O/T I didn't have one of my better days today. I was driving to Aberdeen and my car caught fire, eventually burning out almost completely. No one hurt thankfully but pretty damn depressing.
What impressed me most is that when my car was very well lit and spewing black smoke over the carriageway the Firemen went right up to it and started hosing it down. Personally, I was about 30m away because I was genuinely concerned that the fuel tank might explode. The casual bravery of these men is just so impressive.
You can put a match out in a bucket of petrol. (So long as you've blown away the vapour first.)
I would think that a rather hazardous experiment, as the vapour pressure of petrol would replenish it too quickly for the test.
O/T I didn't have one of my better days today. I was driving to Aberdeen and my car caught fire, eventually burning out almost completely. No one hurt thankfully but pretty damn depressing.
What impressed me most is that when my car was very well lit and spewing black smoke over the carriageway the Firemen went right up to it and started hosing it down. Personally, I was about 30m away because I was genuinely concerned that the fuel tank might explode. The casual bravery of these men is just so impressive.
Blimey thank goodness you are ok.
May I ask how a car just catches fire these days?
Really not sure. I think there was a problem with the clutch because the gears suddenly started slipping and I started to lose power just before I stopped. How that led to a fire I really don't know.
On the positive side, you now get to go new car shopping.
O/T I didn't have one of my better days today. I was driving to Aberdeen and my car caught fire, eventually burning out almost completely. No one hurt thankfully but pretty damn depressing.
What impressed me most is that when my car was very well lit and spewing black smoke over the carriageway the Firemen went right up to it and started hosing it down. Personally, I was about 30m away because I was genuinely concerned that the fuel tank might explode. The casual bravery of these men is just so impressive.
Blimey thank goodness you are ok.
May I ask how a car just catches fire these days?
Really not sure. I think there was a problem with the clutch because the gears suddenly started slipping and I started to lose power just before I stopped. How that led to a fire I really don't know.
Wow well as said thank goodness you’re ok. How old was the car I mean will this become a recall thing?
O/T I didn't have one of my better days today. I was driving to Aberdeen and my car caught fire, eventually burning out almost completely. No one hurt thankfully but pretty damn depressing.
What impressed me most is that when my car was very well lit and spewing black smoke over the carriageway the Firemen went right up to it and started hosing it down. Personally, I was about 30m away because I was genuinely concerned that the fuel tank might explode. The casual bravery of these men is just so impressive.
Blimey thank goodness you are ok.
May I ask how a car just catches fire these days?
Really not sure. I think there was a problem with the clutch because the gears suddenly started slipping and I started to lose power just before I stopped. How that led to a fire I really don't know.
O/T I didn't have one of my better days today. I was driving to Aberdeen and my car caught fire, eventually burning out almost completely. No one hurt thankfully but pretty damn depressing.
What impressed me most is that when my car was very well lit and spewing black smoke over the carriageway the Firemen went right up to it and started hosing it down. Personally, I was about 30m away because I was genuinely concerned that the fuel tank might explode. The casual bravery of these men is just so impressive.
Blimey thank goodness you are ok.
May I ask how a car just catches fire these days?
Really not sure. I think there was a problem with the clutch because the gears suddenly started slipping and I started to lose power just before I stopped. How that led to a fire I really don't know.
O/T I didn't have one of my better days today. I was driving to Aberdeen and my car caught fire, eventually burning out almost completely. No one hurt thankfully but pretty damn depressing.
What impressed me most is that when my car was very well lit and spewing black smoke over the carriageway the Firemen went right up to it and started hosing it down. Personally, I was about 30m away because I was genuinely concerned that the fuel tank might explode. The casual bravery of these men is just so impressive.
Blimey thank goodness you are ok.
May I ask how a car just catches fire these days?
Really not sure. I think there was a problem with the clutch because the gears suddenly started slipping and I started to lose power just before I stopped. How that led to a fire I really don't know.
