Wednesday 6 March: The plight of patients trapped in hospital despite being fit to leave

Posted on by Geoff Graham

An unofficial place to discuss the Telegraph letters, established when the DT website turned off its commenting facility (now reinstated, but we prefer ours),
Intelligent, polite, good-humoured debate is welcome, whether on or off topic. Differing opinions are encouraged, but rudeness or personal attacks on other posters will not be tolerated. Posts which – in the opinion of the moderators – make this a less than cordial environment, are likely to be removed, without prior warning.  Persistent offenders will be banned.

Today’s letters (visible only to DT subscribers) are here.

Edit: having slept on yesterday’s development, a few words for recently-arrived Speccie commenters. First of all, welcome to our humble little corner of the interweb. When the Telegraph removed the Disqus platform, I set up this site primarily because there was a “community*” of BTL posters for whom the site had become a form of social media. Probably not what the DT intended. From the outset, I made it clear that nttl.blog was not competing with the DT, but simply a channel where old friends could continue to correspond. We allow comments, whether or not related to the actual DT letters. But it is assumed that posters here subscribe to the DT, and wholesale re-posting of content will be deleted, as breach of copyright. The same applies to Spectator content.

Meanwhile, BTL regular Tom Armstrong is setting up an alternative site, which will have its own content. It has often been said that more intelligent writings can be found below the line at the Spectator, than that submitted by paid journalists. Tom will be giving us the chance to prove it…

(*I hate the word “community” but it fits in this context)

999 thoughts on “Wednesday 6 March: The plight of patients trapped in hospital despite being fit to leave”

  1. ‘Morning, Geoff. Thanks, as ever.
    Apologies for length, but I had an e-mail yesterday…

    Message sent on behalf of the Head, Louise Simpson.

    Dear Exonian,

    Exeter School is an exceptional school with a wealth of heritage and history, and as an alumnus you are an important part of that story. I much enjoy alumni events both here at school and further afield. Just two weeks ago it was a pleasure to meet with alumni in London for drinks and we are looking forward to more events later this year.

    In the last two years we have been making structural changes to the school’s pastoral system and this means that we will be moving from a vertical house-based system to a horizontal one through the year groups. A strong pastoral structure fosters a sense of belonging, provides essential support structures, and contributes to the character development of our pupils.

    We have communicated this to the school community and last week we wrote to you asking for your thoughts on potential categories for new house names. This has generated a number of responses, with a wide range of views, all of which we are considering carefully. You may have also seen that it has been the subject of some online articles, in several publications, which, sadly, contain several factual inaccuracies.

    The governors will make any final decision and will be meeting later this week to consider our next steps following the collation of views through the survey. Please be assured that your thoughts are much valued, and we will continue to consider carefully what is the right course of action for the school to take as we move forward.

    We have written a general statement for the wider public, which is posted on our website, and which you can access here:

    https://www.exeterschool.org.uk/2024/03/05/press-statement/

    I look forward to seeing you at an alumni event in the future and thank you for your engagement on this important matter.

    Kind regards,

    Louise Simpson
    Head

    Alice Holohan

    Director of Development and Alumni Relations

    01392 458940

    Exeter School, Victoria Park Road, Exeter, Devon EX2 4NS
    Exeter Pre Prep School, The Avenue, Exminster Exeter, Devon EX6 8AT

    1. Morning John.

      I recently resigned from my old boys’ association as I wanted nothing more to do with the School Governors’ decision to denigrate the School’s founder because he had had shares in The Royal Africa Company (which engaged in the slave trade). I had suggested via the Old Boys’ Association that the school should educate their (now multi-cultural) pupils about the slave Trade promoted by the Barbary Pirates and North African Rulers that resulted in hundreds of thousands of Europeans being captured and enslaved. Furthermore they should be taught about the role of the Royal Navy’s West Africa Squadron which helped put an end to the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade, at a cost of hundreds of sailors lives but resulted in the freeing of thousands of slaves……

      1. When the Trans-Atlantic slave trade was stopped I wonder how many Africans were killed by conquering Africans who had no further use for their enemy captives.

      1. I think what she’s saying is “Give us money and don’t change your mind because we’re hideously woke, because we know best and a lot of narsty racists are criticising us”

      1. Wasn’t one of the strengths of the house system that each house included pupils of all ages?

    4. It strikes me that they are wokishly getting rid of Sir Francis Drake et al and pretending that it is all about restructure rather than wokism.

    5. What qualifications does a Director of Development and Alumni Relations have?

      Does a good sense of humour count?

      Can one practice Alumni Relations in private? If so, how often?

      . . . Just asking on behalf of a young friend-

    6. What qualifications does a Director of Development and Alumni Relations have?

      Can one practice Alumni Relations in private? If so, how often?

      . . . Just asking on behalf of a young friend-

    7. What qualifications does a Director of Development and Alumni Relations have?

      Can one practice Alumni Relations in private? If so, how often?

      . . . Just asking on behalf of a young friend-

  2. Good morning fellow insomniacs.
    Woke up to pump bilges and unable to get back to sleep again.
    At least Radio 3 is playing a decent bit of music, Saint-Sans’s 3rd, Organ, Symphony.

  3. ‘Ang on.
    So, BBC does documentary on Syrian family coming to UK in 2016.
    Son of said family is tried for and acquitted of child sexual assault.
    Now, in 2024, Omar Badreddin and his BROTHER have been tried as part of a Rape Gang found guilty and sentenced to jail???
    So when will the BBC do a follow-up?
    https://twitter.com/UnityNewsNet/status/1764975483085566198

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13153709/Black-Lives-Matter-protester-grooming-gang-passed-schoolgirl-13-like-toy-rape-abuse-ordeal-nine-months-jailed.html

    And with that I’m off back to bed.
    G’night all.

    2. We are doing the same in the UK. The small boats are just the tip of the iceberg.

      1. I don’t know why we bother sending troops elsewhere to fight proxy wars. he Left are bringing the enemy here then feeding and clothing them. It’s almost funny if it were not so damned scary.

    3. The Left don’t care. However only now are they starting to realise that importing tens of millions of people who hate this country causes problems of it’s own – especially when there’s so many of them that they decide to not keep quiet, take the white welfare and start doing what they want, not what you want.

      Be interesting though, to see how Labour fares if the ethnic vote abandons them for their own party.

  6. Good morrow, gentlefolk. Today’s (recycled) story
    THE CONFESSIONAL

    An elderly man walks into a confessional. The following conversation ensues:

    Man: ‘I am 92 years old, have a wonderful wife of 70 years, many children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Yesterday, I picked up two college girls, hitch-hiking. We went to a motel, where I had sex with each of them three times.’

    Priest: ‘Are you sorry for your sins?’

    Man: ‘What sins?’

    Priest: ‘What kind of a Catholic are you?’

    Man: ‘I’m Jewish.’

    Priest: ‘Why are you telling me all this?’

    Man: ‘I’m 92 years old … I’m telling everybody!’:

  7. SAS soldiers arrested on suspicion of war crimes in Syria. 6 March 2024.

    It is understood to be the first arrests involving UK personnel linked to an operation relating to the terror network.

    Elite troops have been working in both Syria and Iraq in a bid to defeat Islamic State.

    Their role has been focused on identifying targets on the ground for RAF aircraft, including Reaper drones and Typhoons, to attack.

    Strange. When Vlad did that it was a criminal enterprise.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/05/sas-soldiers-arrested-war-crimes-syria/

    1. Wait, what?
      We aren’t at war with Syria.
      Yet our soldiers were sent there by the government.
      And now they’re being arrested by the government for doing the dirty job that they were sent there to do?
      Have I understood that correctly?

      In completely unrelated news, the armed forces are having problems recruiting…

      1. Morning BB. This is a quite simplistic and misleading account of their presence. I have commented in the same vein.

      2. Same as Armed Met plod. Loads handed in their ticket when they weren’t supported by management.

        We aren’t at War with Africa either but we have troops in several African countries.

    2. I am apoplectic at this farce. Here’s a terrorist, actively trying to kill people and he’s shot dead. I don’t care if they emptied an entire clip into him. Ten some Lefty lawyer tries to sue these men?

      No. Send the SAS to deal with the lawyers. Keep going until every last one of this filth have been exterminated.

    3. Araminta, as stated in The Art of War, by Sun Tzu in the fifth century BC, “Those who are waging war should get rid of all

      the domestic troubles before proceeding to attack the external foe.”

      Essential advice today, as it was then.

  9. A timeline of restrictive laws that authorities have used to crack down on dissent in Putin’s Russia. 6 March 2024.

    As part of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ever-increasing clampdown on dissent, authorities in recent years have adopted a slew of laws restricting fundamental human rights, including freedom of speech and assembly, as well as the rights of minorities and religious groups.

    These laws have taken aim at “foreign agents” allegedly seeking to exert influence on Russia, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and organizations spreading information critical of the Kremlin or contrary to official narratives, especially regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    This a week after a guy was gaoled for two years for putting up posters and two days after the Online Harms Bill became law and the Spectator comments closed down to those who dissent from its views!

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/vladimir-putin-ap-kremlin-lgbtq-estonia-b2507723.html

    1. Irony is dead………..

      Neil Oliver’s GB News
      programme will move to online for its live portion as Ofcom says it has
      “significant concerns” about the channel’s editorial control.
      Heaven forfend an awkward truth should escape on the TV

      1. Morning Rik. Won’t be long before Geoff is getting a letter in the post!

      2. Heavens above. They are running scares if this is what they are prepared to do.

    2. Bonsall_Bob
      @bob_bonsall
      ·
      7m
      I love MTG!
      I just wish we had a few more of her calibre at Westminster.

  10. First it’s the Germans and now this..

    “A civilian United States Air Force employee has been arrested for using a foreign dating website to share classified information with someone presenting the personality of a flirtatious woman in Ukraine. The indictment provides no information about the identify of the person on the other end of the conversation, but it’s easy to imagine the chump was unwittingly vying for the affection of a couple of chuckling Russian intel officers named Boris and Dmitry.

    The man apparently caught in a honey trap is David Franklin Slater, a retired US Army lieutenant colonel who held a top secret clearance while assigned to United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) at Nebraska’s Offutt Air Force Base.”

    BTL Comment made me chuckle:

    ItsTippy

    “I get emails from hot Ukrainian women who want to bear my child. It’s a shared email account with Mrs.Tippy. I’m happy because it reminds Mrs. Tippy just how virile and attractive I am”.

    1. It’s usually a pair of con-men in Bangladesh, I thought? It’s a sad old world…

    2. I’ve carried out honey trap penetration testing (which isn’t as far from the term as you can imagine!) and I’m never surprised by how most blokes will give up practically anything for the attention of a pretty girl.

  12. Good morning, chums. Today I completed Wordle in fourWordle 991 4/6

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

    2. Only 5 here
      Wordle 991 5/6

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

  13. ‘Morning All

    Evil walks among us

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/15848969a9aecce12f43447e327f28ccd41a53b01da834f896b2f4df9336f991.jpg

    Excert

    “These leaked files show overwhelming evidence that the professionals
    within WPATH know that they are not getting consent from children,
    adolescents, and vulnerable adults, or their caregivers.”

    WPATH is
    made up of doctors, psychologists, therapists and activists and
    although it has some UK members it is based in the US. It is best known
    for its “standards of care” guidelines which the NHS in England was
    previously aligned with. Scotland still is.
    It seems the ghost of Mengele walks…………..

    1. Don’t care. If someone is mental ill enough to take tablets to allow them to pretend they’re something they’re not cancer is the least of their worries.

        1. You do a disservice to rodents. I would prefer to live amongst them, as one can arrange for their removal.

      4. Surely releasing the pigs that Mason bred in Hannibal would be more apt?

    3. The conclusion must be then, that dogs are good for clearing out wasters who consume everything.

      Let’s set a pack loose in Whitehall and Westminster, then start on London, Sheffield, Bradford, Leeds, Birmingham, Oxford…. Anywhere there’s vermin and let nature take over again. I doubt anyone would mind if the Nottingham forest was a real thing rather than a football club. The entire north of England could be restored to woodland.

      1. I would tend to issue a very strong warning to Wasteminster, Shitehall and every district and local council throughout the United Kingdom, to the effect:

        “Be aware, your days are numbered, the population at large is getting angrier by the day“,

      1. One English twat is trying to introduce them into the Highlands but there’s plenty of opposition

  16. The plight of patients trapped in hospital despite being fit to leave

    They wont be let out until they have caught something deadly

    1. The following comment is refused by the DT as a BTL comment. I don’t know why:

      “As a classic example, I was taken to Dumfries GRI (General Royal Infirmary) on Thursday 29th February, as a result of a couple of dizzy spell falls caused by low blood pressure. I was due to be discharged the following day, however it seems that transport arrangements meant, that it wasn’t until Sunday 3rd March that I finally was taken home to Moffat, that had had a perfectly adequate cottage hospital, until de-commissioned by Scottish NHS.

      A&E patients now have to endure a 25 mile bone-shaking trip to Dumfries, with little likelihood of a speedy return home. I’ve refused before and I shall now refuse again in future.”

        1. I hope that’s a feeble attempt at modern-day wokism. You try 25 miles on our current roads – Bugger cultural appropriation, it’s fact.

    2. My response but they wanted money to publish it:

      Climate Change and You

      The climate ‘science’ is wrong. CO2 being 0.04% of the atmosphere is a cause for good, as it is essential for plant life.

      The atmosphere is 78% Nitrogen and 21% Oxygen. The remaining 1% are various trace elements of which CO2 is but a small part.

      The greatest cause of any change in the Earth’s climate, is due to the cyclical nature of the Sun’s phases, which may lead to vast differences between ice ages and continual heatwaves

      Check https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2023/03/04/challenging-net-zero-with-science/

  18. Medley Time

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/674ee7439d3176c840d2451f54b5d39d6372df8c58a59776cc75e0010a3d598e.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/772471d2e068c007197d65739a23004ed06413e3d177a641a1516a4f5107d337.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/01059f3b92190a820a1b6b4762689e4dc8ef051709d79388a04b722f8bbb1e52.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2569ecce22b60402fd8c28219519ca4ace8893cd4b67202ea24242933cc99341.png

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ef1e563dcc0d85b9f533f887d719e13ff1fe396770645f29222db7760e308f87.jpg

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0180b45846e0772cabe7b661cc61caf4d1d4406ba0c8b14eec8a7c86a82ce394.jpg

    https://starecat.com/content/wp-content/uploads/saw-you-petting-the-neighbors-dog-want-to-tell-me-whats-that-all-about.jpg

        1. I thought it was people who don’t believe monsters live in water in Scotland.

      3. Apparently it was coined in 2005
        In my view it is merely yet another antisemitic trope to be used against jews as a whole, masquerading as a criticism of a few intellectual left wing jews who hate all things white. Certain sections of the white left of the democrat party are the same, white hating whites who will happily destroy anything associated with white American heritage.
        https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/loxism

      4. Derived from ‘bol loxism’, the practice of shouting at party political broadcasts on TV.

  19. Out of bed for the 2nd time today.
    0°C outside, overcast but dry with a mist working it’s way down the hillside.

  21. Got a bit of a cough. Covid, obvs. Should never have lifted lockdown. Who can I sue?

      1. My jabbed-and-every-booster-going colleague is sick again. Since September, he’s now had nearly five weeks off work sick. The last one was shingles, and he recommended getting a jab against it which apparently his doctor told him about – in one of the periods when she wasn’t off sick.
        Not an iota of gloating, he is a thoroughly nice person, but has a completely blind spot about believing medical authorities.

