Unpopular opinion, but the trend not to send greetings cards makes me a little bit sad. I get that some make charitable donations but for me, I love the ritual of taking time when life is busy to sit down, get out your address book & handwrite messages to friends & loved ones 🎄
@jemmaforte
For all the ‘but it’s GOT’ well yes, and that was a highly misogynistic scene too. Just because Clarkson makes a fictional reference doesn’t diminish the misogyny in the ‘opinion’ piece. Don’t even get me started on ‘but he’s not being serious’.
@thetimes
Let this sink in. The UK, once held in high esteem around the world for the rule of law, democracy and fair play is being challenged in the courts by the UN. How far we have fallen.
@South_SPC
I once put my cup of free Waitrose coffee on top of my car as I was leaving John Lewis car park in Newcastle. I’d driven out & about as far as Hancock museum (~300m) before I remembered. Pulled in & it was still there 😆 That car park is the spiral sort. I couldn’t believe it.
@zoeharcombe
Advice for some parts of the country when a serious storm is forecast has been given for years, and is entirely normal and not from a newly established ‘playbook’. Comparing it to a pandemic response or suggesting it’s somehow a malevolent act by the state is nonsense.
@Gabriel_Pogrund
@SophiaCannon
No money for kids’ free school meals though. Or nurses’ pay rise ‘cos it’ll raise inflation’. But this (and other cases like it), this is ok? Nurses won’t be going out buying a pile of caviar or extravagant yacht parties. It’ll be spent on the basics. But, but inflation! 🙄
@WestminsterWAG
@Keir_Starmer
You know a Sue Gray & her son aren’t the same person right? And, professionals are highly capable of leaving politics out of their professional lives. She also is not appointing him, he will face the electorate, unlike Johnson who elevated his brother to be an unelected law maker
@haveigotnews
This is poor from HIGFY.
None of this is funny. 1 in 3 children live in poverty in a Stockton, while in some parts of Middlesbrough it’s 1 in 2. That’s not funny.
That any MP should respond to a Q about children in poverty in the way being reported isn’t funny either.
@KateBurkeNHS
This ⤴️ and deep enough so that you can get in the cubicle, maybe with a bag, and turn around to close the door without touching or having to straddle the toilet basin 🙄
So as that’s not possible on this forum, I want to wish all a that celebrate a very
#MerryChrismas
/
#WinterSolstice
/
#Midwinter
- may the season be merry & bright & all good wishes for the new year!
🎄 ⭐️🎄⭐️🎄⭐️🎄⭐️🎄
@Telegraph
This is grotesque. You know most people pay some tax don’t you? Even those that don’t or can’t work. Stop attacking vulnerable people and the welfare state.
@PippaCrerar
The UK doesn’t even take the most refugees in Europe, never mind the world. Around 80% remain in their region, often in a country neighbouring their home. These misleading statements should be corrected.
@FraserNelson
Hmm, this from
@ONS
suggests it is more like 6.4% in receipt of out of work benefits. Are you counting economically inactive (not looking for work such as retired or those unable to work)/others?
@JayMitchinson
Not strictly regarding antivaxxers, but the Infinite Monkey Cage podcast had an interesting episode on conspiracy theorists, and psychology of those drawn to them i.e they provide a way for some people to feel ‘special’, a sense that they know something everyone else doesn’t.
@RishiSunak
As a constituent can you please let me know what you're doing to provide safe passage to the UK for the purpose of seeking asylum?
The only way currently is once arrived in the UK, yet you now appear to be criminalising that, but offer no alternative & so breaking with Intl law
@benrileysmith
Wow! Cutting benefits for the most vulnerable & low income while giving a tiny group a tax cut on unearned wealth. I can see that going down well with ordinary folk struggling just to make ends meet. Politics is about priorities & this Gov is making theirs abundantly clear to all
@SkyNews
Rather than row back on
#ULEZ
(air quality & CC are serious)
@UKLabour
should better counter misinformation (90% would not be effected by it). It'd also be helpful for media & press outlets to communicate the facts about it better & challenge politicians/those that mislead.
