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.
Good Morning, all
https://cf.eip.telegraph.co.uk/responsive-image/content/2024/02/26/1708926096012.jpg
Good morning, Citroen1. I was obviously not first but second. Now I’m off to do an hour’s gardening.
Project that message and you’ll be in deep trouble.
Will, Fix The Potholes From The River To The Sea, be acceptable so long as you don’t specify which river and which sea?
Deep trouble many times over, judging by our roads.
Good morning, chums. First (I think)! And I completed today’s Wordle in four, but have posted it on the end of Sunday’s page. Now off to do an hour in the garden.
Good morrow, gentlefolk. Today’s (recycled) story
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
OKAY, Norman and Barry were married in California. They couldn’t afford a honeymoon so they went back to Norman’s Mom and Dad’s house for their first married night together.
In the morning, Johnny, Norman’s little brother, gets up and has his breakfast.
As he is going out of the door to go to school, he asks his mom if Norman and Barry are up yet. She replies, ‘No’.
Little Johnny asks, ‘Do you know what I think?’ His mom replies, ‘I don’t want to hear what you think! Just go to school.’
Little Johnny comes home for lunch and asks his mom, ‘Are Norman and Barry up yet?’ She replies, ‘No.’
Johnny says, ‘Do you know what I think?’ His mom replies, ‘Never mind what you think! Eat your lunch and go back to school ‘
After school, Little Johnny comes home and asks again, ‘Are Norman and Barry up yet?’
His mom says, ‘No.’
He asks, ‘Do you know what I think?’ His mom replies, ‘OK, now tell me what you think.’
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7c640e3d5e7509ef3bec70aa34c48af32be22c5058122181af3f66d16a00037d.jpg
He says: ‘Last night Norman came to my room for the Vaseline and I think…
I gave him my airplane glue.’:
Morning everyone.
Good Morning Folks
Cloudy breezy start here
Wordle 982 3/6
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Oops – Good morning!
Wordle 982 3/6
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Oops – Good morning!
Wordle 982 3/6
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World’s oldest railway station needs £500,000 rescue after falling into ‘shocking state’
Grade II* listed Heighington, on the Stockton & Darlington line, was commissioned in 1826 and remained in use until the 1970s
Telegraph Reporters
25 February 2024 • 8:23pm
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2024/02/25/TELEMMGLPICT000368041414_17088920793750_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqqVzuuqpFlyLIwiB6NTmJwfSVWeZ_vEN7c6bHu2jJnT8.jpeg?imwidth=960
The station building was commissioned by the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1826
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2024/02/25/TELEMMGLPICT000368041424_17088916591830_trans_NvBQzQNjv4Bqm98tjbKfN-4VgHcxmqLjAlrLSNPSp8FYs1axSY4O_ZM.jpeg?imwidth=960
Heighington is where Locomotion No 1 was first placed on the tracks
I wonder if a train company will find the cash to restore that train station, refurbish the train line, and even raid the train museum at Shildon to bring back Train No 1 to run on it?
I had a summer job in Shildon when I was student.
I wonder if a train company will find the cash to restore that train station, refurbish the train line, and even raid the train museum at Shildon to bring back Train No 1 to run on it?
Obviously not worth preserving; those blokes look hideously white.
Europe’s peace is over. We must prepare for the growing threat. 25 February 2024.
After decades of complacency, reality is starting to dawn. The world is not drawing inexorably closer, autocracies are not turning to democracy and liberalism, and geopolitical competition is growing more dangerous.
Wow! Imagine that. I would never have guessed. I have other news for Mr Timothy. The War is already over. The UK is an occupied state. Its people are slaves. Democracy and Freedom have been snuffed out. All without firing a shot or a word being said from its Political Elites..
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02/25/europe-defence-spending-nato-war-russia-china-iran/
Oh I’m sure they’ve said the words in private. “Go for it!” being a common phrase.
Mass migration has shattered Britain’s identity. [Tim Stanley, DT 26/02/24]
‘Islamism’ is a convenient way for the Conservatives to avoid reckoning with the results of their policies.
Last week, my good friend Suella Braverman – I have to say “good friend” because I’m about to contradict her – wrote in these pages that Islamists now run Britain. Lee Anderson narrowed it down to Islamists run Sadiq Khan and Keir Starmer. The media, which is going deaf in its old age, only heard the former. Thus Anderson was accused of a racist attack on the Mayor of London and lost the whip, confirming to many that Suella was right.
But I’m not so sure. An “Islamist” is someone who wants to build an Islamic state here in the UK, and for that purpose Sadiq is a very bad agent. He’s just named Overground lines after a women’s football team and an AIDS hospital. Starmer, meanwhile, is in trouble with the Left precisely because they think he’s a Zionist.
And as for the pro-ceasefire protestors, the one march I attended – purely out of curiosity – was about 50 per cent non-muslim. The faces of idiots shouting outside Tobias
Ellwood’s house were pretty white, too. I note also that the Palestinian cause is backed by the University and College Union and the RMT, neither of which favours a caliphate. Hamas might make them do some work.
Some Conservatives have it in their head that sympathy for Gaza is driven entirely by religious fanaticism, yet public support for a ceasefire stands at around 66 per cent – and many wonder why Parliament is debating the subject at all. One voter told Lord Ashcroft in a focus group, “I couldn’t find Gaza on a map.” That Britain holds the key to peace in the Middle East is a delusion found largely among MPS.
So is the belief that we’ve never had a foreign policy debate as nasty as this one, as if Iraq was uncontroversial. Or that sectarianism is un-british, as if the Troubles didn’t happen. The threats made against office holders and the rise of anti-semitism are disturbing, of course, but pinning our national discord on Islamist sedition is silly.
Put simply, we are discussing a war that stokes emotions. I have Jewish friends who feel Israel has a moral duty to defend itself after October 7. I have a friend who was so appalled by the bombing of Gaza that he went on his first march (“I hear this makes me an Islamist,” he joked. “Should I tell my boyfriend?”)
The more complex take is that society is changing, and by calling out Islamists, the Tories are clumsily trying to put their finger on something they don’t understand – or pretend they don’t to minimise offence. In fact,
I suspect that when some of them criticise “Islamism”, the word they really want to use is “Islam”.
Over in America, Liz Truss told an audience that Britain was in danger of electing a “radical Islamic party” in the Rochdale by-election, to which her interviewer helpfully explained that this is where the “grooming situation” took place.
It was a bizarre conflation of issues. Is George Galloway an Islamist? I’d call him a populist who courts Muslims; in Rochdale he’s campaigning both to liberate Palestine and to bring a Primark to the shopping centre.
He won the 2012 Bolton West by-election by attacking the hierarchical, clan-based ethnic voting tradition that always handed the seat to Labour. Galloway is the Reform party of the Left, picking up the pieces of Labour’s shattered coalition.
As for grooming, this definitely has nothing to do with Islamism – or Islam – but rather criminal behaviour imported from a foreign culture (two of the convicted were from the same village in Pakistan) that went on for so long because it was shielded by the fear of being labelled a racist.
British people commit vile acts, too; no one denies it. Voters are simply concerned that we might be adding to the sum of our homegrown misery by permitting immigration without insisting upon integration – a view that the Tories are embracing far too late.
Why have they welcomed such enormous numbers of migrants upon whom they apparently look with such suspicion? There would be no need for a “hostile environment” policy if the borders had been well-policed in the first place, and it’s galling to hear Tories drawing our attention to problems they’ve overseen while pinning the blame on a Labour Party that’s been out of office for 14 years.
In that time, the immigration consensus has shifted. Previously our elite said that Britain is defined by its constitution, that so long as you have the right paperwork and obey the law, you’re a legitimate citizen.
This passive approach is now unravelling, culminating in the Government’s attempt to reassign Shamima Begum, born in Britain, as Bangladeshi, because she joined Isis – implying that citizenship can hinge on fealty to certain values.
But what values? The Tories and Labour would probably list secularism and sexual freedom among them. I, as a conservative Christian, would not, and I doubt the Muslim parents protesting against sex education in schools would do so either.
British identity has fractured. Rochdale is where working-class solidarity went to die. How telling that its three main candidates are all former Labour members: Galloway, booted out over Iraq; Azhar Ali, over Israel; Simon Danczuk after a sex scandal. No one truly speaks for Rochdale, or for Britain.
Given this chaos, the conspiracy theory that we are being run by Islamists, or by anyone, sounds like wishful thinking.
“Mass migration has shattered Britain’s identity”. Well, of course it has. That is the precise point (the policy; the raison d’être) of the Globalists who pull the strings of the country’s political puppets.
This could have been written by Owen Jones or Paul Mason.
Indeed it could. Most of Stanley’s witterings display the of the kind of naïveté that is championed by The Guardian.
Hence my scathing dismissal of his piss-poor weak headline.
Tim Stanley is very naive…he appears to take things at face value…
I have a friend who was so appalled by the bombing of Gaza that he went on his first march (“I hear this makes me an Islamist,” he joked. “Should I tell my boyfriend?”)
Stanley just slipping that one in to show how modern and ‘tolerant’ he is.
However, he shows how stupid he is with his trite reference to The Troubles: “Look, what’s a bit a of murderous sectarianism between folk, eh? It’s just one of those things.”
If he was in any one of many Islamist countries he and his boyfriend would enjoy a short flight from a tall building, or sightseeing from a crane.
I don’t expect he would want to hang about.
Are you sticking your neck out?
If this is the response to a very real threat, we are in trouble.
Can this really be true? What a creature of the night…
Sadiq Khan faces fresh questions over public spending after he sends £117k ‘night tsar’ – who is also a BBC DJ – around the world on luxury trips to ‘build partnerships’ – despite London’s declining party scene as 1,165 venues shut in three years
Amy Lamé has come under criticism after trips to Sydney, Bologna and Madrid
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/26/01/81710307-13124893-image-m-42_1708912783704.jpg
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13124893/Sadiq-Khan-questions-globe-trotting-London-night-tsar.html
Clearly a bloke in a frock!
Nope. She is an actual woman. All original bits still intact.
Ah another Lamé Duck eek!
Morning Michael & all.
Good lord!
A 10 pinter at the Brompton Stomp “Grab-A-Grannie” Night I’d say.
You’d surely need more than ten pints, Bob!
Is that his husband ?
No, he is her rolling-pin.
I hope she pays for two seats in the planes!
Tom Archer
7 HRS AGO
John Twitchen
As the Begum case illustrates, legal aid in this country is out of control, costing taxpayers over three times more per capita than it does in Germany.
This obscene legal beanfeast has got to be curbed. Only one appeal against a court ruling should ever be allowed at our expense, there should be a lifetime cap on the amount of legal assistance any one person may receive, and those who are not British citizens should be denied legal aid altogether.
Anastasias Revenge
6 HRS AGO
On the late TV news… the Islamic Council of Britain is “demanding” an investigation into Lee Anderson.
Might I suggest that there is a thorough investigation into the ICB instead?
John Blair
5 HRS AGO
Reply to Anastasias Revenge
Right now.
Anastasias Revenge
4 HRS AGO
Reply to John Blair
Totally. Now they are flexing their muscle and seeing just how much influence they have and how high will the government
Trevor Anderson
3 HRS AGO
Can’t keep quiet on this one.
Anna Firth: “Nobody wants to admit the scale of the Islamist threat to our democracy.”
It’s due to government craven cowardice and bleeding heart, wilful ignorance.
1500 mosques, radical imposition of religion, thousands of muslim charities, huge communities living parallel lives, misogyny, archaic customs and values, FGM, infiltrating government, the list is growing daily, all contributing to the loss of British democracy.
Lest we forget: To quote Hamas Commander Mahmoud al-Zahar, in December 2022: “Israel is only the first target . . . The entire planet will be under our law.’”
Of course the entire planet will be under their law (hint; islam means submission and that’s to the ummah). We need to fight back now before the damage is irreparable.
Good morning, all. Dry and breezy at the moment with gusty winds from the north-east forecast. I will risk the washing with multiple pegs!
Last evening BB2 put up a comment on Google’s Gemini AI product. Here is an exposé of where this product is right now, where it is going is anyone’s guess.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1760857006414639269
Gemini generated images when asked to provide an image of a Pope and of a Viking.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5bd42a587897306bfb2f0939eb1feac096e081c1edbfb6bdf9ca67f76743552f.png
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6f4f251c72eb3bf2c11715b862b335cc47ab2d341d86d676aa5f93563ac031da.png
Geddit now!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b8f232a29f021d6184fbaced3210e1fc34d0567af12d91a5a620df962c354f5c.jpg
383928+up ticks,
Morning KtK,
Only too clearly.
Plan for foreign criminals to be deported rather than jailed [sic]. [Charles Hymas, Home Affairs Editor, DT, 26/02/24]
Foreign shoplifters, thieves and drug dealers are to be deported rather than prosecuted as part of radical plans by the Justice Secretary to free up prison spaces.
Alex Chalk told The Telegraph that lower level foreign offenders would be spared jail and instead given “conditional cautions” under which they would be expelled and banned from returning to Britain.
Chris Philp, the policing minister, has been put in charge of delivering the deportation scheme, which aims to reduce the 3,300 foreign prisoners on remand who have been charged but not yet convicted. They represent nearly a third of the 10,441 foreign offenders in jails in England and Wales, out of the total 88,000 prisoners.
However, the plans could be frustrated by criminals who mount legal challenges against their deportation.
Mr Chalk revealed he had opened negotiations with Poland and Romania to deport dangerous prisoners to serve sentences in their home countries.
He is also fast-tracking the expulsion of foreign offenders nearing the end of their sentences and restarting the use of police cells for criminals. Ministers have been warned that prison places could run out within weeks as courts take on more cases and prosecutions are expected to increase following the recruitment of 20,000 police officers.
As of Friday, there were some 1,000 spaces available out of 89,041.
Outlining in detail his plans for the first time, the Justice Secretary said removing foreign prisoners instead of prosecuting them was in the public interest. “There is a power that exists in certain lower-level cases that, in place of prosecution, the Home Office deports someone,” he said.
“Now, there are some cases where it’s absolutely right that you are going to want to go through the criminal justice process to ensure that that person is properly punished. But there will be other cases where actually it’s in the public interest to simply get them out of the country.”
As the power to issue conditional cautions already exists, its extension to foreign prisoners is unlikely to require new legislation. Speaking to The Telegraph during a visit to HMP Liverpool, where a multi-million pound refurbishment programme will free up more than 350 extra cells, Mr Chalk said his “first, second and third” priority was to increase prison capacity.
“I’ll always do whatever it takes to keep the British people safe,” said Mr Chalk. “I will focus absolutely on supply, that is my overwhelming priority. I will always make sure that there are sufficient places to give effect to an order of the court to incarcerate people and to ensure that the British people are kept safe with dangerous people behind bars.”
Mr Chalk admitted that his “intense frustration” at the cost to taxpayers of housing foreign prisoners – £47,000 a year for every inmate – had driven his plans.
He has already struck a deal with Albania to transfer 200 of its most dangerous criminals, who are serving four years or more, to see out the rest of their sentences in their home country.
Albanians account for 13 per cent of all foreign criminals in UK jails, the largest proportion, with 1,323 currently incarcerated. The first deported under the scheme was a “serious” drug smuggler jailed for 17 years, Mr Chalk revealed. Now the Justice Secretary is turning his attention to Poland, which is the second-highest with 9 per cent, and Romania, at 7 per cent, where he is seeking to establish similar prisoner transfer agreements. He has already written to his Polish counterpart.
The expansion of an “early removal scheme” is also expected to have a significant impact on overcrowding. Foreign prisoners can now be deported 18 months before the end of their sentences, a year earlier than the six months in the previous policy. Criminals are freed early from jail as soon as they are deported, but banned from ever returning to the UK. However, significant numbers fight deportation, pleading breach of their human rights or they are victims of modern slavery.
“Some don’t want to leave a British prison or Britain because they will say that they’ve got a child here, or whatever it is,” said Mr Chalk.
On the orders of Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, resources have been “surged” into a new fast-track system for hearing appeals. It has been set up under new immigration laws which bar offenders from introducing new evidence or claims at the last minute to delay their deportation flights.
However, Mr Chalk pledged to avoid any expansion of the early release of prisoners – beyond the present emergency scheme – where governors can free prisoners up to 18 days before their scheduled release date. This has now been “activated for an undefined period” because of the crisis, according to documents leaked at the weekend.
