Saturday 15 February: Britain needs joined-up government, not a mire of Treasury contention

Posted on by Geoff Graham

An unofficial place to discuss the Telegraph letters, established when the DT website turned off its comments facility (now reinstated, but not as good as 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 blacklisted.

Today’s letters (visible only to DT subscribers) are here:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2020/02/15/lettersbritain-needs-joined-up-government-not-mire-treasury/

625 thoughts on “Saturday 15 February: Britain needs joined-up government, not a mire of Treasury contention”

      1. Good morning Minty , blowy and very mild here, was raining during the night .. Patio door open so that I can hear the birds and air the room through.

  2. As few as one in nine people believe police will solve crimes, poll reveals, 14 February 2020.

    As few as one in nine crime victims believe police will solve their case, according to an exclusive YouGov poll that exposes the collapse in public confidence in the criminal justice system.

    Just 12 per cent of the public believe police will find and arrest a vandal who has damaged their property, according to the YouGov poll of 1,684 adults.

    Only a fifth (22 per cent) believe police will solve their burglary and just under a quarter (24 per cent) are confident a mugger or identity thief would be caught and arrested by police.

    Morning everyone. One in nine? Where did they find this moron?

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/02/14/one-nine-people-believe-police-will-solve-crimes-poll-reveals/

      1. Let’s hope today’s Harry Miller verdict puts a stop to this scandalous waste of police resources.

        Fraid not. Brainwashing the population is far more important than the Crime Wave!

      2. It is easy work and they can make their crime clear up rates look better than they are. We have seen many instances of the police massaging their crime clear up rates and crime reduction rates, A further problem now is a lot of crime simply dos not get reported as people no they will be wasting their time to do so, So unless they need a crime number for insurance purposes they dont bother

        1. Why are there even crime figures at all?

          Just solve the ones we have. Don’t judge the police on meeting a target, judge them on how safe the law abiding citizen is.

    2. Funny though, that the default Lefty response is ‘because of da cutz’ and there not being enough officers.

      Which as Toby Young shows, and the woman arrested for asking the police to move on a bunch of Muslims breaking the law proves is simply not true.

    3. Let’s test that one:
      “Yoohooo ….. Here, Ni88er …. good boy …..”
      Thar goes the front door.

    4. The police also refuse to investigate the crimes the police commit. One would have thought that would be easy.

    1. Oh goody,please continue to make my day a happy one, Rik.

      …and I wish you a good day as well.

    3. Excellent! That and the ‘non-hate crime’ judgement has lifted my spirits. Is the tide turning, I wonder?

      ‘Morning, Rik.

    4. Good. Can we now stop pretending that every human being isn’t an ape?

      After how she behaved, acting as a stooge for those profiting from the betrayal of this country she should be deported.

  6. EIGHT THOUGHTS TO PONDER

    Number 8
    Life is sexually transmitted.

    Number 7
    Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

    Number 6
    Men have two emotions: Hungry and Horny. If you see a gleam in his eyes, do some baking.

    Number 5
    Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach a person to use the Internet and they won’t bother you for weeks, months, maybe years

    Number 4
    Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in the hospitals, dying of nothing.

    Number 3
    All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

    Number 2
    In the 60’s, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.

    And Finally the Number 1 Thought
    Life is like a jar of Jalapeno peppers– what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.

    …and as someone recently said to me:
    “Don’t worry about old age–it doesn’t last that long.”

  7. Labour leader: Emily Thornberry out the race after failing to make it on to ballot

    Then there were 3

    1. If Lady N had made it to leader, which would have mattered more to the electorate?
      St. George’s Flag-gate, her title, the benefitting from buying up council houses or the fact that she appears to be vaguely competent?

      1. The 3 left in my view are no better/ The Labour party is no longer the party it used to be

    2. But in TEN LITTLE DOGS BELONGING TO AGATHA CHRISTIE the winner was not the last person standing. Perhaps Lady Nuggee will be the next Labour leader!

      :-))

  8. The Guardian view on Idlib: nowhere left to run. 15 February 2020. Editorial.

    Hundreds of thousands of civilians are fleeing a renewed assault by the Syrian regime, in desperate circumstances. Is anyone paying attention?

    Well if they are, they know that this is rubbish. The civilians are not being assaulted again, not simply because they were not assaulted before, but because they are not the targets of Syrian Government Forces. They are refugees caught in a war zone, an inevitable side effect of conflict and twice as bad if the opposition use them, as they are doing here, as cover. This is of course illegal under the Rules of War though you would never know it from this editorial where the Jihadists seemingly do not exist. If the Syrian Forces ceased their operations all that would happen is that the Islamic terrorist forces (for that is what they are) would rearm, regroup and resume their own attacks.

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/14/the-guardian-view-on-idlib-nowhere-left-to-run

    1. While Assad and his allies seem to have gone psychopathic since 2011, at least they eventually restore order in the carnage, albeit leaving little standing in their wake and millions displaced and traumatised.

      However, the actions of Turkey stirring the pot rather than doing anything constructive, need to be said. Idlib was an ethnically Turkish province. You would have thought Ankara would concentrate their efforts protecting them from the pincer of Assad on one side, and a plethora of Al Qaeda jihadis on the other. Instead, they move their troops out to harry the Kurds in Afrin, who are by comparison fairly benign. Then they compound their error by annexing that corridor liberated from Islamic States by Kurds, breaking the supply line between Erbil and Afrin other than going through Turkey where Kurds can be safely ambushed. That utterly dishonourable and destructive act could have been prevented by a few score US GIs standing in the way, without the Americans actually having to do much fighting and dying, But Trump went against his military chiefs and advisers and pulled them out, ending any Western credibility or future influence in the region, except with the Saudis and the Israelis.

      Erdogan has abandoned the Turkish Syrians in Idlib to their fate.

      1. Morning Jeremy. Assad has no choice but to fight since to surrender would result in the massacre of all the moderates in Syria that did not immediately flee to Europe and the establishment of an Islamic state; very probably The Islamic State, in the country. Turkey is simply using Syria’s predicament; as they have from the beginning, to weaken the county and if possible steal some of their territory. This has all been compounded by the West’s meddling and using proxies to supply the Jihadists with weapons. Is it a mess? Absolutely! But that in itself is satisfactory for the forces manipulating the situation!

    2. Just trying to soften the UK government up to take another million odd so called refuges this summer

    3. Yes, any war is pretty awful. These refugees could move to a safe country. Israel, for example. Which would just be comical. They don’t need to come here and we certainly should not be inviting them. Maybe is Syraian refugees were killed by a Hamas rocket attack which was trying to kill Israeli’s then the Guardian would combust with cognitive dissonance.

  9. Sadiq Khan attacked over London crime by mayoral hopeful Rory Stewart

    I doubt that any one can disagree that Khan has a dreadful record with crime in London as does the Commissioner, Contrary to what Khan frequently tries to claim he is responsible for the police in London and not Westminster.

    Mr Stewart has vowed to triple the number of neighbourhood police officers and special constables if elected Mayor.
    He was also sharply critical of the current Mayor over ‘stop and search’, with Mr Khan having pledged to do “all in my power to further cut its use” ahead of his election in 2016.

  10. Morning all. Here are the Boris letters

    SIR – The United Kingdom needs joined-up thinking at the very heart of government. If there is a fight going on between prime minister and chancellor, we will continue to wallow in the mire we have suffered in the last three years.

    Aidan Gill

    Unterägeri, Zug, Switzerland

    SIR – Boris Johnson’s official title is First Lord of the Treasury. “Prime Minister” is just a courtesy title.

    He has not therefore “seized control of the Treasury in the biggest political power grab of modern times” (report, February 14). He has taken back control.

    Richard Bellamy

    Great Grimsby, Lincolnshire

    SIR – For far too long it has been accepted that chancellors run their own fiefdom, regardless of what the prime minister may wish. Well done to Boris Johnson for grasping this nettle.