Wow well as said thank goodness you’re ok. How old was the car I mean will this become a recall thing?
5 years old, about 110k miles. Been pretty reliable until now.
O/T I didn't have one of my better days today. I was driving to Aberdeen and my car caught fire, eventually burning out almost completely. No one hurt thankfully but pretty damn depressing.
What impressed me most is that when my car was very well lit and spewing black smoke over the carriageway the Firemen went right up to it and started hosing it down. Personally, I was about 30m away because I was genuinely concerned that the fuel tank might explode. The casual bravery of these men is just so impressive.
Blimey thank goodness you are ok.
May I ask how a car just catches fire these days?
Really not sure. I think there was a problem with the clutch because the gears suddenly started slipping and I started to lose power just before I stopped. How that led to a fire I really don't know.
O/T I didn't have one of my better days today. I was driving to Aberdeen and my car caught fire, eventually burning out almost completely. No one hurt thankfully but pretty damn depressing.
What impressed me most is that when my car was very well lit and spewing black smoke over the carriageway the Firemen went right up to it and started hosing it down. Personally, I was about 30m away because I was genuinely concerned that the fuel tank might explode. The casual bravery of these men is just so impressive.
Blimey thank goodness you are ok.
May I ask how a car just catches fire these days?
Really not sure. I think there was a problem with the clutch because the gears suddenly started slipping and I started to lose power just before I stopped. How that led to a fire I really don't know.
Wow well as said thank goodness you’re ok. How old was the car I mean will this become a recall thing?
5 years old, about 110k miles. Been pretty reliable until now.
Ha is that like all seemed to be going well when he jumped from the 20th floor until he hit the ground?
(Able to make that joke as all was well with you.)
Yes, fair point, so really polls remain useless since there's no way to tell which ones are most accurate, and those that are might be from pure luck. But we just cannot give them up.
O/T I didn't have one of my better days today. I was driving to Aberdeen and my car caught fire, eventually burning out almost completely. No one hurt thankfully but pretty damn depressing.
What impressed me most is that when my car was very well lit and spewing black smoke over the carriageway the Firemen went right up to it and started hosing it down. Personally, I was about 30m away because I was genuinely concerned that the fuel tank might explode. The casual bravery of these men is just so impressive.
Blimey thank goodness you are ok.
May I ask how a car just catches fire these days?
Really not sure. I think there was a problem with the clutch because the gears suddenly started slipping and I started to lose power just before I stopped. How that led to a fire I really don't know.
O/T I didn't have one of my better days today. I was driving to Aberdeen and my car caught fire, eventually burning out almost completely. No one hurt thankfully but pretty damn depressing.
What impressed me most is that when my car was very well lit and spewing black smoke over the carriageway the Firemen went right up to it and started hosing it down. Personally, I was about 30m away because I was genuinely concerned that the fuel tank might explode. The casual bravery of these men is just so impressive.
Blimey thank goodness you are ok.
May I ask how a car just catches fire these days?
Really not sure. I think there was a problem with the clutch because the gears suddenly started slipping and I started to lose power just before I stopped. How that led to a fire I really don't know.
Wow well as said thank goodness you’re ok. How old was the car I mean will this become a recall thing?
5 years old, about 110k miles. Been pretty reliable until now.
Ha is that like all seemed to be going well when he jumped from the 20th floor until he hit the ground?
(Able to make that joke as all was well with you.)
Yes, a bit like that. Anyway off for a shower to try and get rid of this smoke.
IIRC Hillary Clinton said she couldn't think of anything more outsider than being a woman president. Which I could certainly see of the former first lady, senator and secretary of state. Such an outsider.
O/T I didn't have one of my better days today. I was driving to Aberdeen and my car caught fire, eventually burning out almost completely. No one hurt thankfully but pretty damn depressing.
What impressed me most is that when my car was very well lit and spewing black smoke over the carriageway the Firemen went right up to it and started hosing it down. Personally, I was about 30m away because I was genuinely concerned that the fuel tank might explode. The casual bravery of these men is just so impressive.
