There’s Something about a Man Who Smokes!

Make smoking cool again! Forget all this political correctness. Let’s make having pleasure okay again. Put the killjoys back in their caves! – Mark
Many thanks to Aaron Eckhart on Pinterest for this great photo.

By the way, smoking cigarettes is far less harmful to health than breathing in polluted air whilst walking down the street. And God only knows what the long-term health consequences of vaping are. And don’t get me even started on the legalization of cannabis for pleasure and recreation! If that is to be allowed, then smoking tobacco certainly should be allowed.

By the way, I write this as a non-smoker. I haven’t smoked a cigarette since April 10th, the day after my birthday. That is now more than six months ago.

Do I miss smoking? No, not really. Have I ever had a craving for a cigarette? No, certainly not. But do I have fond memories of the years I used to smoke daily? Certainly. I derived lots and lots of pleasure from cigarettes. I smoked only because I enjoyed smoking. I never was, nor did I ever feel, addicted to tobacco/nicotine.

But we are living in a Puritanical age, especially in the Anglosphere. The concept of joie de vivre is totally alien to most English-speakers. This is the sad reality of life today. – © Mark Alexander

Rishi Sunak Leads a Conservative Party “In Tatters” | UK Politics | New Statesman

Rees-Mogg Lambasts Critics of EU Laws Bill after Quitting Government

THE GUARDIAN: Former business secretary tells opponents of bill they are fighting a Brexit battle all over again

Jacob Rees-Mogg told MPs the proposals were aimed at ‘restoring parliamentary sovereignty’.Photograph: Michael Mayhew/Allstar
The former business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg launched a scathing attack on opponents of legislation he has tabled to sweep away EU law, telling them they are fighting a Brexit battle all over again.

Rees-Mogg quit his role after Rishi Sunak became prime minister, and less than two hours later returned to the backbenches to see a stand-in, the business minister Dean Russell, opening the second reading of the retained EU law (revocation and reform) bill.

Rees-Mogg told MPs the proposals were aimed at “restoring parliamentary sovereignty” and helping remove rules and regulations that supposedly put business under pressure.

In an extraordinary backbench spat, he accused a fellow Conservative MP of never accepting the result of Brexit, leading Richard Graham to demand the former minister withdraw the “untrue” statement. » | Lisa O'Carroll, Brexit correspondent | Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Jacob Rees-Mogg is a disgrace! He is also a throwback from an earlier, less-enlightened age – the Victorian Age, maybe.

Brexit was a stupid idea from the very start. Voters were lied to about the benefits of leaving the European Union. There are no benefits. So they were duped; duped by insincere, backward-thinking fossils like JRM.

It is bad enough that we Brits have lost our European citizenship and all the rights that came with citizenship only to return to being a subject of the monarch. What a poor trade off that is!

Those 2,400 European laws to which JRM wishes to make a bonfire of are laws that were put in place for the protection of workers’ rights, consumers’ rights and laws put in place for the protection of the environment. It is a crying shame to take those protections away. Doing so will take us back to a far less enlightened time. Then, Brits will have to fight battles for better working conditions, for example, all over again – from scratch.

May I suggest that if JRM is looking for stuff to burn on a bonfire that he make, or have made, a spitting image of himself, rather like Guy Fawkes, and put that atop the bonfire and let it burn to a cinder! Such a bonfire would be replete with symbolism. But for heaven’s sake, leave those EU laws alone!

Oh, and by the way, ask Nanny to read you a soothing bedtime story tonight when she tucks you in. It sounds to me as if your nerves are frayed. – © Mark Alexander

Michael & Thomas | Stuck With You | Reupload

CBI Warns Rishi Sunak against ‘Doom Loop’ of Public Spending Cuts

THE GUARDIAN: Director general Tony Danker says it is vital new UK PM does not pursue path of austerity

The head of the Confederation of British Industry has warned Rishi Sunak against pursuing an austerity “doom loop” of cuts to public spending and tax rises amid fears over a mixed outlook for the economy.

Tony Danker, the director general of the CBI, said it was vital for the new UK prime minister not to repeat the mistakes made by David Cameron’s Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition when billions of pounds were slashed from public spending.

“Let’s remember, the 2010s began with some austerity and were then ensued with very low growth, zero productivity and low investment, right? It wasn’t a successful strategy for growth,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. » | Richard Partington, Economics correspondent | Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Ein Krisenmanager mit Machtsinn

Charles’ Erster: Sunak am Dienstag beim König im Buckingham Palace | Bild: AP
WER IST RISHI SUNAK?
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Rishi Sunak ist nicht nur der jüngste, sondern auch der erste „nicht-weiße“ Premierminister Großbritanniens. Dass sein Machtsinn stark ausgeprägt ist, hat er gezeigt. Er wird ihn bitter nötig haben.

Großbritannien zu regieren sei das „Privileg meines Lebens“, sagte Rishi Sunak nach seiner Wahl zum neuen Premierminister. So ähnlich haben das schon viele seiner Vorgänger gesagt, aber Sunak hat vielleicht noch ein bisschen mehr Grund dazu. Er ist nicht nur der jüngste, sondern der erste „nicht-weiße” Regierungschef des Vereinigten Königreichs, das in seiner Kolonialvergangenheit auch über jenes Land herrschte, aus dem Sunaks Vorfahren stammen.

