Tuesday 21 January: Is this Labour Government capable of having a good relationship with Trump?

Posted on by Geoff Graham

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726 thoughts on “Tuesday 21 January: Is this Labour Government capable of having a good relationship with Trump?”

  2. Good morning all.
    The dry spell appears to be ending with light rain yesterday afternoon and, it seems, overnight.
    Temperature is 4.8°C with yesterday's extremes being 6.9°C and 2.1°C.

  3. Good morning, chums. And thanks, Geoff, for this morning's new NoTTLe page. I THINK I'm first today. No, I'm not. Drat and Double Drat!!!

    Wordle 1,312 5/6

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    1. Good morning Elsie and all
      The curse of the many options today…
      Wordle 1,312 6/6

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  4. Good morning, chums. And thanks, Geoff, for this morning's new NoTTLe page. I THINK I'm first today. No, I'm not. Drat and Double Drat!!!

    Wordle 1,312 5/6

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    1. "The Americans have given the West a lifeline. We need to grab it with both hands.." says Rupert Lowe.

      And immediately the Left attack him..
      When Reform admits that Brexit is a chaotic disaster and introduces concrete plans to bring the UK economy back on line with European trade, will be the time I start listening to your Party.

      Their determination to dissolve UK and continue the managed decline is as strong as ever. More DEI.. more ESG.. more EU.. more CRT is their mantra.

    2. We've got the best people in the world.

      And some of the most unimaginative and misanthropic, where the British people are concerned, politicians in the World.

  10. Donald Trump pardons 1,500 Jan 6 rioters. 21 January 2024.

    Donald Trump has pardoned 1,500 Jan 6 rioters and commuted the sentences of 14 others who stormed the US Capitol four years ago.

    It means that more than dozens of people convicted of violent crimes during the riot, including the 169 people who pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers, will walk free and see their convictions wiped clean.

    That’s very good. We just need all those in the UK gaoled after Southport freed too.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2025/01/21/donald-trump-pardons-1500-jan-6-rioters/

  11. That is such a loaded and untrue/misleading Telegraph headline: there were very few if any, "rioters".

  12. David Lammy said he was confident that the intelligence and military agencies in the US would persuade the new president it was a good deal to cede sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius for limitless cash for no good reason other than the Chinese run International Court deemed it lawful.

  13. David Lammy said he was confident that the intelligence and military agencies in the US would persuade the new president it was a good deal to cede sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius for limitless cash for no good reason other than the Chinese run International Court deemed it lawful.

    1. Morning Sos. No. These people were gaoled, as the Southporters were, for political reasons. The whole prosecution was a fabrication. It is right that they should all be freed.

    2. The whole "insurrection" story had about as much truth as the "Trump is a Russian asset" story put around by Hillary's team.

      1. I think so too.
        But I also believe that this growing habit of mass pardons is setting a very dangerous precedent.

        1. Biden’s are shameless, it’s true. But you can’t leave innocent people rotting in prison either. Better would be a re-trial and some truth injected into the process.

        2. Are you aware there are several hundred people in British jails who have served more than ten years for such petty crimes as stealing a bicycle? They all need to be pardoned.

          1. I am not aware, but I strongly suspect that that is a statistic invented to make a point, or there is another reason that they are still inside..

          2. The law was changed under i believe David Cameron. Your initial sentence for the petty theft was carried over if you misbehaved in Prison. I don't believe it has been repealed.

          3. There’s a simple answer to that then.
            Don’t misbehave.
            I wonder whether in many cases they misbehave because they prefer life on the inside more than they can cope outside?

  16. Starmer to address nation after being accused of ‘cover-up’ over Southport murders. 21 January 2025.

    Sir Keir Starmer was accused of being part of a “cover-up” of the truth about the Southport murderer as he prepared to address the nation over the state’s failure to stop the attack.

    A public inquiry will be held into why the authorities failed in what Sir Keir described as their “ultimate duty” to protect three young girls stabbed to death by Axel Rudakubana as it emerged the killer had been referred three times to the Prevent anti-terrorism programme.

    This will be sick making. Not only did he conceal the truth but gaoled the people who objected to it.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/01/20/keir-starmer-police-covered-up-southport-terror-farage/

    1. Nice to see that Sir Keir has admitted that the state failed in its duty to protect young girls.
      Which ones is he talking about though? There's been so many under his watch I've lost count.

    2. Go long on whitewash.

      If any information should leak out from an inquiry it will be the junior minions who will be at risk.

    3. And meanwhile the Biased Broadcasting Clan have "uncovered" a "far right extremists" group in Wales, which Dame Sara Khan wants banned – what a surprise!!

    4. “Nineteen seconds,” says a close relative of one of the little girls who observed the savagery first-hand and who still wakes screaming in the night. Nineteen seconds was the time locals calculated Sir Keir spent laying a wreath in Southport, before scuttling off to a nearby mosque after being jeered by an understandably distraught crowd. I am told the man who shouted, “How many more children have to die, Prime Minister?” is the grandad of one of the murdered girls."

      Rats also scuttle.

      https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8deb60c24864649ae83711f6d835ff21c3817d6445d282de82547b2d87449f50.jpg

      1. What I found most disgusting was that he didn't even ATTEMPT to engage with local people.

        1. He wouldn't know how to. He's only a second rate lawyer who's never won a case in front of a jury.

          1. Prolly why he wants to abolish jury trial. Very messy letting all those unwashed common people into what should be the decisions of educated elites.

      2. Anyone can carry flowers and look like that.
        But they obviously think that the public are stupid.

    5. BTL Comment:-

      Harris Britain
      1 min ago
      Starmers Southport immigrant murders timetable :

      1) release no information for weeks

      2) blame Farage and the Faar Right for demanding answers.

      3) imprison those objecting and demonstrating

      4) conceal the Police evidence

      5) delay charging the attacker for months until Budget Day

      6) further delay the Hearing til Trump's Inauguration Day

      7) give a Lawyer Lecture on how grateful we should be for (mar xist) open borders and multiculturalism : "It's for the good of us all"

      ( translation: YOU are expendable for the utopian Cause)

  20. Good morning, all. Overcast, thick mist filling the spaces between the trees and barely the sign of a breeze.

    I've been watching Trump dealing with his list of EOs, especially the one relating to the WHO, and the contrast between his actions for "change" and explanations, and Labour's dull-as-ditch-water presentations of the re-tread policies they are proposing, is immeasurable.

    Here, Rachel, of all the talents, Reeves, pops up, with what many BTL comments claim to be, an extract from a report written before she was let loose on the Budget. If not out-and-out lies it's not the current truth, either: cue Santander's and BP's recent announcements along with reports of millionaires leaving in droves.

    If Reeves is including the £600Million over 5 years from China she ought to be reminded that that amount will keep the "asylum seekers" in comfort for around two months. Thousands of unknown and unchecked young men loafing around at the taxpayers' expense, is there any way that that can be considered an 'investment'?

    https://x.com/laughnowmonkey/status/1881444020661924167

  22. Good Moaning.
    If you're Jack the Ripper and like fog.
    Talking of which, extract from Allison Pearson's article in today's DT.

    "Yesterday, the PM admitted the British state failed Elsie, Bebe and Alice. Suddenly describing it as a “moment of trauma for the nation”, that strange, soulless man averred: “There are grave questions to answer as to how the state failed in its ultimate duty to protect these young girls. Britain will rightly demand answers. We will leave no stone unturned in that pursuit.”

    It’s a safe bet that an entire quarry of stones will be used to obstruct the path to answers of any value, answers which might upset Labour’s treasured multiculturalism which has taken such a knock of late. I’m sure all of you will have questions for the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper who announced a public inquiry yesterday. Here are a few from me to get her started:

    1. At what time were you and the PM made aware that Axel Rudakubana possessed ricin, which posed a lethal threat to the community, and a terrorist training manual? What was your reaction when Merseyside Police told the public the murders of Bebe, Alice and Elsie were not “terror-related”. Was that a lie? If so, whose interest did the lie serve?

    2. In an email sent by police to victims’ and survivors’ families from Operation Greenbook – the name of the police investigation into Southport – it says that the attacker possessed a PDF file entitled, Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants: the Al Qaeda Training Manual of a kind likely to be of use to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. Further, it says, Rudakubana possessed that file “between 29 August 2021 and 30 July 2024”. Clearly, the murderer had terrorist-related information from the age of 15. How did police conclude the murders of the little girl were “not terror-related”?

    3. We have seen political interference in this case from Day One. How quickly trials were streamlined for those who made comments on social media, some of them pointing out things which were called “conspiracy theories” but are now proven to be true. Are there questions to be asked about the guilt of such people, many of previously good character? Do you believe the law should be used to shut down legitimate concerns about mass immigration?

    4. On which subject, is there any British history of an individual running riot with a machete amongst a group of little girls? Would it be fair to describe that as an imported and barbarous crime? If so, what policy changes might improve the safety of young girls?

    5. Is is true that Rudakubana said, “UK needs a genocide like Rwanda’s?”

    6. Would he now call himself a Muslim (allegedly practising that faith in prison) and, if he was radicalised, how did that happen?

    7. In the aftermath of the massacre, a photo of the accused as a cherubic young boy who was described only as “Cardiff-born” appeared in the media. Yesterday, a photo of his actual appearance – looking like a deranged fiend recently escaped from Alcatraz – was finally released. Do you think the public has the right to see a likeness of the face Elsie, Bebe and Alice saw before they died – or one designed to anaesthetise public concerns?

    8. With hundreds of men from extremely misogynist cultures crossing the Channel in small boats every week, how does the Government plan to protect little girls like Elsie, Bebe and Alice from attacks by men who despise Western girls?"

    1. Well, those grave questions have been answered for decades. We said 'no more immigration'. You fought for more. You've failed your duty repeatedly. In fact, failure would imply an error that could have been avoided. You forced it, by forcing more immigrants on us. Thousnads of these characters every day, in fact.

      This stops when welfare is withdrawn and the diversity deported. You don't – won't – acknowledge that though. You are the problem, Starmer. You don't understand that either. At every level, YOU have raped this country with your Left wing ideology. You're the problem. That you pretend there are 'questions' to answer is evidence of that.

    1. Cringe meter needle hitting extreme at..
      1 Hand gestures.
      2 Nasal gushings.
      3 meaningless slogan "Take partnership to the next level.."

      1. "Take partnership to the next level.."

        Is that 'up' a level or down a 'level'?

        As with Starmer's and the Labour shower's "change" mantra, this quote is meaningless without qualification.

    6. To be quite honest I will have to read what he said. I actually can't listen to him. The whine reminds me of a mosquito that has plagued you most of the night.

    7. Which is why he sponsored and financed a team to go to the USA to help Trump's opponent in the presidential elections!

  25. Is Prince Harry really this deluded?

    A report claims he wanted to host a podcast, in which he would interview the world’s most powerful men. But you’ll never guess why
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2025/01/20/TELEMMGLPICT000408426953_17373890635020_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqqVzuuqpFlyLIwiB6NTmJwSX5rhseiWKOo9p9OQ-ymek.jpeg?imwidth=680

    Michael Deacon Columnist
    21 January 2025 7:00am GMT

    Ever since he left Britain, Prince Harry has valiantly endeavoured to carve out a new role in life. Unfortunately, however, not all his ideas have been successful – as a remarkable story in the new issue of Vanity Fair makes clear.

    Shortly after moving to the US, a source claims, Harry told Spotify that he wished to present a “sociopath podcast”. In each episode, he would interview powerful world figures (for example, “Mark Zuckerberg, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump”) – and ask them how their life experiences had “made them into sociopaths”.

    A startling enough suggestion. But there’s more. Because the podcast would also seek to find out why Harry, unlike his honoured guests, was not a sociopath. A source who “worked closely with [the Sussexes] on audio projects” recalls Harry saying: “I have very bad childhood trauma… What is it about me that didn’t did make me one of these bad guys?”

    Sadly, though, this fascinating pitch never bore fruit. We can only speculate why. But perhaps someone at Spotify gently put it to Harry that, given the podcast’s theme, persuading his desired interviewees to take part might not be easy.

    I wonder how Harry thought it would go…

    “Hello, is that Vladimir Putin?”

    “Speaking.”

    “Hi Vlad, it’s Prince Harry. You know: the ginger one from the British Royal family. Until recently, anyway. Just wanted to ask you a quick favour.”

    “But of course, Harry. Fire away.”

    “I’m starting a podcast, and I’d like to interview you for it.”

    “Sure, no problem. I love being interviewed. After all, everyone knows how strongly I believe in media freedom, and the importance of holding political leaders to account. Why, without that, we wouldn’t have democracy! Is there anything in particular you’d like to question me about?”

    “Yes. My podcast is going to be called Prince Harry Meets the World’s Most Awful People, and in it, I’m going to ask my guests why exactly they’re so horrible, evil and mad. So naturally I thought straight away of you.”

