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Reply | Serbia V England matchday thread
at 21:03 16 Jun 2024
I am not as positive about this performance as the commentary team, England have dominated and Saka has terrorised his marker, but there is little end product. How many saves has the Serbian keeper had to make? The cross that led to the goal was deflected so that England benefitted from a heavy slice of luck. Two decent free kick positions were wasted because of poor execution. Overall England have a long way to go to put this match to bed. Have to say though that Bellingham has had a very good game. |
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Reply | The Summer Transfer Rumours Thread
at 20:23 16 Jun 2024
You misunderstood my post. When I said develop to be capable of playing in the EPL, I meant that Margetson might be able to take somebody who is already good to the very top level. I wasn't talking about 21 year olds. I am not saying Dawson is definitely the answer, but he is three years younger than Nicholls and nearly 10 years past being capped at England under-18 and under-19 levels. I just gave him as an example of a keeper I like, who has played for 5 football league clubs already, and may be available for a reasonable fee. The Exeter fans loved him. [Post edited 16 Jun 20:27]
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Reply | The Summer Transfer Rumours Thread
at 17:24 16 Jun 2024
On goalkeepers, my feeling is that Nicholls is a bit old at 31 if we are looking for somebody who could develop to be a EPL keeper. I'd be looking around to try to find a keeper with potential who is pushing to get into a rival Championship team, but perhaps not nailing down number one spot 100%. One I like who was in and out of the Sheffield Wednesday side last season (18 appearances), but had a great season at Exeter in 2021-22 and is still under 30, is Cameron Dawson. Obviously Margetson is a better judge than I am, but Dawson might be worth a look to go on a list of possibles. [Post edited 16 Jun 17:28]
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Reply | General Election
at 13:41 15 Jun 2024
Re when I become more sympathetic, I'm not sure of the exact year, but it would have been after 2015 as total public expenditure (TME in the jargon) increased after a period of retrenchment.
https://ifs.org.uk/total-uk-public-spending
I was extremely unsympathetic during the Coalition austerity period, for which the Lib Dems have to take their share of the blame, and again when Truss was selected as PM (even before the crisis). I actually thought Boris did okay regarding the big decisions re COVID, though obviously I was not so keen on the PPE contracts and parties.
Re MR's comment about leveling up, it was the outline policy that I liked, but I agree that implementation wasn't great. This was a wasted opportunity to put the Conservative Party on a better policy trajectory.. [Post edited 15 Jun 14:28]
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Reply | General Election
at 12:06 15 Jun 2024
Who to vote for is a conundrum for many. For years I voted Labour, and have voted Plaid on one occasion. I had a strong dislike for the Tories, but paradoxically became more sympathetic to them as they increased public spending and pursued at least some socially responsible policies such as levelling up and energy cost support. Of course, that has been undone by the in-fighting and way things have imploded in recent years. With Starmer taking the helm one might have supposed that people like me would return to Labour, but I am unconvinced by the waffle about funding the manifesto commitments from economic growth (which will take time), and turned off by the thought of people like Thornberry, Cooper and Lammy as ministers. I can see why people are undecided. |
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Reply | Nigel Farage
at 08:38 15 Jun 2024
Isn't the common thread in both cases to do with whether and to what extent central UK funds find their way to Wales? As I understand it, the argument regarding the EU is that, although the EU subsidies coming to Wales might ultimately be funded from UK transfers to the EU (as a net contributor), we would not have received as much if we had to rely on Westminster to make the transfer internally. With independence we would of course cease to receive any subsidy from Westminster. In other words, the EU only "gave" Wales money by reallocating UK money, and to the extent that now happens internally, Wales is better off in an integrated UK.
I suppose you might say that there are other factors as well as subsidies in the EU case, but for me the jury is still out on long-term trade impact. |
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Reply | European Elections
at 08:07 13 Jun 2024
What struck me was that the UK's half-in, half-out status, with no Euro, no Schengen, the rebate negotiated by Thatcher, and what Cameron called the UK's special status, was not sustainable. There was a pressure towards convergence in line with the Treaty statement on "ever closer union" that I do not think could have been resisted in the long term. That would have meant being locked into a framework of EU law - the "acquis communautaire" - which ensured that certain policies could not be changed by national governments. So as I saw it, .the referendum was a "now or never" moment, when it came down to either accepting that future or keeping our ability to determine our own national policies. Unfortunately, the squabbles and punishment attempts that followed have not been handled well by our Government. [Post edited 13 Jun 8:12]
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Reply | Swansea getting it's local radio station back
at 18:36 12 Jun 2024
Years ago I had a friend called Alison who worked for Swansea Sound. She moved to North Wales and I lost touch. I have no idea whether she pursued a career in the media. |
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Reply | Nigel Farage
at 19:15 11 Jun 2024
If he went down on one knee at the same time he would fit right into last season's Swans team!  |
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Reply | European Elections
at 11:51 11 Jun 2024
Generally speaking, public sector pensions did remain as final salary schemes (a form of defined-benefit pension) for longer than most private pensions, but several changed to become defined-contribution schemes some years ago. As far as I can see the civil service scheme is still defined benefit, but recent entrants are put on an Alpha scheme with a higher retirement age and less favourable accrual terms. Certain schemes still have a final salary section for pensioners who retired when that arrangement was still in operation. At least that is my understanding. [Post edited 11 Jun 12:08]
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Reply | European Elections
at 15:04 10 Jun 2024
Interestingly, we do not have full birthright citizenship in the UK. One parent must be a UK citizen or have settled status. The law changed in 1983, as far as I remember mainly to end the incentive for immigrants who were unlikely to get citizenship in any other way from giving birth to a child in the UK, who could then be used as an anchor for the parents' subsequent immigration applications. Many other countries have similar rules. France does not, although its overseas territory of Mayotte does - following a law change to cut off what was perceived as an undesirable immigration route.
I agree with the argument that the "far right" label is overused, and that politicians of an earlier era saw things very differently. [Post edited 10 Jun 15:07]
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Reply | Improved train service for the Cardiff area
at 08:35 10 Jun 2024
Wouldn't the existing services still be in place to allow shopping trips from Carmarthen to Swansea? The way I saw things is that Grand Union Trains is an add on that improves connectivity from South West Wales to points further east. |
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