Die Großeltern lebten im Punjab, bevor sie nach Ostafrika immigrierten, von wo sie dann in den sechziger Jahren mit ihren Familien nach England auswanderten. Sunak wurde 1980 in Southampton geboren, als ältestes von drei Kindern. Seine Eltern, ein Arzt für Allgemeinmedizin und eine Apothekerin, kratzen alles Geld zusammen, um ihren vielversprechenden Erstgeborenen auf eine angesehene englische Privatschule zu geben. Fast 50.000 Euro kostet das Winchester College im Jahr. Danach ging er den vorgezeichneten Weg: Oxford, Stanford, Banking – mit Jobs in London und in Kalifornien. » | Von Jochen Buchsteiner, Politischer Korrespondent in London | Dienstag, 25. Oktober 2022

Democracy News! Top US News & World Headlines — October 25, 2022

Rishi Sunak Gives First Speech as Prime Minister | DW News

Rishi Sunak, le nouveau premier ministre du Royaume-Uni, veut réparer les « erreurs » de sa prédécesseure, Liz Truss : Pour l’ancien chancelier de Boris Johnson, battu par Liz Truss dans la bataille pour Downing Street au début de septembre, ce retour en grâce sonne comme une revanche. »

You have power, Rishi Sunak. Use it. Rejoin the single market and customs union: This Brexit built on lies can't be undone, but the new prime minister has a chance to minimise the damage »

‘His Humility Is Genuine’: Rishi Sunak’s Father-in-law, the Billionaire Who Does the Dishes

THE GUARDIAN: Narayana Murthy drives a small car, cleans his own loo and likes nothing more than to read

Narayana Murthy, right, with his wife, Sudha, and their son Rohan, queueing to vote in elections in 2019. Photograph: Manjunath Kiran/AFP/Getty Images
He may be worth £3.9bn but Rishi Sunak’s father-in-law, NR Narayana Murthy, lives in the same Bengaluru flat with his wife, Sudha, that he did decades ago, drives a small car, clears up the dishes, and cleans his own toilet.

Murthy is famous in India for co-founding in 1981 the software firm Infosys, now a £9.6bn multinational that employs more than 345,000 people.

The only difference from when he and Sudha were an unknown, ordinary couple is that the flat is filled to the rafters with books.

There is no glitz in their life, no haute couture, no lavish holidays or private jets, no swanky homes, no luxury brands. Everything about them is low-key and subdued. Murthy is an introvert who likes nothing more than to read.

In Sudha’s 2017 book, Three Thousand Stitches, she related how her husband cleans his own toilet, a job many Indians usually leave to employees of a lower caste, and also washes his own plate after meals.

Employees at Infosys have spoken of his belief in the dignity of labour and have seen Murthy fixing small electrical problems in the canteen himself. He is renowned for his integrity and says he has never given a bribe.

After books, philanthropy is another passion. “The real power of money is in giving it away,” is one of his famous sayings. » | Amrit Dhillon in New Delhi | Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Jacob Rees-Mogg and Brandon Lewis Quit as PM Begins Reshuffle

THE GUARDIAN: Rees-Mogg resigns as business secretary and Lewis relinquishes justice secretary role as Sunak begins to assemble cabinet

Jacob Rees-Mogg departs No 10 Downing Street. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Jacob Rees-Mogg and Brandon Lewis have resigned from the government as Rishi Sunak begins to assemble his new cabinet, with the prime minister also sacking Chloe Smith and Wendy Morton.

Sunak is expected to keep Jeremy Hunt as chancellor, at least for the short term, and return Suella Braverman to the cabinet, as well as handing new posts to key leadership allies Oliver Dowden, Mel Stride and Dominic Raab. » | Jessica Elgot, Pippa Crerar and Aubrey Allegretti | Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Bekommt Liechtenstein Ehe für alle? Für Erzbischof Haas ein «Skandal»

Am Mittwoch wird eine Motion übergeben
MANNSCHAFT MAGAZIN: Eine Mehrheit von Abgeordneten will im Fürstentum Liechtenstein die Ehe für schwule und lesbische Paare einführen. Die Kirche ist strikt dagegen.

Noch vor zwei Jahren hatte Fürst Hans-Adam II. Schwule mit Pädophilen verglichen (MANNSCHAFT berichtete). Nun haben haben 15 Landtagsabgeordnete aus drei Parteien die Motion zur Öffnung der Ehe für alle unterzeichnet. Sie soll am Mittwoch dem Parlamentsdienst übergeben werden. Das Parlament von Vaduz hat insgesamt 25 Abgeordnete.

Das teilte Daniel F. Seger mit, seit 2017 Abgeordneter im liechtensteinischen Landtag. Zuvor war er Präsident des Vereins «FLay – Schwule und Lesben Liechtenstein und Rheintal».