    “Harry, I’m touched.”

    “Hang on, I haven’t finished yet. As well as discussing why it is that you’re so awful, we’ll also talk about why it is that I, by contrast, am so wonderful. How come, instead of being a hideous psycho like you, I turned out to be so selfless, humble and down-to-earth?”

    “That’s a great question.”

    “It is. A lot of people have been asking it, ever since I publicly walked out on my family and moved to the other side of the world to get away from them. And people are bound to ask that question even more, when they find out that I’ve agreed to write a tell-all memoir revealing damaging secrets about my family in exchange for a vast sum of money.”

    “Delightful. Harry, I’d love to appear on your podcast.”

    “Thanks, Vlad. I knew that, despite being, like I just said, a ruthlessly self-serving maniac, you’d be eager to help out a complete stranger for no personal gain, and allow him to insult you in front of the entire world.”

    “My pleasure. There’s only one very small difficulty. What with my busy schedule of invading other countries and murdering my critics in cold blood, I might not have room in my diary to fly to Montecito. So would you mind if we conduct the interview in Russia, instead? I have the perfect studio for you. It’s on the top floor of an extremely tall building, and has the most spectacular views – as you will see, when I take you over to the window…”

    Rachel from accounts does it again

    More bad news for Rachel Reeves. Last year, to make sure that our taxes are being spent wisely, she created a new body called the Office for Value for Money (OVM). But now Dame Meg Hillier, who chairs the Treasury select committee, has given her verdict. And she says the OVM is “something of a red herring”, has “no clear plan to measure its effectiveness”, and runs “a clear risk of unnecessary duplication”.

    In other words: this plan to save taxpayers’ money is a waste of taxpayers’ money.

    How unfortunate. Still, I hope the Chancellor won’t feel too downcast – because the solution to her problem is obvious. To make sure that the Office for Value for Money is delivering value for money, she should create the Office for the Office for Value for Money’s Value for Money.

    Naturally, though, taxpayers will require reassurance that the Office for the Office for Value for Money’s Value for Money is delivering value for money. To this end, Ms Reeves will need to create the Office for the Office for the Office for Value for Money’s Value for Money’s Value for Money.

    To fund all these brilliant money-saving schemes, of course, Ms Reeves will probably need to put our taxes up. But I’m sure no one will mind. You can’t put a price on prudence.

    2. Gosh, that will be the end of the Hon. Meg Hillier's career in the Labour party.
      I knew her slightly at university, and always had the impression that she was just another privileged little rich girl feeling guilty. But at least she hasn't sold out, as this verdict shows.

    3. I wonder how the Hewitt family see things now, as Harry ages he seems to be taking on a different appearance.

      2. I'm confused, Ready Eady. Wasn't Harry Hewitt once married to Concepta, the Irish barmaid at the Rover's Return in Corrie? Lol.

          2. Lucille Hewitt’s dad. I recall when he was crushed to death under a car he had jacked up.

          4. Lucille Hewitt’s dad. I recall when he was crushed to death under a car he had jacked up.

          5. You are obviously far to young to remember the early days of Coronation Street, Eddy. Lol.

      3. Actually the image in that photo shows a resemblance to Charles. It’s the first time I’ve been able to see it although Peta J of blessed memory used to claim they were facially alike.

    4. It's already been done. Louis Theroux made a series of interviewing dreadful people – he even did Jimmy Savile.

      2. That was really creepy.
        You could feel the anger and resentment roiling under Savile's stonewalling.
        And the cheapo wardrobes stuffed with his mother's clothes, years after she died.

    5. No one pointed out to Reeves that you don't create value for money by expanding government? It comes from your budget being limited and earned.

      They're all incompetent, with not an iota of ability between them.

  26. As it all pans out it looks like the Southport murder trial has been a master class from the outset in controlling public information to the advantage of the government.
    By not timely releasing information that was well known to the authorities, it led to all sorts of speculation, fake news and the demonstrations / riots.
    This gained the government the initiative from the start to look at social media and bring in more controls over what they call hate speech and far right fake news, it gave Starmer the chance to look tough jailing the rioters, while calling everyone who had concerns far right extremists.
    Then by having the murderer plead not guilty it kicked the can down the road for months, the mainstream media could not report much in the meantime because they didn't want to be accused of damaging the trial.
    While at the same time all the rioters pleaded guilty and were swiftly jailed with full coverage and mugshots all over the media, I suppose by pleading guilty there wasn't any trial whereby any information could come out.
    Then by mere coincidence the trial is held on a day where there is a huge distraction with the Inauguration.
    Then by more good fortune for the government, the murderer pleads guilty at the last minute, so no trial, no embarrassing scrutiny for all concerned, no idea why the murderer did what he did.
    We cannot speculate as this would be a hate crime and could lead to jailtime.
    We await the sentence, probably another one for the mental hospital.
    Now triumphant Starmer can look prime ministerial and call for a public enquiry, after all he wasn't DPP at the time and we know how public enquiries can be stymied by the terms of the enquiry.
    So all in all nobody is any the wiser,
    And we are back to Carry On Carnage as before, evil has been further normalised.

    1. Morning Mr T. Perhaps we should start giving Depressions a name just like the naming of Storms. We could call the present Depression 'Kier'…..

  29. Morning all 🙂😊
    Just above freezing and very foggy today.
    Can our government have a good relationship with Trump ?
    Errrrm, they don't have a good relationship with 90% of the British public.
    And after what lammy had to say about him well make your our minds up.

    1. Morning J,

      Yes cold and grey here , 3c, birds are busy on the feeders .. great excitement , pair of bullfinches are back, beautiful birds.

  31. Re-posting from yesterday…
    It won't be popular to criticise Trump, but I think it is very significant.

    It appears that Trump did not have his hand on the Bible when he took his oath.
    https://jamesroguski.substack.com/p/a-very-important-detail?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email#media-06ed195a-76c6-4705-b35b-c1fd47be9ba3

    We often make the mistake of believing that the ultra rich who run the world as as unspiritual as they want us to be. They're not – they are deeply religious and superstitious, but not as members of any mainstream religion, though they sometimes take cover behind these.
    So when someone who either belongs to the parasite class, or who is pressed to show allegiance to them, does something explicitly anti-Christian or pro-satanic, then it should be taken seriously.

    1. How do we know Trump didn't have his hand on the Bible , and even if he didn't , his predecessor probably did , and realistically see where that got America .

      1. We know it because it's on film. Melania holds a book near his hand, his hand is not on it.

        One possible explanation could be because the oath specifically promises to uphold the Constitution and Trump knows that he's not going to be able to do that.

          1. It’s certainly symbolic of something that isn’t putting your hand on the Bible and swearing a solemn oath!

    3. Regardless BB, it is always prudent to mistrust politicians and government – all of them – especially when they agree with you!

      1. I don't know how anyone could live through the false dawns of David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak and STILL believe that a politician who says what people want to hear is going to be our saviour!

        1. I think there is a difference. The gang you quote were always lying. Farage and Trump mean some of what they say but are prone to being caught up in a highly seductive system. Best plan for the worst.

          1. Mmm.

            The one thing that we KNOW is going to happen is the collapse of the current fiat dollar system. Handling that is the main goal of this administration.
            The whole crypto bubble is part of their strategy (soaking up US Treasuries that nobody else wants).
            The important thing is what will happen when the creaking financial system implodes.

            It could be a classic psyop
            – Biden made things very bad.
            – Trump or Vance will roll back some of the low hanging fruit to make people feel better.
            – Then the trap will be sprung, when the President that they trust will impose the digital id, perhaps as part of controlling the borders or preventing election fraud.
            – That prepares the way for a CBDC and/or other restrictions after a financial crisis.

            -If it were implemented, a CBDC might not last long, but the grand plans for controlling humanity and moving them into “human development zones” are already in place and in the US it’s already becoming difficult to live in areas where people have lived for years, eg impossible to get house insurance, or government compulsorily purchases a whole area after a natural disaster. These plans also envisage the US being joined in a sort of EU-type organisation with Canada, Mexico, Greenland etc. Sounds familiar?
            This coup is real, but it can only be implemented if the President has the trust of the majority of otherwise sceptical citizens.

  32. Prime Minister waffling on about Southport murders and violence .

    He is on a damage limitation exercise.

    The risk factor of being attacked is more because of the filth that has been imported into the UK.

      1. For a moment, think that he was capable of limiting the damage he is responsible for: what would be different? Bear in mind his stated preference for the Davos herd.

    2. A question not being asked, is why the parents came to Blighty from Rwanda.
      And when. As the little psycho is a nice Welsh boy born in this country, his parents would appear to have lived here prior to his birth.
      Was their arrival anything to do with the massacres during the 1990s? And what was their rôle in that slaughter?

      1. Exactly , and were they bad blood , I dunno, but one thing for sure is that that ricin toxin and pdf jihadi file found .. the weapon of mass destruction , ricin is horrifying, isn't it .

        The country is full of loners and misfits, and we know that re the school massacre in Scotland years ago , but this black demon should have been picked up because he was known to the authorities for some shocking evidence.. he was on the radar.

      2. I read a while ago that his father had been a colonel involved in some very unsavoury mass murders and had been ‘helped’ out of Rwanda by some ‘uman rites lawyers! When I looked yesterday I couldn’t find the original court case files! Odd??

        1. 'They' have teams of people in the Downing St basement scouring all news sources and social media either deleting or changing the facts.

          There is even a company that specialises in tidying up MP's Wiki pages.

        2. I remember reading this. It is being hushed up.

          The only thing transparent about Starmer's and his government is that they do not wish to be transparent and honest about anything.

  33. This made Oi larf.

    "SIR – At my grammar school we were split at the end of the first year into A and B streams. I was in the former, exchanging woodwork for Latin, to the relief of the woodwork master.

    The lessons he taught me were not entirely wasted, as some 40 years later I replaced his hip.

    David Nunn
    West Malling, Kent"

        1. When I was a child living in Stanmore in 1947, the chap who was roadsweeper (remember them?) had a wooden leg just like that.

    2. You replaced his hip in a building with a roof walls a floor, windows and doors. 😉
      And you live in a building with the same advantages.

    3. For context: Nunn is/was a surgeon of some standing. Whether he is/was hip, I don't know.

  34. Started to listen to statement by Starmer. Had to turn it off. Couldn't watch the smug b*st*rd lying to us, nay, to the world.

    1. The nasal delivery is just awful (qv Thieves and Millitwat also). I am more and more convinced that these ghastly people are selected for their adenoids

  35. Moving from what we all hope to be the antidote to woke globalism and its lunacy to one of its lunatic consequences, net zero, Mikdys’ article in FSB today, Vogons, Energy Performance Certificates & Heat Pumps , is highly informative and a must read for anybody interested in where all this lunacy is leading us.

    Yesterday’s main article It's T Day. The World's Hopes Lie With Donald Trump, gave Trump advice on what he needs to end globalism once and for all, as well as telling the story of England’s first parliament in a second article On This Day – England's First Parliament are still there if you missed them.

    Energy watch 08.00. Demand: 42.366GW. Supply: Hydrocarbons 61.8%; Wind 12.8%; Imports 1.9%; Biomass 7.5% and Nuclear 8.8%. Solar: 0%.

    Gas is still supplying nearly two thirds of the demand for electric power at 61.8%. If gas powered stations were shut down, as Mad Miliband wants, nearly all the country would be without an electricity supply.

    freespeechbacklash.com

    1. The only downside with your site, Tom, is that there isn't enough time in the day to read all the good material you post there…

  36. OK:

    "No stone unturned" and
    "Everything's on the table"

    but no

    "Not on my watch" or
    "It didn't pass my desk"

    1. It is actually not traditional for men to wear a wedding ring it is a comparatively new innovation. Prince William doesn't wear one. I quote from the BBC (spit)
      ‘A generation or two ago, a British prince choosing not to wear a wedding ring would have barely drawn comment. But the headlines that followed that decision by Prince William show that rings for husbands are now the norm.’

      1. I wear my late fathers wedding ring as he wore it through WW2. I wear it to respect my wife, mother and father.

    2. I thought the presidential kiss for the First Lady to be hilarious. Now, this is not the balcony of Buckingham Palace, so a deep throat orgy is perhaps too much to ask for in this deeply prudish nation, but really he could have got a bit closer.

    3. SWMBO worked hard to get me to wear a wedding ring, but I never did. When we were married, we had absolutely no spare cash at all, to the extent that SWMBO would buy offal from the butchers at the end of the week, at "going into the bin otherwise" prices, and the treat for the week was one only pint in the pub, so no ring. I bought her one, though, and she still has it – a plain platinum band.
      I just hate the feel of rings, they bang into things, and have to be taken off when doing manual or grubby work, so easily lost – if the ring meant anything to me, then I'd be really upset.

