“The National Audit Office estimates that the uncollected fees are £200m a year. We have got an NHS with a deficit approaching 100 times that amount opening up over the course of this parliament. This is little other than a pinprick on top of the actual problems facing the NHS.
“Introducing something across the entire NHS in this way in response to such a small problem would be tremendously controversial.”
This is just another "election fraud" type bug bear. It's blowing up a problem that yes, does happen, but is literally orders of magnitude less prevalent than people think it is and any measures to tackle it would cause more problems than they would solve.
Sometimes you just need to let shit like this slide.
It's an easy political win.
Like clamping down on people defrauding the benefit system when really what we need to do is get companies to stop avoiding paying tax
I don't think it'll be that easy
There is some fairly strong feeling among the medical profession about being turned into part-time immigration officials when they could be doing their actual job
During a meeting with leaders of the Brexit movement following the election, Donald Trump asked them to push back against offshore wind farms like the one that can be seen from his golf course in Scotland, according to reports in the New York Times and British paper The Express.
Trump has been fighting a wind farm off of the coast of Aberdeen for a while since the turbines can be seen from his golf course in Aberdeenshire, but he lost a court battle in December 2015.
There's the Trump business angle behind the Farage meeting. What a basket of cunts.
It's already been to the high courts where Trump has lost.
Lets ignore the potential hypocrisy of Farage trying to get a High Court decision reverted for a head of state of a foreign country for a second. Scotland have no love for Trump and I doubt Farage is tremendously popular either (does UKIP even have a presence in Scotland?).
I'm not entirely sure what pressure Trump could apply to Scotland tbh.
UKIP has no strength in Scotland and is seen there, accurately, as an example of English stupidity and nationalism. Farage was roundly booed there and made to feel most unwelcome.
UKIP has no strength in Scotland and is seen there, accurately, as an example of English stupidity and nationalism. Farage was roundly booed there and made to feel most unwelcome.
Sometimes I wish Scotland could come along and swallow up where I live.
UKIP has no strength in Scotland and is seen there, accurately, as an example of English stupidity and nationalism. Farage was roundly booed there and made to feel most unwelcome.
yeah, we've got our own brand of stupid nationalism. we don't need any English flavours thank you very much.
UKIP has no strength in Scotland and is seen there, accurately, as an example of English stupidity and nationalism. Farage was roundly booed there and made to feel most unwelcome.
yeah, we've got our own brand of stupid nationalism. we don't need any English flavours thank you very much.
Scotland's nationalism resulted in the only political party in the entire country that seems to have any idea what it's doing.
UKIP has no strength in Scotland and is seen there, accurately, as an example of English stupidity and nationalism. Farage was roundly booed there and made to feel most unwelcome.
yeah, we've got our own brand of stupid nationalism. we don't need any English flavours thank you very much.
Scotland's nationalism resulted in the only political party in the entire country that seems to have any idea what it's doing.
I would gladly take some of that nationalism.
key words there, "seems to". lets not forget that not so long ago they were pushing for independence with about as many answers as the Brexit crowd have now. not sure i'm going to give them to much credit for asking questions now that they should have been asking 5 years ago.
The farage ambassador crap really does show that the media has not learnt anything from both brexit and trump. It's a non-story. There's no reason to report much of it beyond the bottom of a politics section, and even then only for the sake of recording statements rather than giving them any credence at all. Farage will not be ambassador - not least because ambassador positions aren't just handed out to politicians/loud mouthed idiots because they want one. It's a position filled by senior civil servants who have years of experience in foreign affairs.
Yet as of writing this, the headline story on the BBC news site is this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38064664
An article about farage's petulant response to being told to fuck off. There has also been hours of discussion on the radio and news programs. All for a non-story. I still blame the BBC in part for farage and UKIP as a whole since they gave him coverage hugely disproportionate to the amount of votes he was getting. For a time the only person who appeared on Question Time more often was David Dimbleby.