Der Erzbischof von Vaduz wendete sich Ende letzter Woche angesichts der Übergabe der Motion zur Ehe für alle noch einmal ausdrücklich dagegen: Sie sei für die katholische Kirche unannehmbar. » | Newsdesk | Donnerstag, September 29, 2022

Akshata Murty: Who Is Rishi Sunak's Wife?

GETTY IMAGES
BBC: Rishi Sunak's rise to power has attracted attention in India - and not just because he is the first British Asian prime minister.

His wife Akshata Murty is the daughter of Indian billionaire Narayana Murthy, one of the country's best known businessmen who has been dubbed the Bill Gates of India.

An heiress to a fortune worth billions, Ms Murty came under the spotlight when it emerged earlier this year that she held non-domiciled status, meaning she did not have to pay any tax on her earnings from outside the UK. She later agreed to pay UK taxes on her worldwide income.

Despite her family's immense wealth, Ms Murty came from more humble beginnings.

In a letter to his daughter, published in a 2013 compilation, her father recalled how he heard the news of her birth in Hubli in April 1980 from a colleague because the family could not afford a telephone.

"Your mother and I were young then and struggling to find our feet in our careers," he wrote.

When she was just a few months old, Ms Murty was sent to live with her paternal grandparents as her mother, Sudha Murty, and her father advanced their careers in Mumbai.

A year later, Mr Murthy co-founded Infosys, an IT services company which would make him one of India's richest individuals. » | Becky Morton, BBC political reporter | Monday, October 24, 2022

Mr. Sunak, the Multimillionaire, Goes to Downing Street »

Rishi Sunak Makes First Address as UK Prime Minister - BBC News

Liz Truss Addresses the Nation in Her Farewell Speech

Rishi Sunak Is Britain’s First Asian Prime Minister – But It’s No Progressive Victory

THE GUARDIAN – OPINION: The new PM’s rise is a great achievement, but his hardline views mean this is a less transformative moment than many hoped for

Rishi Sunak at the Conservative campaign headquarters in London, 24 October 2022. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Alas, for Tory party members it was still preferable to elect a white woman than a brown man; just as well they won’t be able to vote on his appointment this time.

In that sense, Sunak’s ascent is an undeniably great achievement, whether or not you agree with his politics. Without being able to claim any kind of salt-of-the-earth immigrant backstory, Sunak has still defied the odds as an Asian man to make it to the highest position in the land. His journey is a reminder of how black and brown Britons have to fight against the current to be taken seriously.

But rising above these political machinations, what does this moment really tell us about race relations in Britain? » | Hashi Mohamed | Tuesday, October 25, 2022

‘Best of a Bad Bunch’: Voters Share Their Views on Rishi Sunak

THE GUARDIAN: Five voters, who support a range of political parties, on what they think of the new Tory leader and the issues he must prioritise

Rishi Sunak has promised to serve “with integrity and humility” after he became Conservative party leader on Monday.

Sunak was announced as leader after his rival Penny Mordaunt failed to receive 100 nominations to reach the threshold to trigger a ballot and Boris Johnson pulled out on Sunday.

Five voters, who support a range of political parties, share their reaction to Sunak winning the race and the issues they hope his government will prioritise. » | Clea Skopeliti and Guardian readers | Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Was kann man sagen über so ein super Foto außer daß es außerordentlich schön ist?

What can you say about such a super photo other than that it is extraordinarily beautiful? / Que dire d'une si super photo à part qu'elle est extraordinairement belle ?
Fürs außerordentliche Foto bedanke ich mich bei Peachy🍑Keen: Photo auf Pinterest.

Rishi Sunak “WON’T SAVE” the Conservative Party | UK Politics | New Statesman

The Guardian view on Rishi Sunak: profits in the City, austerity in the country: Symbols are important, but the Tory leader’s background as a hedge fund manager rather than his race explains his politics »

Leben im Zölibat: Leben für Gott: Warum sich Moritz für ein Leben im Kloster entscheidet I 37 Grad

Sep 28, 2022 | Moritz will mehr für Gott da sein und den Menschen helfen. Dafür lässt er sein altes Leben hinter sich und damit auch viele Freiheiten. Der Glaube leitet seine Entscheidung ins Kloster zu gehen.

Rishi Sunak statt Boris Johnson: Die konservativen Abgeordneten zeigen Verantwortungsbewusstsein

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Nach den Turbulenzen der letzten Monate haben sich die Tories für Stabilität statt Chaos entschieden und Rishi Sunak zum Premierminister gewählt. Sunak geniesst das Vertrauen an den Finanzmärkten. Doch er wird mehr sein müssen als nur ein smarter Krisenmanager.

Der richtige Mann zur richtigen Zeit: Der Ex-Banker Rishi Sunak wird Premierminister, um das Vertrauen der Finanzmärkte zurückzugewinnen. | Dylan Martinez / Reuters
KOMMENTAR
Wenn es um die Hypothekenzinsen für das Eigenheim geht, stösst der Populismus an seine Grenzen. Boris Johnson musste am Wochenende diese Erfahrung machen. Sein dritter Angriff auf den Regierungssitz in der Downing Street ist am fehlenden Support der konservativen Abgeordneten im Unterhaus gescheitert. Diese haben mit grosser Mehrheit den «Anti-Johnson» Rishi Sunak zu ihrem Vorsitzenden und zum neuen Premierminister gewählt: einen braven, berechenbaren Manager, der die Staatsfinanzen wieder ins Lot bringen und das Vertrauen der Finanzmärkte in die Kreditwürdigkeit des britischen Staates zurückgewinnen soll.

