General News Thread

[Parafox]

13 hours ago, Sly said:

I was wondering why the arrest photo showed them topless 

 

I am guessing they were undertaking some countryside theft and are currently like WTF! 

Allegedly going to steal diesel and sell on to unscrupulous others.

[JonnyBoy]

5 hours ago, Greg2607 said:

sure, because effectively the government invested in your house, so they share n the uplift of that investment.   They ultimately owe 20% of the house under Help to Buy.     IF it were the opposite and Labour suggested a scheme where you only paid back what you borrowed, then everyone on the right would be up in arms about "freebies". 

 

We used help to buy for the house we are in now.   We still have the Help to Buy loan... it isn't overly painful every month (we've been here 6 years now.)  we COULD borrow to pay the loan off, but the increase in borrowing cost is more than the interest on the HTB scheme.   We plan to sell the house and downsize significantly at retirement, and will pay it back at that point, unless interest rates drop again significantly in the future and borrowing is cheaper to do.   

 

I'm sure your brother will tell me i'd making a loss on that decision financially (I probably am technically) - But I can invest more in my pension and investments now, rather than putting that to the extra borrowing i'd need to pay off the HTB scheme today.   My hope, is that the growth in those investments eventually pay off the HTB anyway. 

Makes sense, so won’t be overwhelming for when year 6 hits. Should help more people onto the ladder then 

[Rubbersoul]

It’s now being reported one of the Fairford suspects called 999… 

 

and that they’re not being investigated for fuel theft according to The Times. 
 

Incredible 

[leicsmac]

5 minutes ago, Rubbersoul said:

It’s now being reported one of the Fairford suspects called 999… 

 

and that they’re not being investigated for fuel theft according to The Times. 
 

Incredible 

This sounds like it's become a rather delicious farce that's causing embarrassment to all the people who really need as much humiliation as possible tbh. 

[Blue-fox]

52 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

This sounds like it's become a rather delicious farce that's causing embarrassment to all the people who really need as much humiliation as possible tbh. 

What I can’t get my head around is if there is 3 vans filled with fuel, in large containers, surely that is going to ignite if they wanted it to? I just can’t see how this can’t be seen as 3 mobile bombs.

 

It all seems very, very odd. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

5 hours ago, kenny said:

No, because its for new builds only.

 

You are paying a premium for a new build, so you would be better to get a cheaper older house and not borrow from the government.

Also, new builds are poor quality and characterless.

[Blue-fox]

10 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Also, new builds are poor quality and characterless.

Better insulated. I bought one after wanting to live in older property and now would always buy new. Also the added bonus of no one dying previously and being haunted 😂

[kenny]

15 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Also, new builds are poor quality and characterless.

Quality in my experience is very good. Our building standards are typically high.

 

Bland as **** though.

[Parafox]

Triple lock goes to double lock after this parliament. 

As a pension eligible person myself, I'd go with it to pay for free social care, i might need it myself, but it just won't be enough. Social care will cost more over time anyway.

If it happens it will be a limited benefit aimed at those in the greatest need. There will be a defined level of need in order to qualify. Those that fall outside the qualifying peramiters will still have to pay up.

It's a political stunt and the next manifesto will just sideline it and it'll drift off into the political ether.

Also "free at the point of need" is very vague. Once the point of need has been met, in that a care home bed has been sourced, and subsequently occupied, the point of need is no longer a thing. Then what happens.

 

Edited Tuesday at 22:16 by Parafox

[Parafox]

1 hour ago, Blue-fox said:

What I can’t get my head around is if there is 3 vans filled with fuel, in large containers, surely that is going to ignite if they wanted it to? I just can’t see how this can’t be seen as 3 mobile bombs.

 

It all seems very, very odd. 

It's like a carry on film without the tits.

Well, there are several tits Trump and Rubio plus our very own MI5 or 6 and the wonderful British trash rags.

I also suspect some senior members of the "travelling community" will be having  serious words with their bungling oafs.

Edited Tuesday at 22:28 by Parafox

[Sly]

Did anyone see the size of those sharks in Perth, roaming near the beach? I’m surprised anyone gets in the water! 
 