Sympathies - you made the papers (unless someone else was equally unlucky!)
The Mail is understandably cross: the blue-passport thing was a totemic Brexit issue - a return to the days when Britain was glorious and free - but this makes it all look a bit naff. Does this also signify that Dacre is falling out of love with Theresa? He's given her numerous chances, but with this, and fish, perhaps he's finally had enough.
O/T I didn't have one of my better days today. I was driving to Aberdeen and my car caught fire, eventually burning out almost completely. No one hurt thankfully but pretty damn depressing.
What impressed me most is that when my car was very well lit and spewing black smoke over the carriageway the Firemen went right up to it and started hosing it down. Personally, I was about 30m away because I was genuinely concerned that the fuel tank might explode. The casual bravery of these men is just so impressive.
Sympathies - you made the papers (unless someone else was equally unlucky!)
O/T I didn't have one of my better days today. I was driving to Aberdeen and my car caught fire, eventually burning out almost completely. No one hurt thankfully but pretty damn depressing.
What impressed me most is that when my car was very well lit and spewing black smoke over the carriageway the Firemen went right up to it and started hosing it down. Personally, I was about 30m away because I was genuinely concerned that the fuel tank might explode. The casual bravery of these men is just so impressive.
Sympathies - you made the papers (unless someone else was equally unlucky!)
O/T I didn't have one of my better days today. I was driving to Aberdeen and my car caught fire, eventually burning out almost completely. No one hurt thankfully but pretty damn depressing.
What impressed me most is that when my car was very well lit and spewing black smoke over the carriageway the Firemen went right up to it and started hosing it down. Personally, I was about 30m away because I was genuinely concerned that the fuel tank might explode. The casual bravery of these men is just so impressive.
Blimey thank goodness you are ok.
May I ask how a car just catches fire these days?
Usually a failed turbo seal allowing oil into the hot side of the turbo and exhaust manifold.
For those wanting to set a high bar for Corbyn here are the swings from government to opposition from the general election result to the following year's local elections:
1980-1981 Con -> Lab 5% 1983-1984 Con -> Lab 7% 1987-1988 Con -> Lab 5% 1992-1993 Con -> Lab 8% 1997-1998 Lab -> Con 3% 2001-2002 Lab -> Con 5% 2005-2006 Lab -> Con 8% 2010-2011 Con -> Lab 3% 2015-2016 Con -> Lab 4%
O/T I didn't have one of my better days today. I was driving to Aberdeen and my car caught fire, eventually burning out almost completely. No one hurt thankfully but pretty damn depressing.
What impressed me most is that when my car was very well lit and spewing black smoke over the carriageway the Firemen went right up to it and started hosing it down. Personally, I was about 30m away because I was genuinely concerned that the fuel tank might explode. The casual bravery of these men is just so impressive.
Blimey thank goodness you are ok.
May I ask how a car just catches fire these days?
Usually a failed turbo seal allowing oil into the hot side of the turbo and exhaust manifold.
Thanks. I’m not sure I’m any the wiser but I did ask.
I thought it was only Remainers obsessed with this story.
So did I. What a ridiculous headline
From the outside it looks like De La Rue bid high in the belief that the Government would feel obliged to keep the contract here, and have now leaked the likely outcome to try to salvage the situation. Good on the Government for calling their bluff.
Do we know what they're paid for the current contract and how that varies from the new contract bids ?
O/T I didn't have one of my better days today. I was driving to Aberdeen and my car caught fire, eventually burning out almost completely. No one hurt thankfully but pretty damn depressing.
Ahem *prepares joke to lighten mood* and of course, at the end of the day you still ended up in Aberdeen, so no way to salvage the day.
I did have a colleague once whose housed burned down, and weeks later they were at a public meeting where the fire service were showing video highlights of their year, and they got to watch footage of their place burning with dozens of people present. Not great times.