Es mutet bizarr an, dass Johnson überhaupt wieder einen Versuch lanciert hat, an der Downing Street einzuziehen. Hatte ihm nicht erst vor dreieinhalb Monaten sein eigenes Kabinett das Vertrauen entzogen? Hatten nicht dieselben Abgeordneten, die ihn jetzt unterstützen sollten, ihn zum Rücktritt gezwungen? Hatte der historische Absturz der Konservativen Partei in den Wählerumfragen nicht schon unter seinem Vorsitz begonnen? War er nicht wegen seiner Überheblichkeit, seiner notorischen Ausflüchte und Lügen einer der unbeliebtesten Premierminister, seit es diese Umfragen gibt? » | Peter Rásonyi | Montag, 24. Oktober 2022

Tentative business welcome for Sunak amid deepening economic gloom: UK industry leaders hope for urgent steps from new PM to repair battered business confidence »

Just Tories Slating Rishi Sunak

The new Prime Minister has a likability problem from within his own party, apparently.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — October 24, 2022

Rishi Sunak to Become UK's First British Asian Prime Minister - BBC News

This is totally undemocratic, of course. What we need is a general election, not have all these prime ministers foisted upon us.

Naturally, I wish him all the best and he is probably the best of the bunch; but he is a staunch Brexiteer. So that makes me feel uneasy.

If Rishi Sunak wishes to succeed in this, he needs to find a way of convincing his Party and the country that Brexit needs urgently to be reversed. Unless Brexit is reversed, trying to "make Brexit work" will be as effective as trying to breathe life back into a dead parrot!

Remaining outside of the European Union will ensure that this country's economy underperforms; it will also ensure that we Brits will become ever poorer. – © Mark Alexander

Royaume-Uni : Rishi Sunak désigné par le Parti conservateur pour être le nouveau premier ministre : L’ex-ministre des finances deviendra le cinquième conservateur à prendre la tête du gouvernement depuis le référendum sur le Brexit en 2016, et le premier non-blanc à diriger le pays. »

Rishi Sunak wird britischer Premierminister: Das Vereinigte Königreich wird erstmals von einem indischstämmigen Premierminister regiert. Am Ende war keine Abstimmung in Fraktion oder Partei nötig: Es gab keine Konkurrenz mehr. »

It’s the beginning of the Sunak era – and the end of Britain’s Brexitist delusions: The new PM faces big challenges and will probably have diehard Brexiters in his cabinet. But as a realist, he will see the need to steer a new course »

Enya : Orinoco Flow | Official Video

Views on YouTube: 37,732,655

Rees-Mogg Move to Axe 2,400 Laws Is ‘Anti-democratic’, Say Legal Experts

THE GUARDIAN: Laws that could disappear include ban on animal testing, workers’ rights and environmental protections

Laws will be changed on 31 December 2023 ‘without any scrutiny at all’, says George Peretz KC.Photograph: James Hoathly/Alamy
Leading lawyers have sounded the alarm over Jacob Rees-Mogg’s proposals for post-Brexit legislation that could result in 2,400 laws disappearing overnight – including a ban on animal testing for cosmetics, workers’ rights and environmental protections.

Lawyers including one former UK government legal official who designed the concept of EU-retained law for Theresa May branded the move as “anti-democratic” and “completely barking”.

Swathes of laws including equal pay for men and women, pension rights for same-sex married couples, food standards and aviation safety rules could accidentally disappear or be redrafted poorly, they warn.

The retained EU law (revocation and reform) bill will get its second reading on Tuesday. It was designed in such a way that 47 years of laws devised during EU membership will be switched off on 31 December 2023 under a so-called sunset clause.

“A lot of laws are going to be changed without any scrutiny at all by a dying government that few people respect,” said George Peretz KC, a specialist in European law. » | Lisa O'Carroll Brexit correspondent | Monday, October 24, 2022

It is to be hoped that whoever becomes our next prime minister will kick this moron out of office. He is a danger to civilized society. JRM is nothing but a twerp. He shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the levers of power. – © Mark Alexander

Tory Backer Says UK Economy Is ‘Frankly Doomed’ without Brexit Renegotiation

THE GUARDIAN: Guy Hands says Conservatives are putting country ‘on a path to be sick man of Europe’

The billionaire businessman Guy Hands has accused the Conservatives of putting the UK “on a path to be the sick man of Europe”, as he issued a series of stark predictions about what could lie ahead for the post-Brexit economy, including higher taxes and interest rates and fewer social services.

The founder and chair of the private equity firm Terra Firma, a longtime Tory supporter, called for the government to “renegotiate Brexit”, stating that otherwise the British economy was “frankly doomed”.

The Conservative party needed to “move on from fighting its own internal wars and actually focus on what needs to be done in the economy”, Hands told Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday.

