Sephiroth

industrial/economic plans are not nothing, they are important - but I don't think they matter to average voter much to dismiss post 2000 Labour gov is to ignore things like the massive reduction in NHS waiting lists, improvement in schools (class sizes, repair of neglected buildings - since reversed since 2010) etc https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/projects/general-election-2010/waiting-times People want things to work/improve - and they were. the global financial crisis of 2008 changed everything but the narrative in this country was "labour's fault" (funny how global crises are labours fault when in power but external events when tories in power etc). In any case - Labour responded well to the 2008 global crisis and the country was recovering (as well as Brown/Darling being recognised globally as instrumental in keeping the cash machines running when other global leaders panicked). Labour were nowhere near perfect but most people's actual lives (the ones complaining loudly now) were ticking along nicely. School worked. NHS worked. Jobs were plentiful. Historically speaking But - 13 years of government is a long time - and for various reasons the country saw fit to give Cons a fresh start (ish - see libdem coalition). Everything has been pretty much downhill since then. And yet the tories keep getting elected. I don't see Starmer offering much by way of vision - but if I was minded too come to his defence, the country has rejected Brown/Miliband/Corbyn before him so he is being super cautious. Say what you like about the previous 3, but they had wildly differing styles and offerings to each other - so it seems the country wants super safe and Starmer is sticking to that Interesting that Cat is asking the question about the UK and not other European countries - almost as if the problems he describes are actually UK specific and nothing to do with EU membership. Which he will now deny but has always been the case UK was a basket case before EU membership and so it is again - there are lessons to be learnt here (humility and reality being just two) but the reason there is no English long term plan is because it is inherently short term and has been for a long time. Pretending Brexit will be great in 50 years isn't "long term planning" - that's just pie in the sky abdication of responsibility Scotland and Ireland can see all this so the UK isn't a long term thing either. Tories shat the bed in 2010-now and Brexit will cement it all I know this isn't the positive vibe you were after (and wouldn't expect from me) but if you want to solve a problem you have to recognise the problem. Tory strategy has been toxic, Brexit is astoundingly bad for the UK (economically and culturally) and the long term plan is coordinating with our nearest trading partners around trade, power sources, global headwinds etc But if you want to pretend the UK can go it alone, asking for a long term vision is fools gold As one path forward, I would suggest working with EU and not being in reflexive combative mode, see green energy as the future and us UK expertise in that field to export ideas and product. (instead of current and future tories constantly badmouthing the very idea of green energy)

I made it until nearly 40 before I started suffering hay fever - the 14 years since have been pretty grim around March - April But this year it has continued right through until now, and even my daughters are showing some symptoms for first time - so you are definitely not alone! If I take my nasal spray and Claritin tablets daily I usually avoid the worst - but if I forget are don't start a couple of weeks before symptoms start, then I'm on back foot For last week or so, I would say throat irritation and even breathing is a bigger symptom than eyes/nose (that being said yesterday and today a bit better)

Nadine at the sherry again ?Out of the EU, our new Data Reform Bill will ensure everyone can take back control of their personal data. We're also making it far easier for businesses to unlock the power of data to grow the economy, while strengthening the UK?s high data protection standards 👇 ?

That 100 really hurts. Because it?s perfect

Selfies - [insert word], great or somewhere in between? As a word puzzle it?s not too tricky ?Terrible? ?Awful? Any other synonym that doesn?t single out an unrelated group of people

Have your own opinion about selfies But ?chavvy? in the context of the title of this thread is grim It?s a polluted term that refers to a specific social class and if you wanted to talk about that then by all means do But it has nothing to do with selfies - selfies exits across every single demographic.

you're the one who called people disagreeing ""Typical hyperbolic and virtue signalling" - so easy with the "welcome to Britain where..." nonsense

Someone starts a new thread policing local business and judging them on flags People point out that maybe businesses in question don't care about the whole thing (which is absolutely fair and up to them) and what does the OP come back with? "Typical hyperbolic and virtue signalling (" I mean there is one person engaging in those things and it' you dear Nigello

Ah such innocent 2014 days 8 more years of Tory rule and we can see that Thornberry was the true monster