He has also authorised Operation Safeguard, where police cells are used for the overflow of newly convicted prisoners to avoid having to transport them “at great cost and inconvenience around the country”. It was suspended at the end of last year, but the crisis is such it will now be activated.
Mr Chalk outlined the plans as he admitted the Ministry of Justice’s new building programme to create six “world-class” mega prisons, with space for nearly 10,000 prisoners, was a year behind schedule because of “sclerosis” or blockages in the planning system.
The MOJ is spending £400 million on 800 rapid deployment “pop-up” cells in prisons. Officials are working to create new blocks in existing jails and refurbish Victorian jails such as those in Liverpool and Birmingham to bring hundreds more cells into use.
The Justice Secretary said: “Prisons as well as prisoners can be redeemed.”
He is facing a race against the courts to ensure prison spaces do not run out before a major sentencing reform this summer. The legislation would mean hundreds of criminals facing up to one year in prison will be spared jail and instead have sentences suspended.
Mr Chalk hinted that reforms to the planning system to make it easier to build major infrastructure at pace would have his backing. His current “solution” is £30million funding for a team of civil servants to identify sites years in advance and get planning permission further ahead of development.
He said the overcrowding crisis stemmed from two principled decisions by ministers in the Covid pandemic – the first to spurn the early release of 16,000 prisoners, recommended in contingency plans by MOJ officials, and the second not to abandon jury trials, “one of the most fundamental freedoms of freeborn Britons.”
While other places such as France and California released thousands of prisoners, Mr Chalk said: “Releasing 16,000 people would have been a mistake because it would have prioritised the protection of the prisoner rather than protection of the public.”
Now, however, he said “there is a price you pay for principle”.
Gaoled? Deported? Why not tow them on a raft into the middle of the Atlantic and feed them to the sharks? Massively cheaper and they can’t jump on the next plane/boat and come straight back (like countless hordes of them are doing).
And therein lies the problem.
The seemingly bottomless pit of Legal Aid money allocated to these people is another problem that needs addressing. Make them meet their legal expenses by risking money from their own, or their sponsor’s, pockets.
Jesus Wept.
Just posted this as a BTL and it’s been auto-moderated.
Shakespeare had the right idea.
Even if deported (which I doubt) they’ll simply come back through our porous border and carry on their crimes.
Er … That’s what I said in my comment.
Alex Chalk told The Telegraph that higher level foreign offenders would be spared jail and instead given “severe cautions” under which they would have both their hands amputated then be expelled and banned from returning to Britain.
Non-Citizens with a criminal record should be refused entry / expelled back to where they kicked off from.
A bit like other countries do.
The same should apply to those who hold dual nationality.
https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e0a2fa8e337b41978fff52adbc78ba9facfb4b7d/0_448_6720_4032/master/6720.jpg?width=980&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=7a80f88ee1d5499dbf849125efb53789
The Makha Bucha lantern lighting ceremony at Wat Phra Dhammakaya temple in Bangkok.
https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/5d2af9d02c9ea206c33a62f67ade339b15c20f72/0_0_3500_2333/master/3500.jpg?width=700&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=fc019f4152b1f5762495040635fee912
Bushy Park, London
https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/639eda0615df6b036647d5c218e5827b8ead615d/0_0_6000_4000/master/6000.jpg?width=700&quality=45&auto=format&fit=max&dpr=2&s=13b84b4e6b9a22faf988de45ffa9f102
Paris, France
A farmer rests with his cows on the eve of the opening of the International Agricultural Show at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre
That Bushey Park photo is really evocative.
It’s lovely.
I’ve nicked it for future use.
I missed my opportunity this afternoon because my camera’s battery was flat. The late sun picked out my neighbour’s fir tree in gold, strongly contrasting with the green of the shadowed part and behind it was an almost purple sky. As the wind blew the shadows moved. I should have recorded it for an installation! Then, after the sun had moved behind the house and the clouds parted, the sky turned red, blue and grey-blue.
Good morning all.
No freezing fog this morning, but glorious sunshine with a slightly less cold 0°C.
That penny seems to have finally dropped:-
https://twitter.com/BeardedBob7282/status/1762021241504870805
But their response will only be to protect themselves.
Already booked body guards, apparently.
“I am proud to be the first British Asian Prime Minister)
Just a shame that you weren’t elected or voted into that position.
AND he wants politicians to be protected from the very vermin they let into the country against the majorities wishes
Good morning, all. Raining – which was NOT forecast.
Morning, Bill.
Ref the rain, return to Sender.
383928+ up ticks,
Morning Each,
Ministry of Defence’s plans for military accommodation will accelerate the Army exodus
WEF / NWO pro eu, muslim brotherhood, mindset/ speak.
As things stand currently a major act of aggression against these Isles would surely trigger the surrender option as the United Kingdoms forces FIRST OPTION.
Enslavement with some welfare options is better in many ways than dying for a now mythical country lost long ago, via its polling stations.
Good Morning All. 7C stopped raining. gale force wind at times, overcast.
Strongest gust so far 30mph..
Morning Johnny, another sunny day up here
And it is blowing a hooley – though the rain has stopped and watery sunshine appeared.
383928+ up ticks,
In a nutshell, triggered by political criminal nutters, aided & abetted over the last three plus decades, to this very day, by criminal nutters.
https://x.com/RafHM/status/1761826787158335950?s=20
He forgot discriminatory policing beloved by the left wing nutters.
https://twitter.com/OliLondonTV/status/1761530130881450233
“…we’ve imported the politics of Pakistan…”
He’ll be for the high jump as well.
If something appears in the papers or on TV it’s because the establishment wants you to see it. This is why the Heritage Party (tweet from their leader below) and UKIP never get any publicity, while Richard Tice and Laurence Fox (clowning around) are rarely out of the spotlight…
David Kurten
@davidkurten
DANGEROUS ESCALATION: Jens Stoltenberg says Ukraine will join NATO.
NATO is now a menace to its own members with leaders hell-bent on escalating to war rather than ending the conflict and normalising relations with Russia.
Stoltenberg is an idiot, to be kind. A weak man who has his strings pulled by others, he was crap as Arbeiderpartiet (Labour) Leader, crap as PM, and is still crap now. We call him Beaker, after the Muppet character.
Anybody ever ask why only small countries have a NATO Sec-Gen, never the US or UK? It’s so they can be easily bullied into compliance.
Here the warmonger is…….
https://twitter.com/BRICSinfo/status/1761471966152888777
I thought NATO had a rule that you can’t join if in a war.
They are getting desperate to start WW3 now.
They need to.
People are catching on to their lies.
Raving nutters. It will end in vast numbers of unnecessary deaths and another political/military defeat for the West. The Yanks have never won a war that they started, and they have started more than any other nation in the past 200 years.
“For your security and ours” – the man is an absolute feckwit!
Didn’t we declare war on Germany because of obligations to help an ally who was attacked? The Poles at least declared “for your freedom and ours”.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/47a69d7e29afb3d61a997a7b9252facf55ba84a41a18ef3044ed709aa8d03d46.png
Scandal of the social care migrants who break the rules
This just par for the course – We neither want them nor need them.
Scandal of the social care migrants who break the rules
Got a link to that? Doesn’t show up on a websearch.
It’s TCW. https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/scandal-of-the-social-care-migrants-who-break-the-rules/
Thank you, Sue. I don’t know what happened there as, I copied and pasted the link – or I thought I had!
Try this, although Sue Edison might well have already posted it:
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/scandal-of-the-social-care-migrants-who-break-the-rules/
Imam who ‘called the French flag satanic’ has his residency permit
cancelled after living in the country since the 1980s and is deported to
North Africa.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13124701/imam-france-flag-deported-north-africa-immigration-laws.html
I expect he will apply for legal aid in Britain. Which will be granted.
Yo Fizz
Imam who ‘called the French flag satanic’
Since when has “White” been satanic
Yo OLT. I’m just surprised the French threw him out.
On the other hand Muslim flags are invariably black which suggest darkness to me.
Good day all and the 77th,
Cloudy over Castle McPhee, brisk wind in the North-East, 4℃ rising to 7℃ but it should stay dry today.
I apologise for spoiling your breakfasts with this.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dbc5505a8bff2f400e4acca46ce3cd437037e06870fa13e83ee7a0bfc2f011bb.png
What Anderson said was in essence the truth and he should not have apologised. Far from it, he didn’t go far enough. As was demonstrated by the hoo-hah in the House of Clowns over the Opposition Day amendments, through the unspoken threats of violence, Islam (not Islamists), controls much more than London and people can now see it clearly. While It is way past time to cut out this cancer we wait in vain for our body politic to wake up to the real threat. No. it is not Russia, Nick Timothy, nor Islamists. It is just Islam. It should have no place here.
It seems the writing is definitely on the Red Wall!
Good day all and the 77th,
Cloudy over Castle McPhee, brisk wind in the North-East, 4℃ rising to 7℃ but it should stay dry today.
I apologise for spoiling your breakfasts with this.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dbc5505a8bff2f400e4acca46ce3cd437037e06870fa13e83ee7a0bfc2f011bb.png
What Anderson said was in essence the truth and he should not have apologised. Far from it, he didn’t go far enough. As was demonstrated by the hoo-hah in the House of Clowns over the Opposition Day amendments, through the unspoken threats of violence, Islam (not Islamists), controls much more than London and people can now see it clearly. While It is way past time to cut out this cancer we wait in vain for our body politic to wake up to the real threat. No. it is not Russia, Nick Timothy, nor Islamists. It is just Islam. It should have no place here.
Morning all – lots of photos to process, memories to store and washing to do today. Cats and husband are keeping close this morning.
Welcome back! Hope your trip and travels went well, and that you can share one or two real smashers of photos with us – then we can shrivel up with jealousy… 😉
Morning J ,
Glad you are back safe and sound with some lovely memories .
Which airline did you use , and was it comfortable , no issues?
Kenya Airways – on time, as comfortable as any cramped airline seat in cattle class one would expect. Cabin staff courteous and efficient and food edible. No issues at all.
Glad you had a good time.
Pleased to see you home.
Good to know you’re back, Jules, safe and sound.
Hugs
https://twitter.com/juneslater17/status/1761821373800874241
I can’t see an exhaust pipe so it has to be electric. Apt, as recent reports are indicating that the future of the UK’s power generation is in jeopardy: when that happens all electric cars will be as useless as a mode of transport as Starmer is a a leader and politician.
Why on earth hasn’t the UK invested in more tram ways or even trolley buses , the way things were years ago before they removed all the tram lines and trolly bus overhead wires .
Those were true economical passenger transport days .
Yo T_B
Then, when the power fails, (through lack of it) the trams could be towed by tractors, or even horses., as the farmers will not be using them as they will be out of business and we will be eating man-, oops person-made food
Good morning all, it’s just crept above freezing, with clear skies and the sun blazing. So, it’s thermals on and off to the walking football, where we shall look like extras from The Mikado as we squint in the low sunshine.
Good morning all
Strong wind blowing, 6c, dry and the house feels cold , due to the boiler failing yesterday , despite the fact it was serviced last month .
Hey ho, have phoned the plumber/ boiler chap, nothing as yet , so we might have to go to B+Q or elsewhere for some alternative heating .
Pip spaniel snuggled in with us last night , even he felt cold .
Look at Toolstaion or Screw fix, TB.
They sell small electric plugin oil filled radiators. They are very good in an emergency.
Fan heaters are more efficient at heating a room
We have a small oil filled electric radiator we leave in our bathroom during the winter months, it is set to come on if the temperature drops below the setting from midnight until 7am we are on the lower price energy readings. It works extremely well.
I believe 5-6 years ago it only cost us around 30 pounds.
Oil filled radiators are very expensive to run. Better off with a fan heater.
Visited Screw fix , and I bought 2 plug in oil filled radiators .. just under £70 for the pair .. brilliant idea .
Thank you , and Moh was happy because he was busy phoning insurance to see whether we were covered for bits and pieces .
Happiness is a warm dog, Maggie 🙂
Not a warm pussy then?
OK, I’ll shut up now!
Can’t say, Bob, as I’m not a cat person 🙂
Morning all 🙂😊
Lovely bright morning plenty of sunshine at the moment.
And now The ministry of Defiance are at it.
Wastemonster ShiteHall you name it. Someone is going to have to enact arrests for treason, amongst our self nobbling morons. They are deliberately wrecking our country.
Two letters about the the MoD plans for military accommodation today miss the truth which is staring us in the face: What we are witnessing is the planned destruction of our armed forces (Navy with no ships or planes, woke Army with no tanks or artillery because it’s been given to Ukraine, woke anti-white Air Force) so that we don”t have the means to resist when the Islamic army which has been imported is activated.
Just remembering how Iran and Lebanon and perhaps even Jordan and Syria , and maybe Afghanistan were before radical Islam stamped their control on those countries , they were progressive countries , weren’t they ?
You see , we are really in the dwang because Muslim voices in the UK are becoming louder and more aggressive .
That Khan bloke has total control of London , and he has even made life difficult for people who live there who need to travel to work , feel safe , and go about their daily business on buses , cars vans and lorries .
When a religious nutter takes control , watch out .
Remember Cromwell, okay people admired him , but what a lot of devastation he caused through out England .
No man especially Khan should ever ever be in charge of a city , because he has now accumulated a great following , hasn’t he .
His religious sect will say the man can do no wrong .
White Britain has become very submissive , and that won’t do .
A visit to the Tolpuddle martyrs museum is an eye opening exercise !
About time we introduced a rule that a mayor of a city can serve no more than 2 terms.
Oh don’t, I feel deeply distressed for my lovely innocent young grandchildren.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13124979/Britains-funded-military-unable-fight-abroad-head-Army-warns.html
Let’s hope they can defend the population against the imported Islamist army.
Isn’t the rush for “dieversity” intended to make them more sympathetic to the aims of the imported islamic army?
I would not be surprised.
Here’s another example of it being a waste of resources:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13125899/diversity-drive-women-line-army-failed-political-correctness.html
Diversity drive to let women join front-line Army units branded a ‘failed exercise in political correctness’ after only ten started Royal Armoured Corps and infantry basic training last year
Just 130 women have successfully joined front-line combat units since 2018
SIR – If saying the Mayor of London has been taken over by Islamists is Islamophobic (report, February 25) – whether true or not – it then follows that Islam must not be criticised in any shape or form; unlike Christianity which, it seems, can be persecuted at will.
Robin Warde
St Ann’s Chapel, Cornwall
Of course , Christians are persecuted , and as we approach Easter , any one waving a cross or wearing a sweet crucifix necklace or declaring patriotism for Britain as was Lee Anderson , are bullied and bullied and picked on , targeted and finally arrested by the police and hounded by lefties , who seem to be anti everything white and wholesome .
It’s pretty obvious what Kahnts been upto from the word go.
His oppo’s even fiddled with the election papers last time. Calling it an administration error when most of the Jewish population of London did have their ballot papers delivered on time.
He has to go.
But Islam which controls him won’t let him go!
Most of my wife’s and my actions are influenced by our Christian beliefs or upbringing. Of course we like to think we have free will and we believe in free speech but to some extent Christianity controls us.
Lee Anderson’s remarks are undoubtedly true., The Mayor of London is controlled by Islam.
That’s why he needs to be got rid of.
That’s why the whole ideology needs to be got rid of.
383928+ up ticks,
May one ask , did you have that mindset in the public park toilet when in “miranda” mode
https://x.com/BGatesIsaPyscho/status/1761824698046804038?s=20
Is it the Concerned Citizen or the odious Blair who does not know the difference between your and you’re.
(I bet neither of them know the meaning of yaw and yore either).
Being called an idiot by Tony Blair is rather a compliment!
The only way to treat something as repulsive as that, is with a shovel and bucket.
He’s hardly alone in having that view. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, would have thought similarly back in December 2021 – when he made those remarks – and many will continue to do so.
383928+ up ticks,
I was really more concerned as to how he come to be made PM, after his stint of being “Mirander”…
‘He was charged and appeared in court at Bow Street Magistrates Court for importunity in a public toilet with another male.?
Isn’t that sort of thing a requirement these days. After all how else can security services get top pols to do their bidding?
I’ve heard her on the wireless – much worse than a mere nuisance.