        1. White coat syndrome. My late father would do anything a “medical man” told him. Without question.

    2. If you are a health service worker, there is a bunch of them you can join in suing the, err, health service.

    3. Avoid A&E like the plague – you’ll be admitted and never fully discharged.

      See my earlier comment (disallowed by the DT BTL comments).

  22. – Well done Trump
    Looking forward to another rerun of Trump versus Obama
    Trump going for his third straight win
    And Obama for his fourth term
    Records will be broken

  23. Good Moaning.
    In that it’s not acksherly raining. Fog instead.
    Who can I blame that on and get lots of loverly free money?

      1. If you pay Morrisons an annual subscription of c £50, weekly deliveries are ‘free’.

  25. Good morning, all. High overcast at 6:30 with the sky brightening, now, misty. Four dry days forecast, yeah right.

    A case of “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” Walensky’s successor continues in the same vein re the “vaccines”.

    Question: how can the CDC & Co keep one step ahead of a rapidly mutating virus, should one exist? Divination, casting runes…?

    https://twitter.com/DVATW/status/1765105444379304343

      1. Nor I. About three years ago, I received a letter offering me my first flu jab, suggesting whilst there I ‘might’ be given a booster jab (of which I’ve had zero). I ignored the ‘offer’ and two weeks later received a followup letter stating I was now a priority for a booster jab!

        I continue to ignore NHSS unsolicited ‘offers’ including the suggestion, over the past two years, that I book a blood test in the first week of January.

        It’s as if the NHSS are looking for ‘customers’.

        1. I just avoid the surgery altogether these days. Though they have been good to OH. As long as I’m well I’ll stay away.

    2. As far as I can tell there are far more fully jabbed people who wish they hadn’t had any of the jabs at all than unjabbed people who wish they had had them.

      1. I have yet to have any of the modern jabs promulgated since 2019.

        I just don’t trust Big Pharma and the Medical profession.

  26. Good morning all

    Stunning early morning here in these Purbecky parts , light frost, 0c.

    Colours are gorgeous , the golfer is optimistic his game will be enjoyable , despite the sodden fairway and dare I say rough?

  28. Good day all and the 77th,

    McPhee Towers is a bit like Foggy Bottom at the moment. I can’t see they sky. Wind East going to the South-East, 2℃ with the Met Office neo-Marxist activists promising 10℃ today.

    Brighton and Hove is a terrible warning to us all of what will happen if we let the Liebour Party and the Watermelons have control of anything unchallenged for more than five minutes.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/88a73efc066798a2369d54977a7e414173737861ea715aea7bdc9980bcc3056b.png

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/06/council-crisis-brighton-hove-debt-policies-labour-weeds/

    I think we all need to follow the lead of Rachel Matthews at Colchester Council Watch.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSsLue993jA

    1. Problem is the state will render that irrelevant and continue on as it chooses. Dissent will never be tolerated.

        1. The more and more the state removes our freedoms and the more draconian and unfair it’s punishments that’s where it will force us.

    1. I suggest that he’d also have a problem getting to Biden. Nothing to do with Biden’s morals, the Ukraine mafia wouldn’t take kindly to someone stepping on their toes.

  30. There’s a yellow thing in the sky. It brings light and a modicum of…. what is opposite to cold? What is it?

  31. 384408+ up ticks.

    Wednesday 6 March: The plight of patients trapped in hospital despite being fit to leave

    The plight of patients either IN, or waiting in a daily lengthening queue to go IN, is dictated via the daily”Dover invasion”numbers.

    Cause,

    Party before Country, best of the worst selectors, Self- inflicted, brain dead, zombie, majority voters ,

    Diagnosis,
    As things are currently there is NO cure until the
    lab/lib/con coalition orchestrated plague is recognised as such entering the the Dover bridgehead. is stopped.

    1. My recent and necessary visits to A&E have highlighted the many people who seem to have turned up for treatment we use to help our selves to at home. A cuddle for the children. A sticking plaster. A bandage. A pack of frozen peas on a strain or a couple of pain killers. Even an early night.
      In 3-4 years the wait has gone from around an hour to 15 hours last and final ever visit.

      1. People no longer feel confident to treat themselves (and they lack the commonsense). They can’t see a GP so they go to A&E.

        1. Part of the problem is, as instructed the public should call 111 NHS. They will nearly always tell the caller to go to A&E.

          1. Usually they say “see your GP” so, as that isn’t an option, the next port of call is “call 999” (which involves a long wait round here) or “go to A&E”. Inevitably, everybody goes to A&E.

  32. Morning all 🙂😊
    Dull misty and of course grey. 4°
    Possibly I’m not really keeping up with events, I’m not aware of patients being trapped in hospitals.
    And I don’t understand the comment in blue beneath the opening headline.
    Nottlers is the closest I have ever come to the DT, although some time ago I use to buy the Sunday Telegraph. It kept me in reading all week. Not that I think I gained much from it.

    1. We received some Speccie refugees here yesterday. Not sure what happened there – I think they were shut out for some reason.

      1. Th Spectator BTL system has been completely altered. Though it is based on Discurse, no comments are available to be seen under a poster’s profile (or whatever it is called).

        1. Morning Bill. I believe that it has disabled notifications as well which prevents you knowing if anyone has replied to your posts. This obviously inhibits interaction and the number of posts. I’ve been on the Telegraph for a couple of weeks now. It is actually quite a sinister publication. It professes all sorts of virtues and abides by none of them.

          1. It has a touch of nazism about it.
            “Who are these people”?
            A sentence from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
            When they were being relentlessly followed in a persistent way.

          2. ….and refuses a perfectly polite comment that states a truth.

            I’ve posted it earlier, here on NTTL

        2. Just went over there and I’m confused. The comment section looks normal to me. So why are people discontented?

    2. We buy one on Saturdays. It provides enough reading material for the week and also for the litter tray.

    3. They wanted me to wait until the doctor had done her rounds which was 5 hours away. I said if you don’t remove the cannula now, i would do it. I was only on a potassium drip which had finished in the night.

      1. You’re lucky Phizzee.

        The hospital tried to discharge my elderly father with a cannula still in his hand.

        i was very unpopular as I insisted that it be removed before I took him home.

        1. That’s not good. It seems we either get world class service or a load of rubbish from the NHS.

      2. I had to wait 24 hours before I could be discharged; I was admitted on a surgical ward, then transferred to a medical ward. Before I could be discharged, the surgical doctor had to sign me off. He didn’t work Sundays, so I couldn’t go until Monday!

      1. Edit: having slept on yesterday’s development, a few words for recently-arrived Speccie commenters. First of all, welcome to our humble little corner of the interweb. When the Telegraph removed the Disqus platform, I set up this site primarily because there was a “community*” of BTL posters for whom the site had become a form of social media. Probably not what the DT intended. From the outset, I made it clear that nttl.blog was not competing with the DT, but simply a channel where old friends could continue to correspond. We allow comments, whether or not related to the actual DT letters. But it is assumed that posters here subscribe to the DT, and wholesale re-posting of content will be deleted, as breach of copyright. The same applies to Spectator content.

        Meanwhile, BTL regular Tom Armstrong is setting up an alternative site, which will have its own content. It has often been said that more intelligent writings can be found below the line at the Spectator, than that submitted by paid journalists. Tom will be giving us the chance to prove it…

        (*I hate the word “community” but it fits in this context)

        1. Hello Araminta, I’m not a ‘graph subscriber, but presently a Speccie one and considering deleting my sub…if I do, will I still be able to read (and possibly reply to) comments posted here on TCW (which I’ll continue to subscribe to in any even, Gyngell fan). Cheers, Kate 🙂

    1. Well, it cuts packing down to hand luggae only. Just toiletries and maybe a few books? Needs to take place somewhere warm though, both inside and out. Also, even if clothes are surplus to requirement, there still need to be coverings such as bedding and towels provided, with blankets for when it gets chilly on deck.

      1. Perhaps a garter or two? one for the mobile phone, t’other for a Handkerchief?

    2. I’d need an awful lot of sunscreen……. I don’t sunbathe, but even on my recent trip I had some bits of burn that I’d missed – hands mainly, and ankles.

      1. Wonderful photo.

        Thank you for sharing that , and hasn’t London’s waterscape altered .

        I went on a touristy Thames river cruise in the 1960’s .. the waterways were more busy then .

        1. In June 1959 my Mum took me out of school for two weeks for a visit to London. She spent months beforehand making clothes for us both. One day we had a trip from Tower Bridge to……? not sure but we spent most of the two weeks sightseeing or visiting friends. A great formative memory – I don’t think I’d have remembered what we did at school for those two weeks.

  36. Yo and Good Moaning all

    from the letters page

    ‘AI’ in the workplace. (Not Al as I first thought.)

    I am sure I am not alone, I have absolutely no idea what this letter is about.

    Before all you AI bots get onto me, can you:

    Understand/produce Technical Drawings and manufacture things from them

    Repair cars and their engines

    Repair and maintain Fixed and Rotary Winged Aircaft (helicopters to you) and their engines

    Use mechanical wood and metal cutting and forming machines,ie Lathes, millers

    Blacksmith (am I stll allowed to say that) and these are just a few of what I call normal talents.

    1. When I was in training, as a Boy Entrant, U/T (Under Training) Air Radar Mechanic, AI stood for Airborne Interception.

      Has anything changed, much?

      1. You probably passed out as an SAC, not an LAC, but perhaps soon became a J/T – now all variants of AS. I too remember AI as Airborne Interception but Artificial Intelligence or not, Natural Stupidity remains in the RAF (what little is left).

      2. You probably passed out as an SAC, not an LAC, but perhaps soon became a J/T – now all variants of AS. I too remember AI as Airborne Interception but Artificial Intelligence or not, Natural Stupidity remains in the RAF (what little is left).

      3. AI = Artificial Insemination (we have an organisation which sends semen round the world sited not too far away).

    2. My local ‘AI’ enthusiast has started to downplay his enthusiasm and has recognised that the rate of development may be slower than anticipated, but yes, ‘AI’ will eventually be able to do most of the above. When did you last visit an automobile manufacturing plant? No employee, no cry.
      As an example of slowly but surely: in the late 1970s, Peter Drucker was convinced that gradually information would be transmitted electronically, because cellulose (paper, newsprint etc) is heavy and bulky to manufacture deliver and store. 45 years later, how many of us buy a daily newspaper?

  37. I have re read this letter a couple of times ..

    SIR – Several years ago I was shot in the leg while at work and subsequently spent time in hospital awaiting surgery. In the end this couldn’t happen because of the position of the bullet, which remains in my leg.

    I was discharged but had to wait almost six hours for my prescription. Bearing in mind that the person in charge of the dispensary was my own mother, I despair at the thought of how long some people must have to wait when they are not related to the staff.

    Often such delays are caused by adhering rigidly to the order in which requests come into the dispensary, rather than working according to clinical need.

    Andrew Pearce
    London SE3

    I really want to hear more , shot in the leg at work

    How and why, and where did the incident happen .. ?

    2. Waiting for hours to have his prescription processed and handed to him. Probably similar to most people when they leave hospital.

      1. We must have been lucky when OH was discharged from the JR – we only waited about three hours for the pharmacy. Fortunately our friend and taxi service brought his laptop so got on with some work in the empty cafe.

  38. When will the politicos come clean about both the financial and societal costs of chasing the spectre of Net Zero?

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ce019939a49663a393d5bb5c3abce85855921ffa25792a8209f65590794742e4.png

    Looking at you, Climate Change Committee. It is likely that the amount of new investment needed for the transition will be a minimum of 5% of gross domestic product for the next 20 years, and might exceed 7.5%. Gordon Hughes is a former World Bank economist, and is Professor of Economics at the University of Edinburgh.

    Daily Sceptics article here

    1. They won’t. Some/many of them have too much to lose financially by being honest about it. A bit like the politicians who are either paid (Either while in, or after leaving office) to promote jabs, or who have shares in Big Pharma.

    1. Can anything be done, short of meeting fire with fire…

      Morning H. No! Only revolution can save us.

    2. Isn’t this sort of thing haram? Under Sharia Law, thieves get to lose a hand; surely they could dispense a similar sort of punishment, rather than leave it to the kuffah to sort out?

      1. Yes, it’s a heads they win tails we lose situation in this country. Many want Sharia law here, some behave in a way that is incompatible with our laws (they steal, raping white girls is fair game), but if Sharia law was applied to a comparable offence in the countries they come from they would be severely punished. There was a piece recently about a (Syrian?) who was saved from deportation by a woke judge because the immigrant had been convicted of rape in this country – because that conviction would make him a target for retributive violence in his own country. Unbelievable.

        1. Does that make true the age-old service adage about not trusting a dirty Arab?

      2. It isn’t ‘haram’ if the victim is a non-Muslim. Mohammad himself made that perfectly clear.

      3. Yes, when caught, physical castration is the only answer.

        I’d wield the chopper!

    3. That woman Amy Nickel-Turner on Patrick Christys’s panel should be removed from GBNews. She never answers any of the questions put to her and she constantly interrupts the others to the extent that the discussions become completely meaningless.

      1. I wonder how her lefty attitude would be changed if she were subjected to a Pakistani Rape gang.

        But then, she’s probably classed as too old and too ugly to be of interest.

      3. I honestly don’t understand why she is on there, entirely left wing predictableness to the point that you can expect any and all extreme left wing absurdities from her that she can’t possible take seriously. Silly bwitch, take your pick with regard to the spelling.

    4. Couldn’t hear much of that when they were shouting over each other, especially the blonde woman.

      1. She’s awful, isn’t she? There are some that just don’t “take turns” in conversation. I know this is totally off the point, but she had the kind of face I would like to put a custard pie in.

  40. Morning OLT ,

    Gawd, I am dumb and innocent of horrible thoughts, but my goodness , you could be right .. Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse !

  41. 384408+ up ticks,

    DT,

    Stop being scared of Islamophobia. Start worrying about Anglophobia
    All over the UK, there are bright, talented women being held back by a system of patriarchy we have unwittingly imported

    “Unwittingly imported” I think NOT.
    A well orchestrated act of political treachery would be the undeniable truth

  42. Morning to all. Foggy here in West Sussex, I suppose the sun will make an appearance although a nice bout of drizzle would be nice for a change😊

    Allison Pearson wrote an excellent article in Todays Telegraph, ‘Stop being scared of Islamophobia. Start worrying about Anglophobia.’ Which I have reproduced below for the benefit of those who don’t subscribe to said publication. Bit long but worth it.

    Mariam leads a double life. She had two weddings. The first, a traditional Muslim ceremony in the northern town where she grew up. The second, a much rowdier affair with dancing and cocktails, took place in the south-west where Mariam now lives with her English husband and their two children. No guests at the former wedding attended the latter. Her parents don’t know their daughter looked stunning in a white lace dress with a gaggle of bridesmaids in coral.

