Wednesday 11 June: Public confidence in the Chancellor’s judgment is lower than ever

Posted on by Geoff Graham

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673 thoughts on “Wednesday 11 June: Public confidence in the Chancellor’s judgment is lower than ever”

  3. Good morning chums. And thanks, Geoff, for today's new NoTTLe page.

    Wordle 1,453 3/6

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    1. Rakib Ehsan
      Sadiq Khan is the last person that should get a knighthood

      The London Mayor appears more interested in antagonising diplomatic allies than in improving London

      10 June 2025 4:46pm BST
      Rakib Ehsan
      With Mayor of London Sadiq Khan belatedly dubbed a knight today, the integrity of the honours system will be questioned by many.

      Part of me recognises the significance of an unapologetically pro-Islam monarch knighting a Muslim mayor of London. And there is no doubt that Khan has shattered his fair share of glass ceilings. Indeed, he embodies the story of social mobility in many of Britain’s traditional ethnic-minority communities. Born in south London to a Pakistani family, his father worked as a bus driver and his mother a seamstress. He completed a law degree and went on to establish himself as a successful solicitor.

      Following his election as the MP for Tooting in the 2005 general election, The Spectator named Khan as “Newcomer of the Year” at its Parliamentarian of the Year awards. Khan was reportedly singled out by the judges “for the tough-mindedness and clarity with which he has spoken about the very difficult issues of Islamic terror”.

      The Mayor of London could have implemented an agenda in keeping with his own background – a wholesome working-class traditionalism focused on family values, the dignity of work, social mobility, and public security.

      Instead, he converted himself into an opportunistic purveyor of identity politics. He appears to be more interested in public relations and international showboating, having regularly scrapped with American president Donald Trump, as well as wading into issues such as the US Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v Wade.

      One could be forgiven for wondering how Khan even has the time to waste on antagonising diplomatic allies and debating abortion rights across the pond. London continues to be plagued by youth knife crime – especially in areas where the fatherlessness epidemic is being exploited by predatory violent gangs. Political conflicts and sectarian tensions from various parts of the world have been imported, yet we continue to hear empty platitudes from Khan on London’s “rich diversity” and “vibrant cosmopolitanism”.

      Keeping our streets safe should be at the very heart of political and public service. Khan has failed spectacularly at this basic task. The honours system all too often rewards mediocrity in public office. Khan is just one of many eyebrow-raising choices we have seen in recent decades.

      2. Khan is a khunt. The man is a liar, a crook, a cheat. like all diversity he is nothing but poison.

    2. "100% certainty” of British involvement British Government involvement (A Marxist socialist group), not the British public. The Communists have a history of squabbling amongst each other and lethal deception. The Leninist Socialist government of Adolf Hitler signed a peace pact with Marxist-Leninist Stalin then proceeded to massacre several million of the innocent peasants. It has been, and is being, repeated around the world today. Don't blame the downtrodden serfs for the actions of the master with the whip and the gun.

  12. Morning, all Y'all. Brilliant sunshine since about 02:00 this morning. Still not warm, though…

    1. It all makes sense when you realise our government is working for a foreign power.

  14. The UK is about to pass Europe’s most extreme abortion law

    The Commons must not allow the unpopular obsessions of Stella Creasy and Tonia Antoniazzi to change the rules

    10 June 2025 7:54pm BST
    Miriam Cates

    Britain may soon have one of the most extreme abortion regimes in the world. Next week, the Commons will vote on amendments, proposed by Labour MPs Stella Creasy and Tonia Antoniazzi, to the Crime and Policing Bill that seek to decriminalise abortion up to the moment of birth.

    In Britain, abortion is currently legal until 24 weeks of pregnancy. But for the pro-abortion lobby this isn’t enough. A YouGov survey revealed that 70 per cent of MPs think women should not be liable for prison sentences if they have abortions outside current restrictions. Yet this is wildly out of step with public opinion. Just 1 per cent of British people support abortion up to birth.

    How is such a wildly unpopular opinion on the verge of becoming law?

    Let’s rewind to 2020. The UK was in lockdown. Face-to-face appointments for abortions were suspended. Women were allowed to access over-the-phone appointments with clinicians and have abortion pills sent to them by post.

    These pills can only be used legally until 10 weeks’ gestation. But without an in-person appointment, there is no way of knowing how far along a pregnancy has progressed. And there is no way of preventing women who are well past 10 weeks – and even past the 24-week limit – from claiming, or being coerced into claiming, that they are less than 10 weeks pregnant. Due to the risks, this arrangement was intended to be temporary.

    But in 2022, pro-abortion MPs hijacked an unrelated Bill to make pills-by-post permanent. Many people – including me – warned that this would lead to an increase in illegal abortions, dangerous late-stage terminations, coercion and undetected abuse. And we were right.

    In June 2023, Carla Foster was found guilty of aborting her baby eight months into pregnancy. She was given abortion pills after claiming she was only seven weeks pregnant.

    In December 2024, Stuart Worby was jailed after spiking a woman’s drink with fraudulently-obtained abortion pills and ending the life of her unborn child.

    In just 18 months after pills-by-post was introduced, some estimates suggest that more than 10,000 women had to receive hospital treatment after taking abortion pills at home.

    These cases only exist because of pills-by-post, a scheme for which abortion providers enthusiastically campaigned. Before 2022, there were just three prosecutions for illegal abortions in 160 years. Yet instead of arguing for a return to face-to-face appointments, the abortion lobby is now capitalising on these prosecutions to convince MPs that women are being wrongly criminalised.

    The consequences of full decriminalisation will be grim, with inevitable increases in coercion and medical complications. The experience of Victoria, Australia suggests we will see more babies born alive after failed “DIY” late-term abortions, and a rise in sex-selective abortions.

    Abortion is a sensitive issue and there is no public consensus on what the legal time limit should be. But in a society where human rights are respected and the vulnerable protected, it is unthinkable that there should be no consequences for ending the life of an unborn, fully-formed human child. Just moments after birth, such an action would incur life in prison.

    MPs must not allow the unpopular obsession of a handful of activists to change the law. Stand up to the extremists – the public are behind you.

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

    Joseph Giffen
    just now
    Are there no depths to which this Labour Party will sink?

    Robert Taylor
    just now
    Horrendous on every level.

    Anthony Wells
    11 hrs ago
    (Mrs) I protest! I do not wish to live in a society that murders babies!

    M Gudenian
    10 hrs ago
    Reply to Anthony Wells
    I absolutely agree with you.

    9 hrs ago
    Reply to Anthony Wells
    Vote Labour…. The Party that Kills.

    Andrew Baldwin
    9 hrs ago
    "I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born”

    ― Ronald Reagan

    1. When my midwife sister-in-law was practicing, they were not allowed to give the sex of the baby.
      I assume that has changed.

        2. Ultrasounds couldn't tell us. Junior's gestation and birth were complicated things for everyone. When he eventually arrived and the Warqueen passed out and the midwife handed me this tiny silent bundle who proceeded to crush my finger and said 'He's a healthy baby boy, 4.8 kilos' I wept. He was the most magnificent thing in the world after the woman who'd carried and given birth to him.

          The next year was very difficult for everyone but we got through it and when Mongo would sit by his crib looking in and small baby would look back, until they'd both get out and small baby would belt straight at even then giant dog, flopping against him I thought… got something right.

        3. We didn't want to know.

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiowaIrevRI
          We have two boys and no girls. It is odd that so many of my friends have just had boys.

          Caroline's parents had 3 daughters who, between them, have produced 6 boys and no girls.

          My paternal grandparents had eleven children: six boys and five girls.

          3. I know the Warqueen would have liked a girl. We can't have any more children but we did talk about adopting a baby girl many years back. Alas, cold pragmatism reminded us that she's not very maternal and the cost would have been significant in time and monies.

            I think it was simply too late for us – we had Junior in our early thirties and the Warqueen went back to work almost immediately as her career was easier to deal with than a small baby.

          4. I was 47 when Christo was born and 49 when Henry was born.

            A couple in our village had six boys but they didn't give up; their seventh child was a girl.

          5. I know the Warqueen would have liked a girl. We can't have any more children but we did talk about adopting a baby girl many years back. Alas, cold pragmatism reminded us that she's not very maternal and the cost would have been significant in time and monies.

            I think it was simply too late for us – we had Junior in our early thirties and the Warqueen went back to work almost immediately as her career was easier to deal with than a small baby.

      2. I can take a wild guess about what is really happening. Muslims don't want female babies. They need more fighters. And what Muslims want…they get.

    2. Why not follow the next logical step? Abortion up to the child's age 18 years?

      1. Why stop at birth? Like decriminalising burglary and armed robbery, decriminalising murder at any age would free up space in our prisons for the real villains – the public being "inappropriately" disgruntled with those whose lives matter

    4. I take the view that 'it's none of my business' and it certainly isn't for the government to legislate on such a personal matter. It must be a discussion for medical professionals and the parents, unbiased, addressing all the options but not anyone else's business.

    5. This odious woman would like post-natal abortion to be available on demand for a year after the birth to give women time to decide if they want the child or if it was a mistake.

  15. Morning everyone. Well my friends I shall have to call it a day. I had to summon an ambulance the other night with no sleep, heart palpitations, a pulse rate of 122 and acute breathlessness. It is the effects of Oedema and i have spent three days being stabilised. I arrived home yesterday absolutely exhausted. It is impossible for me to take a deep interest in matters. Paradoxically I have more trouble dealing with the medication than the symptoms and now the addition of Atrial Fibrillation has made that even more difficult.

    I wish you all well needless to say and may you have many more happy days blogging. .

    1. So sorry to read this, Minty. My thoughts and prayers are with you. And I'm sure that is the case for all us NoTTLers.

    2. Sorry to hear that. We'll miss you.
      Hopefully, after a break you might feel like an occasional bulletin letting us know how you are.

    3. Getting medication sorted could be the key. You will feel both physically and mentally more robust.
      We enjoy your postings and hope to see you back.

    4. You will be sorely missed, Minty. I wish you all the best with your health. My dear wife is in the same boat so I understand your decision.

    7. Dear Minty ,

      I suspected you were not coping very well.

      Don't just give up, but take it easy , people on here will miss your erudite humour and comments .

      Stay around please , even a tick or two will do ..

      Don't be frightened , I do hope you are not on your own and that you have help or family around you .

      Bye for now x

    8. Try to look in occasionally even if you don't feel up to posting.
      I hope you're able to get everything stabilised.
      All the very best to you.

    9. Ah Minty! So sorry to hear about your health problems. Glad you have medication and that you are now stable.
      I’m sure that as time goes on you will feel much more positive and able to enjoy life.
      Stay with us, and entertain us all with your wit and wisdom. Thinking of you.

    10. Keep buggering on, Minty. My pulse exceeded 190, though I was spared the breathlessness. The meds work but the side effects can wear you down.

    11. Keep in touch Minty, your comments always inspire thought and show a great level of research.

    12. Sorry to hear this Minty, hope your health improves with the medication. Keep us in the picture with your progress and visit us often

      2. My lad came home from school one day singing "Trebor mints are a minty bit stronger – stick them up your arse and they last a bit longer" He was 5

    14. You'll be missed, Minty. Never say never, and hopefully you can find better health without the cares of the World bearing you down.

    15. Rest up, Minty. Sit and read, or lie down and read.

      Ultimately, all the nonsense will pass.

    16. Very sorry to hear of your woes. The legacy news couldn't be worse and i'm sure we would all be happier without it.

      As you are aware…we are here for you if you just want to chat.

      Perhaps we should rearrange the format and only discuss letters/news/politics in the mornings and tell jokes and funny stories in the afternoons.