      1. They can be dangerous.
        I nearly lost a finger when two patients on the locked ward set on me and tried to get the keys out of my hand.

        1. I’d heard of a bloke jumping down from the back of a lorry, resting the hand on a frame and getting the ring trapped – result, lost finger. Another good reason not to.

          1. I witnessed that. A lad behind me jumped from the lorry and left most of his finger and his ring on the edge of the tailboard. He was the only person in the unit that I knew of, who wore a ring – A signet ring, I think.

    5. My father didn't wear a ring. I don't think it ever occurred to him to consider wearing one. My three brothers are married and one of them wears a ring but the other two don't.

    6. Neither my father nor MB ever wore a wedding ring.
      One of our sons did; it was an unhappy marriage and they are just finalising their divorce.

      1. My father didn’t wear one either .

        I wasn’t fussed about the lack of a ring for Moh , but friends used to query it .

        One doesn’t need a symbol of ownership.

        I had to replace my wedding ring years ago because when I was feeding a horse , held my left hand flat , my ring was loose , and the dear horse slurped my hand and my ring vanished .

        You can guess how overwrought I was .. I revisited the field the next day with my old metal detector to search through the poo.. no ting ting ting sound , nothing … I suspect someone will be wondering how a pretty 22carat wedding ring ended up in rose fertiliser or similar .

        My husband was cross because it was chosen by him, replaced by a plain 18carat!

        1. I've never thought of a ring – or marriage, for that matter – as ownership. I don't suggest you do either, but it's an interesting debate.

          I promised to share and give my life to her, she to me. I know when she's away there's a gap. As if I'm missing something. I can't tell someone that something is bothering me – or, more usually hear a suggestion in answer to a conversation we've not had.

          When she goes away on her girls holiday to be burned in an oven she said it felt weird not to have a drink magically appear and to find the 'right' book packed (she insists on taking a fiction book but doesn't read it. She really prefers not philosophy, but psychology/economics essays). Perhaps the nicest thing was 'I kept expecting you to lumber out of the bathroom complaining about the weather.

    7. My father did not wear a wedding ring as, at the time, it was 'not the thing' for men to wear wedding rings.

      I wear a wedding ring because the husbands of Dutch women do wear wedding rings. Caroline made a similar concession as in Holland women wear the signet ring on the small finger of left hand while English women wear the signet ring on the small finger of the right hand so Caroline wears her signet ring on the small finger of the right hand. I was prepared to be a Dutch husband if she was prepared to be an English bride!

      https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/996b49641ccafe1828943f09109b68f4daf85930a63536f95aaaad11872af87d.jpg

      1. Neither of us tends to wear our rings. She doesn't because she used to work in London and a sparkler draws the diversity attention. I don't because it got stuck on once and fell off another time.

        When I first proposed all I had was a hula hoop crisp thingy, and I gave her that. To this day it's a running joke between us.

    8. Neither do I wear a wedding ring.
      Working with machinery I heard too many horror stories.

    9. Lots of men don't wear a ring. In the first place, it isn't the custom and in the second place, if you work with your hands it's very easy to rip a finger off if the ring gets caught.

    10. I don’t wear one as it had to be cut off and I can’t be bothered to get it repaired.

    11. I don’t wear jewellery full stop. I have an engagement ring and wedding ring, it couldn’t tell you where they are or the last time o wore them (we married in 2022). From my perspective, it means nothing. But i’ve always been a tad contrarian.

      Edit. When doing a jewellery audit last year, i came across two gold crosses, which i wear as a cultural/returning Christian. As wee need to reclaim our heritage.

    12. I don’t wear jewellery full stop. I have an engagement ring and wedding ring, it couldn’t tell you where they are or the last time o wore them (we married in 2022). From my perspective, it means nothing. But i’ve always been a tad contrarian.

      Edit. When doing a jewellery audit last year, i came across two gold crosses, which i wear as a cultural/returning Christian. As wee need to reclaim our heritage.

    1. I'm 10 years younger, I know many of mine who do. I wonder if it was a post 1960's fashion phenomenon.

      1. https://weddingfrontier.com/when-did-men-start-wearing-wedding-rings/
        Another quote on the subject
        "When did men start wearing wedding rings? While wedding rings have been around as early as 5,000 years ago, men started wearing wedding rings as a symbol of their marital status during the middle of the 20th century. This was a result of consumer capitalism, decades of feminism, postwar sentiments, and other historical, societal, and economic factors."

        1. I like that in the heyday of the Vikings, you recognised a woman as married not by a ring on her finger but by the bunch of keys on her belt.

      2. Neither my father, uncles nor my elder brother (+ 10 years) wore wedding rings. I think it's a generational thing.

    2. I wore mine during the time I was married, between 1984 and 1991-3.

      For me, marriage is a union of symbiotic equals and opposites. A non-man-hating feminist once expressed it well – the males penetrate and the females envelop. Quite a difference to the current orthodoxy that men and women must comply and conform to defined uniformity.

      Therefore I was as much bound to my wife as she was to me, except that under secular law it didn't quite turn out that way.

      1. Those of us who are happily married are blessed with a mixture of good luck and good judgement!

    4. I do wear a wedding ring because it is expected of a man married to a Dutch woman to do so. No other man of my generation in my family wore a wedding ring as far as I know.

  39. Because of the wide brim on the hat he couldn't kiss her – maybe she wore it on purpose. She looked bloody silly anyway

      1. Stig I think the hat would have been better slightly tilted – it looked like it had been pushed on

  40. What was the murder of Lee Rigby, what was the Westminster bridge tragedy, what about the murders of the three white gay men in a park, what about all the random murders ,what were they .. all the stabbings and senseless nastiness that we read about everyday.

    1. The Left have much to answer for in their showering this country in the pollution of diversity. They don't care about the damage they're doing. It's solely about their own ego.

      Until there are real penalties for the actions of big government and it's uncontrolled criminal immigration policies nothing will change.

    2. Joining those dots and proclaiming the answer will get you time in the slammer in modern Britain. Strange place.

      1. If I tweak the recipe for my pineapple and sultana cake, I'm sure it could successfully conceal a file.

    1. Great Britain is exhausted – financially, socially and psychologically.
      We've had a good run; 500 years seems to be about the normal life span of a successful society.
      Time to apply to become the 51st. state.
      Countries and empires rise and fall. The realistic and adaptable countries thrive under a sympathetic regime. (And none of the politicians we now produce have any liking or understanding of our country or its history.)

  42. A few decades ago Bob Monkhouse won the accolade of being the most hated celebrity and the most loved celebrity simultaneously. This inspired the Marmite commercial, and I can vouch that when I tried to introduce the French to this delicious condiment, they all thought I was trying to poison them.

    So how do we respond to Donald Trump as he treats us to a blizzard of presidential decrees like a kid deprived of sweeties for four years suddenly let loose in a chocolate factory with an "all you can eat" regime?

    Some consider him the next best thing to Brian. Some insist he is not the Messiah, but a very naughty boy. As always, I take the Schroedinger approach and think both at the same time until I see what's inside the box.

    I welcome his blitzing of woke theology, and that he is actually able to do something about it. I also think he has a robust, if not ruthless approach, to unauthorised immigration. Answering critics that many of the people he is throwing out may be well-assimilated families who have contributed to their communities for decades, he seems to be ordering them to step outside and fill the bloody forms in properly this time, and they could be back home in America within the week. Of course, he has to get his bureaucrats to do their jobs, but he might suggest he is a businessman rather than a British civil servant and used to getting things done quickly.

    I remain a sceptic though. Anyone who puts America first is hardly likely to put Britain first unless he is Schroedinger's cat. What bothers me most is if his enforcers require Britain to adopt American standards, so American corporations can compete equally with our own native businesses on their terms rather than ours. I'm sorry, Donald, but that will not do. Why do you think we left the EU?

    The other reservation I have is over Israeli atrocities in the West Bank and Gaza. The UN created a homeland for the Jews after WW2 on the understanding that they would honour this privilege and treat all those under their wing with enlightenment and decency – indeed as Moses commanded. The antics of both the Israeli military commanders and the settlers are in direct violation of this principle to the extent that if they carry on like this, the UN has every justification to strip Israel of its recognition and revert to what was there before. Otherwise it sets a dreadful precedent all sorts of other regimes might well be eager to copy.

    Does Donald Trump have the will to enforce this deal, or will he turn a blind eye to atrocity because of influential supporters back home? We'll wait and see.

    1. He'll put America first when he puts Britain first – it will be (reasonably, I think) to the advantage of the US to do so. Whether it's quite so good for the UK is a different matter.

    2. Like with everyone, there's multiple approaches: The Left hate him because he proves their dogmatic ideology the idiocy it is. They can't stand that so they go for him personally because they cannot silence the message so go for the messenger.

      From what I've heard even on pro-Trump channels he's not especially gentlemanly in the Jacob Rees-Mogg style and has more than a few rough edges. However, as I have never met him and the court lawfare was biased to do the man in for political reasons any judgement there is daft.

      When he was in office America grew. There were more jobs, more growth and more wealth. Prices were lower and Americans better off. Then Biden got in and undid it all.

      1. An unlikely similarity – Trump is rather like Tommy Robinson – not quite out of the top drawer but is actually right!

    3. 1948 Arabs attack Israel
      1967 Six days war
      1973 Yom Kippur war
      Ongoing attacks and atrocities since 1948 from all directions, too many to list
      2023 Hamas attack.
      Israel was actually remarkably reticent to do what should have been done years ago to the terrorists that surround them.

      Don't lecture us about Israel, the only country in the ME where its citizens, who obey the law are treated equally, whatever their religion.

      1. Am I being ordered to comply?

        I am not criticising Israel for what they had to do in self-defence, and have often argued myself that they were far too soft on those that invaded Israeli territory in 2023. They should have patrolled that 20 mile border adequately, and at the very least not allowed them back over the fence with their booty of hostages. Long before they made it back, there was every justification to have them rounded up and shot, and certainly not allowed to get back into Gaza.

        What I am criticising is the gratuitous treatment of civilians, their own civil infrastructure and their own rights to civil defence since, abusing the pretext of that 7th October raid – mission creep way beyond self-defence and well into atrocity.

        1. What a bloody joke.

          Gaza is/was undermined with miles of tunnels for one purpose, allowing Hamas to harm Israel.
          Those tunnels were paid for by international aid that was intended for the people of Gaza.

          The civilians certainly had it within their capability to point out virtually every Hamas stronghold, every tunnel entrance/exit, every house occupied by Hamas people.
          Those civilians did nothing.

          Israel is probably the only country in the world that is under constant attack from its neighbours and has been since its creation.

          As I stated, don't lecture us on Israel. Useful idiots only encourage the Jihadists through their support.

          1. Concerning your final sentence, be careful about linking Jihadists with Israel lest we examine Israel’s own relationship with Islamic State, used to destabilise a troublesome neighbour. Nobody, since I raised it in 2018, has yet denied what the IS supply post near the Sea of Galilee with a direct road link into Israel was about. I spotted it on a factional map of Syria during its civil war.

            It is bizarre that you suggest that civilians have complete control over their military. Do I have the power to order some commander in the field, or even have any say over military procurement of civil defence in Britain, especially during a war or period of high alert?

            Pointing out your nation’s military secrets to the enemy would be regarded in most places as a form of treason.

            The Russians have submarines routinely patrolling the Clyde. Does this warrant Britain invading Russia on a mission to destroy every submarine base in Russia that presents a threat?

          2. You are looking at two completely different topics.
            Wars make for strange bedfellows.

            Judging by your comments, if you knew that there was a terrorist cell in the house next door you would not report it, but rather take in tea and biscuits.

          3. I wouldn’t know, if they were half-competent about secrecy.

            I wrote a while ago about two busloads of Muslims going down a lane near my home that led nowhere except fields and a disused railway viaduct. I did report the incident to MI5.

        2. And Hamas falsifying the figures and using human shields and happily killing their own people in the propaganda war?

    4. You make some very valid points but Israel is merely responding, as is necessary, to the behaviour of Arabs who are so virtuous and so hard done by that their countries of origin want nothing to do with them. For the US or UK to criticise Israel given what we did to Serbia, Iraq and Libya, all on false pretences, is indefensible.

      1. The Israelis are prejudging a whole people for the sins of their zealots among them – precisely the same thing that Jews indeed suffered for centuries.

        It is another debate whether we were actually liberating Serbia, Iraq and Libya from their zealots, in the same manner Europe (and indeed Israel) was liberated in the 1940s, and we could suggest where good intentions lead sometimes.

        Nevertheless, regardless of the pretext or the perceived provocation, I stand by what I said about the current regime in Israel.

    5. "Anyone who puts America first is hardly likely to put Britain first .."

