Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » The Trump stories come thick and fast – this is the latest on

SystemSystem Posts: 11,002
edited January 2018 in General

imagepoliticalbetting.com » Blog Archive » The Trump stories come thick and fast – this is the latest on what makes live worth living

What makes life worth living according to the Donald. Another great extract from the explosive new bookhttps://t.co/QN2gSU3Wt3 pic.twitter.com/Bxrr04M4a9

Read the full story here


«1

Comments

  • RobDRobD Posts: 58,941
    First, and small typo in the title.
  • FAKE NEWS, only bigly! Sad :lol:
  • Well done Henry Bolton (left hand side of the front page)

    https://twitter.com/TheSun/status/948678849759412224
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 47,787

    Well done Henry Bolton (left hand side of the front page)

    https://twitter.com/TheSun/status/948678849759412224

    How did they get the story?

    https://twitter.com/jo_marney/status/942072589677195264
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,061
    There is a fairly long piece of juicy Trump tit bits on this link. Well worth a read.

    https://twitter.com/foxinsoxuk/status/948666538508324864
  • It's much easier to sleep with your friends' mistresses.
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 20,393

    It's much easier to sleep with your friends' mistresses.

    You mean your own wife?
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,770
    It's like comparing STDs: which do you prefer, syphilis or gonorrhea?
  • Pro_RataPro_Rata Posts: 4,784
    rcs1000 said:
    I guess they know more than most about a very messy withdrawal process followed by Brexit then?
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,080
    The Gove U-turn on continuing to hand millions to wealthy landowner-farmers is disappointing. As I speculated a few weeks back, these people are too powerful in Tory circles. Doesn't bode well for any sort of decent Brexit.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,061

    It's much easier to sleep with your friends' mistresses.

    Well, not so long ago his Russian born wife was supportive:

    http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/ukip-leader-henry-bolton-might-11397115

    Family values? nah...
  • AndrewAndrew Posts: 2,900
    rcs1000 said:


    It's like comparing STDs: which do you prefer, syphilis or gonorrhea?

    I think of Blair more as the political equivalent of genital warts.
  • rcs1000 said:

    It's like comparing STDs: which do you prefer, syphilis or gonorrhea?
    O Fortuna has been ruined for me when you realise the crescendo part says

    'Salsa cookies,
    Windmill cookies,
    They gave you gonorrhea'
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,770
    Pro_Rata said:

    rcs1000 said:
    I guess they know more than most about a very messy withdrawal process followed by Brexit then?
    Brilliant.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,061
    IanB2 said:

    The Gove U-turn on continuing to hand millions to wealthy landowner-farmers is disappointing. As I speculated a few weeks back, these people are too powerful in Tory circles. Doesn't bode well for any sort of decent Brexit.
    Oi! that was my £350 million per week!
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,765
    Look, those millions of dollars don't make themselves.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,061
    edited January 2018
  • Well done Henry Bolton (left hand side of the front page)

    https://twitter.com/TheSun/status/948678849759412224

    I thought he might have flayed Farage.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,274
    On topic... The excerpts from Michael Wolff's book are pretty explosive and guarantee it best-seller status.

    Questions on my mind are: who are his sources and how believable are they?

    Don't get me wrong - I am sure Trump is capable of this and worse but it would be nice to have some confidence in these stories, otherwise we are just fanning the fake-news fire.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,274

    rcs1000 said:

    It's like comparing STDs: which do you prefer, syphilis or gonorrhea?
    O Fortuna has been ruined for me when you realise the crescendo part says

    'Salsa cookies,
    Windmill cookies,
    They gave you gonorrhea'
    If that's what is says, I'm never buying Old Spice again!
  • Well done Henry Bolton (left hand side of the front page)

    https://twitter.com/TheSun/status/948678849759412224

    I thought he might have flayed Farage.
    Have this pair ever been in a Private Eye lookalike ?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Bolton_(British_politician)

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roose_Bolton
  • rcs1000 said:

    It's like comparing STDs: which do you prefer, syphilis or gonorrhea?
    O Fortuna has been ruined for me when you realise the crescendo part says

    'Salsa cookies,
    Windmill cookies,
    They gave you gonorrhea'
    If that's what is says, I'm never buying Old Spice again!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIwrgAnx6Q8
  • Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    edited January 2018
    FPT:

    Farr's sale on today; the people of the UK should stock up.
    Thanks for the tip, looks like the Nabavi bank account is gonna have to take a bit of a pounding. Still, I think I can get it through Compliance by arguing it's an investment.

    PS A very generous friend served us copious portions of Léoville Las Case '85 at a dinner a few days ago. Wow!
  • My previous post was in response to @TOPPING
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 49,958
    Just watched a rather good documentary about the Voyager mission, called "The Farthest".

    There's also another cracking documentary, called Icarus, about the Russian drug cheating industry. The guy filming it hit as lucky as you could ever get, as a documentary maker....
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,709
    Interesting thing from the book is Trump's main aim from the election seems to have been to use the campaign to become the most 'famous' man in the world, when he became the most 'powerful' man in the world that was not as interesting
  • brendan16brendan16 Posts: 2,315

    Well done Henry Bolton (left hand side of the front page)

    https://twitter.com/TheSun/status/948678849759412224

    Wasn't sure if the picture was of his wife or the new model?!

    I suppose it gets him some publicity - he is virtually invisible as party leader.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 31,274

    rcs1000 said:

    It's like comparing STDs: which do you prefer, syphilis or gonorrhea?
    O Fortuna has been ruined for me when you realise the crescendo part says

    'Salsa cookies,
    Windmill cookies,
    They gave you gonorrhea'
    If that's what is says, I'm never buying Old Spice again!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIwrgAnx6Q8
    Very good - not seen that one before! :smile:
  • PongPong Posts: 4,693
    Foxy said:

    IanB2 said:

    The Gove U-turn on continuing to hand millions to wealthy landowner-farmers is disappointing. As I speculated a few weeks back, these people are too powerful in Tory circles. Doesn't bode well for any sort of decent Brexit.
    Oi! that was my £350 million per week!
    "A new hospital every week" they said.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 27,835
    On Topic: Has Trump DONE anything of note that any Republican with a majority in both Houses wouldn't have?
    I know he has done it in a grandstanding and chaotic fashion, and I don't agree with his agenda.
    BUT, everything achieved so far has been mainstream Republican policy for a while.
    We are being blinded by smoke and mirrors and mis-direction into not spotting a straightforward Party Line.
  • oxfordsimonoxfordsimon Posts: 5,831

    On topic... The excerpts from Michael Wolff's book are pretty explosive and guarantee it best-seller status.

