[Oboogie]

Seems there may be another by election coming. But in this case because of significantly more serious charges

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... SApp_Other

There won't be time for a by-election. Blunt hasn't even been charged, let alone convicted and currently rape cases are taking at least a year to come to court in England and Wales. So it seems very unlikely, even if he is charged, that a verdict will be reached before the General Election. Plus Blunt had already announced that he's standing down at the General Election anyway.

[Abernathy]

Sajid Javid has been covering for James O'Brien on LBC this morning. He has been discussing variously : the rise in anti-semitic and Islamophobic hate crimes triggered by the Israel/Gaza crisis; funding and other solutions for the NHS; and Artificial Intelligence.

Theoretically, he should have been an expert on all of it. He seems to be an "ex" everything : Ex Home Secretary, ex Health Secretary, ex Chancellor.

On the NHS. at least two people phoned in and (correctly) pointed out that the government in which Javid had been such a key player was guilty of the systematic neglect and underfunding of our health service over 13 years, as well as the deliberate suppression of wages for nurses, doctors and consultants that has caused the current recruitment crisis and the obscenely long waiting lists still blighting the system.

Javid's approach was an interesting one. He didn't try and defend himself or his government, or refute the accusations, argue them, or even address them. He simply ignored them. He was of course careful to be very polite in doing so, and camouflaged his non-responses with several carefully put together word salads.

Quite remarkable.

[Youngian]

Theoretically, he should have been an expert on all of it. He seems to be an "ex" everything : Ex Home Secretary, ex Health Secretary, ex Chancellor.

I take it he was now a completely professional host that didn’t bring his experience to the table; ‘thanks for your call and on line two with have…’
Now he’s an ex-radio presenter.

[Crabcakes]

Why on earth would you get Javid in to cover for James O’B, and why - assuming he has had any sort of briefing at all about the show and the listeners - would he agree do it?

The only thing I can think of is Javid (wrongly) assumed he was sharp and clever enough to be able to bat away whatever was thrown at him, but doubtless forgot when JOB gets callers of a different mindset, they’re usually moronic brexiteers or bigots who think they can outsmart him but have no evidence to support their position and no proof of their claims. Whereas he’d be facing facts and trying to rebuff them with Tory bullshit.

[Youngian]

Holidays are tricky times for radio hosts who’ve served their time. If a hungry bright new thing occupies your seat for a week you might not get it back.

[Bones McCoy]

You'd need a heart of stone.

Dominic Cummings’ ‘misogynistic’ messages seen by Covid inquiry, George Osborne says

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... borne-says

“Disgusting and misogynistic” WhatsApp messages between Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings have been disclosed to the Covid inquiry, according to the former Conservative chancellor George Osborne.

Cummings, Johnson’s chief adviser when Covid struck, is due to appear before the inquiry for the first time next Tuesday.

Speaking on his podcast with Ed Balls, Osborne said he had been told that the latest messages shared with the inquiry contained foul and sexist language.

Captain Louis Renault (formerly of Casablanca's gendarmerie) expresses his shock at Cummings and his circle indulging in Incel type behaviour.

[Crabcakes]

Dominic “let’s hire some weirdos and misfits, which is actually just code for bigots and sociopaths” Cummings turning out to be a bigot himself? Who’d have thunk it!

[Tubby Isaacs]

Utterly predictable here from Donelan.

[Oboogie]

What is her complaint? What did the academics actually say and in what context?

[Andy McDandy]

Citing the equalities act and the Nolan principles is a bit fucking rich. My second thought is has she said anything about Matthew Goodwin or those twats at Durham? Third, the last paragraph is fairly obvious blackmail. Fourth, I'd hope that UKRI refer her to Arkell vs Pressdram, or in common parlance, tell her to get to fuck.

In fact, I struggle to think of any British government in recent years, including in wartime, that has interfered so much with academic life, particularly in higher education.

[Tubby Isaacs]

What is her complaint? What did the academics actually say and in what context?

One of them is an academic referring to “apartheid and genocide”. Absolutely no business of hers to interfere with that.