      Which is exactly how it should be. The electorate votes for a candidate on the understanding that they will put their voters/constituency/country/interests first.
      In Britain, we have been bullied, ridiculed and subdued into a sullen acceptance that our rulers hate us and always put us last.

      1. Quite. Few in their right mind here would vote for Donald Trump on an ‘America First’ platform. He is not our President. We deal with him as an equal partner or not at all, and he needs to live with that.

        Hopefully, there will be enough of a symbiosis between us that can benefit both of us, and there is no question of one doing the other down. Where there isn’t, then there is no deal. That’s business.

    6. Bob Monkhouse knew he was dying of prostate cancer.

      Before he died he made an announcement to be played on all television channels six months after his death. In this he directed the camera directly saying that he had died of prostate cancer and that he urged all men to get themselves tested for the disease.

      Admirable.

    7. I don't expect him to prioritise the UK. He is, after all, the POTUS. It is perfectly right that he puts America first. I only wish our lot would do the same for us instead of prioritising everybody else but the UK and its indigenous peoples.

    1. The WHO has proved itself toothless by being unable to stop China from flying around the world when the pandemic was announced. I'm sure they tried, but the 'up yours' was probably short and to the point.

      It is also a comically 'woke' organisation that has overstepped it's remit multiple times in trying to tell us how we should live.

  44. We've been asked to foster a very old Newfoundland called Winston. He is 11, has hip dysplasia and heart problems. He's a lovely boy and reminds me of Wiggy in his last years, even if he is melancholy. His current owner has some sort of medical problem and is in hospital.

    As much as I would like to, I am nervous. Newfies do not do well away from family and just don't live long enough and with those health conditions the fellow could die on our watch. There's also time to just be with him and it's hardly a 'relaxed' household at the moment. He's used to a quiet, older house with one human who is over 60. Not the zoo we have.

    2. Not really a suitable place for him but i expect they are short on foster carers.

      When fostering are you responsible for the medical bills?

      2. Not normally. The daughter of one of my friends fosters a cat that has health problems. All the vets bills are paid.

    3. Oooph ….. almost emotional blackmail.
      However, sad as it is, I think you have enough on your hands.
      Given the time he probably has left, maybe one of the rescue homes might be better for him.

    4. You and your good wife work and you have a child of school age, plus assorted pets.
      Politely decline, as boarding kennels would be the solution.

    5. On the other hand, he needs someone for his declining years who will love him and take care of him. He has a ready-made Newfie family waiting for him.

  45. BTL Comment on the "Starmer to address nation" article:-

    R. Spowart
    12 min ago
    Message Actions
    Starmer fails to realise that, in the shock of immediate aftermath of the Southport attack, people wanted answers and they wanted them quickly.

    They had noted that the target and style of the attack made it obvious it was an Islamist terror attack and recognised that the Authorities were lying to them.

    So they got angry.

    And the more the Authorities and then the Government lied and obfuscated, trying to deny what was already obvious, the angrier they got.

    The actions of those prosecuted were not driven by any inherent, mythical "Far Right" ethos, but due entirely to anger.

    Anger that their Government and Prime Minister could lie so blatantly in the aftermath of such a shocking event.

    Anger that their Government and Prime Minister were more concerned about the murders not being allowed to upset "community relations".

    Anger that, for decades, they had seen their children being raped, prostituted, trafficked and murdered by Pakistani gangs who were allowed to get away with the abuse for fear of upsetting "community relations".

    And he still fails to realise that anger is still being felt by many Britons today.

    1. What could he possibly say? He can't admit the truth, he's spent decades underpinning the muslim terrorist. He's an arch statist surrounded by other statists. He can't admit he has spitefully, maliciously, deliberately raped the country with his and his ilk pouring the sewage of 'the diversity' all over this country, can he?

  46. BTL Comment on the "Starmer to address nation" article:-

    R. Spowart
    12 min ago
    Message Actions
    Starmer fails to realise that, in the shock of immediate aftermath of the Southport attack, people wanted answers and they wanted them quickly.

    They had noted that the target and style of the attack made it obvious it was an Islamist terror attack and recognised that the Authorities were lying to them.

    So they got angry.

    And the more the Authorities and then the Government lied and obfuscated, trying to deny what was already obvious, the angrier they got.

    The actions of those prosecuted were not driven by any inherent, mythical "Far Right" ethos, but due entirely to anger.

    Anger that their Government and Prime Minister could lie so blatantly in the aftermath of such a shocking event.

    Anger that their Government and Prime Minister were more concerned about the murders not being allowed to upset "community relations".

    Anger that, for decades, they had seen their children being raped, prostituted, trafficked and murdered by Pakistani gangs who were allowed to get away with the abuse for fear of upsetting "community relations".

    And he still fails to realise that anger is still being felt by many Britons today.

    1. Hey.. what about the money?
      If that was Theresa May or Fair Weather Friend Johnson they'd leave a book or two of signed blank cheques.

    2. Hey.. what about the money?
      If that was Theresa May or Fair Weather Friend Johnson they'd leave a book or two of signed blank cheques.

  48. 'Morning All
    Retired cop on Talk TV…

    "Had it been a white skinhead who had attacked and murdered Asian schoolgirls, and a copy of Mein Kampf was found in his bedroom, Labour and the police would have had his background and photo out for the press within hours."
    #HateFacts
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VN329BJ584

    3. Let us hope that he will be able to provide absolute, incontrovertible proof that the man-made climate change hoax is being used to mount scams upon ordinary people who are gullible enough to believe what untrustworthy people tell them.

        1. Nice thought; I usually pick a tall, good looking man.
          It keeps my feminine wiles in practice.

      2. Talking of shopping, this morning I bought some crumpets from Aldi, Annie. Had two later with butter on top after popping the crumpets in my toaster as you suggested. Delicious!

  52. 400338+ up ticks,

    Morning Each,

    What the stupidly, not physically, blind English must do now is, where possible, follow President Trump as if by proxy he was our Countries leader.

    Live Starmer knew about Southport attacker’s terror links – but denies cover up,

    Lie upon lie upon lie ,encapsulated in a cover up via a
    treacherous nut case.

  54. Well, if Stoma thought his born-again openness on the Stockport slaughter would quieten things down, he's got it ever so slightly wrong.
    In the hour and a half since the announcement, the Wail has clocked up 1,500 comments and the DT 2600+; let's just say the comments are not exactly singing his praises.

  55. The world and his wife know that Starmer was instrumental in preventing the family being sent back to Rwanda to face very serious charges there. The documents have been shared on X. That's why the lying sh*ts hate Elon.

    1. Good morning Sue and everyone.
      Evidence? It's so easy to 'photoshop' documents that if Sir Keir were involved in defending the fiend's father, he would have admitted it as soon as possible.
      Lawyers uphold the law, even when it's disagreeable.

      1. In the same way that he immediately admitted the perp is a black Mohammedan terrorist instead of silence followed by pretence that he's a Welsh Christian choirboy? And no, there were not legitimate reasons for the silence. If the latter description had been true, a press release with name and photos would have been published without delay. Tim, there was a time when I'd have agreed with you but these days lawfare is about using the law, not upholding it.

      1. Yes. There is also one where they have to agree do destroy their own conscience, and then sell their souls.

    1. What bolleaux – firstly they aren't giving details of this so called "£22Bn Black Hole" so I wonder if it actually existed. Then there is the billions they have squandered since July on carbon capture [unproven], aid to Africa for climate scams, Ukraine and public sector pay rises to name but a few! If there ever was a Black Hole it's more than doubled since July!

      1. 1M Followers on Instagram.
        x3 the PM. Don't think Joe Public would buy him a lunch out of gratitude.
        .. services for a bung maybe.

      2. No. I think, having lived most of my adult life in the USA that I know exactly how she feels. The fact that you are in an environment that the police can't tell you what to do because you can give as good as you get due to the 1st and 5th amendment. Is something incredibly precious. What Trump has done is simply reinforce the traditional freedom of the everyday American. Freedoms that we don't have because we live in a system that is oppressive and because we grew up in it, we assume it is normal. When I came back, I saw that all around me in not just big things but little things. How people interact here because of class, education, accent, etc etc etc. It doesn't operate in the USA in anything like the way it does here. That is why a Hillbilly is now the vice president of the USA and his equivalent, Tommy Robinson, is in jail here. We may have given the world the concept of freedom but most will not fight for it. If they did the British system would collapse very fast, it is rotten to the foundations. But people are so complacent they will let others go to jail for them and do next to nothing in return.

    2. I thought it was tears of sarcasm to begin with – taking the piss out of the snowflakes. But in the end i thought it was tears of relief after years of psychological pressure.

      It’s not over though. I don’t know many people i like irl (in real life)(though you are all excepted); as they all have DTS..

  58. BREAKING: President Trump has fired the acting head of the U.S. immigration court system and three other key leaders, immediately after taking office.

    This one is big.

  60. Par four:
    Wordle 1,312 4/6

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

    2. Hoorah!!!!

      Libtard friends over here in meltdown. Hilarious to observe! But there are just too many of them!

      I have 2 bonafide girlfriends on this subject; my husband just one pukka non-Libtard friend.

      God knows what would have happened of we hadn’t met each other.

  63. Do you get they feeling they really aren't messing around this time.
    Gawd help the first Leftie activist plonker judge or Lady Hale type to set up a legal road block.

    1. Morning Eddy. I haven't read that one, but the Health Fascists have been stirring of late recommending big alcohol tax increases and nasty pictures of cancerous organs being plastered all over beer, spirit and wine bottles. I'd think it is nicely convenient that the two go together all the same

        1. Indeed yes. It's all being done because these people are driven to #BeKind to you. For your own good children, dontcha know. And if you are not good, like Two Tier Gradgrind then it's to save a penny in Our the State's NHS.

      2. I've also noticed that that word ALCOHOL has been bandied about more than it's ever been mentioned during the whole of my life.
        Also a precursor for more rolling over to slammer-ism. By Our pathetic and increasingly useless politicos.

        2. I've promised to stay away from alcohol and caffeine for the sake of my leaky heart. I comply mostly because the symptoms register strongly in my digestive system, which was already out to get me before all of this began.

    2. I suspect it's general incompetence re policies that haven't been thought through.

      I'll bet the laws are totally ignored in the nail bars, barber shops, FX exchange shops, car washes etc, run by you know who.

    3. Pubs are places where British people congregate and talk, exchange information and crack jokes. Of course they don't like them. People should be at home wearing a virtual reality headset listening to propaganda.

      1. The truth is that the government loathes and detests all those who try to run their own businesses.

  65. Downing Street has dismissed viral social media rumors claiming that Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Party leader and former human rights lawyer, represented the father of Southport stabbing suspect Axel Rudakubana in a 2003 asylum case.

    The allegations, which gained traction on X (formerly Twitter), were cited as part of a supposed cover-up regarding the tragic attack in Southport.

    A spokesperson for the Prime Minister firmly denied the claims, stating that there is no basis for the accusation. Records from a 2003 High Court case confirm that none of Sir Keir’s clients matched the description of Rudakubana’s father, a Rwandan man who moved to the UK 24 years ago. At the time, Starmer represented asylum seekers in a legal challenge against Tony Blair’s immigration laws. These clients included individuals from Ethiopia, Angola, Iran, and Rwanda, but none were Rwandan men.

    The Southport incident, which occurred on July 29, has been at the center of national outrage. Rudakubana, 18, is accused of fatally stabbing three young girls, Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. Police later found ricin and an Al Qaeda manual at his home, leading to additional terror-related charges.

    Misinformation about the case has fueled public unrest. Social media claims wrongly suggested Rudakubana was a migrant, despite his birth in Cardiff. This false narrative, coupled with outrage over the attack, sparked riots across the UK. Nearly 1,000 individuals were arrested during the unrest, with over 300 facing charges and many receiving immediate custodial sentences.

    Former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal has urged the public to stop speculating about the case, warning of legal consequences. “Every comment & online post is undoubtedly collected by lawyers to argue the accused cannot have a fair trial,” he wrote on X. Afzal emphasized that the spread of misinformation could undermine the judicial process and called for restraint.

    The controversy has also drawn political criticism. Tory MP Robert Jenrick expressed concern over alleged government secrecy, calling for transparency. “Any suggestion of a cover-up will permanently damage public trust in whether we’re being told the truth about crime in our country,” he said. Jenrick also urged Starmer to clarify what he knew about the Southport case and when.

    Rudakubana appeared via video link at Liverpool Crown Court on November 13, where a judge ruled that all charges, including murder, attempted murder, and terror offenses, would be combined into a single trial. Scheduled to begin on January 20, 2025, the trial is expected to last four to six weeks. During the hearing, Rudakubana refused to confirm his name and remained silent, pulling his sweatshirt over his face.

