Sometimes defendants in court have reasonable expectations. At other times, people who, having previously been banned for drink driving, commit their fourth speeding offence in just over two years and still expect to retain their license. www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

If you decide to voluntarily share a shower with 50 strangers, then there is definitely something wrong with a part of your body.

Outstanding! 🤣

Without any further comment, Wes Streeting is very good at politics.

The problem is less Starmer’s position being untenable, and more the UK being ungovernable. We have two problems: 1. The immovable position from so many that a government must deliver lower taxes and better services. To many still believe this can be done by minor tinkering. /1

My cats tell me this is correct.

This is a very strange government. The WASPI women debate was dead - there was almost zero sympathy beyond the campaign group, and now they reopen it. I thought the argument was to plug existing spending gaps, not open new ones?

Hello lawyer connections, can anyone help my PhD candidate with her research study (details below). Drop me a DM or contact Nicola directly if you can spare some time. Please share.

Novel idea, but make a new film about the characters with different actors and ignore the previous film? I watched the Frankenstein movie at the weekend. I didn’t spend the whole time thinking “where is Peter Cushing”?

1. About 30 years ago. 2. There are only so many ways you can design footwear. 3. Yes.

A sad call on @mrjamesob.bsky.social from an aspiring lawyer struggling to get a foot in the door. Easy to say this, but many of us struggled in the early stages and got there in the end. If whoever it was wants a chat/encouragement, get in touch with some of legal Bluesky - always happy to help.

Sasha’s friend has popped in early.

Given a) an accurate diagnosis is impossible; and b) it makes no difference either way, this poses the question WHY?

It is perhaps unwise to criticise the views of a war hero centurion, but I thoroughly dislike all the “I can’t stand what the country has become” stuff, for two reasons. www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article... /1

And surely the 7% have a rather curious concept of a romance?

Liz Truss was Prime Minister for 49 days, departing in October 2022. Today marks her fourth appearance as a former Prime Minister at the Rememberance Day service. Liz Truss is 50. If she lives to be 96, she will have spent more days attending the service than actually being Prime Minister. /1

This is not at all true! This is the face of a cat who has clearly been underfed for some time and has now forced an acceptable performance from his staff!

I don’t know enough about the Danish path to comment, but I am not convinced the views of Lewis and Whittome are particularly voter friendly. You will never please everyone, but surely we can find a reasonable balance with appropriate compassion?

* West Ham thread * A few observations from Saturday. This side is much better than earlier in the season. Fernandez is excellent, Todibo has really stepped up and the whole team is more energetic. Wilson leading up front is helpful. His movement and leadership are much better than Fulk /1

A famous (and very well spoken) QC: “Now tell the court what happened at the scene” Defendant: “Well, person X told me”.. A famous QC: “No, what you saw, your account”. Defendant: “And you are a c**t too”……

I am largely in agreement here. While Barton’s tweets were clearly deeply unpleasant, misogynistic and defamatory, I am uneasy with the concept of a grossly offensive communication being a criminal offence. The offence itself does not require actual incitement. /1

Every single word!

Stunning investigation by Reuters reveals income from ads for scams and banned goods on Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp may have amounted to 10% of Meta global revenue in 2024, with 15 billion (!) scam ads being shown to users daily - based on company's own figures. www.reuters.com/investigatio...

Another interesting Dan Neidle thread. While I make no comment on the issues discussed here, this reinforces the desperate need for wholesale reform of the 1925 Act.

Signs you are on here too much. After going out for dinner with a friend, you wife (not on Blue Sky) sends a text asking “can you check Parkin is home safely”! Good to see he is fine! ❤️

Road pricing, or paying per mile, seems a very expensive way of raising tax that is remarkably easy to evade. Why not simply increase vehicle tax, fuel tax and introduce charges for using motorways?

Oh this is good. Really good.

Unforced error by David Lammy in not wearing a poppy.

🧵 Here’s why a left-wing Democrat winning in New York is proof that Keir Starmer needs to move further left to win in small red wall towns in Britain. (1/245)

I wrote this yesterday about what to tell young people who are worried about what work will be in the age of AI: naomialderman.substack.com/p/preparing-...

Some commentators losing their minds that the perpetrator is named Anthony Williams and the hero named Samir Zitouni. Bloody foreigners coming over here saving people’s lives.

Will the criminal barristers get a separate unit with no service that is falling apart?

Corbyn obviously wasn’t as good in the “winning elections” department.

We all hoped that AI would do all the boring, tedious and mundane tasks for us, leaving time to get on with the creative, the beauty and the fun. Sadly, the reverse seems to be true. @mrjamesob.bsky.social

@mrjamesob.bsky.social By all means remove titles and similar. Medals actually earned (rather than awarded by discretionary basis) can’t really be taken back. But this is all window dressing until what needs to happen - a full criminal investigation. Much of this feels like avoiding this.

One of the suspects arrested in connection with the train stabbings has been released after being wrongly identified as the suspect. It appears a member of rail staff remains in a critical condition after challenging the attacker. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Everyone is useful until they are not useful. The Leave campaign sought to divide immigrant against immigrant, making a big point of how EU citizens were jumping the queue and far more Indians would be able to come to the UK if we left. And sadly they bought it. The trade deal with India /1

Finally, a more energetic performance and a stroke of good fortune! By far the best performance for some time. Keep it up. #WHUNEW

Sometimes, you really get the feeling it isn’t your day. #WHUNEW

Very Pay - you should be heavily fined for subjecting us to that Christmas song on 2 November.

Expensive homes is of course a relative concept. I suspect those who live in two bedroom flats in zones 3 and 4 of London won’t consider themselves amongst the wealthiest, and may not react kindly to a doubling of their council tax.

Cancel your morning plans. You have a rare opportunity to see a representative of the Reform Party on the Laura Kinsburg show on BBC this morning.

Another placed article by the gambling industry on the altruistic nature of the industry. We will see more of this as the possibility of more taxation arises. Obviously, this is bullshit.

Ok, this might be the most horrific thing I have ever seen. #TOTP

Best of luck to anyone out trick or treating in this weather!

I see Kai Trump, the granddaughter of the President, has an exemption for the Annika LPGA tournament. This is one of the biggest professional tournaments in women’s golf. you have to play the hand you are dealt, and I am wary of some who openly criticise a young girl. But should she be there? /1

This is a rather lovely article. I suspect the answer is being able to tell the difference between really good and OK food but still enjoying them all!

Why did the jury acquit the three protesters? In short, we don’t, and never will know. They might have been convinced that the act was a form of legitimate protest. They might not have been sure that any damage was done (the paint was cleaned off easily). They might have other reasons. /1

A curious position to take from a conservative American commentator. It implies a non-overwhelming win (say 52% to 48%, or even losing the popular vote but winning on the machinations of an electoral college) is somehow NOT a mandate.

While this is of course the right thing to do, there must be a full criminal investigation. It will be difficult, you are unlikely to get much from a request for mutual assistance from the USA, but it must be done. An interview under caution is the first step.