[Bones McCoy]

Go for the bureaucratic one. Bobbies on the beat sets my teeth on edge.

As I approach 70 years on this rock, I still do not have a recollection of a "bobby on every street corner"

The only time I saw it was when the NF organised a rally at the square by the library.
During the Ilford North 1978 By-election.
The Fash got to march down the high street, counter-protest used our street.


Sadly, one Tessa Jowell failed to defend a narrow majority and Vivian Bendall (Con) gained the seat.

The current MP is Wes Streeting.
It's a sign of the power of the press that my parent's generation often observe.
"The seat was Tory since Queen Victoria's time".

[Tubby Isaacs]

Wasn't Vivian Bendall a massive headbanger? There were lots around in those days, even if the general quality of Conservative MP was much higher than it is now.

[Boiler]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivian_Bendall

[Tubby Isaacs]

Amazing how often "voted against the Maastricht Treaty" comes up with this crowd. Labour had plenty of those in that era too, who'd have fucked Neil Kinnock over if he'd won.

[Bones McCoy]

Wasn't Vivian Bendall a massive headbanger? There were lots around in those days, even if the general quality of Conservative MP was much higher than it is now.

I don't recall much about him except being a very vocal "Bring Back Hanging" type.
He may have had other kinks.

I don't think his hanging stance was exclusive when you consider the Tebbit Wave coming into parliament.

[Bones McCoy]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivian_Bendall

Not only a Tory, but an Estate Agent.

[Abernathy]

Amazing how often "voted against the Maastricht Treaty" comes up with this crowd. Labour had plenty of those in that era too, who'd have fucked Neil Kinnock over if he'd won.

I recall a Scots Tory MP called Teddy Taylor (ugly bugger with a Charltonesque combover) also banging on about what he incorrectly referred to as “My-Strict”.

[Tubby Isaacs]

There were lots of those too. But I don't think it came very close to being reintroduced. Last attempt I'm aware of was 1994, and it lost 403-159. I don't think any non Tories/ Ulster Unionists voted for, which made it very unlikely to pass.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I recall a Scots Tory MP called Teddy Taylor (ugly bugger with a Charltonesque combover) also banging on about what he incorrectly referred to as “My-Strict”.

He was once a guest star on Drop The Dead Donkey, and showed he could at least laugh at himself. Some of the names on here, probably less so. Here are the ones who voted against. A few like John Biffen and Richard Shepherd were serious people with a bee in their bonnet about Europe. Lots of the others weren't.

Rupert Allason (Torbay), Vivian Bendall (Ilford N), John Biffen (Shropshire N), Sir Richard Body (Holland with Boston), Sir Nicholas Bonsor (Upminster), Sir Rhodes Boyson (Brent N), Nicholas Budgen (Wolverhampton SW), John Butcher (Coventry SW), John Carlisle (Luton N), Michael Carttiss (Great Yarmouth), William Cash (Stafford), James Cran (Beverley), Iain Duncan-Smith (Chingford), Peter Fry (Wellingborough), Sir George Gardiner (Reigate), Christopher Gill (Ludlow), Teresa Gorman (Billericay), Harry Greenway (Ealing N), Warren Hawksley (Halesowen and Stourbridge), Bernard Jenkin (Colchester N), Toby Jessel (Twickenham), Roger Knapman (Stroud), Barry Legg (Milton Keynes SW), Michael Lord (Suffolk Central), Tony Marlow (Northampton N), Sir Roger Moate (Faversham), James Pawsey (Rugby and Kenilworth), David Porter (Waveney), Andrew Robathan (Blaby), Richard Shepherd (Aldridge-Brownhills), Sir Trevor Skeet (Bedfordshire N), Michael Spicer (Worcestershire S), Walter Sweeney (Vale of Glamorgan), Sir Peter Tapsell (Lindsey E), Sir Teddy Taylor (Southend E), John Townend (Bridlington), Bill Walker (Tayside N), John Whittingdale (Colchester S and Maldon), John Wilkinson (Ruislip Northwood), Ann Winterton (Congleton), Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield).

[Tubby Isaacs]

And the Labour MPs. Lots and lots of them.