    Mariam has two wedding albums, two sets of ornaments, twice the number of framed photos and clothes which she changes into when her parents or siblings visit. If she’s been home to see her family, as soon as she gets on the M62, she takes off her hijab.

    But Mariam thinks she is one of the lucky ones. When Mariam was at school, there were girls in her class who went on “holiday” to Pakistan and were never seen again. Later, they would hear that their absent friends were married to uncles or cousins. Clever girls in Mariam’s class used to deliberately fail their exams because they knew the fate that awaited them once they completed their education.

    Mariam’s mother is a bright woman but, like many other mums of her age in “the community”, she never learnt to speak English. She has lived in Lancashire since she came over as a 14-year-old bride for an arranged marriage almost 60 years ago, but she barely knows 10 words to exchange with the locals. “Hello”, “Thank you”, “A’right, love”. So she has no non-Pakistani friends and she has never worked. Mariam’s father used to taunt her mother, telling her that she could never run away because no one would understand what she was saying.

    When she was still a teenager, Mariam told her mother that it wasn’t normal for men to beat their wives. It wasn’t normal to cower when you heard his key in the front door. Mariam’s mother said her daughter was mistaken. It was perfectly normal.

    Mariam wasn’t allowed to go to university – very few fathers were happy letting their daughters travel alone without a chaperone – but she was really good at maths and managed to train as an accountant at a local firm. She got upset sometimes because she thought her English colleagues assumed she was thick or weird because she was Muslim and didn’t go to the pub with them. But, then, on a training course, Mariam met Aandy and did something she wasn’t supposed to do: she fell in love. Because Andy had a house and a nice car, her father agreed to the marriage. A miracle really.

    If you ask them, Mariam’s son and daughter will say they are Muslim, but they attend a Church of England school, sing hymns and Christmas carols and do all the normal stuff the other kids do; netball, violin, Fortnite. Mariam loves her mum and her siblings, and she carries her religion like a rosebud curled tight within her, but she wants her children to be British not Pakistani. (She would never allow her daughter, now 12, to visit relatives in Pakistan in case they abducted her and married her off.) Mariam knows that, one day, her lies will be exposed. On their last trip up north, her son asked: “Mum, why do you cover your hair when we go to Nana’s?” It’s exhausting keeping up the pretence. But Mariam can’t face the almighty, violent row that will ensue if it’s revealed that her father’s dutiful daughter now acts and behaves like she’s any other British woman. So the double life, two of everything, goes on.

    I thought of Mariam when I watched George Galloway revel in his victory at the Rochdale by-election. There were no women on the ballot paper and, as far as I could see, there were no female faces among the Muslim “brothers” at Galloway rallies apart from George’s foxy fourth wife. Islamic patriarchy ruled. How many of the avalanche of postal votes that secured victory for a candidate who unashamedly turned it into a Gaza election were cast by women like Mariam’s mother? Women who don’t understand English, women who do as their husbands tell them.
    There were 13,460 postal votes cast in Rochdale last week – that’s 43.2 per cent of the total and more than 12,335 were received by Galloway’s far-Left, pro-Palestine Workers Party of Britain. The proportion of postal votes was up from 22.7 per cent in the 2019 general election to 43.2 per cent in the by-election.

    Disgracefully, the Electoral Commission has chosen not to investigate this startling increase in voters who cannot be seen or checked. That’s a can of worms the authorities clearly don’t want to open. For the same reason, Labour MPs turn a blind eye when they attend meetings of “the community” where women are either segregated or absent entirely. (Even arch-feminists like Harriet Harman temporarily set aside their loathing of male privilege.) It’s the kind of blatant discrimination, exclusion, misogyny and sexism on which the Labour party constantly lectures the rest of us, but which apparently doesn’t count when the offenders are South Asian, not ghastly white males in their ghastly white vans. And when the Muslim vote is at stake, of course.

    That sort of cowardly collusion by our political class has enabled both the continuing isolation of Muslim women like Mariam’s mum and the mass grooming of white working-class girls, whom it was fine to go on raping as long as no one got accused of Islamophobia. The common thread is bone-headed tribal elders who have prevented their women integrating into their new homeland, the better to keep control over them, and who have slaked their lust on vulnerable girls.

    That is one reason why the victory of such men in Rochdale, and their growing influence on policy and electoral fortunes, is so disturbing. Indeed, George Galloway’s triumph delivered such a shock to the complacent, “diversity is our strength” status quo that the Prime Minister shot into Downing Street to give a speech fretting about “national disunity”. He noted how protest on our streets has “descended into intimidation, threats and planned acts of violence … Now our democracy itself is a target. Council meetings have been stormed. MPs do not feel safe in their homes. Long-standing Parliamentary conventions have been upended because of safety concerns. And it is beyond alarming that the Rochdale by-election returned a candidate … who dismisses the horror of what happened on Oct 7, who glorifies Hezbollah.”

    I mean, who could possibly have warned the PM that allowing flagrant displays of anti-Semitism and pro-Hamas slogans to go unchecked on the streets of our capital would end badly? Why, there was Suella Braverman whom Rishi Sunak sacked as home secretary last November after she insisted that the police needed to take a harder line against the Islamists who hate our way of life. An argument that Sunak himself finally made to a meeting of Met officers, four months too late, when he claimed that “mob rule” was breaking out in Britain.

    It wasn’t a bad speech, but it took refuge in comforting platitudes about “immigrants who have integrated and contributed”. And, to avoid causing offence when we have now got to the point where causing offence may be a matter of national security, Sunak absurdly equated the threat posed by “Islamist extremists and the far Right”.

    Praying it will all blow over, the Government’s solution is to come up with a new definition of extremism by next week to encompass any group or individual that promotes an “ideology that undermines the rights or freedoms of others”. Anything, it would seem, to avoid admitting that multiculturalism has been a disaster for the UK.

    This top-down theorising won’t work. We know it is mothers who drive integration, mothers who are desperate for their children to succeed in a new country. (Think of Rishi Sunak’s own mum who said she didn’t want her son to speak with an accent so he would fit in.) For the sake of Mariam’s mother and thousands like her, our focus has to be on empowering women to break free of patriarchal communities. There is a strikingly low employment rate among Muslim women – almost 70 per cent don’t work compared to 20 per cent among Christian women. That means no opportunity to mix with their fellow citizens, no chance to improve their language skills, no opportunity to earn money that will buy a bit of independence from those husbands who still think it is their right to dominate their wives (which suits those men just fine), no chance to feel British and pass on that settled loyalty to their offspring.

    So, here’s a plan for Rishi, the Man With a Plan. First, you cut immigration to the bare minimum to give us a fighting chance of assimilating those who are already here. Forget useless posturing about banning foreign hate preachers from coming to the UK; kick out the extremist imams who are already here, spreading anti-Western hatred in this country’s mosques. Make cousin marriage illegal. It keeps too many locked in a narrow, incestuous clan and reproduces the poor conditions of rural Pakistan instead of building bridges with other economically successful ethnic groups. Ban postal votes except for the infirm or the elderly. No access to benefits unless you either speak English or can prove you are learning English. Compulsory free English classes for anyone who can’t speak English (I volunteered as a teacher in Tower Hamlets years ago, and I’m sure many Brits would step forward to do the same). No access to benefits, full stop, unless you are applying for jobs, and a time-limit on how long you are entitled to state aid.

    Stop being scared of Islamophobia. Start worrying about Anglophobia.

    Mariam feels obliged to live a double life because her values and lifestyle would appal her family who don’t live in the Britain the rest of us live in. That can’t be allowed to continue. Suspicion and hatred fester when communities remain strangers. The cycle of poverty won’t be broken if mothers can’t speak English or find work. If Mariam acts and behaves like she’s any other British woman, that’s because that’s exactly what she is: a British woman.

        2. Hi JR. Yes thanks. Blue sky and full sunshine here. Fresh crab linguini planned for lunch. And a bottle of Sauvignon blanc to keep it company.

          1. Cold chicken breast, baby tomatoes, avocado with a tomato and balsamic dressing. Don’t drink so sparkling water instead. Rather dull lunch, would rather have yours!

          2. I cheat. I use a tin of Kingfisher crab which doesn’t taste of much but i mix in a pot of fresh picked crab. It seems to bring the bland one to life. Plus you get more crab meat with the pasta.

    2. The very thing about which I’m warning my granddaughters.
      They are taking it for granted that their traditional way of life is not under threat.

      1. By 2050 this country will be majority Muslim. Your granddaughters need to wake up. Gather information and teach them Anne. They need to be radicalized otherwise them and their cohorts are going to walk straight into the dark night that they could help prevent. They certainly can’t rely on government to protect them.

    3. I hope that Mariam is NOT her correct name for her own safety.

      The same applies to her husband – Andy.

      Quite irresponsible if you’ve published their real names.

      1. No, there is a blurb at the bottom of the article that says the names used are not their actual names.

    4. See my recent post. You can get a postal vote by just providing your NI number and any old signature (as long as it’s the one that signs the postal vote). It doesn’t matter if the person applying for the postal vote is unable to sign their own name or does not know their own date of birth. So actually all you need to know is someone’s NI number and their address, and you can get a postal vote. It’s a disgrace.

    5. We did this one last night. I wrote: “I hope Fad & Nick are not AP’s equivalent of Enoch’s working man and the landlady. And it’s not just Britain’s Pakistanis who have a bad attitude towards women…”

      1. Also:

        BB2
        “What Allison Pearson conveniently forgets to mention is that the majority of women like Fad’s mum appear think that the white sluts deserve everything they get…they have been caught on video saying as much, and plenty of them speak perfectly good English and could speak out IF they wanted to. Not all Pakistani women are cowering and beaten, just like all other women, some of them wear the pants.”

        Hertslass
        “Quite a lot of Pakistani women are enablers to their men’s actions; and to cheating the system (it has been exposed that sometimes two or more out of four wives will each “leave” the marital home and get council housing for themselves and their offspring; however, they actually stay living in the main family unit and rent out the council property).”

      2. No it isn’t just Pakistanis. It’s Muslims in general of a certain predisposition. However, you would be quite surprised at just how many Muslims are disengaged from Islam and go along because they don’t want the hassle. I am talking, in particular about the young in places such as the Gulf States and Iran. When the older generation has died off and their medieval attitudes are consigned to the dustbin, those places will be as secular as Britain. 75% of mosques in Iran have closed down because the young do not attend and are hostile to Islam. The Gulf States are quieter about it because the repression isn’t as bad , but the young are of the same mind as their Iranian counterparts.

        1. I’m not surprised by Iran – after they were a more or less secular state under the Shah, and it is the young who have been protesting against the enforced hijab wearing.

    6. Assimilating those already here? They don’t want to be assimilated; they want us to conform to their way of life.

  43. A thank you to Bob who recently posted a YouTube video of Ben Maton visiting Wiltshire village churches, playing the church organ. It has opened an avenue of new interest for me, I had become so downhearted with events and this series has restored my interest in local history with tales of a part of rural England. For example the origin of “As different from chalk and cheese” refers to the difference between south and north Wiltshire, south Wiltshire is chalk country and sheep country, wool – north Wiltshire is cattle country – milk – cheese; the two are completely different. Yes, it is very parochial in that it relates to the area around Salisbury, but for anyone with an interest in church music, and local history, I cannot commend the series enough. I’m sure the other parts of what is still a wonderful country have as much history in them.

    1. The only cashless establishment I patronise is the Wigmore Hall. It gets a little silly if all I’m buying is a bottle of water from the bar in the interval but programmes are now free printouts and I’ve always paid for tickets with either a card or (in the past) a cheque, so no impact there.

    1. Letter to the Press at the time:

      I know next to nothing about Alexei Navalny, but when I see the likes of Sunak, Johnson, Biden and Hillary Clinton mourning his death,
      that confirms to me that he must have been a right fucking scumbag.

  46. 384408+ up ticks,

    Stop being scared of Islamophobia. Start worrying about Anglophobia
    All over the UK, there are bright, talented women being held back by a system of patriarchy we have unwittingly imported

    “Unwittingly imported” I think NOT.
    A well orchestrated act of political treachery would be the undeniable truth

  47. Morning Kate. You need a Disqus identity to post on here and TCW. I assume you have that! You don’t say so but can you still post on the Speccy?

    1. I have just discovered that I can…seems like that ability reinstated. However, still can’t see past comments/any up or down ticks. So a kind of half way reinstatement, some posts requesting FN fully reinstate. We’ll see.

  48. Was there ever such a den of scum and villainy

    Cabinet minister Michelle Donelan has paid an undisclosed
    sum and apologised to a professor after falsely suggesting she supported
    Hamas.

    The science secretary made the claim about Prof Kate
    Sang, an academic at Heriot Watt University, in a letter posted on
    social media in October.

    The sum paid was covered by taxpayers to prevent prolonged legal costs, the BBC has been told.

    The sum paid was covered by taxpayers? Thats nice of us …….FFS

    1. Worth saying again! …The sum paid was covered by taxpayers to prevent prolonged legal costs

    2. Worth saying again! …The sum paid was covered by taxpayers to prevent prolonged legal costs

  49. Probably the best post ever published on the subject of delusional “zero emissions”. Absolutely worth the read!
    (translated from English):
    “Batteries don’t generate electricity – they store electricity produced elsewhere, especially through coal, uranium, natural gas power plants or diesel generators. “So the claim that an electric car is a zero-emission vehicle is not correct at all.”
    Because forty percent of the electricity produced in the U.S. comes from coal power plants, forty percent of electric cars on the road are carbon-based.
    But that’s not all. If you are excited about electric cars and a green revolution, you should take a closer look at the batteries, but also wind turbines and solar panels.
    A typical battery for electric cars weighs a thousand pounds, about the size of a suitcase. It contains 25 pounds of lithium, sixty pounds of nickel, 44 pounds of manganese, 30 pounds of cobalt, 200 pounds of copper and 400 pounds of aluminum, steel and plastic. There are over 6,000 individual lithium-ion cells inside.
    To make each BEV battery, you need to process 25,000 pounds of salt for lithium, 30,000 pounds of ore for cobalt, 5,000 pounds of resin for nickel, and 25,000 pounds of copper ore. A total of 500,000 pounds of crust have to be dug out for a battery. ”
    The biggest problem with solar systems is the chemicals used to convert silicate into silicone used for panels. To produce sufficiently pure silicone, it must be treated with hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, fluoride, trichlorotane, and acetone.
    In addition, gallium, arsenide, copper indium-gallium diselenide and cadmium telluride are needed, which are also very toxic. Silicon dust poses a danger to workers and the plates cannot be recycled.
    Wind turbines are not plus-ultra in terms of cost and environmental destruction. Each windmill weighs 1,688 tons (equivalent to the weight of 23 houses) and contains 1,300 tons of concrete, 295 tons of steel, 48 tons of iron, 24 tons of fiberglass and the hard-to-preserve rare earths neodymium, praseodymium and dysprosium. Each of the three blades weigh 81,000 pounds and have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years, after which they must be replaced. We can’t recycle the rotors.
    These technologies can certainly have their place, but we need to look beyond the zero-emission myth.
    “Going Green” may sound like a utopian ideal, but if you realistically and unbiased look at the hidden and embedded costs, you’ll find that “Going green” is doing more damage to the Earth than it meets the eye has.

