Suspect more and more and more places will make their toilets gender neutral than make their staff enter such a minefield.

“There’s no primary evidence”. Very odd thing to say if it’s untrue.

One of the things that intrigues me is why we became so much less violent over the last three decades

The UK isn’t a “soft touch” on asylum. UK asylum seeker benefits are similar to European neighbours No right to work before 12 months (it’s 6 months in France, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands) UK settlement after 5 years (it’s 3 or 4 in Germany) Let’s cut out the alarmist rhetoric.

Don’t let Robert Jenrick know

If a now sixty something politician admitted to using racist language as a teenager and is sincerely apologetic, should that be accepted and bygones be bygones? Clearly if the said politician denies it, the question doesn’t arise.

Confession - I’m pleased for Scotland when they win unless they’re playing England

Should EU citizens with settled status naturalise? I probably would given the noises that Reform are making and Tory plans to move the goalposts (ILR revocation). But I really don’t see why, if a Reform government broke promises to those with settled status, it wouldn’t do the same to new citizens.

Perfect illustration of however cruel you are, Reform will just go further.

Well well well. After a day of performative cruelty to take in Reform, they just ratchet it up. How’s the government going to respond? By breaking the Withdrawal Agreement and promises that were made?

Re-upping this

Policies from countries that we’re told we should emulate 1. Danish asylum system 2. Swedish schools 3. Australian points-based immigration system 4. Canada trade deal Any others?

@simonfrcox.bsky.social TIL that you appeared in Pham v SSHD

Leaving aside the historical parallels, many such items have sentimental value and bring emotional comfort to the owner. Something that’s recognised as an aggravating factor when for theft sentencing.

So challenge them then

Had a feeling this might happen

Illegal migration isn't tearing this country apart, but our obsession with it is. It's an obsession fuelled by our media and politicians. Both profit from blowing the problem out of all proportion. It's been happening for decades, but never more so than now

Trying to remember the last time there was such a lack of proportion between an issue and its coverage

Arkell v Pressdram

How common is it in non-English speaking languages to have a surname that’s also a word? Eg, Butcher, Baker, King, Strong. Then there are potentially embarrassing surnames that I assume the word was named after such ‘Pratt’ or ‘Crook’ although I just realised latter is a derivative of crooked.

Things I love about America. The use of the word ‘groceries’.

Trump’s the sort of person who’s go to Elizabeth Duke or Ratners isn’t he?

As I thought, Israel has not executed anybody since 1962. Eichmann?

7th PM in ten years?

Licence fee is going to go towards bribing (sorry I meant compensating) Trump isn’t it? He’s going to do to foreign broadcasters what he’s done to domestic ones.

Fireworks displays are a classic example of positive externalities and public goods. Non-rivalrous and non-excludible.

A quarter of Green supporters back the death penalty? Or do a lot of poll respondents just answer questions randomly?

Remember Northern Ireland, Allison?

Interesting how so many prominent Leave campaigners have turned out to be racists. Carswell, Hannan (comments at the weekend about the train attack) and now Cummings. Same three questions. 1. Were they always racist? 2. Were they radicalised? 3. Are they just saying it to fit in?

Latest example of things that don’t matter for years or even decades and then suddenly they do.

Is Giuliani suggesting that the ten year old Mamdani had some sort of involvement in 9/11?

How do prisoners get ‘mistakenly released’ more than once in a blue moon? Maybe I’m missing something.

Oh wow did you hear about the mysterious fire next week

Somebody really should tell her that we banned the importation of human beings over two hundred years ago.

The world’s richest man

When an atrocity happens it is unrealistic to expect immediate answers from the police in the same way that it is unrealistic to expect an immediate solution. And anyone promising an immediate solution is a liar.

This is what people calling for the police to release information soon after an incident need to be to bear in mind. In a fast moving and highly uncertain situation, it’s not unusual for things not to be what they first appeared to be.

There’s a quite famous passage in Mein Kampf where Hitler recounts how his young self looked at a Jew in the street and asked himself “is this a German?” Change a few words and locations and I bet you could get it in the Spectator now.

Legal question. If a letting agent didn’t tell a client about the need to obtain a landlord’s licence and a loss was suffered (conviction, fines, rent repayment), might that constitute professional negligence?

@jdportes.bsky.social not sure if you’ve seen the 1979 Tory manifesto on immigration in the context of ILR debate. It’s fascinating. Promises to ‘not adversely affect the right of anyone now permanently settled here’ and later goes onto say that ‘there can be no question of compulsory repatriation’

@benansell.bsky.social not sure if you’ve seen the 1979 Tory manifesto on immigration in the context of ILR debate. It’s fascinating. Promises to ‘not adversely affect the right of anyone now permanently settled here’ and later goes onto say that ‘there can be no question of compulsory repatriation’

@sundersays.bsky.social had a look at the 1979 Tory manifesto on immigration. It’s fascinating. Promises to ‘not adversely affect the right of anyone now permanently settled here’ and later goes onto say that ‘there can be no question of compulsory repatriation’.

I really really wish I could make that sort of argument with a straight face

The Aga Khan't

I’m pretty sure previous government ministers would not have dared to publicly cross the Daily Mail even when they had a legitimate grievance like in this case. Declining power of the press.

Is it Tory policy that Gillette will have to substantiate their claim that their razors are ‘the best a man can get’.

A *Conservative* politician wanting tk regulate the colour of characters in a commercial. I’m old enough to remember when their small state instincts would have been “none of my business”.

Unpopular opinion. It looks alright.

Such a claim doesn’t ring true. She’s either lying or this straight A, Cambridge educated, ex-Goldman Sachs can’t identify something that so clearly fails the smell test.

There surely cannot be any earthly reason for denying a visa to a rather mild-mannered, though undoubtedly brilliant, KC