    Questions on my mind are: who are his sources and how believable are they?

    Don't get me wrong - I am sure Trump is capable of this and worse but it would be nice to have some confidence in these stories, otherwise we are just fanning the fake-news fire.

    Indeed - the whole thing just smacks of marketing/self promotion of an author rather than something of serious political consequence.

    It certainly wouldn't be the first time that something has been written to sell rather than to expose any particular truth
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,571
    Foxy said:
    While Ms Rayner (if quoted accurately) is almost incoherent, it is quite true that WWC boys are bottom of the heap educationally.
    I don't think she has anything useful to say beyond that.

  • Y0kelY0kel Posts: 2,307
    edited January 2018
    Tony Blair was correct. UK agencies had notable intelligence on Trump campaign links with and communications with Russian government interests. They have long held intelligence on Trump financial ties to the gangster state currently headquartered in Moscow. In fact UK agencies, like a number of other allied counterparts passed on info to their friends in the US before Trump even got his arse warm in the Oval office chair.

    But lets start with what the big ears picked up from some Trump campaign associates when they visited Scotland.

    Moldovan banks are major investors in Scotland did you not know?

    Bannon has spoken to Bob Mueller's investigation. The guy is an idealogue, an important distinction to many many others closely associated with the Trump circle. If you understand that you understand why this noisy situation has come about.
  • oxfordsimonoxfordsimon Posts: 5,831
    Nigelb said:

    Foxy said:
    While Ms Rayner (if quoted accurately) is almost incoherent, it is quite true that WWC boys are bottom of the heap educationally.
    I don't think she has anything useful to say beyond that.

    She hasn't proposed any solutions or acknowledged the role her own party has played in creating the problem in the first place.
  • Y0kelY0kel Posts: 2,307
    edited January 2018
    One final note, this book's author is not beyond some heavy jazzing up in his work, substantive portions of its contents, including Bannon's quotes are 100% but the puffer fish element is there.
  • AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    "Most of Britain’s electricity in 2017 is low-carbon for first time
    Renewables and nuclear reach landmark after rapid growth in wind and solar sources"

    https://www.ft.com/content/437c4e8a-efc0-11e7-ac08-07c3086a2625
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,571
    For those into bingeing Netflix series, I wholeheartedly recommend the new Korean series Stranger (aka Forest of Secrets).
    Somewhere between Line of Duty and The Wire...
  • tysontyson Posts: 6,049
    Andrew said:

    rcs1000 said:


    It's like comparing STDs: which do you prefer, syphilis or gonorrhea?

    I think of Blair more as the political equivalent of genital warts.
    At least you can clear said warts with some strong strong corrosive (not that I know, only guessing)...with Blair, a bit like Jaws, what does it take?
  • tysontyson Posts: 6,049
    Pong said:

    Foxy said:

    IanB2 said:

    The Gove U-turn on continuing to hand millions to wealthy landowner-farmers is disappointing. As I speculated a few weeks back, these people are too powerful in Tory circles. Doesn't bode well for any sort of decent Brexit.
    Oi! that was my £350 million per week!
    "A new hospital every week" they said.
    I'm over that stuff Pong....I just want to know now what the hell is happening to our health system in the UK.....I went the other day for the routine of a routine of a GP appointment (not even genital warts)..I waited 2 hours amid bedlam and god knows what for a 1 minute consultation...
  • tysontyson Posts: 6,049
    Nigelb said:

    For those into bingeing Netflix series, I wholeheartedly recommend the new Korean series Stranger (aka Forest of Secrets).
    Somewhere between Line of Duty and The Wire...

    You can always try Netflix American Horror....but it is terrifying, warped and just soul destroyingly damaging....but I loved it all the same
  • AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    On Sunday the forecast for Sydney is 39 degrees and sunny, but it's raining at the moment.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 47,787
    This is the most important contribution from Blair today:

    http://institute.global/news/tony-blair-brexit-what-we-now-know

  • Y0kelY0kel Posts: 2,307
    edited January 2018
    Trumpton

    Trump shill Congressman Devin Nunes, who has been running some severe and probably illegal (leaking info) interference with congressional investigations into what is now known as TrumpRussia, is reportedly the subject of a meeting between the head of the FBI, Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein and Paul Ryan, leader of the House Republicans.

    Nunes has been under investigation but, if this is true, and one US media outlet is reporting it so far (the subject matter not the meeting), this is unlikely to have a run of the mill outcome.

    Worth watching to see.

  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 47,787
    Blair's also done a joint interview on Brexit with the New York Times, Irish Times, Die Welt, Le Monde, La Reppublica and others.

    Here's the Irish Times write up:

    https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/uk/blair-says-eu-should-remain-open-to-uk-rethink-on-brexit-1.3344206
  • MTimTMTimT Posts: 7,034
    AndyJS said:

    On Sunday the forecast for Sydney is 39 degrees and sunny, but it's raining at the moment.

    With wind chill, we hit -16F last night. That's about -27C. Coldest I've ever seen MD.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,770
    I can't work out if it's incredibly stupid, or monumentally stupid.
  • rkrkrkrkrkrk Posts: 7,881
    Nigelb said:

    Foxy said:
    While Ms Rayner (if quoted accurately) is almost incoherent, it is quite true that WWC boys are bottom of the heap educationally.
    I don't think she has anything useful to say beyond that.