    1. Making and casting concrete emits vast volumes of CO2…

      The manufacture of cement produces about 0.9 pounds of CO2 for every pound of cement. Since cement is only a fraction of the constituents in concrete, manufacturing a cubic yard of concrete (about 3900 lbs) is responsible for emitting about 400 lbs of CO2.

      1. This is useful reading, Paul:

        Climate Change and You

        The climate ‘science’ is wrong. CO2 being 0.04% of the atmosphere is a cause for good, as it is essential for plant life.

        The atmosphere is 78% Nitrogen and 21% Oxygen. The remaining 1% are various trace elements of which CO2 is but a small part.

        The greatest cause of any change in the Earth’s climate, is due to the cyclical nature of the Sun’s phases, which may lead to vast differences between ice ages and continual heatwaves

        Check https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2023/03/04/challenging-net-zero-with-science/

        Please feel free to copy and paste this anywhere appropriate.

        1. Yup.
          After all, tomato growers pump CO2 into their greenhouses to promote growth

    2. I was taught that, as a general rule of thumb, to get 1kWh out of a battery you need to put 2kWh in, so a battery is only 50% efficient.

    2. Space lasers? Is she referring to the anti muslim missile defence system Israel has developed?

    3. Oh I like her [MTG] too! How the BBC continue to overlook Mateless’s blatant bias is indicative of how false their claim to be impartial really is!

      1. Lahaina, I imagine, though not sure what the ‘Jewish’ link is – every country has them, I thought.

      2. And, it’s obviously why she isn’t a candidate. It is typical of the Maitlis creature and others like her to seek out a crank and then use that in a poor attempt to smear Trump. I have no doubt that she worships the very ground that the arch-crank and anti-Semite Jeremy Corbyn, walks on.

    7. Was Emily Maitlis born like this or did she have to work especially hard to become so vile and foul?

  51. Good morning, all Y’all! Sunny – this is good! Energising, so it is!

        1. Harry is the worst. You suddenly think…what is that awful stink. I look at him and he just wags his tail…all innocent.

  52. Hello again chums
    I mentioned yesterday about how easy it was to apply for a postal vote, and it didn’t even matter if you don’t know your own date of birth. All you need is your NI number and a copy of your signature. I forgot to mention, one of the questions was “Can you write your own signature”.

    Truly the barbarians have got through the gate and are wandering freely amongst us.

    1. I too, suffering from:

      Ischæmic Heart Disease,
      COPD,
      2 prolapsed intravertebral discs in the lower back,
      Low Blood Pressure causing dizziness and falling over.

      have applied for a postal vote and yes, I’m pretty much on my last legs.

      1. I’m pretty much on my last legs.
        Geoff was, too, but he got some new ones.
        Time for you to do likewise, Tom, we can’t live without the daily early funny.

        1. The ones I have, Paul, will last a little longer but altogether I have small wishes to remain in this miserable life much longer. God, please take me!

          2. Hope not – look at the evil proposed by our King, the WEF, WHO and UN and their attendant slaves in Wasteminster and Shitehall!

          3. Upvote only for your comments on the evil proposed by the various institutions

          4. After applying the second asp to her bosom Cleopatra’s last words are:

            What should I stay ….

            Her hand maid, Charmian, finishes the sentence

            In this vile world?

          7. Your still being here makes our lives better, Tom. Don’t be in a hurry to go!

      2. You are not vote-harvesting entire communities’ votes, presumably. And i bet you know your own date of birth and can sign your own name!!!

  53. F f f f four . . .
    Wordle 991 4/6

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

  54. I quite agree and I am aware of the almost farcical requirements for a postal vote, corruption bait if ever there was. If I vote in the next G.E., I will ask to be trundled down to the village hall in a wheelchair with oxygen cylinder in tow. Also, if you do not speak English you should be excluded from voting. There is no excuse for postal voting unless you are on your last legs.

  55. I have been banished from the budget room for swearing.

    I believe I called Hunt a smug [beep beep beeping] anchor.

    Now the dozen or so accountancy bods are crowded round poring through the appalling legislation and finding howlers. Winner doesn’t buy cakes.

      1. They’re going through them on paper and circling the worst. They sometimes read them out and it sounds dry, dull and boring to me but they all fall apart laughing. I’ve seen tears as these suppose adults joke.

        Truly, the tax code is a complete mess of waste, dross and tripe.

        1. “Truly, the tax code is a complete mess of waste, dross and tripe.”

          As is the Chancellor!

          1. Yep – but guess what? The Warqueen is advising her customers – one a window cleaner – to film his cleaning and comment on it for tax relief.

            Dear life, what a total moron this utter sewage scum is. Waste, waste and more waste. Nothing useful, no repealing of the destructive forces we’re lumbered with, just more waste.

            British ISA – a huge 25% more in it. But why does no one invest in Britain? High taxes. When the return on that ISA is going to be lower because of tax and waste government it’s worthless. As it is, it’s just expecting people to put money into a failing system – same as ESG twaddle.

          2. You’ve got to have the money to be able to save it wherever you put it. Taxes don’t leave me enough to put away the quota.

    2. I tried but I couldn’t bear to watch it Wibbles. To watch these jeering clowns as the country goes down the tube was too much!

      1. Their pathetic posturing lies are infuriating. They all need to be punched in the face a dozen times. Braying, stupid, mindless, ignorant, incompetent scum, all of them.

        On the upside, they’re finished as a political party. Wipe out awaits.

  56. I put the budget on while in the car and lasted about tens seconds before shouting an obscenity and hitting the off button.

    1. The entire country seems to be being buggered by muslim. It’s time we said no, and kicked them out. Hell, the oaf Hunt just gave them a million quid for a war memorial.

      muslims need to be reminded they’re temporary guests, nothing more.

      1. If I had my way deportations would start tomorrow. Starting with clerics and anyone who has lived here for 3 or so years and can’t speak English.

  59. Lunch eaten, mug of tea drank, now back up the “garden” to finish off the load of old electric wiring Dr. Daughter & her boyfriend brought down for me from the house they are renovating.

  60. Hunt announces more cash for NHS – ‘the biggest reason most of us are proud to be British’ . 6 March 2024.

    Jeremy Hunt announced more funding for the NHS as he said it is the “biggest reason most of us are proud to be British”.

    Delivering his Budget in the House of Commons, the Chancellor said he would fund a plan to boost NHS productivity at a cost of £3.4 billion in order to “unlock £35 billion of savings”.

    He said: “On top of funding this longer-term transformation, we will also help the NHS meet pressures in the coming year with an additional £2.5 billion.

    Great God! The Black Hole of the UK economy.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/03/06/rishi-sunak-latest-news-budget-hunt-frost-rees-mogg/

    1. The NHS will just hire more diversity managers. They certainly won’t use the extra money to pay doctors and nurses a better wage.

      1. A billion a year to develop ‘an app’. One thousand million quid – not an inkling of what the terms of reference are, what actual results it’s supposed to provide, just ‘digitial’ and ‘ai’, both nonsense, meaningless buzzwords.

        1. Hunt’s old colleague Dido Harding to be in charge – ‘charge’ being the operative word, I suppose

    2. Hello AS, fellow Speccie refugee.

      The NHS is one of the the biggest reasons I’m ashamed to be British.

  61. Hunt announces more cash for NHS – ‘the biggest reason most of us are proud to be British’ . 6 March 2024.

    Jeremy Hunt announced more funding for the NHS as he said it is the “biggest reason most of us are proud to be British”.

    Delivering his Budget in the House of Commons, the Chancellor said he would fund a plan to boost NHS productivity at a cost of £3.4 billion in order to “unlock £35 billion of savings”.

    He said: “On top of funding this longer-term transformation, we will also help the NHS meet pressures in the coming year with an additional £2.5 billion.

    Great God! The Black Hole of the UK economy.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/03/06/rishi-sunak-latest-news-budget-hunt-frost-rees-mogg/

  62. Noisy Commons
    I have just listened to Jeremy Hunt’s Budget speech (when I could hear it above the scandalous load of shouting, heckling and cat-calling from the ‘Honorable’ Members in the Commons).

    What on earth can the rest of the World think of this Yah-Boo performance in the so-called ‘Mother of Parliaments’.

    I was appalled.

    1. The content was a pack of lies, the announcements irrelevant and yes, the braying, posturing, self important excrement think themselves relevant.

      The sooner they go the better.

      As it is, none of what he suggested will be implemented. The taxes on gas and oil mean higher bills, there’s more waste for windmills – it’s disgusting.

      Note the most important bit on the child benefit – the additional powers to HMRC to inspect people’s incomes. That’s what was really planned. It’s not about the benefit – which could be scrapped – it’s about giving big fat state more power.

      1. One thing will definitely be implemented: the million quid for a Muslim memorial for the two world wars.

        1. What is there to say. The Ottoman Empire sided with Germany in WWI and lost. The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem sided with Hitler in WWII and they lost. The memorial could just state, “They lost both world wars – tough titty”.

          1. What is the reasoning behind this “memorial”? How many Muslims were in our forces?

          2. There were certainly muslims fighting for the other side, there were a couple of German divisions; I didn’t know they were fighting for us as well. Where would this be? We hadn’t started importing them until well after the end of WWll.

          1. Afraid so, BB2. – https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/sajid-javid-jeremy-hunt-muslim-chancellor-government-b2507941.html

            “We need a memorial to honour them, so following representations from the Right HonourableMember for Bromsgrove (Sajid Javid) and others, I’ve decided to allocate £1 million towards the cost of building one. “Whatever your faith or colour or class, this country will never forget the sacrifices made for our future.”

            I hadn’t realised that muslims were excluded from the Cenotaph – at least, I assume that is why they get to have a memorial of their own when nobody else has one.

            (edit – capitalise Cenotaph)

          2. My thoughts on this are unprintable, even on this site.
            “Where there is no division and racism, let us bring die-versity”

      2. Upcoming Power Cuts.
        With impeccable timing, next Monday I am having solar panels fitted on my south-facing roof, together with extra-large batteries to store the generated energy and export it at times when the tariff paid by my supplier is highest.
        I have also paid extra to go completely off-grid automatically in the event of a power cuts. Many people don’t know that during power cuts their solar panels switch off so that they aren’t pumping 240 volts down the wire to the poor supply engineer who may be working in a wet hole in the ground, trying to fix a power cable that has been severed by a digger.

        1. I installed a 15 kW diesel generator a couple of years ago as, living in a rural area power cuts are becoming increasingly frequent – a combination of a dilapidated distribution network and preparation for net zero rationing.

        2. Yes – you need to fit an EPS at extra cost. Even then unless a truly massive battery supply the stored charge woll only last a few hours on essential systems, freezers etc.

          1. If you have an electric car, some of them have the ability to export their electricity to your house. It is one of the reasons I’m considering getting one in a couple of years time. (Cue for people to point out I’m being stupid, the Telegraph and Spectator crowd not generally being fans of the things)

          2. The state has a;ready given the Grid the right to drain your battery to supply the Grid when it’s plugged in and charging.

          3. What? Surely there must be a method to prevent such theft of private property?

      3. Yes, it was a thoroughly socialist big state bit of theft, with a tiny bribe designed to hide all the snatches. it also further entrenches the move to woke globalist totalitarianism.

    2. From a Canadian perspective, it was Oh boy at least they are pretending to cut taxes.
      We have increases in alcohol taxes and the carbon tax scheduled for April 1st – the same day as MP salaries are increased. That will be followed by a budget in mid April when liberals will no doubt do what they always do and increase borrowing and taxes.

      As for the lack of decorum, our House of Commons can match yours for unacceptable behavior, it has become no more than a pissin contest.

  63. I am disappointed we are enjoined not to make fun of other posters. I was hoping to be able to have some fun at Nick Harman and Pretty Polly’s expense.🙂

    1. There’s fun and then there’s vicious bad humour. Some have been banned for that.

    2. You can make fun of other posters as long as it is funny for everyone to read and it is done without malice.

      Except for Sosraboc. You can say what you like to that old batsard. :@)

    4. The poster that I miss is Ignatius Jack from the DT days. So many words, such little meaning.

      1. Don’t give me PTSD, please! Wasn’t he called something slightly different though ?

      2. I took great pleasure in trolling the blighter.

        Every damned day he was on the op-eds telling us how to run the country.
        Eventually he took to posting a few days later, I presume so that he hoped people wouldn’t see my rude rebuttals of everything he was stating.

  64. A long time ago now i checked my “personal tax account” to see how my taxes were being spent and was horrified to see defence spending right at the bottom. So i’ve just checked again and can report that for the last 4 years totalled together my income tax and NI (which is a flat 40% of my income), i have paid:

    – 57k for health (21% of my total tax)
    – 54k for welfare (20%)
    – 29k for state pensions (11%)
    – 28k for education (10%)
    – 21k for national debt interest (8%)
    – 20k for business and industry (7%)
    – 13k for defence (5%)

    The remaining 17% is taken up with transport, public order, govt. admin, housing & utilities, environment, culture, overseas aid and payments to the EU (now called “outstanding payments to EU).

    You can all have a happy afternoon working out my approx annual income!

      1. And we are the only people who have worked and paid our taxes etc, to have kept the past economy afloat. An economy now obviously in danger of being dragged under.
        Because of mismanagement and there are far less people working and far more Iiving off those who do work.

    2. So that’s…
      57K for pen pushers and drug pushers
      54K for scroungers
      29K for retired hard workers plus retired scroungers
      28K for brainwashing and indoctrination services
      21K for central bankers
      20K so that the Goverment can fk up industry too
      13K for the military-industrial complex

    3. I was able to cut my spending on de fence when my neighbour said he was responsible for a large part of it.

        1. If I sat on de fence it would have collapsed.
          My neighbour said it was shot – but that was before he said he owned it.

        1. I’m a bit sensitive about boundaries so I’m not sure how I really feel but I’ll keep you posted.

    4. In Canada that calculation would be easy – just total taxes paid, divide by the number of years and then add ten thousand to how much of your savings you needed to withdraw to stay solvent.

    1. By the boots on her avatar presumably? Or her somewhat monomaniacal obsession with Soros and Bill Gates?

  66. I wonder if Fraser Nelson will come to regret his ill-advised decision to remove notifications, thus making the comments system so much harder to navigate? I see a lot of names I recognise here already.

    3. I have to admit to being curious about Nelson. There is a quality of sophistry in his articles that might suggest that he is not what he seems. I do wonder if he’s a Muslim but conceals it! His wife though being originally Swedish (now a naturalised Brit) is not ethnically Scandinavian.

    4. ‘Afternoon, Squire…I mailed him yesterday, got a reply from Jack/Spectator Team today, seems they’re working on a new messenger to replace Disqus. I advised him best idea would be to reinstate the same features we had previously in Disqus, and also they should have forewarned us. Not the best idea for a business to alienate its customers. We’ll see.

    5. You’d like to think so Squire, but I have my doubts. The comments page was for many of us the jewel in the speccie’s crown. It wasn’t bust and there was no need to fix it. The excuse that it was necessary to accommodate the new ‘app’ sounds unlikely to be correct, and folk cleverer than me on such things laugh at the very thought.

      So maybe it was designed to restrict comments and make them more manageable, knowing full well that a large chunk of what Nelson says is only 1% of the readership will bugger off – giving the impression that he would be happy to see us go, all right wing loonies in his opinion.