    The riots and misinformation surrounding the case highlight the dangers of unchecked rumors in the digital age. The government’s handling of the case and public outrage has raised broader questions about transparency and the role of social media in shaping public perception.

    As the trial approaches, the focus will remain on ensuring a fair judicial process while addressing the misinformation that has fueled unrest. The case underscores the challenges of balancing public interest, government accountability, and the integrity of legal proceedings in high-profile incidents.

    Strange , but think about this , people from Rwanda are negroes, whereas Axel Rudakubana has the physiognomy of an Ethiopian , finer boned and athletic looking.

    Do you understand what I mean?

        1. I deliberately used the word "firm" as I regard his chambers more like the Cosa Nostra than lawyers.

    2. Dismissed is just another word, but as the whole of the universe knows actions speak louder than words.
      Actions that our social, economic and cultural structure is now under threat from.

      1. That would fit with the violence. By reputation Somalis are think nothing of engaging in extreme violence.

    4. Sir Keir Starmer KC Right Honourable has taken advice from Taz Muhammad Salman Rayan Haider Islam former Solicitor & Mediator for the former Leader of The Opposition Mr Jeremy Free-Palestine Corbyn.. and can categorically unequivocably confirm that he may or may not have been somewhere there but did not participate.

    5. The whole thing is lies with no truth. Who did represent the father then. Everything must be proved.

    7. Just a few days before, the Army bid had been brutally stabbed nearly to death. This lit the touch-paper. It was important in the scheme of events. The trial has been postponed till March.

  66. Morning all! (For once! 🤣)

    I miss bacon. small plaintive squeak

    Don't get me wrong. I love my life here, especially since I am now back dancing again after being frustratingly out of action with a twisted knee, but damn it how did I end up in a baconless country? I had a yearning for a bacon sarnie but the ridiculously expensive smoked pancetta slices have just fried away to nothingness. 😢🤣

    Ah well, can't have everything. But if anyone happens to be enjoying a proper bacon sarnie, please could you think of me? 🤣🤣

    1. Amazon might be your friend, Ashes.
      But it's good to read how much fun you're having. A positive light in an otherwise gloomy world!

    2. I miss bacon too, me duck. The muck they sell in Sweden is a travesty.

      So I roll up me sleeves and cure me own!

      It smells — and tastes — gradely, me duck!😉

          1. You do not have any of that white stuff that comes out of much of the bacon. Their sausages are very good as well.

      2. I did think of you! Sadly, I haven’t the requisite pots and pans, nor space, nor indeed patience. 🤣

        Think of me next time you crunch into your exquisite bacon!

    4. No comparison, Kathie…similar to comparing my 'singing' to your glorious voice. All the best, keep looking for the sarnies…x and take it easy with your knee…

      1. I know that there is a branch of Harrods in Buenos Aires, Katy. It's no relation to the British Harrods, but my father used to visit it on his business trips to Buenos Aires from Cordoba in order to buy a bottle or two of HP sauce which he sparingly used on his Sunday breakfast. I guess you might enquire there to see if they can supply you with bacon or at least point you in the right direction. Good luck.

    5. You might get lucky if you go on a hunt. Oink Oink.

      Yes, you can find bacon sandwiches in Buenos Aires, although they might not be as readily available as in other countries; you can usually find them in delis or restaurants that offer a variety of sandwich options, and some might even include bacon in their "sándwiches de miga" (typical Argentinian cold sandwiches).
      Key points to remember:

      Not a common street food:
      Unlike a "choripán" (grilled chorizo sandwich), bacon sandwiches aren't a typical street food in Buenos Aires.

      Look for delis or cafes:
      If you want a bacon sandwich, try looking in upscale delis or cafes where they might offer more international sandwich options.
      "Sándwiches de miga":
      These are the most common type of cold sandwich in Argentina, and some places might offer bacon as a filling option.

      1. Cold “bacon” in plastic bread. Thanks, my dear, but not *quite* what I was dreaming of… 🤣🤣

    7. I asked Chat GPT, and it answered thus:
      Finding British bacon in Buenos Aires can be a bit tricky, but there are a few specialty stores and markets where you might have luck. Here are some options to explore:

      Casa del Queso: A well-known delicatessen offering a variety of international products, including British-style bacon. They often carry imported goods like cheeses, cold cuts, and other British food items.

      El Gourmet: This high-end food store carries a selection of imported goods, and it's possible to find British bacon or similar products in their deli section.

      Canning Fair (Feria de Canning): Some of the specialty stalls at this large market may sell international food products, including British items like bacon.

      The British Shop: A British-themed store in Buenos Aires that sells a variety of imported British food products. They may have British-style bacon or be able to source it for you.

      Online stores or delivery platforms: Websites like Mercado Libre or specialty online food stores may carry imported bacon options, including British-style bacon.

      If you have a specific store in mind, it’s always a good idea to call ahead or check their website to confirm if they have British bacon in stock.

  67. I must repost the birthday list.

    PLEASE will Nottlers let me know of any changes or additions I must make.

  68. New inquiry into Prevent policy is showing signs of early stitch up manoeuvres:

    Announcement by Two-Tier, "[Aside from traditional terrorist threat] we also see acts of extreme violence perpetrated by loners, misfits, young men in their bedroom accessing all manner of material online, desperate for notoriety, sometimes inspired by traditional terrorist groups, but fixated on that extreme violence seeming only for its own sake."

    Cue – pass new laws to prevent law abiding citizens using the Internet.

    "the government would not wait until the inquiry finished before making changes, adding: "We need to get on with the change in the meantime and to reassure the public that every step has been taken to protect their children.""

    As usual then, the execrable and ineffectual Prevent programme won't actually be the focus of the inquiry despite its stated scope, because we aren't waiting for its conclusion – Cue using it as a pretext to pass laws but not to get to the root of the policy's problems.

    Prevent already new many times over that he was a terrorist risk, but it was in the best interests of everyone, a) to do nothing, b) having seen the outcome of their inaction to keep secret the details because he would have got off. Lame Keir, lame in the extreme.

    Apparently even before any inquiry occurs terrorism is now redefined in the way lefties continuously try to redefine the truth as a problem of kids in bedrooms using the Internet. Terrorism without ideology, then? I don't know about you, but I don't know about any terrorist without an ideology. Bored boys in bedrooms who go shooting up the town are just rebels without a cause. They ain't terrorists. No wonder that neither the government nor Prevent has a clue. I'm reminded of that Terry Gilliam film: 'Brazil'. It's all about the government stupid! How can I tell Two Tier is being economical with the truth? Easy. Same as all his history demonstrates on previous evidence – I saw his lips move.

      1. The ultimate insult is that we’ve got a transparent misrepresentation of the truth on a daily basis by someone who appears never to have been straight with us since the first day he publicly uttered anything or made a promise. He clearly thinks we are as dim as he is and takes us for fools.

        The bleedin’ obvious. The man is simply not credible and I wouldn’t buy so much as a newspaper off him if he were running a stall at a train station.

        1. I subscribed to his substack a couple of months ago and his writing is superb. I recommend doing the same – he offers a 50% discount for pensioners.

    3. "…we also see acts of extreme violence perpetrated by loners, misfits, young men in their bedroom accessing all manner of material online, "

      Talk about a crude stereotyping. It's on a par with witch burning. Are "loners and misfits" to be condemned?

      1. There are all sorts of problems with it aren’t there. We’ve been stereotyped, predominantly by the left in politics for so long it’s probably hardly possible for them to discern reality anymore. And all because they want to stretch or squash reality into their narrow moral worldviews. If it’s not redefining terrorism to suit, then it’s redefining a religion as a race so that they can add the portmanteau suffix “phobia” to their spurious accusations. What’s happening in the Middle East doesn’t qualify as genocide? Easy. Just redefine genocide so that it fits the accusations!

        This current mangling is only to cover up complicity in the crimes of the past 20-years. The inquiry only exists to limit the scope of the conversation. And so it goes on.

    2. Jelly??
      Best bacon sarnie is two pieces of bread and hot, crispy bacon. No embellishments.

      1. The best bacon sandwich is in one of my cobs (rolls, baps, buns, breadcakes … other names are available), cut in two, and having the insides dipped in the hot bacon fat, before chucking in loads of nice crispy bacon; back or streaky, green or smoked, it matters not. Either to be enjoyed as it is or with any of the following accompanuiements:

        Fried egg,
        Mushrooms,
        Pickled beetroot slices,
        HP sauce.

        1. Stop it Grizzly, you're making me hungry. Time, I think, for another couple of buttered crumpets.

    1. How unfair! We little people just don't understand the intricate all knowing mind of the economist genius at work. I'm sure it'll all sort itself out 😆

    2. Worth watching, thanks Eddy. For the age group of many of us here (see Rastus' list above)..IHT could well apply. Consult an IFA for details.

    3. "Unexpected" by vindictive quarter-wits who think 4th. form politics is the way to run a country.

      1. As always with the vast majority of our political classes they live behind and wall of pathological and habitual lying.
        As Colonel Nathan Jessop said in the film A few good men. "they can't handle the truth"!

  72. Trump: "Over the past eight years, I have been tested and challenged more than any president in our 250 year history, and I've learned a lot along the way."

    https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/tv/bbc-flooded-with-complaints-as-viewers-switch-off-over-trump-s-inauguration/ar-AA1xxgR8?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=e1b3d25e76b744aeb3380a0422f7ed5d&ei=2

    Civil War, First World War, Great Depression, Second World War, Atomic Bombs, Korean War, Vietnam War, Twin Towers? Mere trifles.

    1. I believe he is speaking at the personal rather than the political/executive level.

      How many of the Presidents in charge during those events were being impeached, dragged through courts left right and centre, and constantly denigrated and fought, for everything they attempted?

      Modern politics in America is utterly different from even 20 years ago.
      It is far more polarised.

    2. I listened to his speech and I think sosraboc is correct. He was talking about how he was treated by his opponents. Treatment that was unprecedented in USA history. A blot and a shame that people should go to jail for. In particular Hillary Clinton who's campaign manufactured the Steele dossier. In my opinion her behaviour was an act of treason against not just a sitting President but treason against the State.

  73. About to go out for the arvo – a lecture on the Renaissance. Back later. Play nicely.

  75. Just by a random, completely unconnected coincidence, the policies and opinions of Keir Starmer's close friend, the Attorney General, Lord Richard Hermer, outlined in his Wikipedia entry, appear to be virtually identical to the policies and opinions of George and Alex Soros..

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hermer,_Baron_Hermer

    By another completely unconnected coincidence, Foreign Secretary Alex Soros' policies are virtually the same as his secretary, David Lammy!

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/02af4de595076b6e3126b964562d83d3978a434682a53ac0451cdaaeea789672.jpg

    1. I am astonished that there are any coherent or incoherent ideas at all in Lammy's head.

      1. I think all his ideas come from George Soros whom he visited for private talks, all expenses paid, in New York in 2018.

  76. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/201c822fff2ad815c797e2cc6257cc0f533fd34e965ebf57f12a73ac9d17eba3.png
    I would be grateful if fellow Nottlers would let me know of any Errors and Omissions to this list.

    Also is there anyone who would like to be added to the list – if so please let me know.