O/T I didn't have one of my better days today. I was driving to Aberdeen and my car caught fire, eventually burning out almost completely. No one hurt thankfully but pretty damn depressing.
Ahem *prepares joke to lighten mood* and of course, at the end of the day you still ended up in Aberdeen, so no way to salvage the day.
I did have a colleague once whose housed burned down, and weeks later they were at a public meeting where the fire service were showing video highlights of their year, and they got to watch footage of their place burning with dozens of people present. Not great times.
Didn't make Aberdeen funnily enough. Trying again on Wednesday. You have all been warned. Nite all.
For those wanting to set a high bar for Corbyn here are the swings from government to opposition from the general election result to the following year's local elections:
1980-1981 Con -> Lab 5% 1983-1984 Con -> Lab 7% 1987-1988 Con -> Lab 5% 1992-1993 Con -> Lab 8% 1997-1998 Lab -> Con 3% 2001-2002 Lab -> Con 5% 2005-2006 Lab -> Con 8% 2010-2011 Con -> Lab 3% 2015-2016 Con -> Lab 4%
So if Corbyn is heading for PM like Smith and Blair from 1992-1997 and Cameron from 2005-2006 he should be aiming for a swing from the Tories of at least 8%+ in the local elections in May.
Bar Cameron and arguably as the niece of Lord Longford including him, Harman is posher than any of our PMs or Leaders of the Opposition since Douglas Home
Fox is pals with Rove too, it was thanks to Fox Howard was able to keep some sort of relationship with the George W Bush administration as Rove loathed Howard after he backtracked on IDS' support for Blair and the Iraq War over the failure to find weapons of mass destruction and Rove even turned up at the UK embassy on general election night in 2005 wearing a Labour rosette.
Fox may be able to be the Tories closest link to the Trump administration too.
For those wanting to set a high bar for Corbyn here are the swings from government to opposition from the general election result to the following year's local elections:
1980-1981 Con -> Lab 5% 1983-1984 Con -> Lab 7% 1987-1988 Con -> Lab 5% 1992-1993 Con -> Lab 8% 1997-1998 Lab -> Con 3% 2001-2002 Lab -> Con 5% 2005-2006 Lab -> Con 8% 2010-2011 Con -> Lab 3% 2015-2016 Con -> Lab 4%
So if Corbyn is heading for PM like Smith and Blair from 1992-1997 and Cameron from 2005-2006 he should be aiming for a swing from the Tories of at least 8%+ in the local elections in May.
Well its a small sample and the swings are dependent upon the starting point.
But looking further back the Conservatives in 1967 and 1975 and Labour in 1971 all had very good local election wins and went on to gain power at the subsequent general election.
[and if it's hit the point in the evening where I start posting pop vids, it's probably time to bed. @TheScreamingEagles , I meant it about the sources, please]
For those wanting to set a high bar for Corbyn here are the swings from government to opposition from the general election result to the following year's local elections:
1980-1981 Con -> Lab 5% 1983-1984 Con -> Lab 7% 1987-1988 Con -> Lab 5% 1992-1993 Con -> Lab 8% 1997-1998 Lab -> Con 3% 2001-2002 Lab -> Con 5% 2005-2006 Lab -> Con 8% 2010-2011 Con -> Lab 3% 2015-2016 Con -> Lab 4%
So if Corbyn is heading for PM like Smith and Blair from 1992-1997 and Cameron from 2005-2006 he should be aiming for a swing from the Tories of at least 8%+ in the local elections in May.
Well its a small sample and the swings are dependent upon the starting point.
But looking further back the Conservatives in 1967 and 1975 and Labour in 1971 all had very good local election wins and went on to gain power at the subsequent general election.
Yes opposition parties tend to get a swing to them in local elections but it is the size of the swing that is key to whether they will form the next government.
If the swing is 0-5% they probably won't, if the swing is 5-10% they probably will.