Tide Is Turning Slowly. Oh so slowly. But it is Ellwood Hannan column today Even they would deny it. But happening it is

That list of 2000 suggestions on what to do solicited by Rees-mogg has more sucky vacuum cleaners at number two. Would love to see what?s at the bottom of the list Getting rid of Johnson won?t help. Let?s say it?s mordaunt. Or hunt. Or truss. Or (insert your own favourite here) None of them can get us to sunlit uplands Because Sure none of them are very capable. But more realistically it?s fools gold in first place and only dumb people continue to insist otherwise. (Yes you can be super clever and dumb simultaneously) What Timmy golf club in Surrey wants isn?t what Brenda in Carmarthen wants. Or what hannan/cat want Now politics has always been a broad church. But only Brexit promised so much to so many competing views as it?s own special promise. Country still is nowhere near coming close to realising. It?s still all communism ?if only it was done my way?

This is without the consideration ?should any party that has had 4 leaders on 6 years and called 3 to 4 elections in that time even be considered as stabile/capable of running a country? And after 12 years in power it?s clear that no matter who leads them they are an empty yet dangerous vessel and any hint of re-election rewards ineptitude on a massive level.

Well I for one agree x 10

This return to imperial measurements will really show the rest of the world we truly are global Britain won?t it A glorious figure awaits, rejoice!

Sure. That?s how all this works Management will care about takings and footfall. If they go down, and they can determine it?s because they don?t accept cash, then they might change But I suspect their customer base is largely onboard with cashless and everything else is at best pointless annoyance and at worst makes people earning not much money more stressed I?m not deaf to the problems with an entirely cashless society. But this helps no one As I?ve said - cash isn?t some immutable element of nature . It came along after years of trading via other means (and was almost certainly opposed by many at the time) And now it?s fading away. Far better to absorb the info and learn how to adapt than pretend otherwise

Yeah. Someone on living wage is going to LOVE dealing with customers like that

"cash" isn't some god-given, natural force It's only been around, relatively speaking over history of time, for a short time It was better than barter - and I do understand that some older people just don't get cashless. But so few actual customers now bother with cash it's just uneconomic to deal with I'm no spring chicken but not dealing with cash has been a joy. Never having to queue to take cash out? Or worry about bandits looking for my PIN/distraction

from an Irish magazine in 1994 "Recently, Coughlan has moved back to London, a city to which he once said he would never return. He and his wife live in Dulwich, a curious little enclave sandwiched between the Olde Tory Towne of Dulwich Village (where Thatcher was supposed to domicile after she retired) and Peckham. When Cathal goes running, he slows down while passing through the heart of Dulwich Village to give the locals a good look at his favourite Fatima Mansions t-shirt, the one depicting Michael Portillo and Peter Lilley in flagrante delicto."

Indeed malumbu indeed. All true And a former resident of east Dulwich to boot

Surely the most Foxy of all Foxy posts

Glad your daughter is ok Jeremy. Nice to see people rally as well As for the rest - sounds a bit fishy to me. Not knowing the forum was closing would take the biscuit

I get the attraction of using the apps (pretending everyone wants to cook fro scratch or eat healthily all the time is one thing. But come on - reality) Using an app removes all of the hassle of communication (in London especially that can go both ways - caller and hassled restaurant worker) - plus you end up with verifiable proof of what was ordered in case of "misunderstanding" But the cut required by these apps is extortionate and unsustainable - people who want the convenience should be the ones paying the extra, not the restaurant Saying restaurants can simply "opt out" is naive - as others have pointed out - someone using these apps for the smorgasbord of choice won't even KNOW a restaurant not on the app exists - even if the restaurant goes to the bother of pushing flirs/offers through the door. These apps ARE the marketplace now - so expecting restaurants to just click their fingers and reduce costs/wages by 30% is pretty offensive

I?d say most restaurants on Deliveroo aren?t Michelin rates either. What?s your point Ken? You tried to say ja doesn?t know what they are talking about but they clearly do. And they are way more graceful and polite than you. So what?s your actual point ?

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j.a 12 - 0 Kenoffthehandle