gary1979666

Your point was that a very small proportion of the electorate actually voted for Truss. A fair point, worth making. I was merely countering, saying that Brown got into office with zero % of the electorate voting. (Same as May). But all I'm saying is that Labour can't claim some sort of electoral unfairness, when they did the same. And in the same way, Truss will get kicked out in a couple of years too!

Certainly isn't a good result for her, especially compared to the polls beforehand. I get the small % of the electorate issue, but it's the same across the spectrum....how many got their say when Gordon Brown took over? Not a great system, but hardly a Tory issue.

I appreciate there are differences, but aren't most options (including Labour's) to freeze bills and effectively put the balance on the govt's credit card, effectively for the public to repay over several generations? It's not that wildly different.

It was really quick, so maybe you're right. I remember the early birds on sale for a couple of weeks before.

Your use of the future tense implies she isn't already dreadful!!

Was closer than I thought - only 57% of the vote.

Got my tickets - missed out on early bird - they went very fast.

I bloody fell for that - hadn't realised announcement was at half 12! You bugger!

I agree - Truss is playing to a certain audience, some (a lot?) of whom don't really support actions to stop climate change. Johnson was better, as he used it to give him more cuddly credentials (whether he believed it or not, is another matter). There's the same problem in the US - a lot of republicans deny climate change, so a red with green combo won't get the nomination, especially if there are extra costs for Joe Public. Sad really.

I don't think Lost has come across as a climate sceptic - he's not once denied the need to try to get to net zero or deny climate change. He's adding a dose of realism / scepticism to the debate by saying he doesn't think it will happen - i.e. countries, including the UK don't have the real will to achieve it, given the current challenges. The Thunberg comment wasn't the best, but was said more for the effect of how climate change is generally discussed. Greta has cut through when many, many other climate "activists" (meant in a positive way, can't think of the right word right now) haven't been able to capture the spirit of why we do it.

I reckon I'll be there too - will need to bring my 10 year old, but think he'll love it. No pits though 😒

I'm North East Herts, so a very healthy Tory majority, so pissing in the wind really.

That's what he needs to do. I voted Tory in 2016, but in 19 went LD. At the next election, I'm thinking about voting Starmer. Some of this isn't necessarily down to KS though - Johnson and now Truss are truly bad (even for an ex Tory voter) - the LibDems have faded away and there's only really Labour left. The difference to 2019 is that Starmer is much more palatable to the swing voters than Corbyn....if I hadn't gone LD, then I'd have pick Boj over Jez (or a local independent). Starmer isn't setting the world on fire, but he doesn't need to - he needs to play the straight game - dependable, boring, a safe pair of hands, etc.....basically not fuck it up. Long term he'll not last because of that, but I think we need that right now.

I dont think Sunak would go to the polls early (though don't think he'll get in). But Truss is a fruit loop, so could see her thinking she stood a chance earlier.

They were cracking at Slam Dunk this year. It feels like a bigger statement than excluding one band - they're no dissimilar from a lot of punky type bands - Rancid, Distillers, Offspring - are you writing off punk from Download?

Any idea what the black eludes to? Black Parade? Black Flag? Black Sabbath? Clearly none of those, but no idea myself.

Normally I quite like the Joke of the Fringe, but it's really poor this year.

Dammit - haven't got wifi at home yet so can't watch these yet!

To be fair, every new government would do that. Assuming Starmer wins the next one, he'll be straight out there blaming the Tories for the promises he can't fulfil. And last time the Liam Byrne note played straight into that narrative, so left an open goal for austerity to score into.

Not by Starmer though. It's by no way a defence of the Tories - but he's guilty of a similar thing.

Ozanne had a go at all the Tory cabinet sitting on their hands in Johnson's reign - they were all accountable for Boris' mess, yet Starmer served in the shadow cabinet under a man he deems not to deserve the party whip. Double standards?

I read that there would be no cuts to the salaries - just that there would be different rates of pay in different regions. E.g. London might get 3%, but the North East might only get 2%, etc. I know that in real terms, these are pay cuts, but that was the case anyway. Or have I missed something?

I feel for him in a way, as he must know it's lost, but he has to go through the motions of it now. He won't want to drop out, as that looks like giving up and he hasn't really dropped a clanger like Leadsom did in 2016. He'll likely not get a good role in the new cabinet either.

I sorted one a few months ago, just waiting to move to secure it. If it falls through, then back to square one. Fixed for 10yrs at 2.34%, but same parameters now is 3.59% - is only going to go up now.

My fix ended in May - no other supplier wants to offer me anything. Still, hopefully if i move house in the next fortnight, I can lock in a 10yr mortgage fix before the rates get higher.