[and if it's hit the point in the evening where I start posting pop vids, it's probably time to bed. @TheScreamingEagles , I meant it about the sources, please]
All things are welcome and needed on my side! Sleep well!
The radio tonight is saying the passport contract has not yet been awarded? Looks like a bit of political stage management to me. My guess is after a public outcry, the contract will go to the British firm after all, but for a reduced quote, saving the taxpayer tens of millions, and the Government will come out looking both patriotic and responsible guardians of the public purse.
All probably because they need cover for making a big concession like selling out the fisherman or something probably, which is sad, but the passport thing is still quite clever.
An Oxford University student who went in costume as a Ku Klux Klan member to a college fancy dress party has been selected for this weekend’s Boat Race despite being banned from all social events at his college.
Benedict Aldous, 20, was on the reserves but received a call-up for Saturday’s race after a rower fell ill.
Portillo on This Week says he does not think May is particularly up to the job of PM but she does not create the antipathy Osborne did. Though Johnson says Cameron and Osborne better at winning elections.
The radio tonight is saying the passport contract has not yet been awarded? Looks like a bit of political stage management to me. My guess is after a public outcry, the contract will go to the British firm after all, but for a reduced quote, saving the taxpayer tens of millions, and the Government will come out looking both patriotic and responsible guardians of the public purse.
All probably because they need cover for making a big concession like selling out the fisherman or something probably, which is sad, but the passport thing is still quite clever.
When I read the story yesterday I thought that that the contract had been awarded surprisingly quickly.
The only guaranteed thing is that's its going to make people even more cynical about how government operates.
I think Trump won't make it to a second term now. The appointment of Bolton is just such a collosal about turn from his entire campaign on foreign policy. Uuge
An Oxford University student who went in costume as a Ku Klux Klan member to a college fancy dress party has been selected for this weekend’s Boat Race despite being banned from all social events at his college.
Benedict Aldous, 20, was on the reserves but received a call-up for Saturday’s race after a rower fell ill.
What is the kremlinology of the Bolton appointment? Trump has often been critical of the Bush-era neocons, and Bolton is no fan of Russia, so that is two reasons not to appoint him. Has Bolton been imposed on Trump?
What is the kremlinology of the Bolton appointment? Trump has often been critical of the Bush-era neocons, and Bolton is no fan of Russia, so that is two reasons not to appoint him. Has Bolton been imposed on Trump?
Do we know what they're paid for the current contract and how that varies from the new contract bids ?
£400m in 2009, which is about £510m in today's money.
Apparently the French firm whose name I forget bid £490m this time, De la Rue bid £610m.
The acid test for many people would be do you want your passport produced by the most efficient (ie cheapest) bidder (in France/Netherlands) or do you want to pay £10 extra (or whatever it is) and have it made in the UK, I for one would not be sure what the answer would be for most people. If we start going down that route again, we end up with aircraft carriers and stuff that is way overpriced but is made in the UK
What is the kremlinology of the Bolton appointment? Trump has often been critical of the Bush-era neocons, and Bolton is no fan of Russia, so that is two reasons not to appoint him. Has Bolton been imposed on Trump?
No
In other news, it looks like Bolton is linked to Cambridge Analytica. It is hard to keep up with this. Maybe in a day or so the American press will have figured it out and/or Trump will have replaced someone else (two this week already).
Do we know what they're paid for the current contract and how that varies from the new contract bids ?
£400m in 2009, which is about £510m in today's money.
Apparently the French firm whose name I forget bid £490m this time, De la Rue bid £610m.
The acid test for many people would be do you want your passport produced by the most efficient (ie cheapest) bidder (in France/Netherlands) or do you want to pay £10 extra (or whatever it is) and have it made in the UK, I for one would not be sure what the answer would be for most people. If we start going down that route again, we end up with aircraft carriers and stuff that is way overpriced but is made in the UK
On the one hand, you've got the extreme free trade, chlorinated chicken and Euro-passport crowd. On the other, the trade deficit hawks and take back control alliance. It is hard to call and some are beginning to suspect the government's position is even less coherent than Labour's, which is a shame because Labour's really does not matter whereas the government is responsible for steering us to the post-Brexit sunlit uplands.