[Youngian]

Gave his podcast with Ed Balls a shot and I doubt Cuddly George, national treasure will emerge. His radio presenting has all the warmth of a breeze block in Siberia and for a man with more jobs than Mr Benn, he still manages a lack of insight and interesting life experience to convey.

The Rehabilitation of George Osborne

Attempts to resurrect the reputation of a man who did more damage to Britain than any other recent political figure, tells us much about the warped standards of British politics

https://www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/the-reh ... ge-osborne

[Tubby Isaacs]

I think we missed this retirement from a few days ago. He's retirement age, so not that surprising.

[Yug]

Must be a nutter. Only a nutter would use words like "competence" and "compassion" when talking about a useless sociopathic twat like Sunak.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I think this MP could be worse than Scott Benton, Mark Jenkinson even Lee Anderson. At least those know they're thick arseholes. This bloke thinks he's clever.

I'm not sure what these mysterious "rules" are that Labour changed. I'm old enough to remember John Major expanding HE (not that participation was "2%" before he did).

[Malcolm Armsteen]

>sigh<

Once again I point out that Labour never stipulated a 50% university admission rate.

The target was for 50% to have a Level 4 qualification. This is explained thus (though I doubt if Fuckwit MP has checked)

Higher education is defined as courses that are of a standard that is higher than GCE A level, the Higher Grade of the SCE/National Qualification, GNVQ/NVQ level 3 or the Edexcel (formerly BTEC) or SQA National Certificate/Diploma. There are three main levels of HE course:
(i) Postgraduate courses leading to higher degrees, diplomas and certificates (including Doctorate, Masters (research and taught), Postgraduate diplomas and certificates as well as postgraduate certificates of education (PGCE) and professional qualifications) which usually require a first degree as entry qualification.
(ii) Undergraduate courses which include first degrees (honours and ordinary), first degrees with qualified teacher status, enhanced first degrees, first degrees obtained concurrently with a diploma, and intercalated first degrees (where first degree students, usually in medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine, interrupt their studies to complete a one-year course of advanced studies in a related topic).
(iii) Other undergraduate courses which include all other higher education courses, for example SVQ or NVQ: Level 5, Diploma (HNC/D level for diploma and degree holders), HND (or equivalent), HNC (or equivalent) and SVQ or NVQ: Level 4 and Diplomas in HE.

[Tubby Isaacs]

>sigh<

Once again I point out that Labour never stipulated a 50% university admission rate.

The target was for 50% to have a Level 4 qualification. This is explained thus (though I doubt if Fuckwit MP has checked)

Higher education is defined as courses that are of a standard that is higher than GCE A level, the Higher Grade of the SCE/National Qualification, GNVQ/NVQ level 3 or the Edexcel (formerly BTEC) or SQA National Certificate/Diploma. There are three main levels of HE course:
(i) Postgraduate courses leading to higher degrees, diplomas and certificates (including Doctorate, Masters (research and taught), Postgraduate diplomas and certificates as well as postgraduate certificates of education (PGCE) and professional qualifications) which usually require a first degree as entry qualification.
(ii) Undergraduate courses which include first degrees (honours and ordinary), first degrees with qualified teacher status, enhanced first degrees, first degrees obtained concurrently with a diploma, and intercalated first degrees (where first degree students, usually in medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine, interrupt their studies to complete a one-year course of advanced studies in a related topic).
(iii) Other undergraduate courses which include all other higher education courses, for example SVQ or NVQ: Level 5, Diploma (HNC/D level for diploma and degree holders), HND (or equivalent), HNC (or equivalent) and SVQ or NVQ: Level 4 and Diplomas in HE.

Yep, and it was by age 30. it was deliberately set so that it wouldn't just be schoolkids going straight to university. It also included the sort of people the Tories who seem to think they own- ie people who went straight to work, but were then prepared to study part-time to advance their careers.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Does Mr Fletcher understand that 50% isn't "ALL"?

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Mr Fletcher is a lying arsehole.

[Andy McDandy]

He felt familiar. He's another God botherer from Yorkshire, and his previous highlights include claiming female Ghostbusters force boys into crime, saying that Jesus was responsible for his election victory, and being one of only 6 MPs to stand by Johnson over his censure and ban from Parliament.

He's got his cock in the biscuit barrel. He's fucking crackers.