Saturday 26th, Sunday 27th and Monday 28th May 2018
Posted: Sat 26 May, 2018 8:34 am
Good morfternoon.
Occasionally it feels like metaphors are our last great manufacturing industry. On Tuesday Theresa May visited the Chelsea Flower Show, where she was shown a cowpat, which she pronounced “wonderful”.Cow shit means cow shit, and I guess the cow had made a success of it. Even so, the prime minister’s insistence on being ludicrously positive about literally any old doodah is surely nearing its endgame.
Or is it?...
Tories' 'secretly plotting to replace Theresa May with Michael Gove - before Ruth Davidson steps in'
As somebody said on Twitter, to suggest this "plan" was written on the back of a fag packet is very possibly being over generous.Willow904 wrote:This is just nonsense:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/ ... ssion=true" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Tories' 'secretly plotting to replace Theresa May with Michael Gove - before Ruth Davidson steps in'
The fine art of understatement.gilsey wrote:Assuming the exit poll is right, the result is a wonderful thing and leaves NI looking a little isolated.
Looking like Donegal may be the lone holdout this time.adam wrote:Roscommon - only county to vote against legalising gay marriage - votes yes to repealing the 8th.
Absurdities like these make me wonder what's really going onAnatolyKasparov wrote:As somebody said on Twitter, to suggest this "plan" was written on the back of a fag packet is very possibly being over generous.Willow904 wrote:This is just nonsense:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/ ... ssion=true" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;Tories' 'secretly plotting to replace Theresa May with Michael Gove - before Ruth Davidson steps in'
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/ ... egins-liveFr. Kevin M. Cusick
@MCITLFrAphorism
Let us pray together that satanic evil has not gained a foothold in Ireland, through legalized killing of the most innocent life in the womb, that will now take many years to exorcise. #SaveThe8th
3:18 pm - 25 May 2018 (Guardian - my emphasis))
41.2% voter turnoutadam wrote:The official results page for the referendum is here.
That is not a complete figure, does not include those areas yet to report their final results.citizenJA wrote:41.2% voter turnoutadam wrote:The official results page for the referendum is here.
Interesting. I hadn't thought about that parallel previously.PorFavor wrote:Assisted dying should be made legal here (and elsewhere). I feel that the arguments made in Ireland for the legalisation of abortion hold equal validity for the issue of assisted dying.
My dad used to say on the back of a postcard, but when it was dire, he'd say on the back of a stamp....AnatolyKasparov wrote:As somebody said on Twitter, to suggest this "plan" was written on the back of a fag packet is very possibly being over generous.Willow904 wrote:This is just nonsense:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/ ... ssion=true" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Tories' 'secretly plotting to replace Theresa May with Michael Gove - before Ruth Davidson steps in'
Was is very, very frightening?Willow904 wrote:So we've got the thunder & lightning this evening, which just leaves me wondering who got the hot weather that normally precedes it because we certainly didn't.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/ ... s-12594924" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;Top Tories in electoral fraud minister's local party arrested over electoral fraud allegations
Two vice chairs of Norwich Conservatives, the local party of Chloe Smith, the minister in charge of fighting electoral fraud were arrested on Thursday
28° 40nm SE of Jersey this afternoon , went swimming at the beachWillow904 wrote:So we've got the thunder & lightning this evening, which just leaves me wondering who got the hot weather that normally precedes it because we certainly didn't.
Japanese media have reported the UK government’s loan for the project could be as much as £13bn, and put the total cost of the plant at more than £20bn, even more than Hinkley Point C. The details are understood to have been leaked by the Japanese government, not Hitachi, and the UK government has said it “does not recognise” the reports.
a straightforward, honest and conclusive referendumRogerOThornhill wrote:Yes, there's a fair number of the "Oh, so you like referendums now I see!" floating around.
I forget who said it but that the Irish one was precisely the sort of issue that lends itself well to a referendum.
More straightforward ... but what would they have done if it was 50.0001% YES and 49.9999% NO ?citizenJA wrote:a straightforward, honest and conclusive referendumRogerOThornhill wrote:Yes, there's a fair number of the "Oh, so you like referendums now I see!" floating around.
I forget who said it but that the Irish one was precisely the sort of issue that lends itself well to a referendum.
Apologies...I'm researching something else at the moment and can't answer your questionfrog222 wrote:More straightforward ... but what would they have done if it was 50.0001% YES and 49.9999% NO ?citizenJA wrote:a straightforward, honest and conclusive referendumRogerOThornhill wrote:Yes, there's a fair number of the "Oh, so you like referendums now I see!" floating around.
I forget who said it but that the Irish one was precisely the sort of issue that lends itself well to a referendum.
I’m curious, was there any discussion of this possibility ?
I've wondered exactly that about the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.......frog222 wrote:More straightforward ... but what would they have done if it was 50.0001% YES and 49.9999% NO ?citizenJA wrote:a straightforward, honest and conclusive referendumRogerOThornhill wrote:Yes, there's a fair number of the "Oh, so you like referendums now I see!" floating around.
I forget who said it but that the Irish one was precisely the sort of issue that lends itself well to a referendum.
I’m curious, was there any discussion of this possibility ?
If they were that certain about the UK's position on everything Brexity, these snide comments wouldn't be happening.Mark Littlewood
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Am already looking forward to a second referendum in Ireland on abortion to make doubly sure that the electorate really did know what the the hell they were voting for. Am hoping Gina Miller will litigate to force a re-run.