 

[Thefox81]

1 hour ago, Sly said:

Did anyone see the size of those sharks in Perth, roaming near the beach? I’m surprised anyone gets in the water! 
 

 

Still such a beautiful creature tho.

[Jon the Hat]

5 hours ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Also, new builds are poor quality and characterless.

Some are some are not, we had a lovely new house for 6 years under help to buy before we moved to Australia.

[Jon the Hat]

1 hour ago, Sly said:

Did anyone see the size of those sharks in Perth, roaming near the beach? I’m surprised anyone gets in the water! 
 

 

Yes I did!  Fortunately I am a bit further South and we have a shark net to swim in if we choose.  Its relatively unusual to have shark dinner sitting on the beach as well.  Early in the swimming season but of course a poor guy did get killed 2 weeks ago a few Kms north of this video.

[leicsmac]

8 hours ago, Blue-fox said:

What I can’t get my head around is if there is 3 vans filled with fuel, in large containers, surely that is going to ignite if they wanted it to? I just can’t see how this can’t be seen as 3 mobile bombs.

 

It all seems very, very odd. 

I'm far from an expert here, but I would posit that there are far better materials to use than petrol for making such terrible devices that are not difficult to obtain. ANFO, nitrate compounds and the like.

 

Clearly the powers that be think along those or similar lines too, or they would not have let things play out as they have.

 

But yes, all rather odd. But a little funny, given it's making the right people look like mugs.

[Sly]

1 hour ago, leicsmac said:

I'm far from an expert here, but I would posit that there are far better materials to use than petrol for making such terrible devices that are not difficult to obtain. ANFO, nitrate compounds and the like.

 

Clearly the powers that be think along those or similar lines too, or they would not have let things play out as they have.

 

But yes, all rather odd. But a little funny, given it's making the right people look like mugs.

To be honest, I’ve no idea how to make a perfect bomb!  I’m slightly concerned if I Google it, I might end up on a list!
 

Petrol seems like an easy thing to acquire in bulk, to do it easily.

[Sly]

4 hours ago, Thefox81 said:

Still such a beautiful creature tho.

They are, also the water is their territory. 

 

3 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

Yes I did!  Fortunately I am a bit further South and we have a shark net to swim in if we choose.  Its relatively unusual to have shark dinner sitting on the beach as well.  Early in the swimming season but of course a poor guy did get killed 2 weeks ago a few Kms north of this video.

I’m surprised they let it stay on the beach for so long. Wouldn’t the oils as the whale carcass break down and stay in the sand, attracting more predators? 

Can sharks breach the nets? I guess people see more sharks now, as we have drones etc, and more people in the water.

 

Still scary the first time you see how big they are. I was surprised it was that close to the beach.

 

[leicsmac]

13 minutes ago, Sly said:

To be honest, I’ve no idea how to make a perfect bomb!  I’m slightly concerned if I Google it, I might end up on a list!
 

Petrol seems like an easy thing to acquire in bulk, to do it easily.

I've watched too many dark Netflix documentaries, clearly 

 

Like I said, I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure better options for less hassle exist, and the fact that these guys have been turned loose on bail indicates that either the fuzz don't consider them that much of a threat or some other game is being played here. 

[Greg2607]

11 hours ago, Rubbersoul said:

It’s now being reported one of the Fairford suspects called 999… 

 

and that they’re not being investigated for fuel theft according to The Times. 
 

Incredible 

makes you wonder why Donald Trump had been watching these very bad guys for as long as he said they had been 

[Greg2607]

9 hours ago, Parafox said:

Triple lock goes to double lock after this parliament. 

As a pension eligible person myself, I'd go with it to pay for free social care, i might need it myself, but it just won't be enough. Social care will cost more over time anyway.

If it happens it will be a limited benefit aimed at those in the greatest need. There will be a defined level of need in order to qualify. Those that fall outside the qualifying peramiters will still have to pay up.

It's a political stunt and the next manifesto will just sideline it and it'll drift off into the political ether.

Also "free at the point of need" is very vague. Once the point of need has been met, in that a care home bed has been sourced, and subsequently occupied, the point of need is no longer a thing. Then what happens.

