Cardiff University's Women's Officer has launched a petition to ban Germaine Greer from speaking at the university in November.
Rachel Melhuish, the Women's Officer at Cardiff University Student's Union launched the petition because she believes the speaker is "trans-exclusionary"
Someone needs a history lesson. Honestly, f*cking students, eh.
When I was an undergrad, back in the mid-90s, I just used my spare Wednesday afternoons to explore London's Tube and Rail network - only out to Travelcard Zone 4 back in those days
When I was a student in London in the early 1990s, I often explored London's Tube and Rail network by accident, by falling asleep on the train. Something I believe has happened to one of PB's finest as well.
Although sometimes it was just stupidity: my first ever visit to Cambridge was when I got on a non-stopper from Kings X instead of a stopper. I was visiting my GF, and she was not happy when I turned up a few hours late ...
O'Reillyitis is clearly infectious ....
I ended up having to doss down in Hitchin station after falling asleep on the last train after a firm's xmas party.
A friend (and notorious non-drinking) friend of mine ended up in carriage sidings near Peterborough station a few years back after falling asleep. He ended up having to call the police as he had no way of opening the doors, yet alone getting back to the station.
It was treated as a fairly serious event, rather to the embarrassment of my friend.
Surely the "train manager" (ugh) is supposed to check the train is empty before leaving??
Yes, which is one of the reasons it was treated quite seriously. Someone hadn't done their job.
Just so everyone knows, I've written a little Python script that automatically "counts" every time a poster uses the phrases "virtue signalling" or "peak [x]".
Right now, I'm thinking everyone should be allowed to use these phrases once... a year or so. Any more, and there will be an automatic (temporary) ban.
I've not actually put this live yet, but I'm sorely tempted...
Well I did use 'vs' in the sense of 'used only by dip-shits' so your script will need to be context sensitive.
Just so everyone knows, I've written a little Python script that automatically "counts" every time a poster uses the phrases "virtue signalling" or "peak [x]".
Right now, I'm thinking everyone should be allowed to use these phrases once... a year or so. Any more, and there will be an automatic (temporary) ban.
I've not actually put this live yet, but I'm sorely tempted...
Private Eye ran a piece on the use of the word "peak" in newspapers and came up with peak beard, peak gay and peak dinosaur. There were others but I cannot remember them. A sizeable chunk of them originated from the Guardian.
I've been prodded awake several times by the guard during 25 yrs of commuting. A friend of mine also spent the night trapped on a train, but that was years ago.
What I found depressing was how uninterested station staff at Victoria were on the occasions I've reported left rucksacks etc post 7/7
Cardiff University's Women's Officer has launched a petition to ban Germaine Greer from speaking at the university in November.
Rachel Melhuish, the Women's Officer at Cardiff University Student's Union launched the petition because she believes the speaker is "trans-exclusionary"
Someone needs a history lesson. Honestly, f*cking students, eh.
When I was an undergrad, back in the mid-90s, I just used my spare Wednesday afternoons to explore London's Tube and Rail network - only out to Travelcard Zone 4 back in those days
When I was a student in London in the early 1990s, I often explored London's Tube and Rail network by accident, by falling asleep on the train. Something I believe has happened to one of PB's finest as well.
Although sometimes it was just stupidity: my first ever visit to Cambridge was when I got on a non-stopper from Kings X instead of a stopper. I was visiting my GF, and she was not happy when I turned up a few hours late ...
O'Reillyitis is clearly infectious ....
I ended up having to doss down in Hitchin station after falling asleep on the last train after a firm's xmas party.
A friend (and notorious non-drinking) friend of mine ended up in carriage sidings near Peterborough station a few years back after falling asleep. He ended up having to call the police as he had no way of opening the doors, yet alone getting back to the station.
It was treated as a fairly serious event, rather to the embarrassment of my friend.
Surely the "train manager" (ugh) is supposed to check the train is empty before leaving??
Just so everyone knows, I've written a little Python script that automatically "counts" every time a poster uses the phrases "virtue signalling" or "peak [x]".
Right now, I'm thinking everyone should be allowed to use these phrases once... a year or so. Any more, and there will be an automatic (temporary) ban.
I've not actually put this live yet, but I'm sorely tempted...
Has "PB Tory/Tories" made the cut? Unspoofable has fallen out of fashion these days...
I think you've reached peak virtue signalling of your scripting skills
Yes, Junior needs to check his privilege, for sure.
I very nearly got myself twatted earlier this evening. I was in a queue at my local shop when the woman in front of me turned and yawned straight in my face.
I've spent much of the day reading "we're going on a bear hunt" and other stories to my son. My mouth ran ahead of my brain, and I said to her: "Is there a bear hiding in that cave?"
I find this sentence hidden away in the depths of the article particularly amusing:
It confirmed agreements to refrain from cyber-espionage and to liberalise visa regimes and called for the 'swift' launch of a feasibility study for a China/EU Free Trade Agreement...
Outside of the EU we would likely be able to sign an FTA with China. Remaining in the EU we will not sign an FTA so long as countries such as Italy and France continue with their policy of protectionism and isolationism.
I wish this were true. Unfortunately, China has shown no evidence of wishing to free up its services or financial industries. Take Switzerland's free trade agreement with China, that basically excludes banking, finance, and service industries. But it does cut the tariff on Swiss watches exported to China from 11.5% to 5% over the next ten years. I was rather surprised to see that India guzzles record amounts of whisky whilst having tariffs of 150%. An FTA with India which slashes the tariff would be great news for Scottish whisky producers.
