[Youngian]

He’s a London MP, perhaps Hands fancies himself as a mayoral candidate if Susan Hall is forced to withdraw under the weight of her own ridiculousness.
The public has had enough of characters and larger-than-life personalities so Greg has that going for him.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I wondered before if Hall would have to withdraw, but think it's unlikely. Paul Scully, who didn't even get on the shortlist last time but did at least apply would probably be better placed than Greg.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Ha ha. He's not got any better at this. And I think he's added an extra day on for luck.

"What worries me about a Starmer premiership is that he took 2 days to sack the candidate in the Rochdale By-Election", says nobody.

[Abernathy]

Well, it’s really not down to Keir Starmer personally to spot this stuff,is it ? Due diligence oughto to have excluded Ali long before he awas selected to fight Rochdale. As things stand, Labour really has no choice other than to wthdraw support from this imbecile. Bizarrely, he might still get elected.

[Tubby Isaacs]

He's still rubbish. How many Brexiters even care about this stuff now?

[davidjay]

Predicting that the opposition would do something that anyone with any sense wants is neither a good look nor particularly Nostradamus-like.

[Andy McDandy]

It can only be aimed at their red wall converts, who they seem to think the EU is like kryptonite to.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Greg Hands is very exercised by this, isn't he? "Parts of Britain", apparently. I'm old enough to remember when Tories thought private schools running out of money and becoming free schools was a positive thing.

[Oboogie]

Any business which can't even cover it's tax bill is a failure and will inevitably go bankrupt unless it can adapt it's business model, I thought Tories were in favour of market forces?

[Andy McDandy]

As long as they are on their side.

[Tubby Isaacs]

A few local authorities would swap the squeeze they've had for the one faced by private schools now. Perhaps the private schools need to get creative...

[Bones McCoy]

A few local authorities would swap the squeeze they've had for the one faced by private schools now. Perhaps the private schools need to get creative...

Efficiency savings (do they NEED all those rowing boats).
Lay off the avocado elevenses.
If they can't afford those children, they should't have them.
Cigarettes and alcohol.

Did I miss any?

[Andy McDandy]

Bring in cheap rate school bullies from the comp, as and when needed. A bag of spice and a knee trembler behind the bins at Asda is a bargain compared to opium, a suite of rooms, and Filipino handmaidens*.

*I may be mixing up reality with Ripping Yarns here.

[Tubby Isaacs]

He's still got it.

[Abernathy]

A rhetorical question. Presumably a lad murdered with a samurai sword by some nutjob is somehow qualitatively different from the hundreds of casual knife murders that have been afflicting the capital city for (at least) the last 14 years ?

[Youngian]

Hainault’s a well off Essex suburb. ‘Them’ have followed you out here and it’s Labour’s fault (for reasons unknown) is Hand’s message.

[Bones McCoy]

Hainault’s a well off Essex suburb. ‘Them’ have followed you out here and it’s Labour’s fault (for reasons unknown) is Hand’s message.

The incident occurred about half a mile form my childhood home.

Hainault and the associated Grange Hill is a fairly large postwar estate.

Hainault is something of a misnomer.
The old Hainault Forest shown on John Chapman and Peter Andre's 177 map of Essex covers an immense area.
The name is therefore attached to various locations across the original forest.

Hainault Proper now encompasses:
* Hainault Forest country park: Where the army were billeted when they provided security for the London Olympics.
* Hainault Industrial Estate: Provides the gravel for your aquarium, among other products.
* The distinctive "canary shaped" estate sandwiched between Manford Way and Brockett Way.

All this development was supported by the development of the "Fairlop Loop" of the central line, using old overground rails.

Not far North and West of Hainault station lies the "high value" suburb of Chigwell with its mansions, villas and the occasional old farm building.
Rod Stewart once had a big house there with a regulation size football pitch on his back lawn.

There's also a Jewish angle.
Ilford North (Wes Streeting's constituency) being one of the largest Jewish communities in the UK.
Parts of Hainault (including the attack location) fall withing the Chigwell and Hainault Eruv.

https://www.chigshul.org.uk/eruv

What's an Eruv? https://www.chigshul.org.uk/what-s-an-eruv


Like most commuter areas, rich and poor live in relatively close proximity.
Rich or poor, it's certainly not a "machete gang" sort of place.

[Bones McCoy]

For completeness, here's a link to Chapman and Andre's 1777 map of Essex.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... _Andre.jpg

[Abernathy]

Wait. You're telling us that the muscular failed Aussie pop star and Katie Price shagger is also a cartographer ?

[Watchman]

Who can time travel