Church of England tells parishes to set up ‘race action plan’ put forward by pro-BLM bishop
Rt Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin says the Church needs to ‘further embed racial justice’ and should not be afraid of being called ‘woke’
Tim Sigsworth
25 February 2024 • 7:00pm
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2024/02/25/TELEMMGLPICT000216675216_17088854293000_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqdX9TshAIlqX5VJ08y1TS9Cpt5sE2kTqEL7kO-LLrI14.jpeg?imwidth=680
Bishop Hudson-Wilkin, the Bishop of Dover, has been a strong supporter of Black Lives Matter CREDIT: JULIAN SIMMONDS FOR THE TELEGRAPH
The Church of England has told all of its parishes to draw up “race action plans” after a pro-Black Lives Matter (BLM) bishop urged it to embrace being “woke”.
The General Synod, the Church’s legislative body, passed a motion on Sunday which said it should “encourage parishes and deaneries to develop local action plans to address issues of racial injustice”.
The Rt Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the Bishop of Dover, said the Church needed to “further embed racial justice” and should not be afraid of being called “woke”.
“Those who are frightened by the authenticity of this movement want to scare us into thinking that being woke is a sin created by people on the Left,” she said.
Bishop Hudson-Wilkin led prayers at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2018 and has been an outspoken supporter of BLM.
She called on the Church to expand the number of bishops, cathedral deans and other senior churchmen who are from ethnic minorities.
‘Pernicious sin’
The Very Rev Rogers Govender MBE, the Dean of Manchester, told Synod that the Church’s failure to do so before now was a “pernicious sin”.
No members stood up to make speeches opposing the motion as it passed by 364 votes in favour to zero against, with two abstentions.
The Archbishop of York, the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell, spoke animatedly as he said the Church “has not been good enough” on diversity and inclusion, that “racism and discrimination rupture our body” and asked, “May the Lord have mercy upon us”.
The Rt Rev Martin Gorick, the Bishop of Dudley, said every Anglican who becomes a parish representative in his Diocese of Worcester now has to undertake compulsory unconscious bias training.
Bishop Hudson-Wilkin said in response that every other diocese should follow suit.
The training was axed across government and the civil service in December 2020 because there was “no evidence” that it improved equality.
The Rev Rachel Webbley, team rector in Whitstable, Kent, told Synod she was a “recovering racist” and said she was shocked by “just how much white resistance there is to feeling discomfort about racial injustice”.
Daniel Matovu, a lay member of Synod, added that he had been forced to bear a cross throughout his life “because of the colour of my skin”.
“You white folks have no idea, particularly those of you who are white male, heterosexual and not disabled,” he said. “You’ve only been given small sticks to carry, with which to beat the rest of us.”
David Hermitt, another lay member, said the Church needed to become more anti-racist to reverse its falling membership figures because “young people” are “more radical than we are”.
‘Politics of grievance’
However Dr Rakib Ehsan, the author of Beyond Grievance: What the Left Gets Wrong About Ethnic Minorities, told The Telegraph: “It appears that no sphere of British life is free of divisive identitarian thinking – including the Church of England.
“Abandoning traditional Christian values in favour of the unholy trinity of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the established Church of the land risks alienating conservative ethnic minorities who have little time for the politics of grievance and victimhood.”
The Church’s most recent data shows 4.1 per cent of clergy are from an ethnic minority background, compared to the 18.3 per cent that make up the total population in England and Wales.
The Church does not regularly collect data on the diversity of congregations but in 2014, when the most recent audit was conducted, seven per cent of churchgoers were found to come from ethnic minorities.
Bishop Hudson-Wilkin’s motion also called on dioceses to prioritise the “collection, monitoring and measuring of relevant data” and asked for a “review and strengthening of the role of the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns” to be considered.
The committee advises the Archbishops of Canterbury and York on race and advocates for “positive action to increase the inclusion and representation of BAME people across the Church”.
‘Structural change’
The bishop was born in Jamaica and became the first black female Church of England bishop when she was appointed to the see of Dover in 2019.
In June 2020, she addressed BLM protestors outside Canterbury Cathedral and called for “structural change in all walks of life” in response to the death of George Floyd.
She also said that month that the Church discriminated against black clergy and was “still stuck” in a mindset that “black people couldn’t possibly lead, or can only minister to black people”.
In April 2021, she condemned as “deeply disturbing” a Government-backed review of race in Britain that found this country “should be regarded as a model for other white-majority countries” on race relations.
In February 2020, the Church issued an apology for racism as the Archbishop of Canterbury said there was “no doubt” that it was “deeply institutionally racist”.
Dr Alka Sehgal Cuthbert, the director of Don’t Divide Us, said: “Black people, like anyone else, need the same justice as their fellow citizens, not a special ‘racial’ kind – you’d think a religion that preaches we’re all equal in God’s eyes would get this.”
*************************
Peta Seel
14 HRS AGO
The only racism being exhibited in the CofE hierarchy is that being perpetrated against white people.
Hephzibah Bowmaker
13 HRS AGO
She has been on the Radio in Church Services many times in the past before she became a Bishop but I never heard her preach about Jesus. It was always bitterness and whining that she was hard done to, that she wasn’t being promoted because she was black and she had her rights. When did Jesus ever demand status as she has done and talk about His rights?
She even said – if she weren’t made a Bishop, then the Church is racist. So they jumped to, and made her a Bishop, but she’s only got bossier. She wants to rule and to dominate.
The synod backed a motion to “encourage parishes and deaneries to develop local action plans to address issues of racial injustice”.
In 2022, the church announced that it would provide £20 million for anti-racism projects, but Lord Boateng, the Labour peer who chairs the church’s racism watchdog, has accused the church of being “glacial” in disbursing the funds.
So far grants totalling £10 million have been approved but less than £4 million of this has been released for projects, it is understood.
Boateng, who was Britain’s first black cabinet minister and is now chairman of the Archbishops’ commission on racial justice, accused the church of “inexcusable delays in establishing a disbursement mechanism for the funds it has set aside for racial justice”. He called on the synod to “act urgently to reform the governance of the church”. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/christians-should-embrace-being-woke-its-not-a-sin-says-bishop-20kf0khts
Dear Lord and Father of all mankind ,forgive our foolish ways ..
What a meddlesome load of nonsense .. when our ancient churches are falling apart with decay !.
I’m afraid in the village that I live in we would have to invite someone in to practice our racism on so that we could learn how to be non-discriminatory. Perhaps we can ask our local bishop to kick out out the local Anglican priest vicar vacuous, to house a Muslim Pakistani or two.
Morning! Bishop Hudson-Wilkin is an extremely privileged woman who has been promoted far beyond what her education, experience and ability warrant. Yes, she had a less than ideal start in life, being raised in Jamaica by her father and aunt because her mother had abandoned her at birth. Her mother apparently dumped the family to come to England alone and didn’t have any further contact until Rose was 9 yrs old. Is that acceptable in their culture?
And the C of E continues with its auto-euthanasia.
It’s usually the fathers, so Ma Wilkin (or is it Hudson?) was a trailblazer.
The “bishop” is nothing of the sort. As a woman she is an ersatz priest only fit for the C of E that has turned its back on Christianity.
From Wiki:
Rose Josephine Hudson-Wilkin CD MBE KHC, is a British Anglican prelate, who serves as Suffragan Bishop of Dover in the diocese of Canterbury – deputising for the Archbishop – since 2019: she is the first black woman to become a Church of England bishop.
This is my idea of what a proper bishop should look like:
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/07aa0c78b8a573d3c635d1869bc4d670ef4b8e4c45b1521e049129e19cbb6742.png
Barchester Chronicles? What would Mrs Proudie make of Bishop Hudson-Wilkin?
All Gas and Gaiters – William Mervyn plays the bishop:
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/709d8113a0996d68989093365b8c3b40e42933390d254a9903bf0f10a170983e.png
I make no apology for posting what a proper bishop looks like again. A proper archbishop doesn’t look like Justin Welby.
I thought it was “All Gas & Gaiters” but it was a long time ago!!
I bet the Wrecktorette who has decimated her congregation will seize this with fervour despite the lack of diversity in the immediate surroundings (the councils are working on rectifying that with flooding places nearby with jabber-jabbers).
“Air Force man sets himself on fire outside Israeli embassy in Washington DC”
Oh dear, how awful. But the idiot just shows the calibre and leanings of western military personnel.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68398479
Ethnic and religious identity left to guess at. So we know probably Middle Eastern/Paki and Muslim.
The Daily Fail showed a picture of a white man.
Did they provide a name? Arabs are white Caucasian.
Yikes! Oh dear. Aaron is mor likely to be Jewish than Moslem, though possibly neither. I wonder where Dante would file him in the circles of Hell?
Bethnal Green?
My dad was born in Bethnal Green. It was a Jewish area in 1907.
And when I lived in Bow, too.
Having lived in Libya I know for a fact that they are indistinguishable from dark skinned Italians or Spaniards. My last wife was half Italian and was darker than Merkle the prince pirate, and darker than most Libyans.
And in Turkey we met fair-haired, blue-eyed, pale-skinned Turkish women just as in Sweden you will find white people with brown eyes, dark hair and tawny skin.
I only worked there for a while, but really liked the place and the people. Was utterly horrified when the West went and smashed everything, leading to breakdown of society and free movement of black Africans to Europe (well thought-through, wasn’t it?).
The West seems t5o be rather good at assassinating countries whilst it becomes outraged at the assassination of individuals.
Having lived in Libya I know for a fact that they are indistinguishable from dark skinned Italians or Spaniards. My last wife was half Italian and was darker than Merkle the prince pirate, and darker than most Libyans.
Ethnic and religious identity left to guess at. So we know probably Middle Eastern/Paki and Muslim.
Some prat called James Stewart writes in despair that ‘the MoD, instead of raising the lives of soldiers it has decided to lower the lives of officers’ – oh the poor Ruperts ………it’ll do them good!
On the ‘net’ the other day there was a poor army officers wife saying they had to buy a property rather than live in an ‘officer level’ accommodation – well fuck me rigid – who do these people think they are? Their sense of entitlement is unbelievable.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13125801/Netanyahu-says-doing-hell-lot-terror-attack-grilled-soaring-civilian-death-toll-Gaza.html
https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/costs/human/civilians/iraqi
And never forget that Blair forced the UK to join the US, based on lies.
It should be made clear that the Israelis announce in advance where they are going to drop their bombs so that innocent bystanders have time to get out of the way.
The reason why they do not is that Hamas uses them as human shields because people are too deluded to realise that it is Hamas which is responsible for the deaths but if the deaths continue then Israel will be blamed.
Why do our politicians allow Hamas to win the propaganda war?
To be honest, I don’t have enormous sympathy for the Palestinians in Gaza.
They could easily have pointed to tunnel entrances and Hamas locations but don’t.
I accept they are under the terrorist’s control but the underlying support for the utter destruction of Israel runs through and through them.
And slammers never give other slammers away.
They do if the others are the wrong type of Islam.
Yes – I’d forgotten that.
According to the BBC the death toll is 30,000+ with 90% of them women and children and the rest were old men in retirement homes and hospital beds. The few Hamas heroes who died did so fighting off tanks and flame throwers with just their forks and a spoon.
Anyone who disbelieves this is a rabid anti- musselman and should be thrown from the top of a high building – unless they are males employed by the BBC and their boyfriend has a moustache, of course.
Where TF do they get numbers like this from? between 280,771-315,190 have died – what utter rubbish, so precise and down to the individual..
Whilst one might disagree with what appears to be spurious accuracy, it gives some idea of the comparative scales.
I would argue that far from pretending to have the exact numbers they have shown the range and I suspect that they have used numerous sources.
This is the link they provided for their number sources, which doesn’t show in my quote, unfortunately these are long papers and also with links.
https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/papers/2023/IraqSyria20
What about Libya?
Lovely country, lovely people, radicalized and ruined thanks to the stupidity of the West.
On another topic. How is you Mother in Law Ober?
Much improved, thanks.
A stroke suspected, but downgraded to a TIA. Medications (what, I don’t know) and supposed to be home tomorrow. Dr Neighbours will be looking in when they get a moment.
Much urine was extracted with jokes like “Grandma is unbalanced”… 😉
Good diagnosis, so to fight another day!
And Syria and Afghanistab (sic) etc etc.
Intials to scare
MRD
WMD
WEF
MCoB (Muslim Council of Britain).
WHO?
MRD Mandy
WMD Blair & weapons
WEF World Economic Forum
World Health Organisation 🙂
Gavin Mortimer
France expels Islamists while Britain appeases them
26 February 2024, 9:30am
https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/GettyImages-2024855783.jpg
Tunisian Imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi (Photo: Getty)
France last week deported an imam after footage emerged of him appearing to preach hate. Mahjoub Mahjoubi, who has lived in France since 1986 and has fathered five children, was put on a plane to his native Tunisia less than 12 hours after he was arrested in his home town of Bagnols-sur-Ceze in the south of France. ‘We will not let people get away with anything,’ declared Gerald Darmanin.
The Interior Minister attributed the imam’s expulsion to the recent immigration law, proof in other words, that this is a government that will not tolerate Islamic extremism. According to Le Monde, however, Mahjoubi’s rhetoric had contravened existing laws as it constituted ‘acts of explicit and deliberate incitement to discrimination, hatred or violence against a specific person or group of people’.
The official expulsion order described how recent sermons by Mahjoubi encouraged discrimination against women and Jews (whom he described as ‘the enemy’, according to the order) and France and the West in general. He is accused of calling for ‘the destruction of western society’ and of sharing a video in which he described the ‘tricolour’ – as the French flag is known – as ‘satanic’ and of ‘no value with Allah’ (Mahjoubi, who denies any wrongdoing, later said sorry if he had caused offence and said the flag remarks were a ‘slip of the tongue’).
Mahjoubi is the latest in a lengthening list of imams who have been banished from France in recent years for allegedly expressing views antithetical to the Republic’s. In 2012 the Tunisian Mohamed Hammami was expelled for rhetoric very similar to Mahjoubi’s. Others followed under the presidency of Francois Hollande’s Socialist government, and Emmanuel Macron has continued the practice, deporting Doudi Abdelhadi in 2018, Mmadi Ahamada in 2022 and Hassan Iquioussen last year.
Abdelhadi was from Algeria, Ahamada from the Comoros and Iquioussen’s family hailed from Morocco. This fact, according to Florence Bergeaud-Blackler, one of France’s leading experts on Islamic extremism, underlines how widespread the threat is. Bergeaud-Blackler is an academic who has written extensively about the Muslim Brotherhood and as a result requires round-the-clock police protection. She said of Mahjoubi: ‘What he’s saying is commonplace. It’s what you hear everywhere in the mosques. In fact, it’s the thinking of the [Muslim] Brotherhood, which considers that the only nation worth having is the Islamic nation’.
Deporting radical preachers is the first step in the battle against Islamist extremists, explained Bergeaud-Blackler, but their ideology is harder to expel, particularly when three decades of complacency have allowed it to grow deep roots across Europe.
In Germany the problem is often with imams of Turkish origin. In 2017 German police raided the homes of four imams suspected of spying for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and last December the German government announced it will no longer allow imams from Turkey to preach in its mosques.
Belgium has deported a few Imams over the years, including in 2022 Mohamed Toujgani, described by the government as ‘the most influential preacher in Belgium’. For many years he had preached in a mosque in Molenbeek, the Brussels suburb where an Islamist terror cell planned the attack in Paris in 2015 that killed 130.
Toujgani’s virulent anti-Semitism was well-known – he was on record as calling for the ‘burning of Jews’ as far back as 2009 – but it took more than a decade before his hatred was expelled.
The extremism within some British mosques was first exposed in January 2007 by a meticulous Channel Four documentary, Undercover Mosques. Secret recordings inside mosques in London and the Midlands revealed Imams preaching misogyny, homophobia, anti-Semitism and contempt for British democracy.
Rather than prosecuting the Imams, however, West Midlands police and the Crown Prosecution Service went after the documentary makers for distorting the words of the imams and taking them out of context.
It was a fruitless attempt to defame the documentary makers, and in 2008 Channel Four won a public apology and six figure libel settlement from West Midlands Police and the CPS.
Nonetheless, it was another example of the British establishment’s unwillingness to confront Islamic extremism. This cowardice was first seen in 1989 during the Satanic Verses controversy. Rather than offer their unequivocal support to Salman Rushdie, the likes of Geoffrey Howe, then Foreign Secretary, and Robert Runcie, the Archbishop of Canterbury, criticised him for offending the Muslim world.
