Government shaft the fishing industy by allowing to extend EU fishing quotas until 2038......fishermen will see that they have been the scapegoats yet again. No wonder the two main parties are losing support and allowing Reform UK to gain support.....why can they not put the UK first and fight our corner just once.....weak, weak, weak.
I heard the other day just what the UK fishing industry brings to the party in terms of money earned and people employed. There are twice as many people employed by Poundland than in the fishing industry and the net turnover for it is somewhere around £2.5 Billion per annum. Not even a drop in the ocean they are trying to keep. It is tiny and therefore is small fry in terms of importance to the national interest. Besides that I have no sympathy for any section of the country that voted for Brexit. I keep hearing about this support for Brexit when in reality only a very small majority was achieved for a yes vote. We have lost a fair amount by that vote which was, as has been proved over and over, sold on lies. If there were to be another go at voting I would be very confident that the vote would go the other way by far more than 2%. Not that you would ever get a Brexiteer to admit any of that of course. My challenge would be to show me the gains that have any real meaning for me by leaving Europe that aren't outweighed 5 fold at least had we stayed.
I believe this agreement to access to Security Action for Europe (Safe) - a £150bn EU fund providing loans for defence projects. It also eases the way for British food manufacturers, especially high value, low volume specialist producers to re-enter the huge European consumer market. This will include various types of shell fish and oily fish such as sardines which aren't popular in the UK but are much sought after in Southern Europe. Lastly, it re-establishes friendlier relations with like-minded democratic neighbours at a time when we are threatened by Russia and have lost the USA as an ally, at least for 4 years. Brexit was a catastrophically stupid idea, badly executed. This is at least a small step back in the right direction. I hate to say it, but well done Kier Starmer. As I pointed out before it happened, even in the only area Brexiteers really care about - keeping foreigners out - all it would do is to replace large numbers of Europeans who were white, Christian and democratic and who wanted merely to come here to work, with people who were none of the first three but merely wanted to come here to work. I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. It's also a fact that we DO need people to come here to work, whether they be brilliant scientists and engineers or plumbers and brickies or just those willing to care for the elderly. We're certain to remain in that situation at least until we can get a million or so NEETs to get up and go to work in the mornings.
Sir Keir ( smash the boats) Starmer has a new record this year of 820 migrants crossing the English Channel in one day yesterday. The alarming figure came as two migrants died attempting the journey in a small boat packed with almost 80 people.....taking the death toll for 2025 to at least 17. The French coastguard said two people were recovered from the water unconscious on an overnight crossing....Another 10 people were rescued and the BOAT WAS ALLOWED TO CARRY ON after others refused help. Almost 13,000 people have made the journey so far this year.....a record for this year and also a record for this point in the calendar year. This is not taking into account the hundreds that cross undetected each week and are not part of any statistic count. Sir Keir Starmer will be busy today signing away the Chagos Islands and give Mauritius billions of pounds. The PM is to attend a "virtual signing ceremony". The UK would give the islands...also known as the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius and pay to lease back the US-UK military base on Diego Garcia. But critics worry about the reported £9 billion cost and security risk surrounding the 99-year agreement. Mauritius is one country that China has been cosying up to in recent times....they must be rubbing their hands in glee.....Trump at the moment has not got around to castigating us aboutthe safety of their UK/USA base on Diego Garcia....he has been busy lately....maybe i missed it. Sir Keir Starmer is desperate to appease pensioners who are furious his Government scrapped universal entitlement to winter fuel payments. The radical curtailment of the benefit will go down in political history as one of the most damaging decisions by a new government. The July 29th announcement.....made just weeks after Labour ended 14 years in opposition.....sickening voters who felt betrayed....Why wasn't the possibility of the huge blow to pensioners incomes in the manifesto ? Sir Keir is now scrambling to repair this burnt-down bridge....The drubbing the part received in the elections this month....most strikingly in the by-election loss of the once safe seat of Runcorn and Helsby....demonstrates the danger the Government faces if this huge group of voters is still incensed the next time they go to the polls. Sir Keit Starmer is being ably supported by Rachel from accounts in fleecing financially their core voters who where Labour pensioners. Four years to the next general election how much more damage can Sir Keir do in that time. Some facts gleaned from ...BBC NEWS/Daily Express/Sky News and the dear old Daily Telegraph...... Thurs 22/05/2025.
Net migration almost halved in 2024. This is not altogether good news as most of the reduction was of students, which is putting some universities under financial stress. But hey, they’re all bloody foreigners right? The Chagos deal (which I agree is ill conceived) has been halted by a last minute court action in those damn independent courts, full of left-wing activists though aren’t they? The Americans don’t seem worried about the plan, which is odd as it’s their air base…. Is reinstating some of the Winter Fuel scheme a good or bad thing then? Because if there’s one thing worse than making a mistake, it’s refusing to reverse it when it was proven to be a bad idea. Rather like Brexit. It should be reinstated for poorer pensioners but I have to admit it was bonkers to give it to me for example. Mind, you, I pay a lot of tax so in the end it’s me that’s paying for it out of my pension. What would be disastrous is if he doesn’t take strong measures to get the work shy back into employment . We can’t afford these record levels of idleness.