    02 January – 1947 : Poppiesmum
    08 January – 1941 : Rough Common
    09 January – **** : thayaric
    10 January – 1960 : hopon
    16 January – 1941 : Legal Beagle
    18 January – 1963 : Stormy
    23 January – 1951 : Damask Rose
    23 January – 1960 : Kifaru
    27 January – 1948 : Citroen 1
    10 February -1949 : Korky the Kat (Dandy Front Pager)
    11 February- 1964 : Phizzee
    22 February- 1965 : AW Kamau
    22 February- 1951 : Grizzly (Alan/George)
    24 February- 1941 : Sguest
    28 February- 1956 :Jeremy Morfey
    29 February- **** : Ped
    02 March- **** : Garlands
    05 March—– 1957 : Sue MacFarlane
    08 March—– 1957 : Geoff Graham
    26 March—– 1962 : Caroline Tracey
    27 March—– 1947 : Maggiebelle
    27 March—– 1941 : Fallick Alec
    19 April——- 1954 : Devonian in Kent
    22 April——–1950 :Jay Sands
    26 April——- **** : Harry Kobeans
    06 May———1949 Dave Sergeant
    18 May———****: Hertslass
    24 May——– 1944 : Sir Jasper (NoToNanny) (Tom)
    01 June——- 1952 Bob of Bonsall
    02 June——–1939: Clydesider
    08 June——– **** : Still Bleau
    09 June——- 1947 : Johnny Norfolk
    09 June——– 1947 : Horace Pendleton
    23 June——– 1961 : Oberstleutnant (Paul)
    25th June——-1952 : Corimmobile
    01 July———-1946: Rastus C Tastey (Richard)
    12 July——— 1956 : David Wainwright/Stigenace
    18 July——— 1941: lacoste
    19 July——— 1948: Ndovu (jules)
    21 July———-1960: Made in Britain
    26 July——— 1936 : Delboy
    29 July———- 1944 : Lewis Duckworth
    30 July———- 1946 : Alf the Great
    01 August—— 1950 : Datz
    03 August—— 1954 : molamola
    10 August—— 1967 : ourmaninmunich
    18 August—— **** : ashesthandust (Katy)
    19 August——- 1951 : Hugh Janus
    04 September- 1948 : Joseph B Fox
    07 September- 1946 : Araminta Smade (Mighty Minty)
    09 September ———: Conway (Connors)
    11 September- 1947 : Peter Anderson (ex peddytheviking)
    12 September- 1946 : Ready Eddy (ex Eh Calm Down)
    13 September- **** : Anne Allan (The Push Nurse)
    15 September- **** : veryoldman
    26 September- **** : Feargal the Cat
    30 September 1944 : One Last Try
    07 October—– 1960 : Bob 3
    11 October—– 1944 : Hardcastle Craggs
    25 October—– 1955 : Sue Edison
    26 October——-1948: Jonathan Rackham
    12 November- ***** : Cochrane
    01 December– 1956 : Sean Stanley-Adams
    06 December– 1943 : Duncan Mac
    10 December– **** : Audrey, Me, & Dunster
    16 December– **** : Plum
    21 December– 1945 : Elsie Bloodaxe

    (E&OE)

    (Last Updated : 21/01/25)

    2. You can change mine to 28 Feb 1944. the date which I was registered. It was said that I was born on the 29th but my father had died three weeks before and my mother was a little superstitious and changed the date. My fathers body was retained by the Bradford Radiological Research Unit for several months before it was released for burial. He died of skin cancer and had been receiving treatment in the newly formed radiation unit. My mother remarried and I have never seen a photograph of my father, and I was 72 years old before I met a relative, other than my elder brothers and sister.
      I have visited more than 15 countries and met 10,000+ people but he was the first one I met with the same surname. He was a cousin and born in the same place as my father and had the same Christian name. Alas, he died relatively young also.
      Now, because of a popular British singer, everyone recognises the surname.

    1. Hillary should be in prison. When Trump said: "Enemies foreign and domestic." He should have turned and looked right at her while he said it. She is truly evil.

      1. That's weird; when I look at Nottl on my phone, I can see Polly's posts, but when I log in, I can't! I don't recall blocking her.

        1. Is that just this one, Conway – have you been able to see them previously on both? and when you say log in, is that to your email (which provider?), or accessing the internet? Do you always use your phone, or pad, or computer? (sorry for all questions, Polly might be able to help)…good luck x

          1. I log in, via Disqus, on my laptop. Occasionally I just look at the comments on my phone (via a browser).

          2. If you haven’t changed anything at your end, and haven’t been notified of any change from any supplier….perhaps try what our computer support used to suggest ‘have you tried turning it off and back on again?’….sometimes it actually works….

          4. I never log out so don't have to log in unless something has gone badly wrong – that's happened a couple of times but not often.

          1. These are the same posts; on the phone I started reading oldest first (on the laptop I read newest first) so I read the post that is now blocked to me!

  79. Looking at the initial lists there aren't many that I would not agree with wholeheartedly, if I was an American.
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14306917/Trump-executive-orders-Day-One.html

    The January 6 item looks more like I would have wished than the blanket pardon it has been described as.

    Granting Pardons and Commuting Sentences for Certain Offenses Relating to the Events at or Near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021
    The executive order names 14 January 6 offenders who Trump pardoned.

    'This proclamation ends a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years and begins a process of national reconciliation.

    It also ensures that all prisoner held on charges related to the Capitol insurrection are released immediately.

  81. My area has experienced two power cuts recently. One on December the 18 that lasted for 5 hours, another today lasting 2 hours 15 minutes. My power just came on. This is pretty new down here in West Sussex. I recall perhaps one in the last few years but I'm not certain of that. I'm curious. Are other people experiencing cuts at a rate more than normal? I wonder if this is the consequence of the net zero lunacy or just in the realm of, it happens. Whichever way, I have the feeling this is going to become more frequent given the policies of this absurd government.

    1. We've had just one, about 3-weeks ago. It's the first we have had in a few years though. It's unusual. This is N. Suffolk area by the way.

      1. We had them regularly a few years ago, James – a power plant struck by lightening, bit surprised that was a thing early 2020s

        1. I actually expect them given where we live. No gas availability by pipe and everything on electric makes you sweat a bit. Add to that we are on the end of a spur supplied by telegraph pole power lines and even a bit of strong wind might cut us off while the rest of the region stays supplied. But no, it’s been a rare event for the whole of the 10-ish years we’ve been here.

          1. I did switch my stove to a gas stove for that reason. I'm not comfortable with having all my eggs in one basket for energy.

          2. So did I. I no longer have town gas to the property (one of MOH's strange decisions), but I have Calor gas.

          3. When we moved here the cooker was electric but with a calor gas hob, and a gas bottle in the adjacent cupboard. We got rid of that one after a few years.

          4. The original gas cooker was replaced with an electric one, but with a view to forthcoming power cuts, I got rid of that and replaced it with a Calor gas stove and two large bottles outside. The only electricity I use now is for the central heating pump, lights, immersion heater and a small greenhouse heater in the studio. Optional electricity use is my laptop, the Pet Remedy diffuser for Kadi and the rodent repellent in the garage. I am trying to replace the immersion heater with a coil to heat the water with oil. We used to have it, but changing it was another of MOH's bright ideas that I am trying to rectify now. If I use no electricity at all, I have to pay £21 in standing charges.

          5. We are similar. LPG tanks next to various houses…what could possibly go wrong….every other dwelling all electric. Think more or less the norm country areas.

          7. Some round us do have oil tanks and a few the calor tanks, but most on single fuel.

          8. Next door neighbour has just spent a fortune on having her old heat pump replaced with a new one – entailed a lot of other pipe-work etc as well. The men were here for a week doing it. She's all electric but does have a small wood burner stove in the sitting room.

    2. We haven't had one for a while. A couple of months ago there was one but it was repaired quite quickly. We saw the man up the pole fixing it. When we bought this house 30 years ago power cuts were frequent – I remember one lasting several days and we had to go out for fish & chips just for something to eat.

    4. No power cuts in Eastern Canada recently BUT they are signaling in retaliation if Trump imposes tariffs on Canadian exports and this might go as far as cutting off energy supplues to the US.

      What they seem to overlook is that much of Ontarios oil and gas comes through a pipeline that runs through the USA. Somehow I don't see the US allowing the flow to continue to flow if US supplies are cut.

      Tariffs are threatened for February 1st, it will be mighty cold.

    6. My lights went off and had to be flicked back on at the swtich box. Could it have been due to a lack of overall power supply at that time?

  83. So they are politicising the murder of children to censor the internet.

    According to Prevent, last year 19% of it's referrals were for rightwing ideology, and only 13% for Slamist ideology. Looking in the wrong places and turning a blind eye is endemic in UK instititutions.
    How many atrocities has the farright carried out compared to the Slamists?

      1. I would feel sorry for Ed Balls were it not for the fact that he seems to be a pillock when he has anything to do with politics. To be fair when he steered clear of the topic and talked about cricket he was almost quite interesting.

    1. But Biden posted that nobody is above the law! What a repulsive lying scumbag Biden is.

      I fully expect President Trump to pull the plug on funding the crooks in Ukraine. Provided Trump deals directly with Putin and excludes the hapless Ursula and Starmer from dscussioms we can expect to see Zelenskyy and his generals fleeing Ukraine never to return. They have stolen their country’s wealth and trousered billions in aid for personal gain.

  87. – There's only two genders though really, isn't there.
    – That's an outrageous thing to say! Stop being so transphobic!
    – Why?
    – People are free to identify as whatever they want and act accordingly, without judgement.
    – Really? You sure?
    – Absolutely.
    – Great. I identify as transphobic…

  88. It's starting to get serious, really serious:

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14308091/Donald-Trump-purges-thousands-White-House-staff-not-aligned-MAGA-warns-thousand-youre-fired.html

    Donald Trump purges thousands of White House staff who are not aligned with MAGA and warns thousand more 'you're fired'

    Here they would be straight into their lawyers' offices seeking huge compensation and claims for unfair dismissal.
    If this carries on America may be moving to a dictatorship.

    1. I think you are sounding hysterical. It is nearly always the case that many of the staff leave with the outgoing president. Trump is a showman.

      1. Those who were specifically appointed by the previous administration because they were partisan yes, but not those who are career diplomats/civil servants with much experience working for several administrations.

        He appears to be taking out complete layers of bureaucracy, not necessarily a bad thing, but unusual.

          1. Can't argue against that.
            The problem is that it is next to impossible to get rid of them, even if they are incompetent.

    2. "The post read: 'Our first day in the White House is not over yet! My Presidential Personnel Office is actively in the process of identifying and removing over a thousand Presidential Appointees from the previous Administration, who are not aligned with our vision to Make America Great Again.

      'Let this serve as Official Notice of Dismissal for these 4 individuals, with many more, coming soon."

      It sounds like a usual occurrence, but even if not, the roots have to be got rid of. Anyway, a benign dictatorship might be a good thing.

      1. It's including whole layers of bureaucracy and replacing them with people who may not be nearly as experienced, that is different here.
        It is rather as if Starmer & Co fired whole echelons of career civil servants/diplomats.

          1. Quite.

            The Democrat's made a huge mistake getting Biden elected. It's given Trump 4 years to reflect on his previous administration, to ascertain what went wrong and to prepare to hit the ground running, and he's certainly doing that.

          3. Sorry Bob of Bonsall, this is the Democrats you’re referring to.
            If they shot at both feet they’d still miss; twice!

          1. The last administration's appointees, many of those going will have contacts and inside knowledge that takes years to gain.
            I'm not concerned with the purely political appointees, to Hell with them, but blanket firings risk throwing out good hard-working civil servants, there may not be many, but they do exist.

          2. The more time goes by the more clear it is that the last lot were just as bad (in different ways) than the present mob.

            I shall never vote Conservative again while any of the rump Tory party in Parliament is wept away and replaced with genuine Conservatives.

        3. Might be a good start but unlikely, as unfortunately the vast majority of them read from the same hymnbook as Starmer.

    1. Starmer clearly saw nothing wrong with disappearing people.
      That's not hyperbole – most of us would run a mile rather than be associated with a dodgy corrupt regime in public.

  90. Has anyone seen anything from Sir Jasper recently? I even sent him an email, with no answer.

    1. Not for a couple of days – he popped in and thanked Geoff as usual then. Will have a look for his last post. I hope Richard S is keeping in touch with Tom.

  91. More lunacy from this 'government' does millipede know about this ?

    Green light expected for major airport expansion | Travel Weekly
    Travel Weekly
    She is also likely to approve plans to bring a second runway at Gatwick into full-time use and to increase capacity at Luton airport. Reeves is …
    Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant
    Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton: Ministers preparing to back London airports expansion
    City AM
    The government is poised to back expansion plans at Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton airport as part of plans to stimulate economic growth.
    Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant
    What the expansion of Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton means for passengers
    The Independent
    As travel correspondent of The Independent, I've been reporting on airport expansion plans since the last century – here are the key questions and …
    Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant
    Massive expansion at Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton "set for go ahead from Reeves"
    Yahoo Finance
    Luton's proposed scheme involves building a new terminal, and new taxiways and would increase capacity to 32 million by around 2043. A decision is …
    Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant
    Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton airport expansions poised for govt go-ahead – TTG Media
    TTG Media
    Government signals expansion of Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton airports will be approved in the next few weeks, according to national media reports.
    Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant
    Government 'to back Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton expansion plans' – ENDS Report
    ENDS Report
    The government is preparing to back a number of airport expansion projects around London, including the delivery of a third runway at Heathrow, …
    Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant
    Heathrow third runway plans 'catastrophic' – BBC
    BBC
    … airport and endorse expansion at Gatwick and Luton airports, the BBC understands. Opponents of airport expansion say that increasing flight …
    Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant
    Government to signal backing for London airports expansion | Construction Enquirer News
    Construction Enquirer
    Chancellor growth plan speech to give nod to Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton plans.
    Facebook Twitter Flag as irrelevant

    1. Expanding airports would directly contradict Agenda 2030.
      On the other hand, it is a political red line. Even the least suspicious normies might notice that something is up if they can't book a flight.

      1. Allow expansion and then tax flying in the name of saving the planet. What a wizard wheeze by treasury.

          2. Or wealth creators in the UK will have a greater choice of airports from which to leave.

  92. With President Trump taking office and the sane world turning away from the globalist cabal we see the retired footballer David Beckham rubbing shoulders with the filth parading at Davos.

