Britain - The Official Thread

[TenEightyOne]

Bruce Forsyth's dead.

Sad news. Not entirely unexpected given his recent ill-health, of course. Slowly those legends who made British TV what it was for many years are all fading away. What made Brucie particularly legendary was that his wit and charisma allowed him to thrive through countless years of the TV transformation while his contemporaries fell away to Marbella poolsides to bitch about the industry.

RIP Sir Brucie.

 

[m8h3r]

I heard that he passed away at home surrounded by his family. Not really much of a better way to go than that. After a near on 75 year career entertaining people it's only right he got to go in peace.

 

[Robin]

A mysterious chlorine fog came off the sea today at Beachy Head in Sussex, people had burning eyes and trouble breathing. The emergency services attended.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-41069085

Any thoughts as to what it might be? It's very weird indeed, they suspect a chemical leak... but from where?

 

[BobK]

A mysterious chlorine fog came off the sea today at Beachy Head in Sussex, people had burning eyes and trouble breathing. The emergency services attended.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-41069085

Any thoughts as to what it might be? It's very weird indeed, they suspect a chemical leak... but from where?

Left over from WW I, maybe?

 

[PeterJB]

I nominate aliens.

 

[TenEightyOne]

A mysterious chlorine fog came off the sea today at Beachy Head in Sussex, people had burning eyes and trouble breathing. The emergency services attended.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-41069085

Any thoughts as to what it might be? It's very weird indeed, they suspect a chemical leak... but from where?

It's now been declared a major incident, around 200 people have been treated.

Left over from WW I, maybe?

Hard to say, but it doesn't seem that likely. No chlorine weapons were used in Britain although it's credible that underground storage has eroded into coastline - it's very common in my part of Britain for munitions to pop out of the cliffs, not so common Down South. It's more likely that it comes from damage to a ship transporting chlorine.

 

[Dennisch]

Merkel started Operation Seelöwe 2.0?

 

[Robin]

It seems we are no closer to finding out what this cloud was.

Police have said it doesn't seem to be chlorine and wind patterns at the time highly suggest that it didn't drift across from the continent. So it might have been a ship discharging something.

I don't understand why they are being so complacent about this, it could be some sort of terrorist event and they seem to be sitting on their hands just because it's a Bank Holiday and sunny outside. No one investigating this seems to care that much!

 

[Famine]

some sort of terrorist event

There was a terrorist plot to float a cloud of chlorine gas from offshore onto Birling Gap?

Not a major port (Folkestone & Dover 40 miles away on one side, Portsmouth 40 miles away on the other), or a large town (Worthing, Brighton, Bognor Regis, Hastings), or a nuclear power station (Dungeness, 30 miles up the coast) or tourist attraction (any of the above)... but Birling Gap?

 

[homeforsummer]

Seen the smell described as being like burning plastic, which to me reminds me of toluene - Group B cars run on the stuff and the couple of times I've been near running examples they've stunk of melting acrylic. Given it's a petrochemical it's the sort of thing that could feasibly have floated from a tanker offshore too, and on a hot and humid day you've got the right atmospheric conditions for a gas to linger in the air.

 

[Robin]

There was a terrorist plot to float a cloud of chlorine gas from offshore onto Birling Gap?

Not a major port (Folkestone & Dover 40 miles away on one side, Portsmouth 40 miles away on the other), or a large town (Worthing, Brighton, Bognor Regis, Hastings), or a nuclear power station (Dungeness, 30 miles up the coast) or tourist attraction (any of the above)... but Birling Gap?

And yet in Spain the seaside town of Cambrils, the last place on earth you expect anything to happen, was the target of terrorists.

You never know, this could have been a test run for something. I'm just saying if 200 peoples eyes are burning they should be a bit quicker on the ball here and should rule nothing out.

 

[Famine]

And yet in Spain the seaside town of Cambrils, the last place on earth you expect anything to happen, was the target of terrorists.

The Cambrils that's a popular tourist destination on the Costa Dorada and famously home of a meeting between two of the 9/11 hijackers (one of whom was unable to acquire a US visa and so simply helped to organise it with money and finding flight schools), and is allegedly home to numerous Da'esh members?

That entire stretch of coast, from Barcelona through Sitges, Cunit, Tarragona, Salou and Cambrils has been flagged as high-alert for about two years.

You never know, this could have been a test run for something. I'm just saying if 200 peoples eyes are burning they should be a bit quicker on the ball here and should rule nothing out.