2:11 PM - 26 May 2018
Not exactly enjoying pulling up ground elder, but yes it's a beautiful day.AnatolyKasparov wrote:Everybody out enjoying today's glorious weather, i presume?
Thunder and lightening heregilsey wrote:Not exactly enjoying pulling up ground elder, but yes it's a beautiful day.AnatolyKasparov wrote:Everybody out enjoying today's glorious weather, i presume?
Out at Star Wars: SoloAnatolyKasparov wrote:Everybody out enjoying today's glorious weather, i presume?
and from one of the comments btlthe sheer poverty of the IFS thinking. Paul Johnson admitted on the Today programme this morning, which I endured on my way down to Stansted, that he might suffer from a lack of imagination. Let me assure you, I agree. And the reason is obvious. Johnson simply cannot imagine the world changing. His whole analysis exists in a world where ceterus paribus holds true. But it does not.
I have not checked the report as yet to see what it says about automation so I will stick to discussion of tax where what the IFS is saying is that nothing will change. Johnson's commentary made this clear. We can't tax business: he thinks it will run away. Land and wealth taxes won't collect much, he says. And as for changes to allowances and reliefs, most especially when it comes to subsidising the already wealthy? Of that there was not a hint.
Let me put this in context. The IFS seem to be looking for about £30bn a year. That is, as I have shown, half the sum that subsidies to pension and ISA saving in the UK now cost each year. All of that sum goes as a subsidy to the City to effectively over inflate the price of shares. Johnson should know that. But he said on Radio 4 that there was nothing he could imagine cutting now that could meet health care costs. The only explanation for that is that he is not thinking, or cannot think, or wants to perpetuate the tax inequality we have in the UK where the wealthy pay no bigger a share of their income in tax than most in the population do.
A democratically elected government has a duty to do its utmost to ensure the wellbeing of its citizens and this government is failing to do that. A government is not like a household , it does not have to live within its means; it can create all the money it needs to do what needs to be done providing there are people willing to do the work and materials and equipment that can be purchased.
It's the Sun & It's Priti Patel but presumably she really said this?! It almost makes Theresa May look good by at least sourcing specific funds, Though as one of the comments on Richard Murphy's blog saysShe wants a three per cent deal in summer that would hit the target of £350million a week more by the next election — the sum Brexiteers said could go to the NHS once we quit the EU.
Ideas include a 1p tax rise or a pensions raid.
But it has angered Brexiteers who want to use the £350million weekly saving.
Ex-Cabinet minister Priti Patel said: “The PM said she would guarantee that when we take back control of our money, it would be spent on domestic priorities, including the NHS. That should be the priority.”
Definitely worth reading blog (from Gilsey's link, above)Methinks this might just be the start of a softening-up process of the people to creating a hypothecated ‘ NHS Tax ‘ ; an insurance premium by any other name, given that moving
healthcare towards an insurance based system like the US is their long term goal.
Uncle Savage
@Uncle_savage00
May 27
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1981:
1. Prince from England married
2. Liverpool wins the Champions League
3. The pope dies
2005:
1. Prince from England married
2. Liverpool wins the Champions League
3. The pope dies
2018:
1. Prince from England gets married
2. Liverpool's keeper saves the Pope
It's a bit more complicated than the btl comment, though. Money is issued into the economy by the government through spending and retrieved again through taxation. If too much money is left in the economy you end up with too much inflation. So a government can't just spend money and not tax at all, there has to be a balance. And once you get a rough balance, where you spend and where you tax become the real question. Consumer spending is going down at the moment, so more tax on working age consumers could have a recessionary effect on the economy. Whereas the above article is pointing out that we do seem to have quite a bit of inflation in assets - house prices and the stock market - in part as a result of government spending (e.g. help to buy) and low taxation in these areas.gilsey wrote:http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2018 ... s-funding/and from one of the comments btlthe sheer poverty of the IFS thinking. Paul Johnson admitted on the Today programme this morning, which I endured on my way down to Stansted, that he might suffer from a lack of imagination. Let me assure you, I agree. And the reason is obvious. Johnson simply cannot imagine the world changing. His whole analysis exists in a world where ceterus paribus holds true. But it does not.
I have not checked the report as yet to see what it says about automation so I will stick to discussion of tax where what the IFS is saying is that nothing will change. Johnson's commentary made this clear. We can't tax business: he thinks it will run away. Land and wealth taxes won't collect much, he says. And as for changes to allowances and reliefs, most especially when it comes to subsidising the already wealthy? Of that there was not a hint.
Let me put this in context. The IFS seem to be looking for about £30bn a year. That is, as I have shown, half the sum that subsidies to pension and ISA saving in the UK now cost each year. All of that sum goes as a subsidy to the City to effectively over inflate the price of shares. Johnson should know that. But he said on Radio 4 that there was nothing he could imagine cutting now that could meet health care costs. The only explanation for that is that he is not thinking, or cannot think, or wants to perpetuate the tax inequality we have in the UK where the wealthy pay no bigger a share of their income in tax than most in the population do.A democratically elected government has a duty to do its utmost to ensure the wellbeing of its citizens and this government is failing to do that. A government is not like a household , it does not have to live within its means; it can create all the money it needs to do what needs to be done providing there are people willing to do the work and materials and equipment that can be purchased.