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

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/27/pulling-plug-on-hs2-would-be-final-nail-in-coffin-for-levelling-up

It all kicks off about HS2 again. Thing is, I think the only real scandal around HS2 is the obscene amount of money it's cost. I don't think that it being shortened is that big of a deal, it was never going to be that useful to begin with. The money should have always gone into refreshing the existing infrastructure first.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/sep/27/gb-news-suspends-laurence-fox-over-comments-about-female-journalist

Lawrence Fox is suspended from GB News for being a raging sexist

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/sep/26/un-suella-braverman-refugee-convention-unhcr-migration

The UN does the necessary and outright rejects Cruella's racist rant from yesterday

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-66933804

A new oil field approval goes through causing outrage amongst climate activists

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66923590

32 countries are sued by young activists claiming that slow action on climate change is an infringement on their human rights

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/26/staggering-green-growth-gives-hope-for-15c-says-global-energy-head

One of the worlds leading energy economists has said that advancements in just the past 2 years have greatly risen the hopes of staying within the 1.5C limit for global heating

[charlesr]

£13.5 billion for track and trace in two years. Surely they can find a few billion more to finish some more tracks on HS2.

[Asura]

David Walliams files case against Britain’s Got Talent production company | David Walliams | The Guardian
Gets called out, now wants a pay out

Walliams' name always seems to be followed by a litany of criticisms, people saying there are skeletons in the closet, etc.

I don't watch the sort of TV he makes, or read the childrens books he "writes" (I think some are ghost-written?), so I don't really have an opinion. But I've never been sure if those stories have any truth, or if it's the typical thing of wanting to tear down someone successful.

[Neon Ignition]

I know someone who has worked with him around 15 years ago and from what they have discussed in the past any stories based around women and womanising etc seem likely to be true. They had similar, though not quite as extensive tales about a certain crisp loving sports professional turned presenter too. I imagine it's absolutely rife throughout media.

[Neon Ignition]

Live updates deputy minister Lee Waters faces no confidence vote over 20mph petition - Wales Online
Waters may pay the price for the Welsh 20mph limit today

[MartyG]

A 20 mph for residential areas that'll reduce injury, and make residential areas quieter and safer places to walk/cycle that local councils are able to opt out of if they want to.

Yeah, sounds like a sensible thing to be censured for.

This is why we can't have nice things.

[Brad]

Dominic Diamond used to be friends with Williams but says he became an absolute **** when he got famous.

[dataDave]

I first saw him on Games World. That daily gaming show that was on Sky.

[Asura]

I first saw him on Games World. That daily gaming show that was on Sky.

What was he on that? Was he in the weird experimental Big Boy Barry stuff?

[dataDave]

What was he on that? Was he in the weird experimental Big Boy Barry stuff?

Yeah. He was like a really camp/nerdy sidekick to The Big Boy. Leslie, I think his name was.

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/sep/28/rishi-sunak-expected-to-limit-powers-of-councils-in-england-to-curb-car-use-20mph-speed-limit-traffic-camera-fines

Sunak is to bring in new rules that will limit councils ability to introduce traffic calming measures

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/28/boy-16-arrested-in-connection-with-felling-of-famous-sycamore-gap-tree-hadrians-wall-england

16 year old arrested for cutting down a 300 year old tree

[Lebowski]

Sunak seems keen to jump on whatever measures he thinks will gain him any tiny ammount of popularity he seems to be jumping on every green thing councils are doing and trying to do the opposite as one anti green policy scrapped them a seat.

Was watching Sunak be interviewed on local news last night about the massive funding gap between certain rich and poor councils, Bradford for example receives 2/3 less than some wealthy council areas in the UK, He completely dodged the question and started on about how when the Tory's took power they had a note saying "their is no money left" and that they have been balancing the books for their entire term in office. If i was the interviewer i would have played him his clip form his failed leadership bid against Truss where he said he was intentionally doing this and asked him again why.

[Neon Ignition]

Shouting at children can be as damaging as physical or sexual abuse, study says | Children | The Guardian


English water firms face backlash over plans to ask customers to pay £96bn to cut leaks | Water industry | The Guardian
Having jus been told that they need to reduce customer bills due to leaks etc, water companies magically come up with an excuse to increase bills

Time to withhold benefits from those who won’t look for work, says Jeremy Hunt | Benefits | The Guardian
Aware that fatigue is setting in on blaming immigrants for everything, the Tories now try to resurrect blaming people on benefits


With Sunak's time as PM likely entering its final year, his potential replacements are lining up at the Tory Conference and the line up shows just how hopelessly clueless the party is about the situation it's in and what is needed to steer itself back:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2023/oct/02/conservative-party-conference-jeremy-hunt-liz-truss-rishi-sunak-tory-labour-politics-latest-updates?page=with:block-651ab4818f08b90f4edd604b#block-651ab4818f08b90f4edd604b

Priti Patel - Wants to bring back Thatcherism

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2023/oct/02/conservative-party-conference-jeremy-hunt-liz-truss-rishi-sunak-tory-labour-politics-latest-updates?page=with:block-651aaa378f080714cd55f481#block-651aaa378f080714cd55f481

Liz Truss - Wants to resurrect a Tax Cut focus

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2023/oct/02/conservative-party-conference-jeremy-hunt-liz-truss-rishi-sunak-tory-labour-politics-latest-updates?page=with:block-651aa8e08f087e532d8e08b9#block-651aa8e08f087e532d8e08b9

Lucy Frazer - Wants to cancel Cancel Culture


And that's before Kemi, Penny and Cruella get to speak

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2023/oct/02/conservative-party-conference-jeremy-hunt-liz-truss-rishi-sunak-tory-labour-politics-latest-updates?page=with:block-651a97328f087e532d8e07e3#block-651a97328f087e532d8e07e3

When the Tories lose, a group within plans to push the party toward the far right with a basis on withdrawing from the European Court of Human Rights, halving the number of VISA's greenlit, cut funding for A-Level students who score too low to prevent them from attending University, ban gender ideology in schools.


Gillian Keegan plans to ban mobile phones from English schools | Education policy | The Guardian
But in a 'broken clock is sometimes right' news - I'm okay with this one

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/oct/02/hs2-rishi-sunak-scrapping-manchester-leg

Cowardly waiting till he leaves Manchester to confirm scrapping HS2 for the city

Rishi Sunak’s Commons majority in peril as 60 Tories join Liz Truss group | Conservatives | The Guardian
Absolutely staggering how dumb the people in this party are