Tony Blair’s New Labour were just as spineless but arguably no politician has been as weak in tackling the scourge of Islamic extremism as Theresa May. She was Home Secretary in 2015 when Islamists slaughtered the staff of Charlie Hebdo and later in the year massacred 130 Parisians. On both occasions she told the House of Commons that ‘the attacks have nothing to do with Islam’.
Two years later it was Britain’s turn to be terrorised by Islamists with a series of outrages that left dozens dead. May, by now Prime Minister, declared that Britain had shown ‘too much tolerance of extremism in our country’ and the time had come to have ‘embarrassing conversations’.
This never happened. As the Jewish Chronicle reported last year, British taxpayers continue to fund mosques where anti-Semitism is preached despite promises from the government that action will be taken. This hatred has intensified since Hamas’s attack on Israel in October.
The consequence of Britain’s institutional appeasement is now being seen on streets, in parliament and in council meetings across the country. ‘The democratic process is under attack from screaming thugs all over the UK,’ tweeted Florence Bergeaud-Blackler last week. ‘The British people are very worried… they are waking up. Will they dare utter the word “Islamism”?
The people dare, but not most of the political class, who remain in a state of denial about the threat to British democracy.
***********************************
OhAndAnotherThing
42 minutes ago edited
Slightly OFF-TOPIC, but can anyone explain why the British media appear to have willfully ignored the latest report by the Association of Rape Crisis Centers of Israel (ARCCI), which details the sexual crimes committed “systematically and intentionally” during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
It might make for difficult reading, but it furnishes incontrovertible evidence that these unspeakable attacks on hundreds of women and young girls, were planned and deliberate.
Of course, I understand fully that, as detailed in his latest editorial, Speccie editor Nelson is firmly against publishing or even saying anything which could, god forbid, antagonise our Muslim community – in order to maintain “social cohesion”, but surely there must be one fleet street editor with sufficient integrity, conscience and compassion to publish this ghastly litany of Islamist barbarism?
Still, as Nelson, along with the rest of his journalistic colleagues, remained shamefully silent as thousands of underage white girls were brutalised, raped and plied with drugs by Muslim grooming gangs, expecting truth, honesty and courage from our Fourth Estate is probably rather naive.
flowergirl
an hour ago
According to the Telegraph red wall MPs have been inundated with messages of support for Lee Anderson. The vast majority of our MPs are entirely detached from the electorate they are supposed to represent. When David Amess was murdered parliament twittered away about online safety, as if he’d been killed by a pointed message.
Andrew Hotston
38 minutes ago
France expels Islamic extremists – in the UK, the ruling Tory Party expels MPs who dare to even mention the corrosive intimidation Muslim extremists generate.
James Gatehouse
an hour ago
When they can with impunity project antisemitic messages up the side of Big Ben you know where you stand. In fact I understand it’s going to become a permanent artwork in the tradition of the Trafalgar Square fourth plinth. Apparently the message will read:
From the river to the sea
Parliament belongs to we.
“The Interior Minister attributed the imam’s expulsion to the recent immigration law, proof in other words, that this is a government that will not tolerate Islamic extremism. According to Le Monde, however, Mahjoubi’s rhetoric had contravened existing laws as it constituted ‘acts of explicit and deliberate incitement to discrimination, hatred or violence against a specific person or group of people’.”
In the immortal words of Mr Punch down at the seaside: That’s the way to do it!
That’s one evil enemy of France deported – what about the other 15 million?
He’s no doubt already planning his journey to the UK
Where he will be welcomed with open arms. The Mayor of London will be at the airport to give him a hero’s reception.
A journey of many miles starts with the first step.
Precedent is set.
In my experience the ordinary French are much more outspoken about their dislike of islam and its adherents. My French friends have uttered opinions that would have got my collar felt back in Blighty.
They like to be possessive but they can’t even grasp the difference between object and subject pronouns.
What is this ‘social cohesion’ which Fraser Nelson is so desperate to defend?
Here’s the counter chant:
From the Atlantic to the North Sea,
British Isles must be Islam-free.
“Mahjoubi is the latest in a lengthening list of imams who have been banished from France in recent years for allegedly expressing views antithetical to the Republic’s”. Why “allegedly” – the deportation seems to have been made after due process of law? This looks like another example of appeasement.
“But settling down is not open to most Army and RAF officers until they pass regimental or squadron service age”,
When is the DT going to realise that the ‘military’ does not comprise of just Officers.
What use is the Commanding Officer (Captain is a rank, not a posting) of an RN ‘warship’, without a crew, ie Seamen,
Engineers, Gunners, Cooks, suppliers, comms etc of all Ranks and Ratings.
Are these servicefolk not supposed to settle down with their families and live full and normal lives away from work?.
When I joined my first training establishment, there were 30+ men to a room, a locker to stow all your worldy belongingsin
and a cental set of showers and loos for 240+ men.
That would not be allowed for the incoming people from Dover.
I would wager that the accommodation we had to live in would be totally unsuitable for the never-ending stream of immigrants
coming into UK.
The duty of the MoD is must be to ensure the shoreside accommodation, both for those on camp and those in married quarters is
of the highest standard.
There should be no difference between what is available to an orficer and an erk
That first sentence only applies for those slithering and box-ticking their way up the greasy pole. Anyone below Colonel/Captain/Group-Captain level will still be moving around or weekly/monthly commuting if they buy and settle somewhere. That’s also the rank at which people used to be posted as military/naval/air attachés at embassies abroad. It’s one of the main reasons I left the RAF at 38.
That first sentence applies only to RAF aircrew officers – those who are in ground branches are subject to frequent postings throughout their careers as well as those slithering up the greasy pole (a great description).
The trick is to get posted to RAF Shawbury. It’s the graveyard for moving around; people get posted there, buy a house and settle down!
One major accommodation difference between what recruits had a few decades ago and recent invaders is that recruits were required (not quite on pain of death but something far worse) to keep their accommodation spotless, habitable and with not a single thing out of place. Mind you, there was plenty of time in which to do this, without TV, mobile phone, free internet, free transport to the nearest town, free magazines and other “essentials” provided by the tax-payer.
Vladimir Putin could kill again on Britain’s streets, defence secretary Grant Shapps warns. 25 February 2024.
Asked if there could be a repeat of the Novichok assassination attempt on the Skripals, Mr Shapps said: “We are always tracking and trying to prevent those things.
“But do I think he has intent? You have seen that. So, yes.”
In March 2018, Russian ex-double agent Sergei Skripal and daughter Yulia were found slumped on a park bench in Salisbury, Wiltshire, after being poisoned with novichok. Both survived and now live under protection, believed to be in the UK.
It will be the sixth anniversary shortly (4 March) of the Salisbury Pantomime. I remain as unconvinced by it as I was then. It has more holes in it than a garden sieve. That the Skripals are still alive I doubt. Were they allowed to speak the whole rotten edifice would collapse. It would destroy the careers of politicians and expose Russian Policy for the sham that it is.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/grant-shapps-putin-uk-russia-ukraine-skirpal-b1141362.html
When i read she had sold her car and flat remotely it made me suspicious. Wouldn’t she have wanted to go through her possessions first?
Who is the ‘She’ you’re referring to, Philip?
Yulia Skripal.
One wouldn’t know it from the context.
Both the Skripal names were in Araminta’s post. I was responding to that post. Do keep up.
I can think of a few people on British streets he’d be welcome to kill.
I can think of a few people on British streets he’d be welcome to kill.
Meanwhile, in Blighty, during the intervening six years ………………
Belated Morning All
Many will know the Disturbed version of “The Sounds Of Silence” here is their update of “Land Of Confusion” struck a chord with me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV4oYkIeGJc
Rest of the medley
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a474345a50f534bd970e2e36df4a6d56f8c2285aa53e622a174186e1b1005dce.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/31ff047c5be3a947294aa7b55c6c1fa1211e7f847e56b8045a2fd5b7e54cf9e2.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d9408381bdb4c908661a5a9962462faf456df0199778f7bf2fd5866def1875fd.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f77c682b241a628f1ed0de08ba13e3c2e067215f7af24168841e583029367d9d.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f8412b46a1bf13f316d71f0cb0211e9145ef4cadda38cd1c2aad19e491634b63.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c8797df3d019e788fb807c2f9ee933c8dcdcfe5effb0074cced5ddb593f7f9fa.jpg
If Salman Rushdie did say that then I am with him 100% of the way.
Ross Clark
Can the EU survive another five years of Ursula von der Leyen?
26 February 2024, 8:00am
Ursula von der Leyen came to the post of President of the European Commission five years ago with a less than glittering reputation. Martin Schulz, her compatriot and former President of the European Parliament, described her as the ‘weakest minister’ in Angela Merkel’s government. There was a strong sense that she had been booted upstairs after her failures as German defence minister, which included running down the armed forces to the point where some soldiers had to take part in a Nato exercise with broomsticks in place of guns. Even the junior partners in the then ruling coalition in Germany declined to back her candidacy.
With such low expectations she would have had to perform very badly indeed if she were to disappoint. It is perhaps fair to say that she is less of joke candidate this time around, as she stands for a second five-year term in the job. Nevertheless, she will carry significant baggage.
There was the farce of the EU vaccines procurement, which left the EU lagging behind the UK in administering Covid vaccines in the early months of 2021. The EU, it turned out, had failed to negotiate contracts which made European deliveries a priority, and so found itself waiting in a queue. Von der Leyen compounded the error by attempting to enact an emergency clause in the EU withdrawal agreement which would have blocked the export of vaccines from the EU to the UK. She rapidly backed down after complaints from Ireland that it would have meant re-erecting a hard border with Northern Ireland, something which months earlier the EU had insisted could not be contemplated.
There was the the bust-up, too, with Poland’s former Law and Justice government, which many in Poland and elsewhere in the EU saw as institutional over-reach. Poland was threatened with having Covid recovery funds withheld after offending the EU’s liberal-minded masters by passing socially conservative laws on abortion and gay marriage – issues which surely ought to be beyond the remit of a trade bloc and a perfectly legitimate matter for the elected government of a member state. It is not all of her doing, but von der Leyen has presided over the Commission at a time of growing Euroscepticism in many member states, including a victory for Geert Wilders in last year’s Netherlands’ general election, the rise to power of Georgia Meloni in Italy and the likely victory of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally in the European Parliament elections in June.
Then there is the EU’s Green Deal, which suffered a loud battering last month after farmers from several countries drove their tractors to Brussels to object to regulations which they say are putting them out of business. Von der Leyen backtracked on such measures as trying to cut meat consumption by EU citizens and some environmental laws.
But no one can say that she has done nothing for the farmers. Quite the oddest incident in her presidency was her announcement last September of a review into conservation laws regarding wolves. ‘The concentration of wolf packs in some European regions has become a real danger for livestock and potentially also for humans.’ Many people would agree with that, even if some conservationists were outraged at the sudden pullback from the powerful rules of the EU Habitats Directive, which have not previously been known to put farmers above rare species. But then a possible inspiration came to light: it turned out that von der Leyen had had a 30-year-old pony, Dolly, which had been mauled to death by wolves.
The wolves don’t seem quite yet to be circling for von der Leyen herself, and she may very well win another term. But the EU she leads in one which is fractious and economically stagnant. Last year she appealed for Britain to re-join the EU to ‘solve the problems of Brexit’. It is an unenticing invitation given the EU’s own problems.
*************************
An0nymousBosch
3 hours ago
The most interesting EU institution is OLAF, its anti-corruption agency.
A few months ago Giovanni Kessler, a former boss of OLAF, received a one-year suspended prison sentence over his handling of a probe involving John Dalli, who was EU health commissioner.
Dalli’s henchmen had been soliciting bribes worth £50 million from the tobacco industry, just as Dalli was working on a rewrite of the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive.
Kessler said the evidence against the health commissioner was “unambiguous”, even though OLAF refused to make that connection. For his troubles, the European Commission took its revenge against Kessler by lifting his immunity from prosecution so the Belgians could then arrest him for making secret tape recordings of Dalli and his crooked troupe of officials, which technically breaches Belgian law.
The upshot? Dalli received no punishment for his gross corruption. Kessler, who uncovered it, has been hit with a one-year sentence.
Anyone remember the BBC/Guardian ever covering this case? Or the rest of London’s thick-as-mince Remainer media?
Rod Evans An0nymousBosch
2 hours ago
Mandelson must be hoping they don’t look back too far to when he was Trade Commissioner, they might find his sudden acquisition of wealth and easing of EU tariff rates on aluminium imported from Russia via his best friend Oleg Deripaska was pure coincidence. Oleg was the owner oligarch of Rusal and a naked birch whipping frolic partner of Mandy in snowy Siberia.
He was also the famous yacht owner who hosted tea parties in the Greek Islands where Mandy once invited George Osborn to join them…..all very above board you understand.
Strange Rover An0nymousBosch
an hour ago edited
A miserable tale but I’m not surprised. The EU is rotten to the core and corrupt from top to bottom.
This story rumbles on, just not in the MSM:
https://www.politico.eu/article/qatargate-corruption-inquiry-widens-police-question-new-suspect-mep-maria-arena/
I think the best thing that happened to Mrs Fond of Lying is when the (equally vacuous) Belgian President of Something in the EU took the main chair at a meeting with Erdogun and made VdL sit in the corner on a sofa.
Is the Belgian still breathing?
Why shouldn’t it survive her? It’s managed to limp along despite decades of corruption and incompetence. Reports of its imminent demise are, sadly, wishful thinking.
Shoppers face £1bn ‘toaster tax’ under plans for new set of net zero rules
Defra unveils plans to require larger shops to ‘take back’ used electrical items such as toasters for recycling even if bought elsewhere
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02/24/toasters-net-zero-defra-environment-eco-tax-retailers-curry/
That’s my rag and bone man out of business.
Spare a thought for Hercules.
He’s glue by now.
He died and went to live on Mount Olympus. Can anyone imagine the underclass of today knowing names from ancient Greece? I doubt that the young middle class graduates I work with know very much about classical legend either come to that. The drive to disconnect them from their heritage has succeeded.
A while back I was playing a ‘Guess the character’ party game where you have the name written on a post-it-note and stuck to your forehead. Two of the characters were ‘Homer’ (mine) and ‘Hannibal’. It turned out that it was a younger person who had come up with names, and that the characters were Homer Simpson and Hannibal Lecter – needless to say, I didn’t win. Blank look when I explained who Homer and Hannibal actually were.
This is already in force in France as it is part of EU regs.
Brexit, anyone?
Genuine question – how is that working out?
It was a non-starter. It didn’t even get a chance to be brought down at the first fence.
This is already in force in France as it is part of EU regs.
Brexit, anyone?
Ah, extra taxation, the government’s answer to every crisis, real or imaginary!
Create a problem and invent a tax to deal with it (or should that be invent a problem and create a tax to deal with it)? What could possibly go wrong?
My old toaster fitted in very well at the bottom of our recycling bin. Do try it.
P.S. I did not remove the plug either.
I always remove the plug if they are re-usable rather than moulded.
I cut the lead off and strip for scrap.
I can’t be bothered to do that any more.
We have it here.
No problem. The scrap value for the metals, especially copper, is quite high.
He is a great fat slob called Michel (or similar)
Not Michelin?
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5a5a78ad0825c29e0e0dfe922f8b64cedb1fa61842a87d7c6709bb865b536a44.jpg
Bibendum – he likes a drink or two, maybe.
I thinks that’s the modern, slimmed down version.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3491e0835500b0a303ccaa41c059b1a86478e3a92de4a8f8c98ff9fda7140894.jpg
Good morning everyone.
Jacob Rothschild has passed away, aged 87.
There’ll be another along soon.
Big noise in the City. He put a lot of time, effort and money into cultural stuff and charity work. A great man, widely respected.
Hardly matters in todays world. He was only a millionaire. And good morning Tim.
Hardly matters in todays world. He was only a millionaire. And good morning Tim.
Shocking moment mob threatens to BEHEAD terrified woman after accusing her of wearing a dress with ‘blasphemous’ text on in Pakistan
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13125779/mob-threatens-behead-woman-dress-blasphemous-Pakistan.html
The Muslipolitan Police would have stood to one side….
They might have held the djellabahs.
While kneeling?
Using them as cushions.
Would the Mayor of London comment on this report?
And all because the pig ignorant peasants couldn’t read what was really there.
She was lucky, unlike Farkhunda Malikzada who was murdered by a mob after false charges of blasphemy had been made against her. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0f09be4489a6fd77fa527f94d3230da5693f5346dd49fc699a1e919da8c5fc85.png
A trifle OTT.