What is the kremlinology of the Bolton appointment? Trump has often been critical of the Bush-era neocons, and Bolton is no fan of Russia, so that is two reasons not to appoint him. Has Bolton been imposed on Trump?
Do we know what they're paid for the current contract and how that varies from the new contract bids ?
£400m in 2009, which is about £510m in today's money.
Apparently the French firm whose name I forget bid £490m this time, De la Rue bid £610m.
De La Rue took the piss, assuming that the British government would want a British contractor.
And you know what, if they'd bid £525m, that would be one thing. But they didn't. The bid 20% higher (in real terms), for a contract where they'd already made the capital expenditure, and which should have been cheaper in real terms.
They behaved poorly and the government was right to take the contract from them.
(And this is important: we want British firms to win contracts, sure. But we want them to win them by bidding a good price, not by assuming that the will win by default. The signal sent: that the British tax payer will not be taken advantage of, is the right one.)
Do we know what they're paid for the current contract and how that varies from the new contract bids ?
£400m in 2009, which is about £510m in today's money.
Apparently the French firm whose name I forget bid £490m this time, De la Rue bid £610m.
De La Rue took the piss, assuming that the British government would want a British contractor.
And you know what, if they'd bid £525m, that would be one thing. But they didn't. The bid 20% higher (in real terms), for a contract where they'd already made the capital expenditure, and which should have been cheaper in real terms.
They behaved poorly and the government was right to take the contract from them.
(And this is important: we want British firms to win contracts, sure. But we want them to win them by bidding a good price, not by assuming that the will win by default. The signal sent: that the British tax payer will not be taken advantage of, is the right one.)
Maybe they can come back to HMG with a (much) lower offer?
I think Trump won't make it to a second term now. The appointment of Bolton is just such a collosal about turn from his entire campaign on foreign policy. Uuge
I can't imagine Bolton and Trump lasting long given their different positions. But what is the relevance to Trump making it to a second term?
Do we know what they're paid for the current contract and how that varies from the new contract bids ?
£400m in 2009, which is about £510m in today's money.
Apparently the French firm whose name I forget bid £490m this time, De la Rue bid £610m.
De La Rue took the piss, assuming that the British government would want a British contractor.
And you know what, if they'd bid £525m, that would be one thing. But they didn't. The bid 20% higher (in real terms), for a contract where they'd already made the capital expenditure, and which should have been cheaper in real terms.
They behaved poorly and the government was right to take the contract from them.
(And this is important: we want British firms to win contracts, sure. But we want them to win them by bidding a good price, not by assuming that the will win by default. The signal sent: that the British tax payer will not be taken advantage of, is the right one.)
Do we know what they're paid for the current contract and how that varies from the new contract bids ?
£400m in 2009, which is about £510m in today's money.
Apparently the French firm whose name I forget bid £490m this time, De la Rue bid £610m.
De La Rue took the piss, assuming that the British government would want a British contractor.
And you know what, if they'd bid £525m, that would be one thing. But they didn't. The bid 20% higher (in real terms), for a contract where they'd already made the capital expenditure, and which should have been cheaper in real terms.
They behaved poorly and the government was right to take the contract from them.
(And this is important: we want British firms to win contracts, sure. But we want them to win them by bidding a good price, not by assuming that the will win by default. The signal sent: that the British tax payer will not be taken advantage of, is the right one.)
Maybe they can come back to HMG with a (much) lower offer?
Do we know what they're paid for the current contract and how that varies from the new contract bids ?
£400m in 2009, which is about £510m in today's money.
Apparently the French firm whose name I forget bid £490m this time, De la Rue bid £610m.