Just so everyone knows, I've written a little Python script that automatically "counts" every time a poster uses the phrases "virtue signalling" or "peak [x]".
Right now, I'm thinking everyone should be allowed to use these phrases once... a year or so. Any more, and there will be an automatic (temporary) ban.
I've not actually put this live yet, but I'm sorely tempted...
So it is a virtue signalling before turning onto a sidestreet or simply what should be expected?
I think the conclusion towards the end is sound: she is the kind of intelligent, credible, reassuring figure who could make Brexit seem a lot less "dangerous".
Would explain why she will not back down on getting immigration down to the tens of thousands. When the time comes, May can argue that the only way to get control of our borders is to leave the EU.
The most worrying part of that article for me is this:
"Other Tories dismiss their party’s stated aim of bringing immigration down to tens of thousands a year as silly and unachievable, but May believes in it."
If that's true, I'm in the wrong party.
This is not an issue exclusive to the Tories. You only have to look at Corbyn's victory to realise Labour MPs are out of touch with their membership too. Quite disappointing, no wonder people are so disinterested with politics.
It's a reflection of the sort of people who become MPs - they increasingly move in a common public policy circle and are metropolitan, urban and affluently middle-class.
I know everyone likes to think of themselves as bravely Un-PC around here, so here goes.
Urban metropolitans are more likely to become MPs because they are better-educated, more skilful, more ambitious and self-confident, and people want to feel that they are being led by the best people rather than by ordinary people.
I find this sentence hidden away in the depths of the article particularly amusing:
It confirmed agreements to refrain from cyber-espionage and to liberalise visa regimes and called for the 'swift' launch of a feasibility study for a China/EU Free Trade Agreement...
Outside of the EU we would likely be able to sign an FTA with China. Remaining in the EU we will not sign an FTA so long as countries such as Italy and France continue with their policy of protectionism and isolationism.
I wish this were true. Unfortunately, China has shown no evidence of wishing to free up its services or financial industries. Take Switzerland's free trade agreement with China, that basically excludes banking, finance, and service industries. But it does cut the tariff on Swiss watches exported to China from 11.5% to 5% over the next ten years.
I was rather surprised to see that India guzzles record amounts of whisky whilst having tariffs of 150%. An FTA with India which slashes the tariff would be great news for Scottish whisky producers. You can buy duty free on arrival in India*. It's pretty much mandatory to buy booze there given the outrageous tariffs in place. Given the propensity for the Indian middle-classes to travel these days, and the correlation between "can afford international travel" and "can afford whisky", it's no surprise sales are so high.
Whisky remains the spirit of choice for people-who-know-nothing-about-booze-but-want-to-appear sophisticated. See also the whole of the middle Middle East, China and SE Asia.
*Also in Brazil, which is also massively protectionist.
Just so everyone knows, I've written a little Python script that automatically "counts" every time a poster uses the phrases "virtue signalling" or "peak [x]".
Right now, I'm thinking everyone should be allowed to use these phrases once... a year or so. Any more, and there will be an automatic (temporary) ban.
I've not actually put this live yet, but I'm sorely tempted...
So it is a virtue signalling before turning onto a sidestreet or simply what should be expected?
I think the conclusion towards the end is sound: she is the kind of intelligent, credible, reassuring figure who could make Brexit seem a lot less "dangerous".
Would explain why she will not back down on getting immigration down to the tens of thousands. When the time comes, May can argue that the only way to get control of our borders is to leave the EU.
The most worrying part of that article for me is this:
"Other Tories dismiss their party’s stated aim of bringing immigration down to tens of thousands a year as silly and unachievable, but May believes in it."
If that's true, I'm in the wrong party.
This is not an issue exclusive to the Tories. You only have to look at Corbyn's victory to realise Labour MPs are out of touch with their membership too. Quite disappointing, no wonder people are so disinterested with politics.
It's a reflection of the sort of people who become MPs - they increasingly move in a common public policy circle and are metropolitan, urban and affluently middle-class.
I know everyone likes to think of themselves as bravely Un-PC around here, so here goes.
Urban metropolitans are more likely to become MPs because they are better-educated, more skilful, more ambitious and self-confident, and people want to feel that they are being led by the best people rather than by ordinary people.
And, indeed, I'm sure they themselves would see themselves like that.
Yet well over 60% of the population wants immigration reduced absolutely and this is now the number one public policy issue, with the highest ever score in the issues index.
To palm off the majority of the population as uninformed, dim and ordinary who are lucky to have a political class who knows what's best for them simply won't do.
I think the conclusion towards the end is sound: she is the kind of intelligent, credible, reassuring figure who could make Brexit seem a lot less "dangerous".
Would explain why she will not back down on getting immigration down to the tens of thousands. When the time comes, May can argue that the only way to get control of our borders is to leave the EU.
The most worrying part of that article for me is this:
"Other Tories dismiss their party’s stated aim of bringing immigration down to tens of thousands a year as silly and unachievable, but May believes in it."
If that's true, I'm in the wrong party.
This is not an issue exclusive to the Tories. You only have to look at Corbyn's victory to realise Labour MPs are out of touch with their membership too. Quite disappointing, no wonder people are so disinterested with politics.
It's a reflection of the sort of people who become MPs - they increasingly move in a common public policy circle and are metropolitan, urban and affluently middle-class.
