And because this is just in -- the CPS have charged the two Asians involved in last summer's brawl with the police at Manchester Airport with assaulting police officers. The police officers have not been charged with anything.
The armed police officer has had his suspension lifted but remains under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
I have been disgusted with the BBC for a long time, but their refusal to play this fund raising song and/or bring effective awareness to the dire situation of so many elders is so far beyond the pale there are no words. They are completely gutless, spineless, lilly livered cowards and that's just the nice version. The CBC in Canada is pretty bad these days also.
Merry Christmas to all! And many heartfelt prayers for those in difficult situations.
One of the producers at CBC, Tara Hensley, resigned in 22 because she said they had been skewing the news in the progressive left direction for awhile. She is liberal herself but said that as a journalist she felt it was the duty of the CBC to tell all relevant sides of a story and that just wasn't happening.
I might not be so against if dear old Auntie Beeb goes first... apparently they were v happy to play pro IRA songs, go figure or don't because it is horribly depressing.
merry christmas, michelle! when i first saw the picture of paddy i thought he had a christmas cape on (half draped over his shoulder) and i thought, "ohhh, how handsome!" then i realized my mistake and that it was a santa hat in his mouth. oof! my bad! :) i know i've said it before to you but i am going to say it again: i really appreciate your weekly updates of what is happening over on your side of the pond and the nuance and between the lines stuff that isn't shared or covered over here. wishing you and yours a merry christmas and happy new year!!!
Hello from Washington State, the Puget Sound part of which has been captured by Blue politicians. I look forward to your dispatches from Britain, which has slid inexorably downhill since Margaret Thatcher, even during Tory rule, to their everlasting shame.
Adding to your comment that Jotting In Purple has some refugees from The Free Press due to its commenting restrictions: That’s one reason, but I think a larger reason is that TFP seemed to many of us to self-censor criticism of politicians and policies on the left, Biden and Harris especially, for fear of enabling Trump’s election. A few of their editors and reporters have confessed to TDS (albeit not in so many words), which has been apparent from the content. Post-election, the coverage has suddenly become more balanced - more revealing and damaging to the Left, as TFP seems to have accepted the reality of election outcomes.
I suspect you are right about the self censorship.
Fingers crossed for no return to the 'Resistance' of the TDS. It was severely damaging to social cohesion.
The Wets got upper hand in the Tory party and morphed into a managerial culture. Badenoch gives me hope. But Labour will be in to the bitter end of this parliament as they have such a large majority...
The dynamic between Badenoch and Farage is interesting to me. He’s been conspicuous before her emergence from relative obscurity. Do you expect him to step aside to let her lead opposition to Labour, or will he try to be the more prominent in that role, or can they join forces?
They are in different parties. Farage won't step aside. He will try to be the Opposition, but Badenoch should prevail. Reform only have 5 seats. The Tories have 120. She is actually his big nightmare, because she is a proper conservative and not afraid of a fight. She is not one of Life's Auditors as Terry Pratchett would have called Sunak.
Yes, I know that Farage quit the Conservatives and now heads a minor party, but am curious if in his opposition to Labour he will leave the floor to her. You don’t think he will, and you’re much more informed than I. I wish he’d put common sense ahead of his ego and unite with her.
This is where Farage differs from Trump. Trump decided to work within the GOP and ultimately has made it his own. Farage decided to start his own party and ruthlessly get rid of any challengers to his supremacy such as Suzanne Evans. He is a first term MP and enjoys being a gadfly.
Congratulations on completing your manuscript. I watched the Freezing for Christmas video and shed tears. The account of Sharia Courts is more chilling than Winter. My hope, based on nothing, is that the new US Administration will be used by the UK to turn the tide of Islam and the atrocities it calls for in favor of common sense common law that have existed in the UK forever. And yes, guacamole is mushy peas. Leave some for me.
The Sharia courts thing has been rumbling for some years. The main thing is not to give them any legal standing and to start prosecuting men for bigamy if they have more than one 'lawful' wife at a time.
