UK XI: Please Sir... May I Have Some More?

[Neon Ignition]

Donald Trump’s meeting with Keir Starmer: key takeaways | Trump administration | The Guardian
Trump has been invited to a second state visit - it would make him the first ever US President to do so

Trump has also indicated that the UK may eventually settle a trade deal with the US in which it would avoid his international tariffs.

[Asura]

Donald Trump’s meeting with Keir Starmer: key takeaways | Trump administration | The Guardian
Trump has been invited to a second state visit - it would make him the first ever US President to do so

Naturally Trump's gonna be wanking himself silly over this, but in practice, aren't there very few presidents that have served two terms that were not back-to-back?

[fallenangle]

Just had my water bill (UK) info for the coming year - up 29%!!!

That, for me, means an extra £200/year ie. £20 extra per month for the 10 month billing period.

Anyone else here being hit as hard as that?

Still nobody in the government appears to be doing anything about the water companies' gross profiteering and mismanagement of their core duties. This has a sewage like stink of a last gasp grab for customers cash before they're put under stricter financial control or even re-nationalized.

[Asura]

Still nobody in the government appears to be doing anything about the water companies' gross profiteering and mismanagement of their core duties. This has a sewage like stink of a last gasp grab for customers cash before they're put under stricter financial control or even re-nationalized.

I've read that this is because one of the biggest investors in the water companies are pension funds, and the government is nervous about doing anything about this because of that, though that's a bit of a conspiracy theory.

[Nu-Eclipse]

International Development Minister resigns over Keir's bullsh1t u-turn on foreign aid budget. Even she's calling for him to look at other ways to increase defence spending, like, y'know, PROPERLY TAXING THE F--K--G RICHEST.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/28/anneliese-dodds-resigns-keir-starmer-cut-aid-budget

[wakka]

Naturally Trump's gonna be wanking himself silly over this, but in practice, aren't there very few presidents that have served two terms that were not back-to-back?

Only one - Grover Cleveland.

[CMcK]

Sign here gents - No second state visit for Trump | 38 Degrees

[fallenangle]

I enjoy Trump's visits - he comes with an array of interesting aircraft when he crosses the pond.

First time I saw a V22 (Osprey) was on his original state visit when two or three flew over my home. Similarly the second time too but this time it was over my nearest Tesco's car park: one V22 and two or three black helicopters of some sort. All at an altitude of about 1000 feet I'd guess so a really good view.

The Army and RAF usually have some sort of security flight in operation too so you can get Chinooks and Typhoons whizzing about too. Not seen the latter up close but I'd love to see a F35. I like to see what my tax £s are being spent on.

Apart from that niche reason to welcome the visit otherwise I'm neutral on the subject, at least online.

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2025/mar/03/peter-mandelson-ukraine-donald-trump-volodymyr-zelenskyy-keir-starmer-uk-politics-live

Peter 'Why Won't You Love Me Too?' Mandelson trips over his own boot licking tongue

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/mar/03/centuries-old-leasehold-system-to-be-abolished-in-england-and-wales

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/mar/03/labour-unveils-sick-pay-guarantee-for-13m-lowest-paid-workers

[wakka]

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/mar/03/centuries-old-leasehold-system-to-be-abolished-in-england-and-wales

Holy ****, do my eyes deceive me? GOOD news, in the news?

As a leaseholder who has been subject to outrageous service charges and 'major works' bills for years, with hands always tied, I'm so glad something is being done about this. I'm under no illusions that it will affect my own flat - great as that would be - but at least it means in my next property I might not be subject to the same rules developed to keep serfs in their place 500 years ago.

[Dogg Thang]

But then how will you keep your serfs in their place?

[wakka]

Good point, I hadn't considered this. I guess I could chain them directly to my levers of power.

[fallenangle]

Pet hate is being a leaseholder (no choice) and having to deal with an unwanted financial parasite and their 'property management company' who have literally done nothing for the property except buy up the freehold at an auction six years ago (possibly illegally with collusion of their solicitor) and I could not afford to challenge at the time. Their hope being I'll want to extend the lease and pay them tens of thousands of pounds more than they did to buy the freehold.

You do feel like a serf. It is an absurd system that should have been abolished decades ago but the vested interests of rich multi-property owners and the blood sucking legal profession's fees which are usually based on the value of the extended lease, irrespective of their actual costs, ensure it has not.

[Anpanman]

We used to be on one of those peppercorn leaseholds for £2 a year for a million years or so on the house, I made a decision to pay them off a few years ago. One of the best £350 pounds I have ever spent.

We used to have a management company on the flat we used to have, basically paying an extra mortgage for someone to come and trim the weeds. As the management company was based in London we were basically funding London wages from up norf'.

The sooner decrepit schemes like these disappear the better.

[egparadigm]

Holy ****, do my eyes deceive me? GOOD news, in the news?

As a leaseholder who has been subject to outrageous service charges and 'major works' bills for years, with hands always tied, I'm so glad something is being done about this. I'm under no illusions that it will affect my own flat - great as that would be - but at least it means in my next property I might not be subject to the same rules developed to keep serfs in their place 500 years ago.

Unfortunately this law, though good, will do nothing for existing leaseholders. I am one myself. We have a totally unhelpful Housing Association that does nothing but nag us about problems occasionally and never responds to enquiries. They do get the cleaning done and so on, but the service charge has gone up three fold since I moved in in 2017.