Hands, who had called for Britain to remain in the EU before the referendum, accused the Tories of making errors since the 2016 vote.

He said the party needed to start “admitting some of the mistakes they have made over the last six years, which have frankly put this country on a path to be the sick man of Europe”. » | Joanna Partridge | Monday, October 24, 2022

I feel vindicated! My readers and followers will be well aware that I have been calling for the UK to re-enter the EU since the very start. Brexit will never work; and now, we will get yet another Tory PM dedicated to the ridiculous idea, for whether Sunak or Mordaunt wins today, they are both committed Brexiteers. We Brits have a hard, bumpy road ahead.

By the way, kudos to Guy Hands for stating this. – © Mark Alexander

Boris Johnson Says He Will Not Stand in Tory Leadership Contest

THE GUARDIAN: Move means Rishi Sunak almost certain to be PM

Boris Johnson at Gatwick Airport on Saturday morning after cutting short his Caribbean holiday.Photograph: Henry Nicholls/Reuters
Boris Johnson will not stand in the Conservative leadership race, leaving Rishi Sunak very likely to enter No 10.

The former prime minister had not formally declared but he had told supporters he wanted to run, drumming up backing from seven cabinet ministers – Jacob Rees-Mogg, James Cleverly, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Nadhim Zahawi, Alok Sharma, Simon Clarke and Chris-Heaton Harris.

After cutting short a Caribbean holiday, Johnson spoke to rivals Sunak and Penny Mordaunt in a bid to persuade them to get onboard with his attempted political comeback.

However, Johnson has said he is not running after only making it to about 60 declared backers by Sunday afternoon – well short of the 100-MP threshold required to make it on to the ballot. » | Rowena Mason, Whitehall editor | Sunday, October 23, 2022

Gott sei Dank! Dieu merci ! Alhamdulillah! Diolch i Dduw! Thank God! – Mark

Salman Rushdie Has Lost Sight in One Eye and Use of One Hand, Says Agent

THE GUARDIAN: Full extent of injuries from ‘brutal attack’ on Satanic Verses author in New York state in August revealed

Salman Rushdie pictured in 2017. The author was stabbed in the neck and torso as he came on stage to give a talk on artistic freedom on 12 August. Photograph: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Salman Rushdie has lost sight in one eye and the use of one hand after the attack he suffered while preparing to deliver a lecture in New York state two months ago, his agent has confirmed.

The 75-year-old author, who received death threats from Iran in the 1980s after his novel The Satanic Verses was published, was stabbed in the neck and torso as he came on stage to give a talk on artistic freedom at the Chautauqua Institution on 12 August.

Until now, the full extent of Rushdie’s injuries had been unclear. But in an interview with Spain’s El País, Andrew Wylie explained how serious and life-changing the attack had been.

“[His wounds] were profound, but he’s [also] lost the sight of one eye,” said Wylie. “He had three serious wounds in his neck. One hand is incapacitated because the nerves in his arm were cut. And he has about 15 more wounds in his chest and torso. So, it was a brutal attack.”

The agent declined to say whether Rushdie was still in hospital, saying the most important thing was that the writer was going to live. » | Sam Jones in Madrid | Sunday, October 23, 2022

MARIO - "I Had a Girlfriend When I Was Sixteen"

Views on YouTube: 149,119

Keir Starmer Hits Out at ‘Ridiculous, Chaotic Circus’ of Tory Contest

THE GUARDIAN: Country ‘fed up’ with leadership turmoil, says Starmer as he pitches Labour as party of ‘sound money’

Keir Starmer has hit out at the “ridiculous, chaotic circus” of the Conservative leadership contest, as he pitched Labour in contrast as the party of sound money.

The Labour leader, who is pushing for a general election, said the Tory party was failing Britain with its contest while the country was struggling to cope with the financial situation.

Starmer told BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show that people were “fed up to the back teeth” with the leadership turmoil.

“My focus is on the millions of people who are struggling to pay their bills, have now got additional anxieties about their mortgage. I know what it feels like not to be able to pay your bills, that happened to me and my family when I was growing up,” he said. With video » | Rowena Mason, Whitehall editor | Sunday, October 23, 2022

The Tory Party, the Party of wealth redistribution, the redistribution of wealth from the bottom to the top, needs to die a natural death: it is a Party of fossils. People who are backward-looking, regressive and, despite their protestations, unpatriotic. They need to follow the Whigs into extinction. That will be better for the country; it will be better for us all: the Scots, the Welsh, the Irish and the English themselves.

For certain, this country needs a business-friendly party, but a business-friendly party which is progressive and forward-looking, a party which is EU-friendly and one which doesn’t constantly look back on the UK’s glorious imperial past. Get with the story: The Empire is dead, and it will forever remain so. Realistically, the UK is now a middle-ranking country, no better or worse that France, Germany, Spain, etc. Let us, please, as a nation refrain from delusion. Let us also be mature enough as a people to realise that we have made a huge mistake in plumping for Brexit. Because of the dire economic outcome of Brexit, we shall never be able to forget the calamitous mistake voting to exit the European Union has been. It was an act of self-harm. Suicide, if you will. It will ensure that this country will become ever poorer. Our GDP will shrink year-on-year until many Eastern European countries which have managed to slough off the shackles of communism will overtake our GDP and economic growth in just a few years.

