Wednesday 3rd March 2021

Post by **refitman** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 7:06 am

Morning all.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 10:36 am

Good morning.

I'm surprised that the Tory candidate for London mayor has any feet left for him to to shoot but there you go...

Tory London mayor hopeful says basic income would be used for 'lots of drugs'

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... s-of-drugs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Liberal Democrats and Green party on the London Assembly have been pushing for a trial of the UBI scheme, in which the state would grant all citizens a set sum of money on a regular basis, regardless of economic status.

However, speaking to the Assembly’s economy committee on Tuesday, Bailey said the idea needed to take “human condition” into account.

He said: “I’ve been a youth worker for over 20 years. I know some people would absolutely fly if you gave them a lump sum to deal with every week. I know some people who would buy lots of drugs. So where is the care in this, where is the care for the person? How do you get past just universally giving people money?”

Numpty.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 10:45 am

So there are rumours of a "windfall tax" in today's budget. To "blindside" Labour. Good to see the Tories have their priorities straight

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 11:30 am

Good morfternoon.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan
Blue heart
@DrRosena
·
1h
Have test and trace found the person with the Brazil variant yet?

If not, here’s an idea:
All those private consultants getting paid up to £7k a day, get them out searching until the person is found.

Almost a one-woman Opposition.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 11:49 am

She is good.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 1:17 pm

Good afternoon, everyone.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 1:19 pm

I've not been able to look at the news.
Too much sorrow.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 1:23 pm

Mr citizen has had the first of his CV19 vaccinations a couple days ago. He's been summond back into his workplace tomorrow even though he can do his job from home.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 1:25 pm

Johnson not exactly covering himself in glory at PMQs earlier when Starmer brought up the Yemen situation.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 1:34 pm

It's diffcult, very difficult time. Government doesn't care if we die. That's clear. I've no choice but to acknowledge that. It's hard.

I'm afraid and so are most other people around me. Fear doesn't often bring out the best in us.

I'd like another forty-fifty healthy years of life mostly contented with the years I've lived. I'd like to die well, happy with myself and others.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 1:35 pm

I know this is going to be hard to believe but Keir Starmer just made me literally laugh out loud.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 1:37 pm

In a good way, hopefully?

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 1:40 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:In a good way, hopefully?

Oh yes, it was a cracker, a quick-witted response to some heckling from Boris.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 1:43 pm

Starmer: "The proper basis for making tax decisions is the economic cycle, not the electoral cycle" .

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 1:57 pm

Well was that "freeports" gimmick the rabbit out of the hat we were tipped off about? Slightly underwhelming if so.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 2:00 pm

The above wasn't the joke, btw. It was Starmer's parting shot and a good summation of Johnson's approach to government. I wanted to get it down before I forgot it as I rather liked it.
It was a good Budget response all round, in fact, focusing very much on what the Budget didn't include, which was a lot, and especially health and social care. Plus a very withering attack on the paltry offering for "leveling up" which Starmer described as "giving up".

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 2:03 pm

There was a rabbit? I think I must have missed it, although I didn't actually watch Sunak live. I was following that bit in the G. Maybe he did a little hey presto flourish to indicate which bit of this uninspiring and underwhelming budget is to be written up by the sycophants in breathless excitement.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 2:35 pm

Good spot by Andrew Sparrow in the G:

During the 2016 referendum campaign Boris Johnson and Vote Leave said that, if the UK left the EU, VAT on fuel would go. Fuel duty has been frozen in this budget, but - like other Brexit promises - the pledge to scrap VAT on fuel seems to have vanished.

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 2:36 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Well was that "freeports" gimmick the rabbit out of the hat we were tipped off about? Slightly underwhelming if so.

Nowhere near as significant as the 130% CT deduction for investment which is proper big. It's years since we've even had 100% capital allowances.
Not sure setting up a massive 2023 cliff edge for companies is wise.

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 2:41 pm

I'm amused by the traditional red box photo, untraditionally taken on the stairs in No 11, which of course will be entirely unrelated to fact that the standard pavement lineup shows how tiny Sunak is, particularly standing next to Steve Barclay.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 2:45 pm

It seems like they're trying to offset the investment disincentive of the announced CT rise but in that case why even bother with the rise right now? I'll be interested to see what commentators make of it.

So far the fiscal drag element has been dominating the analysis.

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 2:46 pm

While I'm being superficial, Starmer should wear glasses all the time.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 2:52 pm

gilsey wrote:I'm amused by the traditional red box photo, untraditionally taken on the stairs in No 11, which of course will be entirely unrelated to fact that the standard pavement lineup shows how tiny Sunak is, particularly standing next to Steve Barclay.

: Overlook.JPG (49.82 KiB) Viewed 9170 times

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 3:08 pm

While all eyes have been on Sunak I've been watching Sturgeon, she's batting off her interrogators with ease and it looks like she's going to get away with it scot free (if you'll pardon the pun). Those hoping for her downfall are in for a disappointment. Love her or loathe her she's impressive performer.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 3:24 pm

Sky'sGoneOut wrote:While all eyes have been on Sunak I've been watching Sturgeon, she's batting off her interrogators with ease and it looks like she's going to get away with it scot free (if you'll pardon the pun). Those hoping for her downfall are in for a disappointment. Love her or loathe her she's impressive performer.

No killer blows today I agree, but its far from over.

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 3:25 pm

I trust today that we shall have a queue of Tory MPs eager to inform the media that businesses will be fleeing the country in 2023.