Vile savagery.
Such actions are waiting in the wings should one of us try a spot of book burning.
Oh, the wanton hussy!
383928+ up ticks,
I can still hear it echoing down the corridors of stupidly,
Make boris PM, he makes up laugh, they ain’t laughing now, unless they laugh at disasters / funerals.
https://x.com/LOVillaJavea/status/1761752787958800638?s=20
383928+ up ticks,
I do honestly believe that he NEVER left, just went amoling.
Nigel Farage Should Not Be Allowed to Rejoin Conservative Party, Says Deputy PM Dowden
amoling? What’s that?
383928+ up ticks,
Afternoon SJ,
Me, on a fishing trip,
Amoling,
Undermining a good lawn,
AKA,
Undermining a patriotic party.
What are you fishing for? Those who are pedantic about the English Language?
383928+ up ticks,
SJ,
I ask you,wood I do that ?
Of course. There’s also an ‘l’ in would.
383928+ up ticks,
SJ,
You mean, woodeneye.
383928+ up ticks,
JP,
You mean woodeneye,
sounds false to me.
Silly excuse, and who’s JP?
A-moling! Now I get it. Using the a- prefix as in some verse forms, eg. a frog he would a-wooing go.
383928+ up ticks,
Afternoon DW,
That “frog”( nige) not so much
a- woowing go, as ” much a treacherous doublexdooing done”
Must admit I didn’t have Mary Poppins on my what’s racist today bingo card but there you go.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4f2638fd8dbe6222787baf9e3b4717ad1eb8abea32bac37091f08aa97b210a02.png
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a7ed5de1d17451c97ef7f736efaaea420dd203e467cdb5efeea362fda1ffce5b.png
Sigh………It’s all so tiresome
When it’s very warm I say it’s “hotter than a Hottentot’s hooter”
HG tells me that I’m politically incorrect.
Hottentots?
I fought they were a Wendyball tream from Norf Landan.
I fink!
That’s the one – Hottentottenham!
That ought to spur some replies.
A load of c0ck.
Nah, you’re finking of Tottringham Dog’s Breath.
Indeed. Have some more bad grammar.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4b56aaff8f7b439b2e6d4d8fcfaeb0342a4eb1e063712b16eaa04643fa8cafa4.png
What a load of bowlocks!
Jungle Bunnies is more inclusive, though possibly insulting to rabbits.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/ice-plant/hottentot-fig-ice-plant.htm I don’t give a fig for what they say!
From yesterday’s Southwark News:
They can’t shake off the old tribal habits.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Cruikshank_All_among_the_Hottentots_capering_to_shore_1820.jpg
Cruikshank?
Koi koi? They are carp (I may have misspelled that) then?
It’s the Victorian term for lardarses.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3d292e5df5fae4c00543ff1d80d6d1ee4c1268430932d18038115734109716f9.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3eac89fbb4291fd869174fa84c372e68709af81a655dded6138837617156339c.jpg
Entertainingly instructive? I have seen a documentary showing just how close some ships come to the sides of the locks, one bad move and potentially a lot of damage. Where’s Stephenroi?
https://twitter.com/DesiSanatani/status/1761825475595509900
Top one: Pouring water on troubled oil?
Is it ‘cos the sea’s not wet enough?
Waiting for River levels to fall so that navigation can resume (probably early May given the amount of rain we’ve had – heading for 8 inches here in February alone)….
Kremlin troops ‘advance in three locations’. 26 February 2024.
Russian troops have advanced in three locations, the Institute for the Study of War reported.
The US think-tank said geolocated footage confirmed Moscow’s forces had made gains near Bakhmut, Avdiivka and western Zaporizhzhia.
The gates are creaking!
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/02/26/russia-ukraine-zelensky-putin-war-latest-news5/
They are not advancing. They are being lured into central Youkrane (or whatever it is now called) so that the Kranian forces don’t have so far to go to confront the evil commies. It is the fault of the EU and the Yanks who guaranteed them enough fuel and ammo when they first promised them a place in NATO but have been a bit slack in providing it – not to mention half of the money to pay for it goes directly to Zelensky and his buddies first.
Grief! That was bloody cold in Belper!
Shopping, haircut and a pair of lightweight walking shoes.
I’ve driven through Belper a number of times, on the A6, but I have never set foot in the place.
The same goes for Buxton.
Very cold in Buxton.
I’ve been to Buxton to visit an antiques fair. Seems like a nice place.
I’m only a ½h drive from there!
Nice, but bland.
The wind was bitterly cold here, although the sun was shining and even had a little warmth if you could find shelter.
Just took Spartie for a walk.
I think my face has been freeze dried.
Poor chap was not given much latitude when it came to sniffing clumps of grass.
Today’s nicked offering …
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/662d725928b4fcf145ca554f3094462d9d866aaa64f1f42b2c97d6287c9e5115.jpg
Interesting story that doesn’t surprise me
Greek monk says King Charles called him to seek ‘spiritual advice’ after cancer diagnosis
A Greek Orthodox monk says King Charles III has turned to him for spiritual advice since his cancer diagnosis.
The monarch, who acceded to the throne 17 months ago, was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer while he was being treated for a benign enlarged prostate.
Elder Ephraim, the Mount Athos-based abbot of the Holy Monastery of Vatopedi, revealed earlier this month that Charles reached out to him following his diagnosis to seek “prayers and consoling words for strength to overcome difficulties”.
Charles and the abbot reportedly share a friendship that has spanned 25 years and became closer following the death of Princess Diana in 1997.
“Charles has a spiritual sophistication, a spiritual life,” Mr Ephraim told The Sun. “Yes, he has been in contact since the diagnosis and I believe he’ll overcome it.”
Although little has been made public about their friendship, Charles has reportedly visited the monastic community of Mount Athos at least eight times.
Charles met Mr Ephraim for the first time in 1998 during his visit to the Vatopedi monastery, shortly after Diana’s death, according to reports. The monarch now has his own quarters reserved for when he stays at Vatopedi.
“We have a very good rapport,” the abbot added.
The Sun quoted a source saying that Charles likes to meditate, pray and follow ancient rituals such as “getting up at 4am to follow the liturgy which he absolutely adores”.
“There is no question that the British royal is Orthodox in his heart,” another Greek monk told The Greek Herald. “Sadly, he is very constrained by his position.”
The monarch has taken a step back from frontline duties but was seen in good sprits last week as he went through cards of support sent to him during his cancer treatment.
He was amused by a well-wisher’s card showing a disgruntled dog recovering from medical treatment and telling him “at least you don’t have to wear a cone”.
Charles told prime minister Rishi Sunak last week that nearly 7,000 cards from wellwishers reduced him “to tears most of the time”.
“We’re all behind you. The country is all behind you,” Mr Sunak said.
From news to politics, travel to sport, culture to climate – The Independent has a host of free newsletters to suit your interests. To find the stories you want to read, and more, in your inbox, click here.
Shouldn’t the head of the Church of England be seeking spiritual advice from a clergyman of his own church e.g. Justin Welby?
Ignore that – I’ve answered my own question.
Phillip was, of course, Greek Orthodox. I think that the Monarch should always be a Christian in this land but not automatically an Anglican. The Anglican Church should be disenfranchised as the established church, especially since it is spiritually derelict.
Under its current leadership the Anglican Church has lost its relevance and spirit but that’s not to say it should not be the Established Church. The current Archbishop will eventually be replaced and hopefully it will regain its relevance. It is the Church of England so it should be the established church. The King is its figurehead but if he privately chooses to be Orthodox, then that’s up to him. We have freedom of worship here.
I, for one, would like to see “freedom of worship” restricted to Judeo-Christian religions with tolerance only for non-violent other versions.
There is only one religion that causes so much upheaval and aggression the west.
It ain’t Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism …..
Too much detail.
Enough for the King to thank his subjects for their kind wishes and moments of laughter. Banging on about crying shows him to be weak, and if he’s going to beat the cancer, weakness won’t help.
Charles ‘Protector of the Faiths’ Windsor, is that? Perhaps the Orthodox fellow told him to stop being a plank and denounce the false faiths.
If he didn’t, he should have.
I doubt that because from the Orthodox point of view the whole of Western Christianity is false faith, Roman Catholic as well as Protestant.
Personally, I have now reached the stage where a Greek orthodox priest has a more Christian aura than any CoE functionary.
That probably has to do with them being real Christians.
Charlotte Church told to ‘hang her head in shame’ for singing ‘from the river to the sea’ at pro-Palestine concert as Welsh singer sparks fury for leading chorus of ‘genocide’ song
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13124473/Charlotte-Church-sings-river-sea-pro-Palestine-concert.htm
A rather sour note from one who used to be described as having the voice of an angel!
Charlotte Church. Voice of an angel. Feet of a hobbit.
Brain of a mollusc.
Isn’t that unfair to molluscs?
The Devil is, apparently, a fallen angel.
Just saying.
She may have had an angelic voice as a young girl but she’s anything but as a woman.
Can we sing “From the Ocean to the Sea, Britain will be Free”! As in Atlantic Ocean to North Sea. No? I thought not. ‘Cos in the Victim Olympics, we’s oppressors.
I prefer “From the Ocean to the Sea, Britain will be Islam-Free”!
That works for me. It has to be snappy and not too wordy.
I prefer “From the sea to the river, Hamas will be chopped liver”.
Maybe Satan had a good singing voice.
I don’t suppose either of them have read Robin Warde’s letter (reproduced on here).
I won’t be at all surprised if Anderson is kicked to death in the street. If so, what follows that will determine the future of our civilisation.
Forgive an elderly buffer writing. Is Islam a “race”?
Thought not. Hence – no “racism”.
Warsi, on the other hand, is a well known racist – in the true sense of the word.
Of course it isn’t, it’s an ideology, just like National Socialism.
She was one of Cameron’s Tokens – until she returned to her true loyalties and metaphorically bit him on the bum.
The Babbling Poltroon out babbled
My reaction to all this is, it’s been a long time coming. Lee Anderson for PM. And the most obvious conclusion would be, the Conservative Party would gain a lot more respect than they have at this moment in time.
Sunak The Fakir on BBC radio:
“Clearly his choice of words wasn’t acceptable, it was wrong, and that’s why the whip was suspended. Words matter, especially in the current environment.”
The cowardly little s**t.
What a Pathetic response, it just lays open even more opportunities for the invaders to take advantage of.
Truth matters more Suni boy.
If he joins Richard Tice’s lot I will join the party.
Something like that has to happen or our country will never recover.
He was slagging them off a few weeks back. That looks rather short-sighted now.
Criticising a religion is not racism.
383928+ up ticks,
Let us keep in mind the politico / pharmaceutical rear exits were killing of daves family via experimental vaccines, long before the rear exits progressed to peoples.
https://x.com/Rugmeister78/status/1761829155027509559?s=20
Dave made an appearance on here yesterday.
He’s a popular chap…
Do we know what type of primate he is? If he uses violence it will at least be honestly motivated by the instinct to protect his kindred and their territory.
Afternoon Sue. He looks like an orang-utan.
Ah, so likely to have an IQ of around 75 then, which not only ranks him anongst the smartest apes but also more intelligent than many Sub-Saharan humans.
Indeed, Dave is indubitably such.
Whatever sort of primate he is he’s a damned sight better than the current primate of The Church of England.
Orangutan, mostly very gentle. Pongo pygmaeus, man of the woods.
My chemistry master was nicknamed Pongo. He was a big bloke, but I think it was from the mixing of stinky chemicals he got the pseudonym.
We did this last night. Five votes for Dave, one for the WHO and one took against both on account of Dave bearing a passing resemblance to Lord Cameron – at least I think that’s who he meant!
Defo Dave.
BBC Breakfast News this morning highlighted the likelihood of higher air fares this summer due to a shortage in aircraft delivery – specifically the Boeing 737.
The case of an airframe panel flying of a 737 has been well publicised but what many have puzzled about was whether ii was either a window or a door that blew out. In fact it was an eternal loading door for a revolutionary aircraft modification equipped with a seating arrangement using rows of commodes:
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3d7c597f12bb055956b80396b5a3ea61aff328890e120a1f5292380c1d791890.gif
These are designed with a self contained evacuation facility that can not only store unwanted solid and liquid matter during flight but also retain methane gases that passenger may involuntarily emit during cabin depressurisation.
The safety routine instructions carried out by the cabin crew have therefore been augmented to account for the new emergency evacuation procedure for the 737 and this illustrated in the clip below:
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1d1bccd46f524f7a385c742abb267e06d3f1659ca33b0cd7a776f571b237a5b5.gif
For Ryanair it’s just another money grabbing exercise.
‘Net Zero’ doesn’t seem to exist where airlines and airports are involved.
The new fleet of 737s has been ordered by CommodeAir specifically for flatulent old farts and Net Zero is expected to be achieved not only by methane entrapment but also as an additive to the experimental fuels now being developed for jet engines:
https://youtu.be/SIfWCWZdfuc?si=OFHzTdSPLfv14L97
🤔
Interesting
Flight times should be shorter with a following wind. ☺️
They’ll be having outside toilets on aeroplanes next.
I always preferred to sit on the terrace when flying. Makes the G&T taste better.
Blows your parasol inside out though…
Oooh, Matron.
Or don’t serve vindaloo on a long flight.
Yorkshire Airline already have that:-
https://youtu.be/Rm6VC5gdaFA?si=AlyhCfX2D4lQwmAP
Well, that should cure the patient’s constipation.
Looks like we are in for a week of the Lee Anderson truth speak crime
Even though they say it is stirring up racial tension the mainstream media and politicians are keeping it all going.
The question is this, what bit of bad news are they hiding?
As Still Bleau commented a couple of days ago Enobarbus in Antony and Cleopatra said: “That truth should be silent I had almost forgot.
Truth is now a racist hate crime according to Angela Raynor so woe betide anyone who refuses to silence it!
My BTL comments seem to upset the woke sentiment of the DT editors.
‘My tattoos aren’t a cry for help –each one is building me back to myself’
My new ink might scream midlife crisis, but post-divorce, it’s helped me regain my sense of self
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/relationships/diary-of-a-divorce-tattoos-knowing-yourself-better/
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/edfb33692c10dbc212053ee4e91d1cccd72b19b38e269566ba5a9b5677157d4e.png
I also tried to post under the same article that earrings are only acceptable on women and gypsies and not on clean-cut Englishmen but this never appeared.
You forgot pirates.
Ooh arghh.
You are quite right. I stand corrected or – being pedantic as I am in front of my laptop on my desk, I sit corrected.
One of my best friends used to play rugby for Penzance and Newlyn RFC but he has neither tattoos nor earrings.
We’re coming up to Ped’s birthday on 29th February.
I must not forget the chap in Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta who was made apprentice to a pirate rather than apprentice to a pilot as his mother had intended. His articles committed him to the apprenticeship until his 21st birthday – i.e. until the age of 84 years as he was born on Leap Year Day.
Hah!!!! My memory is better than I thought.
The young man’s name is Frederic.
And he is an orphan which leads to jokes about whether he is parentless or whether he’s using the posh way of saying frequently.
Midlife Crisis, Divorce, Tattoos…swipes left…
What happened to the term tramp stamp?
Slag Tag you mean?
Not heard that one. Will add it to my vocab.
I was somewhat dismayed to be served in Wetherspoon’s by a quite pretty girl whose entire throat was covered with a tattoo. I immediately thought it ugly. A little later I pondered on how it might appear in 20 years’ time and felt it likely she’d look back on it as a foolish act of following a silly fad – a fad which has now become an established lifestyle choice. There was a time when such an adornment would be a major hindrance to employability but so many now have these self-chosen displays of body vandalism that employers have little choice, to have any chance of recruiting a workforce of sufficient size and age profile, of hiring these people. There are no longer enough available who don’t have them.
I have visions of tattoos becoming the next NHS crisis, as whatever is in them starts to move its way around the body in unexpected ways, rather like microplastics or particles causing asbestosis or even covid vaccine mRNA and causes diseases, cancers and other nasties.
My niece removes them; she has a special laser machine to do it.
Most of her clients are treating her service like scraping down parchment to make room for more adornment.
There will be some interesting skin problems in the future.
I imagine some extreme and untreatable form of skin cancer will develop.
Yes, particularly in skin exposed to the sun.
That is raw meat.
And some interesting claims for compensation too, no doubt.
I hope your niece has appropriate professional indemnity insurance.
Oh yes. Any relative of mine is a full blown cynic.