    Members of the Cabinet should take note. We didn’t vote Mr Johnson in so that his chancellor could decide the direction of the Government.

    Advertisement

    I am old enough to remember the pips squeaking when Margaret Thatcher exercised some authority and leadership over her team. No doubt our current PM will have similar detractors already plotting behind his back. They should stop whining and do their jobs – lead, follow, or get out of the way.

    William McWilliams

    Ashford, Kent

    SIR – The resignation of Sajid Javid must raise questions of who is leading the Government – Boris Johnson or Dominic Cummings?

    I am sure that I am not alone in having given the Conservatives my vote at the last general election, and now wondering what I have done.

    Dr Richard A E Grove

    Isle of Whithorn, Wigtownshire

    SIR – I will never believe another word that Boris Johnson says.

    While I appreciate the Boris Bounce, it cannot be right to say one thing in support of his ministers and then sack them.

    Jack Marriott

    Churt, Surrey

    SIR – Bill Winckworth (Letters, February 14) thinks Tony Blair should have sacked Gordon Brown.

    While Mr Brown was, in my view, one of the worst chancellors in living memory, we should all be grateful to him for one outstanding act of political obduracy. Had he not refused to follow his prime minister’s instructions to take Britain into the single European currency, it is far less likely that it would ever have been able to leave 
to EU.

    Robin Morello

    Brackley, Northamptonshire

    SIR – Margaret Thatcher famously said: “Every prime minister needs a Willie.” Is Dominic Cummings Boris Johnson’s Willie?

    Geoffrey Grimwood

    Rhos-on-Sea, Denbighshire

  11. Women ‘under-represented’ in Wales firefighter workforce

    Why do politician get so obsessed overs this. Perhaps being a firefighter is not a job that appeals to most woman. It involves shift work and unsocial hours etc

    I suspect that a lot of the first stations in Wales are on a retained basis as well which would make it difficult as a woman could just not dash off and leave a baby or child alone

    Women are still under-represented in the firefighter workforce, figures have shown.
    Despite major recruitment drives to encourage more women into operational roles, they still make up just 5% of firefighter staff.
    But rates have increased slightly over the last few years.
    Services are holding regular open days and information sessions to bust myths and stereotypes about who can be a firefighter.
    Of the Mid and West Wales service’s 1,093 firefighters, 61 are women – a rate of 6%, compared to 4% in 2015.
    And in the South Wales service, of its 1,398 firefighters, just 42 are women, or 3% – but the service noted 12% of the 68 candidates who had been offered jobs at its most recent intake were women.

          3. In a few cases being small can be an advantage such as when need to crawl into a small space

      3. It is rare that a fireman’s lift is used now. If getting people out of a burning building they usually drag them out as that keeps them low to the ground and out of the smoke as much as possible

          1. Unless unconscious they would just help them down the ladder but normally id at al possible the stairs would be used

          2. One of the criticisms levelled at the Fire Brigade in respect of the Grenfell tower thing was that they were not suitably prepared with appropriate equipment? Keep in mind that stairways are effectively internal chimneys.

          3. Unless unconscious they would just help them down the ladder but normally id at al possible the stairs would be used

      4. Probably a loit of make up would be banned. Things like hairsprays and nail varnish are quite flammable so not ideal in a fire

  12. Morning again

    SIR – The shortage of face masks for the medical profession in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak (report, February 10) must present a business opportunity for a British company. Or is that beyond our current capabilities?

    Paul Caruana

    Truro, Cornwall

    SIR – It seems that no report on crises such as these is complete unless it asks how worried we should be.

    I prefer facts and recommended courses of action. The amount of time I devote to fretting about it is a matter of personal choice.

    Ros Groves

    Watford, Hertfordshire

    SIR – Let’s hope that fear of catching the coronavirus will stop the dreaded ritual in church services of having to shake hands – or worse, kiss – in order to celebrate the Peace.

    Henrietta Smith

    Langport, Somerset

    1. If Henrietta Smith is worried about shaking hands to celebrate the Peace, what about receiving Communion? The bread is passed by hand, and the wine is shared from a common chalice. Plenty of opportunity to pass on the virus by both of these methods.

  13. SIR – How will the millions of people in terraced houses and high-rise flats with no off-road parking facilities charge their electric cars in 2035?

    Nigel Baldwin

    Dumfries

    SIR – In 1950 my late brother-in-law, J Peter May, head of the drawing office at Reckitt & Colman in Hull, devised a car that ran on gas. It started on petrol, then a switch flicked to town gas taken from the kitchen cooker (stored on the back seat in a plastic bag that normally held drinking water in yachts). Aged 14, I wondered if I would still be alive at the end of the journey.

    Audrey Buxton

    Kenilworth, Warwickshire

        1. The electric motor to drive the car is probably a good idea – certainly for simpler vehicles.

          The problem is the power source. Batteries are simply the wrong fuel.

  14. SIR – Is it too late to get the route of HS2 changed so that it obliterates Ambridge?

    Stuart Geddes

    Monmouth

    1. It probably will…the Chinese put in a bid to build it in less than five years at half the cost!

      1. Chinese tech – melting and reassembling our old baking tins and screw on wine bottle tops – will mean any village a good fifty miles from the line will be at risk.
        And that’s before the virus technology deliberately aims one at Creeting St. Mary.

      1. Morning TB,
        316360 + up ✔s,
        There is no way the political cartel will ever farm out a scam of
        the HS2 magnitude, the whole route will be inclusive of
        a trough.

      2. They could not build it as cheaply as a line in China. There is lots of empty space in China outside of the cities and little things like planning are not required nor is there too much health and safety or minimum pay and working hours regulations

        Building a line in the UK is difficult as the UK is so built up

      3. Morning TB,
        316360 + up ✔s,
        There is no way the political cartel will ever farm out a scam of
        the HS2 magnitude, the whole route will be inclusive of
        a trough.

      4. Our national shame? The country that invented railways having their railway built by people who specialise in cheap trash?
        We can offer contracts on this to UK companies only, as the EU tendering rules no longer apply. The work, the cash flows, the experience and knowledge, and the profits could all be kept in the UK. That would be a kind of useful Toryism.

        1. It would be nice if we had a rail service that actually worked reliable. They keep saying they are investing to improve the reliability of the services but they have been saying that for decades but the services get worse

          2. HP,
            316360 +up ✔s,
            When one scam closes another opens, politico’s mantra is
            “always keep a scam in hand “

  16. Good morning, everyone. We are staying for a few days with No.2 daughter in Solihull waiting for Dennis.

    1. Good morning DB

      You have left some very mild weather behind, rained during the night and just a tad blowy, but unseasonably mild.
      Hope you have a nice stay!

  17. An interesting comment on today’s letters page. Is the worm beginning to turn?:

    “On the subject of making us switch to electric cars and getting rid of wood-burning stoves and our gas cookers and boilers ….

    I know we have many retired engineers here and sundry scientists. Is there anyone who could take on a new role? Your country, in fact, the world needs you.

    It turns out that the climate change models which are being followed in order to justify the wind turbines and electification/control of our lives, not to mention the destruction of the countryside and birds, sealife, insects and bats which the wind turbines cause – these models do not obey the first and second laws of thermodynamics.

    So, since I do understand the laws of thermodynamics, I started to assemble a new climate change model. You can find the first part of the description here.

    https://principia-scientific.org/towards-a-rational-climate-change-model-part-1/

    I do not have enough of the necessary skills to lead such a project, lacking in particular computer modeling resources. If someone would please come in and take over from where I have got to on this, you would be putting your training to the service of us all. Obviously a team is needed and I would be perfectly happy to take part in a team effort. Thanks”

  19. Met removes hundreds from gangs matrix after breaking data laws

    Well I guess the Met cannot do anything that might lead to criminal being caught

    A 2018 report for the mayor of London found the list overly targeted young black men. “The representation of young black males on the matrix is disproportionate to their likelihood of criminality,” it said.

