friendica (DFRN) - Link to source
I don't support Andy Burnham or the #Labour Party, for that matter, but two free meals? Are you serious? Nobody gives a toss about freebie meals. There are bigger things going on in the world right now!
#politics #GutterPress
thesun.co.uk/sport/40675222/anโ€ฆ

PM accused of covering up Man City links after Sun finds he had freebie dinners

PM ANDY Burnham was accused of covering up his links to scandal-hit Manchester City after a Sun probe rubbished his claims he had only one โ€œsignificantโ€ meeting with its chairman. A deleted registeโ€ฆ
Thomas Godfrey (The Sun)
#politics #labour #GutterPress

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source
I spoke to a couple of #ReformUK voters over the weekend. They promoted the idea of using a remote Scottish island with tents, no less! "๐˜ž๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ญ, ๐˜ช๐˜ด๐˜ฏ'๐˜ต ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜ธ๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜บ'๐˜ท๐˜ฆ ๐˜ซ๐˜ถ๐˜ด๐˜ต ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ง๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ?" so that they don't land on the mainland UK.
#politics #stoptheboats
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwnv0zโ€ฆ
#politics #ReformUK #stoptheboats

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

โ€œ๐™„๐™จ ๐˜ฝ๐™–๐™™๐™š๐™ฃ๐™ค๐™˜๐™ ๐™๐™๐™–๐™ฉ๐™˜๐™๐™š๐™ง 2.0?โ€
Badenoch is deliberately echoing Thatcher's 1976 The Right Approach with The Right Way. But she faces very different problems than Thatcher did in 1976. So perhaps this isn't about being โ€œthe second Thatcherโ€ at all. Perhaps she's using Thatcher's 1976 game plan to rebuild a Conservative Party that has lost its way.
#politics

๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ'๐˜€ ๐Ÿญ๐Ÿต๐Ÿณ๐Ÿฒ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฏ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—บ ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ป'๐˜ ๐—•๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป'๐˜€ ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฒ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฏ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—บ.
Thatcher was dealing with inflation, trade-union power, nationalised industries, and the post-war consensus.

Badenoch is dealing with Brexit, mass migration, an enormous welfare state, demographic ageing, huge public debt, weak productivity, an NHS crisis, net-zero policy and a political challenger to her right.

#politics

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source
Just finished ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—œ๐—ป๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—˜๐˜…๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜: ๐—•๐—ผ๐—ฏ๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ฒ, ๐—•๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ธ ๐Ÿฒ by @Dennis_E_Taylor
Awesome openeing even had me thinking "WTF?" Two observations about the Brazilians. Oh, and the end could very well be "Oh fuck." #bobiverse โค๏ธ๐Ÿš€
m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51โ€ฆ
#bobiverse

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source
Is everyone stupid? Seriously, how thick do you have to be to not ask yourself: "Hang on a minute, they've been bailed? But, but, if they had a bomb, surely they'd be remanded?" So no bomb then? "Attempting to enter a military installation is surely serious, especially in these sensitive times?" Hang on, they're released on bail after a day?
You watch, they're going to turn out to be flytippers! ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ
#RAFFairford
news.sky.com/story/raf-fairforโ€ฆ
#RAFFairford

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

Just to be clear, it wasn't MI5, it wasn't counter terrorism. It was a farmer who phoned the rozzers: "Erm, there are these blokes in masks messing about near the base fence." who foiled the attempted attack! ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ
#RAFFairford

theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2โ€ฆ

RAF Fairford live updates: Streeting thanks farmer who alerted police but says she has โ€˜a partial pictureโ€™

Member of the public who contacted police after seeing โ€˜group of hooded and masked menโ€™ near RAF base says she thinks โ€˜someone dropped the ballโ€™ over incident
Yohannes Lowe (the Guardian)
#RAFFairford

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source
Notice how the media doesn't stomp all over #Labour when a story like this crawls out of the woodwork? Even the #BBC softens the blow with the tagline: "Unexpected". If the #Conservatives were still in power, there would be all hell and gnashing of teeth.
#politics
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c68049โ€ฆ

Unexpected UK borrowing surge adds to pre-Budget pressure on chancellor

Borrowing was higher than expected in August as inflation piles pressure on the government ahead of the Budget.
Tom Espiner (BBC News)
#politics #bbc #conservatives #labour

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

You didn't seriously think Earl Spencer was going to have anything nice to say about the royal family, did you?