    17. So sorry to hear of your health problems, Araminta. Your early comment was most often my starter for the day. Best wishes.

    19. Just logged on and seen this – I'm very sorry you are in such a bad way, Minty. Hope you will feel up to looking in from time to time to say hello – I will certainly miss your regular contributions. I will remember you in my prayers..

    20. What a frightening time for you, Minty.
      I am very sorry that you are having these problems, but at least you are back home, where you will be able to get more rest. Hopefully, your medication will soon have you feeling stronger.
      All the best, and au revoir, Minty!

    21. How I feel for you Minty as I've suffered afib twice hopefully you can soon have a cathata ablation and will be feeling much better than you are now.
      All the best to you, hopefully it will all turn out well. Take care. 😊

  16. Morning all,

    After Milliband's rethink on relying on a fossilised/nuclear electricity grid base load to keep the lights on, Spain is still fumbling around in the dark for an explanatiom for their grid failure.

    The latest reasons for the blackout were too much sun, excessively high grid voltage and failure of the legacy generators to control the situation.

    https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/spanish-minister-says-private-power-firms-slow-share-information-blackout-probe-2025-06-10/

    I think it was because the Spanish grid management system. which also required power to control its own grid regulation, lost power – there should have been a backup battery and the AA should have been called.

    1. It was down to reliance on unreliables, the lack of inertia and grid control software failing. Either too much power was produced or too little, and with no ability to balance that – either from gigawatt battery farms (which in hot weather would be a colossal fire hazard due to over use) their grid broke.

      Unreliables are just that: unreliable.

      We will never be told the truth because it undoes the entire pack of lies around 'green'.

    2. What is the point of Great British energy? It seems to have one person employed on a six figure salary. It produces nothing, provides nothing. It's just a pointless waste of time to give Milioaf a giant sack of waste.

    3. What is the point of Great British energy? It seems to have one person employed on a six figure salary. It produces nothing, provides nothing. It's just a pointless waste of time to give Milioaf a giant sack of waste.

    4. That's a German owned company. Don't we have any home owned reactor makers any more? Or just car makers for that matter?

      1. Rolls-Royce Motors is wholly owned by BMW. Rolls-Royce Holdings, the company who won the SMR contract is British.

        1. RR Holdings also hold the rights to the name Rolls Royce which they lease to BMW for the cars.
          Apparently, after stepping away from piston engines with the sale of their diesel division to Perkins many years ago, they now have a small section making Merlin spares because they were not happy with the quality of the 3rd party spares being produced.

          1. Certainly fucking not!!!
            BMW bought the RR car works in Crewe, BUT, lease the right to use the RR name from RR Holdings.

  19. Good Morning!

    As a diversion from the lunacy of modern Britain, Zhang Yingyue treats us to a spot of serenity and spirituality in looking at China's traditional Three Paths of the Soul , giving an insight to the harmony between Taoist silence, Bhuddist contemplation and Confucian morality.

    Frederick Edward is back with a summary of where Reform finds itself after the turmoil of the last few weeks. Please read The Yusuf Problem , vote in the poll, and let us know how you feel about ReformUK.

    In A Pox On Prevent! we look into this program, which like almost all other State organisations, has turned itself into an instrument of oppression, now on clear display as it suggests that having right wing, conservative and patriotic opinions makes you an extremist and potential terrorist.

    Energy Watch: Over the last 24 hours: Britain's electric power was sourced from Gas, 21.7%; Solar, 9.1%: Wind 26.5%; Imports, 16.9%; Biomass, 8.2%; Nuclear 14.8% and Miscellaneous, 2.9%.

    freespeechbacklash.com

  20. Good morning all!
    A bright and sunny start to the day with a cool 10½°C outside.

    And we've just had a power cut. Power went off just as I was typing on here and was off for about 15 minutes.

    1. I feel your pain. It's a bit like being in the middle ages. The Warqueen is investigating batteries for our solar specifically to ride out those long term cuts.

  21. Glanced through the telegraph on line, one of the articles was about thornberrys garden. What a waste of space. Fair put me off my breakfast.

    1. "thornberrys garden" – is that a euphemism for something else, such as "Lady garden"?


    1. Letters to the Editor
      Sizewell C reality
      SIR – I would not expect Ed Miliband or Sir Keir Starmer to understand the despair that the decision on Sizewell C will provoke (report, June 10). It is not entirely their fault, as successive governments have ducked the issue of energy security and failed to plan for the future.

      Mr Miliband is “investing” £14.2 billion in a facility that will probably cost three times as much and will not be ready until the 2040s. Meanwhile, Suffolk will be buried under a tide of new pylons, wind farm switching stations and construction traffic. And for what? Small modular reactors would get us there faster, new grid connections could be laid in the North Sea, and gas could be accessed in our own waters to provide a baseload supply when the sun does not shine, mitigated by carbon capture and storage.

      Albert Einstein said that doing the same thing but expecting a different result was a form of insanity. Our record of large project delivery in this country is woeful. My great regret is that I will be dead by the time Sizewell C proves Einstein right, again.

      Charles Barrington
      Great Bealings, Suffolk

      1. Is there a nuclear scientist or even a sceptic against nuclear power who can explain the safety implications of nuclear-powered submarines?

        I see no other reason why such technology cannot be used on land.

          1. In what sense, Notional? Surely we're talking about building the reactor without the submarine. Even with the oaf Miliband we wouldn't need to worry about things like water-tightness in the shielding.

          2. The biggest problem as I see it is the cooling – they need to have a plentiful supply of water

          4. I'm well aware of the engineering – I worked in the nuclear industry, I'm talking about the water for the condenser

          5. Without knowing the exact details then, what with them being very highly classified, I think we can surmise that they are extraordinarily thermally efficient and need very little water otherwise they would be chucking out a stream of heated water behind them which would somewhat negate their stealthy reputation.

          6. The cost of the reactor (and the power it produces) in a submarine is not the primary consideration. The fact that it is small and that it doesn’t need refuelling is.

            My belief is that it simply doesn’t scale. It doesn’t produce enough power at a low enough cost.

          7. In what sense, Notional? Surely we're talking about building the reactor without the submarine. Even with the oaf Miliband we wouldn't need to worry about things like water-tightness in the shielding.

      2. Just look at Hinkley "C" delay in completion. I worked on it up to 1990.

      3. Yes, but putting SMRs in place is efficient, simple and practical. Building a gas power station would take about 2 years (if they just got on with it). Same for coal.

        But the hard Left do not want to allow power stations to be built. They don't want the country to have cheap, abundant energy. They want to control what you use, when and how to force an agenda.

      4. A drive along the A12 in Suffolk from the junction for Aldeburgh up towards Southwold and one will see large areas are being prepared for Sizewell construction vehicles etc.

        In addition, at least one, but possibly two, solar farms are being constructed in this area as well.

      5. As I posted BTL, Mr. Barrington was doing very well until he typed "Carbon Capture and Storage".

          1. Good one. Based on …

            How much wood would a woodchuck chuck
            If a woodchuck would chuck wood.

            My father often quoted that one.

  26. UK councils now max'd out on 'asylum' (LOL) accommodation..
    sorry, undocumented citizens of UK.

    Calm water, bright n sunny.. perfect weather to smash the record.

  27. Good morning all, bright day, 16c.

    I watered the garden last night .. needed to after several very dry blustery days we have had recently .

    When we had rain last week it was almost similar to a bucketful to dampen things down.

    Moh played golf yesterday and is about to clear off again .. competition season is short!

    Why didn't anyone put Frederick Forsyth in line for a Knighthood ..

    He spoke for us all, he entertained us , he was a crossword genius , his mastery of our language equated with Shakespeare.

    Frederick Forsyth was the honest thoughtful core of Britain , and he was in tune with the devious machinations of evil minds , yes of those who want to destroy us .. and he wrote about them.. perfectly .

    2. For a long time, he had the A Point of View slot on R4, where he alternated with Will Self. Quite a contrast.

    3. If the London mayor has a knighthood then Frederick Forsyth should have had a dukedom.

    4. I think you've listed the reasons why he was never offered a title.
      Add male, white, Christian and honest to his list of unsuitable attributes.

  28. Buzzword bingo for the thieves Reeves and her waffle fest today:

    Investment, stability, working people, change, growth, employment.

    Of course, her – the Treasury's – policies will cause waste, debt, unemployment, chaos, change (for the worse) , decline and unemployment, but she's thick, and so is the Treasury, OBR and BoE so they won't understand why socialist Keynesian economic ideology consistently fails.

    2. Her damned croaky voice is similar to the start of a rock crumble in a quarry , not quite a sonic boom .

      Her voice is unbearable , and no one will listen to her because she drones on , and on , and on .

      1. If the state steals your means
        It will be down to Keynes.

        (A question of pronunciation: some call him Cains others call him Keens)

  29. It's a tedious, monotonous drone with no inflection. She's a tiresome dolt who wastes time blithering on about her own falsely perceived successes when she could be acknowledging her abject failure and resigning for someone more qualified, such as a grapefruit.

    1. I saw Trump speaking on GB News last night. He rambles on and on without a script or a plan giving a sort stream of consciousness. I suppose it is a change from his predecessor who seemed to have very little consciousness at all!

      1. Yes, it is a bit waffly. I prefer politicians to have something to say, to say it and then go away.

  30. Yes, my list is by no means definitive! Keep them coming. Oh, 'black hole', 'nation's finances'…

  31. Good morning, all. Bright and breezy here.

    Anyone who does not think that the mass immigration from the Third World into the West is co-ordinated has to be either deluded or spends most of their life living under a rock. Designed and implemented to cause unrest.

    This from Maine in the USA.

    https://x.com/TRUMP_ARMY_/status/1932383992067604583

  32. Morning All 🙂😊
    Sunny start much calmer and warmer summer at last ?
    Don't just pick on Rachel from account's to bring public confidence to the attention of all.
    The previous tory mob lost the confidence of the public because they couldn't be bothered or didn't want to stop the still ongoing invasion.
    Now this mob in Wastemonster are even worse. Ironically they sit on the right hand side of the speaker but their mindset is far left bank of the adjacent river.
    How did we ever deserve all this ?

    1. 407213+ up ticks,

      Morning RE,

      "How did we deserve all this"

      Easy Peasy,

      Lest we forget,

      Continued tribal voting for the toxic trio,party before country via the polling stations, at EVERY voting given opportunity, again,again,& again,then some.

  33. Another amusing article from Michael Deacon in the DT

    Diane Abbott is pushing the Left’s biggest myth about immigration
    The veteran Labour MP is the latest progressive to boast that immigrants built Britain. Do they really expect voters to swallow it?
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/10/diane-abbott-claims-immigrants-built-britain/

    This BTL came down a soon as it went up!
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4e5397682613ed0b48ad318c25eb486c152c0b9e02fecd033f70ece578605706.jpg

    1. I wonder why the comment was removed when it's historical record?

      Same for Liberia.

    2. In fact many of the black people in Rhodesia and South Africa were not indigenous but came from the north because their native countries were far less prosperous.

      1. A combination of the Bantu migration which preceded white settlers arriving and economic migration attracted by well paid work.

    3. Or as David Starkey calls em..
      Starmer's noble lies. Noble myths. The nation is now held together by these noble lies. purveyed by those on top.. to those below who are expected to believe them. We are all the little boy saying the emperor has got no clothes.

