I think Keir Starmer is going to be a slightly more competent version of Nicola Murray. He will end up jumping on every possibly bandwagon and stand for nothing.
As mentioned before, the attempts by right wing Tories to slate Starmer merely demonstrates he is the right person for the job. I have always traditionally voted Tory, but could be very comfortable with Starmer as PM, far more comfortable than I am with the egotistical clown who currently holds that office. I suspect there will be a lot who feel likewise.
Ah the reason Julian Smith was fired, Boris Johnson doesn’t do detail.
The Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith was fired this morning, becoming the first casualty of Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle.
He had been considered safe after securing a power-sharing deal at Stormont. However, Mr Johnson was said to have felt “blindsided” by the deal, which includes an investigation into alleged crimes by British soldiers in the Troubles. “There is concern about the way he’s been operating,” a senior government source said.
The Times understands that the cabinet was fully briefed on the deal before it was agreed, including on aspects concerning historic investigations.
Smith, Leadsom and McVey out of the Cabinet then with the reshuffle under way
Harsh on Smith.
By getting Stormont up and running Boris now has something that will be showing how bad his deal is for Northern Ireland. I suspect Boris would prefer it not to have re-opened.
His Deal keeps Northern Ireland in a Customs Union and most of the single market while GB gets hard Brexit, for Remain voting Northern Ireland it is a great deal
Geoffrey Cox sacked? Wasn't he - for reasons I can't remember - hailed as a political gem at some point?
He was pb tory wank fodder at one point because he was a sort of eBay Netenyahu - basso profundo voice, comb over and gives the impression he'd be up for a bit of ethnic cleansing.
Ah the reason Julian Smith was fired, Boris Johnson doesn’t do detail.
The Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith was fired this morning, becoming the first casualty of Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle.
He had been considered safe after securing a power-sharing deal at Stormont. However, Mr Johnson was said to have felt “blindsided” by the deal, which includes an investigation into alleged crimes by British soldiers in the Troubles. “There is concern about the way he’s been operating,” a senior government source said.
The Times understands that the cabinet was fully briefed on the deal before it was agreed, including on aspects concerning historic investigations.
Geoffrey Cox sacked? Wasn't he - for reasons I can't remember - hailed as a political gem at some point?
He was pb tory wank fodder at one point because he was a sort of eBay Netenyahu - basso profundo voice, comb over and gives the impression he'd be up for a bit of ethnic cleansing.
Ah the reason Julian Smith was fired, Boris Johnson doesn’t do detail.
The Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith was fired this morning, becoming the first casualty of Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle.
He had been considered safe after securing a power-sharing deal at Stormont. However, Mr Johnson was said to have felt “blindsided” by the deal, which includes an investigation into alleged crimes by British soldiers in the Troubles. “There is concern about the way he’s been operating,” a senior government source said.
The Times understands that the cabinet was fully briefed on the deal before it was agreed, including on aspects concerning historic investigations.
Geoffrey Cox sacked? Wasn't he - for reasons I can't remember - hailed as a political gem at some point?
The problem with Cox is that he gave independent legal advice (see May’s revised deal). Johnson needs someone more supine for his judicial powergrab. There are rumours the lavishly untalented Suella Braverman may be in line for the job.
Smith, Leadsom and McVey out of the Cabinet then with the reshuffle under way
Harsh on Smith.
By getting Stormont up and running Boris now has something that will be showing how bad his deal is for Northern Ireland. I suspect Boris would prefer it not to have re-opened.
His Deal keeps Northern Ireland in a Customs Union and most of the single market while GB gets hard Brexit, for Remain voting Northern Ireland it is a great deal
It might get great inward investment to NI. Stay in the (nominal) UK and get access to the single market that the swivel eyed fuckwits have denied to your business on the mainland. Tempting.
Ah the reason Julian Smith was fired, Boris Johnson doesn’t do detail.
The Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith was fired this morning, becoming the first casualty of Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle.
He had been considered safe after securing a power-sharing deal at Stormont. However, Mr Johnson was said to have felt “blindsided” by the deal, which includes an investigation into alleged crimes by British soldiers in the Troubles. “There is concern about the way he’s been operating,” a senior government source said.
The Times understands that the cabinet was fully briefed on the deal before it was agreed, including on aspects concerning historic investigations.