Where did I put my surprised face?
#royalfamily #Dianna

bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6wyz8โ€ฆ

Newspaper headlines: 'Giddy King' and 'war of words' over Earl Spencer book

Most papers feature the latest from the royal feud on the second day of Diana's brother Earl Spencer's book being serialised in the Daily Mail.
BBC News
#royalfamily #Dianna

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

They've only been back in the country for two minutes, and they're up to their old tricks again. When will we be rid of this attention-seeking, entitled pair?

bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwg7kvโ€ฆ

Harry and Meghan to have security review and children change school

The level of police protection they need and potential dangers they face are to be reviewed.
Sean Coughlan (BBC News)

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

How thick are people? The RNLI saves lives; they don't give a toss where people come from or how they got there. They care that some poor soul is in peril on the sea!

Wadda you want them to do, throw them back in? Give me strength.

bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn746lโ€ฆ

RNLI reviews security after protests in Dover and Portsmouth

Volunteers were targeted online after it assisted in the rescue of people crossing the Channel on Sunday.
Simon Jones (BBC News)

reshared this

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

What an utter joke the .GOV One login blah, blah blah is!!!

So I had to renew my driving license (That's a joke too! I'll have to do this all again in five years' time). My passport is expiring soon; luckily, I could use my still-valid driver's license.
That was a bit of a faff, but I thought it was funny that it offered to use a 2016 photo of me on file for the registration. ๐Ÿคฏ

What you learn is that you're registering for One Logon, which is basically the government's version of Authenticator. Then, having registered with One Login you've got to register with the GOV website. It wanted my passport number, but hang on- that's expired? And I told you I didn't want to use it? No. I had to put my number in. Unbelivably it told me the quickest way to register was to use the ten year old photo on my passport! So all these security checks and it's happy to use old photos. ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ

Word of caution: If you give the wrong year you moved into where you live your account will be locked, there's no second chances.

dick_turpin reshared this.

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

Remember, children. This is where it starts: #Labour Spend, spend, spend until the money runs out. Wait, I thought it had run out? What happened to this ยฃ22 billion black hole?
#Politics

bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjwx5vโ€ฆ

Free bus travel for disabled people in England to be extended to 24 hours a day

The change, which has been welcomed by campaign groups, will come into effect in England from April.
Beth Rose (BBC News)
#politics #labour

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source
And here's gaffe number one from St Andy Burnham. Of course, the official line will be: "No secrets were divulged." I bet they weren't; the Americans, Russians and Chinese already know all our secrets. ๐Ÿคฃ
#Politics
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyvj5โ€ฆ

Burnham exchanged messages with person posing as Trump's chief of staff

Downing Street has declined to comment on the security breach, first reported by Politico.
Jennifer McKiernan (BBC News)
#politics

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

All joking aside, and it is funny. What the hell is Clacton going to do if he wins?

More importantly, what will he do if he wins?
#Politics #CountBinFace
independent.co.uk/news/uk/poliโ€ฆ

Count Binface could get 20% of vote in Clacton by-election, new poll shows

Some 20 per cent of Clacton voters to back Count Binface in Nigel Farageโ€™s constituency
Athena Stavrou (The Independent)
#politics #countbinface
in reply to dick_turpin

mastodon - Link to source

Adam Dalliance

He's already said he's not Sinn Fรฉin and would take the seat.

I expect he'd just get on with case-work and probably be one of the best local MPs in the country because there's no shuffling for position in the party or taking up ministerial roles or campaigning for the future to worry about.

Opposite of Farage really, who is only in Clacton at all for party and national reasons.

in reply to dick_turpin

mastodon - Link to source

Adam Dalliance

He is doing it for the national lols.