    Most gang crime i London is unfortunately committed by young black men. Yes you could say they are over represented on the list if you use UK wide data but we are talking about London

    1. If you put this story together with yesterday’s Court ruling re internet posts concerning transgender and the judge’s comments about free speech, we have a police force which is out of control.

      1. …we have a police force which is out of control.

        It is the opposite of that. It is under the control of people who are not remotely interested in Law and Order but the implementation of Cultural Marxist Ideology.

        1. I’m sure you’ll get upvotes for your reply, however it’s statements like yours which lead the majority to switch off.

          1. Oh which majority is that? The majority that support your views? The majority that don’t comment? The majority that don’t upvote. The mythical majority?

          2. The majority of voters who avoid parties spouting the sort of statement you’ve made. Your statement is typical of the conspiracy theory nonsense which helped to destroy UKIP.

          3. I wasn’t aware that the electorate perused these pages. Still if you really thought my comment was a conspiracy theory why did you not set about dismantling it? As always with you it is ad hominems and indirect attacks!

          4. As with all conspiracy theories there is little point is setting out to dismantle it. You are free to believe the establishment is engaged in promoting cultural Marxism, but you will get nowhere near power with these views as the majority share regard these claims as bizarre.

          5. It does not have to be an actual (secret password) conspiracy. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then it almost certainly is a duck.
            “A difference which makes no difference is no difference” is useful maxim.
            So either way you look at it there are quite a few supposedly discrete mechanisms working in concert. The Fellows at Oxford seem to see eye to eye with the business that created the current version of Doctor Who.

          6. You wrote the line ‘we have a police force which is out of control.’ Under whose authority are they acting? In the case of Harry Miller, they justified their actions under the absurd ‘hate crime’ provisions. In this case (link below) they they broke data protection laws in investigating young black men who are involved in crime at a far higher rate than the average (and are the same section of society that police are reluctant to confront with stop and search). Two rather different cases i.e. one of bad law, one of a legitimate provision used badly.

            This is about both decision making at management level and the political climate. You are correct to be worried about the police but this has come from higher up. The police are merely the agents.

            https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/feb/15/met-removes-hundreds-from-gangs-matrix-after-breaking-data-laws

          7. It is only through fact and challenge that conspiracy theories evaporate.

            Yes, some people still believe them but more often it’s far simpler and usually state incompetence, laziness and arrogance.

          8. I see. It is a conspiracy theory but it is beneath you to point out why. How convenient. One wonders what then is the explanation for your own assertion that the police are out of control? Is it drunkenness? Mass delusion? A Russian plot? Please tell us!

          9. You’ve just played the man, not the ball.

            Present a counter argument that actually the police are an effective, efficient force for public safety?

  20. Cancel overseas aid .. divert that valuable 7% to our own flood stricken areas , and coastal defence .

    For goodness sake , help our own people .

    1. The overseas aid budget is supposed to be 0.7%. However, I reckon the extent to which foreign people in the UK are dragging down our welfare/happiness is more like 7% – and a lot more if you include their sprogs.

    3. TB,
      316360 + up ✔s,
      The political mindset is you help the indigenous and they start getting uppitty, best left to the, support / vote for the lab/lib/con coalition party with
      no opposition, vote & whinge mode
      keeps all participants happy.

      1. On paper, maybe. In reality, considering the cost of immigrants in this country, it is obviously far higher.

        Why do we borrow money to give away? We can’t afford it. What’s that? Because it’s the right thing to do? Go on then, you, as an individual give your own money away. Charity is not what taxation is for.

    5. I get fed up with all the charities begging for funds for Africa. The favorite ones at present seem to be water and antibiotics

      In England we had village pumps back in centuries ago. IT is not high tec it just needs labour and Africa has plenty of that. Again antibiotics they are not expensive why cannot provide them themselves

      I would phase out Overseas aid(Except disaster relief aid) over 20 years so it goes down 5% a year as Africa gets used to having to support itself

      1. Most of the aid to Africa has resulted in over-population. I stopped supporting Save the Children some years ago and also Oxfam when I realised they are just self-perpetuating vehicles for the good of aid workers.

        I say this as one who loves visiting Africa and I have met some very nice African people. The only African charity I support nowadays is Farm Africa, which helps people to help themselves by training thwm in better methods of crop production.

        1. The measure I use is have they improved things by any reasonable measure and the simple answer to that is NO

          Just how long can it take to install a tap in every village in Africa and why cannot Africa do this simple task.

          1. It doesn’t have the technology. We do – but we also have the education and infrastructure.

            When we provide the technology, but not the other two, we get hte mess we have,

        2. “Most of the aid to Africa has resulted in over-population.”

          Religious interference in other countries (by zealous missionaries) was the start of the problem. Prior to unnecessary and unfounded interference in Africa by misguided religious zealots, the indigenous peoples of that continent had lived in harmony with nature for millennia.

          It was only after unwanted and unwarranted outside interference by Europeans (and Arabs), in order to “educate” and “civilise” the natives — as well as introduce them to the twin evils of religion and politics — that the dilemma started.

  21. Good morning all.

    Listening to Toady just now with a Sopel/Hussain anti-Trump special. Why do I bother?

    1. Sopel hates Trump. He makes his feelings so obvious, he can’t hold them back during his angry ranting on TV.
      I’m surprised the yanks allow him to travel to and fro. They could easily refuse him re-entry.

      1. Sometimes he does surprise us with some grudging admiration – eg when Trump met the Rocket Man, but generally he can’t disguise his contempt.

      2. Sometimes he does surprise us with some grudging admiration – eg when Trump met the Rocket Man, but generally he can’t disguise his contempt.

  22. Morning all.
    Some good news today.
    Thornbury out of the labour leadership candidate’s battle.

    1. It’s a shame. She is the most inept of the candidates and would have provided some comedic value.

    1. Beat me to it.
      They never seem to learn.
      Place your bets on where both his brain cells are located.

    3. I’m a proteinarian who eats meat, fish, cheese, eggs, butter and cream. The only vegetables I eat are low-carb ones such as leafy greens and salad items. I supplement this with C8 MCT oil and lots of water.

      Since giving up bread, pasta, rice, potatoes (and other roots), pastry, alcohol, flour products (cakes and desserts) and sugars of all forms, I have lost a steady 1 st 1 lb 14 oz since the New Year. [Yup, my baking adventures are now in a moratorium!]

      I have neither hunger pangs nor any cravings, I feel fitter, more alert and sleep like a log.

      Vegetarianism is not a healthy diet unless you eat lots of fatty products (like avocados). Fat, despite its unpopularity for decades, is actually good for you and it doesn’t make you fat (only sugar does that). All consumed fat is quickly disposed of by the body and it is only the lipid fats that your body manufactures (due to the overproduction of insulin by the liver) that is laid down surrounding the body’s organs that leads to obesity.

      The moral is: ditch the sugar and carbs, and your body will ditch the lipid fats. This diet also helps diabetics to recover.

      [My grandparents ate lots of butter and lard and lived a long and healthy life remaining slim. It is only Frankenstein food, such as margarine, cakes, ice-cream and other unholy chemical-laden or protein/carbohydrate amalgamations that make you fat and unhealthy]

        1. A restaurant i occasionally frequent cuts the fat from the sirloin before cooking it. Foolish IMO.

          2. Why don’t you tell them not to? I would.

            I’d also tell them that I would be an ex-customer of they continued with that barbaric practice.

          3. The owner is a friend of mine. I will have a quiet word.

            They used to do crepe suzette at the table. The barman would bang a gong which got the attention of the restaurant and put a big fire extinguished on the corner of the bar. The little trolley would come out and we all enjoyed a bit of theatre.

            Antonio received a complaint from a diner and that put an end to that. They threatened to report him to the council.