Geoffrey Cox sacked? Wasn't he - for reasons I can't remember - hailed as a political gem at some point?
The problem with Cox is that he gave independent legal advice (see May’s revised deal). Johnson needs someone more supine for his judicial powergrab. There are rumours the lavishly untalented Suella Braverman may be in line for the job.
Yes. But he's kind of a memetic idiot savant. For any given tweet, you can't assume he's wrong.
I guess so. The underlying message here may be that the real tough guys are for Trump and Jewish neurotic, dweeby pencil necks better get with the program and start sporting their MAGA hats if they know what's good for them.
I think Keir Starmer is going to be a slightly more competent version of Nicola Murray. He will end up jumping on every possibly bandwagon and stand for nothing.
As mentioned before, the attempts by right wing Tories to slate Starmer merely demonstrates he is the right person for the job. I have always traditionally voted Tory, but could be very comfortable with Starmer as PM, far more comfortable than I am with the egotistical clown who currently holds that office. I suspect there will be a lot who feel likewise.
I always enjoy a good “I’ve always voted X but Y had made me see the light” argument. Certainly has the ring of truth. Usually seen only around elections mind you, so congratulations on your stamina.
Ah the reason Julian Smith was fired, Boris Johnson doesn’t do detail.
The Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith was fired this morning, becoming the first casualty of Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle.
He had been considered safe after securing a power-sharing deal at Stormont. However, Mr Johnson was said to have felt “blindsided” by the deal, which includes an investigation into alleged crimes by British soldiers in the Troubles. “There is concern about the way he’s been operating,” a senior government source said.
The Times understands that the cabinet was fully briefed on the deal before it was agreed, including on aspects concerning historic investigations.
This explains both a lot of the support for and opposition to climate change. The science is merely incidental. If CC proposed solutions involved extending free trade and economic liberalism much on the right would be all over it and the left viciously opposed to it.
I think Keir Starmer is going to be a slightly more competent version of Nicola Murray. He will end up jumping on every possibly bandwagon and stand for nothing.
As mentioned before, the attempts by right wing Tories to slate Starmer merely demonstrates he is the right person for the job. I have always traditionally voted Tory, but could be very comfortable with Starmer as PM, far more comfortable than I am with the egotistical clown who currently holds that office. I suspect there will be a lot who feel likewise.
Whereas the attempts by left wingers to slate Boris merely demonstrate how correct they are!
Boris has declared the value of the trip correctly. A party donor said he would organise a place. Turns out the donor found a late cancellation, persuaded whoever's place it was that having the PM stay would be well worth £15k of waived rental. PM happy, donor has saved £15k himself, so donor happy, owner of place happy.
Sorry, but where in this arrangement should UK taxpayer be unhappy?
I shouldn't think most taxpayers care. But Parliamentary rules require that you state who has given you non-trivial gifts, including gifts in kind, so that people can assess whether this might have affected your judgment about an issue. We should not establish the principle that gifts in kind don't matter. Nor the principle that Prime Ministers don't need to follow the rules.
This is not to suggest that Johnson has deliberately done anything wrong. I wouldn't be surprised if he's never got round to reading the rules exactly, so he thought it was correct to put down the chap who arranged the stay. But the mistake should be corrected and (assuming the actual donor is not someone dodgy) we should then move on.
Also, if I , as a business owner, tried to make the same argument HMRC would say it was a benefit in kind. I would need to pay tax on that. Anyone know whether he will be paying BIK tax on this?
No he won't and nor would you. Personal gifts are exempt from BIK tax unless the recipient is providing the giver a benefit in connection with your work in return (i.e. it isn't really a gift, it is a payment for work disguised as a gift). If you are a celebrity and people give you free stuff because they hope to benefit from association (or simply because they like you) those gifts are not taxable.
The American chief executive of Barclays (BCS), Jes Staley, is being investigated by British regulators over his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, the bank said in a statement on Thursday.
"The relationship between Mr Staley and Mr Epstein was the subject of an enquiry from the Financial Conduct Authority to which the Company responded," Barclays said. "The FCA ... subsequently commenced an investigation, which is ongoing, into Mr Staley's characterization to the company of his relationship with Mr Epstein and the subsequent description of that relationship in the company's response to the FCA." The focus of the investigation is whether that relationship was properly disclosed to the bank and regulators.
