THE FOURTH OF JULY

[Keith Cocker]

Because if you needed a screwdriver but only had one, two or six saws you are still in the same boat.

Ah! That explains it! Loose screw!

 

[Keith Cocker]

Well, the majority of the electorate didn't think so and, had we not suffered the pandemic and the subsequent dip in the world's economy, things would have been very different. EU trade will improve once the EU government give up punishing the UK, According to the 2022 stats on EU - UK trade figures. In fact, UK exports to the EU exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 2022, reaching £340 billion.

How can someone be so deluded.

 

[John Brown]

Michelle Mone faces criminal charges, along with her husband:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...helle-mone-facing-criminal-bribery-allegation

But the PPE scandal goes much further than that:

£1.4bn-worth of PPE supplied on time and to the specification at the contracted price was written off. The UK's biggest supplier of unused Covid personal protective equipment (PPE) said its products might have spoiled because they were left in shipping containers for several months after being delivered.

A BBC investigation has revealed that about £1.4bn-worth of aprons, masks and goggles, which were fully compliant and delivered in good order, have been incinerated, recycled or written off awaiting disposal. The deal between Full Support Healthcare and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), which was worth £1.8bn, is understood to be the most wasteful of the pandemic.

Sarah Stoute, a former nurse, set up Full Support Healthcare in 2001 in Wellingborough and her husband became a director three years later. As experienced providers of PPE during previous pandemics, they moved quickly in late 2019 to boost supply as Coronavirus broke out.

Under an existing arrangement with the NHS, their company won two DHSC purchase orders, including one for £1.78bn, for face masks and other items. Mrs Stoute said volumes of their product, shipped from China, increased from “eight sea freight containers every month to 800”.

In a post on X, then known as Twitter, in October 2020 she wrote that her “team of 25 people” supplied “one fifth of the PPE national stockpile”. She added: “I’ve paid a few people’s mortgages off this last few weeks.” Afterwards, Mrs Stoute and her husband bought a £30m seafront villa in Barbados; a yacht; a £6m house in the south of England and an international equestrian centre in Bedfordshire.

Giving evidence to the Public Accounts Committee in 2021, she said they "risked everything as a company and went into mass production with no security at all". There is no suggestion the Stoutes or their company did anything wrong.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cl55lp79dzno#:~:text=A BBC investigation has revealed,or written off awaiting disposal

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cll476qzm85o

It's an ill wind...

 

[RobinBHM]

I heard no lies at the time of the referendum

You may not have heard them………..

 

[RobinBHM]

According to the 2022 stats on EU - UK trade figures. In fact, UK exports to the EU exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 2022, reaching £340 billion

Not true

Government stats are also a good source of information

No they aren’t - it’s Brexit propaganda

 

[Scruples]

It was a minority of the electorate but a majority of those who turned out.

Feeble excuses for a failed project.

Feeble facts? How so, Jacob?

 

[Jacob]

Feeble facts? How so, Jacob?

Because every other nation had the same problems and it was a level playing field. It doesn't account for UK relatively failing performance. This was (is) due to scrapping the trade and other deals carefully built up over 40 years, with our nearest neighbours and very large ex trading partners, without having made any new deals with the rest of the world
It's time to wake up @Scruples ! What is the point of continuing to delude yourself? And it's very boring and monotonous. Wakey wakey!!

 

[Scruples]

Not true


No they aren’t - it’s Brexit propaganda

Goverment stats are collected and recorded by the Civil Service, Robin. The Civil Service would be happier without government and show no allegiance to parties.

 

[Scruples]

Because every other nation had the same problems and it was a level playing field. It doesn't account for UK relatively failing performance.

So now you blame those who didn't vote? Hmm...starting to sound a little deperate there, Jacob.

 

[Jacob]

So now you blame those who didn't vote? Hmm...starting to sound a little deperate there, Jacob.

Wake up Scruples! You are talking in your sleep!

 

[stuart little]

Good grief. It’s raining this morning. I was expecting better of the Labour Party.

Well it IS Saturday - whadya expect! - ?