@nationaltrust
It really is devastating. Such a cultural icon of a tree. It will not be the same on that stretch of the wall. Maybe once we understand what’s happened the wood from this beautiful & much loved tree can be used for a bench or sculpture on the site maybe.
#SycamoreGap
🌳
Who knew
#Hartlepool
was such an interesting place? From nature reserves nestled among heavy industry & seals sunbathing in the shadow of the Transporter bridge to Old Hartlepool (Headland) which has been a port since medieval times & once home to 7th century monastery.
#Teesside
@DeborahMeaden
This ⤴️
A frequent flyer tax is unlikely to impact most ppl. Just ~11% of us take >2 return flights a yr while a 1/5 of all overseas flights are taken by just 1% of us. Likely to only affect the wealthy, not families’ annual holidays.
@BritishSave
@tnewtondunn
This is unbearable. The point is that animals are being slaughtered for no end. No end. Because of problems associated with
#Brexit
that the farming community, and all of us, were told would not happen. This is unacceptable waste & huge threat to rural livelihoods & communities.
@horton_official
But they’ll replace some lost solar capacity by making it mandatory at planning stage for all these 100,000s of new build houses we need to be built solar roofs (and EV charging), ‘long term planning’ and all that, right? Right?
No?!?!?!
@BBCr4today
@MishalHusain
Whether about a place or a fellow MP, that he would use such language in Parliament (at all) when being asked about child poverty is the bigger problem IMO.
👀 Look how beautiful these willow sculptures are in
#Skipton
Castle Woods
@WoodlandTrust
(sculptures by Anna & The Willow) My favourite is ‘The Spirit of the Medieval Hunter’ 🏹
#NorthYorkshire
@domjoly
Perhaps, but it feels like something lots of people can get involved in, everyone playing exactly the same game with the same answer on the same day. Something fun/positive to connect people, rather than the horror unfolding in politics etc.
@BBCNews
I’m sick of this narrative. It’s not about holding our nerve etc. Low & middle income households are not profligate. Millions are going without essentials & cutting back already, before the mortgage crisis joined forces with the energy & cost of living crises.
@GMB
I don’t think this is about Dorries specifically, tho’ she perhaps is a case that highlights the problem. That problem being, if any one of us failed to fulfil our basic duties & responsibilities at work, without good reason, then we’d be sacked. And likely long before 6m.
@EmmaKennedy
@HyettSandy
This is partly why stockpiling of hand sanitiser etc. is a bit of a problem. I travel a lot on trains, & probs low risk. But my parents (cancer & chronic respiratory cond) are probs high risk. I don’t want to pass onto high risk grps because I couldn’t get to soap & water easily.
@mah0n3y
@MartinSLewis
In mathematics BODMAS is applied. I think of it as a sort of universal decoder for the ordering of steps in equations so everyone does it the same way. B(brackets); O(operands); D(division); M(multiplication); A(addition); and S(subtraction). So:
5+6x4 = 5+(6x4)
6x4=24
5+24 = 29
@furbabygirl
1) Scotland is in the UK
2) He was not unelected, he was elected just as any MP is that then goes on to be leader of party in Gov
3) He didn’t nearly bankrupt the country, it was a global crash caused by sub-prime mortgages. Brown’s actions literally saved UK banking sector.
@SteveBarclay
The problem with much of the debate here is it frames strike action as an individual act of self-interest. But it’s not,
#strikes
are collective action for something greater than personal gain, Eg. standards, patient safety, retention etc. Striking Drs illustrate this very well.
@NeilDotObrien
I know little about this case, but think the legal system should be accessible by all & the courts should decide the merits of cases not politicians. Otherwise we potentially stray into dangerous territory where none of our rights are safe. Separation of powers is so important.
@LeeAndersonMP_
How people in poverty choose to spend their income is irrelevant. If the cost of basics exceeds your income then no amount of prudent spending will magically make necessities affordable. 4 million people are destitute in the UK, 1 million of them children.
@hugorifkind
@talktoharris1
Thank you for sharing their story, devastating but told so beautifully. So many, including me, will now think of Sulamita & their daughter.