Exactly. At the risk of sounding like Laurence Fox, assimilate or leave. No putting up with wife and daughter beatings, honor killings and other law breaking. Ummm, how 'bout not stabbing your political representatives?
Apparently they have scope to increase the sentence later. The max sentence for rape in France is 20 years. One can only hope for a death in prison.
LOL about cat burglary and Christmas trees. I now have the theme from Mission Impossible resounding in my head as a gang of cats perform ever more daring raids on a succession of Christmas trees!
Hello Northumberland! Good to see Ya this Friday before Christmas.
TY for the archive.today links to all the good articles. I couldn't finish the article on the rape trial in France. And that picture at the top of the article on Sharia is pretty scary. The article on Biden shows the abomination of his presidency. I'm hopeful we've seen the end of cancel culture.
Congratulations! That's great You got the manuscript done. I hope Your editor loves it.
And it's great to see Paddy getting ready to don the Christmas hat. Likewise, Merry Christmas to You and Yours!
Basically no. They can get parachuted into safe seats. They normally promise to buy a house in the constituency. It is why Boris Johnson represented several different areas for example. Or Luke Akehurst who is a North London and very Jewish is now representing North Durham which does not have a large Jewish population. As far as I am aware, the large Jewish population in the North East resides in Gateshead, not Durham.
It is a probable with safe seats. Hexham is no longer safe and thus the next Conservative candidate will probably be from the area. We had several parachuted in. The one I remember was Peter Atkinson who was parachuted in after the previous MP been caught playing a game of hide the sausage on Hampstead Heath with other like minded males back in the early 1990s and felt compelled to resign.
I can only think of one here who lives outside the district and that’s the horrible and ugly inside and out Maxine Waters. She represents poor black Compton I believe but doesn’t deign to live there on her ill gotten gains. Then there’s Hilary who parachuting to NY but at least they live in the state.
Have a Merry Christmas Michelle, to you and your family, two and four legged
The parachuting in was something which really shocked me when I first moved over here. I found it hard to get my head around that the electorate would be happy with someone who doesn't have a feel for what is going on. Currently the Hexham MP grew up in Corbridge but left after high school and then worked in the Westminister bubble. It remains to be seen if he has a feel for the concerns of this v rural constituency, but I have my doubts.
It is more and more evident that the electorate in general cares for nothing but the capital letter in parenthesis after the name. There is no other explanation for the continued electoral success of the D.
Safe seats do not help the electorate as the elected official knows it doesn't matter how badly they do their job or how out of step on certain issues, they will still get re-elected.
Some of this historic and tribal -- in the UK, it can be framed as my grandparents or g-grandparents would turning in their grave if they knew I voted xyz.
Yet ANY proposal to require of voters directly or indirectly evidence of a functioning brain or of having skin in the game can't be said to be dead on arrival; none would dare even raise it. Those who say that such voters deserve what they get annoy me; everyone gets what they get.
And because this is just in -- the CPS have charged the two Asians involved in last summer's brawl with the police at Manchester Airport with assaulting police officers. The police officers have not been charged with anything.
The armed police officer has had his suspension lifted but remains under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/12/20/manchester-airport-police-officers-assaulted/ or https://archive.ph/qwgLn
I have been disgusted with the BBC for a long time, but their refusal to play this fund raising song and/or bring effective awareness to the dire situation of so many elders is so far beyond the pale there are no words. They are completely gutless, spineless, lilly livered cowards and that's just the nice version. The CBC in Canada is pretty bad these days also.
Merry Christmas to all! And many heartfelt prayers for those in difficult situations.
They do appear to have succumbed to groupthink.
The song has now reached the top of the Apple itunes chart as well...
The CBC in Canada having similar problems does not surprise me in the slightest.
One of the producers at CBC, Tara Hensley, resigned in 22 because she said they had been skewing the news in the progressive left direction for awhile. She is liberal herself but said that as a journalist she felt it was the duty of the CBC to tell all relevant sides of a story and that just wasn't happening.
Yes I read her substack. I've learnt lots of interesting things from it.
