[Andy McDandy]

Every now and again, the tabloids will send a junior reporter through an airport, carrying a box labelled "bomb", and they will then run a headline about "Chilling lack of security as holiday Brits jet off". What if it wasn't just a cardboard box? What if they had got to the planes? What do we put on the front page, nothing's happening?

I appreciate this is more than just standing outside the base perimeter wiggling their bums, but calls to charge these people with treason (see Littlecock today) are frankly ludicrous.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Would it have been seen as terrorism if they had broken into Heathrow, and spray painted the engine on an El Al aircraft

Good question. It wasn’t terrorism to smash up Barclays Bank. I’d say no but it would probably be cumulative.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Can Starmer and others stop talking about the "moral" case for disability cuts? Even if we're incredibly generous to the Government and regard the cuts as "necessary" (which these cuts aren't, knock some money off the NHS if you have to, it's the only budget large enough where you might find efficiencies), don't talk to people about "morality".

[Tubby Isaacs]

Zoe Jardinere pointing out on LBC that in 2003 Starmer defended activists on trial for damaging oil tankers supplying US airplanes bound for Iraq.

I'm sure confusing lawyers with their clients will end well for the liberal left.

Does she think this plane would have gone to bomb Iran?

[The Weeping Angel]

Well it seems like it's all kicking off.

[Oboogie]

Well it seems like it's all kicking off.

What is all kicking off?

[The Weeping Angel]

Stuff over welfare with over 100 MPs threatening to rebel.

[kreuzberger]

Will the Tories take their opportunity to kick the cripples or the government?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Will vote against for sure. Oppositions always do, for one reason or another.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Bit of a problem here.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2 ... ed-reforms

Headteachers in England threaten to quit as Ofsted inspectors over proposed overhaul
Unions urge government to delay and revise changes to way schools are graded or headteachers will stop assisting inspectors

Getting rid of the single judgement was right, but 11 ratings sounds like too many. Got to be possible to reduce these.

[The Weeping Angel]

Will vote against for sure. Oppositions always do, for one reason or another.

They'll vote against.

[kreuzberger]

According to The Independent, Starmer is set to rely on Tory votes next Tuesday to pass his PIP slash and burn routine.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 75890.html

No mention of the late Queen's glass bridge or keeping Richard Branson's toes toasty, but I am sure that penny-pinching island will have that next on the agenda.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I think they'll make concessions to avoid that. Still a week to go. Better than bringing Kemi back from the dead.

They could have increased gambling taxes more than they did in the budget. Probably a couple more things as well they could do that aren't going to have the public up in arms. I'd knock some off the (substantial) NHS increase, perhaps. That's the one budget big enough where you could plausibly claim you could make enough efficiency savings. Ask the voters if they think they'd get more of Reform and Kemi.

[The Weeping Angel]

I think they'll make concessions to avoid that. Still a week to go. Better than bringing Kemi back from the dead.

They could have increased gambling taxes more than they did in the budget. Probably a couple more things as well they could do that aren't going to have the public up in arms. I'd knock some off the (substantial) NHS increase, perhaps. That's the one budget big enough where you could plausibly claim you could make enough efficiency savings. Ask the voters if they think they'd get more of Reform and Kemi.

As Sam Freedman points out

[Tubby Isaacs]

Yep.

[Boiler]

Well, gotta pay for these somehow.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c335406gxdvo

[Tubby Isaacs]

Above my pay grade, but I assume this is what not depending on Donald Trump in Europe looks like in the long term.

Can Sir Keir stop pretending that this won't involve putting taxes up? Put some taxes up, call it the Putin Tax.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Bastard Wes Streeting latest.

(I don't actually like him, but some of the stuff against him is over the top).

https://www.theguardian.com/society/202 ... equalities

England’s poorest areas will get billions in extra health funding under new government plans to tackle stark inequalities in access to care and health outcomes.

NHS services in deprived and coastal places will receive a £2.2bn boost this year to pay for more staff and equipment to help them close the wide gap in resources between them and well-off areas.

The Government will get zero thanks for this.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I thought we had a John Rentoul thread. I don't think we do, but he crops up on separate ones. Here's his latest hot take. Showing the sort of expertise that King's College London are paying him for as a visiting professor.