diable rouge

Are you happy with the Brexit we've ended up with Cat, if not, what did you want instead? I can't recall Leave voters on here criticising the deal much, if at all, which kinda gives the impression that you're all happy with it despite it's flaws. Was it more important that Brexit was 'done' regardless of the details?...

On trend... :)

Week 31 fixtures... Friday 30th April Southampton v Leicester City Saturday 1st May Crystal Palace v Manchester City Brighton & Hove Albion v Leeds United Chelsea v Fulham Everton v Aston Villa Sunday 2nd May Newcastle United v Arsenal Manchester United v Liverpool Tottenham Hotspur v Sheffield United Monday 3rd May West Bromwich Albion v Wolverhampton Wanderers Burnley v West Ham United

Week 30 points... Week 30 table...

Sephiroth Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > ?Delivering in spades saving lives ? > > That?s an overly kind view tbf Quite. We've had 3 lockdowns, each one personally delayed by Johnson, each delay costing lives. The buck starts and stops with him. With respect to vaccines, there's no doubting they will save lives, but they will come more into their own as society slowly opens up. Johnson recently said himself that it's been the lockdowns that have primarily been saving lives. The vaccine success is also less down to one individual, it's been a collective success. Hancock with his roulette wheel scattergun approach of placing orders early and hoping his number comes up, allied with taxpayer's funding of AZ. Then you've got the scientists and trial volunteers, the NHS, and again an army of volunteers. And finally the public for taking up the vaccines in huge numbers. It's all these people who should be taking the credit, not a PM who would've rather seen ''bodies piled up''. Re. the Electoral Commission: they're investigating the Tory Party, not Johnson personally, so don't be surprised if he wriggles out of any blame if wrongdoing is proved. It is strange though exactly what it is that's being covered up, judging by Johnson's meltdown at PMQs yesterday, it could be a lot bigger than an undeclared decorating bill...

Beth Rigby at Shy saying Johnson's relationship with the Tory Party is purely transactional, in that they put up with his lies etc as long as he wins them elections. And I think that's true, history tells us they have no qualms about dumping a leader as soon as they become a liability with voters. Talk this week of the Daily Mail maneuvering behind Gove after their negative press on Johnson, but he hasn't got the same pull with voters, and therein lies the Tories' problem, who has?...

jazzer Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Re: shed floor, on the concrete run some thin > joists across and on top of that have a wooden > floor laid. I had a remnant from Berts > https://www.burts.co.uk/ which means I 'm not > walking on a cold wood or concrete floor, it makes > sweeping and cleaning it easy. Don't most sheds come with an integral plywood/sterling board floor?...

I have to admit, although neutral on whether Scotland should ne independent or not, I'm enjoying seeing Brexit voters like Cat citing economic data as a reason why Scotland shouldn't leave the Union...

You know what's coming... PROJECT McFEAR!!!!!! :)

snowy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hes not very good at percentages is he? > > He says ?UK exports have fully recovered? and yet > presents percentage statistics that show they have > fallen 15%. A week later and a Tory MP is still peddling this rubbish...

Good luck to Arsenal if they can get rid of a bad owner like Kroenke, but Spotify haven't exactly covered themselves in glory in how they treat musicians...https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56890624

Sure, it was more in response to Meds first sentence, besides it's not a done deal that Scotland would be able to join the EU. Regardless, Sturgeon should at least be having an honest conversation about the prospect of a border if they did rejoin. I'm not sure what she's frightened of, the anecdotal feedback I'm getting from friends up there is that a lot of people see independence just as much about escaping the clutches of an increasingly right wing english nationalist/populist government, as well as a means to rejoin the EU, and if that means ending up with a border, so be it...

A border will only be required if an independent Scotland later joined the EU, until then there wouldn't be a need for one, unless one side went all Trumpy. If lies/bluster worked for the UK Govt, why not SNP ?! This is the crux of the problem that Johnson faces, he will find it hard to argue against the same dogma/tactics used by his own Vote Leave campaign. And as he is finding out with Cummings, it's alright when your fellow duplicitous liars are on your side, but what happens when they're not. All populists eventually become unpopular...

For a shed that size I'd keep it simple and choose from either a poured concrete base, a paving slab base, or a timber sub-frame. Lots of 'How to' videos online. Personally I'd choose the latter as I like working with timber and as this video shows it can be very low tech and quick to construct.. The timber needs to be pressure treated/tanalised, while walking around Jewsons' yard recently I saw some mini-sleepers which could be ideal, and they usually come with a guarantee around 15-20 years, longer than a lot of sheds. If you use pressure treated timber you have to remember to use a wood preservative on any cut ends, and it won't do any harm to use up the preservative with a general coat, ditto the shed too. For a 'belt and braces' solution, you could also screw down (use decking screws) a sheet of marine ply onto the timber sub-frame to strengthen it and provide a level base for the shed to sit on and screw down into, and/or lay a brickwork DPC under the timbers for extra damp protection...