Kool.
I might not be so against if dear old Auntie Beeb goes first... apparently they were v happy to play pro IRA songs, go figure or don't because it is horribly depressing.
You have mentioned it before which is why I knew you'd be annoyed.
The Troubles did leave a mark on many people.
merry christmas, michelle! when i first saw the picture of paddy i thought he had a christmas cape on (half draped over his shoulder) and i thought, "ohhh, how handsome!" then i realized my mistake and that it was a santa hat in his mouth. oof! my bad! :) i know i've said it before to you but i am going to say it again: i really appreciate your weekly updates of what is happening over on your side of the pond and the nuance and between the lines stuff that isn't shared or covered over here. wishing you and yours a merry christmas and happy new year!!!
Wishing you a merry Christmas as well.
The Santa hat was retrieved and put up higher.
Hello from Washington State, the Puget Sound part of which has been captured by Blue politicians. I look forward to your dispatches from Britain, which has slid inexorably downhill since Margaret Thatcher, even during Tory rule, to their everlasting shame.
Adding to your comment that Jotting In Purple has some refugees from The Free Press due to its commenting restrictions: That’s one reason, but I think a larger reason is that TFP seemed to many of us to self-censor criticism of politicians and policies on the left, Biden and Harris especially, for fear of enabling Trump’s election. A few of their editors and reporters have confessed to TDS (albeit not in so many words), which has been apparent from the content. Post-election, the coverage has suddenly become more balanced - more revealing and damaging to the Left, as TFP seems to have accepted the reality of election outcomes.
I suspect you are right about the self censorship.
Fingers crossed for no return to the 'Resistance' of the TDS. It was severely damaging to social cohesion.
The Wets got upper hand in the Tory party and morphed into a managerial culture. Badenoch gives me hope. But Labour will be in to the bitter end of this parliament as they have such a large majority...
The dynamic between Badenoch and Farage is interesting to me. He’s been conspicuous before her emergence from relative obscurity. Do you expect him to step aside to let her lead opposition to Labour, or will he try to be the more prominent in that role, or can they join forces?
They are in different parties. Farage won't step aside. He will try to be the Opposition, but Badenoch should prevail. Reform only have 5 seats. The Tories have 120. She is actually his big nightmare, because she is a proper conservative and not afraid of a fight. She is not one of Life's Auditors as Terry Pratchett would have called Sunak.
Yes, I know that Farage quit the Conservatives and now heads a minor party, but am curious if in his opposition to Labour he will leave the floor to her. You don’t think he will, and you’re much more informed than I. I wish he’d put common sense ahead of his ego and unite with her.
This is where Farage differs from Trump. Trump decided to work within the GOP and ultimately has made it his own. Farage decided to start his own party and ruthlessly get rid of any challengers to his supremacy such as Suzanne Evans. He is a first term MP and enjoys being a gadfly.
The people who are not putting common sense ahead are the Conservatives (quite probably the so-called One Nation Conservatives or the rump of the Wets) who seem keen on undermining Kemi. Janet Daley has an op ed in the Telegraph about this Conservative suicide wish. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/12/21/tories-have-death-wish-if-they-want-kemi-badenoch-to-fail/ or https://archive.ph/h29x6
Congratulations on completing your manuscript. I watched the Freezing for Christmas video and shed tears. The account of Sharia Courts is more chilling than Winter. My hope, based on nothing, is that the new US Administration will be used by the UK to turn the tide of Islam and the atrocities it calls for in favor of common sense common law that have existed in the UK forever. And yes, guacamole is mushy peas. Leave some for me.
The Sharia courts thing has been rumbling for some years. The main thing is not to give them any legal standing and to start prosecuting men for bigamy if they have more than one 'lawful' wife at a time.
Other religions do also have 'courts' or councils. This op ed is interesting. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/12/20/sharia-courts-exploit-britains-traditions-religious-freedom/ or https://archive.ph/uFOGW
Exactly. At the risk of sounding like Laurence Fox, assimilate or leave. No putting up with wife and daughter beatings, honor killings and other law breaking. Ummm, how 'bout not stabbing your political representatives?
"Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers" -- that's fantastic!
Merry Christmas to you and Paddy! Please give him a holiday treat from me.
It was v good. Starmer is unfortunate in that his name rhymes with so much.
It didn't make Christmas No1. And the BBC still are refusing play it. On the top 40 they skipped over it.
Merry Christmas to you and Paddy says thank you for his treat.
Merry Christmas Michelle! And to your family, Paddy and cats! I keep finding ornaments under the couch due to cat thievery.
Pellicot: he should have gotten life. Although he seems old so maybe will croak in prison anyway, a small price.
Apparently they have scope to increase the sentence later. The max sentence for rape in France is 20 years. One can only hope for a death in prison.
LOL about cat burglary and Christmas trees. I now have the theme from Mission Impossible resounding in my head as a gang of cats perform ever more daring raids on a succession of Christmas trees!
Merry Christmas to you and yours, Allison.
What a relief to have a manuscript off to the editor! Merry Christmas!
It is really important to make the deadlines. You don't want to get a reputation for missing them as it can cause problems.
Merry Christmas to you as well.
Hello Northumberland! Good to see Ya this Friday before Christmas.
TY for the archive.today links to all the good articles. I couldn't finish the article on the rape trial in France. And that picture at the top of the article on Sharia is pretty scary. The article on Biden shows the abomination of his presidency. I'm hopeful we've seen the end of cancel culture.
Congratulations! That's great You got the manuscript done. I hope Your editor loves it.
And it's great to see Paddy getting ready to don the Christmas hat. Likewise, Merry Christmas to You and Yours!
TY, as always, Michelle.
Hello JT!
Merry Christmas to you! Always a joy to see you on a Friday.
I fully anticipate more articles like that about Biden.
Fingers crossed for my editor loving my ms. At least I know I can concentrate on other things over the Christmas period.
Do MPs in Britain not have to live in the area they represent?
Basically no. They can get parachuted into safe seats. They normally promise to buy a house in the constituency. It is why Boris Johnson represented several different areas for example. Or Luke Akehurst who is a North London and very Jewish is now representing North Durham which does not have a large Jewish population. As far as I am aware, the large Jewish population in the North East resides in Gateshead, not Durham.
It is a probable with safe seats. Hexham is no longer safe and thus the next Conservative candidate will probably be from the area. We had several parachuted in. The one I remember was Peter Atkinson who was parachuted in after the previous MP been caught playing a game of hide the sausage on Hampstead Heath with other like minded males back in the early 1990s and felt compelled to resign.
I can only think of one here who lives outside the district and that’s the horrible and ugly inside and out Maxine Waters. She represents poor black Compton I believe but doesn’t deign to live there on her ill gotten gains. Then there’s Hilary who parachuting to NY but at least they live in the state.
Have a Merry Christmas Michelle, to you and your family, two and four legged
Merry Christmas to you and yours as well!
The parachuting in was something which really shocked me when I first moved over here. I found it hard to get my head around that the electorate would be happy with someone who doesn't have a feel for what is going on. Currently the Hexham MP grew up in Corbridge but left after high school and then worked in the Westminister bubble. It remains to be seen if he has a feel for the concerns of this v rural constituency, but I have my doubts.
It is more and more evident that the electorate in general cares for nothing but the capital letter in parenthesis after the name. There is no other explanation for the continued electoral success of the D.
Safe seats do not help the electorate as the elected official knows it doesn't matter how badly they do their job or how out of step on certain issues, they will still get re-elected.
Some of this historic and tribal -- in the UK, it can be framed as my grandparents or g-grandparents would turning in their grave if they knew I voted xyz.
Yet ANY proposal to require of voters directly or indirectly evidence of a functioning brain or of having skin in the game can't be said to be dead on arrival; none would dare even raise it. Those who say that such voters deserve what they get annoy me; everyone gets what they get.
Mushy peas are pretty horrible.