      Here's a select few.. LOL

      Immigration is an undiluted good.
      We are better in the EU.
      Our natural home is continental Europe.
      BLM promotes anti-racism.
      Police are institutionally racist.
      Genders are infinite, they really are.
      The British invented slavery.
      Biden is sharp as a pin.
      Socialism will work this time.
      Black people built stonehenge.
      Roads are racist.
      The ice caps will be gone by 2018.
      Diversity is our strength.
      Families don't need fathers.
      Non-Binary is medically proven.
      Chagos is a great deal.
      Trump is lidderally committing genocide.
      Islam invented maths.
      All cultures are far superior to Western culture.
      Eniola Aluko is a great pundit.
      NHS is the envy of the world.
      Immigrants built Britain.
      History began on 14 May 1948.

  34. 6-8 little sparrows on my windowsill fighting over their turn for the fat-ball;
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    1. Anyone interested/has the time might like to look up Patrisse Cullors (BLM 2013), now quite wealthy far as I know.

  38. Another conspiracy theory – tell me it ain't so….

    "O'Shea warns that under the WHO's One Health framework—now endorsed by 193 nations—global authorities are redefining disease control to include land use, water rights, and food production.

    "But really if you look at One Health, it's the same thing that Mao was doing," O'Shea says. "As we learned from the pandemic, if they come to Breeauna's ranch, and they say 'hey you know what? We don't really like the way you're raising your cows. We're going to send in some of our specialists.' Which O'Shea says the Surgeon General has a uniformed army of. "This is how they seize your food."

    Wolf adds, "This is the most invasive tyranny ever devised. And it's wrapped in the language of care."

    "It's Maoism with a lab coat. One Health lets unelected bureaucrats in Geneva redefine anything they want as a biosecurity threat. If your ranch doesn't meet their climate goals? That's a health emergency. If your cattle don't get the right injections? Another emergency. This is how they seize your food—by declaring war on your independence." — Brian O'Shea

    But it would help to explain the deliberate demoralisation of UK farmers….

    1. Of course. How did you think they'd do it? The Left never stop, never hold back, constantly push for more power, more control, to take more freedoms from you and they keep telling you it's for your own good.

      They're evil.

  39. EXC: Lammy Deal With EU on Gibraltar Scheduled to Be Signed Today

    Lammy flew overnight to Gibraltar on board the largest plane in the ministerial fleet, landing at quarter past midnight. It’s not a long flight…

    He is expected to finalise a deal on with the EU on the territory which has been in the works for some time. Sources say the FCDO will endeavour to rubber stamp negotiations and sign as quickly as possible. Guido hears it is penned in for today to coincide with the Spending Review, which is also a useful distraction…

    The deal is centred around border arrangements and increasing the speed at which people have been crossing the Schengen barrier (which has been a running problem). Sources say it is is expected to include a trade agreement. Officials have some experience coming up with post-Brexit arrangements for UK territories…

    Lammy will jet to Brussels straight away – landing at circa 1 p.m. Labour’s form on EU negotiations will have Eurosceptic hairs raised very high today…

    11 June 2025 @ 09:27

      2. Nahh, we will pay them £30Bn to take it off our hands and then rent back the naval base. You not been readin' the papers..

      3. Jack Straw nearly succeeded.. Thankfully the good people of Gibraltar monitor their every move.

  40. Morning all. Another blood-boiling piece from Allison.

    Readers of this newspaper will, throughout its long history, have been among the most ardent supporters of the police. We are traditionally pro law and order and take a dim view of rotters. It feels like that time is well and truly over.

    Monday’s main Telegraph story, in advance of Wednesday’s spending review by Rachel Reeves, which reported the concerns of senior officers that the police service is “broken” and that underpaid and overworked personnel are leaving in droves because of funding cuts, attracted well over two thousand comments. They ranged from “Diddums” to “It’s all your own stupid fault” with a good deal of colourful hostility in between. Honestly, you would struggle to find more derogatory remarks among the police’s long-running foes at The Guardian.

    I noticed a similarly unsympathetic reaction a week ago when Met chief Sir Mark Rowley protested that police would have to choose which crimes to investigate if they didn’t get more cash. As if the public, until now, had enjoyed a superb and rapid response to its burglaries, muggings, car, bike and phone thefts and our town centres positively thrummed with the purposeful presence of bobbies on the beat.

    “Yes, Sir Mark, times must really be hard if you can only send six officers to arrest a retired police volunteer over a single tweet,” sneered one disgruntled taxpayer, perfectly capturing the mood of seething resentment.

    This collapse in trust is as precipitous as it is shocking. A widespread feeling has clearly taken hold that police are no longer doing the job we expect them to do, while interfering in things that are none of their damn business.

    The story of the London couple who were obliged last week to “steal back” their own car after being told by police they did not know when they would be able to investigate thieves who took the Jaguar away on a flat-bed truck (but do call 101 if you find it, they were told) presents a snapshot of a frustrated public having to take the law into their own hands like a group of extremely polite, Emma Bridgewater-owning vigilantes.

    While many physical crimes go largely ignored, activist constabularies are doing a roaring trade in online offences. The preposterous yet sinister non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs), an Orwellian development of the College of Policing back in 2014, are frequently cited by police critics, as is the clampdown on free speech which is increasingly used to suppress popular discontent about things like the annual £4.7 billion bill to keep migrants in hotels and look after them.

    Those of us who, for some strange reason, think it’s outrageous to spend the equivalent of every single penny in tax paid by the population of Manchester on accommodating tens of thousands of young males who broke into our country, used to be called “racists”. But I see we have got a promotion, ladies and gentlemen. According to Prevent [a counter-terrorism programme], we are no longer racists, we are “terrorists”! If we dare to express doubts about uncontrolled immigration and lack of integration, that is.

    That’s the same Prevent which failed to prevent Axel Rudakubana slaughtering a dance class of little girls. And which, according to a 2023 report by Sir William Shawcross, concentrates too much on the largely mythical “far Right” and not enough on Islamist terror.

    The College of Policing, I am reliably informed, encourages the same delusional appeasement of the group which poses by far the biggest threat to our national security. The criminalising of the white indigenous population, running in parallel to the woke appeasement of actual criminals, goes some way to explaining this new cordial loathing of the police, I think. Unbelievably, over 60 of our fellow citizens are slapped with an NCHI every single day for “hateful” thoughts or conduct, many of them Monty Pythonesque in their absurdity.

    While senior police moan about Home Secretary Yvette Cooper not winning them a big enough payout in the spending review, there seem to be adequate funds to arrest and stigmatise law-abiding people. Only this week, I got a very worried email from a reader, Carolyn, who had complained to the police about a man who has been camping for several weeks in the park where her children play. The surrounding area stinks of urine and faeces and there are scattered remnants of drug use. When Carolyn and other mums walk past they have seen the man put his hand down his trousers to play with himself. The camper’s appearance suggested to her that he was an African migrant. “Using the term ‘migrant’ therefore did not strike me as anything other than a fair assumption,” says Carolyn.

    Uh-oh. Obviously, in the bonkers world of PC policing it will now be the anxious lady who complained about a threat to her community who is warned about causing trouble. “It would seem that any offence caused to me is secondary to the offence of Hate Crime,” Carolyn says. Correct.

    An officer emailed Carolyn to say that police did not have the powers to remove the tent from the park. “With regard to the hand down the trousers,” he said, “Many people from all different backgrounds do this as a cultural/social trend and have done for a while, we often see members of the public doing this all around the city. We will speak with him about this though and advise him of the perception this could cause. I also suggest you reframe (sic) from referring to him as a ‘migrant’ and making comments about ‘Are we paying him to take the proverbial out of us all?’… These can be seen as derogative (sic) terms and possibly a hate crime, especially when you probably know nothing about him.”

    If you seek a perfect illustration of why the police service is “broken” and officers are deserting in droves, look no further than this jaw-dropping inversion of good and bad guys. Intimidating man from alien culture seemingly exposing himself in public and peeing, crapping and doing drugs where your kids play? Completely fine, culturally appropriate, nothing to be done about it. Englishwoman suggests the man is a “migrant” who is taking advantage of our absurdly generous system? Oh dear, oh dear – your hurty words will be taken down, Madam, and used in evidence against you.

    Now, it’s a fair bet that many of the public-spirited young people who aspire to become police officers still think it is Carolyn’s side they should be on. A rookie error, I’m afraid. “Recruits who join the force don’t realise the police are so captured,” a senior source tells me.
    Officers now lack maturity and experience

    Police retention has been a problem for a long time. It’s got much worse since the higher echelons subscribed to the anti-white Critical Race Theory and adopted a witless, Leftist ideology that would have been abhorrent to their predecessors. The number of resignations in the police started to exceed the number of retirements nationally around 2023.

    What this means in practice, as I was told after Essex Police came to my own door on Remembrance Sunday, is that many officers now lack the experience and maturity to make common-sense decisions and bin spurious allegations of racial hatred that flatter the identity-politics obsessions of their superiors.

    “It’s not uncommon for uniform shifts to be about 50 per cent probationers, and they might be running with an acting sergeant barely out of his probationary period (two years) in some cases,” warns my source. The Conservatives’ decision, in 2020, to lower the application age to 17 (to join at 18) as part of their training means that a lot of young people without much life experience, who don’t know what they’re letting themselves in for, find policing a nasty shock to the system. Once they’re in, probationers have to cope with complicated, badly-designed computer systems that add hours to already heavy workloads. They have very little time to conduct inquiries and pick up more and more stressful cases, meanwhile having to deal with the aggressive, ever-more-volubly-entitled, human-rights-aware dregs of our society.

    After all that, if you can still muster the courage to be a first-class constable who fiercely defends the public against wrong ‘uns but swears a bit and leaves violent offenders feeling they weren’t treated with enough dignity then expect your Pontius Pilate of a chief constable to throw you under the Hurty Feelings bus. That is exactly what happened to Lorne Castle, a Dorset officer who has twice won a national bravery award, including one for rescuing an elderly woman from a swollen river in 2023.
    A shameful betrayal

    The 46-year-old father of three was dismissed without notice for gross misconduct after bodycam footage captured him trying to arrest a teenager who was believed to have assaulted an elderly man (the boy, who later turned out to be carrying a knife). If you watch the footage, you can experience the frightening, febrile atmosphere in which Lorne Castle was trying to carry out his thankless task. He shouted and swore, telling the lad: “Stop resisting or I’m going to smash you.”

    A veteran officer tells me that “it looked like a good arrest”. But a panel found PC Castle did not treat the teenager with “courtesy” or “respect”, and Dorset Police said “his shouting, swearing, finger pointing, taking hold of the boy’s face and throat and suggested use of leg restraints was not necessary, reasonable or proportionate”. The force said no further action was taken against the teenager – of course it wasn’t! – but he was issued with an out of court disposal for possessing the knife.

    I ask you, why would anybody risk phone seizures, suspensions and months of stress over complaints that usually turn out to be baseless but which see them treated like criminals? While clueless top brass in their woke ivory towers put saving their career before protecting their officers. In my book, a man of the calibre of Lorne Castle is worth more to the people of this country than every chief constable put together.

    So let us hear no more whingeing about underfunding leading to reduced services and driving officers away. Blame a warped sense of priorities promoted by activist police chiefs, a shameful betrayal of the British bobby and the demonisation of ordinary people for expressing legitimate fears. If the police have lost the support of Telegraph readers, then they are lost indeed.

    1. Of course, all those on the panel have never once actually patrolled nor dealt with violent thugs.

      1. They will soon now the Police have lost control. The scum are already targeting richer areas.

  42. Bonjour tous.

    South of France? Pah. You can keep it.
    Hier soir I burnt a mosquito coil, a citronella candle and was covered head to foot in DEET and have still been bitten to smithereens.
    Curse my sweet British blood.

    1. Pig out on Marmite sandwiches or take Vit.B.
      Apparently lavender scent is also a repellant.
      Allegedly, Mrs. Mozzie can't abide either.
      But, being French mozzies, they'll automatically be contrary.