Rastus’s Law states that the prettier the girl or the more handsome the man the uglier the tattoo will look.
If someone is ugly to the start with then a tattoo won’t make so much difference.
Our local hospital has a mural of its workers: amongst them is a female nurse with her arms covered in tats.
Not only is it ugly, it also looks unhygienic. And does rather blow the ‘low pay’ cries out of the water.
And you haven’t been shadow-banned as I have?
‘Gypsies’ is a taboo word. Unless you are Cher.
They look awful. Thank goodness my brief, youthful, flirtation with getting one never came to anything.
I’ve never even been tempted.
I was 16 at the time. I consider it a blip on an otherwise sensible childhood.
There is an elderly lady probably in her mid eighties who might have been a rock chick of the old school.. her arms , chest and legs have tattoos , she has a smart hairdo and still wears shorts and tank tops in the summer , she must have had a very good figure when she was younger , but she is rather stooped now . Probably an exile from Benidorm I suspect .
Tattoos look terrible on saggy old crinkled skin , whether on men or women .
She also drives an old sports car ..
So what with the amount of foreign barber shops in small market towns , the arrival of a tattoo shop is horrid , and tattoos are expensive , I googled the prices .. shocking , it is worse than gambling , and people must be addicted to pain to have allover tats.
The Blood transfusion service used to be quite funny about accepting blood doners with tats and those who have holidayed here there and everywhere and of course people covered in piercings .. cross infection and all that sort of thing !
Not sure what their rules are now, I used to help out on Donor days , teas and biscuits !
Those tats cost £thousands.
The same people moaning about the cost of living – especially feeding children – are usually covered with them: plus dangling ironmongery and smoking like chimneys.
Comments have been closed.
Quelle surprise.
The article was one long “Me … Me … Me” whinge.
The controlling councils of Bradford, Blackburn, Bolton, Burnley, Rochdale, Rotherham and many other northern towns and cities are contemplating installing these innovative French conveniences as the current public toilets – doorsteps, gutters and hedgerows – are blocked to overflowing. The chair frames may be added at a later date if the budget allows.
https://scontent-cdg4-3.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/408934483_860533026082953_4664127993084546504_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_p843x403&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=dd5e9f&_nc_ohc=lhzWpUlRUQMAX9elHyK&_nc_oc=AQmIeF88ouhDAsNKN_34CFCvhe7agE_itoaU2TvaYLd0ypLDU0Fwo9DPILJDB3sbetNk5Ukb0vyeTxh6GcUEh5Mn&_nc_ht=scontent-cdg4-3.xx&oh=00_AfAy6L9HkWWMF36Y45-CUyc4EvCjDni6fDifKfD7xcwlqA&oe=65E11993
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcGsiyJcNGQ
Ne me quitte pas is a beautiful song but Brel was over expectorant and the spittle flowed too freely when he sang it.
To tell the truth I preferred the Dusty Springfield version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyCVxPEPx5Y
I don’t think ‘Les Singes dans mon quartier’ had much to do about a loving relationship.
Lee Anderson: from Labour councillor to Labour wind-up merchant (Grauniad)
Lee Anderson, the former miner turned MP for Ashfield, has caused more controversy in his four-and-a-bit years in parliament than most of the 2019 intake combined.
Before he was even elected, Labour was calling for him to be sacked, after he suggested nuisance social housing tenants should be evicted into tents and made to pick vegetables.
But winding up Labour is one of Anderson’s greatest talents. He learned exactly which buttons to press, having served as office manager to Ashfield’s last Labour MP, Gloria De Piero, and sat as a Labour councillor on Ashfield district council.
His ability to make Labour look prissy, and to say the unsayable in his broad Nottinghamshire yowl, was exactly why he was so prized by the Conservatives as a one-man unmoderated comments section.
“Fuck off back to France,” he told asylum seekers complaining about their accommodation on the Bibby Stockholm barge.
In Anderson’s world, foreign prisoners are living it up in “comfy cells”, only avoiding deportation because of “lefty lawyers”.
He once responded to a Labour MP expressing concerns about the prejudice faced by Gypsies and Travellers by saying that the Travellers in his constituency were less likely to “flog” you lucky heather than “be seen leaving your garden shed at 3 o’clock in the morning, probably with your lawnmower and half of your tools”.
More here: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/feb/25/lee-anderson-from-labour-councillor-to-labour-wind-up-merchant
Racial bias in artificial intelligence: Testing Google, Meta, ChatGPT and Microsoft chatbots
https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/racial-bias-artificial-intelligence-testing-google-meta-chatgpt-microsoft-chatbots
On Saturday, dearest Trudeau gave a speech in Ukraine where he blasted Putin as being a loser. By coincidence (of course) on Sunday, the RCMP announces that they have suffered a major security breech of their communications network. If only he had kept his mouth shut!
Our only hope is that he follows in his father’s footsteps on February 29th and resigns after an evening walk in the snow.
Trudeau probably one the biggest all time losers in world politics.
It depends.
If his WEF brief was the ruination of all that Canada once stood for, he has won beyond their wildest dreams.
The Grauniad fearlessly telling The Truth, The Whole Truth, and nothing but the obfuscation
Guardian writer boycotts newspaper for failing to tell readers cat killer was transgender
Louise Tickle accuses the newspaper of ‘deceiving its readers’ for using the word ‘woman’ in its headline
Blathnaid Corless
26 February 2024 • 12:57pm
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2024/02/26/TELEMMGLPICT000263584280_17089515739910_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqVlKElvbPytMNOGdvFX0CPO6SOiYUky09MjoYJ2J6f5g.jpeg?imwidth=680
Louise Tickle says after reading a Guardian article about Scarlet Blake she was left unaware that Blake was a ‘male killer’
A writer for the Guardian has boycotted the newspaper for failing to tell its readers that a cat killer who murdered a stranger was transgender.
Scarlet Blake, a 26-year-old trans woman, was found guilty last week of murdering Jorge Martin Carreno in July 2021 on his way home from a night out, four months after Blake’s Netflix-inspired killing of a cat.
Louise Tickle, an award-winning journalist who has written for the Guardian for more than 20 years, has accused the newspaper of “deceiving its readers” for using the word “woman” in its headline and omitting the fact Blake was transgender in an article covering the case.
In a letter to Katharine Viner, the newspaper’s editor, Ms Tickle said: “I’ve contributed to the Guardian for nearly two and a half decades, but as a result of an utterly dismaying news piece published on Friday, I cannot do so again until I’m confident that the Guardian is able to demonstrate that its reporters, editors and management understand what constitutes a fact, and stops deceiving its readers.”
Ms Tickle explained that upon reading the article online last Friday, she was left unaware that Blake was a “male killer”.
“How could I?,” she said. “The headline used the word ‘woman’ and nowhere in the piece did I pick up any reference to the killer being transgender.
“My understanding is that I didn’t just miss the word ‘transgender’ – that word was not included in the piece.
“So, as far as I – and as far as any of your other readers were concerned that day – a woman had committed an extraordinarily depraved and sexually motivated murder of a man, after having carried out a hideous act of animal cruelty,” she added in the letter to Ms Viner.
‘It is disgraceful’
The journalist then claims that when she went back to look at the piece again the following day it had been changed; “the headline was altered to remove the word ‘woman’ and the word ‘transgender’ was added, in the fifth paragraph down (after references to ‘woman’ and ‘she’ in the text above).”
She added: “Many people will not read that far, and so Guardian readers are still being led to believe that a woman has committed this crime.”
Ms Tickle accused the newspaper of “actively deceiving readers into believing that there is a sudden upsurge in women engaged in violent, homicidal and sexually motivated criminality”.
“It is disgraceful. There is no excuse for it. Sometimes people suggest that the anger around this kind of factually inaccurate reporting is overblown, performative, unkind, or petty. It is not,” she wrote.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2024/02/26/TELEMMGLPICT000365538383_17089530770850_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqA7N2CxnJWnYI3tCbVBgu9T0aesusvN1TE7a0ddd_esI.jpeg?imwidth=960
Scarlet Blake, a 26-year-old trans woman, was found guilty last week of murdering Jorge Martin Carreno in July 2021 CREDIT: Vagner Vidal/Hyde News & Pictures Ltd
It is the latest in a series of trans rows in which the newspaper has recently become embroiled.
Its deputy music editor sparked criticism last year for using a review of Róisín Murphy’s music to criticise the Irish singer’s views that vulnerable children should be protected from puberty blockers, describing it as “a masterful album with an ugly stain”.
More recently, JK Rowling branded the Guardian’s chief sports writer a “progressive misogynist” with “disdain for women’s sport” after he dismissed concerns that transgender women could compete in Parkrun’s female category.
Blake’s sentencing got underway on Monday at Oxford Crown Court.
Blake was found guilty on Friday of murdering Jorge Martin Carreno, 30, in July 2021 by hitting him in the back of the head with a vodka bottle before strangling him and pushing him into the River Cherwell where he drowned.
Oxford Crown Court heard how Blake had killed a cat four months before the murder, placing the animal in a blender, which was inspired by the Netflix documentary called Don’t F—k with Cats in which a man kills kittens before murdering a human.
The Guardian has been contacted for comment.
Either we believe the woke, that a tranny is what they say they are, or we accept that they remain what they started out as, man or woman even if we pander to them personally.
Standard bearers for woke such as the Grauniad can’t have it both ways just to suit the woke narrative..
But, but, but – ‘transwomen are women’ (according to lefties). That being the case, there is no need to refer to ‘Scarlet Blake’ as ‘transgender’. Is there?
The sooner we stop this mangling of the language, the better. The words are not “transgender woman” but “man masquerading as a woman”. It’s like lesbians refering to their same sex partner as “my wife” when they really mean “same sex partner”. Ditto male homosexuals referring to their “husband”. They mean either catamite or “same sex partner”. Such misuse of language demeans both biological women and the institution of marriage.
But that’s the whole idea.
That’s why we need to fight it. Everytime I hear a lesbian referring to her “wife” or a queer referring to his “husband” or “marriage” I mentally correct them, “no, it’s your same sex partner” and “it isn’t a marriage; that’s one man and one woman”. I refuse to be brainwashed. I dare not say it aloud, of course. Freedom of speech went out the window a long time ago.
The young man was born a Chinese citizen and now has British citizenship, so he is a ‘dual national’. Compare and contrast his sentence with that of Valdo Calocane, aka Adam Mendes, the Nottingham killer.
Which one is the bloke Blake? They all appear to be wearing bondage articles.
The left always eats its own. They never learn.
Lee Anderson: ‘We’ve got to get Sadiq Khan out’ – read statement in full
Former Tory deputy chairman refuses to apologise for ‘clumsy’ words and insists they were borne out of ‘sheer frustration’
Telegraph Reporters
26 February 2024 • 1:21pm
Lee Anderson has refused to apologise over his claims that “Islamists” have “got control” of Sadiq Khan which saw him stripped of the Tory whip.
The former deputy chairman of the Conservatives stood by the remarks on Monday and argued that rowing back on them would be “a sign of weakness”.
In a statement first issued to GB News he admitted his wording had been “clumsy” and praised “the vast majority” of Muslims for their “amazing contribution to our society”.
You can read the former Tory deputy chairman’s full statement below:
“I made some comments yesterday that some people thought were divisive. Politics is divisive and I am just incredibly frustrated about the abject failures of the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
“Khan called for an immediate ceasefire weeks ago with no conditions while the hostages are still there being held at gunpoint by a terrorist organisation.
“Hundreds of people had been arrested for racist abuse on these marches and we barely heard a peep from the mayor. If these marches were about something less fashionable Sadiq Khan would have been the first to call for them to be cancelled. It’s double standards for political benefit.
“But when you think you are right, you should never apologise because to do so would be a sign of weakness.
“If you are wrong, apologising is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength.
“Seeing the words ‘From the river to the sea’ on Elizabeth Tower made me feel sick to the pit of my stomach.
“Khan has stood by and allowed our police to turn a blind eye to the disgusting scenes around Parliament. It is not my intention to upset anyone, I believe in free speech and have 100 per cent respect for people of all backgrounds.
“The vast majority of Muslims are not Islamists in the same way the vast majority of Christians are not conservatives or socialists.
“The vast majority of our Muslim friends in the UK are decent, hardworking citizens who make an amazing contribution to our society and their religion should not be blamed for the actions of a tiny minority of extremists.
“My words may have been clumsy but my words were borne out of sheer frustration at what is happening to our beautiful capital city.
“We’ve got to get Khan out at the elections in May.”
*************************
Terry Miles
1 HR AGO
Lee Anderson is the best person to come out of this total mess of a government both Conservative and Labour. He sees the truth clearly and speaks for every decent man woman and child who loves England. Not just here for the handouts. His bravery has to be supported.
Clifford Pithers
1 HR AGO
Under Mayor Khan, you are NOT allowed to sing Gospel songs on Oxford St, but you CAN beam anti Jewish slogans on Big Ben.
That SAYS IT ALL
I’ve got hiccups Micheline, frighten me!
I’m pregnant.
https://scontent-cdg4-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/417476631_3584236495174176_2763382949484231155_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=dd5e9f&_nc_ohc=bPOU1OSMiQIAX-Ukaz-&_nc_ht=scontent-cdg4-2.xx&oh=00_AfBBleMqoquJT5qkxuvXF-AguyV2hWsUe6tdAnUQ2SxLtQ&oe=65E23F27
So Don’t forget dearest.
Afternoon, all. I sometimes think the MoD despises the members of the Armed Forces. They would treat illegals better. Mind you, it isn’t a new thing; the PoWs (kriegies not Woke Wills) were better treated than the workers of the WLA (Women’s Land Army) during the later stages of the war.
Edited to corrrect a misplaced bracket.
Nato and EU members ‘considering sending troops to Ukraine’. 26 February 2024.
Several Nato and EU states are considering sending soldiers to Ukraine on a bilateral basis, Slovakia’s prime minister claimed ahead of a meeting of European leaders in Paris.
Robert Fico, who has long opposed sending military aid to Ukraine, said: “I will limit myself to say that these theses (in preparation for the Paris meeting) imply a number of Nato and EU member states are considering that they will send their troops to Ukraine on a bilateral basis.”
Well there is no denying the stupidity of the present Political Elites but I doubt this. What I think much more likely is some blunder; or a False Flag from the Baltic.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/02/26/russia-ukraine-zelensky-putin-war-latest-news5/
Ask the artificial intelligence bots if they were Putin would they use a tactical nuke to wipe out Brussels and to act as a dreadful warning in an attempt to prevent even worse escalation.
Rank stupidity, these cretins really are keen to start WWIII!
I think they are trying to provoke a response from Russia which will give Nato an excuse to put troops in. Its getting very dangerous (but not for those funding their proxy war sitting a long long way removed fromthe battlefield).
This should be a ‘lorra, ‘lorra laughs!
https://scontent-cdg4-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/422674025_122125668914171420_1130271392915952099_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=dd5e9f&_nc_ohc=-3b4IDX8l-UAX_zPoIF&_nc_ht=scontent-cdg4-1.xx&oh=00_AfCqZoCKtDwABuyPNhrS2Yx4S6sr6l-yaXeJoNFKUt4LzQ&oe=65E282E9
Choose the goat. It might actually like you.
But not for long.
I’ve just read perhaps the laugh of the century; Starmer vows to run a patriotic economy he claimed on a visit to Shropshire. Does he even know the meaning of patriotic (or is his patriotism for a country other than the UK)? We all know he has no idea how to run an economy.
Did you ever read “The Alastair Campbell Diaries: The Blair Years”? They discuss speech writing in terms of buzz words and what people want to hear. What they actually did never comes into it, just the spin to win public support.
No, but that surprises me not one jot. I had come to that conclusion myself.
Steerpike
Watch: Chris Bryant’s parliamentary hypocrisy
26 February 2024, 12:55pm
It’s D-day for Lindsay Hoyle as he battles to save his job. The Speaker of the House got into hot water with the SNP last Wednesday after kiboshing their attempts to force Labour into a bind on a Gaza ceasefire. Stephen Flynn, the nationalists’ Westminster leader, is now pushing for Hoyle to today grant a fresh vote on the Middle East crisis. Labour are, understandably, less keen on the idea, with the Starmer army keen to brush over the negotiating tactics they used with the Speaker last week.