 

[stuart little]

Well, that's it and certainly not unexpected. However, the bells tolls for all of those working people,now retired,who have prudently saved for rainy days - we will be clobbered. OK so the tories certainly didn't deserve another term in office but the alternative is frightening. However,no good moaning. In my opinion, before considering any crippling increase in taxes the new government needs to look at how our money has been wasted. I mean,more than £20 million to paint 20mph signs and £5million to remove them! Millions paid to France to get them to stop the boats which they didn't - they are laughing at our stupidity etc etc. We talk billions now not milliuns and local councillors can't handle that sort of money. The future is bleak.

Wasn't it a labour Welsh doing the 20mph thing?

 

[selectortone]

What a treat to see the new cabinet at their first meeting at No10 this morning. Smiling, united, eager to get on with the job.

What a difference from the outgoing lot - scowling, divided, scheming against each other.

I'm not that naive and I know they're politicians, but that'll do me.

 

[stuart little]

The 2 main ID's you need to in order to vote in yesterday's election are

Driver's License - Provisional Application costs £34.00-£43.00
Driver's License renewal - £21.50

Passport application £75.50
Passport renewal £88.50

Yes there are other forms of ID for free which requires you to go online and apply for things but why should the voter have to do all this in order to vote in the first place? It's never been a problem in the past why is it now?

Driving licence renewal is FREE - unless you use one of the rip-off merchants instead of DVLA. Mine just came back within 3 days!

 

[Terry - Somerset]

You may think that but I don't see any government changing the FPTP method of election any time soon. After all, it is how they got into power, right?
Especially after the 2011 refendum about changing the FPTP method to an alternative one was voted down by 60% of the electorate.

I only partly agree with you. With two main parties, the one with an overall majority would not willingly change the rules. The referendum was the result of a hung parliament with the LibDems holding the balance of power.

It is now plausible there could be 5 or more parties, none dominant, and all winning a material number of seats - Tory, Labour, LibDem, Reform, SNP, Greens, + others (eg: far left, Islamic).

Labour with 33% of the vote won 63% of the seats. All other parties are underrepresented relative to votes cast. It may now be time for even those with a stonking majority to think beyond the current parliament or immediately expedient.

Imagine, for instance, that by 2029 Tory and Reform resolve their differences - with a combined 38% vote share they could have a dominant majority. Labour and LibDem would be decimated - seats won in 2024 as Reform split the right of centre vote would once again be lost.

Whether our politicians have the maturity to operate in an environment where compromise and tolerance of alternative views is uncertain. It may create greater stability in UK governance compared to the left/right flip flop of policy that currently prevails.

 

[sploo]

Nah. People saw control of the nation migrating towards the EU and the country importing more people across the channel. I heard no lies at the time of the referendum but I do know that a lot of what what promised became impossible to achieve in the short term. Hence, attacks like yours, common with those who voted against Brexit looking for justification of failure whose reasons are a little too simple.

If you heard no lies during the referendum then I've got this lovely bridge I'd like you sell you. Let's talk.

 

[Keith Cocker]

What a treat to see the new cabinet at their first meeting at No10 this morning. Smiling, united, eager to get on with the job.

What a difference from the outgoing lot - scowling, divided, scheming against each other.

I'm not that naive and I know they're politicians, but that'll do me.

Continuity and expertise valued after a long absence.

 

[Spectric]

So all over for us but the American elections are also in a right state and the outcome there could have bigger consequences for us than our own elections and I suppose at least starmer is not some geriatric whose brain is disolving into his incontenence pants.

 

[Spectric]

What a treat to see the new cabinet at their first meeting at No10 this morning. Smiling, united, eager to get on with the job.

Will they look the same when they leave once they know the reality of the situation they face. Looks like first round is down to old Wes who is facing off with the junior doctors who now really have the upper hand and Wes should just make the deal because the doctors know it is also about his credability.

 

[paulrbarnard]

What a treat to see the new cabinet at their first meeting at No10 this morning. Smiling, united, eager to get on with the job.

What a difference from the outgoing lot - scowling, divided, scheming against each other.

I'm not that naive and I know they're politicians, but that'll do me.

First day of school is like that. Full of excitement and expectation. Wait till exam time