There is only ONE remedy for this: we need to eat humble pie and ask our European friends, neighbours, brothers and sisters for forgiveness for the trouble and expense we have created for them by erroneously, and in a delusional way, believed that we could actually go it alone. We cannot without great economic pain and impoverishment.

Keir Starmer should disabuse himself of the notion that we can “make Brexit work”. We cannot. At least not if we wish to remain a successful and prosperous nation. Therefore, I repeat: We need to eat humble pie and rejoin the European Union as soon as possible, thereby re-entering the Single Market, a market of more than five hundred million consumers – the biggest single market in the world. This, if we truly want economic growth, is our only realistic political and economic solution. Moreover, if the powers-that-be in this country truly wish to keep the UK whole, that means to say with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all one integrated whole with England, then Brexit needs to be reversed pronto. Remaining outside of the European Union is one sure-fire way of seeing the breakup of this, our, Union. – © Mark Alexander

Nach dem Sex | Naked (6/6) | Doku HD | ARTE

In dieser Folge geht es um Zukunftsfragen: Werden Liebe und Sex immer mehr in die virtuelle Welt verlegt? Dahin, wo Partner nur perfekt sein können? Und was geschieht mit Kategorien wie "Männlichkeit" und "Weiblichhkeit", gibt es sie dann noch und sind ihre Grenzen fließend oder dreht sich alles wieder zurück, wenn Alpha-Männchen es nicht lassen können Kriege zu führen?

Cisgender, pangender, trigender, agender – ist das die Zukunft? Befinden sich die Menschen auf dem Weg in eine Welt, in der die Grenzen von "Männlichkeit" und "Weiblichkeit" fließend sind? Die sechste und letzte Folge der Dokumentationsreihe durchleuchtet nicht nur die aktuelle Genderdebatte, sondern fragt auch: Werden Liebe und Sex in der Zukunft digital? Wohin führen die Quote und das Gendern? Werden Männer die Zukunft bestimmen, weil sie diejenigen sind, die die Algorithmen programmieren? Oder schlägt das Patriarchat zurück, weil die Alphamännchen wieder ihre Kriege führen?

Dokureihe (D/F/CDN 2022, 53 Min)
Video auf Youtube verfügbar bis zum 16/01/2023

All Quiet on the Western Front | Official Trailer | Netflix

All Quiet on the Western Front tells the gripping story of a young German soldier on the Western Front of World War I. Paul and his comrades experience first-hand how the initial euphoria of war turns into desperation and fear as they fight for their lives, and each other, in the trenches. The film from director Edward Berger is based on the world renowned bestseller of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque.

Trüffel und andere geheimnisvolle Pilze - Dokumentation von NZZ Format | 2003

Weisse Trüffel aus Alba, immer rarer, immer teurer. /// Auf Trüffelsuche mit Franco Martinetti, Gourmet aus Turin. /// So erkennt man echte Trüffeln. Unterwegs mit einem Schweizer Importeur. /// Trüffelrezepte aus dem Piemont. /// Mythos oder Wahrheit? Trüffeln für mehr Liebeslust. /// Sie kommen aus dem Dunkeln: Chinesische Edelpilze aus der Innerschweiz. /// Giftig oder essbar? Pilzkontrollen vermeiden böse Ueberraschungen. /// Der Hallimasch-Pilz, das grösste Lebewesen der Welt.

Iranian Civil Rights Protests Spread Worldwide | DW News

As women-led nationwide protests sparked by the death of Jina Mahsa Amini entered the sixth week, shopkeepers and factory workers in several Iranian cities went on strike, activists said.

Witnesses also said anti-government protests broke out at several universities in Tehran despite tight security.

In Berlin, tens of thousands of people demonstrated on Saturday in solidarity with the protest movement in Iran. According to the police, about 80,000 people took part in the rally. The organizers of the event initially expected 50,000 participants.

Participants held up Iranian flags and signs criticizing Iran's leaders, many with the tagline "Women, Life, Freedom" in both English and German.

Penny Mordaunt: ''People Deserve a Leader Who Understands the Life They Lead'

The country deserves a leader who “understands the life they lead”, Commons leader Penny Mordaunt has said.

Speaking to Sky News this morning, Ms Mordaunt, who was the first candidate to announce her bid to be the country's next prime minister, said: “What this country needs is a fresh face, someone that can unite the Conservative Party and get things to work in this country.”

Rishi Sunak Enters Race to Be Next Prime Minister

Rishi Sunak has announced his bid to become the next Conservative leader and prime minister, six weeks after Liz Truss beat him to the top job.

The former chancellor has put himself forward for the second time in a matter of months after the extraordinary resignation of Ms Truss on Thursday, 44 days into her premiership.

George Monbiot: No One Voted for This

George Monbiot on the "fake patriots" choosing Britain's Next Prime Minister

Full 29min Interview with George Monbiot here [Patrons only.]