      1. 404. That’s an error.

        The requested URL was not found on this server. That’s all we know.

      2. One of the worst mosquito bites I’ve ever had (famous last words!) was in Colchester. I made the mistake of walking by the river.

    3. As a devout feminist I'm sure you console yourself that it's only wimmin mozzies wot bite.

    4. Rub oil of Rosemary all over your body after a shower and eat lots of garlic.

      The mozzies won't be able to get by the crowds of amorous Frenchmen.

    5. Never had a problem with any kind of biting insect when slathered with Deet. We do get two grades of it here – normal and so-called "Deep Woods". I always use the latter.

  43. Morning all!

    Like most, I assume, I was very miffed by the knighthood of Khan. What it tells me is that the king is very ill informed indeed. Questions need to be asked about who informs him and does this mean that he really understands what is happening in the country? Seems to me he is very cut off from the people. Does he know that people are rioting in Northern Ireland and does he know why? Or is he fed the usual left wing pap that this is "right wing extremists" . Does he know that people have had enough of having illegals being dumped on them? Does he realize that this is coming to England soon because he has a government totally incapable of dealing with it because it prefers to spout ideology separated from reality rather than deal with the problem? Apparently he is not aware that Khan is perceived as one of the people who, with his policies in London, is causing exasperation and resentment on the part of the public.

    One light amongst the darkness.
    A Bill…
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrzSom06ARw

      1. Morning Rastus!
        As I have said before, he objectively is not an idiot. So I would like to know, is he ill informed or is this wilful on his part? I think that is important because he is the monarch and the ultimate arbiter in the British system of governance.
        Does he, for example read the newspapers or does he get a review of some sort of the days happenings? If so what are the politics of these people? Is there a way of finding out who they are?

          1. Why only one wife, then? {:¬)) Or does he keep a couple at his Romanian "retreat"?

          4. Alamy is a disgusting outfit. They take photos in the public domain then slap a copyright on them and demand fees for usage. I read about that when a photographer used her own photos for her own book and Alamy sued her for copyright infringement!!! Seriously, how low can you get?

          5. Alamy is a disgusting outfit. They take photos in the public domain then slap a copyright on them and demand fees for usage. I read about that when a photographer used her own photos for her own book and Alamy sued her for copyright infringement!!! Seriously, how low can you get?

          10. Actually he has made it clear that his tradition is Orthodoxy but can't come right out and say so because he is head of the C of E. He went out of his way, at the coronation to request oil for anointing, from the Patriarch of Jerusalem and had an Orthodox chant done at the ceremony Psalm 71, which consists of a prayer to God to bless a new king and lead him to be righteous and deliver justice, as he was being anointed as the new king. King Charles could not have made it clearer where his religious allegiance is without actually saying so.

          12. Yes Phillip was Greek Orthodox and the kings grandmother, Phillips mother, was an Orthodox nun.

          13. He was baptised in the Greek Orthodox faith but converted to the Church of England before marrying Princess Elizabeth in 1947.

          15. Converted to Church of England. He had no option if he wanted to marry Elizabeth. Probably the same restriction applies to this day.

        2. He certainly seems to be obsessed with Islam.
          His Maundy Thursday message (a Christian festival) was ill conceived; totally unnecessary to Christians and the Jewish religion from which Christianity has descended (putting aside the other 'problems' with Islam). There was no need in a speech signifying a special day in the most significant period of the Christian year, to mention any other belief systems.

          “The love He showed when he walked the Earth reflected the Jewish ethic of caring for the stranger and those in need, a deep human instinct echoed in Islam and other religious traditions, and in the hearts of all who seek the good of others."

          1. And what is truly annoying is that the claim that Islam is an inheritor of the Judeo-Christian tradition is a lie without any real foundation and that is demonstrably so.

          2. Mohammed was a master strategist who deliberately set out to claim Jewish traditions for his fake religion and to justify conquest and subjugation to his ways

          3. He needs his head examined. But what's the point they'll only find sawdust in it?

        3. I think he tries to be king of all the people – and that includes the muslims. It just seems that by doing this he is denigrating his genuine British people.

        4. I think that, like the rest of them, he is rather horribly badly advised by people he likes (sycophants with an agenda) but perhaps should not trust, certainly not as regards their judgment. A propos his faith, have a look at Beshara. https://beshara.org/ A movement that is fine if your intention remains good and your wits alert but definitely on the pick'n'mix model so popular with the New Age "Chrislamists". A system of development of the inner being of man that perhaps works if pursued on the inner path, with sincerity and no compulsion from without. There is a very close affinity between Orthodox Christianity and Sufism.

          Sufism is one of the ancient (benign and true) religions that Islam sought to absorb, claim and subsequently warp to its own political ends, as a matter of interest. Islamists have also slaughtered many Sufis as apostates with, for example, an incorrect dress code or length of beard; Islam, as preached in this country today has evolved, in my opinion, to be an absolute monster – a political machine that places more worth on hairstyles and garb than on man's potential and his inner path.

          Whether there is another, truer, more honest and less authoritarian version with which we could happily co-exist remains to be seen. I wish such people, if they do exist, would step up to the bullhorn.

          In the meantime, I also wish that our authority figures would stop lying about the ideology that we have imported into our previously liberal and tolerant country,

      2. The King is a fully paid up member of the Globalist Elite whose religion is Wokeness.

        He is a German and merely the latest in a long line of European Monarchs all of whom are related and who share the same selfish proclivities. Allied with the judges and the bankers this King knows and cares little for the well-being of his countrymen and unlike his predecessors is unable to conceal the fact.

    5. Honours are promoted by the government. Somewhere, Starmer pushed for this revolting runt to get this.

      1. That might be so wibbling. That to me isn't the issue. It is that he actually apologized for taking so long to knight Khan.

        1. Did he? We only have Khant's word for it.
          I'm not saying it's impossible, just that believing Khant is even more impossible.

          2. I think Charles simply turned up a bit late. 'Sorry to keep,you waiting',

  44. 407213+ up ticks,

    Seeing Spain, Ireland going into what many regard as justifiable action, may one ask one of the leaders of
    Reform, seemingly our opposition to the political overseeing kapos party, how is the
    PLOUGHSHARE CONVERSION going nige ?

      1. 407213+ up ticks,

        Morning W,

        When push comes to SHOVE as I believe it really must will the “nige” be up for it.

        1. will the "nige" be up for it.

          All the pointers unfortunately say NO.
          Barrister & Ex-UKIP star Steven Woolf reckons Reform has been compromised. He says they are in a drive to recruit 1,000s of Muslim subscribers & candidates.
          The hidden pressures on Nigel is so severe that it is now impossible for him to utter "Islam is incompatible with the UK".

          1. He's a busted flush.

            Cameron said very few wise things but what he said about Blair:

            "You were the future, once"

            can aptly be now said of Farage.

            Yusuf already has him by the short and curlies and when he grabs Farage's balls he will squeeze.

          3. 407213+up ticks,

            JR,

            Bare in mind that he operates in a highly contaminated area the HP sauce factory, always look both ways when crossing a one way street.

            I have put what remains of my trust in the Farmers Food and Freedom Party and advise others to support them also as a fall back party for when things go TITS UP.

          5. I wonder what percentage of people who say they will vote for Reform agree with the Farage/Yusuf soft line on illegal immigrants and what percentage think Lowe's more radical approach is needed.

        2. will the "nige" be up for it.

          All the pointers unfortunately say NO.
          Barrister & Ex-UKIP star Steven Woolf reckons Reform has been compromised. He says they are in a drive to recruit 1,000s of Muslim subscribers & candidates.
          The hidden pressures on Nigel is so severe that it is now impossible for him to utter "Islam is incompatible with the UK".

        4. He will hide and wait for someone else and then say, as it gets underway: "I was always in favour of it." Grab the limelight!

    2. It's a biblical reference. But Ogga, there will be no plowshares if this government gets its way.

      1. 407213+ up ticks,

        Afternoon JR,

        That is the whole point of the exercise these overseers have had their odious way past the point of no return, as with the politico's before them.

        As for boats for example, the only ones they haven't burnt are the English Channel ones.

    1. That is: "The United States Army Rangers are elite U.S. Army personnel who have served in any unit which has held the official designation of "Ranger", the term "ranger" has been used, officially and unofficially, in North America since the 17th century, to describe specialized light infantry in small, independent units—usually companies. Mess with them at your peril! It isn't a Park Rangers patch.

      Ranger Tab OCP Patch – U.S. Army Patch
      https://militaryuniformsupply.com/products/ranger-tab-ocp-patch

        1. Wrong horse! The Lone Ranger's horse was Silver. Trigger belonged to Roy Rogers.

          1. You're absolutely right.

            We didn't have televison when I was a boy and by the time we did I was no longer interested in cowboys and Indians. I seem to remember a rather feeble joke:

            Q. What's the nearest thing to Silver?
            A. The Lone Ranger's balls

            The Internet tells me that Hopalong Cassidy's horse was called Topper and Wyatt Earp's horse was called Buck

        2. Lone Ranger to his close friend Tonto. "Indians Tonto we are surrounded"!
          Tonto to Lone ranger…."What you mean we kimo-sabie" ?

      3. The Tribal Rangers are not people to mess with either. Remember the Just Stop Oil loonies who held a "protest" on tribal land in Nevada and found themselves staring down the barrel of a gun?

        1. Yes, that was quit amusing. Pity our police didn’t behave that way. It would have stopped the idiots very quickly.

  46. Phew!
    6 sandbags filled with limestone scalpings, carted to the steps, one emptied and the rest left to one side until I puts some large stones in where I need to tip them.

    Time for a mug of tea!

  48. This is weird. Yesterday, my mobile was kept busy with Whatsapp messages (Reform UK getting a new chairman and everybody’s opinion of him), but this had abated by the time I had settled down to watch Law & Order. Twice while Lenny Brisco and Jack McCoy were bringing justice to Gotham City, my mobile made the noise it makes when you plug it into the charger. Odd, but what happened a little later would have freaked me out if I was of a nervous disposition: from my mobile came the sound of a woman talking for a few seconds. I immediately checked the mobile; it showed that I had one new Whatsapp message, but in fact, I did not.

    We know beyond doubt than our mobiles spy on us. Had there been a software fault somewhere in the system? Did I overhear a snatch of someone else's conversation?

    1. Your phone may have just picked up a random radio signal.

      I was listening to music on an old style cassette tape recorder when i picked up a live signal from a taxi outside my house.

      1. Much more likely to occur on "old tech" vs. stuff with integrated circuits. Always stories about people picking up the BBC long wave signals from Droitwich on devices in their homes, as it was a very powerful signal if you happened to live nearby.

    2. A scam text? I get very few on my laptop but one day about a year ago a really nasty pop up appeared and I couldn't get rid of it – I had to call in the swat team ( the sons) and the one in Switzerland killed it for me. I haven't been troubled with such things since then.

      I keep my mobile on silent and don't answer calls and it just vibrates slightly when a Whatsapp comes in.

      1. All turned off on mine:-) still get the alerts but no sound/vibration. Also not using online as much as I used to.

        1. I keep my phone on silent – can’t stand all the bleeps and buzzing. Sound on the laptop is mostly off too.

          1. Very similar, only keep checking if expecting a call. Just turned on GBN, Salford looks bad.

          3. Riots this afternoon, overturning cars, setting them alight, young men running amok..etc…possibly calmed down now, not had tv on all evening.

          4. i stopped watching telly some time ago – husband tends to just watch the sports.