        2. Come to Sweden, Joe.

          The clueless butchers here are devoid of training and clue. All meat is sold without bone, rind or fat and wrapped in plastic! A shoulder of lamb bears no resemblance to what it should look like if cut by a trained butcher. Steaks are sliced to a useless 10–12mm thickness which overcook in the centre before the outside has browned!

          Thankfully I have located a (female) butcher who is willing to learn. She orders meat for me to my specification, replete with bones and fat. She also cuts my steaks to a minimum 25mm (I”) thickness.

          1. Couldn’t you learn to slaughter a few elk for the deep freeze?
            Last year a friend’s grandmother passed away; the old lady worked on a relatively remote farm for most of her life, and she lived to 108.
            Apart from tea, sugar etc, everything was home grown.

          2. First catch your moose, Tim. :•)

            To be fair, I’m not a great fan of älg. Pork, lamb, duck, goose and beef are my flesh of choice. I’m not really adventurous outside of that collection.

          4. Couldn’t you learn to slaughter a few elk for the deep freeze?
            Last year a friend’s grandmother passed away; the old lady worked on a relatively remote farm for most of her life, and she lived to 108.
            Apart from tea, sugar etc, everything was home grown.

      2. Hi Bamse, do send us a lovely picture of what you have achieved. You always look good, but this might be an opportunity for others to emulate!

    1. I don’t watch much of the news at the moment but I did see that story. It was a bit creepy the way that Boris had them all repeating his words as if they were children and not intellectually independent, thinking adults.

      There might be a clearer way of saying “Look at my puppets!” But you would need strings and a wooden frame to do it.

    1. At least he has a job , and contributes to the family. There is little good at looking at things from our developed, white Christian civilisation. They are living close to the Bronze Age.

  28. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=51UGcghHZsk&feature=emb_logo Here is a second opportunity for NoTTLers to view and listen to an excellent discourse as to why a former supporter of the US Democratic Party has turned his back on Liberalism. He gives his reasons, lucidly, why supporting the Left is now a much more venomous proposition, worldwide, than it ever was.

    I thank new NoTTLer, Ready Eddy, for bringing this excellent video to our attention. The presenter encapsulated everything that is wrong with socialism (and its variants) with clarity.

      1. Are you sure about that, Jules? If that is the case was he taking the Mick with this post to me this morning? (Regarding the video).

        I showed it to my sister who has just retuned from Spain to live in the UK. It’s too hot for her!

        She couldn’t be bothered to watch it all. I think it’s part of the problem Grizzly. People think it’s imposing on the will.

        If you get this reply post it today you will probably have more luck than an apparent ‘new commer’.

        I’ve got two more in a similar vien to post later.

        One regarding the police in the UK.

  29. OK, gentlefolk, I’m off to read the paper version of the DT and struggle with the puzzles and crosswords. I shall probably return later. Have fun.

    2. Are they really saying that their solution to democractic disissal was fascism?

      Dear life. The Left are morons. On the upside, as long as they’re there, councils can’t waste any more private money.

  32. I’m pondering about the wording in the St Valentine’s Day card I received from my wife yesterday.
    On the front: “For my wonderful Husband on Valentine’s Day. Sometimes, I picture you when you were young gazing up at the night sky …”
    Inside: “… dreaming about the journeys ahead of you and maybe even wondering about the man you’d marry someday…”

  33. Fibre On Demand: How much will it cost to get it?

    BT predicts that the average cost of Fibre On Demand will be £1,500. There is a £500 + VAT flat fee for installation and connection of your home or business, plus a variable cost for the line itself. There’s also an annual line rental of £496+VAT, and a one-off connection charge of £92+VAT.

    Additional installation costs (not including VAT), start at £200 for up to 199 metres from the cabinet, rising to £3,500 at 1.5km-2km. Openreach expects 96 per cent of premises to be within 2km, but prices beyond this are available on demand. This page lists the full range of BT Openreach FTTP On Demand charges.
    The question will be how much of this ISPs choose to pass on to customers up front, and how much they load into the monthly subscription.

    1. £1,500?? That’s an outrageous price, I’ll certainly not be buying BT fibre.

      After all, Bran Flakes are no more than a couple of quid a packet in the shops.

      1. I recently switched to BT Broadband due to my last provider moving in a different business direction and stopping its service. I picked the cheapest option as I don’t need or want the massive download speeds on offer with the more expensive options. I have still noticed an increase in speed from my last provider.

        I have no stutters when watching online videos and I can download a 3 hour audiobook to listen to in 3 minutes, day or night. I fail to see the point of paying twice the price for a faster service that I don’t need, which will allow me to get the same book in 40 seconds. I can download a months listening in 30 minutes and the vast numbers of books available are far more entertaining than the television these days.

        If you can avoid dozing off while relaxing in your chair listening to them. 🙂

      3. In November 2018, I had a fibre cable service installed at my house here in Sweden.

        The one-off charge for installing the service, in its entirety, was: SEK17,000 (£1,340). The line rental and service combined (for broadband, television, and telephone land-line) is less than SEK300 (less than £23) per month.

        My broadband service is lightning fast, 24/7.

    1. Just back from a supermarket run by bus,not much rain yet but the wind was blowing signs around,time to batten down the hatches methinks!!

  35. UK in talks with China over construction of high-speed line

    Strange how all the UK companies keen on HS2 are not prepared to invest even a penny in it but want the government to fund a 100% of it

    2. This gentleman is right! His number plate was picked up on camera and then flashed up on a computer screen. There’s probably an algorithm that selects either individuals or the number to be harassed on any given day!

      1. If the car he was driving is registered in his name then, as a known member of Britain First, he’ll be on computer and he was probably flagged-up as a “far-right” activist. Not that the police will ever admit that the reason they stopped him is to “pressure” him for political reasons.

        Colour me paranoid, but I believe the various police forces “services” are under standing orders, coming from Chief Constable level, to harass perceived right-wing political activists whenever and wherever it’s possible.

    4. Why the hell is everyone getting on the case of a police officer going about his lawful business? This officer is doing the duty — in a correct and polite manner — that the public expects (or, at least, in more intelligent times, expected) him to do.

      The routine stopping of vehicles has long been a standard police procedure and many otherwise hidden crimes have been directly detected as a result. This police officer was pleasant, efficient and had to put up with a constant barrage of baiting from the (obvious) cretin driving the first car (and the buffoons he was transporting).

      As if that wasn’t enough, the twat felt obliged to get out of the car and confront the officer when he was in conversation with the evidently pleasant and law-abiding lady in the second car. This was obviously nothing more than a determination to be confrontational. The classical Pinko scumbag wanker who admits to having numerous convictions.

      I have to listen to reams of anti-police drivel on this forum, some of it justified when you talk about politically-correct officers not attending burglaries and giving more credence to “hate crime” than to real crime. However, in this video you have a pleasant, non-confrontational police officer who has stopped a car for a routine check and he receives nothing but abuse from the occupants. If police officers like this do not get support when trying to do their job properly in the old-fashioned way, then none of you deserve a decent police force.

      I fully support the chap wholeheartedly and would offer him any assistance necessary if he needed it. If anyone on this forum still feels to be in support of the Lefty twat filming this and spewing his anti-police bile, then you get all you deserve!

      Make your minds up: either you want a police force staffed with diligent traditional officers like this, or you want a ‘service’ in the guise of Common Purpose-trained clones of Crass Ida Dick!

      1. Up to a point, Lord Copper. There’s more than a suspicion that they were pulled over because of their political affiliation.

        Having said that, I was an out and proud UKIP activist for twenty years, and never had a problem with the rozzers.

      2. Pinko? Lefty twat? WTF, Grizz, he’s a Britain First activist.

        As for the police sergeant who questioned him, he was polite and courteous right enough and he was lying through his teeth as to the reason the car was stopped, A ten-year old Landie – a high value car?

        Aye, right.