Tories Choose Third PM This Year As Reality of Brexit Bites

Following the resignation of Liz Truss after just 44 days in office, the Tories are choosing their fifth prime minister in six years and the third this year. In the meantime, the economy is in serious difficulty with soaring prices and interest rates, food shortages and widespread anxiety.

Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt are expected to be joined by the disgraced Boris Johnson who was rejected by his party and forced to resign less than three months ago

. Whilst Sunak has the support of the majority of the parliamentary party, Johnson is still popular with the members of the Tory party who are likely to be asked to choose if a winner is not decided upon on Monday. BREXIT - It's not going too well, is it?"

My book is available from my website here

Wie wäre es, wenn wir durchbrennen würden, Schatz?

How about we elope, darling? / Et si on s'enfuyait, chéri ?
Für dieses herrliche Foto bedanke ich mich herzlichst bei Bailery Q Photo, NYC Wedding & Elopement Photographer auf Pinterest.

Phil Collins : Another Day in Paradise | Official Music Video

Views on YouTube: 448,764,978

Denmark’s Delightful Queen

One just must love Queen Margrethe II for her political incorrectness! She just does her own thing regardless, just as everyone else should have the courage to do.
With many thanks to theroyalforums.com on Pinterest for this truly lovely image of Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark enjoying a smoke.
Despite recent controversy, there's no royal more popular than Denmark's chain-smoking queen »

heute 19:00 Uhr vom 22.10.2022

Scott Joplin: The Entertainer

Dario Ronchi performs one of the most famous piano composition by the great American composer Scott Joplin.

Brexit Crippled the UK Economy – Liz Truss Just Made It Worse | Economics | New Statesman

The UK economy under Liz Truss was a “textbook case” of mismanagement, according to economist Duncan Weldon.

Iranians Abroad Call for Western Support of Protests | DW News

Protests in Iran are continuing in response to the death in police custody of a 22-year-old last month. On Friday, police arrested at least 57 people in the south-east of the country after demonstrators attacked banks and chanted against the government. Meanwhile Iranians outside the country are calling on western nations to do more to help those protesting.

UK Economic Outlook Downgraded to ‘Negative’ by Rating Agency

THE GUARDIAN: Moody’s say downgrade from ‘stable’ was driven by political instability and high inflation

The UK’s economic outlook has been downgraded from “stable” to “negative” by the rating agency Moody’s because of political instability and high inflation.

Moody’s said the change in outlook was driven by “heightened unpredictability in policymaking amid weaker growth prospects and high inflation” and “risks to the UK’s debt affordability from likely higher borrowing and risk of a sustained weakening in policy credibility”.

Rating agencies rate a country on the strength of its economy and provide governments with a score based on the likelihood that they will be able to pay back debt.

The rating affects how much it costs governments to borrow money in the international financial markets. According to the agency, an outlook period “typically lasts 12 to 18 months”. » | PA Media | Saturday, October 22, 2022

Good God! Brexit is proving to be a rip-roaring success, isn’t it? Britannia is sinking faster than many might have imagined. To anyone with a modicum of common sense and even a basic understanding of economics should have been able to foresee the dire outcome that Brexit would bring with it.

I am almost certain that there were many pro-Brexit voters who thought that by exiting the European Union, we would be able to rebuild El Dorado! The sad reality is that we are quickly turning this once proud nation into a Banana Republic (without even being able to grow the bananas)!

The trouble is that the many are going to have to suffer along with the few that brought Brexshit about. That means to say, the Remainers and the unsuspecting Brexiteers who believed the crap that was preached to them by the few at the top who would be benefitting from leaving our friends in Europe.

I suggest that we prepare ourselves to eat humble pie, ask for forgiveness for causing our European brothers and sisters so much trouble and ask them to accept us back into the fold without all those ridiculous opt-outs. Oh, and while we’re at it, we could ditch the pound sterling (which is fast turning into a junk currency) and adopt the euro.

If you think that I exaggerate about the pound turning into a junk currency, just take a look at this website providing historic currency conversion rates. This is proof positive that the currency we could once upon a time be so proud of is becoming ever more worthless. Ditch the bitch! This is surely not the end of its decline in value. Historically, the pound has halved in value approximately every ten years since the end of World War I. So, based on that harsh historical reality, in ten years (or perhaps even less now), the pound could be halved in value yet again. Remember this: In 1963 (as an example), there were approximately CHF 12.24 to the pound and US$ 2.80 . And now, the Swiss franc is worth approximately 87p, or put another way, a pound will buy you approximately CHF 1.27 and US$ 1.30 ! I wouldn't characterise such a currency as anything but weak. It has been weakening for years; Brexit has hastened its decline in value. – © Mark Alexander

Démission de Liz Truss au Royaume-Uni : le Brexit, « éléphant dans la pièce »

LE MONDE – ÉDITORIAL : La décision de la première ministre britannique marque l’échec des promesses liées à la décision de sortir de l’Union européenne. En tirer les leçons risque d’être long et douloureux mais cela est indispensable pour retrouver le chemin de la stabilité et de la prospérité.

