| Forum Thread | End of coal at 06:55 30 Sep 2024
Today sees the closure of both Port Talbot's last blast furnace and the power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar, which will effectively end coal-fired heavy industry in the UK when Scunthorpe's blast furnace goes imminently. To mark this "milestone", Radio 4 spoke to Baroness Worthington, the Powys-born architect of the Climate Change Act, in what was one of the most smarmy interviews I have ever heard. She is taking a break in California and basking in the reflected glory of having helped the UK become the first G7 country to end coal-fired energy generation. She spoke with delight at being congratulated by Al Gore. She talked of how wonderful it is that Port Talbot will now have a plant with modern, clean technology, omitting to mention that this signals the end of the UK strategic industry of primary steel production (and the importation of plenty of dirty steel). When pushed about the many thousands of workers who will lose their present jobs, she said that change happens, and the same has happened to bank staff and supermarket checkout assistants - many more she said if one took numbers across the UK. She said this was sad, but that as somebody who drives through Port Talbot from time to time witnessing the pollution, she feels the population will be better off with the change. She did not seem convinced by the BBC interviewer's question suggesting that the pace of change could have been somewhat slowed in line with what is happening in Germany and the USA. It is hard to escape the conclusion that, along with genuine concern for the climate, there is a big dollop of virtue signalling here. I hope Baroness Worthington will get a warm welcome whenever she returns to Wales. [Post edited 30 Sep 8:55]
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| Forum Thread | Verdicts from the riots at 15:39 24 Sep 2024
The not guilty plea cases in the magistrates courts and more serious ones going to crown court are starting to trickle through. Some posters said that this would be the test of whether there is anything in the claim of "two-tier justice". At the time there were also allegations of "two-tier policing". For example, there was the case of the mob that surrounded the Birmingham pub, hospitalised a customer unwise enough to venture outside, and tried to slash the tyre on a Sky broadcast crew van. Well, one of the few persons charged that day has now appeared in court. The verdict is likely to add grist to the mill. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/man-filmed-at-protest-carrying-stick-clear We are still waiting to hear what happens to Ricky Jones early next year. [Post edited 24 Sep 15:40]
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| Forum Thread | Tata and the new UK steel strategy at 12:56 11 Sep 2024
The statement just made today in Parliament is the first encouraging development I have seen under the new government. The big plus is that, in addition to an improved redundancy package, there will be an intention to bring back some UK primary steel production to complement the planned electric arc furnaces at Port Talbot and Scunthorpe. I suppose the downside is that the Tata deal does not postpone the closure of the existing blast furnaces, does not reduce the number of lost jobs significantly, and does not push Tata to add a DRI front end to the EAF in the short term. It was a bit rich for the Shadow Business Minister to criticise Labour for this when so little progress had been made by the last government. I will wait with interest to see what those with greater knowledge than me of the plant think. [Post edited 11 Sep 13:02]
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| Forum Thread | Latest hostage killings at 14:17 2 Sep 2024
The discovery of six hostages (including women) found dead in a tunnel in Gaza has provoked protests against the Israel government. However, to me the fact they were killed immediately when rescue became likely shows that no party is worse than Hamas. Basically the only Israelis encountered in that cross-border incursion on October 7th who stayed alive are those that Hamas could use as pawns. Everybody else was murdered on the spot, and if the hostages are no longer of use they too are killed. That looks more like genocide than the admittedly OTT actions of Israel in Gaza. As a general rule Palestinians are not killed on sight. |
| Forum Thread | Telegram CEO arrested in France at 12:13 25 Aug 2024
The CEO of the secure messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, has been arrested in France. Telegram is widely used because encrypted messages from senders to recipients are virtually impossible for third parties to read. Fuel for conspiracy theorists who believe that governments are seeking to exert greater control over their populations? |
| Forum Thread | Red card for Sidibeh today at 19:40 24 Aug 2024
Adama Sidibeh was sent off in the game between St Johnstone and Dundee United today, After receiving his second card there was a further altercation that will lead to an additional penalty. Discipline problems? From BBC Report: Sidibeh's red card effectively ended the game as a competitive tie. His first booking - a handball as he punched the ball away from Walton in a failed 'hand-of-god' re-enactment - was foolish. His second - catching Will Ferry with his hand as he tried to spin away - was perhaps harsh. His reaction to the dismissal - throwing a hand towards the midriff of Holt - resulted in a further card for violent conduct after a VAR intervention. A lengthier ban awaits. _____ St Johnstone lost 2-0. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/football/jim-goodwin-unhappy-with-adama-sidibeh- [Post edited 24 Aug 20:15]
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| Forum Thread | QPR vs Plymouth at 14:31 24 Aug 2024
Some game here. Whittaker scored a cracker to equalise, before Argyle self-destructed and had a man sent off. Thereafter, it was largely one way with the Plymouth keeper MoM. Obefemi came on and had a couple of good moments, without looking that sharp. Amazingly Argyle then had a very strong penalty shout denied. The ref was definitely not their friend and they ended up holding on with 9 men after a rather harsh second dismissal. Ended 1-1. |
| Forum Thread | Josh Key tribunal press release tomorrow at 18:35 23 Aug 2024
According to the Exeweb forum there will be a press release tomorrow. A poster there is suggesting ECFC is satisfied with the outcome. Edit: As I re-check another post is saying may be a slight delay. [Post edited 23 Aug 18:38]
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| Forum Thread | Rising national debt at 01:53 22 Jun 2024
For a while some of us have been expressing concern about rising welfare expenditure against the background of already high tax levels, which however, for many tax payers amount to less contributed than they receive in services and benefits. That picture is worsening according to the latest figures. Covid 19 spending, energy subsidies and the latest benefits inflation uplift have added to the pressure. It is reported that France has a similar problem. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/britain-s-debt-soars-to-2-7-trillion/ar-BB Will Sir Keir have the solution? Before anybody suggests it, I don't think raising taxes for the rich is going to be enough. [Post edited 22 Jun 7:19]
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| Forum Thread | MPs and ISAs at 09:12 2 Jun 2024
Was it wise for our likely new MP to make and delete a post about reducing the tax advantages of ISAs? https://www.express.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/1906261/Labour-huge-ISA-crackd Speaking as somebody who has saved, but is not super rich, I've struggled in recent years to find a savings vehicle that returns anything even close to the rate of inflation. It then seems pretty harsh that interest on savings in ordinary bank accounts, above what is now quite a low limit, gets taxed, meaning that the rate of decline in the real value of one's savings is accelerated. Mr Bell seems to want to take this a step further by clamping down on what is already a quite limited way of shielding some savings from HMRC. |
| Forum Thread | Politics in a changing UK at 08:06 6 May 2024
Just before he died, Henry Kissinger commented on the political impact of large-scale migration into Europe; he talked about the creation of new interest groups that would influence political parties and their policies. The results of the recent council elections, and how Gaza has featured so centrally in the campaigns in some areas, seem to bear that out. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/palestine-has-right-to-fight-back-says-gree Other recent news headlines say that the Labour Party is working to win back votes in Muslim communities. Some senior party sources say policy will need to change, even after the shift that already happened.. Personally I find that quite worrying. I seem to recall a discourse from years ago whereby people on the Left argued that changing demography would not greatly change existing culture and values, because integration would mean that migrants adopted the values had attracted them to the UK in the first place. Will foreign policy now be shaped increasingly by the reaction of certain "interest groups" to what is happening in far away places? Some will say that demography is destiny. [Post edited 6 May 8:08]
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