De La Rue took the piss, assuming that the British government would want a British contractor.
And you know what, if they'd bid £525m, that would be one thing. But they didn't. The bid 20% higher (in real terms), for a contract where they'd already made the capital expenditure, and which should have been cheaper in real terms.
They behaved poorly and the government was right to take the contract from them.
(And this is important: we want British firms to win contracts, sure. But we want them to win them by bidding a good price, not by assuming that the will win by default. The signal sent: that the British tax payer will not be taken advantage of, is the right one.)
Maybe they can come back to HMG with a (much) lower offer?
I can smell a legal action that will end up costing just about everybody but the lawyers.......
Unlikely. That sort of talk appears to be one of the reasons Tillerson was sacked.
Bolton was picked because he agrees with Trump's instincts on attacking Iran and North Korea. Trump's craves yes men (which is not exactly a ideal qualification for nation security advisors...), and if Bolton doesn't comply, he won't last long.
Do we know what they're paid for the current contract and how that varies from the new contract bids ?
£400m in 2009, which is about £510m in today's money.
Apparently the French firm whose name I forget bid £490m this time, De la Rue bid £610m.
De La Rue took the piss, assuming that the British government would want a British contractor.
And you know what, if they'd bid £525m, that would be one thing. But they didn't. The bid 20% higher (in real terms), for a contract where they'd already made the capital expenditure, and which should have been cheaper in real terms.
They behaved poorly and the government was right to take the contract from them.
(And this is important: we want British firms to win contracts, sure. But we want them to win them by bidding a good price, not by assuming that the will win by default. The signal sent: that the British tax payer will not be taken advantage of, is the right one.)
What about the £500 million being taken out of the British economy and injected into the French? What about French protectionism: that their passports must be made in France so our companies cannot compete? This is the same trick the Americans pull: use spurious national security concerns to build up home industries then send them out to conquer the world's markets.
I think Trump won't make it to a second term now. The appointment of Bolton is just such a collosal about turn from his entire campaign on foreign policy. Uuge
I can't imagine Bolton and Trump lasting long given their different positions. But what is the relevance to Trump making it to a second term?
It is perhaps relevant to all of us surviving long enough for him to contest the next presidential election...
Do we know what they're paid for the current contract and how that varies from the new contract bids ?
£400m in 2009, which is about £510m in today's money.
Apparently the French firm whose name I forget bid £490m this time, De la Rue bid £610m.
The acid test for many people would be do you want your passport produced by the most efficient (ie cheapest) bidder (in France/Netherlands) or do you want to pay £10 extra (or whatever it is) and have it made in the UK, I for one would not be sure what the answer would be for most people. If we start going down that route again, we end up with aircraft carriers and stuff that is way overpriced but is made in the UK
On the one hand, you've got the extreme free trade, chlorinated chicken and Euro-passport crowd. On the other, the trade deficit hawks and take back control alliance. It is hard to call and some are beginning to suspect the government's position is even less coherent than Labour's, which is a shame because Labour's really does not matter whereas the government is responsible for steering us to the post-Brexit sunlit uplands.
Yes, the passport fracas is a weathervane as to whether the free traders or the economic protectionists are driving the bus, that is its significance.
Comments
It's a cigarette, but the same principle applies.
Have you fallen down and hit your head on something hard?
https://twitter.com/David__Osland/status/976915487715201026
Worksop South East (Bassetlaw) result:
LAB: 77.3% (+21.1)
CON: 15.2% (+15.2)
LDEM: 7.5% (+7.5)
Labour HOLD.
No UKIP (-25.2), Grn (-10.3) and Ind (-8.3) as prev.
https://twitter.com/ianbremmer/status/976959903402258432
(Able to make that joke as all was well with you.)
Of course, even Jeb Bush tried that nonsense.
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/angus-mearns/623127/car-goes-up-in-flames-on-a90-near-stracathro/
We can project a H of C with an infinite number of Con and LD and zero Labour...???