      1. “all right wing loonies”you say………….
        You lot should fit right in here then {:^))

        1. Already feeling comfortable Rik. I find that what the wokey cokies call right wing loonies are an affable bunch and ready to give anybody a chance – even refugees!

          1. Good to know, Tom, from one Tom to another.

            I know from experience, NoTTLers will always reach out to support others and those in trouble.

        2. Already feeling comfortable Rik. I find that what the wokey cokies call right wing loonies are an affable bunch and ready to give anybody a chance – even refugees!

      2. You may have seen my comment elsewhere Tom – I mailed FN yesterday, got a reply from Jack/Spectator Team today – they’re working on their own comments system, I advised him to copy what we had in Disqus. Nothing further from him. I suspect it’s over.

    6. Squire . The Spectator doesn’t use disqus anymore. It has severed all ties with disqus and has removed its entire history of articles seen via disqus, there is no more disqus history of articles going back decades because they have destroyed them.
      The Spectator has simply comments system like the Times . They don’t have disqus accounts- only disqus accounts have notifications, the ability to block, follow, go private and avatars as with yours here. The Spectator has no links with Disqus.com .

    1. Why stop with Muslim war memorials? Why not Sikh war memorials? Bhuddist war memorials? Christian war memorials? Jewish war memorials?

      1. We have a holocaust memorial in Montreal. It was a very useful background for the hate mobs on Monday.

        Official response has been diddly squat and to cap it off, word is that they are restarting payments to UNWRA.

        1. You are blessed with Muslim immigrants in Canada too then? That must be tough….Ropers AND Trudeau!

      2. That’s the logical conclusion – a war memorial for each favoured minority, and a divided country.
        The Cenotaph was for everyone.

      3. The Muzzies have to have one ‘coz the Jews. They need to enforce a false equivalence, and our craven elected liars are prepared to go along with this calumny regardless of the consequences. It really does stink.

      4. The Muslims are the ones that MPs are frightened of.

        Appeasement is everything.

        1. Hunt seems more like Rimmer with that face. It’s why it is so punchable and why he needs bodyguards.

    3. I think it an enormous waste of money. If he must waste £1,000,000 a memorial to the Jews butchered by Hamas recently would be more appropriate. It would serve a double purpose, both as a memorial and as a training ground for police on how to handle the terrorist sympathisers who would undoubtedly attempt to destroy it.

    4. One million not a huge amount of money?
      Only thanks to the debt-based fiat money printer whirring away night and day!

      1. I wonder if now even the useless political class have realised massive uncontrolled muslim gimmigration has failed is simply because it has turned on them and they don’t like it. Stuff what the public have suffered, if the muslims can’t be controlled through welfare to vote a certain way then they’re suddenly a threat – to the hegemony.

      2. Occam’s razor would suggest that to be the only logical explanation of such repeated and persistent behaviour. It’s the “why?” that is problematic.

          1. Sorry to hijack your post – you advised me to write to Kathy Gyngell to ask if I could be un-banned from the TCW blog. I took your advice and wrote a snail-mail letter to her about 10 days ago but have had no response and am still banned for reasons that completely escape me.

        2. Or “inside out” … that is, replacing the indigenous population of the UK.

    7. I know I keep on saying it, but all of those morons in Westminster are ‘king stupid.
      They don’t have a gram of commonsense between the lot of them.

    8. They know the digital id is coming, and they want Labour to implement that, so they WANT to lose the next election!

  69. Nowadays it is pretty dumb to replace a user interface without warning users beforehand. Many will end up asking is it valid or has the site been hijacked by some nefarious outfit.

    Despite that concern our bank changed the signing screen to some new format a couple of months ago. They were surprised by how many phone calls the support desk got asking “Is it real?”

    1. Exactly so, richardl. Wonder if defence systems are similar, wouldn’t be surprised.

  70. Bit fed up tbh. We normally have “cake day” at work on the first Wednesday of every month. But today it’s been postponed till tomorrow, because, “International Women’s Day”.

    Ffs. And i say that as one of the old-fashioned ones ((c) Ricky Gervais)

    1. Cake is life.

      I made a white chocolate roulade using neighbour’s oven. Got jealous looks. It went in about 6 minutes. Most of that people queuing.

        1. I had to keep pausing it i was laughing so much. His paedophile joke had me pissing myself.

    3. Daughter brought a marvellous apple cake home today – her friend has split up with mummy’s boy liar boyfriend, and friend is baking to drown her sorrows. Hope she splits up more often in future, it was wonderful!

  71. Here’s globalist politician poodle trainer, Bill Gates, arriving in Downing Street to train the new arrival, miniature poodle “Rishi”..

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8dbd2b76fca7f2f7616ce66f086e1a3d254ff8723a5c8e4f59b94b117dc75400.jpg

    Another Bill Gates poodle training session successfully completed. This time with standard poodle, “Starmer”..

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/528ef84d0fba49cded5f4826188d1b7867a9f587b8cb5f099f062c6dfb251bb6.jpg

    Bill Gates’ giant poodle “Johnson” sadly made a terrible mess and had to be re-homed..

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/325def0d213abfc79061f2fd4ffe6ba22b870a13278791b3e7a1ab81d49f423c.jpg

    Smooth slippery lying poodle “Hancock” was always happy jumping through Bill Gates’ hoops, probably for a few million dollars!

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e0b3c9ee88d789e337f0cbd9ce11878acfc348340f0b21c5d158125a411cf58e.jpg

    Obedient Health Secretary poodles “Javid” and “Hancock” both praised Bill Gates’ close friend George Soros on the same day!

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/25d9df48007c0e25b0fc9b081f02643b8e9d2d5fb419fc47aa7b53c4a6920da0.jpg

    Looks like Bill’s given lots of Treats to his adoring plump poodle ”Mitchell”..

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7a4a820bc38ea568b26f49750948388b9a6c85590ab05cf7c9a143f8e96b4c1.jpg

    Bill Gates’ giant poodle ”Lammy” received $3000 from Bill Gates’ close friend George Soros to meet in New York meaning ”Lammy” is likely a George Soros poodle too..

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a19e23f4c3486cea99b2d6375e7dbfe8c2336e82a2fe024f960da5f9f722e6d2.jpg

    Upwardly mobile poodle ”Shapps” adores Bill Gates in this Twitter video!

    https://twitter.com/grantshapps/status/1626166264535080961?lang=en-GB

    In addition, Bill Gates has had private training sessions with poodles Hunt, Donelan, Mordaunt, Cleverly, Barclay and Blair to whom he pays approx $2,000,000 pa to organise his poodles in London and elsewhere.

    It’s Bill Gates’ Globalist Politician Poodles Galore!

  73. I have no problem with big dogs. I just didn’t want one that eats more than i do.

  74. Always assumed Oppo was a “he”. Funny how we make these assumptions!

    2. My mind fell into a stupor every time I saw those diatribes, I knew it was something like Ignoramus .

      1. It’s good to know that the £Squillions we paid to the French is being used for a good purpose – buying diesel for their escort boats…..

      2. It’s good to know that the £Squillions we paid to the French is being used for a good purpose – buying diesel for their escort boats…..

        1. We have. Cut out of Will also.
          A sad day; many years ago, we both were sub-aqua divers, and the dive club regularly and frequently held fundraisers for the RNLI. Now, since they actively aid the illegal immigrants, I wouldn’t even spit on their shoe.

    3. UN demands Britain repatriates Shamima Begum and says there is ‘credible suspicion’ the ‘vulnerable’ jihadi bride was recruited by ISIS ‘for sexual exploitation’
      Shamima Begum, now 24, lost her appeal to be repatriated on February 23 .

      A group of United Nations experts have urged Britain to repatriate Shamima Begum today, claiming credible evidence the ‘vulnerable’ jihadi bride was recruited by ISIS for ‘sexual exploitation’.

      Shamima Begum, now 24 and living in a refugee camp in northern Syria, was stripped of her citizenship after leaving the country aged 15 to marry an Islamic State fighter.

      She lost an appeal last month against the decision, prompting UN special rapporteurs to urge Britain to provide her with protection – including repatriation – and review the decision to revoke her citizenship.

      https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13164115/UN-demands-Britain-repatriates-Shamima-Begum-says-credible-suspicion-vulnerable-jihadi-bride-recruited-ISIS-sexual-exploitation.html

      The UN needs to shovel its own pooh into a pile and sort it .

      We don’t need the corrupt UN telling us what to do..
      I mean , we are a Sovereign country , aren’t we , not some black bush outpost on the other side of the Equator .

      1. We should get out of all UN sponsored kleptocracies and tell them to FRO. Take a leaf out of the book of that sterling woman who told E Maitliss and David Cameron where to go.

      2. If the group of UN experts are so sure of her innocence, why don’t they offer her asylum?

        Then everybody will be happy.

  79. Thank you for that, Paul, but I fear what the future will bring, if/when I remain.

  80. Asylum seekers at a troubled immigration centre are being taken on shopping trips to keep them entertained following warnings ‘boredom’ could lead to serious violence.

    Concerns have repeatedly been raised about conditions at Wethersfield airbase in Essex, which is home to hundreds of migrants – many of whom arrived in Britain after crossing the Channel.

    Former border watchdog David Neal visited the isolated site near Braintree in December and February after insiders reported ‘almost nightly fighting’ between different nationalities.

    He described a feeling of ‘hopelessness caused by boredom’ among residents, and warned this would ‘lead to increased criminality, including arson’. The Home Office has rejected his assessment.

    Now, new photos have emerged showing migrants boarding a minibus after a trip into Braintree, which is 15 minutes away from the airbase.

    It comes as the atmosphere at the centre, set to house 1,7000 migrants, is said to be ‘horrendous’.

    Marion Parker, 44, who lives in the town said it was a ‘complete joke’ to see the men out shopping.

    READ MORE – Dozens of migrants brave thick fog and strong winds to cross the Channel – as the number of asylum seekers illegally reaching UK on small boats this year soars past 2,000

    The administrator said: ‘What message does it send out to others who want to come here? You get free journeys into towns to shop. It’s a complete joke.

    ‘I’m not against immigration at all. But this is a reward for breaking immigration law. Why don’t homeless Brits get free trips to shopping centres?’

    David Price, who runs a campaign called Wethersfield Protest, said: ‘The situation has always been terrible and always will be terrible. It makes absolutely no sense to have it there.

    ‘The asylum seekers have told me when I have come across them that conditions there are not suited.

    ‘They complain it’s too cold and not good enough.

    ‘The whole situation is an almighty recipe for disaster. The situation in there is terrible.’

    Scuffles between different migrant groups are a regular occurrence, an asylum seeker at Wethersfield previously said
    +6
    View gallery
    Scuffles between different migrant groups are a regular occurrence, an asylum seeker at Wethersfield previously said

    Last year about 40 men demonstrated outside MDP Wethersfield over conditions at the site
    +6
    View gallery
    Last year about 40 men demonstrated outside MDP Wethersfield over conditions at the site

    The site is ringed by security fences, on site security and CCTV.

    The Home Office website makes clear those staying there are allowed on trips out.

    It says: ‘To minimise the impact on the local services, and to ensure the orderly flow of people onto and off the site, a regular transport service is in place to take asylum seekers to larger local towns to access amenities and planned voluntary and community activities off site.’

    Mr Neal was sacked as Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration earlier this month after falling out with Home Secretary James Cleverly.

    READ MORE – Further shame of military heroes being housed in sub-standard accommodation as roof caves in at one

    His comments followed shocking reports included brawls, chairs being thrown and some suffering bad injuries.

    A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘We disagree with the assessment made by the former ICIBI on Wethersfield.

    ‘We take the safety and welfare of asylum seekers at Wethersfield extremely seriously and we will prioritise welfare and integration while increasing occupancy of the site.

    ‘Wethersfield is not a detained site and asylum seekers are free to come and go.

    ‘A regular transport service is in place to take residents to larger local cities.

    ‘We continue to work across government and with local authorities to identify a range of accommodation options to reduce the unacceptable use of hotels which cost £8 million a day.’

    The taxpayer will shell out £5.4 billion on migrant hotels and other asylum support this year – a staggering £15 million a day.

    Rocketing costs have forced the Home Office to secure an extra £4 billion from the Treasury to cover a massive overspend on asylum accommodation.

    Across all areas of immigration and asylum, the Home Office’s overspend will hit £5.9 billion in the 2023-24 financial year, official papers showed.

    The £5.4 billion also covers asylum seekers living in self-catering accommodation, who receive £49.18 a week for each person in their household to cover food, clothing and other costs.

    In a letter to the Commons home affairs committee, published yesterday, Home Office mandarin Sir Matthew Rycroft said asylum was ‘a volatile area to budget’.

    The permanent secretary said the £4 billion extra allocated to asylum support ‘was not an unanticipated spend but a result of record levels of small-boat arrivals since the Spending Review 2021’. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13135177/asylum-seekers-wethersfield-days-out.html

    A £ billion +, what does a £billion look like .. is it a fleet of warships , or a new village , or increasing the Armed Forces pay, nurses pay . Where and how is a billion calculated .. Can you scribble down what a billion looks like in numbers , How many millions is a billion .. I haven’t a clue .

    1. Asylum seekers at a troubled immigration centre are being taken on shopping trips. I wondered why there was an increase in shopplifting.

      According to data experts who have looked at the figures, over £30 billion was spent on immigrants between 2020 and 2023.

      1. I believe the correct term for this is now “Shopping without money”, Tom. Do keep up!

      2. Hello Tom – I’ve just arrived and glad to see you here :)) I still haven’t been able to find your site with my browser though :((

        1. Hello Peta. Good to see you as well.

          I’ve just tried it twice and went straight to it. freespeechbacklash . com

          1. Hello Tom! Angelina sent me a link which connected me and I’ve registered my email address. Is that all I need to do for the moment?

    2. The same with me, as soon as I start feeling bored I go and look for someone to exterminate.

    3. If they don’t like it then they are very welcome to return to their country of origin. Many of us would chip in for the fare.

    4. Wethersfield is a surviving WWII airbase and maintained an MoD presence since then. Bombs from Ridgewell airfield near me were taken to Wethersfield to be defused after the Americans left.

      James Cleverley is a stupid man and is also the MP for Braintree. He will lose many Tory votes because of local opposition to the migrant camp. I rather hope that he will go the same way as his predecessor Brooks Newmark, never to be seen or heard from again.

    5. A billion is usually considered 1000 million. The state wastes 2.6bn a day. 1.6 of that comes from tax, the rest is borrowed.

      An Apache helicopter is about 25 million. A 747 jet is about 300 million.

      An SMR reactor is about 7bn, although, in the UK that’d be over 30 bn because every nutcase mentalist would get in the way to ensure it was never built, never worked and was ten years late.

  81. Wonderful sunny morning , visit to the market in Dorchester , not many stalls , loads of flowers in pots though . Fruit and veg , and some nice ethnic fruits and veg .

    The indoor section was full of stuff that people like me de clutter at home , stuff that collects dust and so dated .

    One thing I did notice was a table full of giant ashtrays , probably from pubs , and water jugs of various descriptions for adding water to your whisky .

