be on your people.

      1. You mean, YOU SHOP, YOU CHOOSE STUFF TO EAT , YOU CHOOSESTUFF TO REPLENISH THE VICTUALS, THE LOO PAPER , WASHING LIQUID, DOG FOOD ,MILK, SUGAR FREE BISCUITS TO GO IN THE GOLF BAG..

        Mola mola you are a star, so you don't sit in the car listening to the cricket, playing with your phone or having a sleep .. why don't you live near me .. we could have a chat!

        1. I’m only 70, Belle, I suppose I could be your toy boy, and we could talk about Nigeria. Plus all the chopper flights out to my boat by your golfy hubby. I do like my cricket though. If I was a car driver with a licence I would. I tell you what, my current wife might just be up for driving me over to see you. I’ll put it to her in the morning. x

  112. Grant Shapps ‘rewriting history’ over Afghan data leak
    Former defence secretary accused of saying ‘things that are demonstrably untrue’ in interview over gagging order
     https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/07/18/john-healey-misled-parliament-over-afghan-data-leak/?fbclid=IwY2xjawLnmoNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBVYzdseHh5VzJxd1hFUmp1AR40I5U4quYe6bpQF5dTk0GQrFHaBTapkjNK_o9_uZ_phS_1aOmHX4Gq5T55wQ_aem__DKit-CXP3kH4LGhdfGhLQ

    Sir Grant Shapps has been accused of trying to “rewrite history” over his role in the Afghan data breach super-injunction.

    As defence secretary, Sir Grant extended the super-injunction that gagged the media from reporting the Afghan data leak weeks before last year’s general election.

    But on Friday he claimed that he thought the gagging order was “probably going to come to an end last summer, the autumn perhaps at maximum”.

    He told the BBC: “The super-injunction was in place for longer than I was defence secretary. So it’s been in place a lot longer under the current Government than it was under us, and I’m surprised it’s lasted quite so long.

    (He was always a disgusting , grinning little polecat)

    I feel disgusted to think that he was Knighted and rewarded for his sly insincere position as a government minister.

    1. Sir……? WTF was that for ?

      When he was housing minister he very suddenly became rich enough to move out of his house in Hatfield and move into a mansion in Brookmans Park he said that his wife had suddenly come into a lot of money…….
      Mr Bung must have been about back then.

  114. Well, chums, it's now past my bedtime and – after a good day of washing all of my clothes on a bright and sunny day – I am ready for bed. So I will wish you all a Good Night. Sleep well and I hope to see you all bright and early tomorrow.

    2. How many friends of government ministers/contractors have been jailed for profiteering from completely unnecessary covid procedures, eg PPE that was never needed or the obscene amount spent on that app?
      But we've got a nice picture of a pair of muslims to hate on just so that everyone will be satisfied that justice has been done.

      1. No. The picture merely shows how well they have integrated and are entering into the spirit of the Enlightenment.

  116. MarcusJuniusBrutus
    6h
    While you are looking at mispent money, perhaps you might enquire what it cost the council tax payers of Essex for the police to use their riot vans to run a bus service to deliver the counter protestors into Epping. I've just watched the video of the police meeting them at the railway station and loading them onto their vans.

    Paleface
    12h
    It is deeply worrying that the Left-wing police now feel so empowered by a Left-wing government that they no longer care about law and order or the effect their shocking abandoment of a civil society might have
    I guess we are on our own now

  117. The Steal Dossier!

    https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-releases/press-releases-2025/4086-pr-15-25

    “The issue I am raising is not a partisan issue. It is one that concerns every American. The information we are releasing today clearly shows there was a treasonous conspiracy in 2016 committed by officials at the highest level of our government. Their goal was to subvert the will of the American people and enact what was essentially a years-long coup with the objective of trying to usurp the President from fulfilling the mandate bestowed upon him by the American people,” said Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. “Their egregious abuse of power and blatant rejection of our Constitution threatens the very foundation and integrity of our democratic republic. No matter how powerful, every person involved in this conspiracy must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, to ensure nothing like this ever happens again. The American people’s faith and trust in our democratic republic and therefore the future of our nation depends on it. As such, I am providing all documents to the Department of Justice to deliver the accountability that President Trump, his family, and the American people deserve.”

    The files and a memo on today’s release are available on http://DNI.gov . DNI Gabbard will post updates on X (@DNIGabbard) and Truth Social (@DNlTulsiGabbard

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