General News Thread

[kenny]

52 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

I'm talking about both - I do think that local policy decisions like ULEZ do have a place in the overall picture here, alongside central government decisions. Every little bit helps on this one. 

In that case we should ulez the uk and be done with it.

[leicsmac]

2 minutes ago, kenny said:

In that case we should ulez the uk and be done with it.

Might be a bit tricky logistically tbh, another reason why doing such things at a local level over time may be more effective. 

[kenny]

3 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Might be a bit tricky logistically tbh, another reason why doing such things at a local level over time may be more effective. 

If it makes the air 1% cleaner then its a small price to pay surely?

 

Not to mention, £620m extrapolated accross the UK would be billions in extra income for the government, without raising taxes!

[leicsmac]

6 minutes ago, kenny said:

If it makes the air 1% cleaner then its a small price to pay surely?

 

Not to mention, £620m extrapolated accross the UK would be billions in extra income for the government, without raising taxes!

I get the feeling here that a point is being driven at, but not actually arrived at, so please go ahead and make it. 

[ClaphamFox]

4 hours ago, Super_horns said:

Prince Harry and Meghan returning to the UK.

That will be meat and drink to the tabloids.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62ey03z9d1o

There will be nothing else reported for weeks now.

Let him be a royal again and open day centres and visit factories and all that. What harm can it do?

[bovril]

4 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

Run out of money?  The police finally agreed to provide security?  They want the kids to go through school without getting shot?  So many questions.

 

California's loss is our loss also...

I guess they decided they'd rather be reviled but famous than be ignored

[kenny]

48 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

I get the feeling here that a point is being driven at, but not actually arrived at, so please go ahead and make it. 

Clever politicking from Khan to raise tax for little obvious environmental benefit and even cleverer for claiming credit that came from wider government policy.

 

Plus I am of the opinion that environmental steps forward have to be balanced against cost benefit. 

[leicsmac]

21 minutes ago, kenny said:

Clever politicking from Khan to raise tax for little obvious environmental benefit and even cleverer for claiming credit that came from wider government policy.

 

Plus I am of the opinion that environmental steps forward have to be balanced against cost benefit. 

Fair enough.

 

I disagree on the "little environmental benefit" (tell the people involved in the depicted study that, and as per above there appeared to be more benefit in the chosen zones than elsewhere) and while cost-benefit is naturally important from a logistical perspective, it's rather more difficult than perhaps thought to put an actual material price on human and other life and health. 

 

Edit: again, as per above, that "wider government policy" on the matter is a bigger issue right now anyway when a reasonably big contender for the next GE considers all such environmental measures - local or central - bunkum and intends to scrap them.

Edited 20 August by leicsmac

[kenny]

5 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Fair enough.

 

I disagree on the "little environmental benefit" (tell the people involved in the depicted study that, and as per above there appearedto be more benefit in the chosen zones than elsewhere) and while cost-benefit is naturally important from a logistical perspective, it's rather more difficult than perhaps thought to put an actual material price on human and other life and health. 

The study focused on the people being the control group and not the traffic. As the pollution in Luton was lower than London to start with, it stands to reason that the improvements are more pronounced in the London group.

 

Whether its ULEZ related is still hard to say, its probably had a benefit, but I suspect its very small.

[leicsmac]

12 minutes ago, kenny said:

The study focused on the people being the control group and not the traffic. As the pollution in Luton was lower than London to start with, it stands to reason that the improvements are more pronounced in the London group.

 

Whether its ULEZ related is still hard to say, its probably had a benefit, but I suspect its very small.

I'm thinking at least the balance of probability suggests that it does - at least more of a benefit than a cost. 

 

But then I'm of the opinion that the cost of applying these ideas to improve the environment - if only "very small" - practically always pay for themselves in time by preventing much, much bigger future costs of various types anyway. Unfortunately, there's far too much short-term thinking still abound there.

[Corky]

8 hours ago, Super_horns said:

Prince Harry and Meghan returning to the UK.

That will be meat and drink to the tabloids.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62ey03z9d1o

There will be nothing else reported for weeks now.

Good Morning Britain absolutely thrilled.

[Bellend Sebastian]

4 hours ago, bovril said:

I guess they decided they'd rather be reviled but famous than be ignored

Perhaps they've chosen the UK route of celebrity demise of being hounded to their deaths by the press, over the US method of ultimately succumbing to "prescription" medication administered to them by a "private doctor".

 

It's a tough choice

[Trav Le Bleu]

11 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

Run out of money?  The police finally agreed to provide security?  They want the kids to go through school without getting shot?  So many questions.

