Careless Tories!

[swaledale]

I can't believe you've got away with smoking OP's for 45 years rA. Amazingly thick skin ��

The loss of tax revenue is a huge deterrent against an outright ban, especially as there's a huge tail / lag on related NHS savings, given that the human ashtrays take so long to die off.

Legalising heroin and coke might allow the tax void to be filled, but I'm not convinced on the morality - albeit the end user price could stand a big tax take if you remove the profits taken by the supply chain.

Not sure legalising those drugs not currently legally available is to increase the tax take!! The morality argument is complex, who decides which drug is legal or illegal and on what basis?

But there was an interesting trial conducted by a Dr in Warrington, where heroin was provided on prescription and it had the following effect - it put the local dealers out of business, why buy heroin that's been cut to varying degrees when you can get it at a known strength. It reduced the burden on the health service as it reduced overdoes and infections due to dirty needle use, it enabled treatment to be offered to those that wanted it.

Of course the government shut it down, and continues rather hypocritically it might be add given certain members have admitted or are known to have used illegal drugs and wasn't every bathroom in the houses of parliament supposed to be contaminated with cocaine?

Prohibition and criminalisation hasn't worked its high time a more intelligent drugs policy was implemented.

[SithHappens]

I had missed this, but from what i am reading unless extra funds can be found HS2 will now stop at Old Oak Common (where?), so whats its supposed to save in time from Birmingham to London (Euston), half an hour ish? How long is it going to take to get off at Old Oak Somewhere or other, get on another train and then go to Euston?

[Andy_Faber]

I had missed this, but from what i am reading unless extra funds can be found HS2 will now stop at Old Oak Common (where?), so whats its supposed to save in time from Birmingham to London (Euston), half an hour ish? How long is it going to take to get off at Old Oak Somewhere or other, get on another train and then go to Euston?

I think they've reinstated the Euston bit

[SithHappens]

I think they've reinstated the Euston bit

OK that's good then. Although why Euston and not St Pancras ? A link to eurostar may have been useful.

What I will say in Sunaks defence, although I feel its convenient, is that I agree things have changed since covid, certainly from my experience, there is far less demand for people to travel for meetings etc as more are now done remotely.

We used to regularly travel for a couple of hours meetings at work, now it's usually done on teams.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Pretty much all Birmingham trains come into Euston. St Pancreas has just been deve look op-ed for Eurostar etc so is challenged for space. It's only one stop away on tube....

[Andy_Faber]

It’s going to be an interesting run up to
The election. Hatred of the conservatives is clear (and gets a bit boring to be honest), labour in Wales is IMO equally disliked, Khan may well lose any number of seats for labour in London (in fact the timing of the U.K. election may be influenced by Khan’s incumbency), Labour are ripping into SNP in Scotland, Reform may well dilute the Conservative vote, wow what a punch up

[MadAmster]

It’s going to be an interesting run up to
The election. Hatred of the conservatives is clear (and gets a bit boring to be honest), labour in Wales is IMO equally disliked, Khan may well lose any number of seats for labour in London (in fact the timing of the U.K. election may be influenced by Khan’s incumbency), Labour are ripping into SNP in Scotland, Reform may well dilute the Conservative vote, wow what a punch up

One by-election result doth not a ripping make. That constituency is a troubled one for election result predicters. This is the 6th consecutive election where the sitting party lost this seat. Par for the course. Odds are that Labour will lose it at the General Election.

[SithHappens]

Such a low turn out too, expect those staying away would be SNP voters just having a little protest. When it comes to a GE turn out will be better, as MA says they will possibly win it back.

Starmer is strutting around like he's already won the GE, over confidence can be a weakness, you only have to look at Theresa May when she ended up without a majority for being over confident and assuming it was job done.

There will still be some twists and turns.

[ramAnag]

Such a low turn out too, expect those staying away would be SNP voters just having a little protest. When it comes to a GE turn out will be better, as MA says they will possibly win it back.

Starmer is strutting around like he's already won the GE, over confidence can be a weakness, you only have to look at Theresa May when she ended up without a majority for being over confident and assuming it was job done.

There will still be some twists and turns.

There will indeed be many ‘twists and turns’ Sith, and one remembers Kinnock’s infamous King Canute impression which cost him dearly many years ago.
In no particular order, there’s now the Farage factor, immigration, the Triple Lock factor, the perceived impact of the complete HS2 c*ck up, the impact of the Covid inquiry, the housing shortage and the extent to which strike action within the NHS and elsewhere is set to worsen and spread or be resolved all just for starters.
In all honesty though I can never remember such a sustained period of appalling decision making by the Party in power as is currently the case and I do think many voters are going to recognise that.

[Trickytreesreds]

In all honesty though I can never remember such a sustained period of appalling decision making by the Party in power as is currently the case and I do think many voters are going to recognise that.

You are correct, but those same folks want to see a reaction of an alternative way. Flip flop has opened his mouth twice and made himself look a complete ****.
The sooner the voting system is changed to force politicians to actually represent their constituents the better.