31 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

It's not about begrudging him a nice house though is it, and I think you know that. It is about transparency, ethics, and morals, or lack thereof.

It's about taking a £5m cash donation and not declaring it. It's about taking it from a British / Thai crypto billionaire and then running for office with a policy of deregulating crypto and lowering capital gains taxes on crypto transactions that could benefit that donor to the tune of tens of millions or hundreds of millions of pounds. It's about not declaring it as parliamentary rules dictate. It's about then lying about it. It's about then concocting a ludicrous story about his phone being hacked by the KGB.

It's about lots of things, begrudging him having a nice house is not one of them.

And I think he has 4 now and the one in Clacton bought by his girlfriend which he said he had bought. He is a totally nasty piece of slime I would prefer Rupert Lowe any day over him I may not agree with him but he does care about what he cares about it's not a grift. Real shame about his plane crash.

3 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

no you presume wrongly I do not disapprove, I risk causing an acquittal ? don't be ridiculous

The case is now sub judice, under UK Contempt of Court Act 1981, as the suspect has now been charged.

https://www.gov.uk/contempt-of-court

https://www.lexisnexis.co.uk/legal/guidance/statutory-contempt-of-court

This also applies to forums hosted outside of the UK that are available within the UK,

Up to you.

9 hours ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

Sorry I'm busy do you own research.

So you can't provide the names. 😁 😁 😁

The pictures of him in hospital are terrible, lucky he can't see anymore or that would of killed him..carved up all over

That's true, too. But it is yet another, different story.

19 hours ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

Sorry but Oakshott - Richard Tice's wife who lives in Dubai under Sharia Law "for tax purposes" whilst intoning about broken Britain is only worth of contempt. She actually wrote an article about how the water in Dubai was better than Britain and they had working fountains. I think she shuddered at living in some Brexit <deleted>ghole that her husband won a seat in and who can blame her. And there are people who will vote for this shameless charade.

You really are full of aggression aren't you? irrespective as to where anyone lives is irrelevant. They can still have opinions

3 hours ago, baansgr said:

Anymore proof needed to scrap DEI...another murder due to this stupidity of DEI

I'm with you on this gay adoption doesn't sit well with me for many reasons.

The UK government seems to think the illegal entrants to the country have similar moral and cultural values as the British people. I don't know how many of you have lived in some of these countries from which they come but if you have you will know that their morals and ways are 180 degrees from those of Western countries.

Once you understand that it is not hard to realise that they will not assimilate into Western society, instead they will want to change it into the countries from which they come.

15 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

You really are full of aggression aren't you? irrespective as to where anyone lives is irrelevant. They can still have opinions I want my liberal, democratic, civilised and tolerant country back. Yes, people are entitled to criticise Britain, but when they lecture about "Broken Britain" from a soulless luxury condo high in a Dubai tower—while enjoying tax advantages and remaining silent about the repression, lack of free speech and near-servitude endured by many in their host country they shouldn't expect their attacks on their homeland to pass without comment.

1 minute ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

20 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

You really are full of aggression aren't you? irrespective as to where anyone lives is irrelevant. They can still have opinions I want my liberal, democratic, civilised and tolerant country back. Yes, people are entitled to criticise Britain, but when they lecture about "Broken Britain" from a soulless luxury condo high in a Dubai tower—while enjoying tax advantages and remaining silent about the repression, lack of free speech and near-servitude endured by many in their host country they shouldn't expect their attacks on their homeland to pass without comment.

You are commenting and I assume you are in Thailand. See what I am saying?

3 minutes ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

22 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

You really are full of aggression aren't you? irrespective as to where anyone lives is irrelevant. They can still have opinions I want my liberal, democratic, civilised and tolerant country back. Yes, people are entitled to criticise Britain, but when they lecture about "Broken Britain" from a soulless luxury condo high in a Dubai tower—while enjoying tax advantages and remaining silent about the repression, lack of free speech and near-servitude endured by many in their host country they shouldn't expect their attacks on their homeland to pass without comment.

I actually never said that at all. If you want to quote me please do but don't put in your version and imply it is from me.

How are two men allowed to adopt a young child? Who ever allowed it should be incarcerated for life.

2 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

I actually never said that at all. If you want to quote me please do but don't put in your version and imply it is from me.