Also £15k doesn't feel like a lot for me. It's close to that for that period of time at some of the hotels I stay in in Barbados and Sandy Lane would be rather more...
£15,000 equates to the annual salary of someone working a 35 hour week at minimum wage.
Should Boris also move into a one-bed flat in Bolton?
My other half and I went on a trip abroad last year, not particularly flamboyant but came to probably about £6k to £8k. If I was the PM my wife would insist on us not using Airbnb when we could...
I think what the figures may be showing is that a lot of people in a Chinese city like Wuhan are in poor health and vulnerable to a virus of this type. It doesn't seem to be causing serious illnesses elsewhere to any significant degree.
I think what the figures may be showing is that a lot of people in a Chinese city like Wuhan are in poor health and vulnerable to a virus of this type. It doesn't seem to be causing serious illnesses elsewhere to any significant degree.
It did cross my mind that their pollution issues may well have made them particularly vulnerable to a virus that seems to attack the respiratory system.
Smith, Leadsom and McVey out of the Cabinet then with the reshuffle under way
Harsh on Smith.
Indeed plus you really don’t want a pissed off former Chief Whip on the backbenches.
Actually would like 2: #Williamsonout
Please it is #TheDisgracedNationalSecurityRiskWilliamsonOut
Sorry. For a lawyer I am overly prone to being concise.
Concision leads to fewer billable hours.
It usually takes longer to write high quality concise documents and clients don't want it.
I find it hilarious that companies will willingly pay for 100+ pages of documents with more caveats than detail rather than a 15 slide deck with actual content...
I see the eco-fascists are digging up the lawn outside the environment office. They really are total tw@ts. Good job they aren't trying to do this to somebodies lawn in Canning Town.
This explains both a lot of the support for and opposition to climate change. The science is merely incidental. If CC proposed solutions involved extending free trade and economic liberalism much on the right would be all over it and the left viciously opposed to it.
Renewable energy is cheaper than coal. Jobs in renewable energy are growing. It's not so much left vs right it's more straightforward payments by fossil fuel companies to politicians.
Is this not that they have changed the counting method.
Rather like the human trafficking figures are still published as "potential victims", and seem to include large numbers of people who actually consented to be "trafficked".
' "Meaningless. Meaningless', said the Philosopher.'
Smith, Leadsom and McVey out of the Cabinet then with the reshuffle under way
Harsh on Smith.
Indeed plus you really don’t want a pissed off former Chief Whip on the backbenches.
Actually would like 2: #Williamsonout
Please it is #TheDisgracedNationalSecurityRiskWilliamsonOut
Sorry. For a lawyer I am overly prone to being concise.
Concision leads to fewer billable hours.
It usually takes longer to write high quality concise documents and clients don't want it.
I find it hilarious that companies will willingly pay for 100+ pages of documents with more caveats than detail rather than a 15 slide deck with actual content...
It reminds me of that Sonnet 129 that was linked to on here the other day. So much meaning packed into so few words it needed a lot of (rewarding) work.
I think what the figures may be showing is that a lot of people in a Chinese city like Wuhan are in poor health and vulnerable to a virus of this type. It doesn't seem to be causing serious illnesses elsewhere to any significant degree.
Wretched Chinese air quality = poor respiratory health = sitting duck.
Other cities that need to worry in Indonesia and Vietnam. The rest of the word not so much?
Smith, Leadsom and McVey out of the Cabinet then with the reshuffle under way
Harsh on Smith.
Indeed plus you really don’t want a pissed off former Chief Whip on the backbenches.
Actually would like 2: #Williamsonout
Please it is #TheDisgracedNationalSecurityRiskWilliamsonOut
Sorry. For a lawyer I am overly prone to being concise.
Concision leads to fewer billable hours.
It usually takes longer to write high quality concise documents and clients don't want it.
I find it hilarious that companies will willingly pay for 100+ pages of documents with more caveats than detail rather than a 15 slide deck with actual content...
It reminds me of that Sonnet 129 that was linked to on here the other day. So much meaning packed into so few words it needed a lot of (rewarding) work.
Yes. Churchill's famous letter in which he apologises for its length saying he didn't have the time to write a short one.