I know everyone likes to think of themselves as bravely Un-PC around here, so here goes.
Urban metropolitans are more likely to become MPs because they are better-educated, more skilful, more ambitious and self-confident, and people want to feel that they are being led by the best people rather than by ordinary people.
And, indeed, I'm sure they themselves would see themselves like that.
Yet well over 60% of the population wants immigration reduced absolutely and this is now the number one public policy issue, with the highest ever score in the issues index.
To palm off the majority of the population as uninformed, dim and ordinary who are lucky to have a political class who knows what's best for them simply won't do.
Why didn't they vote for it in May? UKIP stood in every seat. They got 12.6%.
Saltaire isn't in Bradford: it's 'near Leeds'. It happens to have its municipal services provided by Bradford Council.
Saltaire's a wonderful place. I used to go to meetings there, and take the rest of the day off and go hiking on the moors.
Salts Mill always seemed an odd place for a tech company, but it worked rather well.
Indeed. I'm rather proud of Saltaire's achievement there. I used to be a councillor for the ward that includes Saltaire and chaired the Saltaire Partnership and Area Committee at the time the village was awarded World Heritage Status.
Vampires are the allegorical beast of myth you want, not zombies. The mindless shambling zombies are nothing like the picture you paint (a lich could perhaps be an exception, of course, but liches and zombies are not the same thing).
Surely a wight not a lich?
Wraith!
The Wraith Coupe is a decent motor ....
Edit .... The Phantom Coupe is better ....
I was more of a Silver Ghost man, myself
Sadly I've never had the pleasure.
My adopted uncle used to have some of his Dad's old cars that he kept knocking around in the stables at home. I always amused me that instead of a pocket in the back of the driver's seat it had a little fold down table with a crystal decanter and four whisky glasses
I think the conclusion towards the end is sound: she is the kind of intelligent, credible, reassuring figure who could make Brexit seem a lot less "dangerous".
Would explain why she will not back down on getting immigration down to the tens of thousands. When the time comes, May can argue that the only way to get control of our borders is to leave the EU.
The most worrying part of that article for me is this:
"Other Tories dismiss their party’s stated aim of bringing immigration down to tens of thousands a year as silly and unachievable, but May believes in it."
If that's true, I'm in the wrong party.
This is not an issue exclusive to the Tories. You only have to look at Corbyn's victory to realise Labour MPs are out of touch with their membership too. Quite disappointing, no wonder people are so disinterested with politics.
It's a reflection of the sort of people who become MPs - they increasingly move in a common public policy circle and are metropolitan, urban and affluently middle-class.
Is being metropolitan, urban or middle class a bad thing?
Just so everyone knows, I've written a little Python script that automatically "counts" every time a poster uses the phrases "virtue signalling" or "peak [x]".
Right now, I'm thinking everyone should be allowed to use these phrases once... a year or so. Any more, and there will be an automatic (temporary) ban.
I've not actually put this live yet, but I'm sorely tempted...
So it is a virtue signalling before turning onto a sidestreet or simply what should be expected?
IIRC one of the Spectator's writers coined the phrase, there was a piece on it around conference time.
I think the conclusion towards the end is sound: she is the kind of intelligent, credible, reassuring figure who could make Brexit seem a lot less "dangerous".
Would explain why she will not back down on getting immigration down to the tens of thousands. When the time comes, May can argue that the only way to get control of our borders is to leave the EU.
The most worrying part of that article for me is this:
"Other Tories dismiss their party’s stated aim of bringing immigration down to tens of thousands a year as silly and unachievable, but May believes in it."
If that's true, I'm in the wrong party.
This is not an issue exclusive to the Tories. You only have to look at Corbyn's victory to realise Labour MPs are out of touch with their membership too. Quite disappointing, no wonder people are so disinterested with politics.
It's a reflection of the sort of people who become MPs - they increasingly move in a common public policy circle and are metropolitan, urban and affluently middle-class.
Is being metropolitan, urban or middle class a bad thing?
I wouldn't say so for a minute, but the problem is that many people fitting that description cant empathise with people whose lives are less sophisticated than theirs
I think the conclusion towards the end is sound: she is the kind of intelligent, credible, reassuring figure who could make Brexit seem a lot less "dangerous".
Would explain why she will not back down on getting immigration down to the tens of thousands. When the time comes, May can argue that the only way to get control of our borders is to leave the EU.
The most worrying part of that article for me is this:
"Other Tories dismiss their party’s stated aim of bringing immigration down to tens of thousands a year as silly and unachievable, but May believes in it."
If that's true, I'm in the wrong party.
This is not an issue exclusive to the Tories. You only have to look at Corbyn's victory to realise Labour MPs are out of touch with their membership too. Quite disappointing, no wonder people are so disinterested with politics.
It's a reflection of the sort of people who become MPs - they increasingly move in a common public policy circle and are metropolitan, urban and affluently middle-class.
Is being metropolitan, urban or middle class a bad thing?
It's a valid view worthy of representation. But it should not overwhelmingly dominate our broadcast media, charitable sector, universities, arts, big business and all our major political parties.
I speak as someone who is middle class and works in London myself, and whose friends who could be placed in this category are probably in the majority.
Why didn't they vote for it in May? UKIP stood in every seat. They got 12.6%.
Fair question. We tend to be very loyal to our parties (well, the Tories and Labour anyway) so it takes a lot for another party to make a break through. A lot of the Lib Dem support was soft and based upon tactical voting.
