herfiehandbag

I'm actually quite surprised that 17366 supporters of a Palestinian politician were watching and listening to Julia Hartley -Brewer broadcasting! Like Heineken, Talk TV/Radio must reach into corners others don't!

Should have slotted the bastard.

You really do have a marvellous encyclopaedic knowledge of links for just about every topic which touches upon UK political topics don't you. Years ago I remember ( had some dealings with) the "news clipping agencies". They worked by collating all available press articles, one registered an interest and you could have access to all those articles. I know that Labour (and almost certainly the other parties) maintain an electronic version of such a database - I remember reading the job description for its manager, some time ago. So how does it work Chomper, do you call up your handlers, tell them that the "awkward squad" on the board you monitor has said "x y z", and they supply you with the links to answer it? Or do you devote every waking moment to reading and noting a wide variety of publications (some behind paywalls)? It must be quite a challenge, there are after all only 24 hours in a day!

Local elections are due to be held across swathes of England in May. I am unsure about Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The ruling Labour Westminster Government, whose popularity has collapsed spectacularly in the six months since they won power, and are accordingly expecting and expected to lose a great many local council seats in these local elections, are considering cancelling these elections in a number of councils, as they are "planning reorganisations of these local authorities". Put bluntly, and perhaps simplistically, the UK relies constitutionally, on the Government "doing the right thing"; in this case facing the electorate. The suspicion is that they intend to "dodge" facing the electorate, using the excuse of future reorganisations. Can they do it? They have a massive parliamentary majority, notwithstanding the collapse in public support, and Parliament is sovereign, so yes, they can, despite it not being " the right thing".

Personally I think that Reform would be foolish to accept funds from Musk - particularly in view of the way he has inveigled himself, without any electoral participation or confirmation, into the highest echelons of the incoming US administration. I think it would backfire spectacularly with the British Electorate, particularly that part of it which Reform is courting. However I think that the Electoral Commission would be immediately better employed reviewing the suggestions by government that a number of local elections should be cancelled in the spring of 2025 - that, I would suggest, is at least as great a threat to the integrity of the democratic process in the UK as interference by Musk.

Gracious me - I am a British conservative - and an interested observer of the current chaotic US political situation. To describe me as "far left delusional", apart from being utterly ludicrous as anyone familiar with my often evinced views on this forum in regard to UK politics, shows remarkable delusion on your own part!

Trump ran to stay out of jail. His various fines and legal antics have rather exhausted his funds. His assets are leveraged and beyond, he is broke, as is witnessed by his continued grifting even as President elect. I also rather suspect that he is not really interested in the nitty gritty of governing, preferring the "big ticket" stuff which puts him in the limelight. Elon has almost unlimited, no, (effectively unlimited) supplies of money. Trump needs, is impressed by and covets money. Elon is impressed by his own presence as he roams the corridors of power. Elon isn't going anywhere.

I athumed she came from Bartheloma! Does she have a hamster called Basil?

It is in a way darkly ironic. Trump won the election, the MAGA movement ( here and elsewhere) crowed and boasted of a decisive win, the comeback of a political titan, the people having spoken and must now be heard, a great new era dawning, and in the cold light of the new morning, instead of a Trumpian blaze of glory, we discover it is Elon Musk actually calling the shots!

I know, thank you. I realised too late to edit my mistake, although I corrected myself in my subsequent post.

Well perhaps you should 'go to Specsavers", your contact lenses seem to have misled you as to what you were drinking; the stuff was only launched yesterday!

A "quockerwodger". Thank you, I shall remember that!

She was, by accounts, an athletic teenage girl. She is now an invalid, unable to play her sports of volleyball and softball. And now we see, from her documentary film, that the creature who injured her has the self obsessed brazen arrogance to tell her that she is obsessed, "living rent free in her head". No wonder she has put on some weight! I think she is rather pretty, and it seems from the OP quite determined and brave. Speaking out like that, overcoming an injury inflicted in such a way, and resulting in a life altering disability, requires significant courage, especially for a 17 year old. I wish her well, and support her campaign.

Fornicate with my ancient military footwear - you really are struggling on this one aren't you Chomper!

Poor child. It really is grossly unfair. She has had her dreams shattered, and her opportunities taken away because of the self-righteous demands of a freak. He was not a female basketball player, he was a male basketball player, with the attributes of a male, size and muscular power, playing against girls. Utterly wrong. I don't care if he identifies as a woman, dresses as a woman or sits down to pee! He can in that, as far as I am concerned, fill his boots; but he is a man, genetically and physically, and should not have been competing with girls in that sport. What he did to her demonstrates that.

How very revealing!

Lying bastard!

Now have some compassion @nglodnig, please. Poor chap spends all day on his barstool in Soi 6, and when he has summoned up the courage to step out some Russians have copped off with all the girls! It's enough to drive a fellow to drink.

He won't like it, far too many tourists! Any way, the only time he leaves Pattaya is when he does his fake " I've sold it all, and am at the airport, taking my millions with me, I would post a picture but my phone battery is flat" act! We must be about due another such saga!

If that is what they want to do, they still can, just buy it between 10.00am and 10.00pm. That is what makes the whole thing so silly.

Press reports and broadcast media, freely available. Before the UK can even open talks, there are three demands: 1) lift restrictions on EU countries fishing boats fishing in British waters. 2) Free movement ( entry to and residing in the UK) for EU nationals under the age of 30. 3) The UK to be subject to the ECJ. In other words, 3 of the major "benefits" of withdrawal from the EU,(and incidentally 3 of the main points on which the leave campaign fought and won the referendum) are to be given up, before any negotiations are to be entertained. How did the Eagles song "Hotel California" put it -"you can check out but you can never leave!"

There is. "Brussels" is demanding that it be abandoned as a precursor to any talks!

Want to fish in other countries waters, have to accept the rules and regulations of the countries in whose waters you wish to fish. Or is it only a one way process?

Far from writing the script, merely an interested observer. One must recognise, surely, the very significant element of self interest involved, in putting a multi billionaire ( some would say the world's richest man) into such a pivitol role in an administration one of whose primary intents is to dramatically reduce federal expenditure, and another intent is to find large tax cuts for the very wealthy. The self interest I refer to is both on the part of Musk, who stands to benefit from those tax cuts, and Trump who already has benefitted from Musks wealth, and no doubt wishes to continue to do so. Far from writing the script, you and others did that when you voted him in. You own the script; I'm just not sure that many, perhaps most, recognise the implications, or perhaps care very much!

Technically he hasn't bought "the Presidency - he has bought the position of "first buddy": a non officially recognised post , a bit like the government non- department he is to head up. Musk probably neither knows nor cares about the effects of the cuts he wishes to see implemented, he is only interested in the amount of cash they will release to be ploughed into tax cuts for him and his ilk!