@nickdebois
@RishiSunak
It affects around 4% of estates, & with allowances for spouses, descendants & main home, you can inherit up to £1 million tax free. This should not be a priority when public services are crumbling (literally), there’s a cost living crisis & mortgages are going through the roof.
@FloridaSpur
@CallumHodson2
@Bonsai_Bill
@GaryLineker
There is no legal requirement in UK nor international law for refugees to remain in the first ‘safe’ country. The vast majority of refugees are hosted in their home region while the UK receives far fewer refugees than many other European countries.
@furbabygirl
4) Brown is a giant of policy intellect, compassion & integrity. He has worked on issues of poverty & social well being for decades. He acts in the country’s best interests, not his own.
@GBNEWS
How people in poverty choose to spend their income is irrelevant. If the cost of basic necessities exceed your income then no amount of prudent spending will magically make them affordable. 4 million people are destitute in the UK, 1 million of them children.
@ChrisGiles_
@ros_hutchinson
It’s almost like hiking interest rates to stem consumer spending isn’t working?!?!?! Millions are already struggling to afford the basics. Maybe consumer spending isn’t the problem?
@RoryStewartUK
Apparently staying on as 'caretaker' (try not to laugh or cry) until Autumn?! How is this possible with no government - no functioning government! I really feel for all the civil service right now dealing with critical matters that require ministerial sign-off - what a mess!
@spikedonline
He wasn’t removed, he resigned. He resigned before Parliament could vote on the recommendations of the committee, and had he been expelled forcing a by-election, before his constituents got their say. How is it undemocratic?
@Jacob_Rees_Mogg
The TV licence is not a ‘TV Tax’ and it’s disingenuous to suggest it is. The TV Licence supports the BBC as our public service broadcaster (PSB), and it does far far more than just TV. How do you propose PSB should be funded & in a way that conserves its principles & benefits?
@JeremyVineOn5
@chrisbambery
@linmeitalks
@theJeremyVine
The framing here is all wrong. You make it sound like a choice when for the vast majority it is not. People who are sick, disabled, waiting for healthcare should not faced with having their main/only income source removed. It’s cruel & Dickensian. 4 million ppl are destitute FGS!
@SamCoatesSky
So, & let me know if I’ve got this wrong, the Gov wants to act unlawfully, as found by our own Courts which have applied the Law (Intl & UK laws). So they want to change the law (with no mandate) to allow them to act unlawfully in respect to human rights?
Seriously worrying.
@C4Ciaran
Ah, the perpetually promised A1 upgrade. The people of the NE & Yorkshire and Scottish Borders have been waiting a long time for this. Since it was last promised by a Conservative government in fact, and the time before that etc. 😳
@Manish_05Singh
How is raising money for the homeless ‘trash’ exactly. Millions of us around Rayner’s age enjoyed nights out exactly like this. I think she’s brilliant. Good to know what you think of us. Millions of us.
@LBC
@AliMirajUK
No, and even if only reserved for the most serious crimes, for what I think are 3 very good reasons:
1. It is not an effective deterrent
2. Even 1 wrongly convicted person that is sentenced to death is too many
3. It’s (imo) immoral & effectively state-sanctioned murder.
@BenJolly9
@Ruralmaestro
That’s not quite what she said from what I’ve read. She said the Gov had previously promised 2.1% and that it should be honoured as the bare minimum. That’s not quite the same as saying that’s what Labour is proposing.
@ITVNewsPolitics
The problem with this framing is it suggests education is not or shouldn’t be an end in itself. IMO it absolutely is, even if you don’t go into a career in that field. Higher education is about more than churning out economic units. Self & societal improvement are legitimate aims
@milominder
@ks_1968
But it won’t ‘get it done’ will it? Future trade negotiations with EU & those we currently trade with via EU will take yrs. Meaningless & misleading soundbite that fails to communicate to the public what will actually happen. Making the same mistakes as the referendum.
Dear PM
@RishiSunak
, at
#PMQs
you appear to say
#childpoverty
has fallen. However
@jrf_uk
found that the most extreme form of poverty among children is +88% since 2019, while gov figs show children in relative poverty increased ~300k 09/10-21/22. Might you correct the record pls?