So it must have been to their chagrin then that Chris Byrant popped up on Channel 4 News last night to gleefully spill the beans on the whole enterprise. While there to ostensibly plug his latest book, the shadow culture minister chose to opine gravely about how the Commons ‘brought ourselves terribly into disrepute, I think, on Wednesday’, before admitting that, er, he was partly ‘put up’ by Labour to filibuster on the floor of the House to ensure that negotiations with Hoyle could keep going.
Bryant subsequently solemnly intoned that ‘the whole day was grubby and we need a system which doesn’t allow people to manipulate the rules to be able to get what they want.’ ‘Which you did’ retorted host Cathy Newman as Bryant smirked in the chair. One man’s heroic filibuster is another’s broken politics…
https://twitter.com/RobDunsmore/status/1761859830208250259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1761859830208250259%7Ctwgr%5Efc2f49924f147637481f41ea8edf8248cc118833%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.spectator.co.uk%2Farticle%2Fwatch-chris-bryants-parliamentary-hypocrisy%2F
*****************************
JamesR
3 hours ago
In a chamber containing more than a few odious people, this man really takes the biscuit.
GUBU JamesR
3 hours ago
The only clean thing about Mr Bryant turns out to be those notorious underpants.
Blindsideflanker
3 hours ago
Don’t worry it won’t matter one little bit for our corrupt media are having a feeding frenzy on Islamophobia.
sfin Blindsideflanker
2 hours ago
Astonishing isn’t it?
It reminds me of the time Sir David Amess was knifed to death by an Islamic terrorist and all the MPs could talk about was ‘online hatred’.
Here we have had what should be a watershed moment, a sense of a line having been crossed. The Leader of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition sought to overturn parliamentary convention using the excuse that MPs were being personally threatened. Everyone knows from where and from whom those threats originate and yet the major talking point is…’Islamophobia’!
I give up!
https://twitter.com/OhBrokenBritain/status/1761728682983325874
H’mmmmm ….. Please give me a clue. I need to really think about this one.
Is there a common thread running through this post?
I went over the top expressing what I think of Chris Bryant so I am modifying my comment – this does not mean I am changing my opinion: I still think he is the most repulsive MP currently sitting in the House of Commons.
Great Reset Fightback: 🐄
Farmers Spray Police With Liquid Manure Outside European Union HQ
https://media.breitbart.com/media/2024/02/GettyImages-2032593036-1-640×480.jpg
Hundreds of farmers descended upon Brussels on Monday, clashing with police, spraying officers with manure, and pelting EU buildings with eggs as they protested outside an agricultural summit being held in the city.
Chaotic scenes broke out in Brussels with farmers protesting the European Union’s green agenda and plans to ink a free trade deal with the South American ‘Mercosur’ bloc of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, which farmers in Europe fear will serve to further undercut their prices and threaten their ability to stay in business.
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As hundreds of tractors amassed in the de-facto EU capital, including farmers from as far away as Italy and Spain, police in Brussels attempted to erect barricades to block the farmers from entering areas of the city centre.
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Violent clashes ensued, with farmers using their tractors to bash through the barricades, throwing bottles and makeshift projectiles at officers while others sprayed police with manure, set tyres and straw on fire, and covered the European Union’s Lex building with eggs.
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In turn, the Brussels police deployed tear gas and water cannons against the protesters, Het Laatste Nieuws reports.
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Commenting on the outbreak of violence, the spokesman for the Farmers’ Forum Tijs Boelens said: “The riots here today are the result of a European agricultural policy that always opts against economic security in our sector… If you sow misery, you will reap rage.”
“I am not in favour of the riots, there is a more friendly atmosphere here. But at the same time, it is the result of European mismanagement; farmers are always used as currency to secure economic deals for industry in Europe.
“With this, we do not create food security but rather are ensuring that our own farmers have to live in permanent economic stress. We are here today at the European Quarter because we want to make our point clear to European leaders: we must choose food security and food sovereignty. Neoliberalism’s time is up.”
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The Flemish Boerenbond farmers’ union distanced themselves from the riots on Monday, saying that it is “not our way of campaigning”
“The protest actions in Flanders have always been serene and safe in recent weeks. What we see in Brussels today is in stark contrast . That is not our way of taking action. These organizations and individuals do this on their own responsibility,” spokeswoman Elisabeth Mertens said.
“For us, it is about the message that we want to give here today, which is to call on European policymakers to recognize the strategic importance of the agricultural sector,” she added, explaining that European farmers are put under strict regulation by Brussels and therefore are undercut by free trade deals with countries with lower standards.
The issues facing farmers in Europe, such as the high cost of fuel, hefty taxes, excessive paperwork mandated by bureaucracies, the war in Ukraine, free trade orthodoxy, and environmentalist regulations are set to be key drivers in the upcoming European Parliament elections in June. Alongside mass migration and the fledgling economies of Europe, the pushback against the green agenda is likely to benefit populist parties, who are already projected to make significant gains.
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The anger at globalist governance from farmers was also witnessed in France over the weekend, with enraged farmers breaching security to enter the Paris Agricultural Show on Sunday to confront French President Emmanuel Macron, accusing him of caring more for the people of Ukraine than his own farmers. Macron, in turn, attempted to blame the anger among the farmers on “political manipulation” from the so-called far-right of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN).
National Rally President Jordan Bardella, who attended the Agricultural Show on Monday, said: “The Macronists have pursued a policy of degrowth for seven years, submitting to the objectives of the Green Pact, which advocates a reduction in agricultural yields and the number of livestock. Those who defend French agricultural power are the RN.”
*
*
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/02/26/great-reset-fightback-farmers-spray-police-with-liquid-manure-outside-eu-hq/
Excellent. Shame they didn’t spray it on the Brussels mafiosi. But they probably wouldn’t have had enough.
and you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference
Funny that 🤗
If farmers did that here, the likes of Caroline Lucas and Layla Moran would be calling for the seizure of all farms, the licensing of farmers and the banning of meat and dairy.
They’re already calling for the banning of meat and dairy (and thus the end of livestock farming). Game bird release requires licences. The building of unwanted homes on farmland carries on apace. They are almost there.
Great Reset Fightback: 🐄
Farmers Spray Police With Liquid Manure Outside European Union HQ
https://media.breitbart.com/media/2024/02/GettyImages-2032593036-1-640×480.jpg
Hundreds of farmers descended upon Brussels on Monday, clashing with police, spraying officers with manure, and pelting EU buildings with eggs as they protested outside an agricultural summit being held in the city.
Chaotic scenes broke out in Brussels with farmers protesting the European Union’s green agenda and plans to ink a free trade deal with the South American ‘Mercosur’ bloc of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, which farmers in Europe fear will serve to further undercut their prices and threaten their ability to stay in business.
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As hundreds of tractors amassed in the de-facto EU capital, including farmers from as far away as Italy and Spain, police in Brussels attempted to erect barricades to block the farmers from entering areas of the city centre.
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Violent clashes ensued, with farmers using their tractors to bash through the barricades, throwing bottles and makeshift projectiles at officers while others sprayed police with manure, set tyres and straw on fire, and covered the European Union’s Lex building with eggs.
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In turn, the Brussels police deployed tear gas and water cannons against the protesters, Het Laatste Nieuws reports.
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Commenting on the outbreak of violence, the spokesman for the Farmers’ Forum Tijs Boelens said: “The riots here today are the result of a European agricultural policy that always opts against economic security in our sector… If you sow misery, you will reap rage.”
“I am not in favour of the riots, there is a more friendly atmosphere here. But at the same time, it is the result of European mismanagement; farmers are always used as currency to secure economic deals for industry in Europe.
“With this, we do not create food security but rather are ensuring that our own farmers have to live in permanent economic stress. We are here today at the European Quarter because we want to make our point clear to European leaders: we must choose food security and food sovereignty. Neoliberalism’s time is up.”
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The Flemish Boerenbond farmers’ union distanced themselves from the riots on Monday, saying that it is “not our way of campaigning”
“The protest actions in Flanders have always been serene and safe in recent weeks. What we see in Brussels today is in stark contrast . That is not our way of taking action. These organizations and individuals do this on their own responsibility,” spokeswoman Elisabeth Mertens said.
“For us, it is about the message that we want to give here today, which is to call on European policymakers to recognize the strategic importance of the agricultural sector,” she added, explaining that European farmers are put under strict regulation by Brussels and therefore are undercut by free trade deals with countries with lower standards.
The issues facing farmers in Europe, such as the high cost of fuel, hefty taxes, excessive paperwork mandated by bureaucracies, the war in Ukraine, free trade orthodoxy, and environmentalist regulations are set to be key drivers in the upcoming European Parliament elections in June. Alongside mass migration and the fledgling economies of Europe, the pushback against the green agenda is likely to benefit populist parties, who are already projected to make significant gains.
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The anger at globalist governance from farmers was also witnessed in France over the weekend, with enraged farmers breaching security to enter the Paris Agricultural Show on Sunday to confront French President Emmanuel Macron, accusing him of caring more for the people of Ukraine than his own farmers. Macron, in turn, attempted to blame the anger among the farmers on “political manipulation” from the so-called far-right of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN).
National Rally President Jordan Bardella, who attended the Agricultural Show on Monday, said: “The Macronists have pursued a policy of degrowth for seven years, submitting to the objectives of the Green Pact, which advocates a reduction in agricultural yields and the number of livestock. Those who defend French agricultural power are the RN.”
*
*
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/02/26/great-reset-fightback-farmers-spray-police-with-liquid-manure-outside-eu-hq/
Britain’s longest running women’s magazine, The Lady, faces a winding-up order over back taxes worth £360,000.
First published in 1885, The Lady has stood as a bastion of good manners and proper behaviour.
King Charles and Queen Mother are believed to have used it, and in the TV series Downton Abbey, when the chatelaine of the stately home needed to recruit a new lady’s maid for her mother-in-law, she did so through The Lady.
Owned by the distinguished Bowles family, who also founded Vanity Fair, it was famed for its classified adverts – often for butlers and maids – and illustrious past contributors including Nancy Mitford and Lewis Carroll.
But the magazine now faces a bleak future after HMRC issued the order over national insurance and income tax not paid since the pandemic.
Ben Budworth, the business’ current chief executive, insists the debt is being handled via a ‘payment plan’ and claims to have not received the petition sent by the tax office.
The case will be brought before the High Court in April. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13125853/britain-longest-running-magazine-lady-winding-order.html
All sounds a bit fishy.
Years ago , it was easy for women / girls to get positions as carers with wealthy families or au pair positions even looking after homes and pets whilst families were away.
What a shame .. I thought Sir Jasper would have struck lucky with a lonely heart eventually 😉
You can still get petsitters, but I think they advertise on social media now, rather than in The Lady.
The Lady Vanishes?
No surprises that a document has not been received in the mail. My letter to HMRC sent 1st class signed for has still not arrived after 10 days. I can only assume it is lost. Perhaps they just bin a mail bag now and again to keep the workload down.
When I send anything important to HMRC, I enclose a cheque for £1. It is invariaby cashed and thus shows that it did arrive.
Smart move.
Sneaky!
Dead cunning.
A frequent Bogey Five!
Wordle 982 5/6
🟨⬜⬜🟩⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟩🟨
⬜🟨🟩🟩⬜
⬜🟨🟩🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
An improvement today for me.
Wordle 982 2/6
⬜🟨🟨🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Well done, mola!
Metoo.
Wordle 982 5/6
⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨
⬜🟨🟨🟨⬜
⬜🟨⬜🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Wordle 982 3/6
⬜⬜🟩🟩⬜
⬜🟨🟩🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Much to my surprise, guess four…
Wordle 982 4/6
⬜⬜⬜🟩⬜
🟩🟨⬜🟩⬜
🟩🟨⬜🟩🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4c0327bf38f64708d5be1c7f23bd394e4607c3cb3254fbc890e2b449432b27c4.jpg
No selfies, Stephen. You know the rule!!
Well spotted – I bet it was the boat in the background that gave the game away!
Right that’s you lot off my Christmas card list for a start!
I would say he has a screw loose, but they all seem to be well secured.
Just spent an hour removing the hard disks from two unwanted laptops. Quite tricky as the screws were tiny and only one of my screwdrivers fitted them – and half refused to unscrew anyway. So used brute force! Very satisfying. Damned clever those Chinee labourers, though.
Now a very agreeable sunset. Nice that it is still light at 5.15. Even nicer that I can see it – perfectly!!
What does one do with hard disks from unwanted laptops, Bill?
Drill them full of holes to prevent anyone gaining access to the material stored on them. That, too, is very satisfying.
I shot mine. Most satisfying!
I’d be worried about flying metal splinters! Apart from not having a gun!
Stand well back…
I incinerated mine (enclosed, of course).
Destroy them or if the laptop is going to recycling format the HD and then over-write with rubbish
Glad to hear about your eyes, Bill.
Thank you. A veritable miracle.
Shame it’s Lent, you could get legless in Gaza.
I am tempted to stray. The MR gives me a look…
Well at least you can now return the favour!!!
So pleased you are sorted now . and am glad you can see clearly now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDNKOblg3gs
My pet ‘pooter nerd removes them with a couple of plastic cards.
Credit/debit/bus pass/store cards; any of them do the trick.
Ooops …. I missed the word ‘hard’.
I smashed mine with a hammer; the adjective ‘hard’ is spot on.
Fine BTL Comment on AI (not artificial insemination – the other one)
“Auto-propaganda. Just like traditional propaganda, without all the effort.”
I think i would prefer AI as opposed to all those kunts who pretend to represent us. As we know all systems can be hacked. MP’s don’t stand a chance. Morons.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/PortalPictures/february-2024/2702-MATT-PORTAL-WEB-P1.png?imwidth=320
383928+ up ticks,
Ho,HO, Ho,here we go,
IS it the bit of the eu we seem to be in still, if so, call up the 48% remainers that should well suffice.
Ukraine-Russia war: Nato and EU members ‘considering sending troops to Ukraine’
https://twitter.com/rainazar/status/1762009738085106023
A phobia is an irrational fear – it’s very rational to dislike or mistrust Muslims.
Go back to your elephants ! You don’t need this corrupted excrement.
Christopher Hitchens brother had the opposite view. He is dead.
Confusing me there: and I’m sober.
Christopher Hitchens is dead. Is that the ‘he’ to whom you were referring?
Peter Hitchens is still alive. I think Phizzee is confusing the two.
More importantly Anne how did Christopher Hitchens
actually die ?
Oesophageal cancer.
An NHS leaflet arrived today on that very subject. It concerned persistent heartburn and how it can be a symptom of oesophageal cancer, advising the over-50s to see a doctor for testing, particularly if having taken heartburn medication for more than 6 months. I think I’d be making an appointment much sooner than that if heartburn was persistent.
I mangled that one didn’t I…Peter and Christopher were brothers. Their political views were opposites. Christopher died.
That’s me gone on this blustery – but sunny – day. Cold, too. Looking forward to a trip to the Tip tomorrow. And then to buy bags of potting compost. Shocking price, these days AND the swine have reduced the bags from 60 litres to 50 litres but at very nearly the SAME price.
Funny thing, the gorgeous looking sunset just stopped. All the colour disappeared in five minute. Bit sad, really.
Have a jolly evening.
A demain.
My new gardener arrived today. Did all the chores i required. Shoveled half a ton of horsey poo and filled loads of pots and mixed with compost. Karchered all the algae off the paving.
Ex-Army. RSM.
Ooh how i like to boss them around… :@)
Lee Anderson rowing back a little: “The vast majority of our Muslim friends in the UK are decent, hardworking citizens who make an amazing contribution to our society and their religion should not be blamed for the actions of a tiny minority of extremists.”
It doesn’t mean they don’t want an Islamic UK. They just keep quiet about it. And even if they really do like the UK and think that Islam is a bit suspect, they won’t go public about it for obvious reasons.
Has he not read the koran? It specifically tells its adherents NOT to befriend the kuffar. Hence we have NO muslim friends. The majority subscribe to the same beliefs as the “extremists”.
Might be a bit obvious if he dies in the next few months. Perhaps he should ask a Christian country to grant him asylum.
Russia?
Hungary, Serbia? Argentina even? Kinder climates?
And this is why he doesn’t belong in Reform. A coward, like the rest of the Tories.
383928+ up ticks,
It could possibly save them, the tories in name only party I mean, bring “nige”in from the cold,
A couple of name changes now back on track.
https://x.com/UKUpdates_co_uk/status/1762147920449536030?s=20
There’s no point hiring 40k new front-line PCs if nothing is done about the politicisation and woke agenda of the police force.