          5. This was GBN as I was preparing my supper, I mostly watch Netflix if anything…recently watched Tinker Tailor (Alec Guiness) on BBC catch up or whatever it’s called. From the days when BBC was worth the time. (Yes, my husband watches a lot of sport too, think he subscribes to a channel but can’t recall name – last thing I want to watch, although quite like Sumo on NHK.)

      2. All turned off on mine:-) still get the alerts but no sound/vibration. Also not using online as much as I used to.

    3. Yo Jo

      I have said before, about the Amazon Bitch in the corner listening in

      My B-iL and me were chatting. He mentioned Adblue, which I do not use.

      Next time I went into Amazon, my homepage was full of Adblue prices…………

      1. Google does that – you look at something on line and immediately get lots of ads for the thing you were looking at.

        1. We have been looking at cushion feet floor protection for furniture this morning……

          2. Yes, I know. It’s why I don’t use Google as a search engine. A friend and I had fun discussing outlandish things on a gmail account and seeing how it managed to cope with coming up with adverts.

      2. 'Er oop north had a prang. Car was a right-off, but she retrieved one of its number-plates as a memento. So we had a chat about that. Next time I looked at my mobile, I had an ad for personalised number plates.

        Next up, she said she was thinking about buying a plug-in hybrid. So we had a chat about that. Then I got an ad for plig-in hybrids.

      3. A couple of weeks ago something like that happened to us we were talking about looking at a certain product and next day ads appeared on the internet.

        1. There was an opt out of personalised adverts a few years ago. Doesn't change the fact we are being spied upon.

          1. Definitely not. It’s always there, I keep it on mute is all. I close down all I can close down.

          2. When we have 'important fings' to discuss, we select the ONOFF Button to OFF

    4. In the office this morning, several of us had an "EMERGENCY ALERT!" on the mobile, accompanied by a very loud screeching from the phone. The text explained it was a test, no need to do anything – but very discombobulating all the same.

      1. You can turn off the emergency alerts nonsense. Nothing the government wants you to do will be remotely important except to them.

    5. Mine freaked me out at 3 a.m. years ago by announcing, in a woman's voice, "Listening". Evidently a glitch in some sneakily installed 'assistant'. I am grateful; it means I have known for years that the microphone is always on.

      During the covid madness, I left my phone at home all the time.

      1. That last email i sent you i first sent to neighbour Karen by mistake (blurry eyes).

        She still answered it as if it was meant for her. Which tells me a lot.

  50. I am going to take a break from NoTTL for a week or so. The daily news is ghastly and the comments – while understandable – are also very depressing. So I'll concentrate of my tomato growing and the trombetti.

    Play nicely. See you all later in the month. Prolly.

        1. If you have a look at the early morning chat – you’ll see Minty is really suffering – and not up to our political chit chat at the moment – but I just hope the absence is temporary.

          1. I always read newest first so anything early in the morning takes a while to reach me. I do hope it all works out and the withdrawal won’t be permanent. I agree, the news is extremely depressing.

    2. I know exactly how you feel Bill I've thought about it myself.
      You can talk to the trees instead.
      I've tried 🎵 "but they don't listen to me". 🎶
      Take care.

    3. Sadly, we can do nothing to change things and constantly reading news of ever madder judgements and crazy government policy just gets me down. I am off to Asia at the weekend where after a few days in Bali a family visit in deepest Sumatra is on the cards. I think the villagers ate the few remaining tigers over covid so the absence of a front door on my accommodation should not trouble us.. The mossies on the other hand will have an open season. No need for an alarm clock either with early morning prayers called pre dawn. It is one way of appreciating what we have at home!

      1. Our youngest son in in Bali at the moment he sent us some photographs of sunrise at Mount Bature.

        1. Im trying a 'homestay' outside the main tourist area. Preparation for the more ethnic experience in Sumatra. Ten pound for a double B&B, should be super…

        1. Bule, is the term Indonesians use for Westerners. It is not polite as such but not really offensive either. The kids follow you around as a curiosity but after more than 20 years, I understand their culture and they are good at heart. I have to take care, as Mrs Pea’s grandfather was imprisoned for murder and she is very proud of her heritage. She is likely to return to her homeland on my demise or if I need care. I am unlikely to know the difference if I get to that state!

    4. Sadly, we can do nothing to change things and constantly reading news of ever madder judgements and crazy government policy just gets me down. I am off to Asia at the weekend where after a few days in Bali a family visit in deepest Sumatra is on the cards. I think the villagers ate the few remaining tigers over covid so the absence of a front door on my accommodation should not trouble us.. The mossies on the other hand will have an open season. No need for an alarm clock either with early morning prayers called pre dawn. It is one way of appreciating what we have at home!

      1. We think it was growing tomatoes in soil which had carried brassicas the previous season.

    8. It is rather. My contributions are somewhat limited because I can't think of anything positive to say! and everyone in real life seems to be having a rotten time too.
      Have fun in the garden!

  51. Good Moaning to you all, from a warm and sunny C d S.

    We are carless for today, the first time for years.

    A month ago, somone ran into our Jazz, as was I parking it in the supermarket Car Park, and wrote it off (the car, not the car park)

    The Disco is off to the doctors (garage )for a service.

    I will need walking lessons….

  52. I have been to see an old German friend, his name is Frans Hanz. He is a keen gardener and is a little 'gay'. He is a popular DJ and he works every weekend in the local dancehall, it is free to enter but he said to me, "Per, tell your friends, if they are going to Frans Hanz disco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair".
    How nice of him!
    https://scontent-cdg4-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/347423847_10161178173094954_9166491616037399248_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s600x600_tt6&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=127cfc&_nc_ohc=1EkTSYqqOwEQ7kNvwFb4GUG&_nc_oc=AdnQkEHhaTRCMU2bO7IcxS_8l1Dlphs6N0Dt139Fjtxd4npAB_Jn9gipf-DQyePDalzY-Iyg_5DjbWBNG0-7tk1Q&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-cdg4-2.xx&_nc_gid=Aj5KNA2VdBtgjfCEmfxm6g&oh=00_AfNXXaXuyB_V8IkrEqCPa8NA4wSYA4yMSLgRaSO_gGw04Q&oe=684F3786

  53. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/06/11/spending-review-latest-rachel-reeves-keir-starmer-labour/

    "… “So let’s be clear, austerity was a destructive choice for the fabric of our society. And it was a destructive choice for our economy too, choking off investment and demand, creating a lost decade for growth, wages and living standards…."

    Reeves must be the only person who spends vastly more than she earns every month. I wonder how she'd cope without an expenses account she couldn't abuse? Living within what taxes raise is NOT austerity. It's is respectful of those providing the money, you hapless, dumb, spiteful bint.

    1. It's almost as if at every turn Starmer is giving the hated EU what it has wanted from the start.

      Next, northern Ireland. No one would believe this is a treacherous lawyer who was giving confidential papers to the wretched Eu ahead of government announcement, would they? After all, he didn't fight to force the May government to give the documents to parliament first, did he?

      Oh! hang on! The scum did! And yes, he did double deal and make every effort to do in Brexit.

      1. Falklands next. The coastline of which determines our rights and access to claims of mineral rights in Antarctica. Complete betrayal all round of the British people here, there and in the south Atlantic.

      2. Apart from VAT on private schools.
        Then, suddenly the EU is in the wrong by not charging it.

        2. 407213+ up ticks,

          Afternoon C,
          I was made a field officer in the Uganda parachute regiment via Jinja barracks, able to travel in the Torra district, on account of BIG DADA.

    4. No. Once someone throws a petty wobbler, they will do it again.
      That will be one constituency Reform will not win.

      1. Depends who is standing against him. It's a dirty old game and I usually vote for the least worst. Of course, if there's a Monster Raving Loony standing there will be no contest.

    3. Sales of nails?

      muslim contributes nothing but discontent, violence and welfare. They're parasites.

    4. Sales of nails?

      muslim contributes nothing but discontent, violence and welfare. They're parasites.

    5. Pity these such clever people do not help to rebuild the failed states from whence they came rather than assisting the kuffir.

    7. London Bridge, Manchester Arena, 7/7, do I need to give more examples of their contribution?

  57. LOL of the day.. from The Gaurdian. (On a sinister note swap the word Google or Amazon for The Home Office).

    Is working in big tech halal? Muslim workers are reckoning with the possibility that their jobs go against their religious obligations.

    Google and Amazon both provide cloud services to the Israeli military and government under a $1.2bn agreement dubbed “Project Nimbus”. the tech giant provides cloud services as well as advanced AI and machine learning tools that directly equip the Israeli military with various features including image and object detection and analysis.

    Some feel they can do more to agitate against these contracts from inside the company,

    “Honestly, I’ve been praying about what Allah wants me to do,” one Microsoft employee said. “Because it doesn’t seem like it’s right for a Muslim to continue working for such companies. But if we leave, then there could be a pro-Israeli person who takes our spot, and then you’re not serving the cause by doing this.”

    Muslims have a religious obligation to stop oppression wherever they see it. Working at a company that contracts with the Israeli government as it continues its decimation of Gaza without doing anything to push back against those contracts was in violation of that obligation. Put bluntly, Muslims have two options, Ibraheem said: to either fight or quit.

    1. Serving the cause? He has a job to do. His job is to follow instruction, not hinder it. Such antisemitic views should be a sacking offence.

    2. Another option would be to convert sincerely to either Christianity or Judaism.

      After all Shylock had to convert when his murderous plan to cut off a pound (454 g) of Antonio's flesh was foiled so why shouldn't a Muslim who plots to kill an infidel kafir receive a similar judgement?

    3. “Muslims have a religious obligation to stop oppression wherever they see it”

      Roflmao

    1. I believe that Noddy got a similar response from Big Ears when he wished him 'Good Morning'?

  60. So….Ms Reeves' Budget…a Viv Nicholson budget if ever I heard one……higher taxes, more borrowing, …….buckle up….

      1. Yes…PAYE likely to disenfranchise Labour voters ….whoever the heck they are…

    2. I saw an advert for a savings account today with attractive interest rates. My first thought was, what’s the point? Reeves will only steal it anyway.

      1. Whatever rate you find, Conway …somewhere you know, one or two may go under. Bit of a backlash starting, we’ll see. Gibraltar gov’t seems happy tho.

      3. Rolls Royce shares, Conners. They're bound to give in to SMRs sooner or later.

  61. I was brainwashed into wearing a hijab. But Britain mustn’t introduce a burka ban
    After removing her hijab since moving to the West, Dr Somayeh Tohidi argues a government should not decide how people express their faith
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/11/brainwashed-into-wearing-hijab-burka-ban/

    BTL

    Muslim women should wear what they want rather than what their menfolk want them to wear.

    However the face should be completely uncovered for security reasons which have nothing to do with religion.

    1. I understand Musl*m women are soooooo beautiful, if they uncovered their face and hair it would be like a Lynx advert but in reverse. Men would be powerless to stop themselves from ravishing every one.

      Makes us non Mus gals feel mighty inadequate.

      1. Other Muslim men.

        At least they recognise how lacking in control their menfolk are.

    2. I understand Musl*m women are soooooo beautiful, if they uncovered their face and hair it would be like a Lynx advert but in reverse. Men would be powerless to stop themselves from ravishing every one.

      Makes us non Mus gals feel mighty inadequate.

  63. Huge sigh of relief.. followed by high fives at the BBC.

    First images of Arthur A. published..

    Sir Keir hosts emergency meeting with Prevent, Mi5 and the creators of Adolescence.

  64. Huge sigh of relief.. followed by high fives at the BBC.

    First images of Arthur A. published..

    Sir Keir hosts emergency meeting with Prevent, Mi5 and the creators of Adolescence.