I don't believe that anyone has ruled anything out - nobody even knows what the cloud was yet.

 

[PeterJB]

This'll probably be appearing in those Top 5 videos about ghosts and aliens on YouTube.

 

[UKMikey]

Moved this Rees Mogg related post to the Britain thread.

If he isn't guided by his religion when it comes to voting, it's no more relevant than the religious beliefs of any other MP or PM

Unfortunately this appears to be a big "if" if I'm reading his record on voting on social issues correctly.

 

[Famine]

Unfortunately this appears to be a big "if" if I'm reading his record on voting on social issues correctly.

You probably are reading it correctly - but it's not necessarily guided by his Catholicism. He is a big-C Conservative after all (they don't like the gays), and he represents the people of Somerset.

If he's voting against equal rights for homosexuals, it could be due to any one of those factors.

 

[TenEightyOne]

He is a big-C Conservative after all (they don't like the gays)

Which often turns out to be quite an ironic stance.

 

[Liquid]

I don't care what god he prays to. Rees-Mogg, like many top Tories, is a dangerous and deviant politician who uses a PG Wodehouse facade to charm their way into the minds of the masses. His voting record does not line up with what I would perhaps believe in if I was also voting on the same issues but whatever his reasons for doing it is his own business.

 

[UKMikey]

I don't care what god he prays to. Rees-Mogg, like many top Tories, is a dangerous and deviant politician who uses a PG Wodehouse facade to charm their way into the minds of the masses. His voting record does not line up with what I would perhaps believe in if I was also voting on the same issues but whatever his reasons for doing it is his own business.

I guess you would have to at least attempt to appeal to a broad section of the electorate if your supporters are hoping for you to lead the party and I'm not sure that insisting rape victims have to bring their pregnancies to full term is the way to go about that, but I guess the leadership talk was meejah hype anyway.

 

[TenEightyOne]

I guess you would have to at least attempt to appeal to a broad section of the electorate if your supporters are hoping for you to lead the party and I'm not sure that insisting rape victims have to bring their pregnancies to full term is the way to go about that, but I guess the leadership talk was meejah hype anyway.

Some grass-roots true blue Tories of the type that elected Rees-Mogg in his constituency might very well like the idea - as you say it likely wouldn't wash with the wider party. Even by their standards.

 

[Famine]

a dangerous and deviant politician

Really?

He's an old-fashioned big-C Conservative, big-C Catholic, with old-fashioned values about sex - which is why he has six kids with bonkers names - but I don't see anything hugely deviant or dangerous about him. I don't think it'll turn out that he's into other women/men, hookers, rent boys, stranglewanking or kids, he just has Catholic Conservative values.

If this was 1832, he'd be normal.

He acquitted himself well on HIGNFY a couple of years back, with some no-nonsense answers and straight (if posh) talking.

The part where he's against equal rights for homosexuals and thinks pregnancy is sacrosanct is reprehensible, but guided by his religion. That doesn't make him any more dangerous than similarly religious MPs - like May, Cameron, Brown, Blair and in fact most of them.

 

[UKMikey]

Thank goodness it isn't 1832.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Manchester Arena re-opened yesterday after the terrorist attack three months ago, they used the time to renovate the foyer where the attack took place and they re-opened with a massive benefit concert in aid of the victims families and survivors, some of whom were there last night. the concert was headlined by Noel Gallagher and his band The High Flying Birds, also taking part were Rick Astley, Blossoms and the Courteeners plus comic Peter Kay who had one of his first jobs as a steward in the Arena in the mid 90's.

 

[Famine]

Thank goodness it isn't 1832.

You'd be surprised at the numbers of Catholics and Conservatives who'd disagree with you.

 

[polysmut]

I guess you would have to at least attempt to appeal to a broad section of the electorate if your supporters are hoping for you to lead the party and I'm not sure that insisting rape victims have to bring their pregnancies to full term is the way to go about that, but I guess the leadership talk was meejah hype anyway.

I think he's more Speaker material than Leader material.

 

[TenEightyOne]

I think he's more Speaker material than Leader material.

I like the current speaker - a good blend of Constitutional knowledge, traditional order and evolutionary thinking. I think someone like Rees-Mogg would have everyone back in ties and the ladies bringing the tea.