I expected the SNP to throw a lot of Brexit-style campaigning back in Johnson's face, but I didn't think they would come up with an identical ''there'll be no border'' wheeze...https://twitter.com/BBCPolitics/status/1386250665614352387

Leeds away essentials...

I've noticed that there's a new 'look out for signs of a stroke' ad campaign doing the rounds at the moment, there was a similar campaign a few years ago, so probably coincidental rather than directly related to the vaccine...

Johnson with his 'text leak' investigation once again showing he's more concerned with being found out than the actual dodgy behaviour of politicians, par for the course for someone who doesn't like scrutiny and accountability. We saw post-referendum how politicians have changed with respect to parliamentary accountability and our unwritten constitution which relies on politicians' integrity and adherence to the norms. The modern day politician, and this PM and Gov in particular, have become shameless because they've been clapped and cheered on for political bias over Brexit. This is a good article by Jill Rutter highlighting that a tougher independent set of rules is needed, but don't hold your breath while Johnson is PM... The UK?s system for ensuring the principles of public life are observed in practice is looking increasingly unfit for purpose. An ex-PM bombards his colleagues with pleading messages to help a company in which he has a significant personal stake. A needy current PM assures a donor and supporter via text that he will ensure the Chancellor will fix the tax system for him. And people inside the system sign each other off doing things which seem to have at the very least a serious conflict of interest. As Eric Pickles told the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, this suggests a system where one cohort looks after another, in the expectation they will later benefit. The system has never been free from lobbying ? it has always taken place. It?s always been open to businesses to put their case to the Government. Indeed it is perfectly legitimate for Dyson to highlight the fact that a feature of the tax system is impeding their (failed) participation in the Government?s ventilator challenge, and suggest the Treasury might change it. Ministers often return from receptions (when they were allowed) asking officials to investigate a suggestion that someone buttonholed them with over the canapes, or with a wheeze that has been put to them by a constituent. The first question is therefore whether we can trust the people on the receiving end of that lobbying to treat it appropriately ? to ensure issues are decided on their merits and with no hint of the ?improper influence? or ?favours?. But beyond a general exhortation to uphold the ?highest standards? of propriety, the Ministerial Code is notably silent on the sorts of concerns raised recently. Moreover, the UK?s Ministerial Code has no real status. It can be rewritten by the Prime Minister. It could be withdrawn by the Prime Minister if it proved too annoying. As we saw with concerns about Robert Jenrick and the Westferry planning decision, which benefited a Conservative donor, the PM decides whether investigations are needed; and, as we discovered in the Priti Patel case, the PM decides whether the code has been broken and whether that breach requires any sanctions. That is a contrast to Northern Ireland, where the ministerial code is now to be enforced by the independent standards commissioner who oversees MLAs ? this was one of the procedural reforms resulting from the renewable heat incentive scandal which triggered the collapse of the Northern Ireland executive. The Chair of the Committee on Standards of Public Life (set up in the wake of the sleaze revelations in the Major government) has already proposed strengthening the status and role of the independent adviser on ministerial interests ? not least by letting them decide whether to initiate an inquiry rather than wait for a request from the PM, and allowing them to publish a summary of their findings when they decide, rather than the PM.

Spooky!...

Week 30 fixtures... Friday 23rd April Arsenal v Everton Saturday 24th April Liverpool v Newcastle United West Ham United v Chelsea Sheffield United v Brighton & Hove Albion Sunday 25th April Wolverhampton Wanderers v Burnley Leeds United v Manchester United Aston Villa v West Bromwich Albion Monday 26th April Leicester City v Crystal Palace

Week 29 points... Week 29 table...

New London mayor poll: (Comres) Sadiq Khan (LAB): 41% Shaun Bailey (CON): 28% Luisa Porritt (Lib): 8% Sian Berry (GRN): 6% Niko Omilana (IND): 5% Farah London: (IND) : 2% Brian Rose: (IND): 2% Count Binface (CBP): 1% Peter Gammons (UKIP): 1% Laurence Fox (REC): 1% I'm not sure how Count Binface will ever be able to show his face if he ends up drawing with Fox...

Well, at least it was more entertaining than a lot of the football that's served up...