        1. I think many (if not most) people on here (and in general) need a lesson in politics.

          Being Right-Wing means supporting individualism, a hard work ethic, small government, low taxation, enterprise, freedom for the individual, and being law abiding.

          Being Left-Wing means supporting the mob, state-ownership, benefits, big government, high taxation, indolence, collectivism and generally not being law-abiding.

          Groups that preach mob-handedism; like Antifa, Momentum, Workers Alliance and many more that preach socialism are fascist by design. Britain First is yet another collective group that shows much in common with other socialist groupings. They demonstrate (very clearly in the evidence provided by the video) that they are clearly anti-police and therefore by continuance, anti- everything that normal, individual, Right-wing people are for.

          You call Britain First and its “activists” (there’s a clear indication of Lefty mob-handedness) ‘Right-wing’ if you must. I know that mob are anything but!

          1. It doesn’t matter how you or I define Right-Wing/Left-Wing. All that counts is how the Common Purpose senior police officers, under whose orders that sergeant was acting, define it.

            And evidence clearly shows that those they classify as Right-Wing are subject to constant police harassment whereas Left-Wing activists, who support everything ‘woke’ and PC, are allowed considerable leeway – often involving criminal acts – the police only seeking to contain their activities when shamed into doing so by a public outcry.

            As an ex-bobbie you probably feel bound to defend the police – it’s only natural – but you must realise that the kind of police force in which you served, no longer exists. The modern police are the arm of Common Purpose and PC is not an abbreviation of Police Constable any more.

          2. “As an ex-bobbie you probably feel bound to defend the police – it’s only natural – but you must realise that the kind of police force in which you served, no longer exists. The modern police are the arm of Common Purpose and PC is not an abbreviation of Police Constable any more.”

            I understand that more than most, Duncan, and that is why I am so supportive of this officer who tried to do his job correctly and politely (despite whatever the massed groups of naysayers on this forum think) and was about to wish them a good a day and thank you but was prevented from doing so by the evident arsehole behind the wheel.

            Proper Right-wing people are supportive of the police. This arrogant wanker was anything but. If this is typical of Britain First then I, for one, want nothing to do with their agenda.

          3. I have no criticism of the sergeant, who lied courteously and impeccably. BTW, did you notice the way he insisted that the driver had used the “f” word, and then back-tracked when he realised that the video evidence would not support his accusation.

            But my anger is directed at the CP arseholes who have politicised policing, the ones that order this type of harassment. The driver said that he’d been pulled-in thirteen times for no apparent reason. If that’s true, I’d say it’s enough to piss anybody off. If it kept happening to me, I confess I might get more than a little, shall we say, terse in my response to questioning.

            All my life I’ve respected and supported the police but these days, since they started policing our opinions and thoughts, I find that respect waning fast.

          4. He was very polite, but I don’t get why he stopped the car, let alone had the blue lights on.

            I think the confusion is a complete lack of trust in the police. There’s always this undercurrent of their having an agenda rather than simply being there to prevent crime. Sadly, the police as an entity hasn’t done much to assuage that distrust.

      3. Pinko? Lefty twat? WTF, Grizz, he’s a Britain First activist.

        As for the police sergeant who questioned him, he was polite and courteous right enough and he was lying through his teeth as to the reason the car was stopped, A ten-year old Landie – a high value car?

        Aye, right.

      4. I will disagree with you on this.
        I strongly suspect that the car’s number plate has been flagged on the ANPR Sysyem as being owned by a person being a member of an organisation the Powers That Be dislike.

        1. So what?

          They were legally checked and permitted to go on their way. No dramas. It was only prolonged because of the venomous, anti-police attitude of the cretin in the car. The officer treated them no better and no worse than he would treat the driver of any routine stop and check.

          You anti-police lot on this deteriorating forum deserve all you get when it comes to policing.

          1. So what?

            Well Grizz one wonders what his attitude might have been had there been no camera! He looks quite taken aback when he first spots it. There is also his manner which is curiously urbane for a Traffic Officer and where is his oppo? There is about him an air of someone much smarter than the average copper. I make no accusations but that doesn’t stop me being curious about the whole thing!

          4. Grizz, I am not anti-police.
            I am “anti-police-being-used-to-further-a-political-objective”.
            It is not just Britain first and Tommy Robinson being targeted.

            The case of Kate Scottow convisted and awaiting sentence for calling the man pretending to be a woman Stephanie Hayden a “pig in a wig” during a Tw@ter spat.
            Also the police officer who travelled from London to Humberside to interview ex-policeman Harry Miller to “check his thinking”.

            Many times, when the Via Gellia has been closed because of an accident, I have gone up to the officer turning traffic back and offered them a mug of tea, so please, do not accuse me of being anti-police.

          5. Come on, Bob. If you’re going to post hysterical falsehoods, please check your facts before posting.

            Harry Miller was interviewed by a member of his local force, Humberside Police. At no stage did a London police officer drive up to Immingham to “check his thinking”; that was done by a Humberside bobby.

            Point of fact, No member of a “foreign” force (that’s what they are called) would ever be given permission to travel half the length of the country to question someone over any matter. If it was serious enough allegation (and I mean a proper crime) he would ask for permission to liaise with members of the local force, or, have the man arrested before arranging for his conveyance to his own force area.

            The amount of guesswork into police procedures on the forum is beyond staggering.

        1. Undoubtedly, but if you’d been stopped regularly for no reason you understood wouldn’t you start to be paranoid?

          When do we get jumpy though? Is it after we make a political stand that the state dislikes or when the state takes a dislike to our political stand?

      6. Don’t really know.

        There’s no need for the mouthful of verbiage though. I would ask though, why has no one stopped the war queen or I when we’ve gone ‘up North’ to horsie events in the Volvo super tanker?

          1. Yes. Not happy, though. Thanks for that. On the other hand, it does not say the the police can stop you for no reason. As seems to be the case in this example.

          2. But that is the entire point. The law was passed giving the police the power to stop and check, any vehicle, on any road, at any time (no reasons needing to be given). There is an identical power for police officers in all civilised countries.

            Let me illustrate with an example. Burglars beak into your house at 3:00 a.m. and make their escape in a car. Just down the road a police officer is driving his patrol car and sees the car driving in the opposite direction. There is nothing about the car (nor its occupants) to alert the police officer to the fact that there may be anything remiss. Yet, on whim (or instinct, judging by the time of day), he decides to stop it and search it, thus detecting the aftermath of a crime. This is not only a lawful practice but also good old-fashioned coppering which often results in crimes being detected.

            Doing away with this fundamental police power to stop and search any vehicle on a road, without giving a reason, would only lead to an increase in crime.

            Are you happier now? Or are you still one of those who wants to diminish police powers further and give succour to the criminals?

          3. But that is the entire point. The law was passed giving the police the power to stop and check, any vehicle, on any road, at any time (no reasons needing to be given). There is an identical power for police officers in all civilised countries.

            Let me illustrate with an example. Burglars break into your house at 3:00 a.m. and make their escape in a car. Just down the road a police officer is driving his patrol car and sees the car driving in the opposite direction. There is nothing about the car (nor its occupants) to alert the police officer to the fact that there may be anything remiss. Yet, on whim (or instinct, judging by the time of day), he decides to stop it and search it, thus detecting the aftermath of a crime. This is not only a lawful practice but also good old-fashioned coppering which often results in crimes being detected.

            Doing away with this fundamental police power to stop and search any vehicle on a road, without giving a reason, would only lead to an increase in crime.

            Are you happier now? Or are you still one of those who wants to diminish police powers further and give succour to the criminals?

          4. “Or are you still one of those who wants to diminish police powers further and give succour to the criminals?”
            I have never been one of those. I expect police to use their powers appropriately and sensibly. Does seeking out hate crimes meet that wish? Does failing to arrest demonstrators who are disrupting normal life? Does failing to bring charges against child rapists meet that? Does stopping motorists for no real reason meet that?
            Not in my book. This is about the correct use of police resources, what economists call “opportunity cost”. If the police are banging on the doors of those who insult others online, they are not spending time arresting rapists, murderers or burglars are they?