I think Jack W described FPTP as a cruel mistress and many of us who voted for them would have known that Ukip had no chance of winning the seat. Worse still, some would have voted for them knowing that they could allow a Labour Party into power with the support of the SNP.
The Tories are well placed to take advantage of a split opposition. But if they allow immigration to carry on at the current levels (and even if we vote to stay in the EU), then more of their voters will think "what's the point?" and consider voting for someone else.
Vampires are the allegorical beast of myth you want, not zombies. The mindless shambling zombies are nothing like the picture you paint (a lich could perhaps be an exception, of course, but liches and zombies are not the same thing).
Surely a wight not a lich?
Wraith!
The Wraith Coupe is a decent motor ....
Edit .... The Phantom Coupe is better ....
I was more of a Silver Ghost man, myself
Sadly I've never had the pleasure.
My adopted uncle used to have some of his Dad's old cars that he kept knocking around in the stables at home. I always amused me that instead of a pocket in the back of the driver's seat it had a little fold down table with a crystal decanter and four whisky glasses
ISTR someone modified Range Rovers to include a wine chiller in the back ...
I think the conclusion towards the end is sound: she is the kind of intelligent, credible, reassuring figure who could make Brexit seem a lot less "dangerous".
Would explain why she will not back down on getting immigration down to the tens of thousands. When the time comes, May can argue that the only way to get control of our borders is to leave the EU.
The most worrying part of that article for me is this:
"Other Tories dismiss their party’s stated aim of bringing immigration down to tens of thousands a year as silly and unachievable, but May believes in it."
If that's true, I'm in the wrong party.
This is not an issue exclusive to the Tories. You only have to look at Corbyn's victory to realise Labour MPs are out of touch with their membership too. Quite disappointing, no wonder people are so disinterested with politics.
It's a reflection of the sort of people who become MPs - they increasingly move in a common public policy circle and are metropolitan, urban and affluently middle-class.
I know everyone likes to think of themselves as bravely Un-PC around here, so here goes.
Urban metropolitans are more likely to become MPs because they are better-educated, more skilful, more ambitious and self-confident, and people want to feel that they are being led by the best people rather than by ordinary people.
And, indeed, I'm sure they themselves would see themselves like that.
Yet well over 60% of the population wants immigration reduced absolutely and this is now the number one public policy issue, with the highest ever score in the issues index.
To palm off the majority of the population as uninformed, dim and ordinary who are lucky to have a political class who knows what's best for them simply won't do.
Why didn't they vote for it in May? UKIP stood in every seat. They got 12.6%.
If you want to play that game, over 50% of the population did vote for it: both the Conservatives and UKIP stood on a platform of reducing net immigration to the tens of thousands, or below.
Since April, I have watched with pleasure and then incredulity how the phrase has leapt from appearing in a single article into the everyday language of political discourse. One of the first journalists to pick up on the phrase was Liz Jones in the Mail on Sunday on 3 May. Not long after, Libby Purves used it in the Times (11 May). Janan Ganesh in the Financial Times (20 July) wrote about Labour party leaders for whom ‘Europeanism is just a virtue-signalling gesture like wearing a charity ribbon’. Two days later, Helen Lewis used it in the New Statesman, saying ‘a lot of what happens on Facebook, as with Twitter, is “virtue signalling” — showing off how right on you are’.
Just so everyone knows, I've written a little Python script that automatically "counts" every time a poster uses the phrases "virtue signalling" or "peak [x]".
Right now, I'm thinking everyone should be allowed to use these phrases once... a year or so. Any more, and there will be an automatic (temporary) ban.
I've not actually put this live yet, but I'm sorely tempted...
So it is a virtue signalling before turning onto a sidestreet or simply what should be expected?
IIRC one of the Spectator's writers coined the phrase, there was a piece on it around conference time.
If you want to play that game, over 50% of the population did vote for it: both the Conservatives and UKIP stood on a platform of reducing net immigration to the tens of thousands, or below.
I think the conclusion towards the end is sound: she is the kind of intelligent, credible, reassuring figure who could make Brexit seem a lot less "dangerous".
Would explain why she will not back down on getting immigration down to the tens of thousands. When the time comes, May can argue that the only way to get control of our borders is to leave the EU.
The most worrying part of that article for me is this:
"Other Tories dismiss their party’s stated aim of bringing immigration down to tens of thousands a year as silly and unachievable, but May believes in it."
If that's true, I'm in the wrong party.
This is not an issue exclusive to the Tories. You only have to look at Corbyn's victory to realise Labour MPs are out of touch with their membership too. Quite disappointing, no wonder people are so disinterested with politics.
It's a reflection of the sort of people who become MPs - they increasingly move in a common public policy circle and are metropolitan, urban and affluently middle-class.
Is being metropolitan, urban or middle class a bad thing?
I wouldn't say so for a minute, but the problem is that many people fitting that description cant empathise with people whose lives are less sophisticated than theirs
I think the conclusion towards the end is sound: she is the kind of intelligent, credible, reassuring figure who could make Brexit seem a lot less "dangerous".
Would explain why she will not back down on getting immigration down to the tens of thousands. When the time comes, May can argue that the only way to get control of our borders is to leave the EU.
The most worrying part of that article for me is this:
"Other Tories dismiss their party’s stated aim of bringing immigration down to tens of thousands a year as silly and unachievable, but May believes in it."
If that's true, I'm in the wrong party.