Diane Abbott (Hackney N and Stoke Newington), Irene Adams (Paisley N), John Austin-Walker (Woolwich), Harry Barnes (Derbyshire NE), Tony Benn (Chesterfield), Andrew Bennett (Denton and Reddish), Roger Berry (Kingswood), Jimmy Boyce (Rotherham), Jim Callaghan (Heywood and Middleton), Ronnie Campbell (Blyth Valley), Dennis Canavan (Falkirk W), Jamie Cann (Ipswich), Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Leith), Michael Clapham (Barnsley W and Penistone), Michael Connarty (Falkirk E), Jeremy Corbyn (Islington N), Jean Corston (Bristol E), Bob Cryer (Bradford S), Ian Davidson (Glasgow Govan), Denzil Davies (Llanelli), Terry Davis (Birmingham Hodge Hill), Brian Donohoe (Cunninghame S), Gwyneth Dunwoody (Crewe and Nantwich), William Etherington (Sunderland N), Frank Field (Birkenhead), Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow), Dr Norman Godman (Greenock and Port Glasgow), Mildred Gordon (Bow and Poplar), Bryan Gould (Dagenham), Peter Hain (Neath), Mike Hall (Warrington S), Kate Hoey (Vauxhall), George Howarth (Knowsley N), Kevin Hughes (Doncaster N), Roy Hughes (Newport E), Lynne Jones (Birmingham Selly Oak), Tessa Jowell (Dulwich), Terry Lewis (Worsley), Robert Litherland (Manchester Central), Ken Livingstone (Brent E), John McAllion (Dundee E), William McKelvey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun), John McWilliam (Blaydon), Max Madden (Bradford W), David Marshall (Glasgow Shettleston), Jim Marshall (Leicester S), Bill Michie (Sheffield Heeley), Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby), George Mudie (Leeds E), Bill Olner (Nuneaton), Robert Parry (Liverpool Riverside), Colin Pickthall (Lancashire W), Greg Pope (Hyndburn), Bridget Prentice (Lewisham E), Gordon Prentice (Pendle), Martin Redmond (Don Valley), Jo Richardson (Barking), Ted Rowlands (Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney), Peter Shore (Bethnal Green and Stepney), Alan Simpson (Nottingham S), Dennis Skinner (Bolsover), Llewellyn Smith (Blaneau Gwent), George Stevenson (Stoke S), Mike Watson (Glasgow Central), Alan J Williams (Swansea W), David Winnick (Walsall N), Audrey Wise (Preston)

[Tubby Isaacs]

This is US "Dems in Disarray" stuff, from the usual source.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/202 ... in-schools

The news here is a "major row" between the DfE and the DoH about how PE is funded. This will apparently be settled by Darren Jones and the PM- you know, those people whose job includes settling this sort of dispute.

Just in case you think "Hmm, doesn't sound too tricky a situation", "Whitehall sources" are on hand to say that the Government's PE targets might not be met (though I reckon the PM will probably remember his own target and get it funded as he needs). And there's the usual background about the crisis in pupil health. Even if it's sorted out, you're made to think "the bastards, how can they be considering this stuff".

I'm actually more interested in this part of the story, which talks of

... upcoming reforms in the next curriculum review. It is hoped that the reforms –which will guarantee at least two hours of PE – will involve partnerships with sports bodies that will deliver some efficiencies.

That sounds interesting. Would be nice if they could save money like this and achieve the same outputs. But what is policy compared to a "major row"?

[kreuzberger]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivian_Bendall

Not only a Tory, but an Estate Agent.

Did he shag kids and get the Unholy Trinity?

[Tubby Isaacs]

With Burnham blocked, Labour’s attention turns back to Angela Rayner
Peter Walker and Pippa Crerar
The Greater Manchester mayor’s aborted return has reopened quiet speculation about the party’s future leadership

Great use of the passive there. With Burnham blocked, we're going to start talking about Angela Rayner, so it should read.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... ela-rayner

Is there any news in this story? Um, not really.

Allies of Rayner say that while she has no plans to openly challenge Starmer, if this were to happen or if he stepped down she would definitely compete for the top job.

She is understood to be frustrated at repeated reports linking her to being the deputy and left-leaning ideological ballast in a possible leadership bid by someone else

"Repeated reports" though. I'm not surprised she'd like to be leader, because she's already been an effective Deputy.

And the obligatory political title tattle disrespect of Rachel Reeves, who they can't wait to sack.

any leadership bid would be firmly based on the idea of her leading a team, with a key role for a steady, understated chancellor – perhaps someone like John Healey or Pat McFadden.

Do either of these want to be Chancellor? Do they think Rachel Reeves is shit?