    Far more likely Labour will do something about this than the Tories.
    They’ve been in charge for nearly 8 years, spent their political capital and a decent proportion of the education budget on free schools for the middle class in the South of England - and are now planning to go back to grammar schools. Oh and cutting the schools budget per pupil.
  • murali_smurali_s Posts: 3,037
    Nigelb said:

    Foxy said:
    While Ms Rayner (if quoted accurately) is almost incoherent, it is quite true that WWC boys are bottom of the heap educationally.
    I don't think she has anything useful to say beyond that.

    Maybe strange coming from me.

    The State can only do so much. Quite of lot of this is sadly from parenting - educational aspiration from the WWC is truly dreadful - compare and contrast with the ethnic minority working class. There has to be culture shift...
  • AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    "Secondary school pupils 'ill-equipped to cope' with stress of social media

    Children’s commissioner for England says many year 7 children feel under pressure to be constantly connected online"

    https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/jan/04/secondary-school-pupils-ill-equipped-to-cope-with-stress-of-social-media
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,080
    murali_s said:

    Nigelb said:

    Foxy said:
    While Ms Rayner (if quoted accurately) is almost incoherent, it is quite true that WWC boys are bottom of the heap educationally.
    I don't think she has anything useful to say beyond that.

    Maybe strange coming from me.

    The State can only do so much. Quite of lot of this is sadly from parenting - educational aspiration from the WWC is truly dreadful - compare and contrast with the ethnic minority working class. There has to be culture shift...
    Indeed. The changing ethnic mix of London's children is one of the main contributors to the significant improvement (both absolute and relative) in the performance of London's schools over the past 20-30 years or so. Teachers recount how the attitude of parents to both discipline and study can be very different. One teacher told me that if the school phones a parent to report bad behaviour, the Asian parent goes off to shout at the pupil and the white parent comes in to shout at the teacher.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,571
    murali_s said:

    Nigelb said:

    Foxy said:
    While Ms Rayner (if quoted accurately) is almost incoherent, it is quite true that WWC boys are bottom of the heap educationally.
    I don't think she has anything useful to say beyond that.

    Maybe strange coming from me.

    The State can only do so much. Quite of lot of this is sadly from parenting - educational aspiration from the WWC is truly dreadful - compare and contrast with the ethnic minority working class. There has to be culture shift...
    I would agree with that - and add that the vast majority of kids with the severe behaviour problems from right at the start of primary school are WWC boys.
    This has little to do with schools' focus on girls and/or ethnic minorities, and spending a bit more money isn't going to solve it either. (Though more money would ease other problems.)

    I am not even close to an apologist for Tory education ministers, but whataboutery in defense of Rayner does not cut it.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,571
    Root reaches 50 again... can he push on for once?
    Fingers and toes crossed.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,571
    Nigelb said:

    Root reaches 50 again... can he push on for once?
    Fingers and toes crossed.

    Which clearly prevented the runout just now.

  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,061
    murali_s said:

    Nigelb said:

    Foxy said:
    While Ms Rayner (if quoted accurately) is almost incoherent, it is quite true that WWC boys are bottom of the heap educationally.
    I don't think she has anything useful to say beyond that.

    Maybe strange coming from me.

    The State can only do so much. Quite of lot of this is sadly from parenting - educational aspiration from the WWC is truly dreadful - compare and contrast with the ethnic minority working class. There has to be culture shift...
    I agree. The decline of stable families, religion and other cultural barriers to self improvement is no easy fix. Labour had their Sure Start programme, and that is not a bad place to start:

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/01/angela-rayner-labour-will-boost-sure-start-services-that-changed-my-life

    I like Angela Rayner, and she is a classic example of overcoming disadvantage to flourish. A real self starter. She is well worth watching as one for the top.She is at times inarticulate and is certainly uneducated, but she is shrewd, ambitious and intelligent.

    It does raise issues of real diversity, which was covered in this recent piece:

    https://news.sky.com/story/amp/the-bbc-pay-gap-is-bad-its-class-gap-is-worse-10957166?__twitter_impression=true

    "But just because it's harder and less 'zeitgeisty' doesn't mean it's not important and we should start to recognise that diversity in our society is more than just about your sex or gender. It's a complicated, tightly woven tapestry and your background and class, for which your educational background is a pretty decent indicator, is crucial.

    Is a poor working class man from Scunthorpe less diverse than a wealthy ethnic minority woman from Hampstead who went to one of the country's top private schools?"
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 66,742
    edited January 2018
    rkrkrk said:

    Nigelb said:

    Foxy said:
    While Ms Rayner (if quoted accurately) is almost incoherent, it is quite true that WWC boys are bottom of the heap educationally.
    I don't think she has anything useful to say beyond that.

    Far more likely Labour will do something about this than the Tories.
    They’ve been in charge for nearly 8 years, spent their political capital and a decent proportion of the education budget on free schools for the middle class in the South of England - and are now planning to go back to grammar schools. Oh and cutting the schools budget per pupil.
    Labour did all of that as well - to a much greater extent in many cases. Indeed, many inner city schools were closed in those years as part of their academy programme. Meanwhile the number of pupils in grammar schools increased by 20% in absolute terms, more in real terms.

    The funding cuts they imposed from 1997-2001 were savage. Except that they also repeatedly lied about it. Even when they changed course and started putting more money into schools, you may be surprised to learn they provided just one pound in every twenty of the extra money they promised. The rest had to be met form council tax, which is one reason why it rose so rapidly. Moreover even that money all had to be spent on increased pay for teachers meaning money for various other resources was reduced in real terms, leading many schools to get deeply into debt.

    I am about halfway through a book chapter on Labour's education policies from 1997-2010 and what I have found actually shocked me. Although I realised their record was bad, I had no idea it was that bad.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,061
    ydoethur said:

    rkrkrk said:

    Nigelb said:

    Foxy said:
    While Ms Rayner (if quoted accurately) is almost incoherent, it is quite true that WWC boys are bottom of the heap educationally.
    I don't think she has anything useful to say beyond that.