In interview he does appear to be saying that in the unlikely event he won he'd take the job seriously and do his best for Clacton.

He certainly won't be lining up ministerial positions or flying to America to make deals with foreign parties or thinking about campaigning for the next election.

He could of course either be lying or just be shit at it or even just decide after a month that he can't be bothered and quit. But from what he's saying in interview, his plan would just be to try and be a good independent MP.

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

A month or so ago, I was asked to quote on installing an agent on 18 machines. I sent the price, and I could tell they weren't happy. A couple of weeks later, I got a new request to install it on 6 machines. I sent over a revised price and silence for another week or so. I then got an angry email demanding to know how I justified the price for a "six-minute job!" I explained how we have highly skilled technicians with a wealth of knowledge and experience and that our resources, too, come at a cost.

I then received yet another request for 2 laptops. My first thought was:
๐Ÿง  "Don't tell me, there's a problem with these, isn't there?"

Lo and behold, nobody can install because the laptops' firewall is enabled and we can't give the user the admin password. We sorted it in the end, but this demonstrates why IT services come at a premium.

dick_turpin reshared this.

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

So I've extensively played with #ChatGPT, #Copilot, and, most recently, everyone's wet dream, #Claude. I have to say, they're all pretty much the same. I think the reason everyone is cooing over Claude is that it shows you what it's doing as it cogitates, and it integrates well with SharePoint.

What I don't like is that, for freebie accounts, ChatGPT and Claude are very stingy about how much interaction you can have. Waiting one or two days to complete a task is pretty annoying. Copilot seems slightly more generous IMO.
#AI

#ai #copilot #chatgpt #claude

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source
I watched the England game last night, and we clearly need Brian Clough back! WTF was that pissing about near our own goal, twice! Get it up the other end! And is this how we play football now, on our arse? Was that the tactic? To get as many penalties or free kicks as possible? I said to the missus. "Whoa! Look! Kane is actually on his feet!"
#Football #worldcup2026
#football #worldcup2026

dick_turpin reshared this.

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

I don't believe weather forecasters, I honestly don't.
This morning I asked Google what the weather would be where I live, and it told me it would be cooler than yesterday, at 26 degrees. The radio said within two minutes that the weather would be hot in Birmingham and 29 degrees!

My computer says it is 26C for my current location, while Chrome says it's 27C
2026, and they still can't get it right.
#ukweather #MetOffice

#ukweather #MetOffice

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source
Disband the Paras. Airborne warfare is a thing of the past. The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment and The Yorkshire Regiment.
Disband 23 of the 25 Military bands.
Create a Robot-AI regiment. (Drones - RAF)
Build one carrier to match the Nimitz Class (Ideally two)
We really should have some bombers.
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gy2eโ€ฆ

Newspaper headlines: 'Defence black hole' and 'Starmer's gift to Burnham'

Many of Wednesday's papers lead on the fallout from the Defence Investment Plan released yesterday.
BBC News
in reply to dick_turpin

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

dick_turpin

I can't see large-scale conventional wars happening again. Troops will be used to guard and police occupied territory. There will always be small-scale actions, but the Russian experience should have taught us that massed tanks and infantry are a thing of the past.

The reason we need bombers is that if Europe is overrun, fighter-bombers can't reach Moscow. That is, if Moscow still exists, if we're brave enough to push the button?

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source
You know, you can't blame the officers in the #HenryNowak case. The police simply can't do their job these days. Imagine being shit scared of not acting on a claim of racism.
The politicians just want everyone to shut up and make it go away by accusing people of "Division."
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c77yx8โ€ฆ

Six more due in court after Henry Nowak protest in Southampton

Disorder erupted in Southampton on Tuesday near where 18-year-old Henry Nowak was fatally stabbed.
BBC News
#henrynowak
in reply to dick_turpin

mastodon - Link to source

Andy Wootton

They had 3 people (members of one family) telling them one story and 1 person telling them he'd been stabbed. On the bodycam recording a police officer says, "I don't think you have mate" because they are used to being lied to. They know there are many white racists who start fights. They assessed the probabilities and guessed wrong. If they can be criticised for anything, it's not checking more carefully for a stab wound. If anyone is responsible for the death, it's not the police.
in reply to Andy Wootton