 

California's loss is our loss also...

Yup, even without any security over here, I'd think they have more chance of being shot over there.

 

Doesn't feel safe

 

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3ekl74jnk5o

 

I hope you know what you're doing, Mr Carney. 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c80nzdjgmk3o

 

I'm reasonably sure that this doesn't cover half of the "duties" that Ms. Harp fulfills for Felon#47.

[leicsmac]

In other news, one Nathan Cofnas, an advocate of...questionable ideas regarding the inherent qualities of race and the man who began the furore over Jason Arday, looks like he's about to get the boot from his own university. 

[Parafox]

12 hours ago, Super_horns said:

Prince Harry and Meghan returning to the UK.

That will be meat and drink to the tabloids.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62ey03z9d1o

There will be nothing else reported for weeks now.

Very likely. 

 

She's a wannabe princess and will do anything to achieve that. Just my opinion btw.

 

Maybe she has persuaded the prodigal son to make amends in order to get herself some kind of "title"?

[Doozer]

26 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

In other news, one Nathan Cofnas, an advocate of...questionable ideas regarding the inherent qualities of race and the man who began the furore over Jason Arday, looks like he's about to get the boot from his own university. 

Even if Jason Arday did have justifiable question marks over his academic work, the videos I've seen of Nathan Cofnas show a man who seems to relish punching down on others. So for me, this news is a little piece of karma.

[Trav Le Bleu]

41 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3ekl74jnk5o

 

I hope you know what you're doing, Mr Carney. 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c80nzdjgmk3o

 

I'm reasonably sure that this doesn't cover half of the "duties" that Ms. Harp fulfills for Felon#47.

Why would you want to drink American beer?

Ok, the Bourbons can be nice, but the beer?

 

Having said that ... Canadian beer ... Not much different.

[bovril]

44 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

In other news, one Nathan Cofnas, an advocate of...questionable ideas regarding the inherent qualities of race and the man who began the furore over Jason Arday, looks like he's about to get the boot from his own university. 

I think what's most ironic about this story, and honestly there are layers and layers of irony to this whole thing, is that Cofnas I think focussed mostly on the academic stuff that people don't care about as much. Like, people plagiarise, big deal. It's the marathons/TV shows/non-verbal stuff that people were really into and as far as I'm aware that was mostly the Times and furiously right wing rag the Guardian that dug up most.

[leicsmac]

16 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Why would you want to drink American beer?

Ok, the Bourbons can be nice, but the beer?

 

Having said that ... Canadian beer ... Not much different.

Simple answer is, you don't, except out of some ridiculous idea of parochial sentiment. 

 

8 minutes ago, bovril said:

I think what's most ironic about this story, and honestly there are layers and layers of irony to this whole thing, is that Cofnas I think focussed mostly on the academic stuff that people don't care about as much. Like, people plagiarise, big deal. It's the marathons/TV shows/non-verbal stuff that people were really into and as far as I'm aware that was mostly the Times and furiously right wing rag the Guardian that dug up most.

It certainly appears to be a very sorry tale where no one involved ends up looking in any way good at all.

[bovril]

14 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

It certainly appears to be a very sorry tale where no one involved ends up looking in any way good at all.

No, there must be a hero, and a villain. It must fit neatly into the rigid moral framework I carry round in my head. 

[Jon the Hat]

5 hours ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Why would you want to drink American beer?

Ok, the Bourbons can be nice, but the beer?

 

Having said that ... Canadian beer ... Not much different.

You could say the same about plenty of mass-produced English or Australia beer (Carling anyone?  Pint of Fosters?.  Fortunately, the world over, small & craft brewers entered the space left by the mass market brands, and have produced wonderful beers.  The US by its scale has some really rally good beers these days, and they are everywhere.

[leicsmac]

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-urges-south-korea-not-take-sides-blames-us-policy-korea-tensions-2026-08-20/

 

China speaking their piece on current Far Eastern matters. 

[Jon the Hat]

On 20/08/2026 at 18:30, kenny said:

In that case we should ulez the uk and be done with it.

Emissions based road fund license is already a thing no?  Or did that change since i've been away?

[kenny]

11 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

Emissions based road fund license is already a thing no?  Or did that change since i've been away?

It's stays with the vehicle, so 10 year old diesels can pay £30 and modern EVs with luxury car tax will be paying hundreds.

 

Ulez is an additional charge on top that is paid on a daily basis when you enter an area with a non compliant vehicle.