This is not an issue exclusive to the Tories. You only have to look at Corbyn's victory to realise Labour MPs are out of touch with their membership too. Quite disappointing, no wonder people are so disinterested with politics.
It's a reflection of the sort of people who become MPs - they increasingly move in a common public policy circle and are metropolitan, urban and affluently middle-class.
Is being metropolitan, urban or middle class a bad thing?
No, it is not. It is a problem however if the political class is disproportionately dominated by people with one particular set of life experiences.
I think the conclusion towards the end is sound: she is the kind of intelligent, credible, reassuring figure who could make Brexit seem a lot less "dangerous".
Would explain why she will not back down on getting immigration down to the tens of thousands. When the time comes, May can argue that the only way to get control of our borders is to leave the EU.
The most worrying part of that article for me is this:
"Other Tories dismiss their party’s stated aim of bringing immigration down to tens of thousands a year as silly and unachievable, but May believes in it."
If that's true, I'm in the wrong party.
This is not an issue exclusive to the Tories. You only have to look at Corbyn's victory to realise Labour MPs are out of touch with their membership too. Quite disappointing, no wonder people are so disinterested with politics.
It's a reflection of the sort of people who become MPs - they increasingly move in a common public policy circle and are metropolitan, urban and affluently middle-class.
Is being metropolitan, urban or middle class a bad thing?
No, it is not. It is a problem however if the political class is disproportionately dominated by people with one particular set of life experiences.
ISTR someone modified Range Rovers to include a wine chiller in the back ...
If you visit the CLA game fair at one the great English country homes you will se Range Rovers with entire bespoke cabines in the back with decanters, chillers, gun cabinets and I know not what else.
The Purdey stand 3 years ago was epic; an entire beduoin tent filled with treasures.
I think the conclusion towards the end is sound: she is the kind of intelligent, credible, reassuring figure who could make Brexit seem a lot less "dangerous".
Would explain why she will not back down on getting immigration down to the tens of thousands. When the time comes, May can argue that the only way to get control of our borders is to leave the EU.
The most worrying part of that article for me is this:
"Other Tories dismiss their party’s stated aim of bringing immigration down to tens of thousands a year as silly and unachievable, but May believes in it."
If that's true, I'm in the wrong party.
This is not an issue exclusive to the Tories. You only have to look at Corbyn's victory to realise Labour MPs are out of touch with their membership too. Quite disappointing, no wonder people are so disinterested with politics.
It's a reflection of the sort of people who become MPs - they increasingly move in a common public policy circle and are metropolitan, urban and affluently middle-class.
I know everyone likes to think of themselves as bravely Un-PC around here, so here goes.
Urban metropolitans are more likely to become MPs because they are better-educated, more skilful, more ambitious and self-confident, and people want to feel that they are being led by the best people rather than by ordinary people.
And, indeed, I'm sure they themselves would see themselves like that.
Yet well over 60% of the population wants immigration reduced absolutely and this is now the number one public policy issue, with the highest ever score in the issues index.
To palm off the majority of the population as uninformed, dim and ordinary who are lucky to have a political class who knows what's best for them simply won't do.
Why didn't they vote for it in May? UKIP stood in every seat. They got 12.6%.
Too worried about letting lefties in through the back door
All the same Mr Jonathan, it will be interesting to see how the electorate of Oldham responds to labour's now explicitly open door policy on immigration.
Why didn't they vote for it in May? UKIP stood in every seat. They got 12.6%.
Fair question. We tend to be very loyal to our parties (well, the Tories and Labour anyway) so it takes a lot for another party to make a break through. A lot of the Lib Dem support was soft and based upon tactical voting.
I think Jack W described FPTP as a cruel mistress and many of us who voted for them would have known that Ukip had no chance of winning the seat. Worse still, some would have voted for them knowing that they could allow a Labour Party into power with the support of the SNP.
The Tories are well placed to take advantage of a split opposition. But if they allow immigration to carry on at the current levels (and even if we vote to stay in the EU), then more of their voters will think "what's the point?" and consider voting for someone else.
Immigration is push and pull. Factors such as a booming economy and language pull people to the UK, poor local economies, war, and strife push many others to come here.
We want to keep the pull factors (who doesn't want a good economy?), yet manage immigration. One policy that would help that is to try to reduce the push factors. Foreign aid might be a useful tool for that purpose.
Vampires are the allegorical beast of myth you want, not zombies. The mindless shambling zombies are nothing like the picture you paint (a lich could perhaps be an exception, of course, but liches and zombies are not the same thing).
Surely a wight not a lich?
Wraith!
The Wraith Coupe is a decent motor ....
Edit .... The Phantom Coupe is better ....
I was more of a Silver Ghost man, myself
Sadly I've never had the pleasure.
My adopted uncle used to have some of his Dad's old cars that he kept knocking around in the stables at home. I always amused me that instead of a pocket in the back of the driver's seat it had a little fold down table with a crystal decanter and four whisky glasses
ISTR someone modified Range Rovers to include a wine chiller in the back ...
"Urban metropolitans are more likely to become MPs because they are better-educated, more skilful, more ambitious and self-confident, and people want to feel that they are being led by the best people rather than by ordinary people."
They are typically more skillful in the qualities needed to work the party machine - such as being able to smoothly network and say the right things, and being richer and more able to spend the money needed to be a candidate - not necessarily in the skills of governance. Tony Blair was the epitome of the Islington set, and yet was one of the worst Prime Ministers we ever had.
