[Bones McCoy]

You do wonder what would happen if every new government brought in their own civil servants. No experience, no knowledge of how they're run or of how every department is inter-dependent of each other and of outside agencies, no idea of what was happening a month earlier How difficult it would be for, say, the Foreign Office to deal with governments of differing persuasions. How hard it would be to recruit top-class managers when they might be out of work a few months later. And how far down would this putsch go? Would every Jobcentre clerk, every HMRC call centre worker and every Defra inspector be replaced? Dicky would probably say yes, then wonder why he can't get a flight home.

So you want to replace how many people with appointed partizans?

Take a look at the USA, where government shuts down for about 3 months while the new Prez inducts his appointees.
Take a look at the Trump single term - how many of those appointees resigned in disgrace after shitting the bed, or required a presidential pardon to spring them from jail following convictions by federal juries.

Take a look at our closest analogy: lightbulb headed Dominic Cummings - the social spacker* who lived in an illegally constructed house on his dad's estate (The posho's one-up on mum's basement), had an unaccounted few years ion Moscow, and lowered himself to lecture us on eye-tests and driving etiquette for the blind.

* I understand this is an ableist slur. I'll stick with it until somebody can demonstrate Cummings had any abilities.

[davidjay]

They moan that politicians have never had a proper job. Replacing career civil servants with Spads (which is what would happen) is much the same.

[Andy McDandy]

I suspect they don't think their party should ever be out of office.

[Bones McCoy]

I suspect they don't think their party should ever be out of office.

Reality coming up fast ...

[satnav]

Barrel scraping taken to an all time low.

Uncle Rich's answers to modern life, the Universe and everything! RICHARD LITTLEJOHN responds to the 20 most baffling questions
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/columnists/ ... tions.html

Spoiler alert. He fails to answer most of the questions and the answers he does give are about as funny as a dose of diarrhoea.
According to Dickie:

14) What are the rules of modern dating?

A gentleman compliments a lady on her new dress and is immediately cancelled, loses his job and probably gets sent to prison. The correct way to ask a woman for a date is to send a picture of your penis to her mobile telephone.

17) How much should I tip?

I'm with Steve Martin, who played Mob informant Vinnie Antonelli in the movie My Blue Heaven. He tipped everyone, from flight attendants to supermarket checkout staff. 'It's not tipping I believe in, it's over-tipping'. Sadly, with the advent of the cashless society, tipping is on the way out.

I've eaten out three times this week and managed to leave a tip on all three occasions. So more bollox from Dickie.

[Andy McDandy]

Stephen Fry once wrote a column about how he had writer's block and no idea what to write about. He said, in jest, that every columnist was allowed one of those in their career. Think we've found Littlejohn's.

Seriously, amid all the "idunno" answers, there's digs at homeworking, being green, and AFAICT an oblique one at Indians for "ruining" cricket. Desperate stuff.

[davidjay]

If tipping's on the way out how come the internet is full of stories bemoaning the insane levels of tips being demanded by just about everyone Over There?

[Andy McDandy]

"I'm a tight bastard. I know I shouldn't be, but I have an excuse. The technology made me do it"

[mattomac]

With Schofield and Pride this is an odd one to put out.

[MisterMuncher]

It has the feel of the "dead air" song that cuts in of sometime goes wrong on the radio.

My guess is the column on same has been written, but legal and advertising had a few notes for him.

[davidjay]

It has the feel of the "dead air" song that cuts in of sometime goes wrong on the radio.

My guess is the column on same has been written, but legal and advertising had a few notes for him.

It's the sort of story where sometimes you have to wait a few days to see which way the wind of public opinion is blowing. Normally it would be meeja luvvie peedo cover-up, but you never know. Schofield was a popular character who just might have been able to get a bit of sympathy so best wait a bit before piling in.

[Andy McDandy]

Given he'd already commented on it as "who they, who cares?", I'm not sure what angle he could take. Besides, it's ITV, not the BBC.

[Youngian]

What is the solar system?
Those hideously ugly and ridiculously expensive panels people put on their roofs in the misguided assumption that it will cut their energy bills and combat global warming. When the sun doesn't shine, they have to get used to taking cold showers.

Architectural and public aesthetics only seem to become an important subject for Mail readers when green technologies are involved.
‘Won’t you get a cold shower when the Sun goes in?’ is a question 10 year olds asked even when I was 10.

[davidjay]

Given he'd already commented on it as "who they, who cares?", I'm not sure what angle he could take. Besides, it's ITV, not the BBC.

Since when has he allowed consistency to get in the way of a good sneer?

[Malcolm Armsteen]

What is the solar system?
Those hideously ugly and ridiculously expensive panels people put on their roofs in the misguided assumption that it will cut their energy bills and combat global warming. When the sun doesn't shine, they have to get used to taking cold showers.

Architectural and public aesthetics only seem to become an important subject for Mail readers when green technologies are involved.
‘Won’t you get a cold shower when the Sun goes in?’ is a question 10 year olds asked even when I was 10.

As I've been in France I have been getting French Youtube ads. They are pushing a government scheme for solar panels: 70% reduction in electricity bills, sell excess back to EDF at a fixed rate, house value goes up, all very convenient. New tech means they work even in winter. Cost? To most people (not me, unfortunately, they don't shell out for second homes) €1. One.

Some resident friends of ours have been given the go ahead on an old house they are buying, so it's real.

As Mrs A keeps saying, the French are serious about this.

[Andy McDandy]

That's what you get with a government that's serious about its role. Not just lining its pockets because fuck it, never give a sucker an even break, and if the British people haven't cottoned on yet, they never will.

[Youngian]

Electricity companies in the UK will install solar panels for free and then take the feed in tariff. The consumer is just a free electricity generator after capital costs are recuperated. Using the washing machine on a sunny day then becomes the only advantage unless you have expensive storage batteries (probably a breach of contract).
Not sure why Peter finds solar panels uglier than roof tiles and they have another eco-friendly use as they’re very good for water capture.

[Andy McDandy]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailym ... -next.html

Smallcock going for the "who cares?" defence here. Apparently Johnson quit because he was fed up with being picked on. Aww, bless.

Meanwhile, after a quick tour of Trump's self inflicted troubles, what about Sturgeon? Is it the same for her, that once out of office she should be given a break? No, she's quite different. For reasons.

[Andy McDandy]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailym ... h-mob.html

Predictable stuff, as one cunt defends another. But it's not a love letter. It really isn't...

[Youngian]

Boris was stitched up while Starmer got away with a curry. But half way through he changes track and accuses MPs of being sanctimonious do-gooders obsessed with the odd fib.