    Books , loads of very heavy books , I wonder how much they weighed ( referring to heavy book topic from here a couple of days ago )

    Old books about WW1 and massive tomes on warships and sea battles . Medals and that sort of thing , a table full of old wartime bayonets and evil looking knives used in wartime .

  82. Nikki Haley has dropped out so Trump is almost certain to be the Republican candidate unless a bullet or lawfare succeeds.

    1. Good news. Haley was a proxy for the Bush and Clinton imterests. I thought her a mixture of Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and Elizabeth (Pocahontas) Warren and just as nasty as those witches.

  83. After all my walking to and from the hospital yesterday and walking to the pub for lunch with a bunch of decent elderly local guys, only one pint and walking home again. A cuppa and a sit down led to me dozing off for an hour. But feeling well rested now.
    Must have a look at what’s been happening today ?

  84. Evening all. What a pleasure it is to be here! Thank you for your kind welcome above, Geoff, and for the gracious tolerance shown by all here to a phalanx of dispossessed old reprobates in which I am happily included.

      1. Good – and a great relief – to see you, too, KJ! I allegedly got banned from Spectre whilst trying to track you down, and am as relieved to see you safely here as I was relieved about the far-from-the-house-under-the-tree venue for the malignant vehicle

        1. Thank you so much, opopanax, you’re a real pal…think most of us have moved. Was it Pobs said we’re being shuttered out prior to takeover new owners, we’d be the Awkward Squad…fully paid up members…:-DD still got the blasted thing under the tree…

      2. Hi Kate, I’m here too now, as of five minutes ago, and I also registered on TCW😄

        1. I enjoy a lot of TCW content but BTL I prefer Spectator comments. There are quite a number of conspiracy theorists who comment on TCW threads and fewer commentators who are clearly very erudite.

          1. Yes, I haven’t yet had time to do anything but the most superficial exploration of the site, but first impressions of the comments would confirm what you say.

          2. Agreed. I used to post there when it first started but it progressively became dominated by Pretty Polly types and then went completely bonkers during Covid and then succumbed to Putinphilia. The Christian social conservatism of its original mission got pushed out so I decamped to the Speccie.

          3. I do agree, Squire, and though I appreciate TCW I don’t appreciate the BTL vibe, which is conspiracy upon conspiracy and dizzyingly nihilistic. The same applies to Unherd (in a different way), whose commenteers seem very verbose, po-faced and humourless. The Speccie was unique in what it had to offer BTL, yet has chosen to kill that community.

            This site is also unique – a flavour that is slightly different from what we are used to (less belligerent?). Anyway, i find it a salve to the soul and am grateful to be both accepted and welcomed so generously.

            As an aside, the open presence and participation of “mods” is also refreshing and rather reassuring. We know where we are.

        1. Don’t panic.
          Rastas and Caroline keep a list of birthdays so we can congratulate NOTTLers on their special day.
          Actual year of birth is not obligatory.

        2. Rastus keeps a log of the dates of birth of Nottlers. Birthday wishes follow and are exchanged on the appointed day. The eldest among us is Delboy otherwise referred to as Father of the House.

  85. The lecture on Impressionism was fantastic. A brilliant speaker who knew her stuff and had a clear and interesting way of presentation. And super slides.

    A really great half day out away from the cares of the World.

      1. I sat in the front row and she was miked up to a system that worked! Unlike what awaits me on Friday. I have to be present as I have been asked to read a poem….which everyone (still awake) will HEAR.

  86. A blubbering Birdie Three!

    Wordle 991 3/6
    🟩🟨🟨🟨⬜
    🟩🟨🟨🟨⬜
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

    1. Well done. I got there.

      Wordle 991 5/6

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

      2. Lucky second guess
        Wordle 991 3/6

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

    2. Just returned from early doors pub. I had a ‘phew’ moment this afternoon.

      Wordle 991 6/6

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

  88. Testing, testing, one two three!

    Fin (formerly ‘sfin’ on the Spectator and TCW) signing in – although I binned my DT subscription years ago – still, nice to see some familiar names…

  89. Hello everyone, and grateful thanks to Geoff for making Speccie refugees so welcome! I’m so glad to see my cat avatar back and I’ve already seen some friends below :))

  91. I’m upsetting all the other women at work with my views that we shouldn’t have an international women’s day (especially if it gets in the way of cake).

    Cue women bleating a out “gender pay gaps” and “why aren’t there senior women doing X”.

    Well women have children and tend to stay at home to raise them (or take career breaks) for a start. Usually because of hypergamy (where women only want to marry “up” so when the kids come along it makes sense for her to give up her career). But it’s women’s choices that prevent them doing the job I do (for example). No one stopped me. I was lucky. I had a good education and my mum encouraged me to succeed (where she didn’t have the opportunity).

    I won’t lie. Sometimes i look at my friends who didn’t bother with working hard and i think they have had a nice life. But ultimately i don’t want to be poor like mu grandparents and I don’t want to be reliant on anyone either. But it’s not “men” holding women back (imho).

    Rant over.

    1. Of course the “gender pay gap” doesn’t really exist. If you do the same work, put in the same hours and the same years of continuous service, you will get the same pay. The question is whether we’ve been liberated or turned into tax slaves.

      1. I do find it near incredible that Birmingham Council is equating a teaching assistant’s workload with that of a binman.

      2. The latter, imo. All working towards less family life, state owned children and more tax. (vw comment).

    2. SWMBO does a hard amd important job at senior level in a male-filled environment (railway infrastructure) and she loves it. She most certainly does NOT want to be a manager, but if she did, she could be very senior in the organisation (Norwegian version of Railtrack). She would never agree that she has settled for mediocrity – and this is despite two bursts of maternity leave. Like men, the ladies have to put in the effort. Relentlesly, continuously.

    3. Agreed completely. My problem with International Women’s Day is that they stole my birthday. Without a by your leave. I have on occasion had to play for services celebrating the fact. Can anyone please advise me when International Men’s Day takes place?

      Thought not.

  92. I’m upsetting all the other women at work with my views that we shouldn’t have an international women’s day (especially if it gets in the way of cake).

    Cue women bleating a out “gender pay gaps” and “why aren’t there senior women doing X”.

    Well women have children and tend to stay at home to raise them (or take career breaks) for a start. Usually because of hypergamy (where women only want to marry “up” so when the kids come along it makes sense for her to give up her career). But it’s women’s choices that prevent them doing the job I do (for example). No one stopped me. I was lucky. I had a good education and my mum encouraged me to succeed (where she didn’t have the opportunity).

    I won’t lie. Sometimes i look at my friends who didn’t bother with working hard and i think they have had a nice life. But ultimately i don’t want to be poor like mu grandparents and I don’t want to be reliant on anyone either. But it’s not “men” holding women back (imho).

    Rant over.

      1. Indeed, I was starting to feel lost and lonely in the wilderness over at the Speccie!

  97. A suggestion. If the mods of this site copied in the title of Coffee House articles as they appear then having read them we could comment as before with the threads being easily navigable with notifications. It would help to keep comments on topic, even though I’m not averse to off topic chat.

    The downside is that the Spectator writers themselves would never see them.

    1. One of the appeals of Nottle, certainly speaking for myself, is the eclectic nature of the conversations.
      People tend to announce if they are moving off topic and the fact that notifications still work here suggests that extra effort by the mods shouldn’t be needed.

      1. And some of us attempt humour – which may not suit the serious Spectator refugees…{:¬)) Let alone pun fests.

    2. ‘Evening, SW. Point taken, but I’m trying to avoid being viewed as ‘competition’ by Telegraph Media Group, and sued accordingly.

      I cancelled my Speccie subscription yesterday. My DT subscription hangs on by a thread.

      NoTTL carried on the tradition of comments, off-topic or otherwise at the DT Letters page before they zapped Disqus. To this end, I post a new page each morning with a link to the new letters. But, mostly, the comments are utterly off topic. That’s OK.

      Refer to Speccie articles by all means. Just don’t reproduce them in fulle. I’m going to miss Rod, Douglas, Lionel and even Melissa, but I don’t expect to see their articles again.

      I’m hoping Tom’s fledgling project will produce a worthy alternative to the oldest weekly magazine in the world. Meanwhile, view this site as a safety valve. I’ve cleared the default banned words filter, so rant away.

      At the outset, we had eight Mods. We have rather fewer now, sadly due to natural wasteage. We’re all unpaid amateurs, but are liberally spread around the globe.

      On, and welcome… 🙂

  98. You are right, the real struggle is top v bottom, not seen since the Dark Ages. Well, not in the west, anyway.

  99. Drones as First Repsonders’, does that mean all the BBC announcers who are pro:

    Net Zero

    Unfettered immigration

    LGBTQ …XYZ etc

    Will be sent?

  101. Directed to 2nd Smartest Guy in the World’s substack from @JimFergusonUK on X. New Zealand excess data.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3f8746f3ebc76aee934d12bbb0879e9fb687487f1df577a0af1f548f6587846a.png

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ddf2dd55b12c4db2ce67da5cf94660be9797016fbce1f0aa942ceacc733b32a9.png

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/987dc4fba8099e4aec69b4e882a7fca0045aaf4065f7c05b33859e05a28a88f2.png

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/86c91052b506c0dec1931814fd30b18f6009fe5ad3a93b9ea6ab02954d42fe98.png

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/43cd05db425d5eef149ddb256d6fdbdec11f80392b964fddb8ec3428d4eea69d.png

    The difference between the graphs is the value assigned to the Y axis.

  102. The trouble is that it does look like the PoftheEofZ trope plus the Trump one (look at the mouth). Our real battle now is nothing to do with Left and Right, it is between rampant authoritarianism and personal freedom to live one’s life as one pleases – to seek happiness – without harming others.

    1. Ah no…The Gazelle was known as “the screaming chicken leg”.

      I think the flying brick was the Scout. It had a small rotor diameter which made autorotations – er – interesting!

  104. There are nearly 600 comments and counting. Do regular users find the site is always this busy?

    2. Some years ago, we had a heated discussion that ran, if I recall, to 1 593 comments. But it hasn’t been repeated.
      But yes, often this number – especially at weekends after wine o’clock.

          3. It is indeed, Bill. I picked up six bottles of red medicine in Sainsburys just now. For Lent, I’m giving up wine unless it hass 25% off…

          4. We keep buying when there is an offer. We do allow ourselves a glass (or three) on Sundays which, the MR assures me, are outwith Lent! As I am no longer a believer, I have joined her to give moral support. I DO miss it, though – so perhaps it is just as well to have an enforced break…!

          5. My parish priest hit on a novel proposition for Lent – give up all things that annoy you, or make you mad. Much better than giving up pleasure.

          6. A reckless gamble from your priest, inviting as it does her entire congregation to leave the building at the start of the sermon! I assume the lady in question (mostly is ladies these days in parishes, no?) has confidence in her preaching ability.

          7. My priest gives homiies, not sermons. He is not a lady, not even an imitation one. He’s from Malawi.

          8. I remember an African priest giving a sermon where he asked if we could guess what they ate for their Christmas dinner in his country. I forget what the answer was, but to this day I amazed that I managed to conquer the temptation to reply ‘Missionaries?’

          9. A reckless gamble from your priest, inviting as it does her entire congregation to leave the building at the start of the sermon! I assume the lady in question (mostly is ladies these days in parishes, no?) has confidence in her preaching ability.

          10. The rectorette advocated taking up something new rather than giving up something. I’ve taken up throwing darts at her picture 🙂

          11. I can’t believe you’ve gone through life with never having thrown darts at her effigy before.

          13. Now living in a ‘dry’ village, and not driving, I fear that solitary wine consumption at home has reached alarming proportions. I blame lockdown.

            Happily, I’ve worked out that – three days a week – the Queen Hotel in Aldershot (Wetherspoons) is equidistant between Morrisons and the bus stop home…

          15. Alf picked up 6 bottles, same place. Yellowtail 2 Merlot, 2 Malbec and 2 Shiraz. £32.50. Pretty decent.

          17. I’m on one glass of wine per week, as the bar in the cloister is open for our Tuesday evening Lent Course sessions. We’re studying John Donne and he was a bit of a rascal, so I’m sure he’d approve :-))

        2. #metoo.
          Chianti – and from a bottle, too (Get me!) – the box ran dry, so I had to open the reserve supply… 🙁

        1. I’d have thought any threads that involved the sheep farmer and/or the toilet roll salesman.

        2. I’d have thought any threads that involved the sheep farmer and/or the toilet roll salesman.

    1. More power to their research.
      I fear they will still be howled down by the covidimaniacs. There are too many vested interests and too many reputations to be ruined for the unvarnished truth to be told.

    2. It’s an excellent publication overall. Needless to say, currently being “investigated” by the French equivalent of Ofcom.

    3. Bong soir. I thought yer French had made it a crime to query medical advice.

    5. “By systematizing early treatments based on hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, ivermectin, the number of lives that could have been saved in France is 97,400 out of the 167,642 deaths attributed to covid since 2020 – and more than 4 million worldwide.”

  106. I’ve just been catching up on what Hunt the WEF/CCP Chancellor has done in his budget today. It doesn’t even merit the description ‘lacklustre’.

    1. And it is all utterly meaningless, anyway. None of the “changes” will ever take effect.

    2. He doesn’t even have the wit to prepare a decent bear-trap for Labour that reversal would show them up as they really are: spiteful tax and spend wastrels.
      Darling’s 45% tax rate was a good example of such a trap.
      Abolishing inheritance tax would have been a good Tory approach.
      It “only” raises about 6 billion, a drop in the ocean that would almost certainly benefit many people as cash was spent in the economy raising tax elsewhere.

      1. And some of us might have committed suicide to take advantage of it before Labour reinstates it, thus saving quite a bit on pensions and the NHS.

  107. Our Silver Wedding Anniversary today. I bought my wife a ‘With Deep Sympathy” card but she hasn’t got around to opening it yet. 🙂

    1. She’ll probably buy you a ‘Get Well Soon’ card which you can read in your hospital bed.

      1. She just opened it and laughed – it’s her good humour that has got her through the last 25 years!

    3. Well done.
      You’ve a good way to go to get up to some of our regulars.
      We had a 60th the other day, you’ll see her referred to as “The pushy nurse”

      1. Cheers Geoff. Thanks for giving us refuge – I thought my commenting days were done as everywhere else has gone bonkers or become highly censored.

      1. When you put it that way cumulatively they’ve suffered 50 years together.
        OMG I’ve just realised me and management cumulatively almost 100 years…..

    7. Congratulations and lovely to hear. The Warqueen and I are approaching our 15th and I’ve got her a sapphire necklace. It was her stage name, is the same colour as her eyes and it’s the crystal anniversary.

  109. I notice that the man with the CCP wife is going to spend a million pounds of OUR money on a memorial to dead slammers. Why? Just asking.

    1. It’s a trap to catch far right protesters. It will be monitored more than a Khan ULEZ zone.

    2. Because they’re too special to be remembered by the memorial that remembers everyone else.

  110. I think that I managed to kill off that idea about the Holocaust Memorial twice but now I no longer have access to the Speccy Threads it will probably get though.Lol!

  113. That’s me gone for what was a very agreeable day indeed. A wonderfully satisfying lecture. A useful walk to deliver more leaflets for the Friday “talk”…(sighs..)