    2. We have suspected that for a long time. Compiling statistics which bear no resemblance to the truth.

  66. Independent Scotland would sever ties with Israel, says SNP

    More like

    Independent Scotland would sever ties with Israel, England says SNP

    2. They are in a Union, so the word they are looking for is secession.

    1. In England gay men have been courting them for years. There is a hospitality suite at the back of the BBC where they can get together and show them off to their friends.

    2. I went to pick my brother up once and I saw one of his neighbours taking a pet pig for a walk.

  69. 407213+ up ticks,

    Absolute dangerous tosh, once an issue is proved to have a serious life threatening fault, for example hanging and the
    Timothy Evans case, the system must be abandoned.

    The burka has, in the past, be used for concealment of potential life takers possibly carrying a load of "lets all go see allah" material.

    You want burka wearing freedom piss of lady to a burka wearing country, which I believe are becoming very thin on the ground.

    Dt,

    I was brainwashed into wearing a hijab. But Britain mustn’t introduce a burka ban
    After removing her hijab since moving to the West, Dr Somayeh Tohidi argues a government should not decide how people express their faith

    1. It isn’t “expressing faith “ because it isn’t a religious requirement. It’s a political statement that puts two fingers up to the culture of this country.

  71. LondonToryJCapnsMate
    2h
    Meanwhile away from this nonsense…..Starmer Is about hand control of Gibraltars borders….yes that British overseas territory hard won…..to the EU.
    British passport holders with have to hand over their passports to a foreign entity to enter a British territory. We all know where this is leading. This wretched man has zero shame and is literally batting for the other side. I hope the polls continue to reflect his ghastly reign.

    2. The polls won't get rid of him – the UK is lumbered with him for another 4 years. .

      Four years in which to give away the Channel Islands, the Falklands, the Isle of Man, Lundy Island and the Isle of Wight – and anything else he can think of giving away.

    3. If we are to believe the implications thrown up by the reporting of the arsonists, he's bating for the other side in more ways than one.

    1. "Culling banned from profession after evading justice for more than a "decade".

      It's that word again, a shibboleth of the BBC. Whenever expressing time in terms of years you must always use the word "decade". It tells the others that you are a member of the BBC liberal left brigade and can wear your rainbow badge with pride. It appears more and more in the Terrorgraph and other so-called right-wing papers nowadays.

    2. We have had several students from G&L on our courses over the years and the son of the school's headmistress came on a couple of courses with us.

      My niece, who lived in Teddington, was head girl during the 1970s when it was a very elite state grammar school catering for highly intelligent girls from all over London. The Labour government wanted to make it a comprehensive but the school's original foundation enabled it to go independent as it wanted to retain its reputation for academic excellence.

      Shirley Williams, then a government minister, had two daughters in the school and the poor girls were taken out and sent to comprehensives.

    1. Too late. The beast walks among us.

      The Second Coming

      Turning and turning in the widening gyre
      The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
      Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
      Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
      The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
      The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
      The best lack all conviction, while the worst
      Are full of passionate intensity.

      Surely some revelation is at hand;
      Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
      The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
      When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
      Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
      A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
      A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
      Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
      Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
      The darkness drops again; but now I know
      That twenty centuries of stony sleep
      Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
      And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
      Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born

      You can hear him every time the Labour government speaks

      1. W. B. Yeats's most pertinent observation:

        The best lack all conviction, while the worst
        Are full of passionate intensity.

          2. I adore Yeats – but Ronsard did it too with the custonary 'French twist

            "N'attendez pas. Cueiller, cuiiller des (grave accent) aujourd'hui les roses de la vie"

            Excuse my French

            Yes, there were those that allegedly loved me for my !pilgrim soul", or so they said, but I now think it is clear that is was more to do with being good looking, now the good looks have subsided with age th scales have fallen from their eyes.

            Being cynical

    2. Couldn’t agree more. My church is recreating a peal of Stedman Triples on the centenary of the first one ever rung in our tower.

  75. And another 6 sandbags filled and shifted.
    Though this time I did have Grad.Son's assistance.

  76. Just managed to register my ID with .gov.UK for the tax office. Looks like I might be due a bit of pension when I retire – enough to buy a box of wine a week, anyhow.
    So, will press on. My case is too complex to be settled by a website, I need to call.

    1. I expect the blast shutters came down straight away on his office.

      This is the man so beloved by Londoners he travels in armour plated convoy of at least three vehicles just to walk his dog.

          2. There will come a time where people begin picking it up and throwing it back in their faces.

        3. The really scary thing about that graph is when you also take into account the increase in population from 8.6 mn to ~ 9.9 mn that the absolute number of crimes has gone through the roof.

    2. City Hall, Khan's HQ, is seven miles from Whitehall. I don't know where he actually lives though. Some fortified and gated mansion with armed patrols probably.

  78. Just took Dolly and Harry over the park. I never let them off until i am well inside. Then when i did a collie came rushing over. Friendly but fast. Dolly did her usual and stood her ground against the bigger dog but Harry went full Warp nine.

    I spoke to the owner of the collie. And told him i didn't blame him or his dog.

    Managed to limp back home after a much longer walk than i anticipated and Harry was barking at the front door. After crossing a road with buses and lorries.

    That's enough excitement for one day. He will remain leashed in future so he is within kicking distance.

    1. Young women in this country really need to start learning martial arts. Neither the police, courts or government have any intention of defending them. They have to learn how to defend themselves.

    2. Far from ensuring our security as a Nation State, Starmer and his inept government of stooges are very keen to put us back under the auspices of the dying EU. This would be a hollow and retrograde step and will lead to our being on the wrong side of history should we continue to join the idiots in persecuting Russia and funding the bankrupt and transient remains of a dying Ukraine.

      In addition the UK has been accused by Russia of facilitating the recent attacks on Russian Nuclear Bomber airfields and the terrorist attacks on Russian civilians with the detonation of bridges and resultant multiple deaths and injuries of Russians.

      The continuing and inexplicable funding by Starmer of Project Ukraine to the tune of at least £5 billion per annum is madness. Ukraine is lost as a supposed independent nation and Kiev will shortly resume its historical place as Russia’s founding city. It makes no sense to pretend to some alternative outcome or to continue to borrow to support that wretched Zelensky regime.

      I note that Bulgaria is the latest country to fall victim to the clutches of the EU. Under previous rules that country will not have qualified for membership. Along with the admission of other net recipients, Poland being the country most benefitting from the EU (whilst the UK simply shovelled our wealth down its throat) it is obvious that the EU retains a desire to acquire access and influence over the Black Sea. Russia will never allow the EU anywhere near the Black Sea whatever arrangements are presently being cooked up between the EU and Turkey.

    3. Far from ensuring our security as a Nation State, Starmer and his inept government of stooges are very keen to put us back under the auspices of the dying EU. This would be a hollow and retrograde step and will lead to our being on the wrong side of history should we continue to join the idiots in persecuting Russia and funding the bankrupt and transient remains of a dying Ukraine.

      In addition the UK has been accused by Russia of facilitating the recent attacks on Russian Nuclear Bomber airfields and the terrorist attacks on Russian civilians with the detonation of bridges and resultant multiple deaths and injuries of Russians.

      The continuing and inexplicable funding by Starmer of Project Ukraine to the tune of at least £5 billion per annum is madness. Ukraine is lost as a supposed independent nation and Kiev will shortly resume its historical place as Russia’s founding city. It makes no sense to pretend to some alternative outcome or to continue to borrow to support that wretched Zelensky regime.

      I note that Bulgaria is the latest country to fall victim to the clutches of the EU. Under previous rules that country will not have qualified for membership. Along with the admission of other net recipients, Poland being the country most benefitting from the EU (whilst the UK simply shovelled our wealth down its throat) it is obvious that the EU retains a desire to acquire access and influence over the Black Sea. Russia will never allow the EU anywhere near the Black Sea whatever arrangements are presently being cooked up between the EU and Turkey.

  81. Just had a text from my GP Practice asking how they were doing regarding the recent call from the GP…

    Recent text message to me about how your service to me is doing.

    My response.

    I have two conditions which will worsen over time. I was recently told no treatment would be made available because i smoke cigarettes. Even an adjustment to my medication was refused.

    At the same time as you will treat drunks and drug addicts and anyone else that turns up on your door step.

    I will remind you of your core principles.

    I quote.

    The core of the NHS's approach to treating everyone is encapsulated in its values: Respect and Dignity, Compassion, Working Together for Patients, Commitment to Quality of Care, Improving Lives, and Everyone Counts. These values guide all aspects of NHS service, ensuring everyone receives care with respect and dignity, regardless of their background or circumstances.

    Apparently that doesn't include me.

    1. And in the past think of all the money the government had made from taxes on tobacco. But imagine how much money they now make from the kneeling population who probably pay less tax than any other sector of our current population. And probably make more use of the NHS per person than registered taxpayers have ever done since taxes began.

        1. Actually it's the other way around.. Govts spend then tax (shred). Any shortfalls are the Gilts (printing). It's the way it works in modern financing around the world.
          Where it gets political is how & where you wield the tax stick. Labour are obsessed with confiscation.. and use the tax stick to beat to a pulp any one they don't like. As for spaffing.. don't go there you'll get upset.

        1. I don't necessarily trust this source but the costs far outweigh the income.

          Today, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) has published new estimates showing that smoking costs society in England £43.7 billion a year – far more than the £6.8 billion raised through tobacco taxes.[1] This includes:

          £27.6 billion in lost economic productivity
          £1.82 billion to the NHS
          £13.9 billion in social care costs to local authorities
          £332 million in fire-related costs

          https://ash.org.uk/media-centre/news/press-releases/new-figures-show-cost-of-smoking-to-society-in-england-dwarfs-tobacco-tax-revenue#:~:text=Today%2C%20Action%20on%20Smoking%20and,billion%20in%20lost%20economic%20productivity

          1. Bunkum

            The 'lost economic productivity' and 'scocial care costs to local authorities' figures are blatant fudge figures to make the overall cost look extreme.

          2. I certainly suspect so, but even allowing for that, there will be an element of truth.

          3. They've probably used old figures from when far more people smoked. A much smaller proportion of people smoke now, so receipts from taxes are probably lower, but far fewer people need treatment from smoking harm.

          4. I suspect there are still very many smokers/ex-smokers who cost a lot, but as they die off the costs become a drop in the ocean.

    3. How are they allowed to refuse to treat a patient and refuse to adjust his medication? Honestly I just don’t know how these cretins can operate as they do. We are truly in one hell of a mess in the U.K. and there seems to be no way out.

      1. At least i would have got the fagging and spanks for free.

        Sounds like a song…………..

    5. Bloody disgraceful! As an ex-smoker who coughed up (!) thousands and thousands into the bottomless pit that is NHS Finances I think I might have choked them……

      1. On the call from the GP explaining why the team were not prepared to help me i was incredibly polite and understanding.

        They are all too stupid to know what that means in the long term.

    6. Superb reply 10/10 plus 2 for neatness. I'm just surprised you didn't tell them where to stick their endoscope!

  83. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fdf677e12b15efa6d023f8041eedfd1075eab2db34c8ab8062b08087dee5697b.png
    HatanakaHacker
    24m
    You can guarantee, 100%, that if this supposedly excellent deal was announced the same day as the 3 year spending disaster, there's something very wrong with this deal.
    Why would they not save this "excellent" news for another day?

    Rob Ellis
    34m
    Once the small print becomes available you can guarantee this latest surrender deal will benefit no one except for Spain and the EU.

    Mr Davies
    42m
    "Benefits Everyone"
    Except the British and Gibraltans.

    Peterg123
    15m
    "A fluid border between Gibraltar and Spain, without checks on people crossing." a migrant magnet?