Oops sorry for some reason as I have numerous anti-java, ad blockers and paywall busters my formatting goes skew whiff at times. I will check more carefully in future. I replied ; and I'm not in Thailand it's 7am UK time.

They can still have opinions I want my liberal, democratic, civilised and tolerant country back. Yes, people are entitled to criticise Britain, but when they lecture about "Broken Britain" from a soulless luxury condo high in a Dubai tower—while enjoying tax advantages and remaining silent about the repression, lack of free speech and near-servitude endured by many in their host country they shouldn't expect their attacks on their homeland to pass without comment.

Edited June 16Jun 16 by beautifulthailand99

21 hours ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

Oops sorry for some reason as I have numerous anti-java, ad blockers and paywall busters my formatting goes skew whiff at times. I will check more carefully in future. I replied ; and I'm not in Thailand it's 7am UK time.

They can still have opinions I want my liberal, democratic, civilised and tolerant country back. Yes, people are entitled to criticise Britain, but when they lecture about "Broken Britain" from a soulless luxury condo high in a Dubai tower—while enjoying tax advantages and remaining silent about the repression, lack of free speech and near-servitude endured by many in their host country they shouldn't expect their attacks on their homeland to pass without comment.

So unless you are physically in the country you cannot have an opinion? really? Have you ever been to the Middle East? I don't think you have. One thing they have which the UK currently lacks is law and order. If you are going to criticize a country at least you should have spent some time in it.

A post with a screenshot of a news item has been removed as well as the replies as there was no link provided to the source of information.

11 hours ago, Photoguy21 said:

So unless you are physically in the country you cannot have an opinion? really? Have you ever been to the Middle East? I don't think you have. One thing they have which the UK currently lacks is law and order. If you are going to criticize a country at least you should have spent some time in it.

I grew up in the Middle East, in Bahrain. My dad was Army Loan Service, so that meant he was in the British Army, but serving in the Bahraini Defence Force, in their uniform, taking their rank (Captain), and having one of the Al Khalifas as his CO. This was long before the British military presence was officially reintroduced. I had perceptions formed as a teenager in the early 80s.

We existed in a unique expat community, different from the rest. We knew people in the further British community. They were in the local oil company; welders, accountants, engineers, living in basically a 1950s American style town called Awali and those involved in the financial services, who lived in rather luxurious private compounds in Budaiyah, in jobs that came with a chauffeur driven S-Class. They didn't really know how Bahrain was run, and I doubt they really cared.

When you talk about "Law and Order", in those countries, it depends on what you call Law and what you call Order. Nepotism is the name of the game, and I heard the Khalifas described as a "Benign Dictatorship". You see institutionalised corruption everywhere.

On a trivial level, numberplates. The Amir didn't have a licence plate. If you saw his convoy, you get off the road pronto. And you do the same for an Al Khalifa. 2 digit signified members of the government senior Sheikh. 3 digits meant minor Al Khalifas. Dad got a Range Rover (it wasn't a nice one) off one of these minor Royals, and for about a month, enjoyed the 3 digit plate, and everyone peeling off into the kerbs to make way.

Even at that age, I knew about a "Major Henderson", and basically the small British Army contingent in the BDF at the time (a Colonel, two Captains, a Major and a REME WO1) wanted nothing to do with him, apparently coming from the Embassy. All I knew about Henderson at the time was he was some sort of advisor to Sheikh Isa. Later on I found out he was Ian Henderson, a former British policeman from Kenya, and he headed the Bahraini Special Branch, an earnt himself the nickname "the Butcher of Bahrain". Not a nice bloke. Wrong 'un because he used a made up rank.

One of my Dad's Bahraini Sergeants was a bloke called Said. I knew his family well, we used to visit. Said was good at his trade, and dad wanted to send him on a course in the UK, because it would it would also help him make Warrant Officer. Said wanted to go on the course, but he didn't want the promotion, because that would make him outrank his mate Ibrahim. Said was Shia, Ibrahim was Sunni, and Said said it wasn't allowed for Shia to outrank Sunni. So, not exactly an equal society. And Said divulged he had a brother, but he hadn't seen him in 10 years. He said his brother voted for the wrong party, and so the police came for him, and took him away. I think he considered him dead, and "Inshallah".