            (Search it, really? No warrant required)

          5. I’m in full agreement with you on most points there. Even thinking about wasting police time on investigating “hate crimes” is anathema to me and not what I joined for. I was brought up to treat everyone equally and to listen to genuine complains and take appropriate action.

            People committing public order offences were dealt with promptly. The arrest of child rapists was given priority … without exception. Murderers, committers of woundings, GBH, ABH, rape, sexual assault, criminal damage, arson, theft, robbery, burglary and other major crimes were dealt with efficiently.

            However, when it comes to “stopping motorists with no real reason” we differ. As I explained, this provides on of the most useful expedients in detecting crime. Whenever I was engaged on this activity, I was invariably polite to the motorist and apologised for any inconvenience. 90% (or thereabouts) of motorists checked in this way were law-abiding citizens who were only detained for a matter of a few minutes, and they fully understood the reasons why they were being stopped and, after assuring me they were legitimate, were soon on their way none the worse for the experience.

            It was only those who had something to hide that caused problems. Take away this facility from police officers and crimes rates will zoom. I have been stopped on a number of occasions in this manner and I bear the officers stopping me no ill will whatsoever. They do not stop me “without reason”, the reason is the prevention and detection of crime, a police officer’s prime raison d’être!

            I will never deviate from the belief that checking motor vehicles is a legitimate strategy in the fight against crime; much more useful that the modern malady of pandering to the idiotic Common Purpose ‘woke’ generation who may have had their feelings hurt.

    5. Totaly over the top by the police. Many years ago I was picking my daughter up from the late night shift at Mac Donalds. I went round the block a couple of time as she had not arraived at the picking up place. i was pulled over by the police as he had seen me do this. He asked what I was doing and said he just had to check, I did not have my DL with me and had to take it in to be checked. I was not happy about this but ok thats life. I understood why he had stopped me. just to stop this man was totaly over the top with a hidden agenda.

      1. Our village police house was clsed down and sold on about 20 years ago. and of course another home was built along side it on the land.
        Now we have emails from the ‘local police’ and a walk in weekly ‘surgery’. apart from when they come speeding through our village, we never see any police. There are currently thefts of catalytic converters happening in the area. They obviously know all about it but I know they never drive around the district at night time. They simply advise people to lock their cars in a garage over night !!!
        I reported a white Ford truck and occupants taking items from a skip in our road a couple of weeks ago I check the reg on DVLA website it wasn’t taxed. The woman I spoke to told me to tell the DVLA. I told her, you are the police you do it and hung up.
        We have some old friends who were both long serving police officers the husband was a Superintendent. I played a couple of times 20 years ago golf with the ex Boss of Newham nick. All would agree that it’s all out of hand then and worse now and not what they based their careers on. Nice fat pensions though.

  39. Father and brother of British volunteer, 27, fighting with the Kurdish-led YPG against ISIS in Syria appear in court on terror charges for ‘sending him £150’. Mail 14 February 2020.

    The father and brother of a British volunteer fighting against ISIS in Syria have appeared in court charged with terrorism offences after allegedly sending him £150

    Paul was accused of funding terrorism, even though Daniel’s Kurdish-led military unit was backed by Britain and trained by the SAS. After the defeat of ISIS, the Kurdish units have now found themselves in conflict with Turkish forces.

    ‘ISIS fighters get to come home and settle back down no problem,’ Mr Newey said last night. ‘Yet my son and me are treated like terrorists. The UK has got its priorities all wrong.’

    This gentleman is right to complain but he fails to appreciate that the “ISIS fighters” went with the blessings of the UK government

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8004987/Father-brother-British-volunteer-27-fighting-against-ISIS-Syria-appear-court.html

      2. Here too N – it has blown my conifer over…hubby went out to stand the large metal planter back up and came in wheezing like an old man. Hang on…he is an old man. Poor dear.

    1. Labour uses the accusation of ‘racism’ at every opportunity. What evidence is there of ‘50% business losses’? A cynical courting of minority votes.

      What evidence is there of racism! I was chatting to the Chinese Lady who runs the local takeaway yesterday and she evinced no alarm at being surrounded by five white Brits!

      1. 316360 + up ✔s,
        Could she be the exception ? or maybe she would show no fear on account of being a Sumo wrestler, come take away manager.

        1. She was the only one out of the 400,000 Chinese that live in the UK who was not racially harassed recently? This seems unlikely!

    2. Labour uses the accusation of ‘racism’ at every opportunity. What evidence is there of ‘50% business losses’? A cynical courting of minority votes.

      What evidence is there of racism! I was chatting to the Chinese Lady who runs the local takeaway yesterday and she evinced no alarm at being surrounded by five white Brits!

    3. “…the mere accusation proves guilt. …”
      Gosh! I sent a tweet to G Batten on 30th January, “the accusation is the proof”.

      1. I say ‘invaded’, in fact they were introduced to fix an algal problem on fish farms. Same old story.

  48. Low-level offenders swap prosecution for rehab in Durham scheme

    It is not clear what is actually involved. Here seems to be an inconsistency as well as it says it say a 15% drop in re offending then it goes on to say only 6%. of a larger sample size re offended The fist figure was on a smaller sample so the data seem inconsistent

    If it is reducing the re offending rate to 6% it is a big breakthrough but that massive inconsistency throws doubt on it. It needs more data

    https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/low-level-offenders-swap-prosecution-for-rehab-in-durham-scheme/ar-BB101nU0?ocid=spartandhp

  49. Met weather forecast gusts 48 to 51 MPH.

    Local weather station shows maximum gust so far today 23 MPH.
    Give the met office back to the RAF.

    2. Depends on the weather station. Lots of them have too much inertia on the anemometer to cope with properly registering gust speed. So far here, it’s quite windy, but nothing more, principally because the wind is still running along the coast and sliding past my location. Not very rainy either. Might be worse here tomorrow when the wind veers to the west and hits us head on.

  50. I know I shouldn’t find this funny, but……….

    Staff manning a weather station on the Isle of Wight have reported that valuable equipment used to measure the wind speed was blown away by Storm Dennis
    The equipment, worth about £4,000, was checking near 100-mph gusts when it was torn from its mountings.

      2. Weather reports say Storm Dennis could cause more damage than Ciara.

        It just goes to show if you want something done properly, get a bloke to do it.

        2. I have a lovable little blighter who turfs out my potted cyclamen to bury his nuts…he turns up every morning at my kitchen door. I am utterly besotted by his antics . I never thought I would lose my heart to a friggin’ rodent!

  56. The big storm is racing towards us from the West of Dorset .

    Southampton are playing Burnley at 12.30

    Moh is anxious once more!

    With regard to the renewed threat of floods that were experienced last weekend .. I believe that everywhere there is a flood risk , the RNLI should have a presence .. Heavy semi rigid craft etc . The RNLI can afford them and if they can’t, may I suggest their top honchos take a pay cut .. these guys are taking home 6 figure £sums annually.

    1. For your OH’s sake, I hope he has no more 0-9 results to cope with (seriously I know that the team has recovered well over the winter, with several outstanding results).

  57. 316360 + up ✔s,

    Three more asians ( Oxford area) found guilty of rape / abuse all prisons terms to be served concurrently.
    Will we be bringing in this new law before
    the 27th Feb ?
    Why not Tommy Robinson the new ruling as of today ?
    Making sure their longest confinement is VERY long.

    1. Oh for a return to the days when prison terms were served consecutively.

      And murders were hanged!

      And felons were birched!

    3. It’s just blown several tiles off our roof, some of which have smashed out light-hatch into the hall. Ho hum – we were up in the attic with tarpaulin, blankets and large plastic crates to catch water.

      Now eating, with a nice bottle of wine.

