Election Year or Fear!

[MadAmster]

So, Hegseth strikes again. This time he did a prayer for US troops in Iran. He referred to the prayer as "CSAR 25:17" (standing for Combat Search And Rescue), telling the audience, "which I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17," a biblical verse." What it was, was an almost verbatim rendering of a Samuel L Jackson scene from Pulp Fiction.

Just when you think they couldn't get any lower.... they prove you wrong, again.

[MadAmster]

Somehow, the post appeared twice so I've deleted the text in the repeat.

[SithHappens]

They think its a movie or something don't they. Its peoples lives they are taking or screwing up.

[MadAmster]

They think its a movie or something don't they. Its peoples lives they are taking or screwing up.

Yet another reason to be thankful we're not yanks.

[SithHappens]

To satisfy Andy's cravings for me to call for resignations here we go.

Richard Tice accused this weekend of not paying tax on profits amounting to 91k

Farage when asked earlier in the week about Tices tax affairs showed again why he won't ever be PM and got aggressive, asking the journalist if she was a tax expert. This behaviour with, usually female, journalists is very common with Farage, its clear he cannot stand any scrutiny and more so if its from a female.

Back to Tice he has now said he is "happy to put things right" and "if my numbers need rechecking, of course I will pay what is owed".

Now, here you go Andy, if, and its a big if, it is proven he has underpaid, having called for Rayner to resign for her underpayment, then surely he HAS to do the same?

Oh and just a bit more on Farage, in the same interview he claims Dan Niedle has said Tice has paid his tax in full, a total fabrication it would seem.

[swaledale]

Wasn’t intended as a dig Sith, sorry if it came over as such. Merely pointing out in my idiosyncratic way that Tory/Reform/POTUS transgressions are aired on here PDQ yet labour/liberal goofs seem to go under the radar. So just offering a point about balance

I don't think thats entirely true, I for one have crticised Starmer/Labour on numerus occasions as indeed has RA, you on the otherhand have remained remarkably silent re Trump, and your begiing to sound a wee bit like the BBC which seems to think that balance requires one to quote a person claiming its not raining when a simple look out of the window will show it is!

As for Farage, irrespective of his political stance, its so obvious the guy is nothing but a self interested grifter, funded by obscure billionaires (many resident abroad) who clearly do not have the interests of the average voter in mind, it isn't even complicated, but I guess some simple thought and analysis is beyond many voters?


Anyway lets celebrate the defeat of Orban, ironically by a right of centre candidate who has shown those on the left it is possible to defeat "far right" parties.

Its not those who are "right of centre" thats the issue, its those who have leaned so far right as to be a danger not only to the country they govern, but as in trump's case an existential threat to the world order.

[Andy_Faber]

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/greece-eu-entry-exit-system-ees-biometrics-british-travellers-b2960369.html

Returning to a recent subject, Greece have decided to abandon the ESS process for the foreseeable future for British passport holders. Pragmatism triumphs at least for the moment over dogma

[SithHappens]

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel...-b2960369.html

Returning to a recent subject, Greece have decided to abandon the ESS process for the foreseeable future for British passport holders. Pragmatism triumphs at least for the moment over dogma

Seen that and as im visiting Greece twice this year im really pleased about it.

[Andy_Faber]

Seen that and as im visiting Greece twice this year im really pleased about it.

Where are you going Sith?

[SithHappens]

Where are you going Sith?

Halkidiki and Crete...and hopefully nowhere near Athens this time.

[MadAmster]

Richard Tice accused this weekend of not paying tax on profits amounting to 91k

Farage when asked earlier in the week about Tices tax affairs showed again why he won't ever be PM and got aggressive, asking the journalist if she was a tax expert. This behaviour with, usually female, journalists is very common with Farage, its clear he cannot stand any scrutiny and more so if its from a female.

Back to Tice he has now said he is "happy to put things right" and "if my numbers need rechecking, of course I will pay what is owed".

Now, here you go Andy, if, and its a big if, it is proven he has underpaid, having called for Rayner to resign for her underpayment, then surely he HAS to do the same?

A Reform politician (forget his name) was on Laura K yesterday. When asked about the Tice tax situation he said he believed the tax HAD been paid. Refused to be drawn on Tice resigning if the opposite turned out to be true.

Having said that, the call from Tice was that Rayner resign as a Minister, not as an MP. Logically, any Tice resignation (not that it will happen even if he has underpaid) would likely be a "Shadow" post but not as an MP.

[MadAmster]

On the passport question, here's a rare one. Because of the ETA requirements, I fly in and out of NL on my Dutch passport and in/out of the UK on my British one.

For quite a while now, I land at Brum, go through passport control and into the country. On departure, I do not go through passport control. The only place I have to show my passport is to the steward(ess) at the gate who merely checks that the name on the passport matches that on the ticket. Do any of you know why there is no chack upon exiting the UK and, does it happen at other airports?

[Andy_Faber]

Halkidiki and Crete...and hopefully nowhere near Athens this time.

Nice, I've been to 32 Greek islands but neither of those (yet, see below), no doubt they are great and you'll enjoy!

Back on the subject, I expect my early holiday return trip to be 'as ever', Kefalonia can barely handle any sort of passport control so we will probably be waved through with a cursory glance as ever. Our late holiday (which includes Crete, Mykonos, Poros and Aegina) is into Barcelona El Prat and out of Athens. The latter is usually pretty efficient even at busy times so suspension of ESS should make for a smooth exit, the former according to my offspring is ESS'd up but running smoothly. Incidentally, they, as regular travellers into Spain, are aware of expat forums which keep travellers up to date on which airports are tight on conformance and which are slack. El Prat is apparently tight, and it will be interesting if we 'get through' more quickly than our American fellow travellers. We should be the same but we'll see

[MadAmster]

US Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, helps reinforce the view that they know no what they do.... he referred to the "Straits of Vermouth". Was this caused by the intake of too much Vermouth Straight?

[SithHappens]

Rough day for the PM. Will he survive? I think so for now.

Jenrick might be in trouble with this post

https://x.com/RobertJenrick/status/2046267357476053006?s=20

Not sure there is any suggestion Mandleson is a Pedophile, unless we are saying he is by association. If so what does that make Farage?