If he decides to remove our current ambassador when he actually is the president, then it's a story (and a diplomatic incident). Even then the UK government chooses the ambassador, not the president of the united states. Trump should also remember that as president he represents the US, not Donald Trump.
If he decides to remove our current ambassador when he actually is the president, then it's a story (and a diplomatic incident). Even then the UK government chooses the ambassador, not the president of the united states. Trump should also remember that as president he represents the US, not Donald Trump.
If he decides to remove our current ambassador when he actually is the president, then it's a story (and a diplomatic incident). Even then the UK government chooses the ambassador, not the president of the united states. Trump should also remember that as president he represents the US, not Donald Trump.
Good luck with that
I fully expect him to screw it up, but not without backlash. I'm just waiting for the Putin state visit to the US to see what happens. The US state department and UK foreign office staff will be in good company covering for screwups by people who have no clue about diplomacy and tact.
Gosh, for someone so confident in his ability who was loudly scoffing at Downing Street's tepid response to Trump's suggestion he seems awfully touchy about the subject.
The farage ambassador crap really does show that the media has not learnt anything from both brexit and trump. It's a non-story. There's no reason to report much of it beyond the bottom of a politics section, and even then only for the sake of recording statements rather than giving them any credence at all. Farage will not be ambassador - not least because ambassador positions aren't just handed out to politicians/loud mouthed idiots because they want one. It's a position filled by senior civil servants who have years of experience in foreign affairs.
Yet as of writing this, the headline story on the BBC news site is this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38064664
An article about farage's petulant response to being told to fuck off. There has also been hours of discussion on the radio and news programs. All for a non-story. I still blame the BBC in part for farage and UKIP as a whole since they gave him coverage hugely disproportionate to the amount of votes he was getting. For a time the only person who appeared on Question Time more often was David Dimbleby.
Well it depends, if the story is about how Farange should totally be made ambassador to cement "The Special Relationship", then yeah the media hasn't learned anything.
If its to point out what a fucktard Farange and Trump are for believing that their idea is going to fly. Then no, the media should cover it.
The sky was full of stars, every star an exploding ship. One of ours.
And yet, it is soon to become the status quo, so...
Already the status quo. The Clintons went from being worth nearly nothing after leaving the White House in 2000 to being worth about a hundred million today, heading a foundation worth a couple times that.
And yet, it is soon to become the status quo, so...
Already the status quo. The Clintons went from being worth nearly nothing after leaving the White House in 2000 to being worth about a hundred million today, heading a foundation worth a couple times that.
None of which was based on using Bill's position as President to enrich themselves while in office or with the powers of the Presidency, making this comparison nonsensical.
And yet, it is soon to become the status quo, so...
Already the status quo. The Clintons went from being worth nearly nothing after leaving the White House in 2000 to being worth about a hundred million today, heading a foundation worth a couple times that.
Keyword being after.
They did not make millions while in the whitehouse.
Gosh, for someone so confident in his ability who was loudly scoffing at Downing Street's tepid response to Trump's suggestion he seems awfully touchy about the subject.
Eh, for all we know that's how he greets anyone in the European Parliament
Last week the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, made a speech at a “tech hub” in central London. He correctly portrayed whole swaths of the country as places defined by “dead town centres, job deserts, stagnant wages, and the constant feeling that the basic things we rely on – our jobs, our savings, our homes – are not safe”. But then he moved on to the question of how Britain should leave the EU, and all sense was lost.
“It is time we all were more positive about Brexit,” he said, claiming that leaving the EU opened up “enormous opportunities”. He also rejected trying to block or delay article 50 in parliament – even, it seemed, as a means of ensuring that our split from the EU avoids the kind of recklessness advocated by some Tories – because to do so would be “against the majority will of the British people and on the side of certain corporate elites”.