There's literally one quote in the whole piece.

“Angela says she took the scars for Jeremy Corbyn, she took the scars for Keir Starmer, and so the next time she takes the scars it will be for herself,” one senior Labour figure told the Guardian.

Glad we got that sorted. So she'd likely run herself then, like we already knew?

[Youngian]

“Angela says she took the scars for Jeremy Corbyn, she took the scars for Keir Starmer, and so the next time she takes the scars it will be for herself,” one senior Labour figure told the Guardian.

Who even talks like that, a tough boss in a maverick spy drama?

[The Weeping Angel]

Red Tories

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdjn7jdvn7no

Ground rents paid by leaseholders are to be capped at £250 a year in England and Wales, as part of UK government plans to make major changes to home ownership.

The reforms also include proposals to ban the sale of new leasehold flats and give homeowners greater control over how their buildings are managed.

Campaigners feared the government could drop the cap on ground rents - an annual fee leaseholders must pay to their freeholder - because of the potential impact on pension funds.

But Labour MPs, including former Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, had urged the government to stick to Labour's manifesto promise to tackle "unregulated and unaffordable ground rent charges".

The reforms have been published in a draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill, external.

Announcing the cap in a TikTok video, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the move would save some leaseholders "hundreds of pounds".

"That's really important because the cost of living is the single most important thing across the country," he said.

Labour's 2024 election manifesto promised to "finally bring the feudal leasehold system to an end".

There are around five million leasehold homes in England and Wales, where people own the right to occupy a property via a lease for a limited number of years from a freeholder.

[Tubby Isaacs]

“Angela says she took the scars for Jeremy Corbyn, she took the scars for Keir Starmer, and so the next time she takes the scars it will be for herself,” one senior Labour figure told the Guardian.

Who even talks like that, a tough boss in a maverick spy drama?

Someone at closing time.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Red Tories

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdjn7jdvn7no

Ground rents paid by leaseholders are to be capped at £250 a year in England and Wales, as part of UK government plans to make major changes to home ownership.

The reforms also include proposals to ban the sale of new leasehold flats and give homeowners greater control over how their buildings are managed.

Campaigners feared the government could drop the cap on ground rents - an annual fee leaseholders must pay to their freeholder - because of the potential impact on pension funds.

But Labour MPs, including former Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, had urged the government to stick to Labour's manifesto promise to tackle "unregulated and unaffordable ground rent charges".

The reforms have been published in a draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill, external.

Announcing the cap in a TikTok video, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the move would save some leaseholders "hundreds of pounds".

"That's really important because the cost of living is the single most important thing across the country," he said.

Labour's 2024 election manifesto promised to "finally bring the feudal leasehold system to an end".

There are around five million leasehold homes in England and Wales, where people own the right to occupy a property via a lease for a limited number of years from a freeholder.

Frankly I’m getting a bit fed up with “those things campaigners told you were being watered down, well they’re not”.

Is this “outreforming Reform”? When was the last time they did that, if ever? Shabana is talking restructuring the Police. Is that bad, or is that the sort of “bold reform” we keep hearing they aren’t doing? See also the local government reforms. More fuss about postponing some elections than the actual reform.

The lack of interest in this stuff from the media and left is quite staggering.

[Tubby Isaacs]

More just the same as Tories and Reform stuff here.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... ins-london

Ministers have pledged that a redeveloped Euston HS2 station will be big enough to “serve the nation” as tunnelling began for the last miles of high-speed railway into central London.

Excavating the 4.5-mile tunnels from Old Oak Common in west London is expected to take between 12 and 18 months – although details of the terminus, and how it will be funded, are yet to be revealed.

The first of two 1,600-tonne German-made tunnel boring machines to drive to Euston was switched on at the Old Oak Common station site by the rail minister, Peter Hendy, and Keir Starmer’s chief secretary, Darren Jones.

Hendy said the plans for Euston, the costs for which have escalated after designs were twice ripped up under the previous government, were nearing completion.

He indicated that the new station would now probably end up with more than the six high-speed platforms previously planned for, to allow additional future HS2 services beyond Birmingham.

Hendy is talking a good game here, and I'm sure he means it. Andrew Gilligan's Policy Exchange bollocks looks like it's been laughed out of town.

The only problem with this- c'est magnifique mais ce n'est pas leveling up. At least not until it's finished which is way beyond 2029. That's a lot of time for Reform and the Tories to kick off at it.