ISTR someone modified Range Rovers to include a wine chiller in the back ...
If you visit the CLA game fair at one the great English country homes you will se Range Rovers with entire bespoke cabines in the back with decanters, chillers, gun cabinets and I know not what else.
The Purdey stand 3 years ago was epic; an entire beduoin tent filled with treasures.
I think that's the one I'm thinking of. It was on Top Gear or similar a few years back, and cost a vast price tag.
My sister's a stalker (of the shooting type, not the type Nick Palmer repeatedly accused me of being), and it's funny the way an insignificant (but lovely) country gal such as herself fits seamlessly amongst the landed aristocracy and newly moneyed.
Shooting and fishing are the only true social levellers. You can be fishing or shooting beside a farmer, a binman or a Lord.
''We want to keep the pull factors (who doesn't want a good economy?), yet manage immigration.''
We should also be careful what we wish for. In the past economic prosperity quickly led to rampant inflation as we ran out of workers.
EU membership gives us a deep, deep pool of often highly skilled workers that enables Britain to cruise at speed with no problem whatsoever.
In leaving the EU, we would possibly lose that pool. It would be a big shame.
I think historically debt and inflation would creep up at the same time. When inflation got too high, we would put on the brakes and both inflation and debt would be controlled. Now we live in a period where migration kept inflation and thus interest rates low, which meant there were no brakes on debt accumulation. That led to the mess we're just getting out of now.
Why didn't they vote for it in May? UKIP stood in every seat. They got 12.6%.
Fair question. We tend to be very loyal to our parties (well, the Tories and Labour anyway) so it takes a lot for another party to make a break through. A lot of the Lib Dem support was soft and based upon tactical voting.
I think Jack W described FPTP as a cruel mistress and many of us who voted for them would have known that Ukip had no chance of winning the seat. Worse still, some would have voted for them knowing that they could allow a Labour Party into power with the support of the SNP.
The Tories are well placed to take advantage of a split opposition. But if they allow immigration to carry on at the current levels (and even if we vote to stay in the EU), then more of their voters will think "what's the point?" and consider voting for someone else.
Immigration is push and pull. Factors such as a booming economy and language pull people to the UK, poor local economies, war, and strife push many others to come here.
We want to keep the pull factors (who doesn't want a good economy?), yet manage immigration. One policy that would help that is to try to reduce the push factors. Foreign aid might be a useful tool for that purpose.
The Conservatives have been a huge disappointment on immigration but the best that can be said for them is that at least they have made some efforts and it would be far worse, by design, under Labour.
Unless you take the view that Labour would ruin the economy so badly that no one would want to come here, which I think is a oversimplification.
Just so everyone knows, I've written a little Python script that automatically "counts" every time a poster uses the phrases "virtue signalling" or "peak [x]".
Right now, I'm thinking everyone should be allowed to use these phrases once... a year or so. Any more, and there will be an automatic (temporary) ban.
I've not actually put this live yet, but I'm sorely tempted...
How about "urban metropolitan elite"; "loyalist" or "zoomer" xD ?
''We want to keep the pull factors (who doesn't want a good economy?), yet manage immigration.''
We should also be careful what we wish for. In the past economic prosperity quickly led to rampant inflation as we ran out of workers.
EU membership gives us a deep, deep pool of often highly skilled workers that enables Britain to cruise at speed with no problem whatsoever.
In leaving the EU, we would possibly lose that pool. It would be a big shame.
Not my part of Bradford we are not,in the past few years we have seen a large immigration increase from a certain community from different Eastern European countries that have a reputation.
ISTR someone modified Range Rovers to include a wine chiller in the back ...
If you visit the CLA game fair at one the great English country homes you will se Range Rovers with entire bespoke cabines in the back with decanters, chillers, gun cabinets and I know not what else.
The Purdey stand 3 years ago was epic; an entire beduoin tent filled with treasures.
I think that's the one I'm thinking of. It was on Top Gear or similar a few years back, and cost a vast price tag.
My sister's a stalker (of the shooting type, not the type Nick Palmer repeatedly accused me of being), and it's funny the way an insignificant (but lovely) country gal such as herself fits seamlessly amongst the landed aristocracy and newly moneyed.
Shooting and fishing are the only true social levellers. You can be fishing or shooting beside a farmer, a binman or a Lord.
ISTR someone modified Range Rovers to include a wine chiller in the back ...
If you visit the CLA game fair at one the great English country homes you will se Range Rovers with entire bespoke cabines in the back with decanters, chillers, gun cabinets and I know not what else.
The Purdey stand 3 years ago was epic; an entire beduoin tent filled with treasures.
I think that's the one I'm thinking of. It was on Top Gear or similar a few years back, and cost a vast price tag.
My sister's a stalker (of the shooting type, not the type Nick Palmer repeatedly accused me of being), and it's funny the way an insignificant (but lovely) country gal such as herself fits seamlessly amongst the landed aristocracy and newly moneyed.
Shooting and fishing are the only true social levellers. You can be fishing or shooting beside a farmer, a binman or a Lord.
Gambling too
Sport of Kings/Romford Dogs
That's a really good point. Although at my only time at the races (a very enjoyable stag do) we spent almost the entire day dining and wining in a box, rather than down with the hoi polloi. So it is possible to be separate at the races.
I've no idea if that's true of the dogs. I wish I'd gone to Walthamstow Dogs whilst I lived in London: I had the opportunity, but never went.