      1. Oh no H……hope you can keep safe. I don’t cope well with the elements…not at all.

        1. Thank you, Jenny

          Under control – I hope. We were lucky; if slates had fallen off and we didn’t realise, the ceiling could have been down!

          It was the very loud crash that alerted us…

          Sleep tight and sweet dreams.

  60. I was listening to BBC Radio 4 this morning and heard that there were no volunteers to work in the field of AI in sex robots. It appears that this fast emerging technology needs a degree of consultation regarding these robots’ role in society which may require some degree of regulation.

    As I find myself increasingly uninformed on the pace of these AI innovations, I thought I’d update myself on the subject.

    Here’s a link I found to an article by science correspondent Andrea Morris who interviews a guy called Brick Dollbanger who, as a doll tester, raises some serious issues about the use of Artificial Intelligence in the field of human relationships:

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/andreamorris/2018/09/27/meet-the-man-who-test-drives-sex-robots/#44249f9452dc

      1. I don’t know which is the scarier:

        The thought of finding your son having sex (“making OUT”? FFS) with a robot, or

        The fact that American husbands are invariably depicted as spending all their leisure time wearing a suit and tie.

    1. @AmyMek’s account has been withheld in Germany, France based on local law(s).

      Oops, that’s me for the thought police.

  66. 316360 + up ✔s,
    As for AI playing a part in the sex life of society
    I do believe it could play a major part & a leading role as a pineapple mounted on a ram, attached to the BIG fly wheel ( the engineers song) in regards to paedophiles, one 1/2 hour session a day with a deaf doctor in attendance, health & safety would require it.

    1. Evening, Rick.

      My only quibble is that the doom goblin isn’t a child. At 17, she could shirley be more correctly described as a teenager with learning difficulties?

        2. Quite agree. Even allowing for mental issues, there is something not right.
          When I think back to how I was a 17 (in my first job), but also looking at youngest granddaughter who will 16 in March, the difference is quite spooky.

      1. Her parents are big Hergé fans, and her sister is named “Haddock”.

        Their dog is called “Snowy”.

    3. The question here is: who is manipulating the media? The other questions follow.
      Who are the very powerful people pulling the strings on the climate change scam? From where did St Greta spring and then be raised to such prominence that major politicians, power brokers and the (corrupt) UN hang on her every (rehearsed) word? Feted around the World for being completely ignorant on the science of climate and probably everything else, whoever it was who dreamt up her existence must be a marketing genius. So, whilst St Greta gets all the media attention the highly trained and well published scientist will likely never have another paper published.

      1. You don’t need to be a marketing genius to succeed in promoting this lie. Not when you control the media and they shut out or ridicule as “climate change deniers” any serious person who points out the truth. As we have seen, there are clearly large numbers of people, and very large numbers of young people, who do not have critical analysis skills anymore. They don’t have the personal experience and fortitude to stand alone or to question what they are told. They crave the safety and security blanket provided by “herd instinct” instead.

        It has taken many in the academic world decades to foster this mental weakness in our populations. But even with all of their efforts, people can still smell a rat if they are exposed to enough factual information. We can see the man-made climate change story for the lie that it is and so can many others now.

        1. Sorry, MM, I can’t agree that the rise of St Greta wasn’t a stroke of genius. The climate change scam was starting to run out of steam as awkward questions began to be asked, then, out of nowhere the child emerges and completely rejuvenates the scam and becomes front page all over the World. Sure, old sceptics like us are not convinced but those young people you describe as not having critical skills have been given the boost of seeing one of them telling the old story but with a new twist. In the end it’s going to be those young people who will be voting in the ‘owned’ politicians of the future, not the old cynics.

          1. Then on this we shall disagree. 🙂

            I think Greta is an absolutely obvious choice to carry this lie forward for very clear reasons. They could not have crafted a better Doom-Goblin. In a few more years they could have managed to get away with the standard “mixed-race, hunchbacked, disabled convert to islam,” but we are not quite there yet.

            A fresh-faced white child with pigtails and something clearly “not right” with her is an almost perfect tool for them to use. You would need to be a really heartless evil old bar-steward to disagree with her message. Or be someone who is living in the real world.

            The fanatics love a child such as Greta to promote their propaganda, and they have been doing it for a very long time now:

            https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7533ba1113106b06eeee9532068eac3197ad9a362fda4f3d6a1889cf93ed932c.jpg

      2. Cheer up. Everyone can see that Greta is a child stooge representing folk with interests in wind turbines, solar farms and other useless substitutes for our energy supplies and against more environmentally friendly means of power generation such as gas, coal and nuclear.

    4. The question here is: who is manipulating the media? The other questions follow.
      Who are the very powerful people pulling the strings on the climate change scam? From where did St Greta spring and then be raised to such prominence that major politicians, power brokers and the (corrupt) UN hang on her every (rehearsed) word? Feted around the World for being completely ignorant on the science of climate and probably everything else, whoever it was who dreamt up her existence must be a marketing genius. So, whilst St Greta gets all the media attention the highly trained and well published scientist will likely never have another paper published.

  69. Our 72 year old American friend has said his works pension has been trimmed and if it goes on like that he might have to go back to work age 80. :-)) He then asked if there was room in England for an elderly pensioner? Having discovered how things work in this country this was my reply.

    If you apply to come here legally you will undoubtedly be refused entry. However if you can get a largeish boat from France to bring you within 3 miles of the English coast, be set free in a motorised dinghy our Border Farce (sic) will pick you up, escort you to Dover where you will be met by Social Services. You will be assessed and identified as a child under 21 and given a free medical, be supplied with social housing, access to the NHS forever and access to all benefits that are usually denied to the indigenous population. It would also help if you grew a straggly beard and identified as a Muslim. If that doesn’t work say you are some sort of transgender thingy.

  70. Appently some Sleb has committed suicide,expect mush MSM wailing
    (yes I know there’s a typo but it fits {:^)))

    1. I’m a heartless bastard, but nobody should have to take that way out, and the effect on her family and friends lives with them forever.

      RIP Caroline, poor girl.

      1. Sadly, those who do take that route are normally so depressed they only want release from their torture and can’t think outside that window.

          1. Oh dear sos…that is very sad. I am sorry. It must be a terrible place to be. I can’t imagine.

  71. Sony Channel is showing an ep from Starkers & Crutch season 3, about the spread of a deadly virus. Made in the 70’s, very topical.

    1. I always enjoyed The Sweeney. Lots of action – and Regan keeping a bottle of scotch in his filing cabinet.

      1. I preferred Regan (John Thaw) after he morphed into Morse. Plenty of drink, including fine malts, but a more thinking, less gung ho type of policeman.

  72. I wonder if we let China run the EU that they could do it for half the price £ 175 million a week what a bargain and they could make us all fully communist in five years, well ahead of schedule.

    1. They could also solve the Islamic extremist problem, like they have at home. Off to the camps for you…

  78. Breaking News – China has put in an offer to run the Labour Party, they will do it for half the cost, they will support their core voters in their heartlands, stop child grooming gangs and be far less extreme on policy.

    1. Yes we should be coming to an agreement to send grooming gang members to the Chinese re-education camps and they could also do “deradicalization” on our islamic terror detainees. However, we should demand an update on progress by 2060.

    3. A video showing the military in a positive light makes a pleasant change. 5 years of training the young patriotic men and women of this country, whose families were living here 75 years ago, and than islam would be far less of a problem. Obviously followers of that cult should be barred from entry.

      If our politicians will not stop the ever increasing rise of their numbers (I’m looking at you Johnson, May, Cameron, Brown, Blair) then the people might find these skills useful. If Boris can find the time to approve EU friendly projects such as HS2, and make the monumental error of choosing China over the USA for future tech projects, then he can surely manage to tell our Border Patrols to bar entry to those “enemy combatants” who are crossing the channel in constantly increasing numbers.