    Far more likely Labour will do something about this than the Tories.
    They’ve been in charge for nearly 8 years, spent their political capital and a decent proportion of the education budget on free schools for the middle class in the South of England - and are now planning to go back to grammar schools. Oh and cutting the schools budget per pupil.
    Labour did all of that as well - to a much greater extent in many cases. Indeed, many inner city schools were closed in those years as part of their academy programme.

    The funding cuts they imposed from 1997-2001 were savage. Except that they also repeatedly lied about it. Even when they changed course and started putting more money into schools, you may be surprised to learn they provided just one pound in every twenty of the extra money they promised. The rest had to be met form council tax, which is one reason why it rose so rapidly. Moreover even that money all had to be spent on increased pay for teachers meaning money for various other resources was reduced in real terms, leading many schools to get deeply into debt.

    I am about halfway through a book chapter on Labour's education policies from 1997-2010 and what I have found actually shocked me. Although I realised their record was bad, I had no idea it was that bad.
    It is where Blairism was politically astute (concentrating on appealing to the suburban middle classes) but morally blind. That is why we have Corbynism.
  • DecrepitJohnLDecrepitJohnL Posts: 13,300
    dixiedean said:

    On Topic: Has Trump DONE anything of note that any Republican with a majority in both Houses wouldn't have?
    I know he has done it in a grandstanding and chaotic fashion, and I don't agree with his agenda.
    BUT, everything achieved so far has been mainstream Republican policy for a while.
    We are being blinded by smoke and mirrors and mis-direction into not spotting a straightforward Party Line.

    To be cynical, there may be many Republicans who are happy with an uninterested, lame duck president who can be used to front their policies. In this way, Trump follows GW Bush (though not his father) and Reagan.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,571
    Foxy said:

    murali_s said:

    Nigelb said:

    Foxy said:
    While Ms Rayner (if quoted accurately) is almost incoherent, it is quite true that WWC boys are bottom of the heap educationally.
    I don't think she has anything useful to say beyond that.

    Maybe strange coming from me.

    The State can only do so much. Quite of lot of this is sadly from parenting - educational aspiration from the WWC is truly dreadful - compare and contrast with the ethnic minority working class. There has to be culture shift...
    I agree. The decline of stable families, religion and other cultural barriers to self improvement is no easy fix. Labour had their Sure Start programme, and that is not a bad place to start:

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/01/angela-rayner-labour-will-boost-sure-start-services-that-changed-my-life

    I like Angela Rayner, and she is a classic example of overcoming disadvantage to flourish. A real self starter. She is well worth watching as one for the top.She is at times inarticulate and is certainly uneducated, but she is shrewd, ambitious and intelligent.

    It does raise issues of real diversity, which was covered in this recent piece:

    https://news.sky.com/story/amp/the-bbc-pay-gap-is-bad-its-class-gap-is-worse-10957166?__twitter_impression=true

    "But just because it's harder and less 'zeitgeisty' doesn't mean it's not important and we should start to recognise that diversity in our society is more than just about your sex or gender. It's a complicated, tightly woven tapestry and your background and class, for which your educational background is a pretty decent indicator, is crucial.

    Is a poor working class man from Scunthorpe less diverse than a wealthy ethnic minority woman from Hampstead who went to one of the country's top private schools?"
    I'm not sure about Rayner. Yes, she's politically shrewd, and her self-starting is indeed admirable - but she comes across in interview as having the instincts of a bully, and appears impervious to argument. Of course she might be quite different outside of the TV or radio studio, but thus far I'm not impressed.

    As for your question, pupil premium money follows deprivation, not ethnic group. I don't think the populist message from Rayner is particularly helpful. Yes, we should be worrying about WWC boys, but that concern should be directed at looking for solutions.

    Sure Start was a good thing, but there seems to be a relative dearth of analysis of what worked and what didn't (arguments about its overall effectiveness are still ongoing).
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,571
    edited January 2018
    Dammit. Root gives it away to the new ball.

    What the actual eff was he thinking ?
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,716
    edited January 2018
    Oh dear. Root hits successive 4’s off Starc, then gets caught.228-4. Root again misses out on a ton.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 66,742
    edited January 2018
    Nigelb said:

    Dammit. Root gives it away to the new ball.

    AAARGH! What did you uncross?

    Will others now agree with me that Root's conversion rate is becoming a serious problem? He's starting to look like a more prolific Ian Bell.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 66,742
    edited January 2018
    Nigelb said:

    Dammit. What the actual eff Was he thinking ?

    Fixed it for you...
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,716
    ydoethur said:

    Nigelb said:

    Dammit. Root gives it away to the new ball.

    AAARGH! What did you uncross?

    Will others now agree with me that Root's conversion rate is becoming a serious problem? He's starting to look like a more prolific Ian Bell.
    +1
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,014
    IanB2 said:

    murali_s said:

    Nigelb said:

    Foxy said:
    While Ms Rayner (if quoted accurately) is almost incoherent, it is quite true that WWC boys are bottom of the heap educationally.
    I don't think she has anything useful to say beyond that.

    Maybe strange coming from me.

    The State can only do so much. Quite of lot of this is sadly from parenting - educational aspiration from the WWC is truly dreadful - compare and contrast with the ethnic minority working class. There has to be culture shift...
    Indeed. The changing ethnic mix of London's children is one of the main contributors to the significant improvement (both absolute and relative) in the performance of London's schools over the past 20-30 years or so. Teachers recount how the attitude of parents to both discipline and study can be very different. One teacher told me that if the school phones a parent to report bad behaviour, the Asian parent goes off to shout at the pupil and the white parent comes in to shout at the teacher.
    Sadly, that's probably true.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 61,571
    ydoethur said:

    Nigelb said:

    Dammit. Root gives it away to the new ball.

    AAARGH! What did you uncross?

    Will others now agree with me that Root's conversion rate is becoming a serious problem? He's starting to look like a more prolific Ian Bell.
    Scrambled brain facing the new ball with only minutes to stumps.
    He played himself in so well first time around, and this was just throwing it away. Hopefully he'll learn from this - as Boycott noted earlier, he looks a way better player when he gives himself time.