    Market tomorrow. Have a spiffing evening.

    A demain. Prolly.

  116. Golly I’m in a bad mood today. It must be disappointment at not getting any cake, which I’ve been looking forward to since last cake day a month ago. Anyway. Just got home (on my push bike) and I am so fed up with other cyclists not knowing what’s going on behind them and not indicating their intentions. If you drove a car like that, you’d have any accident in a second. So why is it OK to ride a bike with no awareness of what’s going on around you and no thought for other road users?

    Off out for a walk to calm down.

    1. Cos if there’s an accident, it’s someone else’s fault. The law says so!

    3. I use alcohol to aid calmness. Consumption has been awfully high recently.

  117. Following the UN’s contemptible silence on the violence inflicted on Israeli women by Hamas terrorists during the October 7 pogrom, the body has finally conceded that there are “reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence … including rape and gang rape” took place. The report also found that sexual violence against Israeli hostages held in Gaza may still be ongoing. But why has it taken the UN so long to recognise this?

    International organisations that purport to stand up for women’s rights, or campaign against sexual violence in conflict, have been strangely reluctant to condemn Hamas’s atrocities. Surely, if your concern is the treatment of women, you should denounce violent and murderous acts against them, whoever happens to be the perpetrator.

    But Israel is somehow treated differently, even when its people have quite clearly been the victims of horrific crimes. The country has had to go to extraordinary lengths to combat misinformation about what happened on October 7.

    UN officials are currently focused on reaching a “crucial” Ramadan ceasefire in Gaza but negotiations have been difficult. Israel is thought to have declined to send a delegation to Cairo because Hamas refused to present a list of living hostages, including women, children, the elderly and the sick.

    This was hardly an unreasonable request, and the terrorists’ unwillingness to meet it speaks to the fact that there can be no long-term peace that involves the group’s continued existence. Indeed, Israel’s longer-term aim of dismantling the organisation remains the correct one. The horrors of October 7 can never be allowed to be repeated.

    Dismembering would be better.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2024/03/06/at-last-un-is-waking-up-to-hamas-crimes/

    1. Quite. Am Yisrael chai, Why are these activist bleeding hearts not demanding the return of the hostages and the surrender of the architects of the 0ct 7th atrocities? Why? That would pause the war immediately.

  118. Popping back in nicked comment

    Oi laffed

    It applies 365 days of the year, but on Budget days it is especially applicable.

    “Why did he have to go to prison?”
    “We put all our politicians in prison as soon as they’re elected. Don’t you?”
    “Why?”
    “It saves time.”
    Terry Pratchett, The Last Continent.

  119. Perhaps they think the comments could be used as ammunition by the woke to get the magazine shut down altogether.

    I’m sure the left would be delighted to see the demise of yet another right of centre medium.

    1. But it’s not right of centre. The centre has shifted so far left and Fraser himself is a rampant Leftie. It does, though, continue to employ a few exceptional writers (eg Douglas Murray, Rod Lidl, Julie Burchill etc) and I will very much miss reading them.

      I do wonder if it might not be worth luring the likes of Julie onto this site – and some of the other Speccie journalists who do not find it beneath them to engage BTL (hoi polloi).

      The ones I have so far identified = Rod, Julie, Jonathan Miller, Susan Hill…erm… I’m sure but there must be others?

      1. By the standards of the modern left even Orwell/Blair would be right wing, so I would still place it right of today’s centre

  124. 1 million pounds is the flea’s fart in a hurricane of tax and waste that is the budget; why did the Muslim memorial even need to be mentioned? There are numerous minority groups, probably even more worthy.

    For example a far better specific memorial would be one to all the conscientious objectors who would not bear arms yet died on the front lines having volunteered as stretcher bearers etc.

    1. The government should not be sponsoring such things (from our forced tax contributions). Such vanities should be sponsored voluntarily, by genuine charities (remember those?).

      1. Statues and memorials used to be raised by public subscription. Let those who want it pay for it.

    2. Coming next: memorials for Hindus, Sikhs, European Catholics who escaped to the UK and fought for the Allies, militant atheists, Africans of no religion at all. I’m sure you can add more.

      In 2012, Call-me-Dave announced the plans to commemorate the centenary of WW1. On Thursday 11th October, the lunchtime news on BBC1 included a report on the announcement. Robert Hall stood at the Menin Gate, Ypres, and started by telling us that the memorial was inscribed with the names of 50,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers whose remains were never found. As he did so the camera panned slowly to a small panel with the names of Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, perhaps 60-100. Only at the end of the report of almost four minutes did the camera show some of the thousands of names of British soldiers.

      They already have memorials…

  125. Virtue signalling and bribe, i.e. ‘We’re throwing money at you, please don’t harm us!’

    2. The more you give them, the more they want, the more they want, the more they take, the more you resist that taking, the more violent they become.

  126. Cripes Polly – you’ve upvoted every comment I made which mentioned you! Are you back with us then?

  127. The government rubber stamping that Muslims are heroes .. a monument ?

    Their destructive damage to many of our great cities and with murderous intent .. the trashing of white communities , and turning our great well known industrial towns and cities into sectarian backyards and enclaves .. strewn with the remains of Halal slaughter .. and the noise from their wailing muezzins convinces me that the government are licking the backside of the Muslim world for fear of of upsetting their thin skinned concept of entitlement .

    1. Just another section of the huge pile of current evidence that our political classes are absolutely effing stupid.

    2. I wonder how many Muslims fought for our enemies?
      Probably similar numbers to those who fought for us.

      Do we have special dedicated monuments for those Germans or Japanese or other nationals who fought for us against their own peoples?

      How can they state with absolute certainty that somewhere amongst the allied nations that their unknown warrior wasn’t a Muslim?

      Stop the kowtowing.

      1. One really has to resort to vulgarities when referring to the worst type of modern evil minded imported fuzzy haired barbarian .

        1. The reference to fuzzy is the give away. You are really Cpl.Jones and I claim my £5!

        1. Highlight the comment or part of a comment you wish to cover, then click on the “Spoiler” icon below the comment box that has an eye symbol with a line through it.

        2. Hit ‘reply’
          At the bottom of the opened box there are letters and such. The 8th one along is an eye shape with a diagonal line through it. Click on that. This will come up on your comment. Whatever you want ‘greyed out’ needs to be typed between the 2 middle >< bits.

  130. After hearing the opening budget announcement I assume the only thing that Hunt didn’t tax was Gas Lighting.

  131. 384408+ up ticks,

    May one ask,

    Any truth in, when compulsory call up in regards to WW3 is voted in by the regular majority voter, and all those calling for justice for the criminal actions appertaining to excessive deaths will be first in the forward trenches.

    Will a request that all local politico’s and chief councillors accompany the conscripts and lead from the front, be heard ?

      2. Good evening GG.
        Thank you for providing a forum for Spectator BTL waifs and strays although I must confess to have abandoned the Tgraph some time ago.

    2. Well we’ve been aborting hundreds of thousands of babies a year for decades now and the birthrate has dropped off too, but somehow we are supposed to find enough young men willing to fight for this country, especially among the natives that are being openly discriminated against so that we can have inclusivity.

      1. The latest madness is certificates for women who have lost their unborn babies below 24 weeks even though it’s legal to abort them at the same age. Presumably no politician can see the complete contradiction between these policies?

          1. I doubt that you are taking into account the intense grief that a woman feels when she loses a baby, particularly when it is later in the pregnancy, and the emotional trauma is not helped by hormonal changes.

            I assume that some men might also feel enormous grief.

          2. A friend’s baby died in utero at what was probably about 26 weeks but the doctor was prepared to certify 28 weeks gestation. That meant the family could have a stillbirth certificate and hold a proper funeral. The ritual, attended by friends and family was very important in helping them feel that their son had been a real person and hence to come to terms with their loss.

    1. After my neighbour met the full cost of replacing his length of the shot fence, it cemented our relationship.

  137. Once again I know it’s early, but one largish glass of wine with my home made chicken risotto and I’m all in.
    Goodnight yawl.
    Must be getting old eh.

  139. Ok back from my walk and have weighed some books. Will post more tomorrow on the subject.

    I will tantalise you by saying it seems Duden weighs 2 3/4 oz more than my German-English dictionary. But how heavy? Tomorrow, chums, tomorrow.

    I would have bet the other way, myself. Worryingly I can’t find my “Hitler” by Ian Kershaw but i will tentatively bet it isn’t as heavy as Duden.

  141. Hunt is rightly getting a huge pasting on Twitt. Anyone with an iota of common sense can see how awful today’s offering was.

    Laurence Fox
    @LozzaFox
    We already have a monument to the glorious dead.
    Anyone who died in war for Great Britain is remembered here.
    It’s genuinely inclusive.
    @Jeremy_Hunt belongs behind a help desk in a department store.

    2. Jeremy Hunt’s head belongs behind a unisex toilet door in a department store.

      1. His face reminds me of a rat, his actions remind me of a rat and I would like to deal with him like a rat.

    3. A monument to all faiths and none. The Cenotaph. I suspect the proposed monument is an attempt to re-write history. I am livid. What have we, in this once glorious country, come to.

      I recall my mum telling me that H*tler had a couple of muslim fighting divisions during WWll. She told me that even the N*z*s were astonished by their cruelty. She never mentioned them being on our side during WWll.

      1. You have to remember that in Islam Jews are specifically identified as a people that must be utterly destroyed.

      2. Yes pm, and the barbarity the poor Israeli hostages suffered ending in death , and dare we believe the massacre of their children by the Hamas Muslims .

        1. So f*cking what? So did many other faiths. We have to put an immediate stop to this special status for muslims nonsense before they take over our country with their oppressive ideology.

          1. The next development will be a blasphemy law protecting submission. Then we shall be completely destroyed.

          2. I’m not supporting them Op, just pointing out that Muslims have fought got Britain to a commentator who didn’t appear to know. It by no means justified this insult, divide and rule posturing by the rotten to the core Tories.

        2. They also fought against us – one of my grandfathers spent part of his WW1 service in Mesopotamia .

      4. Actually that is a good point. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if there weren’t more muslims fighting on the Nasty side than for the Allies in WW2.

  142. I belive Hitler had a regiment of Islamics.
    Probably specialised in wiping out the Jewish families.
    Next target will be St George.
    It was openly suggested that the young lady he rescued was Christianity and the dragon he killed to do so, was Islam.

    1. The concept of a hero, in this case St George, and defeating a dragon predates Christianity.
      However, there is little doubt that crusaders thought that St George was fighting alongside them against the forces of Islam.

  143. Had a nice day though Obs, but all the walking I’ve managed over the past two days has left me completely knackered. 🥴

  145. Well, chums, it’s been a tiring day for me today, so I will wish you all an early “Good Night”. Sleep well, and see you all tomorrow.

  146. A walk along the Thames is always calming. A glass in the White Cross before going home would be a good idea.

  147. It’s hardly a normal holiday, but I have spent numerous weeks over many years visiting first WW battlefields and war memorials.
    Apart from British and French these include specifics, such as Canadian and Commonwealth and America, as well as communal; very, very few of them make special mention of colour, creed or politics.
    There are names from all over the world on both individual graves and on memorial walls and countless headstones “Known unto God”.
    German memorials tend to be very bleak mass graves.

    Whenever I visit a town I look out for the memorial and the death ratios WW1 vs WW2 are horrendous, families losing several members. Later war memorials include resistance fighters, deportees and other civilians

    I say to any politician or minority leader, please don’t try to make any group special, they all died.

    As an aside, that might seem to contradict my earlier comment re conscientious objectors who volunteered for front line non-combatant roles, but for me some of those people really were the bravest of the brave.

  149. So, what are we doing about the Ghurkas, then? Surely they are more deserving of a monument.

        1. Indeed, and thoroughly deserved.

          Whatever one might feel about Joanna Lumley I believe she was correct in her support of the Gurkhas.

    2. Correction William, the United Kingdom was murdered in the Palace of Westminster.

  152. Apparently the architect behind the Muslim war memorial is called Benedict O’Looney Architects 😂

    2. The £1,000,000 Muslim war memorial Sue, the only war memorial to a specific religion or group. None to Christians, Hindus etc. hell, they wouldn’t even fund a memorial to the men of Bomber Command. Another kick in the teeth from the fat left woke globalist fake conservative Tories.

      1. It stinks, Tom. Like everything else done in our name, with our money, it stinks to high heaven,

        1. My father fought in Burma during WWII when serving in the Royal Artillery and I have his medals which include his Burma Star.

          My dad said little about his experiences in the jungle but often remarked that he greatly admired and respected the Indians alongside him and especially the Gurkhas. Those Indian regiments comprised mostly Hindhus and Sikhs. My father never mentioned Muslims.

          It would be as well to resist the idiot Hunt and his useless government pretending that Muslims fought for Britain in WWII. They assuredly did not. Go and read Kipling for goodness sake and stop this nonsense in its tracks.

          I would venture that the only reason the dolt Hunt is advertising his budget allocation of £1,000,000 of our money to some Muslim monument is to appease Muslims following the Rochdale election debacle.

          1. I am with you there Corrie .

            We know that Hunt was appeasing the Muslims … his shiny manic eyes gave him away.

            We need more defence spending .

        2. I assume that’s a joke, but Fox is living dangerously. There’s a school of thought that says Fox is another establishment put-up job to clown around and divert support from serious opposition parties. His income was higher than the Prime Minister’s last year apparently (source Miri AF).

      5. It will probably start a flood of war memorials to Africans, Hindus, Sikhs etc, with demands that the King attends each one and cries that he is racist if he goes to the Cenotaph.
        And the respectful honouring of all dead soldiers is gone forever.
        The most appalling decision by a Chancellor that lacks even a scrap of integrity.

        1. The whole budget was a slap in the face to the British people and to common sense and decency. It is designed to impoverish us and introduce strife and division. There is no other explanation.

      6. Indeed. This feels like it should have been announced on April
        Fools Day. I would hazard to guess that more Muslims fought for Germany in Europe during World War II, then fought for the allies (I exclude those who fought in the Japanese Theatre for obvious reasons). If they really wanted Muslims to integrate and honour Muslim participation, they would emphasise how the Cenotaph represents all who served. They will probably dig up the tomb of the unknown soldier next, replace the white Christian skeleton with a Muslim one and re-orient it to Mecca.

        1. Fully agreed. One thing though, while many Muslims fought for Britain, they did not do so as Muslims but instead as Indians in the British Indian Army. Those that fought for Hitler however, fought for him as Muslims alone, many under the anti-British, anti-Jewish hater the Mufti of Jerusalem’s urging. Both Hitler and Himmler admired Islam as both a religion and a political ideology, describing it as a more disciplined, militaristic, political, and practical form of religion than Christianity.

          Hitler also said “The peoples of Islam will always be closer to us than, for example, France” and is recorded as saying “Had Charles Martel not been victorious at Poitiers then we should in all probability have been converted to Mohammedanism, that cult which glorifies the heroism and which opens up the seventh Heaven to the bold warrior alone. Then the Germanic races would have conquered the world.

          As our modern dictators clearly admire fascist totalitarianism, it looks like they are following Hitler’s deranged fantasies.