 

that isn't what they are suggesting...

 

the national care service is intended to pay for personal care only. not for beds in care homes (or at least i think that's true) - What they have said though is that no one will be expected to "sell the family home" to pay for it... so i suspect a straight IHT charge on every single estate is likely to be built in to this. 

 

I personally think that's the right call. Ive had two relatives recently that did end up in care with dementia. They were in care homes for a number of years and ultimately had to sell their home and then burned through all that cash during their stay. 

 

better to have a cap on the cost that is predictable and manageable for most people.

[JonnyBoy]

9 hours ago, kenny said:

Quality in my experience is very good. Our building standards are typically high.

 

Bland as **** though.

 

10 hours ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Also, new builds are poor quality and characterless.

 

we were never going to buy a new build, suits us with busy life and no upkeep at the moment and the house faces a field rather than inwards - it would really wind me up people parking outside the house, I don't like the fact there isn't any nooks or crannies, very boxy etc. We had a fireplace built and alcove units etc to try and add some character in so it isn't too bland. 

 

i am amazed the amount of people who move into a new build and do nothing to them, almond white walls for years and just stuck a sofa and tv in, then wonder when the re-sell they don't get the price they want. if you are going to buy a new build, try and make it unique over the years - you are literally buying a blank canvas. 

 

I really dislike the garden as a bit overlooked, so planning on planting some trees at the back, makes you wince how much semi-mature trees cost 🥴

 

[davieG]

51 minutes ago, Sly said:

To be honest, I’ve no idea how to make a perfect bomb!  I’m slightly concerned if I Google it, I might end up on a list!
 

Petrol seems like an easy thing to acquire in bulk, to do it easily.

Not cheap though 

[ClaphamFox]

This is a bit mad.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqjdv7pmj9dno

[Sampson]

11 hours ago, Parafox said:

Triple lock goes to double lock after this parliament. 

As a pension eligible person myself, I'd go with it to pay for free social care, i might need it myself, but it just won't be enough. Social care will cost more over time anyway.

If it happens it will be a limited benefit aimed at those in the greatest need. There will be a defined level of need in order to qualify. Those that fall outside the qualifying peramiters will still have to pay up.

It's a political stunt and the next manifesto will just sideline it and it'll drift off into the political ether.

Also "free at the point of need" is very vague. Once the point of need has been met, in that a care home bed has been sourced, and subsequently occupied, the point of need is no longer a thing. Then what happens.

 

I think the triple lock is more of an optics thing on the generational divide, I think a lot of gen z and millennial voters concentrate on the pension system because they endlessly hear the Tories and Reform telling them that they are workshy and faking mental health issues in order to not work and claim benefits when the overwhelming majority of social spending is actually on pension benefits and the healthcare system which is overwhelmingly used by older baby boomers. I think there's a feeling amongst younger people that they're often attacked for being too costly to the state when in reality the baby boomers cost the state far more, but they're too big a voter base because of population ageing that no one dares say it. Going after the triplelock is a bit of a tacit nod towards gen z and millennial voters that Burnham recognises that I think.

 

I thought Burnham's speech was fantastic - all the things we were told Starmer had to avoid but which many of us really wanted him to talk about in 2024 - the clearly nonsensical voting system, the problems of Thatcherism and de-industrialisation, finally being allowed to talk about Brexit again and recognising the clear majority opinion, especially amongst working aged people, that it's been a disaster, meanwhile he didnt mention Reform or the Tories once trying to just say "well vote for me because I'm not them".

 

People dont have to agree with him, as you might not like general left of centre politics which is fine, but It felt like the speech of an actual proper Labour leader who actually stood for progressive politics and was actually trying to engage in top-level political and philosophical arguments and not just "manage by focus groups" under Starmer where no one knew where he even stood on the political spectrum and he just floated in the wind of what the latest focus group told him to do.

Edited yesterday at 09:48 by Sampson

[brookfox]

7 minutes ago, ClaphamFox said:

This is a bit mad.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqjdv7pmj9dno

Nothing to see. Who hasn’t got into a scuffle with their mates after a few drinks.