1980-1981 Con -> Lab 5%
1983-1984 Con -> Lab 7%
1987-1988 Con -> Lab 5%
1992-1993 Con -> Lab 8%
1997-1998 Lab -> Con 3%
2001-2002 Lab -> Con 5%
2005-2006 Lab -> Con 8%
2010-2011 Con -> Lab 3%
2015-2016 Con -> Lab 4%
Labour GAIN Leek West (Staffordshire Moorlands) from Conservative.
Edit: nite all.
LAB: 42.9% (+23.6)
CON: 32.6% (+0.6)
LDEM: 19.2% (+8.7)
IND: 5.4% (+5.4)
Labour GAIN from Conservative.
No Local Indy Group (-14.0), Grn (-11.1) and Ind(s) (-13.2) as prev.
CON: 53.3% (-16.9)
LDEM: 27.5% (+27.5)
LAB: 14.3% (-3.4)
GRN: 4.8% (-7.2)
Conservative HOLD.
I did have a colleague once whose housed burned down, and weeks later they were at a public meeting where the fire service were showing video highlights of their year, and they got to watch footage of their place burning with dozens of people present. Not great times.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/22/china-responds-to-trump-tariffs-with-proposed-list-of-us-products-to-target.html
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Bunburying
Fox may be able to be the Tories closest link to the Trump administration too.
https://twitter.com/britainelects/status/976969361993945089?s=19
Told it's now a draw between Labour and the Tories in Ockendon (Thurrock). Coin toss?
But looking further back the Conservatives in 1967 and 1975 and Labour in 1971 all had very good local election wins and went on to gain power at the subsequent general election.
Do they have a vote to decide which ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUT9hZWTWM0
[and if it's hit the point in the evening where I start posting pop vids, it's probably time to bed. @TheScreamingEagles , I meant it about the sources, please]
If the swing is 0-5% they probably won't, if the swing is 5-10% they probably will.
LDEM: 40.9% (+18.1)
CON: 31.5% (-1.1)
LAB: 19.8% (+0.9)
GRN: 4.5% (-4.0)
IND: 3.3% (+3.3)
Liberal Democrat GAIN from Conservative.
No UKIP (-17.2) as prev.
Night all
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2001/jun/05/theatre.artsfeatures
Those kippers are not breaking to the Tories.
All probably because they need cover for making a big concession like selling out the fisherman or something probably, which is sad, but the passport thing is still quite clever.
An Oxford University student who went in costume as a Ku Klux Klan member to a college fancy dress party has been selected for this weekend’s Boat Race despite being banned from all social events at his college.
Benedict Aldous, 20, was on the reserves but received a call-up for Saturday’s race after a rower fell ill.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/oxford-boat-race-rower-benedict-aldous-wore-kkk-fancy-dress-to-party-dfg326h2c
https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBolton/status/976174256232026112
https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBolton/status/975848956507971585
The only guaranteed thing is that's its going to make people even more cynical about how government operates.
Apparently the French firm whose name I forget bid £490m this time, De la Rue bid £610m.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43505804
And you know what, if they'd bid £525m, that would be one thing. But they didn't. The bid 20% higher (in real terms), for a contract where they'd already made the capital expenditure, and which should have been cheaper in real terms.
They behaved poorly and the government was right to take the contract from them.
(And this is important: we want British firms to win contracts, sure. But we want them to win them by bidding a good price, not by assuming that the will win by default. The signal sent: that the British tax payer will not be taken advantage of, is the right one.)
But what is the relevance to Trump making it to a second term?
Bolton was picked because he agrees with Trump's instincts on attacking Iran and North Korea. Trump's craves yes men (which is not exactly a ideal qualification for nation security advisors...), and if Bolton doesn't comply, he won't last long.
There's a good article on the implications for how the showdown with a north Korea might be managed:
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/03/mcmaster-trump-north-korea/555752/