    Beckham is unpopular already with his obvious hankering after a knighthood but seems to have his beady eyes fixed on some European honour. We knew he was a bit thick but how embarrassing is this latest venture.

  93. Just back from t'lecture. Very interesting. The Florence "Big Three" (tied in with the expo at the Royal Academy).

    We normally have about 80 people attending. Today – here were 149. And half a dozen new members joined today. Brilliant news for a small society that struggles at times.

          2. Brian the Snail? He turned into quite a good racehorse and is still winning as a teenager! I think Kadi fancies Dougal as a role model.

          4. Kadi? He's like a whirling Dervish! If he isn't chasing his tail, he whirls round if you ask him if he'd like to go out.

    1. I would put a caveat there.
      He will want Vance to get two terms too, to consolidate the achievements and make it extremely difficult for the Democrats to undo, if they could even get in again if the Republicans really do make America great again in the Trump vision.

  95. Wordle 1,312 4/6

    ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
    ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜
    ⬜⬜🟩🟩🟩
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    Wordle 21 Jan 2025

    A chilly Par Four?

    2. #MeToo after a long time working the possibilities, I dont think there were too many alternatives….

      Wordle 1,311 4/6

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

    4. I tried the test/eliminate letters technique for the first time but it didn't help much. Got there in five.

      Wordle 1,312 5/6

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

    5. Happy with 3 today.

      Wordle 1,312 3/6

      ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜
      🟨⬜🟩🟩⬜
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

  96. Wordle 1,312 4/6

    ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
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    ⬜⬜🟩🟩🟩
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    Wordle 21 Jan 2025

    A chilly Par Four?

    1. All these Executive Orders and Pardons – does this mean the President of the USA has more power than a Constitutional Monarch? I thought the American Colonies fought a War of Independence to get rid of kings?

      1. Much more than the hereditary British king. President of the US is elected by the people. He is considered the most powerful person in the world. The war of independence was fought for American independence. Indeed many thought George Washington might become the first American sovereign until the concept of president was firmly established.

          5. When he mentioned being as tedious as a king did Dogberry, the incompetent policeman (or officer of the watch) in Much Ado About Nothing, reveal an ability to see into the future and foresee the Idiot King Charles lll?

          6. When he mentioned being as tedious as a king didDogberry, the incompetent policeman (or officer of the watch) in Much Ado About Nothing, reveal an ability to see into the future and see the Idiot King Charles lll?

      3. No, but to get rid of Lord North and Westminster's infernal rule and imposition of taxation on the Colonies.

        1. Many Americans, both at the time of the Revolution and indeed to this day, refer to George III as a ‘tyrant’.

  99. That is one thing the Americans don't like about Europe. No matter how incompetent someone is it is almost impossible to get rid of them. And if you do because of Lawyers like Starmer they get awarded huge compensation.

    I read there are thousands of civil servants in France who haven't worked in years because their jobs no longer exist but they can't be fired.

    1. Yes, I worked for an American IT Corporation who couldnt believe how difficult it was to get rid of people in their European subsidiaries – I seem to recall that it generally took at least 2 years to get rid of someone in France!

  100. Just heard on the news that the Southport killer's parents have been moved to a secret location for their protection.

    2. Of course they have. All the rampant far-right Islamophobes are a serious threat to these innocent peacelovers. We must all give thanks to our glorious leader (or be shot at dawn)

      1. The sins of the son visited on the father?

        Why did Axel Rudakubama's parents leave Rwanda?

        1. It seems that they were wanted in their own country for war crimes during the genocide, if the internet is to be believed. Is it really, by the way, a valid justification for granting asylum that people found guilty of crimes in their own countries are hence fleeing retribution under there own laws? It seems a common theme for those welcomed into the UK. I thought asylum seekers were supposed to be those fleeing injustice rather than those fleeing justice.

  101. Surprise surprise.
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14309133/doge-sued-donald-trump-white-house-governmet-waste.html

    President Trump's new Department of Government Efficiency is already under threat of being shut down from a lawsuit filed almost immediately after he took office.
    The DOGE has been one of Trump's most touted plans as he tapped Tesla billionaire supporter Elon Musk to run the newly created agency to help cut waste throughout the federal government.
    The order creating it was one of dozens of executive orders the president signed with the flourish of a pen on day one back in the White House.
    But minutes after Trump was sworn in, government watchdog groups filed a lawsuit against DOGE, threatening its creation.
    They claim that despite its name, DOGE is not actually a government agency.
    The lawsuit argues DOGE violates the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) because members 'do not have balanced viewpoints, meets are secretly held and records and work are not available to the public.'
    'As constructed, DOGE’s mission to advise OMB and the White House on how to slash regulations and cut expenditures puts at risk important consumer safeguards and public protections,' said Public Citizen co-president Lisa Gilbert.

    Democrats and lawfare like a horse and carriage.

    1. The same would happen here. You have to shut down the opposition the state is funding before you attack the funding. In most of the cases eradicating the quangocracy and nonsense would solve the need to cut funding in the first place!

    2. "Public Citizen co-president Lisa Gilbert" She the US equivalent of that awful "British (my foot)" anti-Leave woman (whose name escapes me…)?

    3. The Donald did say Elon wouldn't be getting a desk in the West Wing.

      The Dems are going to have to get smarter real quick.

    4. We've got a "danger to life" yellow weather warning for later this week. They've had to go to Wales for the latest threat; Storm Eowyn.

  104. Right – I am off. A good day – the sun almost shone….won't be seen again for several days though Friday is supposed to be "mild". I doubt it.
    We are both just so pleased at the turnout for our society's lecture today. A triumph!

    Have a jolly evening.

    A demain – one hopes.

  105. Evening, all. Had rather a lazy day after last night's excitement. Went to pay a bill in town, bought a birthday present and that was it. The Rayburn went out overnight Sunday to Monday so I'm relying on the oil heating, which doesn't cope when it's single figures, so today, as I'm mostly in, I've lit a fire to top up the warmth. Will have to relight the Rayburn later in the week. My electricity meter seems to have given up the ghost; it's giving the same reading as before Christmas, so alas I am going to have to have it replaced and that means – spit! – a smart meter.

    They could have stopped the headline after "capable" and the answer is surely, "no!".

  106. The new world order is unstoppable.
    yep.
    Every country will become third world, as first world industry is destroyed through lack of sufficient power.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14309641/Labours-Ed-Miliband-tells-Donald-Trump-worlds-Net-Zero-transition-unstoppable-despite-President-junking-Paris-climate-deal-day-White-House.html

    Appearing before the House of Lords' Environment and Climate Change Committee, Mr Miliband replied: 'It's interesting this, because… I've been at this a long time.
    'I would say one of the things that has changed since I was last in this job [between 2008 and 2010] is that the transition is now unstoppable.
    'If you think about this reality, 90 per cent of the world is now covered by Net Zero targets.'
    Mr Miliband admitted last year's COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan – which he described as '198-dimensional chess' – was 'very difficult', but said there was 'a will to get an agreement' in Baku.
    'Now I'm not trying to look at this through rose-tinted spectacles, because you can hold two truths in your mind at the same time,' he added.
    'One that the transition is unstoppable and, secondly, it's not going nearly fast enough. I think both truths are correct. The world is moving.
    'When you look at what, for example, China has done in terms of the installation of renewable energy in the last year.
    'I'm going to be goung to India shortly, which is also moving on renewable energy. That isn't to say it's all one-way traffic when it comes to China, India and so on.
    'But the world is moving and I think part of the role of UK leadership here is to do the right thing at home, because it's the right thing for energy security.
    'But we're only one per cent of emissions and so then the power of example really matters and working with others.'
    Mr Miliband told the committee not to 'underestimate the impact of British leadership' on climate issues, adding: 'It's really tough – I think the transition is unstoppable, we need to make it move faster.'

  107. When they said in a shock poll that Reform was level with Labour in popularity the shock for me was that Labour was as popular as any of the other parties.

    2. One of my colleagues says he could never vote for anyone other than Labour because his dad would never forgive him.
      His dad passed away in 1995.

        1. I’ve not really spoken to him as we don’t work together very often, but he is a watches the ‘B’BC and reads the Mirror and Grauniad.

  108. Labour's Ed Miliband has warned Donald Trump this town aint big enough for the both of us..

    The world's transition to Net Zero is 'unstoppable', says Ed

      1. That’s the thing about the bell curve. Even the Ashkenazim have village idiots. Yes, Millipede could be composted. That would be green.

    4. My word he's a total embarrassment for all true brits.
      He needs to get out more. The middle east alone produces more carbon emissions in a week than our country does in 12 months. That's one whole year millipede.

  109. Sky News reports on the Thrilling new era of national success by Peter O'Hanraha-hanrahan …
    "I was struck by the tone of it. The stripping, effectively, of social protection. The stuff about gender.. the rhetoric against foreigners.. it felt like to me a sense of American carnage.. the total belief in the superiority of American and Trumpian America."

      1. I think the Liberal Lefties prefer the misery of a downbeat Starmer.

        "My message is consistent to that in the election and immediate aftermath – change will take time and "it will be hard".

    1. When at the Presidential podium, it was either J D Vance or Elon Musk (can't recall which) who placed his left hand over his chest and "flung" heart-felt thanks to all of his listeners. The anti-Trump brigade are now spinning this as him giving out Nazi salutes. Typical! EDIT – It was in fact Elon Musk.

  117. From Coffee House, the Spectator

    To the US, where President Trump is busy making the most of his return to the top job. At his inauguration on Monday, the Republican president was keen to hammer home just how much he wants to change during his time in office – even signing a number of executive orders during the event, to the delight of adoring crowds. From leaving the World Health Organisation to renaming the Gulf of Mexico, President Trump has made it clear he’s here to shake things up. And this could spell trouble for one particular Prince.

    The monarch of Montecito could end up Trump’s next target – after the US President vowed to take ‘appropriate action’ if it transpires that Prince Harry has lied about drug use in his visa application. Trump’s intervention follows campaigning by the Heritage Foundation think tank, which began to look into the Duke of Sussex after he confessed in his memoir Spare that he had previously dabbled with drugs – from cannabis to cocaine and even hallucinogenic magic mushrooms. Hardly noble behaviour, eh?

    The Heritage Foundation is calling for Harry’s visa application to be made public to expose whether the renegade royal did indeed admit to taking illict substances. The think tank even went so far as to sue the Department of Homeland Security last year to accelerate the process – but the case was blocked by a judge. Now, the election of Trump could pile more pressure on Harry, not least given the US president’s rather hostile attitude towards the royal. The Republican told the Express US before the election: ‘I wouldn’t protect [Harry]. He betrayed the Queen. That’s unforgivable. He would be on his own if it was down to me.’ Ouch.

    The new president is known for his hardline attitude to immigration, with Trump also announcing on Monday that he would declare a national border emergency and end birthright citizenship. Will his tough approach extend to Harry? Stay tuned…

    Steerpike
    Written by
    Steerpike
    Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

    2. Superficially, he cannot force the rest of the world to accept his renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, although he could make it a condition of not imposing 25% tariffs on imports or not invading them that other countries kow-tow to his demands. That said, it does set a precedent for the British government demanding that the rest of the world – especially the Irish – meekly accept the Irish Sea be renamed as the English Sea – if they know what's good for them.

  118. We have two hot water systems – an immersion heater in the loft above our bedroom in the modern part, and the oil fired combi boiler in the kitchen for the rest of the house. it also runs the 14 radiators….

  119. We have two hot water systems – an immersion heater in the loft above our bedroom in the modern part, and the oil fired combi boiler in the kitchen for the rest of the house. it also runs the 14 radiators….

  120. I suppose if he had to come back to the UK he could go and live with his Brother Uncle Andrew… (Shades of The Lion in Winter!)

  121. I suppose if he had to come back to the UK he could go and live with his Brother Uncle Andrew… (Shades of The Lion in Winter!)

    2. DIE has always been a nonsense. An intolerant, bigoted, hard Left effort at control. It's just one element of a giant inlocking, self supporting mesh of hatred and statism.

  123. Uncle Andrew. It would be in Harry’s best interests to be sent home. Custody of the adopted children might be an issue?

  125. Thank you for the correction Sue. As he would be coming back from LA I guess they would get on like a house on fire!

  126. I have a mixed fuel burner in the living room, which is chucking out a ton of heat just now. Storage radiators around the house, but it’s a small cottage so no real problem yet. It won’t be getting a heat pump, at least I doubt it. You’d be hard put to insulate it to the level required, built 1750.

  127. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order on Monday suspending all US foreign assistance programs for 90 days while his staff reviews whether they are aligned with his policy goals. That should save a Bob or two….