I'm still fixed in my opinion that it is not fear of losing voters that leads Corbyn and McDonnell to lose all backbone for blocking Article 50, but simply because they want us out of the EU and this is their once in a lifetime chances to achieve it; regardless of any consequences. I could rue the fact that Corbyn became leader at possibly the worst ever time for the country but that would miss the vital point: the causes that led to Corbyn's appointment are the same as those that led to Brexit and it appears the two make for wholesome bedfellows.
Also, I have made my criticism of Labour quite clear recently but I think it's worth noting that there are a fuck-load of Labour MPs desperately trying to avoid the oncoming storm but are impotent to do anything about it in the face of MANDATE. It's a real fucking shame and no doubt they'll be the ones to lose their seats at the inevitable GE slaughter.
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ShadowenSnores in the morningLoserdomRegistered Userregular
Oh look the Conservatives are trying to clamp down on internet porn again. What a useful expenditure of government time and money.
Incidentally Brexit is estimated to have cost Britain 10% of its wealth and it hasn't even happened yet.
But no, go after that wicked, "non-conventional" porn again. That's always a winner.
Idiots.
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SnicketysnickThe Greatest Hype Man inWesterosRegistered Userregular
In the footnote of its statement confirming the planned tweak to the bill, the DCMS admitted that its current proposals are unworkable. It said:
Websites need servers to host them, advertisers to support them, and infrastructure to connect them. With the international and unregulated manner in which the Internet operates we cannot compel supporting services to be denied but the regulator will seek to gain cooperation from the industry.
"We can't actually do anything about it but it makes us feel better and look tough while shaming "deviants""
UK to censor online videos of 'non-conventional' sex acts
There is no definitive list of sexual acts proscribed by the BBFC, but many adult film producers who have worked with the regulator have been forced to cut scenes, said Jerry Barnett, a free speech campaigner and author of Porn Panic!, which details the rise of a new pro-censorship movement in the UK.
“Although it is nominally designed to enforce the [Obscene Publications Act] guidelines of the Crown Prosecution Service, in practice it draws far tighter lines, many of them inexplicable. The ban on female ejaculation is a particularly strange example,” he said.
The censorship regime has led to bizarre understandings between the producers and regulators, Barnett said. One is the “four-finger rule”, which limits the number of digits that can be inserted into an orifice for sexual stimulation.
daveNYCWhy universe hate Waspinator?Registered Userregular
The censorship regime has led to bizarre understandings between the producers and regulators, Barnett said. One is the “four-finger rule”, which limits the number of digits that can be inserted into an orifice for sexual stimulation.
So exciting new job opportunities for certain amputees?
Shut up, Mr. Burton! You were not brought upon this world to get it!
There was a tabloid stink a few years ago about whole life terms breaching the ECHR, which the tabloids reported with predictable hyperbole as "European courts forcing the UK to release dangerous prisoners"when actually the ruling merely held that there must always be some kind of review mechanism - which is free to conclude that people should remain in prison
Having skimmed it again it actually didn't even go so far as to say that while life terms are necessarily incompatible with the ECHR, only that such a case could potentially become so in exceptional circumstances that the court does not go on to define.
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AstaerethIn the belly of the beastRegistered Userregular
As an American I legit do not understand how none of the UK political parties are willing or able to absorb the support of the roughly 50% of the population that's pro-Remain. It's just crazy.
Posts
I don't think it'll be that easy
There is some fairly strong feeling among the medical profession about being turned into part-time immigration officials when they could be doing their actual job
It's already been to the high courts where Trump has lost.
Lets ignore the potential hypocrisy of Farage trying to get a High Court decision reverted for a head of state of a foreign country for a second. Scotland have no love for Trump and I doubt Farage is tremendously popular either (does UKIP even have a presence in Scotland?).
I'm not entirely sure what pressure Trump could apply to Scotland tbh.
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Sometimes I wish Scotland could come along and swallow up where I live.
yeah, we've got our own brand of stupid nationalism. we don't need any English flavours thank you very much.
Scotland's nationalism resulted in the only political party in the entire country that seems to have any idea what it's doing.
