[Tubby Isaacs]

Interesting proposal here, if well above my pay grade.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... rom-market

Energy users ‘could save £5bn a year’ if gas plants are removed from market
Former energy tsar suggests the ‘radical step’ as one of the few options the government has for cutting bills

The Government is approving tons of renewable energy, but it doesn't seem to stop gas setting the price. The UK system apparently isn't unusual in having a marginal pricing model, it's just unusual that gas sets the price as often as it does. France has nuclear setting the price far more often, and Germany even has coal doing it.

We're certainly installing lots of renewables, but the price of electricity doesn't seem to be coming down any time soon. Is that because gas is still going to be setting the price or because renewable energy is more expensive than it looks when you factor in back up and the costs up upgrading the grid?

[The Weeping Angel]

[Tubby Isaacs]

There've been a few of these good low key changes. Liz Kendall isn't all bad, by any means. But they've got to move on the 2 child benefit cap. Lift it to 3 if that's all you can do within the budget.

[kreuzberger]

Undoubtedly, a move in the right direction.

But these are barely footnotes to the political narrative. If Labour were not so irredeemably shite at comms, this would be part of the morning media round, dovetailing with kid-friendly issues like back-to-school (in England), rather than the Farage-Philps double act.

Instead, tumbleweed.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Nobody is interested in this stuff at the moment. It’s boats, hotels and tax rises.

[The Weeping Angel]

Nobody is interested in this stuff at the moment. It’s boats, hotels and tax rises.

and Rayner's tax affairs.

[davidjay]

Nobody is interested in this stuff at the moment. It’s boats, hotels and tax rises.

and Rayner's tax affairs.

On that subject, where does all this nonsense about "They're worth £x million" come from?

[kreuzberger]

Nobody is interested in this stuff at the moment. It’s boats, hotels and tax rises.

Indeed, and we are witnessing the well-proven and co-ordinated media campaign to ensure that the messaging remains rabidly anti-government. Vast tranches of the populace are quite relaxed about being told what should exercise them.

Who was concerned about the EU until they were instructed to be?

Fifteen months in to a Labour government and they have already done many laudable things - apart from even attempting to set the news agenda.

[Tubby Isaacs]

They can't set any news agenda, but what they can do is respond better so that more people who oppose Farage will speak up for them.

There's no way that the sort of deal with Murdoch, which was bad, would be effective now. Or the sort of news management that we saw then, where Campbell kept the media interested with enough stories. The media doesn't really need stories now. Just recycle the same stuff.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Sounds like another warships deal is imminent, with Denmark. £1bn, apparently.

The increase in Defence spending generally is pretty good for British exports. Have the Proper Left moved on from all arms are bad and we shouldn't make any? Maybe Mr Polanski has said something daft like that, fairly recently? If so, pointing this out will doubtless be evidence that he lives "rent free" in all our rightwing heads.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Sounds like another warships deal is imminent, with Denmark. £1bn, apparently.

The increase in Defence spending generally is pretty good for British exports, even if it's a nuisance in terms of having to spend our own money on it. Have the Proper Left moved on from all arms are bad and we shouldn't make any? Maybe Mr Polanski has said something daft like that, fairly recently? If so, pointing this out will doubtless be evidence that he lives "rent free" in all our rightwing heads.

[The Weeping Angel]

Sadly Rayner will be forced out.

[Tubby Isaacs]

She has been.

FFS. Over not knowing some fairly obscure bit of trust/ stamp duty law.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Guardian now tells us there will be charges of hypocrisy if Reeves increases property taxes in the Budget. I mean, what is this rubbish?

Who as Deputy PM? Hilary Benn might be good.

[Crabcakes]

She has been.

FFS. Over not knowing some fairly obscure bit of trust/ stamp duty law.

While this is clearly shite, I would say 2 things:

1. She’ll be back v. quickly, and now without this hanging over her
2. In the meantime, Starmer has a strong backbench attack dog.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Braverman came back into Government after a weekend. I think it'll be hard to come back in much less than a year.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Fuck them, the cunts. I am beyond angry.

[The Weeping Angel]

Fuck the media.

[Abernathy]

It was always clear that if Angie was found to have breached the ministerial code of conduct, she would have to go. As O'Brien has just said, the government was elected promising to be different, so we do actually have to be different. Oddly though, the Independent Advisor also praised Angie's conscientiousness and diligence in office.

It is, politically, a tragedy for Angie, and for the party. I'm less clear as to why she felt she had to resign the deputy leadership of the party, though. I do feel however, that Angie will be back, at least in ministerial office again if not in a party leadership role. She is too much of a talented asset to lose permanently.

We now have the frankly unwelcome headache of an election to replace Angie as Deputy Leader.

[Boiler]

"Angie".

Is she your best mate or something?

And were it, let's say, Jenrick caught in the same situation and with the same result, would some of you be calling the journalists cunts then? I suspect not - you'd be cheering them to the fucking rafters.