I find this sentence hidden away in the depths of the article particularly amusing:
It confirmed agreements to refrain from cyber-espionage and to liberalise visa regimes and called for the 'swift' launch of a feasibility study for a China/EU Free Trade Agreement...
Outside of the EU we would likely be able to sign an FTA with China. Remaining in the EU we will not sign an FTA so long as countries such as Italy and France continue with their policy of protectionism and isolationism.
I wish this were true. Unfortunately, China has shown no evidence of wishing to free up its services or financial industries. Take Switzerland's free trade agreement with China, that basically excludes banking, finance, and service industries. But it does cut the tariff on Swiss watches exported to China from 11.5% to 5% over the next ten years.
I was rather surprised to see that India guzzles record amounts of whisky whilst having tariffs of 150%. An FTA with India which slashes the tariff would be great news for Scottish whisky producers.
Of equal use would be a crack down on Indian producers selling such counterfeit delights as 'Johnny Worker' whisky, which is a huge business and costs the industry tens of millions. The SWA are working on it but it's an uphill struggle as their Government would be penalising a domestic industry and they're understandably (but unacceptably) unwilling to do that.
Just so everyone knows, I've written a little Python script that automatically "counts" every time a poster uses the phrases "virtue signalling" or "peak [x]".
Right now, I'm thinking everyone should be allowed to use these phrases once... a year or so. Any more, and there will be an automatic (temporary) ban.
I've not actually put this live yet, but I'm sorely tempted...
Private Eye ran a piece on the use of the word "peak" in newspapers and came up with peak beard, peak gay and peak dinosaur. There were others but I cannot remember them. A sizeable chunk of them originated from the Guardian.
Rita Chapati seems to manage at least three "yurrs" per newscast to go with her continuous head semaphoring. It may be more but I have to turn off the TV on the third.
I think the conclusion towards the end is sound: she is the kind of intelligent, credible, reassuring figure who could make Brexit seem a lot less "dangerous".
Would explain why she will not back down on getting immigration down to the tens of thousands. When the time comes, May can argue that the only way to get control of our borders is to leave the EU.
The most worrying part of that article for me is this:
"Other Tories dismiss their party’s stated aim of bringing immigration down to tens of thousands a year as silly and unachievable, but May believes in it."
If that's true, I'm in the wrong party.
This is not an issue exclusive to the Tories. You only have to look at Corbyn's victory to realise Labour MPs are out of touch with their membership too. Quite disappointing, no wonder people are so disinterested with politics.
It's a reflection of the sort of people who become MPs - they increasingly move in a common public policy circle and are metropolitan, urban and affluently middle-class.
I know everyone likes to think of themselves as bravely Un-PC around here, so here goes.
Urban metropolitans are more likely to become MPs because they are better-educated, more skilful, more ambitious and self-confident, and people want to feel that they are being led by the best people rather than by ordinary people.
I find this sentence hidden away in the depths of the article particularly amusing:
It confirmed agreements to refrain from cyber-espionage and to liberalise visa regimes and called for the 'swift' launch of a feasibility study for a China/EU Free Trade Agreement...
Outside of the EU we would likely be able to sign an FTA with China. Remaining in the EU we will not sign an FTA so long as countries such as Italy and France continue with their policy of protectionism and isolationism.
I wish this were true. Unfortunately, China has shown no evidence of wishing to free up its services or financial industries. Take Switzerland's free trade agreement with China, that basically excludes banking, finance, and service industries. But it does cut the tariff on Swiss watches exported to China from 11.5% to 5% over the next ten years.
I was rather surprised to see that India guzzles record amounts of whisky whilst having tariffs of 150%. An FTA with India which slashes the tariff would be great news for Scottish whisky producers.
Of equal use would be a crack down on Indian producers selling such counterfeit delights as 'Johnny Worker' whisky, which is a huge business and costs the industry tens of millions. The SWA are working on it but it's an uphill struggle as their Government would be penalising a domestic industry and they're understandably (but unacceptably) unwilling to do that.
There's a much more insidious one than that. Some Chinese companies use a 'China Export' CE logo that is identical to the EU's 'CE' mark, except with the letters differently spaced.
Vampires are the allegorical beast of myth you want, not zombies. The mindless shambling zombies are nothing like the picture you paint (a lich could perhaps be an exception, of course, but liches and zombies are not the same thing).
Surely a wight not a lich?
Wraith!
The Wraith Coupe is a decent motor ....
Edit .... The Phantom Coupe is better ....
I was more of a Silver Ghost man, myself
Sadly I've never had the pleasure.
My adopted uncle used to have some of his Dad's old cars that he kept knocking around in the stables at home. I always amused me that instead of a pocket in the back of the driver's seat it had a little fold down table with a crystal decanter and four whisky glasses
ISTR someone modified Range Rovers to include a wine chiller in the back ...
Way way back, I worked with someone who cut holes in the back doors of his "downmarket" company Merc so that his dogs could get in and out without him having to lift a finger - he only ever drove it on his estate. He was most upset when the Car Manager tried to charge him for new doors when he exchanged it for a new one, and gave him firm instructions not to tamper with anything in future.
Why didn't they vote for it in May? UKIP stood in every seat. They got 12.6%.
Fair question. We tend to be very loyal to our parties (well, the Tories and Labour anyway) so it takes a lot for another party to make a break through. A lot of the Lib Dem support was soft and based upon tactical voting.