      He became Prime Minister on 24th July 2019. In the seven months since he took that role he has not managed to find the time to make that call to turn back the islamic invaders yet. Australia managed to stop the boats arriving on their very wide shores, but not us it seems.

      1. Evening MM,
        316360 + up ✔s,
        Do you think this johnson Pm chap would take on an adviser,
        one who has been warning of islamic ideology rhetorically & in book form since 2005.
        Wears the tag as many of us do as far right racist, truth be told “so far right” then he should contact one Mr Gerard Batten.
        Personally I believe submission,PCism, Appeasement would stop johnson from making any such approach.

    4. In 40 years time, will the Russian government be prosecuting those soldiers for doing their job?
      (I’m assuming it’s Russian.)

      1. Of course not.
        I’ve become much more sympathetic to Russia over the years because of the way our Governments have crapped on our Armed Forces for decades.

  81. From the DT:

    ” The demand for grammar school places now outstrips supply by nearly 50 per cent, the first ever official data shows.

    Last year 37,786 families put a grammar school as their first choice but only 25,827 places were offered, meaning the demand to supply ratio is 46 per cent.” [This is course only relates to those areas where grammar schools have been retained]

    The Labour Party appears to have a visceral hatred of grammar schools and the Conservative Party don’t wish to weaken demand for Public school places. I know it was a UKIP policy to promote grammar schools but they never attained power.

    1. S,
      316360 +up ✔s,
      They never attained power for the simple reason they had many much needed such policies, & had to be suppressed.
      A multitude of fools held belief time & again ongoing, in lab/lib/con
      rhetoric / manifesto’s never to be realised, hence we are where we are today, in deep sh!te.

    2. The sooner we return to Grammar Schools, Technical Schools and Secondary Moderns the better. Church schools of all and any persuasion should be shut down.

      The most important thing is to ensure that teachers are educated and have a vocation to actually teach the disciplines and techniques needed to allow everyone to acquire knowledge and necessarily succeed in their chosen discipline.

      Teacher training needs improvement and this should now be devoid of the lefty nonsense that has corrupted our lives. No more LGBZT and Trans rubbish, no more socialist crap and a concentration on actually acquiring all necessary knowledge should be top of the agenda.

    3. Once we had the finest education in the world which many adopted in their own countries. We had Grammar Schools for the academics, Technical Schools for the skilled and Secondary for those who fitted in neither but still had an important part to play in making the world go around. Then along came Keith Joseph who decided it was not good enough. Inroduced the ‘National Curriculum’ sh*** which diluted everything. Teachers had to teach to stupid targets rather than focus on bringing out the best in their pupils. The rest is history. I was glad to get out when I did. I may be totally crazy by now…..

        1. Yes he wrecked our system alright and Kenneth Baker carried on where he left off. Then a saintly and kind fellow called John MacGregor stepped in and said ‘Hang on’ – let’s take things slowly. He supported the teachers and tried to pour oil on troubled waters. The Gov. had him out in just over a year…surprised they allowed him to stay that long for being so diplomatic, wise and caring.

    1. We’ve left ours that were blown over last weekend.
      Seemed a pointless exercise to stand them up again; they’re not going to fall any further.
      What with them and the larger tree still waiting for the surgeon’s TLC (chop it up and grunch it into smithereens) at the moment Spartie thinks the garden is an adventure playground.

      1. It seems to be holding up – hubby just went out to check, he supported it with other planters and now has rolled the very heavy iron bistro table alongside it. It should be okay now. I do think the dovecote will come down but i needed a new one anyway.

  86. Afternoon all, afternoon plum …

    Birth Control
    There were three gals who were getting married and all met at the marriage counselor’s office to discuss the options of having or not having a baby
    right away.
    There were two city gals and one farm gal.
    The counselor asked them if they planned on having a baby right away or were going to wait awhile. They all agreed that they had discussed this
    with their potential husbands and all agreed to wait awhile.
    Well the counselor asked the first gal what type of birth control she planned to use. Her answer was, the rhythm method. That will work said
    the counselor if you keep a good record.
    He asked the second gal what system she planned on using. I plan on using birth control pills she said. Again he said, yes that will work as long
    as you don’t forget to take them.
    He then asked the farm girl what system she was planning on using. Her answer was, the pail and saucer, method. After a short delay, he again
    told her that should also work.
    He asked them all to come back in one year on a specific date for a follow up on how things were going.
    They all met again one year later and the two city gals were pregnant. Only the farm gal was slim and trim yet.
    Well the counselor asked the first gal what method she used and what went wrong. She replied that she used the rhythm method, but somehow got her
    notes mixed up and, well here I am, going to have a baby.
    He asked the second city gal what method she used and she replied, the birth control pill but we were camping one weekend and I didn’t have my
    pills with me and as you can see, I too am going to have a baby.
    He turns to the farm gal and told her that I vaguely remember you were going to use the pail and saucer method. Now I must admit that I don’t
    have a clue what the pail and saucer method is. Will you explain it to me as I see it has worked well for you.

    Shereplied, “Well we make love standing up, and since I am quite a bit taller than my husband, he stands on a pail turned upside down. Now as
    we are making love, I watch his eyes, and when his eyes get as big as saucers, I kick the pail out from under him.

  90. Redundancies at the Sun

    New Group Newspapers more than tripled its losses last year it affects the Sun. The Sun on Sunday and the Sun online staff have been asked to apply for redundancy

  91. Woman’s Magazines Circulations continue to collapse

    Bella 147,162 -15%
    OK Magazine 116,341 -22%
    Pick Me Up 76,757 -24%

  93. Labour Leadership Election timetable

    24th February Ballot Opens
    1st March to Second April Voting
    4th April Result Announced

    2. Gawd, they’re stringing it out aren’t they? Is there some deadline date for Corblimey to qualify for an extra bonus or something?

  94. There was a segment on Reporting Scotland recently about the “plight” of the poor Roma people who live in Glasgow. They don’t know if they will be allowed to stay here now that we are out of the EU. Apparently someone has indicated that they would have to have jobs and be able to speak English. Awful!
    (It seems that no one may want them here. The Scots for Roma is “gyppo”, and most are apparently on benefits and supplement that by begging.)
    The BBC report was soft and sympathetic and understanding. In respect of the poor Roma, of course, Not in respect of the taxpayers who are supporting them and having to put up with their probably uninvited presence.

    My highlighting:
    “The Roma Project is a social justice collaboration between JustRight Scotland and Friends of Romano Lav. The project was launched as a pilot project in June 2018, in response to concerns about barriers faced by members of the Roma community in Govanhill, Glasgow in accessing free, confidential legal advice about their rights during the Brexit transition, particularly in relation to their immigration status.”

    Does anyone know of anywhere in the UK that will do the same for the indigenous people?

    https://www.justrightscotland.org.uk/our-work/scottish-refugee-migrant-centre/brexit-eu-citizens/roma-project/

      2. What criteria does an EU citizen have to fulfil to qualify for settled status? Surely being in regular employment and not being a drain on the national purse must be two? Unemployed/Unemployable spongers will be of no benefit to the UK although in the perverse thinking of the elites people meeting those undesirable criteria will be given the right to remain at great cost to the taxpayers. Anything else will be deemed racist.

  95. I see the Daily Wail is going full-bore over Caroline Flack’s suicide, calling her looming prosecution a ‘show trial’. Just imagine what the rag would say if it was her boyfriend who had assaulted her and the CPS had refrained from prosecuting him.

    6. Gosh I wouldn’t like to be a lop caught between the thighs of her on either the left or the right.

    7. The whole point of these photographs, with which the DM indulges the British Public from time to time, is subliminal manipulation in that we are made to feel disgusted by our own and consider them (and thus our country as they are a product of our country) not worth fighting for – along with all the other manipulations, the disgusting ‘Horrible Histories’ for one.

  100. 2 Teenagers from Hern Bay die in Storms

    Sadely they died due to their stupidity of going into the stormy sea

Comments are closed.