    First tour as captain - and with a new kid in tow - I'm not ready to say there's a serious problem. England were underprepared for this series, and I think it will get better for him. I'm far more concerned about our bowlers.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,517
    Scott_P said:
    That's viewing it with the rosiest of rose-coloured spectacles from Intel's perspective.

    Basically AUI there are two issues:
    1) Meltdown, a specific vulnerability that is more easily exploitable and has more serious effects; it is preset on all modern Intel x86 processors and some ARM ones that have out-of-order execution. Fixing this reduces speed on these processors, in some rare, extreme cases drastically.

    2) Spectre; a class of vulnerabilities that will effect all processors with out-of-order execution, including AMD, Intel, ARM etc. This appears to be harder to exploit and its consequences, whilst bad, are not as bad as Meltdown's. Unfortunately this can be much harder to 'fix' from a software pov.

    On the other hand, these are vulnerabilities that make existing vulnerabilities worse; they need code to be run on the target system.

    Both these issues require new chip designs to totally remove the vulnerability, and those designs might be slower. I'd also be unsurprised if people came up with other low-level chip vulnerabilities, especially those using side-channels to access data. Modern chips are so complex that it is very possible that there are similar problems elsewhere.

    ARM's statement about this includes a white paper on the vulnerabilities from their perspective:
    https://developer.arm.com/support/security-update
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 31,716
    Oh B&£@*$% Bairstow gone now. 233-5
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,933
    Good morning, everyone.

    What will the media talk about when the Trump Show ends?
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 66,742
    Nigelb said:

    ydoethur said:

    Nigelb said:

    Dammit. Root gives it away to the new ball.

    AAARGH! What did you uncross?

    Will others now agree with me that Root's conversion rate is becoming a serious problem? He's starting to look like a more prolific Ian Bell.
    Scrambled brain facing the new ball with only minutes to stumps.
    He played himself in so well first time around, and this was just throwing it away. Hopefully he'll learn from this - as Boycott noted earlier, he looks a way better player when he gives himself time.

    First tour as captain - and with a new kid in tow - I'm not ready to say there's a serious problem. England were underprepared for this series,
    and I think it will get better for him. I'm far more concerned about our bowlers.
    He's always been prone to chucking it away when set though. This isn't new. His conversion rate is a mere 30% and in the last two years it's a staggering 18%. Contrast with other England batsmen who averaged over 50 - Hammond (48%) Barrington (40%). Even Pietersen (39%) and Cook (35%) have better conversion rates. Heck, even Michael Vaughan did. And don't even start comparing him to Smith or Williamson unless you want to feel ill.

    Fifties save you your place and give you a nice average. Three figures scores define matches. It's doubly frustrating Root is chucking it away as there is no other batsman at the moment who can cover for his underperformance, and no sign of one coming in. He needs to sort this out.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,061
    edited January 2018
    Nigelb said:

    Foxy said:

    murali_s said:

    Nigelb said:

    Foxy said:
    While Ms Rayner (if quoted accurately) is almost incoherent, it is quite true that WWC boys are bottom of the heap educationally.
    I don't think she has anything useful to say beyond that.

    Maybe strange coming from me.

    The State can only do so much. Quite of lot of this is sadly from parenting - educational aspiration from the WWC is truly dreadful - compare and contrast with the ethnic minority working class. There has to be culture shift...
    I agree. The decline of stable families, religion and other cultural barriers to self improvement is no easy fix. Labour had their Sure Start programme, and that is not a bad place to start:

    https://news.sky.com/story/amp/the-bbc-pay-gap-is-bad-its-class-gap-is-worse-10957166?__twitter_impression=true

    I'm not sure about Rayner. Yes, she's politically shrewd, and her self-starting is indeed admirable - but she comes across in interview as having the instincts of a bully, and appears impervious to argument. Of course she might be quite different outside of the TV or radio studio, but thus far I'm not impressed.

    As for your question, pupil premium money follows deprivation, not ethnic group. I don't think the populist message from Rayner is particularly helpful. Yes, we should be worrying about WWC boys, but that concern should be directed at looking for solutions.

    Sure Start was a good thing, but there seems to be a relative dearth of analysis of what worked and what didn't (arguments about its overall effectiveness are still ongoing).
    Education and Health are two areas where everyone claims expertise, as we have all been on the receiving end at some point! As such both areas are very susceptible to populist solutions rather than evidence based ones.

    This is an interesting example of what works in a very deprived area, the pdf downloads are particularly interesting:

    https://educationdatalab.org.uk/2017/07/long-term-disadvantage-part-two-how-do-pipworth-primary-and-sheffield-park-academy-do-so-well-for-their-disadvantaged-pupils/

    Personally, I am much more interested in how Angela Rayner overcame her disadvantages than how Toby Young exploited his connections, as the lessons are more useful to improving the lot of others.

    Rayner is a bit of a bruiser, as is Jess Phillips, who I also have a soft spot for. I have long been attracted by strong, feisty women. Perhaps it is my inner gimp!

    Off to re enter the maelstrom now, laters!
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 41,674
    Y0kel said:

    Tony Blair was correct. UK agencies had notable intelligence on Trump campaign links with and communications with Russian government interests. They have long held intelligence on Trump financial ties to the gangster state currently headquartered in Moscow. In fact UK agencies, like a number of other allied counterparts passed on info to their friends in the US before Trump even got his arse warm in the Oval office chair.

    But lets start with what the big ears picked up from some Trump campaign associates when they visited Scotland.

    Moldovan banks are major investors in Scotland did you not know?

    Bannon has spoken to Bob Mueller's investigation. The guy is an idealogue, an important distinction to many many others closely associated with the Trump circle. If you understand that you understand why this noisy situation has come about.

    LOL, Tapestry is alive and well
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,517
    Foxy said:

    Education and Health are two areas where everyone claims expertise, as we have all been on the receiving end at some point! As such both areas are very susceptible to populist solutions rather than evidence based ones.