          1. Exactly. The Muslims who fought with the Indian Army are presumably honoured with memorials in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and remembered at our national war memorials. I’d be very interested to know how many Muslims fought and died for Britain in the European Theatre. Would also be interesting to know how much per head is being spent on commemorating that handful of people compared to how much has been spent per head on the millions of
            other British war dead, in the form of memorials – especially in recent years.

            Who, in their right mind, thought this was going to create feelings of integration? Muslims, yet again treated as a special case which will no doubt lead to cause for the National Arboretum to house a trans memorial, a gay memorial, and Afro Caribbean memorial etc. Meanwhile, those who made up the bulk of Allied forces: white, working class, men are increasingly erased.

          2. I doubt if any Muslims, maybe a handful, fought for Britain in the European theatre, though many did for Hitler on the Eastern front. Apart from anything else, the sheer stupidity of it boggles my already well-boggled mind. Do these cretins think that militant Muslims will suddenly become jolly nice chaps and stop plotting to blow up our children because this lunatic government is wasting our money on a muzzie-military monument?

            Or are they just winding us up?

          3. They are trolling us now. Perhaps we should start a subscription (as the Victorians would have done) to raise a memorial at the National Arboretum for the victims of domestic islamic terrorism?

          4. Great idea Sue. I suggest we plant Cercis siliquastrum, commonly known as the Judas tree.

          5. Exactly. The Muslims who fought with the Indian Army are presumably honoured with memorials in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and remembered at our national war memorials. I’d be very interested to know how many Muslims fought and died for Britain in the European Theatre. Would also be interesting to know how much per head is being spent on commemorating that handful of people compared to how much has been spent per head on the millions of
            other British war dead, in the form of memorials – especially in recent years.

            Who, in their right mind, thought this was going to create feelings of integration? Muslims, yet again treated as a special case which will no doubt lead to cause for the National Arboretum to house a trans memorial, a gay memorial, and Afro Caribbean memorial etc. Meanwhile, those who made up the bulk of Allied forces: white, working class, men are increasingly erased.

      1. And you too my dear. I’m still subscribed to the Speccie but the atmosphere is dead and there is little to dilute the dire Harman and Carter. Like a few others I’m giving it a few months to see if Nelson relents. The Burchill BTL is dominated by pleas for her to intervene with the editor, as she’s one of the few writers who engages with readers below the line.

        1. Yes, I’m sticking with the Speccie for the moment but as you say, there is no atmosphere. I noticed the JB BTL but doubt that she would have any influence. You never know though!

          1. ‘Morning Peta 🙂 I doubt it too. Also doubt things will revert. A short while ago I received the usual email notifying details of this week’s issue. First thing I noticed was it didn’t come from Fraser Nelson. Second thing was the banner promoting the ‘new app’, I went on to delete the app from my mobile and installed again from Play Store, seemed exactly the same. Can’t kid a kidder 😀

          2. I don’t use an App but apparently this was done so that App users could comment where they couldn’t before. I doubt it will revert either but you never know. For the moment I will stay there anyway, they do have some good articles.

          3. I don’t either, took a look at it, couldn’t see anywhere to comment. I’m staying there too, because of the articles (and also the comments 🙂

          4. No, at the moment there isn’t anywhere to comment on the App, due in a couple of weeks apparently.

      2. Gang’s all here, more or less, I think, although not seen much of Baron. Another day of battle ahead, perhaps 😀

        1. If I see Baron in the Speccie I will mention it, also to others like Steph who I know everyone wants here. GG Gaspar would be fun too 😆

          2. Seen Baron and mentioned it – special request from you 😁 Hope he sees my response. Not seen Steph or GG yet though.

  154. Another day is done so, I wish you goodnight and may God bless you all, Gentlefolk. Bis morgen früh.

  156. Full Council Tax charges for April 2023 to March 2024

    Band F: £3,361.63

    We are waiting to hear the new charges for 2024/2025. . A 5% hike I think .

    Come on someone , work that out for me please .

      1. When I first moved in here my house was classified Band E. I appealed and got it down to a Band D.

        1. Ours was Band F but we managed to reduce it to Band E. this still amounts to about £300.00 per month.

          This is a crippling charge when as retired rural dwellers we navigate deeply potholed roads, collapsing water-filled ditches, verges and overflowing river passes. The sharp grit on the roads, washed down from the fields makes every journey hazardous.

          Deep potholes cut through my modern tyres and the front near side damage exposed the steel cord. Another expense, £110.00 for a replacement tyre in order to pass its first MOT.

          This country is a decaying wreck in terms of its infrastructure. Our successive governments were evidently more concerned about donating to oversea wars such as the nonsense in Ukraine, billions we are told, most likely siphoned off to fund more mansions for the Clown Zelensky and his fellow clowns in that fake government.

          Meanwhile we are supposed to applaud a few pence on selected items we actually use and need just in able to survive and keep our collective heads above water.

          Any British patriot voting for any of the four mainstream parties need their heads examined.

        2. Ours was Band F but we managed to reduce it to Band E. this still amounts to about £300.00 per month.

          This is a crippling charge when as retired rural dwellers we navigate deeply potholed roads, collapsing water-filled ditches, verges and overflowing river passes. The sharp grit on the roads, washed down from the fields makes every journey hazardous.

          Deep potholes cut through my modern tyres and the front near side damage exposed the steel cord. Another expense, £110.00 for a replacement tyre in order to pass its first MOT.

          This country is a decaying wreck in terms of its infrastructure. Our successive governments were evidently more concerned about donating to oversea wars such as the nonsense in Ukraine, billions we are told, most likely siphoned off to fund more mansions for the Clown Zelensky and his fellow clowns in that fake government.

          Meanwhile we are supposed to applaud a few pence on selected items we actually use and need just in able to survive and keep our collective heads above water.

          Any British patriot voting for any of the four mainstream parties need their heads examined.

      2. Purbecks , Dorset Council ..

        Nope , we are stuck in a trap , can’t afford to move / dumb down . Medium size 5 bed property .

        1. I’m only £500 below that in a modern 4 bed in South Wales. My son went to Old Malthouse a few years ago when I lived in Salisbury. Off skiing this weekend.

      4. You don’t need to be in a “manor house”‘. Our house, for example, is a farm house with no architectural merit whatsoever (yet is listed) that does sprawl and is intensely difficult to maintain, but its sheer size makes us liable for the highest possible tax. Which makes life even less convenient.

  157. Evening, all. Kadi and I had a 2 mile walk this morning (I had to drop my motorhome off for its annual service and MoT). We both made it home! I feel quite proud of myself; I managed to fit in four things, one after the other today. The only thing I didn’t manage was gardening (but it was dull, foggy and generally miserable anyway).

    When I was admitted to hospital via A&E a few years ago, there was an elderly patient who couldn’t go home because there was no care package in place. It isn’t a new thing.

    1. I wonder how many are occupying hospital beds, although fit enough to leave, because there is no one beyond to take care of them.

      1. Stripping the insulation off a load of wiring Dr. Daughter brought down from the house she & her boyfriend are renovating!
        Bloody miles of the stuff. Will probably get it weighed in later this month.

  160. It’s interesting how his face has changed in the last few years. He now does look to be deranged,

  161. OMG Bob, bless you for that .
    Moh is asleep , zonked out , it was a golf day, and after all the other bills for water etc and other rises , I don’t think we can afford to exist here anymore .

    Exist is the operative word !

  162. We are just bogged down with inescapable bills .. even the annual golf fees have shot up .. Mohs bit of relaxation and enjoyment .

  163. Police are forced to RAM £80,000 electric Jaguar I-Pace to stop it as it raced down the busy M62 motorway without brakes after suffering system fault with terrified driver trapped inside
    Did YOU see the terrifying incident? Email arthur.parashar@mailonline.co.uk

    Police were forced to ram an out-of-control electric car after a ‘horrifying fault’ left the eco-vehicle tearing down the busy M62 without any brakes.

    Cop cars swarmed the motorway to save a driver after their runaway £80,000 Jaguar I-Pace suffered an ‘electrical fault’.

    Officers from Merseyside Police and Greater Manchester Police used specialist tactics to ram the vehicle and block it between a number of police vehicles, to eventually bring the car to a stop. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13165115/police-ram-faulty-electric-car-m62-emergency-incident.html

    Dramatic pictures from the scene show the black Jaguar wedged in between two Matrix patrol cruisers from Merseyside Police.

    The terrifying incident unfolded on the eastbound carriageway on Wednesday, between J11 for Birchwood and J12 for Eccles.

    1. Strange case as you come to a stop by taking your foot off the gas. Must be more to it, like stuck accelerator.

      1. It was an E-car. No doubt it didn’t have sophisticated things like “an accelerator”. It was probably computer controlled (for economy, you understand) and the off-switch burned out.

        1. My Ford Focus has an ‘electronic’ accelerator. In speed limit mode, it wont allow you to exceed the set speed unless you hit the floor, then it breaks out of that mode.

          2. My car has cruise control which merely consists of getting yourself to the desired speed and then flicking a switch and the car stays at that speed until you touch the brake.
            Very useful in long zones with a non-intuitive speed limit, eg French main roads.

          3. There is a cruise control mode and speed limit mode. Essentially, the accelerator is not connected by a cable.

    2. I admire the driver’s calmness in summoning help while maintaining control the of the vehicle at high speed and during the police intervention.

      1. Let’s hope he doesn’t get prosecuted for using a phone while driving…
        I wondered what he would have done if he didn’t have a phone, but I guess the car would have stopped by itself soon enough when the battery went flat…

      2. Presumably he took his foot off the accelerator? Or was the event a lot more complicated than it appears?

  164. For those of you still awake , now for something completely different .

    A Nude cruise

    REVEALED: The VERY strict ‘decorum rules’ that passengers aboard NUDE cruise have to follow – or risk being kicked off the ship
    Travel firm, Bare Necessities, has been running nudist ship charters since 1990
    For all of its excursions, it outlines nine key ‘decorum rules’
    READ MORE: I went on a nude cruise – here’s what it was really like

    Leave fetish wear at home and always sit on a towel; these are just a couple of the rules in place when it comes to nude cruising.

    Texas-based travel company, Bare Necessities, has been operating clothing-optional ship charters since 1990 and over the years, it has developed a set of rules to ensure that all passengers ‘enjoy a wonderful, stress-free, clothes-free experience.’

    Bare Necessities’ nude cruises were thrust into the spotlight this week when a 67-year-old man opened up about his experiences aboard one of the ships – answering a host of questions from fascinated Reddit users about what life is like aboard the ship.

    During his eye-opening Q&A, he touched upon several different regulations that are put in place to protect passengers’ privacy – and now, DailyMail.com is revealing the exact list of strict rules that are implemented aboard Bare Necessities trips in order to ensure the comfort of all onboard.

    For all of its excursions, it outlines nine key ‘decorum rules,’ with the first one being that all passengers must be dressed ‘throughout the entire vessel, including balconies,’ if the boat is docked in a port or while port authorities are on board.

    NINE KEY RULES WHEN IT COMES TO NUDE CRUISING
    All passengers must be dressed when docked in port
    Clothing must be worn in the dining rooms
    Lingerie, fetish-wear, and excessive genital jewelry are not appropriate
    Always sit or some article of clothing when bare bottomed
    No photos of other passengers cannot be taken without their express consent
    No photo zones must be respected
    Fondling or inappropriate touching is strictly prohibited
    Dangerous or rude behavior will not be tolerated
    Must comply with US Federal law regarding the possession or use of illegal substances
    *Source: Bare Necessities

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-13164243/strict-rules-aboard-NUDE-CRUISES.html

    1. I thought an ordinary cruise was unappealing enough, but add nudity (and landwhales afloat) to it and the mind absolutely boggles as to the lack of attraction.

      1. The mind does indeed boggle. I am acquainted with a few people who are addicted to cruises and they are bad enough with their clothes on 🤣

        1. I am quite naive really , the Daily Flail is a source of great information , what on earth can they mean by this?

          The next rule on the agenda, reiterates that ‘lingerie, fetish-wear, and excessive genital jewelry are not appropriate at any time.’

          1. A tasteful Prince Albert should be acceptable as ought an unostentatious vajazzle.

          2. Well, you are asking the wrong person here, but it sounds as though the rules are that you are not allowed to wear anything! Eek!! I’ve just noticed “excessive” genital jewellery…what on earth is considered not “excessive”?? The mind truly does boggle 🤣

          3. Some of them are very outlandish, and not just jewellery but operations eg forked tongue etc…have seen a number of photographs often taken in San Fran area.

          5. I have a book of photographic portraits I think Steve McCurry which I used when first learning portraits – I was slow so no-one wanted to sit😄 the Asian ones are top notch, American ones not so much and I understand worse now. So I don’t look at them for fun😄😄😄

        2. Do not be distracted. Concentrate on the Boggle, a harmless word game.

        3. Good comment, PJ. I knew a chap who once went on a cruise, said the people onboard were ‘the most boring f******* he’d ever met’.

          1. There was one couple, who used to be congregants in our church, who were forever going on cruises and banging on about them endlessly. They were very wealthy so always took a “state cabin” so they got to sit at the Captain’s table and never let you forget it 😆 I hope the Captains were VERY well paid, they earned it! Once she asked me if we had ever been on a cruise and in fact we had just come back from a holiday which had included a four day cruise in the Chilean fiords so I said so. “Really?” she said, “now have I told you about the last cruise we went on?” 🤣

          2. That sounds so typical of a number of people I know, I usually make an excuse and beat a hasty retreat….:-D It’s not something I ever wanted to do, always get travel sickness unless shanks’ pony…Chilean fiords sounds good, I fancy Iceland – ever been there, PJ?

          3. The fiords were lovely. Also did a Nile cruise, but would never do a “floating hotel” type cruise. Yes, I have been to Iceland, but only once for a couple of days. Hired a car and did the standard “Golden Triangle” which was very interesting. It was definitely ear-marked for a return visit, and a longer one to explore further. It is expensive though.

          6. Been there, done that, even had a makeshift darkroom at one time…dev/stop/fix?…all a bit smelly but magical all the same:-)

        1. Much better than I expected, thank you for asking. I had a dog sitter come in for the first day I had a long meeting and had to leave him alone (I had tried leaving him for short, then progressively longer, periods) and he was fine. He seems to have decided that there are advantages to having complete use of the fleecy bed without being told to move 🙂

    2. I see that various of your people are suggesting such a thing for the next Nottler convention. Whoah!

      Of course you must and will go for it if you want to but it is not going to appeal to all of us newbies (maybe that’s the plan)

      🙂

    1. She looks a bit prissy and far too young to be an MP.
      I wonder what her work history is?

    2. Dear Gen,
      You spend far too much time trying to make yourself look cheap. Stop bleaching your hair. Lose the make up. Go on a diet.
      Hugs…Phizzee.

    1. I have always loved that music – it needs either very good speakers (and hearing0 or headphone to truly appreciate the wonderful bass notes.

  169. Thursday, 1 am – Nothing so far in today’s letters about Hunt’s £1million giveaway to the Ropery.

  170. Wordle 992 5/6

    Results for Thursday, ready for the NoTTLe site once Geoff opens the page.

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

  172. Good Moaning All Nottlers.

    I have just noticed that some nottles have a + or a tick against their name now

    What does it indicate?

Comments are closed.