[Tubby Isaacs]

Real wages have fallen in the last six months, big tax rises coming from April next year. Neither Johnson nor Sunak may look too clever then.

[Bones McCoy]

Real wages have fallen in the last six months, big tax rises coming from April next year. Neither Johnson nor Sunak may look too clever then.

When 'Funtime' Boris and 'Dishy' Rishie turn up at Harry Malcolm's wake* dressed as Batman and Robin.

* A reference to an episode of the popular sitcom Only Fools and Horses m'Lud.
Yes M'lud David Jason, you know; Bert Bradshaw off Crossroads.

[Samanfur]

I thought he was here for the duration, but he's making some powerful enemies now and the Tories have never hesitated in ditching a leader once their usefulness was through.

[mattomac]

To be fair anyone without a clouded view could watch PMQs and see someone who sounded and looked weak and it was the bloke opposite Starmer.

[Bones McCoy]

Et Tu Laura?

[Andy McDandy]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... econd-jobs

Interesting piece on the Tory party's problems with the sleaze/corruption/2nd jobs issues.

The prime minister’s personal popularity has papered over many of the divides, failures and contradictions in the way he governs. In a striking chapter about 2019 voters in the newly published Nuffield study, it is made clear that Johnson’s attractiveness was the most influential factor behind former Labour voters switching to the Conservatives – far greater than either Brexit or dislike of Jeremy Corbyn.

The question today is how far that is still true. Johnson’s ratings have fallen sharply. Yet his position remains secure. Tory MPs don’t like his methods or his ideas but they like his popularity. When he eventually ceases to be party leader, however, it is highly likely that the strange and unstable coalition over which he presides will become even less manageable than it is today. In those circumstances, the voters may look at the parties very differently too.

[Tubby Isaacs]

It's even worse than expected. I thought there was a new high speed section between Leeds and Sheffield?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Johnson's line is apparently that "levelling up can't wait that long".

This may not wash. Even in Nottingham, where they will actually get much faster journeys to Birmingham fairly quickly, but hardly any difference to London, Leeds, Sheffield, York, Newcastle...

[Tubby Isaacs]

Bob Seely, the Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight, says the HS2 debacle is “more of a turkey mixed with a white elephant”. He says it should provide as lesson as to why a “vanity project”, albeit one that started under Labour, should never be allowed to gather a head of steam.

Well, some people might say that spending £26m was a lot of money to spend on the Isle of Wight Line, Bob, but I couldn't possibly comment.

[Oboogie]

I thought he was here for the duration, but he's making some powerful enemies now and the Tories have never hesitated in ditching a leader once their usefulness was through.

Good work by Jo Stevens defending Laura Kuenssberg. Led to Mad Nad misleading the House...but I doubt anything will come of it.

[Nigredo]

The pork haystack was far from convincing under Krishnan Guru-Murthy's scrutiny today. Increasingly looked like he wanted to lamp Krishnan with each question asked.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Ha ha ha, Actual MP with Toton in his constituency here. No wonder he won't allow replies.

There is no new station at Toton promised- the private sector would have to pay for it. What he was told he was getting before was a high speed station that would have got them to big cities much faster than they will now.

[Oboogie]

The pork haystack was far from convincing under Krishnan Guru-Murthy's scrutiny today. Increasingly looked like he wanted to lamp Krishnan with each question asked.

Krishnan Guru-Murthy's name will join Laura Kuenssberg's and Nick Robinson's on Mad Nad's list of journalists to be eliminated.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Oh dear.

[satnav]

Bradley and a few other Nottinghamshire MPs have been making a big thing about the re-opening of the Maid Marian line but what is quite interesting is that the local council only put forward plans to re-open the line 12 months ago. Anybody would think that the council have been given the heads up at some point in 2019 that the government was looking for proposals that could fill the void left if parts of HS2 were scrapped.

There doesn't seem to be any firm timetable for re-opening the line but shit for brain Lee Anderson MP thinks that re-opening a lone that has been closed for 60 years should be very quick and very cheap.

[mattomac]

Bemoaning vanity projects, this a PM who lives for vanity projects…

Has he done the old “oh when are we going to get on to vaccines”?

[davidjay]

Whilst their are clearly some opportunities to score points against Johnson on his inappropriate appearance at these sombre events the real focus should be on how the government treats veterans. Are they getting proper help with housing, health care and retraining when they leave the forces?

I saw one Tory MP today suggesting that training soldiers to become HGV drivers was part of some long term policy to help those soldiers preparing to leave the forces when actually it is a short-term fudge to cope with a serious crisis.

Great!

After 18years loyal service you can live out your working days sleeping in lay-bys and pissing in an empty juice bottle.
Ex military and HGV drivers both need a better deal.

Some of us have longer memories.
Because, much as the Tories would like it, today isn't "Fugeddaboudit Sunday".

A few years back when fuel delivery drivers were the enemies of the people.
They had the bloody cheek to request an annual wage similar to what Cox or Patterson "earn" for a part-time week's "work".

Meanwhile a frightening proportion of the Thin red line or 'eroes, are sleeping in cells or on the streets.

Going back to this one sort-of, I've spent the past couple of days working in an area with a lot of industrial units and I'm now filled with admiration at the way HGV drivers manoeuvre those fucking great trucks into such small spaces. It's not all about long hours and motorways.

[Boiler]

Going back to this one sort-of, I've spent the past couple of days working in an area with a lot of industrial units and I'm now filled with admiration at the way HGV drivers manoeuvre those fucking great trucks into such small spaces. It's not all about long hours and motorways.

A person with whom I used to be acquainted with had a partner who drove tankers for Hoyer. Hoyer hold competitions in Germany amongst their drivers to see how good their peers are.

I still stand in awe at watching the scenery truck drivers at work get those things into tiny spaces, as someone who can't even reverse his trailer onto his driveway without causing involuntary hedge pruning.

[The All New KevS]

See also bus drivers, and definitely those who drive dustcarts, which theoretically I assume go down every street in the land which is marginally wider than the vehicle.

[The All New KevS]

And as for the fireman driving the engine - I mean, I know all the emergency services have to drive at speed, but the police are mostly in a souped up Focus or Vectra, an ambulance is basically the size of an Asda delivery van, but a fire engine is a big fuck off truck that you've got to negotiate through traffic at speed - and once one of them buggers get moving, they're difficult to stop in a hurry.