I was about to say that. And we could do with cutting a lot of the paperwork, so that their shifts are mostly on patrol and not in an office, filing forms for the C.P.S.
No trawling the Internet for “hurty words”; get out and nab the burglars and vandals. While we’re at it, sack the PCCs and save a small fortune.
It all sounds great but why would the deep state let them fulfill any of those pledges when they so easily got rid of Liz Truss
The Bank of England would just trigger another crash
It all sounds great but why would the deep state let them fulfill any of those pledges when they so easily got rid of Liz Truss
The Bank of England would just trigger another crash
Cut foreign aid by 50 per cent? Why not 100?
Protect our borders asap.
Put a limit on powerful cars being driven by anyone under 25 years of age .
Take Wokeness out of the school curriculum .
Stop cancelling our history and literature .
Investigate why food companies are peddling unhealthy foods and making huge profits .
I’ll vote for them if they put up a candidate who thinks even vaguely like the average Nottler.
And Lee Anderson as leader?
They’d walk it.
People were upset by a blacked up Dick
https://scontent.flhr10-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/430252649_772389671589551_8744457273442384086_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_p526x296&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=3635dc&_nc_ohc=eUWjSvxsAhkAX_l3ivJ&_nc_ht=scontent.flhr10-2.fna&oh=00_AfDgummL0DO0UwWpEyl-4dUlXnuAQaBJ74SP4y7TTHAi1A&oe=65E29D11
https://media3.giphy.com/media/UU1bHu6QWyFxZM63Jh/giphy-downsized-small.mp4
Only by the preponderance in TV commercials….
👍🙄
https://twitter.com/ActivePatriotUK/status/1762055269402493272
More brownshirts for the Mayor
Lock up your daughters!
Enough of all this political fun and frolicking, I’m off to the pub for some music.
How do we judge whether migration policy is improving the quality of life for existing residents? One thing to consider is that migration means that the UK’s capital stock is divided between more people. Migrants may bring skills and their ability to work but they cannot bring a mile of motorway, a large piece of industrial machinery, a house or a GP surgery.
Across the world there is a strong correlation between the capital stock per worker and output per worker. In a super-productive, capital-intense Britain, drudge work would be automated and people freed up to get paid more by doing those things that only people can do. But the nature of these capital stocks is that they grow only slowly. In an ideal world our stock of stuff would grow much faster than the number of people. As a result there would be more stuff to go round, making us more productive. But having large amounts of migration means splitting or diluting that capital stock between more people.
In the 2021 census, 7.4 per cent of the population of England said they had arrived in the previous decade. Over that decade capital did not keep pace. We built 1.6 per cent more roads and 4 per cent more GP premises; opened 4.9 per cent more secondary schools; and the capital stock of machinery and equipment grew 4 per cent. So migration outpaced their growth.
The number of homes in England grew 8.5 per cent, only just greater than the growth of the population accounted for by migration, putting upward pressure on housing costs. Because people spend more on housing as they get richer, we need the amount of housing to significantly outpace population growth to make it more affordable. Yet in London the growth of the population accounted for by migration was faster than housing growth. Over the decade to 2021 the housing stock grew 10.7 per cent but 16.6 per cent of residents arrived from overseas, making that upward pressure even sharper in London.
Given that 67 per cent of private rented households in the capital are headed by someone born overseas, it is just stupid to say that migration is irrelevant to London’s housing challenges. Migrants are not “to blame” for the origin of these problems but the effect of migration in diluting the capital stock further and adding to our housing problem creates a challenge in exactly the areas of our economy where we have long-term problems.
The downsides for existing residents in terms of housing pressure and capital dilution might be offset if those who come are big net fiscal contributors, paying lots more in tax than they get back in services. If Bill Gates walked into your pub and started buying everyone drinks, you would not complain that the pub suddenly got crowded.
Sensible countries such as Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany do a much better job than the UK of measuring the net tax contribution of different groups of migrants. In the UK the data is frustratingly patchy and limited.
Unhelpfully, the Office for National Statistics has only ever produced analysis by ethnicity rather than by whether people are migrants. In 2019 white people were large net taxpayers. Ethnic minorities were net recipients, but there was significant variation: Asian households were close to balance or small net taxpayers; black households were substantial net recipients.
This aligns with the finding from all the studies listed by the Oxford Migration Observatory that non-EU net migration has had a net fiscal cost overall but it is frustrating that this is the only official data. It lumps together migrants with British people from ethnic minorities and we can see from earnings statistics that within each ethnic group, those born in the UK unsurprisingly earn more than those who have migrated to the UK.
We can also see from other sources of data that there is huge variation between different groups of migrants. Via a Freedom of Information request to HM Revenue & Customs I have obtained new data on earnings by nationality. In general, citizens of richer countries earn more: people from western Europe and anglosphere countries are high earners. Citizens of poorer countries, such as Pakistan, Turkey and Bangladesh, generally earn less. That said, there are variations: Indian citizens earn much more than people from neighbouring countries.
There are also huge variations in rates of employment. Overall, working-age people (aged 20-64) who were born in the UK had a higher rate of employment than people who migrated to the UK. This should give pause to those who argue that all types of migration are always an economic benefit. More importantly, there is huge variation between different groups of migrants. For people born in countries such as Bangladesh and Somalia, the overall rate of employment is low and the rate of full-time employment is very low: in 2021 only 20 per cent and 23 per cent respectively of working-age people from those countries were working more than 30 hours a week, compared with 65 per cent and 71 per cent of those from Poland and New Zealand.
If we are to have a better debate about migration, the UK needs to do what other countries have done and get much better, more granular data on all these questions. We need to think more about the wider economic effects on the capital stock and housing and indeed wider considerations about quality of life.
A lot of commentary on migration still assumes that it leads to some sort of economic bonanza; a position that is increasingly untenable. It also treats migrants as homogeneous, when data reveals huge diversity. We should reduce migration by making it more selective and so aim to make Britain the grammar school of the western world.
Neil O’Brien is Conservative MP for Harborough https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lets-stop-pretending-all-migration-is-the-same-krkjwxtjk
Libby Purves is away
….away… with the fairies?
“The migrants are not to blame”. It’s the government that keeps importing them that is to blame. Migrants are only to blame in the sense that a) there are too many of them and b) far too many are unskilled and welfare dependent.
c) and far too many are ignorant violent savages, intent on causing mayhem.
‘Neil O’Brien is Conservative MP for Harborough.’ Dear Neil is also a member of a party which, for the last 14 years, has utterly betrayed this country in every way imaginable. Why does he think that writing articles in newspapers will change anything, or save himself or his party? Words are cheap. Actually, scrap that, in the modern West, words are worthless.
I wondered about that, thankyou for your inside knowledge 😊
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a4cfee2fc54c57a3a213ac3932a31382b01e4668adf4c478bc460b6088abf7eb.gif
O’Brien was also a leader in the pro-lockdown camp. He wrote an article in The Guardian under a headline that attacked the “fantasies” and “tall tales” of Suneetra Gupta and other critics of lockdown. They “make stuff up”, he said, and have “a hell of a lot to answer for”.
Why am I not surprised?
Was he looking in the mirror when he said “they make things up and have a hell of a lot to answer for”?
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jan/17/id-love-to-ignore-covid-sceptics-and-their-tall-tales-but-they-make-a-splash-and-have-no-shame
Oh well I’ve been ‘kicked out’ from our comfy lounge, book club had arrived. Seven ladies all keen readers. An old fart doesn’t fit in.
Spare bedroom with all mod cons available.
Feet up comfy chair. I better set my alarm in case I drop off. Just enjoyed Mastermind. Only Connect……
Good night all.
Keep warm Maggie and hubby.
Chap has just been to investigate boiler .. valve problem , and we need a new boiler .. ours is 10 years old!
Lucky for your great advice .. I bought 2 heaters , 2,000 watts from Screw fix .. and cheaper than B+Q. They had 3 in stock , wish I had bought the 3rd one as well.
The guy is reporting back to insurance company re new valve .. we will hear with in the next few days .
Thanks, RE xx
Hmm shame I am not at home to ask hubby who is gas engineer and specialises in repairing boilers not flogging them. Can you remember what he said the problem was? Are you happy it can’t be repaired and that he isn’t just trying to flog you a new boiler?
Who remembers the good old days when a boiler would routinely last 30 years? Now we have “efficient” ones which need replacing twice more than their “inefficient” counterparts. Green? I don’t think so.
Boilers should last for far more than ten years. The one at the last place was over 30 years old when the service guy decreed that it was beyond repair. Only because spare parts weren’t available.
Here, there’s a Ravenheat combi boiler. I hate it – insofar as I have to run the hot tap for a very long time / two watering cans full, before I get vaguely lukewarm water to do the washing up. Next door does’t bother – she uses the kettle.
But things may yet change. Since the local charitable housing society (my landlord) reached the conclusion that current legislation is now too difficult for volunteers to deal with, they’ve transferred their portfolio of 17 dwellings to a slightly larger concern, with 36,000 dwellings.
I’ve lost count of the surveyors who have visited since December. There’s another one due tomorrow, re energy. The former landlord had some funds, which are ring fenced, and can only be spent on their properties. I’m in one of six purpose-built retirement bungalows. The Housing Society was started by the late Lord Taylor (of Taylor Woodrow fame: Woodrow was merely his uncle, since Taylor was under age when he set up the company) who lived nearby. His son-in-law is one of the occasional organists who help me out when needed, and he lives in the UK’s equivalent to Southfork.
No prizes for guessing which contractor (initials TW) built these six bungalows. And – compared to other retirement bungalows I have seen – they’re well designed, with lots of storage space. Although I had to abandon the King Size bed, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to enter the bedroom
Since the other 11 properties are in Puttenham, and an assortment of older properties, I expect they will have the lion’s share spent on them. As for tomorrow’s survey, I have UPVC double glazed doors and windows, which are a vast improvement on the Crittall metal single-glazed windows at the last place. Plus, I have cavity wall and 6″ of loft insulation (neither of which the numpty who did an EPC survey in 2020 acknowleged).
I phoned the boiler man this morning at 9.
I explained we had no heat nor hot water.
They said they would try their best to fit us in.
Two young men arrived this afternoon at 3 pm and took lots of bits apart and replaced broken fittings.
Two trips to the shop, luckily our boiler is one where there is a local parts depot, and all sorted out and replaced.
Full service and cleaning of flues. 5 man hours later they left with all working hunky-dorey.
Our oil fuel boiler must be getting on for 30 years old.
Now warm and plenty of hot water.
I would be very wary of replacing the boiler on that advice. The issue is whether the parts are still available because boilers are not rocket science and most things are replaceable, if available. Ten years is not very old. Watch the bills on those electric heaters, if one is on for 10 hrs a day, that about £6 a day and £186 a month for just one rad…
Tell it like it is; it’s islam. There is no difference in the long run; they all read the same book and all subscribe to the same ideology.
Up at my folks and we are watching JRM on GB News. I am about to throw something at the telly. Some left-wing lunatic referring to “far right thugs”, an Islamist earlier also referring to “far right thugs” and even Anunciata referring to “Tommy Robinson and his far right thugs”. No mention of any “ far left thugs”. It’s a shame TR won’t do them for slander, but of course, even if he did we know the judiciary would do a Lozza Fox on him.
I switched him off. André Rieu on Sky Arts. Music hath charms to sooth the savage breast.
Which one left or right?
Left. Where the ticker is.
Men usually make a right tit of things with certain ladies.
I always quite liked the idea of having a savage breast, I have to admit.
Be very careful, you may be getting an advanced case of Phizzee, he loves having savage beasts.
edit for typo.
..and then i cook them.
I’ve savaged a few.
The Rees-Moggs will always know which side their bread is buttered.
Someone the other day posted an email they had sent to Lee Anderson. I mentally made a note to plagiarise it and email him my support as well. But I can’t remember who posted it or when. I’ve tried going back through Sunday’s, Saturday’s and Friday’s NOTTLer pages but couldn’t find it. Can anyone help? Even remembering the specific day would help narrow it down.
Guardian’s Quitter I think.
Tks, have located.
Lee Anderson is taking part in an interview at GB News at the moment.
Yes, it was what reminded me. But we have switched to Pam Ayres on Highclere Castle. I’m up to ensure dad gets to the airport tomorrow- he’s off to Oz to visit my brother. Mum staying here – she can’t be bothered with the trip.
I have found GQ’s post so will go and send my email.
Edit. All sent now.
That’s just getting older.
Xxx
On Saturday, the Household Cavalry was out and about in central London with two black horses and one white horse. Does anyone know if this has any particular significance?
Since in horses the grey (white) gene is recessive (i e you get fewer grey horses overall) probably not.
I knew someone would correct something about that sentence!
They were carrying a flag draped in black as well – there was some speculation on Twitt that the King had popped his clogs. Today we discover that Jacob Rothschild has died, consequent Twitt rumours flying, hence my question – what does the draped standard and the horses actually mean?
Picture:
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/eba7cf6c0f0dc3759d48f63dc326790f5127b8e19c6b461ebae82b4749143727.jpg
It’s probably just practising for the ceremonial surrender of control of London to the Palestinians.
Hmm. That’s funny and not funny, at the same time. Schroedinger’s joke.
Don’t be catty…
A furled ISIS flag?? You’re more imaginative than Twitt, they think it was because Rothschild died!
White horses are awesome. Many years ago, I was driving my elderly Mini through heavy rain, when the car conked out. I lifted the bonnet, but couldn’t see any obvious problem. Just then, a white horse appeared across the hedge, and appeared to say “it’s your leads”. I looked around for the source of the voice, but there was only the horse. “oh well: nothing ventured, nothing gained”, I thought. So I found a cloth, removed the distributor cap and leads and dried them.
Sure enough, the car started first time. Half a mile down the road, I approached a pub. Being somewhat discombobulated, I called in and ordered a pint. “Haven’t seen you here before”, said the landlord. “No: I’m just passing through. But the strangest thing just happened. My car broke down half a mile down the road. While I was trying to diagnose the problem, a horse appeared across the hedge, and appeared to say ‘it’s your leads’. And, bu99er me, it was right. I dried the leads, and the car started first time!”
“Was it a white horse?” asked the landlord. “Yes – that’s right. Why do you ask?”
“Because the black horse knows bugger all about cars”, he replied.
Minis never liked rain. The damp would allow the current free path rather than firing the spark plug.
I’ll get me coat…
Morning Geoff. That had me crying with laughter, thanks.
That’s me off to bed.
G’night all.
Good night BoB.
383928+ up ticks,
Do bare in mind if a political party walk like the tory IN NAME ONLY party, and talk like the tory IN NAME ONLY party, there is a much better than even chance they are the bloody tory IN NAME ONLY party, MK 2.
383928+ up ticks,
Pillow ponder,
I do make those right who are saying, there are
no winners, only losers.
The only course to take for the Non Vaxxed is to help bring to book those that pushed the untried vaccine, via a fear campaign, into the public domain.
https://x.com/KathleenWinche3/status/1762110175069008068?s=20
“Won”
Good God. We all lost. Is that how the pro-vaxxers see it, an internet argument that someone has to “win?”
He doesn’t yet understand that the only win is that people must wake up and stop ceding power to the government by mindlessly following propaganda campaigns! Until people understand that, there is no win!
383977+ up ticks,
Morning BB2,
The governing bodies ( currently the political mafia) are selected in the same manner as in, vote tory keep out lab, regardless of consequence.
The “sheep” carry much of the blame for human actions when in all reality and with the “river to the sea ” firmly in mind, more descriptive when describing the electoral majority would be “Lemmings” old saying
“Lemmings to the sea”
“Lemming” is a disparaging term for an investor who exhibits herd mentality and invests without doing their own research, which often leads to losses.
Again,again,&again.
It wasn’t a case of “winning” or “losing”. I was told by a Professor, when wondering whether to have open heart surgery or not such an invasive procedure to correct a hole in the heart, it’s not always a good idea to be one of the first for something new. I always felt that to produce a so-called vaccine in 8/9 months for a new disease was suspect. And the fact the whole western world reacted in more or less the same way was even more suspect.
Good night, chums. Sleep well and see you all tomorrow.
Burrrdie
Wordle 982 3/6
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Goodnight, all.
Good morning, all – Tuesday’s new page is here.
Thanks, Geoff, and good morning!
‘Morning Geoff and thank you.
‘Morning Geoff and thank you.
Thanks Geoff and good morning to you again!