@SkyNews
It’s always the poorest these ‘difficult decisions’ impact & penalise isn’t it? How about difficult decisions not to cut inheritance tax? To not cut bankers’ bonus caps? Or difficult decisions to help rather make things worse for millions living below basic subsistence?
@cdarl67
@Imogenlemon02
@JackCroft04
You seem to be implying that it’s the Labour Party doing all the changing, when actually people can change, including their political views. When they do we should welcome that & them.
#Grief
is unwelcome company. I’ve not really talked about it, certainly not here, but after losing mum unexpectedly in April, next wk is dear dad’s funeral. Sorting through a lifetime of memories & belongings is the hardest thing. If I can’t have them, I just want to keep it all.
@SophyRidgeSky
@GullisJonathan
@GaryLineker
This logic is flawed & implies that only those who work directly in politics can have any say or opinion on how we are governed and society is organised. That’s all politics really is. And the implication is clearly ridiculous.
@jamesjohnson252
These issues are very complex as is the wider context of international law. How these topics are framed & discussed is important. Just asking the question without the proper context can give misleading results. How did this research approach that, or just via a simple survey Q?
@BethRigby
Then can we have some grown ups back running the country please? Where their priority is the country & our collective wellbeing rather than internal fighting & one-up-manship for their own ends.
@markjenkinsonmp
I’m pleased that
@UKLabour
takes air pollution seriously. It causes 1000s of premature deaths every year & costs NHS £billions. Important that policy is communicated fairly & support is available for vulnerable & low income to manage distributional impacts.
We got the train to
#Saltburn
today & walked 6 miles to
#Redcar
along the beach. Wind turbines, sanderlings & fish & chips at
@OliversRedcar
(the best)! A good day!
@SimonClarkeMP
Why not allow claims for asylum to be made before arrival instead of insisting it can only be done once arrived, and open more safe routes? Process existing claims more quickly then hotels won’t be required to cope with backlog?
@MartinDaubney
@ArthurAssendune
Air pollution in London is responsible for between 3500-9000 premature deaths annually, that’s just London. It costs the NHS £billions & harms to biodiversity. It affects only a small minority. Funds raised/gov support should be supporting ppl to meet vehicle standards.
@RicHolden
@Keir_Starmer
@UKLabour
Dear Richard, did you read the article? If you did then you’d know that was not the meaning of what was said &
@DavidLammy
was referring specifically to foreign policy & strengthening relations to support UK security & in all of our interests. For clarity, here’s what was said⤵️
@JuliaHB1
@VladPutin1
@Jeremy_Hunt
More than 90% are never affected by IHT, as such I don’t think it’s right to say it hits too many families when only 4% of estates pay it. Allowances mean you can inherit up to £1 million tax free on unearned wealth. I absolutely agree that a cut should not be a priority.
@lacanian_bimbo
Mothers look after children = outrage!
Mothers don’t look after children = outrage
Stella Creasy is just looking after her young infant as we might expect. I hadn’t even spotted baby was with her when I first saw this pic. You have to Zoom in a bit to even notice 🙄
@SkyNews
As a regular train commuter & rail user, I think this is wrong & will diminish the service. Many people use the ticket office, for queries, help to book their ticket where they don’t have a smart device, or struggle with ticket machines or neither are working. Poor decision!
@Councillorsuzie
She’s (Kay Burley) a journalist doing her job and holding politicians to account, key to our democracy. Politicians that want the top job. It’s entirely right that they should be interviewed in this way, it’s not a party political broadcast or campaign video.
@DailyMailUK
IHT is paid on ~4% of estates. Most ppl are never affected by it & a cut would not give a ‘helping hand’ to the vast majority of any generation. A cut to tax on unearned wealth, while cutting benefits with 4 million destitute is obscene. The wrong priority at the wrong time.
@annahamiltonart
We are just putting ours up today, but we had a small holiday cottage for Xmas last year so took this tiny tree with us. If it’s not too late I’d really recommend them, and you can pot outside for your patio after Xmas.
#MerryChristmas
@andreajenkyns
Why would I support something that would reduce my (and everyone else’s) rights & protections? We are all protected equally, or none of us are.