@TheScreamingEagles off politics you said recently that if Liverpool didn't release Mo Salah for Egypt in the Olympics then he could be suspended from playing for Liverpool - but this report seems to indicate that Liverpool are under no obligation to release him and its a decision for him and the club to decide upon? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51483484
Are you sure about the suspension? There's no threat of it in this article.
I think what the figures may be showing is that a lot of people in a Chinese city like Wuhan are in poor health and vulnerable to a virus of this type. It doesn't seem to be causing serious illnesses elsewhere to any significant degree.
It is way too early to conclude it's under control. We'll know one way or another in about a month, I would guess.
@TheScreamingEagles off politics you said recently that if Liverpool didn't release Mo Salah for Egypt in the Olympics then he could be suspended from playing for Liverpool - but this report seems to indicate that Liverpool are under no obligation to release him and its a decision for him and the club to decide upon? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51483484
Are you sure about the suspension? There's no threat of it in this article.
There was a piece on the Echo site a while back, I’ll try and dig it out.
It usually takes longer to write high quality concise documents and clients don't want it.
I find it hilarious that companies will willingly pay for 100+ pages of documents with more caveats than detail rather than a 15 slide deck with actual content...
Concise prose is a high skill. Indeed an art. Hemingway had a technique whereby he would get some stuff down quickly, then he would go through it and for every single part of it would ask himself a series of questions. Is this para really necessary? If no, scrap it. If yes, next question. Is every sentence in this para necessary? If no, scrap. And then, looking at the sentences remaining, next question. Is every word in this sentence necessary? If no, delete it. And then finally, gazing pitilessly at each and every word which had survived thus far. Can this word be replaced by a shorter one? If yes, out with it, and in with that shorter word. Out of such rigour came some very slim pickings indeed, e.g. The Old Man and the Sea.
Ah the reason Julian Smith was fired, Boris Johnson doesn’t do detail.
The Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith was fired this morning, becoming the first casualty of Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle.
He had been considered safe after securing a power-sharing deal at Stormont. However, Mr Johnson was said to have felt “blindsided” by the deal, which includes an investigation into alleged crimes by British soldiers in the Troubles. “There is concern about the way he’s been operating,” a senior government source said.
The Times understands that the cabinet was fully briefed on the deal before it was agreed, including on aspects concerning historic investigations.
This, from the Guardian liveblog earlier today: One staffer at the Northern Ireland Office in Belfast said colleagues had been crossing fingers - literally - for Smith to be kept on as secretary of state, saying he was the most engaged, competent boss they had had in a long time, I’m told....
A cabinet which toes the line seems to be the aim; independence, let alone dissent, will not be tolerated. Ever so slightly Trumpian.
'But Julian Smith established himself as the first secretary of state in years, arguably since Labour left office, to be respected across Northern Ireland’s political firmament; and the first since David Cameron left office to not be regarded as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the DUP at best or Karen Bradley at worst.'
Often turn to OJ when I need my sinews stiffening (as I do today). This piece raises the prospect of Piers Morgan in 30 years time apologizing on live TV for being wrong about everything in 2020. My first instinct was to cheer at this notion but on second thoughts I'm not sure how I feel about Piers Morgan still being on TV in 2050.
Smith, Leadsom and McVey out of the Cabinet then with the reshuffle under way
Harsh on Smith.
Indeed plus you really don’t want a pissed off former Chief Whip on the backbenches.
Actually would like 2: #Williamsonout
Please it is #TheDisgracedNationalSecurityRiskWilliamsonOut
Sorry. For a lawyer I am overly prone to being concise.
Concision leads to fewer billable hours.
It usually takes longer to write high quality concise documents and clients don't want it.
I find it hilarious that companies will willingly pay for 100+ pages of documents with more caveats than detail rather than a 15 slide deck with actual content...
It reminds me of that Sonnet 129 that was linked to on here the other day. So much meaning packed into so few words it needed a lot of (rewarding) work.
Yes. Churchill's famous letter in which he apologises for its length saying he didn't have the time to write a short one.
I think what the figures may be showing is that a lot of people in a Chinese city like Wuhan are in poor health and vulnerable to a virus of this type. It doesn't seem to be causing serious illnesses elsewhere to any significant degree.
It is way too early to conclude it's under control. We'll know one way or another in about a month, I would guess.
Smith, Leadsom and McVey out of the Cabinet then with the reshuffle under way
Harsh on Smith.