    1. According to Breitbart he's signed 46 so far. We could with a few here. How about:

      "DEFENDING WOMEN FROM GENDER IDEOLOGY EXTREMISM AND RESTORING BIOLOGICAL TRUTH TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT"

      "Temporary Withdrawal of All Areas on the Outer Continental Shelf from Offshore Wind Leasing and Review of the Federal Government’s Leasing and Permitting Practices for Wind Projects"

      "DECLARING A NATIONAL ENERGY EMERGENCY"

      The list goes on.

      1. What we need is a government willing to pull out the fingernails of the state, then snip off the fingers, a knuckle at a time to get the little, offensive, expensive quangos that feed the big ones. Then once the big one is facing a real terms cut, keep cutting. Undo it's allies by simply stopping paying for them. They're the ones that create big government, forcing the hard woke Left nonsense. Burn it all out, leave only the departments and then simply shut most of those down.

        But you can't do that while the muslim scum of Britain or stonewall, or green troughers are us, hate no hope are getting funding. Make surgical strikes and defund them first, then got for the bigger groups and keep cutting.

  129. I know it's early but I have been very busy today, Lots of thing to try and do in our garage which has never had a car in it, but is very rapidly running out of floor space.
    One of our sons has dumped half the smaller (no furniture) contents of his flat on us and and spare bedrooms and is now it seems living it up in Dubai.
    Good night all 😴very soon.

  135. Labour votes to hit grieving military families with inheritance tax
    Children and partners of unmarried servicemen will have to pay death duties from April 2027

    Labour MPs have voted to hit grieving families of military personnel with inheritance tax for the first time as part of Rachel Reeves’ raid.

    Death in service payments – lump sums given to the families of deceased Armed Forces members – are currently tax-free.

    But changes backed by Labour mean that the payment for off-duty deaths in service will be subject to inheritance tax for the first time, if it is not going to a spouse or civil partner.

    It means that children or partners of unmarried servicemen and women will from April 2027 have to pay death duties on the benefit, which will now go into probate.

    The head of the Forces Pension Society warned that the rule change would be “corrosive” and undermine the trust among Armed Forces personnel towards the Government.

    Death in service payments are usually a lump sum paid to named beneficiaries of a worker who dies while on the company payroll. It is typically the equivalent of four-times the late individual’s salary.

    For members of the Armed Forces, these are paid whether or not the individual was “on duty” at the time of their death. Those who die “on duty” will continue to benefit from a separate tax-free arrangement on their death in service payments.

    But a military worker who dies while technically “off duty”, such as by sudden illness or accident, will be stung by the new inheritance tax rules, as a result of changes unveiled in the Budget last year.

    Maj Gen Neil Marshall, the chief executive of the Forces Pension Society of more than 66,000 members, has written to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) urging the Government to reverse the decision.

    He told The Telegraph: “If service people are thinking ‘What if? What if? What’s the Government going to do next to undermine the offer to undermine my commitment to service?’ It’s corrosive.”

    He added that military servicemen and women are unable to put the payment into trust, because they are part of the Armed Forces pension scheme, so will be forced to pay the tax.

    This means that money designed to be a form of compensation for families could be cut by up to 40 per cent.

    In a letter to HMRC, seen by The Telegraph, Maj Gen Marshall said: “Given the high-risk nature of military service and the need for all serving personnel to be focussed on the mission while being treated fairly and equally, irrespective of their marital status, a policy that discriminates against those who are not married or in a civil partnership poses a serious threat to morale, team cohesion and ultimately operational effectiveness.”

    Mark Francois, the shadow Armed Forces minister, said: “Labour’s proposed inheritance tax changes are already highly controversial, particularly within the farming community.

    “However, it is deeply regrettable and completely against the spirit of the Armed Forces Covenant that Labour MPs voted to impose inheritance tax on death in service lump sum payments for unmarried service personnel.

    “The Forces Pension Society, who are the gold-standard experts on this topic, have called for this change to be reversed, which it undoubtedly should be.”

    A spokesman for the Treasury said: “We value the immense sacrifice made by our brave Armed Forces, that is why existing inheritance tax exemptions will continue to apply, meaning that if a member of the Armed Forces dies from a wound inflicted, accident occurring or disease contracted on active service, they will be exempt.

    “Any pension funds left to a spouse or civil partner in this scenario will also be exempt.”

    Ray Collins
    4 min ago
    OMG!! Please tell me this is not true! Anyone who dies for their country truly deserves to know their dependents will be taken care of!

    How many more examples of how Liebour cannot be trusted with anything do we need! Time for a new government!

    Comment by Sue Westbury.

    SW

    Sue Westbury
    5 min ago
    Shame on you Labour, Starmer, Reeves et al.

    Thus is one of the worse taxes you could possibly hit anyone with…tax on a death in Service payment…disgusting.

    Comment by Aimee Smith.

    AS

    Aimee Smith
    6 min ago
    This government are truly disgusting!! edited

    Comment by L R Jones.

    LR

    L R Jones
    6 min ago
    Labour are a disgrace. I hope they are obliterated at the next election.

    Comment by Sue Lenton.

    SL

    Sue Lenton
    8 min ago
    Are there no deaths Rachel will stoop to, she is a discrace

    Comment by Dan James.

    DJ

    Dan James
    8 min ago
    It’s like they want us to hate them.

    1. I'm coming to the conclusion that the Government is trying to initiate a Peasants' Revolt and judging by the way things are going it may not be that far off!

    2. Note that this is to save money from the MoD budget. You'd think a far simpler way would be asking what the 50,000 people in it actually do. This is edge fiddling rather than confronting the problem.

    5. The answer is to get married, then. About the only thing Labour has ever done to promote matrimony!

  137. Think of the Amazon Prime Series – 'Meghan my life with the Prince' told in her own words….

    1. Labour really are in a bind, aren't they? They need desperately to stop any further discussion of this issue but it won't go away. They're dependent on the muslim vote yet that vote hates them even more. An actual investigation will uncover a snake pit of corruption, sleaze, incompetence, fraud, cover ups, outright lies. It will undo the Left forever. I imagine it would even come out that mass gimmigration was the plan all along as revenge for Brexit.

  143. That is going to have the woke crowd seething and demonstrating. I would bet that the rich luvvies are packing sorry, having their servants pack their suitcases before they flee to pastures lefter.

    Not much wrong with those actions although I wish that they stop this practice of handing out pardons when coming or going. Of course his tariffs on canada will totally screw us up unless Trudeau is forcibly removed from office and we get a leadership who will work with Trump.

    You can almost see the liberals trying to create a crisis out of Trumps threats – possibly theyreally are trying to destroy canada or being slightly generous, maybe they see redemption coming their way.

    1. They are so predictable though. They’ll be assembling armies of legal eagles even now, hoping to put obstructions in the way. And the media will jump every time they announce a new crumb of hope like dogs on a scrap of red meat. All in a day’s work, putting up with that. I think Trump is much better organised second time around.

    3. I appreciate Biden liked wasting money, but this is one of the classic cases where the public really do have to say 'WTF are you _doing_ , you cretinous bint!'

    4. What are all of those medals for? Does she collect an award for each gender that she can identify?
      The Canadian flag award was probably when she had collected all 57 varieties.

    5. Fagan you say…

      In this life, one thing counts
      In the bank, large amounts
      I'm afraid these don't grow on trees,
      You've got to pick-a-Diversity or two

      You've got to pick-a-Diversity or two, boys,
      You've got to pick-a-Diversity or two.

      SOY BOYS

      Large amounts don't grow on trees.
      You've got to pick-a-Diversity or two.

      FAGAN

      (Spoken) Let's show Ol Joe how it's done, shall we, my dears?

      (sung) Why should we break our backs
      Stupidly Spaffing tax?
      Better get some untaxed income
      Better to pick-a-Diversity or two.

      You've got to pick-a-Diversity or two, boys
      You've got to pick-a-Diversity or two.

  146. I’m not there with Kathie (we share a name, that’s all)….but I think there’s a YouTube video (her surname is Marriott)…she’s walking down a street in BA (occasionally backwards!) and singing as she goes. I, on the other hand, can’t sing a note – but appreciate the ones who can. Dad was correct in both having Sunday breakfast and using HP sauce sparingly – I’m old enough to remember French detail on one side of the label, and English on the t’other. If I could have a wish, it might just be to physically time travel rather than just in my memory. Have a lovely evening, Elsie….I’m watching Squid Game…eeeeek…

  148. Couldn't get on to the forum for quite a while. 503 Service Unavailable.

    emailed a couple of friendly nottlers, so just want to say sorry to bother you both. All back to normal apparently.

  150. ALDI and Lidl are fine.
    Although their range is judged to be 'limited' it is vast compared with even 50 years ago.

  155. I recommend footage of President Trump signing orders whilst talking to the press in the Oval Office. He is fully on top of his brief. Impressive stuff, regardless of politics. After watching the full 45 minutes, it really is that good, I feel the closest we have got over here currently is Rupert Lowe.

  157. I don't know why Harry is bothering. He's an appalling character who shirked his duties while troughing off the title. He wanted it both ways.

  158. Maybe if you go into a wardrobe you could come out – after an adventure – a world saving hero, whereas if you come out of the closet you just come out as gay.

    The odd thing is, if Starmer did I, for one – and I think most others – just wouldn't give a stuff.

    1. Those states went hard green. Of course they're buying fuel from overseas.

      As it is, a legal contract to supply energy is not going to bring down a US president. It would be considered blackmail and Trump would have an absolute open door to continue fracking and drilling.

      Notable though, that much of our gas comes from america's fracking wells. If Canada were to enact this effort, chances are the US would stop giving us fuel with Trump rightly saying 'sorry, we need it. You have gas. Dig it up as we have.'

      On reflection, do it Canada!

  163. 400338+ up ticks,

    Pillow ponder,

    I would suggest rather strongly that the current politico's shoulder the odious guilt blame for ALL politico's , councillors,police , etc,etc, and are informed
    in a united peoples rhetoric, SHAPE UP, THEN SHIP OUT.

    Peter McLoughlin spent years believing the Leftist narrative, namely it was 'a racist myth' that organised Muslim groups in Britain and the Netherlands ('grooming gangs') were luring white schoolgirls into a life of prostitution. But in 2009 he first encountered people who said their children had been groomed like

    this. These informants had non-white people in their immediate and extended family, and were thus unlikely to be racists. So McLoughlin dug deeper and what he found shocked him: there were mounds of evidence that social workers, police officers, Muslim organisations, journalists and even some Members of Parliament must have known about these grooming gangs for decades, and they had turned a blind-eye to

    these crimes. He also came across references to incidents where any proof had since vanished. McLoughlin spent several years uncovering everything he could and documenting this scandal before the

    evidence disappeared. He demonstrates that the true nature of this grooming phenomenon was known about more than 20 years ago. While he was writing

    this book, Parliament was forced by rising anger in

    Britain to conduct its own low-key investigation. The eventual report concluded the grooming problem was basically in one town: Rotherham. Official reports finally admitted there were more than 1400

    1. Imagine the shockwaves a real, thorough investigation would have on the country if it were to be carried out.

      It would end the Left for a century.

  165. 400338+up ticks,

    Evening W,

    I've been posting on the same subject for donkeys, but a lot has been under the umbrella of the lab/lib/con coalition tribal voter, and NOT bring the party into disrepute.

    1. Yep, I remember you have posted oodles on the same subject .

      I still don't get it , why are Labour led cities Muslim magnets . when most of the towns were industrial productive places , but mostly empty shells now .. is this why Asian Muslims feel at home , because they are basically unproductive workwise, language wise and useless at mingling unless they are driving taxis ?

  166. Noooooo!!!!! Have you not being paying attention? We MAKE them on this site🙂(i have the rings; hust not the inclination at this moment…)

  170. Right, chums, it's just gone 11 pm (my bedtime). I wish you all a Good Night, a restful sleep, and I hope to see you all in a hale & hearty state tomorrow.

  171. 🚨BREAKING – TONIGHT a motion was brought to Bradford Council by the Conservative Group, calling on all Bradford District Councillors from all political parties to support a full independent national inquiry into rape gangs and child sexual exploitation with a specific focus on Keighley and the wider Bradford District.

    Labour Councillors blocked the motion, and instead put forward warm words with no meaningful impact.

    Shameful.

    https://x.com/_RobbieMoore/status/1881837081225208246

  173. To Bed, To Bed, Says Sleepy-Head
    Nursery Rhyme
    "To bed! To bed!"
    Says Sleepy-head;
    "Tarry awhile," says Slow;
    "Put on the pan,"
    Says Greedy Nan*;
    "We'll sup before we go."

    Night night everyone .

    1. :ignores first bits about moose stew in a pan and focusses on line about supping gin:

    2. Good morning, Maggie. I learnt the final three lines as: "Something or other" said Greedy Guts, "We'll sup before we go". (I can't quite recall what "Something or other" was, though.)

Comments are closed.