  85. Reform was meant to be the party you can trust on immigration. So what on earth is going on?
    It’s one thing to move Left on welfare, but quite another for the new chairman to parrot smug clichés about multiculturalism.
     https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/11/reform-meant-to-be-trusted-on-immigration/

    This will be the end of The Reform Party – Farage, the fairground entertainer and impresario, is falling in downward spirals on the big dipper.

    1. My long term view is with Reform being the controlled opposition splitting the right of centre vote what we will end up with is what they have in Germany. A coalition. Much much worse than what we saw under Cameron.

  86. Wordle No. 1,453 3/6

    ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
    ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    Wordle 11 Jun 2025

    Tartan for Birdie Three?

    1. Also three for me today.

      Wordle 1,453 3/6

      🟨🟨🟨⬜⬜
      🟨⬜🟩🟩⬜
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    2. Boring Four…….

      Wordle 1,453 4/6

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

    4. Well done, me too.

      Wordle 1,453 3/6

      🟨⬜🟨⬜⬜
      ⬜🟩🟩🟩⬜
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

  87. My good lady is sitting in at our eldest sons who is away on business for the day, back later. Our DiL is disabled with MS. She cares for our two grandchildren. Our middle son and his wife are both in London today working. I collected their little fella from school at 3.15 and was slightly concerned about having to keep an active five and a half years old entertained. But after a snack a biscuit and a drink of water he's laid down on the sofa and been asleep for an hour. Call grandad lucky I don't mind. I even won £3.50 only the lottery last evening. 😆😉

  89. Afternoon all. Kadi and Winston have just achieved another first. We travelled on the Cambrian Railway this morning. They behaved as though going on a train was second nature.

    I am amazed that anyone thought the Chancer- sorry, Chancellor- had any judgement in the first place.

        1. Starmer is living in the past .

          Our beautiful country cannot afford to be benevolent .

          Poor old Welfare ridden Britain .. it is the welfare state that has sunk us all.

          2. He is not living in the past, Belle, he is dead set on destroying our country. That is his ideology. He is an active traitor, as is Hermer, along with many others who have infiltrated our government. I don't know what we can do about this, given the betrayal of our country by those appointed to defend it.

      2. All countries that return the favour with the best of their young entrepreneurs and doctors!

  92. Afternoon all – been busy booking a trip to Switzerland to see my son in his new home. Going for a weekend early in September.

        1. Hello J,

          Son must have got a brill job, living in Switzerland , it is an expensive place to settle.

          My neighbours have a married son living out in Switzerland , family and all.

          Best education and lifestyle and superb salaries .

          1. I think the living costs match the salaries though. It's not the cheapest place to live. He's a software engineer for a pharmaceutical company.

    2. His new house looks very nice in the photo you posted a couple of months ago. Any room in your luggage?

      2. Yes – a nice little traditional house – it looks to have been fitted out to a good standard.

  93. Where is he based?
    Switzerland's cities are wonderful, let alone the countryside, lucky man.

    1. He lives in Basel – or rather, just outside now, in a village. He told us at Christmas he'd bought the house, but moving has been a process, rather than all at once. He's been there 26 years now.

      1. We visited Basel a while back with the intent of moving there. It is a beautiful city, unlike the UK in that it's not overrun, filthy.

      1. It's frustrating that they can't do anything. It should be that criminals move in, plod follow, shoot the criminals and problem solved.

        Instead it's a farcical legal hassle where no one, absolutely no one has any sense of urgency.

      2. 407213+ up ticks,

        Evening S,

        In today's anti Brit climate they do not wish to cause offence to the foreign offenders.

      3. In the seventies an unoccupied home in Fitzwilliam Avenue (?) in Kew was occupied by squatters. The owner was away on holiday but was a serving police officer or superintendent from memory. Within hours of being notified the Police appeared in numbers, evicted and arrested the squatters.

        It can be done provided the cops have sufficient motivation. In this recent case a swift kick up the backside would appear to be necessary to get the buggers away from the canteen and their diet of Polony sausage.

        1. It's a pity that the "little old lady" wasn't a Kray style grandmother and the gang didn't arrive and beat 99 flavours of shirt out of the squatters.

    2. Well I've been stung with massive wasp and now having large port, finger badly swollen. However, have a dim n distant (now fresh theer) this is how police forces started – locally. Sorry if I don't make sense.

    3. Don't you have any hells angels or ex squaddies that could go round to her house and throw the buggers out?

    4. Examples of this problem with the law on squatting turn up regularly. The police show a distinct lack of imagination. They should arrest the lot on suspicion of having committed a crime (made up, of course, but what the hell), take them down to the nick for a few hours while the occupier, aided by friends and neighbours, reclaims the property. The squatters are turned out on the street and can then be charged with vagrancy (though they'll probably end up in a Travelodge).

  96. New pictures from solar orbiter shown tonght on BBC News of the sun's south pole – you can see the water dripping off the bottom.

  97. Madeleine Grant has written a fantastic put-down of our Dear Lady Chancellor. I wrote the following response, which is in moderation:

    “Ouch! Delicious. Madeleine has become one of my favourite writers.”

    be honest. On a scale of 1 to faaaaaarrrrrr rrriiigghht, how bad do think this is?

  99. Had a very civilised lunch at the Lanesborough recently. Since then all plans have turned to shit.
    I proposed a garden party at my place. If i were forming a government i would have had a minority.
    I am now told for my Les Enfants at Weymouth not only one but four are unable to attend. Apparently .

    One of the guests is 80 and is being admitted that morning. My aunt is 90.

    I tried. Now i am not trying.

    1. Okay, I get it .

      Just as well, storms are expected , Moh will be enjoying golf on the TV , US open at some point, and I shall probably visit a garden centre ..

      On the other hand?

      1. It is not you!
        My aunt is 90 years old. My Brother in law has an intervention at 9am on that day and I have canceled the entire lunch.

        I have offered Chef Eric some money for the disaster from from people who say they will and they won't

        That is also another reason why i have canceled my annual garden party.

        I am now going to take my Meds.

        1. Joking aside, I used to send a small donation to someone who no longer posts here, for flowers/gifts to celebrate Nottler things. (Nagsman or one of the other ladies of that time)
          Perhaps a small fund could be established.

          3. I bought a bouquet of flowers for my 90 year aunt to a restaurant you are not coming to. I have had to make other arrangements through other cancelled people to try to damage limitations and cost from your not being able to make your own decisions.

            You never met Nags. Or the others. Ask yourself why.

            I don't blame you in any way but i also don't want to have an anything to do with people like you.

          5. I don't think you do. If you had met these people in person over the last 15 years where we lunched. Well, All done now. Richard.

          3. I also think your husband is a total troll cunt. Wannafight. No need to ask what you think.

          5. i give up. If women are happy to be treated as slaves who am i to argue.
            I really now at the point where i don't give a shit about anything

          2. Stay on NoTTL. You are one of the pillars, providing interest and weirdness. Not dull sh1t like I do. Hell, half of NoTTL even come to your parties!
            The place will be devastated by your absence.
            As will I.

          3. This years garden party for July is cancelled due to ‘unforeseen’ circumstances. My lunch tomorrow at Les Enfants in Weymouth has also been cancelled due to foreseen circumstances. After a massive shouty row with a family member who wasn’t invited but found out about it.
            Just wondering which lucky neighbour gets the bouquet of flowers sitting in my kitchen.

  100. From Coffee House the Spectator
    07 Jun 2025

    Coffee House
    Mark GaleottiMark Galeotti
    No, Nato: Brits had not ‘better learn to speak Russian’
    11 June 2025, 6:15am

    It seems conventional wisdom by now that the public can only be convinced by hyperbole. As Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte implies that Britain faces a choice between the NHS and Russian conquest, it is worth asking how much this actually damages democracy – and helps Vladimir Putin?

    The real threat Russia poses is less of direct military action but through its ‘hybrid war’ instruments of subversion and division

    Rutte is on tour in a bid to sell the new orthodoxy that Nato member states – many of whom barely, if at all, hit the previous target of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence – must commit to spending 3.5 per cent directly on defence and 1.5 per cent on defence-related spending (such as resilience, R&D and support for Ukraine). At Chatham House in London this week, he was blunt about the spending priorities this entailed:

    “If you do not go to the 5 per cent, including the 3.5 per cent for defence spending, you could still have the NHS… the pension system, but you better learn to speak Russian. That’s the consequence.”

    First of all, we must recognise that this combined 5 per cent figure – whether it makes sense or not – comes less from a mature assessment of the threat, and more the need to placate Donald Trump. The US president has made little secret that if he feels Europe is failing to pull its weight, he will be even less inclined to continue to guard it.

    However, the suggestion that the alternative – “you better learn to speak Russian” – is that a nation still struggling to defeat Ukraine – a country with a population of, now, some 30 million – will sweep across Nato Europe (population over 530 million), hop over the Channel, and still have the forces to subjugate the UK is ludicrous. Even if the war with Ukraine ends soon (highly unlikely, alas), Rutte’s claim that Moscow will be willing and able to take on Nato by 2030 seems implausible.

    Yet Russia is apparently ten feet tall, in Rutte’s mind. He claims that, for example, it will produce 1,500 tanks this year alone, when the most optimistic figure is likely 200-300 genuinely new tanks. If they are fielding that many extra tanks in 2025, the overwhelming majority will actually be ageing Soviet tanks pulled out of mothballs – and these stocks have almost run out.

    Yes, Russia can be said to pose a potential threat to the UK. There is the suggestion – most recently coming from the German intelligence service – that Putin might ‘test’ Nato by some kind of deniable ‘little green man’ incursion into a neighbouring country. Finland, the Baltic States and Poland today are not Crimea in 2014, though. Any such expedition would be met with immediate and deadly force. Might long-range missiles from airborne and naval platforms be used to threaten Blighty directly? A technical possibility, but to what plausible end?

    All the same, the UK and European Nato clearly have neglected their defences. Increased spending is a necessity, not least to signal resolution to Russia and deter Putin or a successor from making some ill-judged move.

    However, by framing this in terms both apocalyptic and implausible, Rutte does us all a disservice. The real threat Russia poses is less of direct military action but through its ‘hybrid war’ instruments of subversion, division and misdirection. In this context, arguably at least as important is spending on the intelligence and security services, the police – and on anything that contributes to social and political cohesion. Russia’s operations thrive on division and cynicism, on communities feeling marginalised or ignored.

    This is the security trap we face. In the long term, defence spending may help uplift industrial regions and fund innovation. Here and now, though, it must mean higher taxes and/or cuts in other public spending, or else even greater national debt to weigh down future generations. How far does this alienate communities and further overstretch public services? And how far will this be a gift to Russia’s trolls, propagandists and efforts to encourage divisive politics?

    Language like Rutte’s is often defended as a necessary over-compensation to years of complacency. How else, it is argued, can the public be motivated to accept such necessary spending? (How would he know? When he was Dutch prime minister, defence spending never even reached the Nato 2 per cent minimum.) In any case, the line is that the common masses neither want or can understand nuance.

    This dangerous and elitist nonsense is precisely, though, one of the reasons why democracies are in crisis, why cynicism and populism are both on the rise. The more politicians say these things to electorates to get them to believe the ‘right’ thing, the less reason to believe them at all.

    We cannot ignore the current Russian leadership’s hostility and belligerence. But we should not ignore the degree to which Putin’s goal for the UK – and Europe as a whole – is not some hollow dream of conquest but paralysis, amplifying our own divisions and discontents. To that extent, our security is as much about a truly working NHS as more fighter jets, and politicians willing to approach the public as if they deserve honesty and can understand complexity.