 

[polysmut]

I like the current speaker - a good blend of Constitutional knowledge, traditional order and evolutionary thinking. I think someone like Rees-Mogg would have everyone back in ties and the ladies bringing the tea.

I like the current speaker too. He can also be funny at times.

 

[Lizard]

I love the current speaker, he makes a point of trying to be fair to everyone even though he used to be a Tory. Something the Tories hate.

 

[Robin]

Current speakers wife however leaves a lot to be desired!

 

[Liquid]

Really?

He's an old-fashioned big-C Conservative, big-C Catholic, with old-fashioned values about sex - which is why he has six kids with bonkers names - but I don't see anything hugely deviant or dangerous about him. I don't think it'll turn out that he's into other women/men, hookers, rent boys, stranglewanking or kids, he just has Catholic Conservative values.

If this was 1832, he'd be normal.

It isn't 1832, thankfully, but like with Boris Johnson I've always gotten the impression that Rees-Mogg uses his anachronistic characteristics and Weltanschauung to lull people into a falsehood; "Oh he's so funny and posh. Let's make him leader!"

His father was an influential Fleet Streeter and it shouldn't come as a surprise that he is able to maneuver his way through the political minefield.

He acquitted himself well on HIGNFY a couple of years back, with some no-nonsense answers and straight (if posh) talking.

The part where he's against equal rights for homosexuals and thinks pregnancy is sacrosanct is reprehensible, but guided by his religion. That doesn't make him any more dangerous than similarly religious MPs - like May, Cameron, Brown, Blair and in fact most of them.

He did acquit himself rather well on that show; I remember watching it. Being a good speaker, or at least a confident or eloquent speaker, goes some way to gaining an advantage or trust over people. Tony Blair made a career out of that before he started pulling out the "Christianity guided me on Iraq" and "I'm a converted Catholic now" card.

I don't consider any of those other politicians less dangerous than Rees-Mogg. Those politicians are more than welcome to hold their beliefs but that does not make them above criticism for having beliefs which are wrong.

 

[Famine]

It isn't 1832, thankfully

Indeed, but Rees-Mogg is not alone amongst either Catholics or Conservatives, or both (or politicians), who look back wistfully on those days. Whether it's because of workhouses, or women knowing their place, or beating children, or the simplicity of having a ruling elite and a working class, there's a lot of Middle England that will use their cheap, powerful computing device to get onto social media, after taking a tablet or two, and complain that modern society isn't a patch on the 19th Century.

And politicians love it too. Even those who tell everyone they're socialists and something something for the people. They meet in a 19th Century palace, robed up in ludicrous 19th Century garb (even more of them in the House of Lords) and use 19th Century traditions and regulations to conduct their affairs. When they can be bothered, of course.

but like with Boris Johnson I've always gotten the impression that Rees-Mogg uses his anachronistic characteristics and Weltanschauung to lull people into a falsehood; "Oh he's so funny and posh. Let's make him leader!"

His father was an influential Fleet Streeter and it shouldn't come as a surprise that he is able to maneuver his way through the political minefield.

It's certainly possible, but Rees-Mogg was born into poshness and has been unabashedly posh for as long as he's been on the public radar - dating back to standing as an MP in Fife (I mean... really?) in 1997.

And unlike Rees-Mogg, Boris very much is into other women.

He did acquit himself rather well on that show; I remember watching it. Being a good speaker, or at least a confident or eloquent speaker, goes some way to gaining an advantage or trust over people. Tony Blair made a career out of that before he started pulling out the "Christianity guided me on Iraq" and "I'm a converted Catholic now" card.

Blair was very good at the rehearsed speech (like PMQs), but would be flustered by anything live or any unexpected questions. With an edited show like HIGNFY, it would be easy to splice together a shocker reel for someone who's weak because they're false. It's happened before (naming no Piers), but Rees-Mogg came out without a blemish. Perhaps William put a call in to make him look good, but I doubt it.

I don't consider any of those other politicians less dangerous than Rees-Mogg. Those politicians are more than welcome to hold their beliefs but that does not make them above criticism for having beliefs which are wrong.

I concur that his views on abortion and the rights of women and victims of rape are, while consistent with Catholicism, reprehensible. I'm not sure that it matters (if he votes in that way, it would be, but I'm not sure he'd get the opportunity), and I'm not sure why he's any more dangerous than most of the 650 MPs who also have religious beliefs and who would vote with their beliefs where they applied rather than allowing any critical analysis of an issue.