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 4:01 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:No killer blows today I agree, but its far from over.

True and she's certainly having to do a lot of ducking and weaving, but if they can't lay a glove on her when she's under oath I suspect she's cleared the most hazardous hurdle.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 4:27 pm

Yes, I'm assuming that the usual suspects who cheered when CT went down will be doing the opposite now that it's going the other way.

I said at the time that it was a waste - hardly any investments hinge on the CT rate being 1-2% lower since there any many other reasons which count for more.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 4:40 pm

I presume that others here are aware of the BBC "Politics" hagiograpical offering to Sunak this morning that might have made the likes of Putin blush?

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 4:56 pm

I heard some of the speech on the car radio, the number of references to 'world-leading' or similar was notable, eg

furlough – one of the most generous schemes in the world

£33 billion supporting the self-employed; one of the most generous programmes for self-employed people anywhere in the world

our tax regime for business investment truly world-leading

an innovative industry where the United Kingdom already has a global competitive advantage

a world-leading Sovereign Green Bond

a global leader for voluntary high quality carbon offset markets.

Maybe it's all about not mentioning Europe.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 4:59 pm

Chris Cook
@xtophercook
Freeports are going to create a lot of innovative new lines of work for the police and HMRC.
1:27 PM · Mar 3, 2021·Twitter Web App

What can he mean I wonder?

That was a purely rhetorical question...

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 4:59 pm

I didn't catch the closing remarks but apparently included this

To create a world class education system.

To keep our streets safe.

To keep our NHS strong.

To support the most vulnerable.

To reform and improve public services.

Anyone notice anything at all in the budget to help with any of these?
Just words.

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 5:09 pm

According to the OBR

he has taken a further step to repair the damage to the public finances in the final three years of the forecast by raising the headline corporation tax rate, freezing personal tax allowances and thresholds, and taking around £4 billion a year more off annual departmental spending plans, raising a total of £31.8 billion in 2025-26.

That'll help.

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 5:43 pm

Q: Are you worried about taking the tax burden to its highest level since Roy Jenkins was chancellor? (See 2.19pm.)

Sunak says we have not had to deal with a pandemic since then.

And he says he is using the money to fund strong public services

He's got some brass neck.

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 5:43 pm

Final word on Sturgeon's interrogation by the investigation committee now that it's over.

The Labour and Liberal Democrat MSPs on the committee did, on the whole, as good a job as they could. They asked forensic questions, often going over the same ground as each other trying to pick apart Sturgeon's version of events. Did it work? No. But at least they tried.

Whereas the Tory MSPs simply wasted everyone's time and their own opportunity by indulging in grandstanding, pointless rhetoric and when they did ask a question it was invariably asinine. They were completely ineffectual and if I were a Scottish Tory or even a Unionist I'd be furious with them. Andrew Neil and Fraser Nelson will be spitting feathers tonight.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 5:47 pm

re spending.

https://twitter.com/PJTheEconomist/stat ... 2500658180" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Paul Johnson
@PJTheEconomist
This from
@OBR_UK
is spot on. Spending plans from 2022 include precisely nothing for dealing with additional pressures arising from the pandemic, of which there are plenty. In fact they involve spending cuts relative to pre-pandemic plans. Is that really credible?

Nope.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 7:14 pm

Did the Government sneak something out hoping nobody was paying attention?

https://twitter.com/StevePeers/status/1 ... 5521967108" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Steve Peers
@StevePeers
EU reacts to latest UK unilateral measures re the Northern Ireland protocol. States that they are a breach of the withdrawal agreement and that it will react using the "legal means" in that agreement and the Brexit deal.

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 9:08 pm

Meanwhile it's Clanger time:

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2 ... er-classic" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 9:53 pm

I missed this little gem at the end of PMQs.

The Prime Minister
We are going to get on with our agenda of delivering for the people of this country and spending more than virtually any other country in the world—by the way, spending more, still, than virtually any other country in the G7—on aid. It is a record of which this country can be proud. Given the difficulties that this country faces, I think that the people of this country will think that we have got our priorities right.

The right hon. and learned Gentleman cannot work out what his priorities are. One minute he is backing us on the road map; the next week he is turning his back on us. He cannot even address a question on the issues of the hour. He could have asked anything about the coronavirus pandemic; instead, he has consecrated his questions entirely to the interests of the people of Yemen. We are doing everything we can to support the people of Yemen given the constraints that we face. We are getting on with a cautious but irreversible road map to freedom, which I hope that he will support. Very shortly, Mr Speaker, you will be hearing a Budget for recovery.

Mr Speaker
I think I already know most of it.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 9:57 pm

Goodnight, everyone.
love,
cJA

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 11:54 pm

A certain Clanger pointed me towards Russian Doll on Netflix (which was surprisingly hard to find on the usual torrent sites) and I just have to say thank you. It lost a bit of steam in the last couple of episodes but otherwise it was fabulous. I loved both the character and the actress. In fact she was my perfect brash, drunk, stoned, rude, fuck you all New York Jew. It was an absolute fucking delight.

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Wed 03 Mar, 2021 11:59 pm

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Thu 04 Mar, 2021 12:27 am

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Thu 04 Mar, 2021 12:29 am

Some of us listened to Nazis by mistake.

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Thu 04 Mar, 2021 1:01 am

She's not one of them.

Sky'sGoneOut · Post by **Sky'sGoneOut** » Thu 04 Mar, 2021 1:05 am

In my mug museum motherfuckers.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 04 Mar, 2021 1:26 am