I would gladly take some of that nationalism.
key words there, "seems to". lets not forget that not so long ago they were pushing for independence with about as many answers as the Brexit crowd have now. not sure i'm going to give them to much credit for asking questions now that they should have been asking 5 years ago.
Yet as of writing this, the headline story on the BBC news site is this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38064664
An article about farage's petulant response to being told to fuck off. There has also been hours of discussion on the radio and news programs. All for a non-story. I still blame the BBC in part for farage and UKIP as a whole since they gave him coverage hugely disproportionate to the amount of votes he was getting. For a time the only person who appeared on Question Time more often was David Dimbleby.
Neither is our government telling him to fuck off.
Good luck with that
I fully expect him to screw it up, but not without backlash. I'm just waiting for the Putin state visit to the US to see what happens. The US state department and UK foreign office staff will be in good company covering for screwups by people who have no clue about diplomacy and tact.
Yup. Trump using his position for personal gain and personal business is a HUGE story.
Gosh, for someone so confident in his ability who was loudly scoffing at Downing Street's tepid response to Trump's suggestion he seems awfully touchy about the subject.
Well it depends, if the story is about how Farange should totally be made ambassador to cement "The Special Relationship", then yeah the media hasn't learned anything.
If its to point out what a fucktard Farange and Trump are for believing that their idea is going to fly. Then no, the media should cover it.
None of which was based on using Bill's position as President to enrich themselves while in office or with the powers of the Presidency, making this comparison nonsensical.
They did not make millions while in the whitehouse.
Eh, for all we know that's how he greets anyone in the European Parliament
On Brexit, the Labour leadership offers anxious voters … nothing
I'm still fixed in my opinion that it is not fear of losing voters that leads Corbyn and McDonnell to lose all backbone for blocking Article 50, but simply because they want us out of the EU and this is their once in a lifetime chances to achieve it; regardless of any consequences. I could rue the fact that Corbyn became leader at possibly the worst ever time for the country but that would miss the vital point: the causes that led to Corbyn's appointment are the same as those that led to Brexit and it appears the two make for wholesome bedfellows.
Also, I have made my criticism of Labour quite clear recently but I think it's worth noting that there are a fuck-load of Labour MPs desperately trying to avoid the oncoming storm but are impotent to do anything about it in the face of MANDATE. It's a real fucking shame and no doubt they'll be the ones to lose their seats at the inevitable GE slaughter.
Incidentally Brexit is estimated to have cost Britain 10% of its wealth and it hasn't even happened yet.
But no, go after that wicked, "non-conventional" porn again. That's always a winner.
Idiots.
Via arstechnica
"We can't actually do anything about it but it makes us feel better and look tough while shaming "deviants""
D3 Steam #TeamTangent STO
Whichany idiot knows how to bypass
Every porn site to have an age gate and all "non-conventional" pornography will be banned.
Apparently the English vice is just too scandalous for contemporary times.
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So exciting new job opportunities for certain amputees?
I assume collated from his personal internet history.
http://steamcommunity.com/id/pablocampy
And now we won't even be able to watch a bit of bondage to take our minds off it!
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-38079594
EVERYBODY WANTS TO SIT IN THE BIG CHAIR, MEG!
I thought life meant 25 years max?
We do, and always have
There was a tabloid stink a few years ago about whole life terms breaching the ECHR, which the tabloids reported with predictable hyperbole as "European courts forcing the UK to release dangerous prisoners"when actually the ruling merely held that there must always be some kind of review mechanism - which is free to conclude that people should remain in prison
Hence the bit about the secretary of state
Most do, only serial murderers, or those who have murdered children, police or for ideological reasons are sentenced to whole life sentences.
They're legal under human rights law because the home secretary can commute the sentence and is meant to review them every 25 years.
http://www.bailii.org/eu/cases/ECHR/2012/61.html
Having skimmed it again it actually didn't even go so far as to say that while life terms are necessarily incompatible with the ECHR, only that such a case could potentially become so in exceptional circumstances that the court does not go on to define.