    This is an interesting example of what works in a very deprived area, the pdf downloads are particularly interesting:

    https://educationdatalab.org.uk/2017/07/long-term-disadvantage-part-two-how-do-pipworth-primary-and-sheffield-park-academy-do-so-well-for-their-disadvantaged-pupils/

    Personally, I am much more interested in how Angela Rayner overcame her disadvantages than how Toby Young exploited his connections, as the lessons are more useful to improving the lot of others.

    Rayner is a bit of a bruiser, as is Jess Phillips, who I also have a soft spot for. I have long been attracted by strong, feisty women. Perhaps it is my inner gimp!

    Off to re enter the maelstrom now, laters!

    Putting two of your lines together: it is possible that a reason Rayner overcame her disadvantages is because she's a bit of a bruiser ... ;)

    Individual cases are interesting, but may not tell us much about the generalities because people are, well, individual. What worked in Rayner's case might not help anyone else and actively hinder others. Studies such as the ;inks like the one you provide might be much more useful for schools.
  • daodaodaodao Posts: 821
    edited January 2018

    This is the most important contribution from Blair today:

    http://institute.global/news/tony-blair-brexit-what-we-now-know

    A clear well-argued case from the distinguished former PM. However, there is only 1 realistic option, that he most dislikes, namely to exit the EU structures (including the Single Market/Customs Union), to make a virtue of leaving, to negotiate a basic Free Trade Agreement and market ourselves as ‘Not Europe’. The problem of the 6 counties can be resolved by over-ruling the DUP and accepting that the arrangements for the island of Ireland have to be different from those for GB.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 41,674

    Scott_P said:
    That's viewing it with the rosiest of rose-coloured spectacles from Intel's perspective.

    Basically AUI there are two issues:
    1) Meltdown, a specific vulnerability that is more easily exploitable and has more serious effects; it is preset on all modern Intel x86 processors and some ARM ones that have out-of-order execution. Fixing this reduces speed on these processors, in some rare, extreme cases drastically.

    2) Spectre; a class of vulnerabilities that will effect all processors with out-of-order execution, including AMD, Intel, ARM etc. This appears to be harder to exploit and its consequences, whilst bad, are not as bad as Meltdown's. Unfortunately this can be much harder to 'fix' from a software pov.

    On the other hand, these are vulnerabilities that make existing vulnerabilities worse; they need code to be run on the target system.

    Both these issues require new chip designs to totally remove the vulnerability, and those designs might be slower. I'd also be unsurprised if people came up with other low-level chip vulnerabilities, especially those using side-channels to access data. Modern chips are so complex that it is very possible that there are similar problems elsewhere.

    ARM's statement about this includes a white paper on the vulnerabilities from their perspective:
    https://developer.arm.com/support/security-update
    Solution is to buy a computer with a decent processor , nice Power or zSeries box perhaps rather than going the cheap as chips route.
  • OchEyeOchEye Posts: 1,469

    This is the most important contribution from Blair today:

    http://institute.global/news/tony-blair-brexit-what-we-now-know

    Blair being taken apart by Humphries on R4. The CCP are now being in danger of becoming a failed joke.....
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670

    Scott_P said:
    That's viewing it with the rosiest of rose-coloured spectacles from Intel's perspective.

    Basically AUI there are two issues:
    1) Meltdown, a specific vulnerability that is more easily exploitable and has more serious effects; it is preset on all modern Intel x86 processors and some ARM ones that have out-of-order execution. Fixing this reduces speed on these processors, in some rare, extreme cases drastically.

    2) Spectre; a class of vulnerabilities that will effect all processors with out-of-order execution, including AMD, Intel, ARM etc. This appears to be harder to exploit and its consequences, whilst bad, are not as bad as Meltdown's. Unfortunately this can be much harder to 'fix' from a software pov.

    On the other hand, these are vulnerabilities that make existing vulnerabilities worse; they need code to be run on the target system.

    Both these issues require new chip designs to totally remove the vulnerability, and those designs might be slower. I'd also be unsurprised if people came up with other low-level chip vulnerabilities, especially those using side-channels to access data. Modern chips are so complex that it is very possible that there are similar problems elsewhere.

    ARM's statement about this includes a white paper on the vulnerabilities from their perspective:
    https://developer.arm.com/support/security-update
    Yeah, Meltdown is the biggy and affects every intel processor since 1995 (barring Itaniums that no one has ever used and old Atoms that no-one now uses (except for me as I still have an eee901 I use)) and the fix is going to be drastic for some work loads, seriously appallingly drastic.

    Lots and lots of I/O? You are boned.
  • Blair being eviscerated by Humphreys on Today.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,517
    malcolmg said:

    Scott_P said:
    That's viewing it with the rosiest of rose-coloured spectacles from Intel's perspective.

    Basically AUI there are two issues:
    1) Meltdown, a specific vulnerability that is more easily exploitable and has more serious effects; it is preset on all modern Intel x86 processors and some ARM ones that have out-of-order execution. Fixing this reduces speed on these processors, in some rare, extreme cases drastically.

    2) Spectre; a class of vulnerabilities that will effect all processors with out-of-order execution, including AMD, Intel, ARM etc. This appears to be harder to exploit and its consequences, whilst bad, are not as bad as Meltdown's. Unfortunately this can be much harder to 'fix' from a software pov.

    On the other hand, these are vulnerabilities that make existing vulnerabilities worse; they need code to be run on the target system.

    Both these issues require new chip designs to totally remove the vulnerability, and those designs might be slower. I'd also be unsurprised if people came up with other low-level chip vulnerabilities, especially those using side-channels to access data. Modern chips are so complex that it is very possible that there are similar problems elsewhere.