Indeed plus you really don’t want a pissed off former Chief Whip on the backbenches.
Actually would like 2: #Williamsonout
Please it is #TheDisgracedNationalSecurityRiskWilliamsonOut
Sorry. For a lawyer I am overly prone to being concise.
Concision leads to fewer billable hours.
It usually takes longer to write high quality concise documents and clients don't want it.
I find it hilarious that companies will willingly pay for 100+ pages of documents with more caveats than detail rather than a 15 slide deck with actual content...
It reminds me of that Sonnet 129 that was linked to on here the other day. So much meaning packed into so few words it needed a lot of (rewarding) work.
Yes. Churchill's famous letter in which he apologises for its length saying he didn't have the time to write a short one.
Comments
What would the headline be if it were the other brothers wife?
https://twitter.com/thesun/status/1227854920860262400?s=21
https://twitter.com/Number10cat/status/1227879830324203521
a political gem at some point?
https://twitter.com/simoncoveney/status/1227893636425228288?s=20
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1227040292060180481?s=20
The Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith was fired this morning, becoming the first casualty of Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle.
He had been considered safe after securing a power-sharing deal at Stormont. However, Mr Johnson was said to have felt “blindsided” by the deal, which includes an investigation into alleged crimes by British soldiers in the Troubles. “There is concern about the way he’s been operating,” a senior government source said.
The Times understands that the cabinet was fully briefed on the deal before it was agreed, including on aspects concerning historic investigations.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/cabinet-s-women-hit-hardest-in-boris-johnson-s-first-reshuffle-f3snfp6wd
"Takes one to know one?"
PS: I spelled Taoiseach bang on without looking. Smug city.
Longer clip is even better.
https://twitter.com/michaelbeatty3/status/1219476814260629507
The underlying message here may be that the real tough guys are for Trump and Jewish neurotic, dweeby pencil necks better get with the program and start sporting their MAGA hats if they know what's good for them.
https://twitter.com/AngelaRayner/status/1227900466295721984?s=20
The American chief executive of Barclays (BCS), Jes Staley, is being investigated by British regulators over his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, the bank said in a statement on Thursday.
"The relationship between Mr Staley and Mr Epstein was the subject of an enquiry from the Financial Conduct Authority to which the Company responded," Barclays said. "The FCA ... subsequently commenced an investigation, which is ongoing, into Mr Staley's characterization to the company of his relationship with Mr Epstein and the subsequent description of that relationship in the company's response to the FCA."
The focus of the investigation is whether that relationship was properly disclosed to the bank and regulators.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/13/business/barclays-jes-staley-jeffrey-epstein/index.html
I find it hilarious that companies will willingly pay for 100+ pages of documents with more caveats than detail rather than a 15 slide deck with actual content...
It's not so much left vs right it's more straightforward payments by fossil fuel companies to politicians.
Rather like the human trafficking figures are still published as "potential victims", and seem to include large numbers of people who actually consented to be "trafficked".
' "Meaningless. Meaningless', said the Philosopher.'
Other cities that need to worry in Indonesia and Vietnam. The rest of the word not so much?
Are you sure about the suspension? There's no threat of it in this article.
We'll know one way or another in about a month, I would guess.
In this case, it's not even a coup de théâtre.
One staffer at the Northern Ireland Office in Belfast said colleagues had been crossing fingers - literally - for Smith to be kept on as secretary of state, saying he was the most engaged, competent boss they had had in a long time, I’m told....
A cabinet which toes the line seems to be the aim; independence, let alone dissent, will not be tolerated.
Ever so slightly Trumpian.
https://twitter.com/stephenkb/status/1227886851882725376?s=20
https://twitter.com/stephenkb/status/1227908801321410560?s=20
Kwality barb.
'But Julian Smith established himself as the first secretary of state in years, arguably since Labour left office, to be respected across Northern Ireland’s political firmament; and the first since David Cameron left office to not be regarded as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the DUP at best or Karen Bradley at worst.'
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7C1csFQ8D0s
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/12/minorities-labour-defeat-woke-issues?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
EDIT or Pascal
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/04/28/shorter-letter/
Don't know why anybody else bothered speaking.
It appears to be a quote with a long pedigree that has been used subsequently by a range of people.
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/04/28/shorter-letter/