Sheikh Isa; jovial looking chap, a great friend of out Queen. He had a summer palace with a beach. Opened it up to expatriates. As long as you were white. Bahrainis, Arabs, Indians and African-Americans were literally banned. As a kid, I thought the beach was great, free cokes and snacks. Often the Sheikh would be seen, in all his finery, on an outside swing set, couple of white women either side of him, in their bikinis. No Islamic piety there. Plenty of machine gun toting cops there, to keep anyone unwelcome out. No photography allowed.

Bribery, common institutionalised. My dad ran a military facility that made local purchases through the local agents. I recall one of these agents turning up with a nice Christmas present; a cut glass Scottish decanter set; Dad, from the East End, was pretty chuffed with this, but maybe a bit naive. The next year, the same agent came up with a Wedgewood dinner set. We never used it. Then the third Christmas, and it was cash, several 1000 pounds. Then the penny dropped. These were bribes. The Agent thought the only reason Dad placed orders with him was because of bribery. The cash went under a pillow, and spent. Mum and Dad were crapping themselves. After that, all presents were declined.

Another example of corruption. A couple of guys came out from the UK; Cpl Brown, and Cpl Smith, RA, or so they said. Dad had a suspicion, tried to pull rank on them, but they remained tight lipped. They were Royal Artillery, out to train Bahrainis in local uniform. Bahrain didn't have any artillery. So they all went out for a lads night; a British Army Colonel, a Major, my dad, and these two jokers. Beer was drunk and someone was driving. On a roundabout, a fender bender with a car load of pissed as newts Arab coppers. A full on argument broke out, with the Arabs swearing away in English, and Smith&Jones using their best Arabic insults. Dad was worried at this point, diplomatic incident etc.. The local fuzz turned up, they were obviously mates of the Arabs, and all of them were carted off to the police station. Smith and Jones made the call, to "our man" in the Embassy. Released, nothing more said.

One of my schoolmates was one of Sheikh Isa's grandkids. He had a lot of them, and we all attended the same school. The Al Khalifa kids used to rock up in pimped out Mercs and Range Rovers. I'd come on a Tata bus. I kept in touch for a few years. He went on to college in the US, and he became Defence Minister and now is Crown Prince. What he did during the Bahrain roundabout protests saddened me. There was no hint of a tolerance. He did the same as what his Uncle, who had been PM and was old school, did in 1975. Nothing had changed. Superficially, they are smiling, appearing pro-Western.

That was Bahrain, and I don't think Bahrain has changed much. Its a rotten government overseeing a corrupt society where if you keep your nose clean, don't upset the wrong people, you will get by.

I don't think any of the other Gulf states are really any different. And like the expats in Bahrain on their tax free salaries, in their walled off compounds, expats in the other countries will be similarly oblivious to the true workings of these countries, which have a veneer of modernity, but underneath, are run by centuries old custom, which is really tribalism; greasing palms where necessary, kissing the ring to get that contract, to get that promotion.

Yes, you can be an expat, and you might have dealings with Emiratis, who will tell you largely what you want to hear.

I wouldn't characterise them having more Law and Order than the UK. They might have Order, but that's not through Law. Some people are ok with that.

Another example that comes to mind about the region not being all that it seems, was some research I did about 10 years ago.

I needed to establish the demand and usage for CD4 lab tests. CD4 tests are tests that measure your T helper cells. They are used when you are treating HIV positive patients, in tracking the recovery of their immune systems.

Officially Saudi Arabia claims HIV prevalence in the Kingdom at 0.1%, one of the lowest in the world. This is a measure of the % of the population who are HIV positive. The Saudi authorities will claim this population is almost exclusively made up of unfortunate organ transplant patients receiving infected foreign organs or people who were exposed to contaminated US blood products in the early 1980s (virtually all of these patients will be dead 30+ years now), and not people who are homosexuals, drug users or use prostitutes, because officially, none of that exists in Saudi Arabia.

Now I could take that number, and use that to start estimating how many of these people will require treatment, and from that, the level of testing required to monitor their health. Saudi labs largely operate to UK standards (the entire lab system was basically set up by the British).

But I could also speak directly to lab managers, and they told me. And then when you look at the amount of CD4 testing that was going on, scale it up for all the labs capable of doing that testing, you realise the actual number of people being treated for HIV infection is much more than can be, based on official statistics. So the prevalence rate must be much higher.