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

dick_turpin

I think "I've been stabbed" takes precedence over anything. My original knee-jerk reaction to the video was "WTF!" After speaking with a number of people, I've changed my opinion to: "It certainly looks like arresting him for a race crime seemed to be the main objective." I mean, think about it. There's a bloke on the floor who's only crime at that stage was supposedly racially abusing someone, and the course of action is to cuff them? When you get stopped for speeding, etc., do they slap the bracelets on? No, they sit you in the back of the car and have a chat.

There are lots of questions, and we're not going to get the answers. Henry Nowak is going to have died for nothing, and nobody apart from his family cares because the world we live in is more worried about upsetting people's feelings than telling it like it is. ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source
You have to take your hat off to Sir Kier Starmer. He's proven that ignoring everyone works! He's had way more than most Prime Ministers' failures, and yet he's still there! And still doing nothing.
#Politics
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3vyxzโ€ฆ

Starmer tells supporters he will fight any leadership contest

The prime minister's position has hardened since Andy Burnham said he would seek to enter any potential Labour contest.
Ben Wright (BBC News)
#politics
in reply to dick_turpin

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

dick_turpin

I still think votes for the Liberals are "parking votes" People want to vote, but they can't (Yet) bring themselves to vote for ReformUK, and (imo) they think a vote for the Greens is a wasted vote. I fully accept the Conservatives have no chance for at least another seven or eight years, so that leaves the Liberals or one of these fringe parties. ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ
in reply to dick_turpin

mastodon - Link to source

Andy Wootton

If the votes are parked awaiting the return of a viable Centre-Right party, that is the Lib Dems' Right Wing. I thought it might be Labour but they're too authoritarian for libertarian Cs. The Conservatives either aren't conservative or are too afraid to admit they are, which is equally useless for attracting the 'sensible middle'. Being tribal about a label that has lost its meaning is pointless.
in reply to dick_turpin

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

dick_turpin

British politics has stagnated. Nobody wants to do anything, stand out or rock the boat. Other than prices going up, which has nothing to do with the UK government or Brexit, for that matter, I've not seen this government achieve anything. The problem with that is there has been nothing as such where the electorate stands up and says, "This government must go!"

I think these local election wins for ReformUK will not translate to votes in a general election.

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source
So out of over 275,000 people (Police Estimates) who attended both rallies in London yesterday, there were only 43 arrests? That's 0.0156%. If that's not a law-abiding protest, I don't know what is.
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgpznโ€ฆ

How rival protesters were kept apart by ยฃ4.5m police operation

Serious clashes between Unite the Kingdom and pro-Palestinian protesters were avoided on Saturday.
Daniel Sandford (BBC News)

dick_turpin reshared this.

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

This demonstrates how ineffectual our so-called PM is. He's doing nothing while his party colleagues are literally setting in motion actions that could potentially lead to his downfall, in full view of everyone, including Starmer himself. He'll go down in history as the Prime Minister who did nothing!
#Politics #UselessLabour

politico.eu/article/uk-leadersโ€ฆ

Starmerโ€™s leadership crisis: Streeting eases Burnhamโ€™s path to the top โ€” latest updates

Follow along for the latest as Britainโ€™s prime minister tries to ride out dire election results while his own Labour colleagues circle.
POLITICO
#politics #UselessLabour
in reply to Chris Ellis

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

dick_turpin

Potentially, there's only Reeves, and she's not had the best of starts. I know I've been joking about Raynor and Abbott, but my worry is that factions may well think that Raynor is a viable option. Don't forget, there is still a powerful lobby within the Labour party who think it's still 1970.

Raynor would have been in her element during the 70s and mid 80s. She would drag us back to those times if she could.

โ‡ง