I think Jack W described FPTP as a cruel mistress and many of us who voted for them would have known that Ukip had no chance of winning the seat. Worse still, some would have voted for them knowing that they could allow a Labour Party into power with the support of the SNP.
The Tories are well placed to take advantage of a split opposition. But if they allow immigration to carry on at the current levels (and even if we vote to stay in the EU), then more of their voters will think "what's the point?" and consider voting for someone else.
Immigration is push and pull. Factors such as a booming economy and language pull people to the UK, poor local economies, war, and strife push many others to come here.
We want to keep the pull factors (who doesn't want a good economy?), yet manage immigration. One policy that would help that is to try to reduce the push factors. Foreign aid might be a useful tool for that purpose.
The Conservatives have been a huge disappointment on immigration but the best that can be said for them is that at least they have made some efforts and it would be far worse, by design, under Labour.
Unless you take the view that Labour would ruin the economy so badly that no one would want to come here, which I think is a oversimplification.
oversimplification maybe but, given the opportunity, the first leg's a racing certainty
Comments
That didn't help his embarrassment.
What I found depressing was how uninterested station staff at Victoria were on the occasions I've reported left rucksacks etc post 7/7
I've spent much of the day reading "we're going on a bear hunt" and other stories to my son. My mouth ran ahead of my brain, and I said to her: "Is there a bear hiding in that cave?"
Her boyfriend was not happy ...
I was rather surprised to see that India guzzles record amounts of whisky whilst having tariffs of 150%. An FTA with India which slashes the tariff would be great news for Scottish whisky producers.
Urban metropolitans are more likely to become MPs because they are better-educated, more skilful, more ambitious and self-confident, and people want to feel that they are being led by the best people rather than by ordinary people.
Whisky remains the spirit of choice for people-who-know-nothing-about-booze-but-want-to-appear sophisticated. See also the whole of the middle Middle East, China and SE Asia.
*Also in Brazil, which is also massively protectionist.
Wasn't it Libby Purves in The Times that coined this phrase? It really does sum up a certain behaviour.
Mike Strutter
8:29am Thu 22 Oct 15
..Ask Queensbury folk where they are from and they will say "near Halifax"
Salts Mill always seemed an odd place for a tech company, but it worked rather well.
Yet well over 60% of the population wants immigration reduced absolutely and this is now the number one public policy issue, with the highest ever score in the issues index.
To palm off the majority of the population as uninformed, dim and ordinary who are lucky to have a political class who knows what's best for them simply won't do.
Let's get bobby sol back!!! Clive Allen even, he's not too old for us...
I speak as someone who is middle class and works in London myself, and whose friends who could be placed in this category are probably in the majority.
I think Jack W described FPTP as a cruel mistress and many of us who voted for them would have known that Ukip had no chance of winning the seat. Worse still, some would have voted for them knowing that they could allow a Labour Party into power with the support of the SNP.
The Tories are well placed to take advantage of a split opposition. But if they allow immigration to carry on at the current levels (and even if we vote to stay in the EU), then more of their voters will think "what's the point?" and consider voting for someone else.
The Purdey stand 3 years ago was epic; an entire beduoin tent filled with treasures.
All the same Mr Jonathan, it will be interesting to see how the electorate of Oldham responds to labour's now explicitly open door policy on immigration.
We want to keep the pull factors (who doesn't want a good economy?), yet manage immigration. One policy that would help that is to try to reduce the push factors. Foreign aid might be a useful tool for that purpose.
They are typically more skillful in the qualities needed to work the party machine - such as being able to smoothly network and say the right things, and being richer and more able to spend the money needed to be a candidate - not necessarily in the skills of governance. Tony Blair was the epitome of the Islington set, and yet was one of the worst Prime Ministers we ever had.
We should also be careful what we wish for. In the past economic prosperity quickly led to rampant inflation as we ran out of workers.
EU membership gives us a deep, deep pool of often highly skilled workers that enables Britain to cruise at speed with no problem whatsoever.
In leaving the EU, we would possibly lose that pool. It would be a big shame.
My sister's a stalker (of the shooting type, not the type Nick Palmer repeatedly accused me of being), and it's funny the way an insignificant (but lovely) country gal such as herself fits seamlessly amongst the landed aristocracy and newly moneyed.
Shooting and fishing are the only true social levellers. You can be fishing or shooting beside a farmer, a binman or a Lord.
When the economy does poorly people complain about a brain drain.
Conclusion: People complain.
Unless you take the view that Labour would ruin the economy so badly that no one would want to come here, which I think is a oversimplification.
Unless it is about the Punic Wars.
And what I have seen and heard,it's true.
Sport of Kings/Romford Dogs
The outrage bus is in full cry.
https://twitter.com/standardnews/status/657285378362077184
I've no idea if that's true of the dogs. I wish I'd gone to Walthamstow Dogs whilst I lived in London: I had the opportunity, but never went.
Dating agency/trolls have usurped the hashtag - appears to be wall to wall pecs, tits & arse.
Of equal use would be a crack down on Indian producers selling such counterfeit delights as 'Johnny Worker' whisky, which is a huge business and costs the industry tens of millions. The SWA are working on it but it's an uphill struggle as their Government would be penalising a domestic industry and they're understandably (but unacceptably) unwilling to do that.
There's a much more insidious one than that. Some Chinese companies use a 'China Export' CE logo that is identical to the EU's 'CE' mark, except with the letters differently spaced.