    ARM's statement about this includes a white paper on the vulnerabilities from their perspective:
    https://developer.arm.com/support/security-update
    Solution is to buy a computer with a decent processor , nice Power or zSeries box perhaps rather than going the cheap as chips route.
    Eliza, I hope you don't take what you said seriously, as POWER 8 and 9 architectures are apparently vulnerable:
    http://news.softpedia.com/news/red-hat-says-security-updates-for-meltdown-spectre-bugs-may-affect-performance-519214.shtml

    Get the drunken first-year undergrads to upgrade you, fast! ;)

    In fact, anything that uses techniques such as speculative branch prediction might have such vulnerabilities. That means anything that wants to go fast. 'Cheap as chips' chips, such as many ARM processors like Cortex-M, are not vulnerable. At least to these ...
  • YBarddCwscYBarddCwsc Posts: 7,172
    edited January 2018
    rkrkrk said:

    Nigelb said:

    Foxy said:
    While Ms Rayner (if quoted accurately) is almost incoherent, it is quite true that WWC boys are bottom of the heap educationally.
    I don't think she has anything useful to say beyond that.

    Far more likely Labour will do something about this than the Tories.
    They’ve been in charge for nearly 8 years, spent their political capital and a decent proportion of the education budget on free schools for the middle class in the South of England - and are now planning to go back to grammar schools. Oh and cutting the schools budget per pupil.
    Delusional.

    Labour have been in charge of education in Wales since 1999. A generation of schoolchildren have grown up knowing nothing but Labour. Wales is bottom of the 4 countries comprising the UK in any educational table.

    In Ebbw Vale, over 50 per cent of the residents have either no qualifications or qualifications equal to 1 or more GCSE at grade D or below.

    Labour have been in charge for 18 years. We’re still waiting for them to do something.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,540

    Blair being eviscerated by Humphreys on Today.

    https://twitter.com/jeremy_hunt/status/948833844446232577
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,709

    dixiedean said:

    On Topic: Has Trump DONE anything of note that any Republican with a majority in both Houses wouldn't have?
    I know he has done it in a grandstanding and chaotic fashion, and I don't agree with his agenda.
    BUT, everything achieved so far has been mainstream Republican policy for a while.
    We are being blinded by smoke and mirrors and mis-direction into not spotting a straightforward Party Line.

    To be cynical, there may be many Republicans who are happy with an uninterested, lame duck president who can be used to front their policies. In this way, Trump follows GW Bush (though not his father) and Reagan.
    Except Republicans are likely to lose at least the House next year in the mid terms in large part due to Trump's unpopularity
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,709
    ydoethur said:

    rkrkrk said:

    Nigelb said:

    Foxy said:
    While Ms Rayner (if quoted accurately) is almost incoherent, it is quite true that WWC boys are bottom of the heap educationally.
    I don't think she has anything useful to say beyond that.

    Far more likely Labour will do something about this than the Tories.
    They’ve been in charge for nearly 8 years, spent their political capital and a decent proportion of the education budget on free schools for the middle class in the South of England - and are now planning to go back to grammar schools. Oh and cutting the schools budget per pupil.
    Labour did all of that as well - to a much greater extent in many cases. Indeed, many inner city schools were closed in those years as part of their academy programme. Meanwhile the number of pupils in grammar schools increased by 20% in absolute terms, more in real terms.

    The funding cuts they imposed from 1997-2001 were savage. Except that they also repeatedly lied about it. Even when they changed course and started putting more money into schools, you may be surprised to learn they provided just one pound in every twenty of the extra money they promised. The rest had to be met form council tax, which is one reason why it rose so rapidly. Moreover even that money all had to be spent on increased pay for teachers meaning money for various other resources was reduced in real terms, leading many schools to get deeply into debt.

    I am about halfway through a book chapter on Labour's education policies from 1997-2010 and what I have found actually shocked me. Although I realised their record was bad, I had no idea it was that bad.
    More academies and grammar school pupils is a good thing from a Tory perspective.

    Plus overall the Blair government from 1997 to 2001 spent less than the previous Major government, the first Blair administration was in most respects a centre right government
  • DecrepitJohnLDecrepitJohnL Posts: 13,300
    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    On Topic: Has Trump DONE anything of note that any Republican with a majority in both Houses wouldn't have?
    I know he has done it in a grandstanding and chaotic fashion, and I don't agree with his agenda.
    BUT, everything achieved so far has been mainstream Republican policy for a while.
    We are being blinded by smoke and mirrors and mis-direction into not spotting a straightforward Party Line.

    To be cynical, there may be many Republicans who are happy with an uninterested, lame duck president who can be used to front their policies. In this way, Trump follows GW Bush (though not his father) and Reagan.
    Except Republicans are likely to lose at least the House next year in the mid terms in large part due to Trump's unpopularity
    Yes but for the aforementioned cynics, that will be the deciding factor for House Republicans: how Trump impacts their own prospects, and not whether or not he is a good or even suitable president.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 41,674

    malcolmg said:

    Scott_P said:
    That's viewing it with the rosiest of rose-coloured spectacles from Intel's perspective.

    Basically AUI there are two issues:
    1) Meltdown, a specific vulnerability that is more easily exploitable and has more serious effects; it is preset on all modern Intel x86 processors and some ARM ones that have out-of-order execution. Fixing this reduces speed on these processors, in some rare, extreme cases drastically.

    2) Spectre; a class of vulnerabilities that will effect all processors with out-of-order execution, including AMD, Intel, ARM etc. This appears to be harder to exploit and its consequences, whilst bad, are not as bad as Meltdown's. Unfortunately this can be much harder to 'fix' from a software pov.

    On the other hand, these are vulnerabilities that make existing vulnerabilities worse; they need code to be run on the target system.

    Both these issues require new chip designs to totally remove the vulnerability, and those designs might be slower. I'd also be unsurprised if people came up with other low-level chip vulnerabilities, especially those using side-channels to access data. Modern chips are so complex that it is very possible that there are similar problems elsewhere.