Half the population of the UK wouldn't even know where Mauritius is let alone the Chagos Islands. Same as didn't know the Falklands existed before Maggie went to war. I always love the expression "gave" in terms of a piece of land a couple of thousand miles from these shores which was never really ours in the first place. Like a lot of bits of land around the World we knicked it in the first place. It's amazing what we pay out for the Empire our fathers lumbered us with. Stop the boats??????? This is NOT the fault of the Government either now or previously. The record numbers is due mainly to the weather being very very calm for many a day. I have yet to hear one word from Reform on exactly how they would sort the problem. Probably shoot them I'd expect because there isn't much else that would stop them. I expect the Daily Mail will have that solution as a headline soon. Like you Notdistant I don't need the Winter Fuel payment either. I am not rich but am not entitled to any top up benefits. I know a whole host of people of different incomes but the one constant in that is the absolute majority never used their allowance once to pay for heating. They bought Christmas presents out of it or booked a holiday for the next year with it. Heating was nowhere near the priority. I pay tax and quite frankly object to it being used to pay people an amount they don't need. I have no objection to those who do genuinely need it. I do love the "facts gleaned" bit. I didn't read any facts just opinions based on stories in or on.
Can you imagine the conversation with the insurance company if this has been a few feet to one side? “Your house was hit by WHAT?” https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8nk279ydyo
Yes...I was reading that earlier.....I would think his home is rather low level above the waterline....flooding was probably more in his mind.....but a a monster like that beaching only a few yards from where he was sleeping wouldn't occur to him.......and he slept through it.....a neighbour heard it and came along but had difficulty waking him up. Is this yet another case of no one on watch....like we had awhile back ? PS......If it had hit his house I would doubt that it would have been him putting a claim in....more likely his next of kin.
Oh dear...someone will be paying for that .....at least 50yrs locked away...and that's just to start with....he is seen as a god figure by the peasants ...and for that to happen in his presence is the ultimate sin.
Has this got anything to do with the possible abandonment of the “Two Kids” restriction of Child Benefit? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c989lqym15qo If it is, Johnson’s going to be able to claim a small fortune…….
It seems that Boris is trying to keep the dwindling birth rate up by himself. Wife One...............0 children. Wife Two...............4 children. Wife Three............4 children. And one other......1 child. Total......................9 children.
As suggested Kim Jong Un is looking for scape goats to blame for this disaster to his N Korean country.
A UK fishing boat has been impounded by French Coastguards for fishing in French waters Isn't there a saying about "the pot calling the kettle black" if my memory serves me correctly.
A major strategic error has been committed by Merseyside Police I'm afraid. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgv4ddpyddo I understand they said this to prevent a repeat of the rioting after the Southport murders, but having given this level of information once, what happens when there's another atrocity and they can't be so specific, either because they don't know or don't want to say? I'm afraid the answer is to crush the racist groups who sparked the Southport riots like the vermin they are, not to pander to them. Unfortunately, we're going the other way. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9q0147e4yxo https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ceqg0jr12weo
BET 365 Div One odds for promotion.....and mileage quoted by... Driving Distances.com ....(round trip) 1.......Luton........................6/5..........464 mile. 2.......Cardiff..............,........9/4.........300 miles. 3.......Plymouth A...............3/1..........N/A 4.......Bolton.......................7/2..........589 miles. 5.......Stockport..................7/2..........564 miles. 6.......Huddersfield............4/1..........633 miles. 7.......Wycombe.................9/2..........449 miles. 8.......Reading..................11/2..........396 miles. 9.......Rotherham.............11/2.........583 miles. 10.....Barnsley..................6/1...........608 miles. 11.....Blackpool.................6/1..........645 miles. 12.....Leyton O..................6/1..........505 miles. 13.....Bradford...................8/1..........651 miles. 14.....Lincoln...................10/1...........598 miles. 15.....Peterborough.........10/1..........574 miles. 16.....Wigan.........,......,.,..10/1..........631 miles. 17.....Doncaster...............12/1..........596 miles. 18.....Mansfield................14/1..........538 miles. 19.....Stevenage..............14/1..........478 miles. 20.....Burton.....................18/1..........479 miles. 21.....Exeter.....................18/1..........91 miles. 22.....Port Vale.................18/1..........491 miles. 23.....Northampton..........22/1.........469 miles. 24.....AFC Wimbledon.....28/1..........428 miles. Total Mileage.....11,760....(hope I've added that up correctly) Some of these odds are questionable....Exeter and AFC Wimbledon for a start....Cardiff as well. Mileage charts vary because of routes taken.....I've used Driving Distances.com....Town/City centre to centre. Regarding the mileage difference between Leyton O and AFC Wimbledon.....one uses the M25 clockwise the other uses it anti-clockwise.
Sky have been busy advertising next year’s Premier League coverage. They have many more matches…… As I’m a subscriber, I see that every week this year, they’ve been showing not only Championship games but also League 1 and League 2, either on their main channels or the “Red Button” service. I’ve probably watched perhaps a third of Argyle’s away matches that way this year. What I don’t know is whether this increase in EPL coverage will mean a decrease in coverage of the other divisions. I mention this because on top of the long distances, the spread of TV fixtures over sometimes 6 days of the week makes matters worse. Several times last year, we’d be travelling back late on Saturday, perhaps light warm-down training and injury assessment on Sunday, a single day’s training and tactical preparation on Monday and then in the coach on Tuesday for the mid-week game. That’s tough and potentially leaves a team under-prepared tactically. Will it be easier in League 1? I don’t know.
I thought it was worth reporting that FS Tonnere is in and about The Sound at the moment. Here she is, an amphibious assault helicopter carrier, She's accompanied by FS Bretagne, a French multi-purpose frigate. I'm not a spy: this information is freely available on a daily email from the King's Harbour Master. please log in to view this image There obviously doing some FOST type training with the Royal Navy as there was a UK Chinook helicopter behaving oddly over the Sound yesterday: it went up the river and then up an over Mount Edgecumbe into Whitsand Bay so low that I suspect it took some 18th century tiles off the roof. Fine looking ship. Well, practical I expect anyway. I believe we're retiring our assault ships.....