    Mark Galeotti
    Written by
    Mark Galeotti
    Mark Galeotti heads the consultancy Mayak Intelligence and is honorary professor at the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies and the author of some 30 books on Russia. His latest, Forged in War: a military history of Russia from its beginnings to today, is out now.

    1. Russia has no designs on what remains of Europe but for anyone young and resilient enough to relocate to a Christian country with extreme weather, learning the language is a good idea.

    2. I fear Vlad far less than I fear Starmer and Co. Still, I do already speak Russian.

      1. No excrement left inside our politicians whose fear of Islam squeezed it all out of them.

        2. Why are they afraid? The scum wanted the revolting vermin here. Blair wanted a voting block and invited the most useless, idle, uneducated, effluent he could to sit on welfare as a permanent client state – lo! muslim.

  102. The Warqueen is heading off to Ascot on Friday and asked me where my flight cases were.

    I told her. Cue clattering and she's emptied two of the biggest (I store models in boxes, some more esoteric tools and lego manuals in them) and she's hauling two of these massive boxes through the house on the wheelie cart. On top of that she's purloined an army foam carry box and both our rolly suitcases.

    Each of the roadie boxes is huge and she's packed 2, plus two suitcases.

    I asked her if she was finally leaving me and she told me to help her pack, so I did. What I found astonishing is as dress after dress, as drawers of knickers and bras, corsets, shoes trousers, jackets, cosmetics were poured into these devouring abyssal crates the wardrobes didn't really seem to empty that much.

    I carried them into the battle tank and as the suspension groaned and three dogs wondered what was going on – well, two, Mongo doesn't really care unless Junior's involved – she asks me – heh! – if she's forgotten anything. I didn't say 'kitchen sink?'.

    I won't complain. Last time she took 3k and came back with a share in a horse so she's a ruthless fellow who knows her stuff.

    1. Have you ever considered that this young beautiful lady is taking advantage of you?

    1. I honestly don't know what Starmer – and countless government prior – are playing at. These are criminals. They should have been met with a gunboat telling them to turn back from the very first dinghy. If they persisted, open fire.

      1. Following orders from their ever watchful superiors.
        Wreckers of the world united.

    2. Brace ourselves, Maggie…because it's going to get much worse over the next few months whilst the weather is good. I hope everyone saw Patrick Chrystys interviewing the prospective Chanel hoppers recently – many more where those came from.

      1. UKIP is trying to do something about it; "Our intention is to fundraise £50,000 to begin sending teams of British men to patrol northern France and report on where the traffickers deploy boats from. We intend on gathering data and reporting suspected crossings to the French police to assist them in actually stopping the boats. Once the migrant boats are in the water they will be allowed to reach Britain, so we have to do everything we can to keep the illegals in France."

        1. Sounds like it could work. I hope they’ve already cleared it with the French police. Perhaps the French will then return them to Germany, and on to Italy, then back to Libya.

        2. Sounds like it could work. I hope they’ve already cleared it with the French police. Perhaps the French will then return them to Germany, and on to Italy, then back to Libya.

    3. Do not fear, Nottlers. I’m sure the authorities are fingerprinting, photographing and iris ID-ing as they trundle through the arrivals hall. And given a name and number. No worries!

    2. I was a bit young for the Beach Boys, but they formed part of my growing up.
      Really sad news, but in any case, RIP, Brian, man. Thanks for the music!

    3. Always sad to hear those sorts of unavoidables.
      Another Great 60s band The Beach Boys.

      2. We must have posted this within seconds of each other!

        [No, I see that you posted it an hour before I did but I had not refreshed and so did not see it until a few seconds after I had posted it.]

        The Beach Boys music was very much a part of many of our lives when we were at university.

    5. Sad news. A different world, Sue. Bit of good news here, hopefully. Recently had to have my oldest dog euthanised, liver problems. Daughter thinks she may have found a dog for me to take in. I hope so, because dog I still have is even more miserable than I am. Everything crossed.

      3. I hope a dog has found you after all. Did you take your other dog to see the oldest one put to sleep? Did your surviving dog know what had happened?

        1. Me2. No, other dog was already sick, she seemed to know what was coming was very quiet, a sensitive little dog. I think she knows he’s not coming back, plus I’ve not been myself – I think they pick up on that more than humans do. If I get another dog, it will entirely depend on her.

          1. When I got Winston, one of the conditions of my agreeing to take him was that he and Kadi got along. The other was that he travelled well. Given that I drive long distances in the motorhome, the last thing I could cope with was howling for hours!

          2. Yes, I remember that from when we had a m/home…the dog just euthanised hated all travel, would shake, I thought he may eventually get used to travel but he never did. The border has never bothered, she’s laid back unless she sees a dog she doesn’t know. So what’s the longest drive you did in your motorhome?

  105. Thought for the day.
    All politicians should be thoroughly audited before taking office.
    At the end of their tenure everything over and above their wealth (allowing for inflation) when they were elected should be confiscated.

    1. We desperately need a decent alternative to the Farage Reform Party.

      Does Farage seriously think that The Reform Party will be more credible with Bull as chairman?

      I must say I don't much like the look of him!

      It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances.

      [Oscar Wilde]

  107. Has Minty given up on Nottlers as well ?
    I couldn't find any details of what might have happened.

          1. Bill always signs off in the evening … and has a look in later! But I accord with his sentiments this morning.

          3. Probably best to be gaga in this mad world, it’s the only way one can cope. Oh, and alcohol..

          4. In that case, good wishes to them. Even more of an airhead than I usually am…….

    2. A post earlier on this morning detailing heart and health problems causing Minty to sit back for a while. Very sad as we’ll miss the humour!

      1. Thanks and Sos, sad to think we are struggling so much with life as we are getting older.
        I had a similar discussion with a couple of neighbours this afternoon.

  108. Hello Nottlers all!

    Thought I'd pass on a lovely bit of winter sunshine here in Buenos Aires.

    After my morning classes, I slithered along to a wonderful concert based on the experiences of Antoine de Saint Exupéry (he of "The Little Prince") in the nascent aerial postal service. Fascinating narration by an actor – I was happy to realise that there was very little I didn't catch – interspersed with piano music from many of the countries connected by the service. (Argentina was represented by Guastavino and Piazzolla, France by Satie; gorgeous.)

    Discovering that I was starving (a sensation I seldom felt before throwing myself into tango), I wandered along to the wetlands by the river and treated myself to a hot pork sandwich at the stall on the right. Delicious, and the warmth of the sunshine on the bits of myself not covered in multiple layers of clothing was most welcome.

    I meandered back via a playground in order to enjoy the bouncy surface (yes, OK, I also had a go on the swings 🤣) and am just about to set off for two hours of intensive Spanish followed by a very intense dance technique class.

    What a great day! 🙂🙂

    Katy https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5cf10d6f9d2bd3b984efb61af651b9d1bb7024f27fdbc8aab89d8044a2584126.jpg

      1. 🤣 Ringing the changes.

        Lots of beef. LOTS. 😎 But they do like a bit of pork too, and chicken.

        Fish is pretty distrusted in Buenos Aires, and for lamb I pretty much have to visit friends in the countryside. Worth the wait, though – very fresh, and barbecued to perfection.

  109. After my busy day I've decided to pop orff soon.
    I'm trying to read the newest Jack Reacher novel. In Too Deep. I'm finding it difficult to retain interest.
    Lee Child has called on I belive his son Andrew to help out.
    I've previously read all the other books.
    Struggling now……

    1. Similarly, years ago, after reading all of them. I thought Andrew was his brother who took over writing them? I actually started re-reading them at one point.

        1. No probs, Eddy – seem to remember the later ones not being quite as good as the early ones – quite an addiction at the time! 😀 Kate x

      1. Yes agreed and I feel I’ve had enough already of this one.
        Chapter 13, unlucky for some.

    1. Hah ! Tell it to all those plumbers and electricians ! Even the 'Postman' only rings once.

  111. Off topic
    Spring watch this evening
    Wild cats.
    The people monitoring them are catching feral cats and sterilising them, to protect the indigenous population.

    Why oh why can't we catch gimmegrants and sterilise them too?

  112. There's stupid and then there is STUPID!

    "Wisconsin’s health department is keeping in place its recommendation that pregnant women and all children receive one of the currently available COVID-19 vaccines, diverging from guidance by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said on June 4 it is continuing to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for people aged 6 months and older."

      1. Our decision not to have them and take vitamin D3 was confirmed but my orthopaedic surgeon and maxillofacial surgeon as the sensible choice. Alternative opinions.

  113. A woman was allegedly battered to death with a mallet by a homeless man she had taken in, a court heard.
    Victoria Adams, 37, was found dead at her flat in Hammersmith, west London, on Feb 9 after police were called to a report of a man trying to break into the property in Coulter Road.
    She was found face down in a bedroom with a black bin bag over her head, which was covered by a pillow, the Old Bailey heard.
    She had suffered at least 10 separate injuries to the back and side of the head from being struck with a blunt object, said Peter Ratliff, prosecuting.

    Further investigations led to the recovery of a mallet, which allegedly had blood and the victim’s DNA on it.
    Apapale Adoum, 39, of no fixed address, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder. He was charged with the offence on June 5.
    It is alleged that the victim met him on Feb 6 when he was living in a homeless shelter and had invited him to stay with her, but later wrote a note to ask him to leave.

    On Tuesday, Mr Adoum appeared at the Old Bailey by video-link from Wandsworth Prison for a preliminary hearing and spoke only to confirm him identity.

    In this instance an Apaple a day didn't keep the pathologist at bay…

        1. The Court will of course consider all the details and deem him needy of a four poster bed in an 18 century manor house

    2. Good Samaritan pays the current price of uncontrolled immigration.

      RIP Victoria Adams, Guardian reader.

    2. I am really having problems with this.

      Hello plebs.. Look at my new suit/policies.

      Sorry to tell you this but you not only do you look cheap. You also look paid for. Like a whore.

      1. Has her spending review accommodated for her charges?
        There could be a premium for using the whip and a hire charge for the use of police handcuffs.

    3. You will now be better off in Britain by sleeping rough as the Government will no longer be deeming it a criminal offence.
      This will allow the £39bn allocated over the next ten years to build housing cheap enough to allow otherwise arrested criminal hotel guests to buy their own accommodation on benefits.

      https://www.gov.uk/government/news/rough-sleeping-to-be-decriminalised-after-200-years

      There could however remain a lawful solution which might be in tents.

    1. We liked New England Bay out of season you possibly been there? What’s that 100plus? well done man and dog/s!

          1. That's about as far as I like to travel in one go these days. After the Norfolk marathon I decided that I would break up the journey with an overnight stop about half way. I didn't have that luxury on Saturday as I had to be home to read in church on Sunday morning.

          2. Good man to return home in time. Used to visit Norfolk many years ago, mostly North nowadays.

    2. Should say I also drove to Norfolk. That took far longer than it should have done, thanks to being stuck on the (notorious) A14.

  119. Well, chums, my bedtime fast approaches. So I will wish you all a Good Night. Sleep well, and I hope to see you all again early tomorrow morning.

  122. Au Revoir
    38m
    So riddle me this (© Beebsplaining)
    *when Liz Truss lays out tax cuts they're "unfunded" (despite this being impossible) & the MSM completely lose their sh1t
    *when Robber Reeves lays out genuinely unfunded govt expenditure plans for the next 3 yrs the MSM try to pass it off as a return to normal, stable, 'progressive' mgt of the economy
    WTAF?

  125. John watches the tennis, footie (especially the ladies! ) and rugby…… not really into contact sports.

    1. Simblar here…I quite like ruggers. Everywhere so quiet today, little traffic. Perhaps people/businesses waking up to the Rachel Reality…

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