    ARM's statement about this includes a white paper on the vulnerabilities from their perspective:
    https://developer.arm.com/support/security-update
    Solution is to buy a computer with a decent processor , nice Power or zSeries box perhaps rather than going the cheap as chips route.
    Eliza, I hope you don't take what you said seriously, as POWER 8 and 9 architectures are apparently vulnerable:
    http://news.softpedia.com/news/red-hat-says-security-updates-for-meltdown-spectre-bugs-may-affect-performance-519214.shtml

    Get the drunken first-year undergrads to upgrade you, fast! ;)

    In fact, anything that uses techniques such as speculative branch prediction might have such vulnerabilities. That means anything that wants to go fast. 'Cheap as chips' chips, such as many ARM processors like Cortex-M, are not vulnerable. At least to these ...
    Still better with a Rolls Royce than a Trabant
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,933
    Mr. Cwsc, on a related note, there was much on the BBC about the NHS yesterday but not a mention that it's devolved, or a comparison with overseas systems.

    Money isn't irrelevant but it's also not the only factor.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,517
    malcolmg said:

    malcolmg said:

    Scott_P said:
    That's viewing it with the rosiest of rose-coloured spectacles from Intel's perspective.

    Basically AUI there are two issues:
    1) Meltdown, a specific vulnerability that is more easily exploitable and has more serious effects; it is preset on all modern Intel x86 processors and some ARM ones that have out-of-order execution. Fixing this reduces speed on these processors, in some rare, extreme cases drastically.

    2) Spectre; a class of vulnerabilities that will effect all processors with out-of-order execution, including AMD, Intel, ARM etc. This appears to be harder to exploit and its consequences, whilst bad, are not as bad as Meltdown's. Unfortunately this can be much harder to 'fix' from a software pov.

    On the other hand, these are vulnerabilities that make existing vulnerabilities worse; they need code to be run on the target system.

    Both these issues require new chip designs to totally remove the vulnerability, and those designs might be slower. I'd also be unsurprised if people came up with other low-level chip vulnerabilities, especially those using side-channels to access data. Modern chips are so complex that it is very possible that there are similar problems elsewhere.

    ARM's statement about this includes a white paper on the vulnerabilities from their perspective:
    https://developer.arm.com/support/security-update
    Solution is to buy a computer with a decent processor , nice Power or zSeries box perhaps rather than going the cheap as chips route.
    Eliza, I hope you don't take what you said seriously, as POWER 8 and 9 architectures are apparently vulnerable:
    http://news.softpedia.com/news/red-hat-says-security-updates-for-meltdown-spectre-bugs-may-affect-performance-519214.shtml

    Get the drunken first-year undergrads to upgrade you, fast! ;)

    In fact, anything that uses techniques such as speculative branch prediction might have such vulnerabilities. That means anything that wants to go fast. 'Cheap as chips' chips, such as many ARM processors like Cortex-M, are not vulnerable. At least to these ...
    Still better with a Rolls Royce than a Trabant
    Well, no, not if they're vulnerable to the same problems ...
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,709

    HYUFD said:

    dixiedean said:

    On Topic: Has Trump DONE anything of note that any Republican with a majority in both Houses wouldn't have?
    I know he has done it in a grandstanding and chaotic fashion, and I don't agree with his agenda.
    BUT, everything achieved so far has been mainstream Republican policy for a while.
    We are being blinded by smoke and mirrors and mis-direction into not spotting a straightforward Party Line.

    To be cynical, there may be many Republicans who are happy with an uninterested, lame duck president who can be used to front their policies. In this way, Trump follows GW Bush (though not his father) and Reagan.
    Except Republicans are likely to lose at least the House next year in the mid terms in large part due to Trump's unpopularity
    Yes but for the aforementioned cynics, that will be the deciding factor for House Republicans: how Trump impacts their own prospects, and not whether or not he is a good or even suitable president.
    In their perspective any President who gets Republican policies through and keeps or even expands Republican control of Congress is a good President. Hence most prefer George W Bush to Trump
  • YBarddCwscYBarddCwsc Posts: 7,172
    edited January 2018

    Mr. Cwsc, on a related note, there was much on the BBC about the NHS yesterday but not a mention that it's devolved, or a comparison with overseas systems.

    Money isn't irrelevant but it's also not the only factor.

    It would be interesting to see comparisons of educational attainment & health provision in similar areas in Wales, Scotland & England since 1999 (devolution).

    Let us say the S Wales valleys, the former Durham coalfields and South Lanarkshire.

    The areas have similar problems, but the educational & health services are delivered differently. Which country is doing best in tackling the problems of deprivation? And under which government?

    The statistics we have suggest that Labour in Wales is doing worst -- but I’d like to see that quantified properly.
  • RoyalBlueRoyalBlue Posts: 3,223

    Blair being eviscerated by Humphreys on Today.

    https://twitter.com/jeremy_hunt/status/948833844446232577
    Jeremy is naughty, pushing the buttons of Brexiteers like that. It’s almost like he’s thinking of the leadership...
  • MortimerMortimer Posts: 13,921
    edited January 2018
    Wow, the forces of Remain at any cost must be getting really desperate if Blair (is there a less popular figure in politics?) is on radio again...
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,933
    F1: BBC gossip reckons Sirotkin will get the Williams seat.
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,603
    I think Trump has officially gone insane. If he wasn't already.
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 60,933
    Mr. Mortimer, it is interesting, though, that the nation has swung from the PM wishing we could throw away our own currency to be chummier with the EU all the way to leaving the institution (probable).
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,540
    RoyalBlue said:

    Blair being eviscerated by Humphreys on Today.

    https://twitter.com/jeremy_hunt/status/948833844446232577
    Jeremy is naughty, pushing the buttons of Brexiteers like that. It’s almost like he’s thinking of the leadership...
    He is naughty - but in fairness he has been touring the studios explaining the NHS England situation. The R4 Labour spokesman was cut off at the knees mid-rant “Labour run NHS Wales”......
  • EssexitEssexit Posts: 1,956
    Mortimer said:

    Wow, the forces of Remain at any cost must be getting really desperate if Blair (is there a less popular figure in politics?) is on radio again...

    It's great - their most vocal advocates are either unknown (AC Grayling, Adonis) or near-universally disliked (Blair, Osborne, Clegg).

    Almost like they have no idea whatsoever how to connect with real people...
This discussion has been closed.