Aucun premier ministre britannique depuis 1945 n’est resté si peu de temps au pouvoir que Liz Truss, démissionnaire, jeudi 20 octobre, après seulement quarante-quatre jours passés à Downing Street. Que le pays d’Europe au système démocratique le plus enraciné du continent soit à son tour atteint par l’instabilité n’est, en soi, pas une bonne nouvelle. Qu’une puissance désormais moyenne, mais qui compte dans le monde, soit prise dans un tourbillon de crise économique et politique, au moment où l’agression russe en Ukraine met à l’épreuve l’unité et la résilience de l’Europe, n’en est pas une non plus.

Vertigineuse, la chute de Liz Truss n’en était pas moins annoncée. La brutalité et l’absurdité de ses annonces économiques, faites de baisses d’impôts massives pour les riches non financées, ont été sanctionnées non seulement par les milieux financiers – où certains l’avaient mise en garde –, mais par l’opinion, atterrée par le dévissage immédiat du pays, là où elle promettait la croissance. Sa volte-face, marquée par le limogeage de son ministre des finances et l’abandon de son propre programme, avait achevé de ruiner le peu de crédibilité et d’autorité qui lui restait. » | Éditorial « du Monde » | vendredi 22 octobre 2022

Read the editorial in English.

It’s Time for an Afternoon Boogie

Chris Brown - Forever | Official HD Video Reupload | Views on YouTube: 301,573,058

Click here to get moving and listen to this wonderful song which I never tire of. I hope you don’t either – Mark

Led by Donkeys: Who Is Jacob Rees-Mogg?

Let's take a closer look at the life of the man running Boris Johnson's leadership campaign: Jacob Rees-Mogg

If Jacob Rees-Mogg is running BoJo’s leadership campaign, it is clearly a case of one clown leading another clown to the circus that is Westminster. – © Mark Alexander

Truth To Power: Tory Brexit Britain Is a Global Laughing Stock

As Liz Truss becomes the fourth Prime Minister to be eaten by Brexit, the state of British politics is being mocked by other countries all over the world. The currency, bond and stock markets are also, in their own way, mocking the competence of our Tory government. After 12 years of planning, the oligarch-funded media, and Tufton Street think tanks, managed to get their hand-reared, indoctrinated puppets installed in numbers 10 and 11 Downing Street. But as soon as their ultra libertarian, economic dogma was tested in the real world, its failure was both immediate, and catastrophic, damaging the global reputation of an isolated, economically-underperforming post-Brexit-Britain for many years to come.

Brexit has been a total and utter disaster, and a total and utter disaster it will always be and a total and utterdisaster it was destined to be from the very start. Trying to "make Brexit work "is like trying to bring a dead parrot back to life! – © Mark Alexander

'We're Not Giving Up' on Independence: Scottish External Affairs Secretary • FRANCE 24 English

As the Scottish government pushes on with its bid to hold a referendum on leaving the #UnitedKingdom, with a hearing scheduled at the British Supreme Court on October 11 and 12, #Scotland's Cabinet Secretary for External Affairs Angus Robertson has told FRANCE 24 that his government is "not giving up". "We want friends in Europe to understand that we are in favour of a legal, constitutional route to #independence. When it comes to that stage, we look forward to working with European nations," he explained.

Italia Squisita: The Definitive Sunday Roast by Chef Francesco Mazzei

Roast beef is the most popular English dish in and outside the United Kingdom. In the classic version it is composed by different recipes giving life to a truly opulent and tasty dish, perfect to celebrate Sundays with the family. Francesco Mazzei, one of the best known Italian chefs and restaurateurs in London, through a real gastronomic performance, illustrates all the steps to make Sunday Roast in a perfect British style. Take your time to follow Mazzei in the heart of the English tradition.

For a full list of the ingredients in both English and Italian for the roast itself, Yorkshire pudding, horseradish sauce and the gravy, please click here, then click on “show more”. – Mark

Gravitas: Saudi Arabia Wants to Join BRICS

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has claimed that Saudi Arabia wants to join BRICS. He says Crown Prince MBS showed interest in joining the bloc during his recent meeting with him. Is Riyadh trying to disassociate itself from the West? Molly Gambhir reports.

The Ruination of Britain

Henry Nicholls/Reuters
OPINION : GUEST ESSAY
THE NEW YORK TIMES: LONDON — Until very recently the British Conservative Party was able to claim, with a great deal of credibility, that it was the most successful political party in the Western world.

The party of Benjamin Disraeli, Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher has governed Britain for most of the last 200 years. Through much of that time the Conservatives have been synonymous with good sense, financial sobriety and cautious pragmatism. Despised by progressive elites, allergic to ideology, provincial rather than metropolitan, the Conservative Party rejoiced in being the stolid party of the boring middle ground.

Not anymore. Today, the Conservatives are synonymous with chaos.

Liz Truss, the latest Tory prime minister to crash and burn, must bear her share of the blame. There are sound reasons for why she was forced to resign after just 44 days, the shortest term in history. It was a foolish notion to suppose that she could sack the most senior Treasury official, reinvent the laws of economic management and defy the collective wisdom of the financial markets. There was going to be only one result.

But the bigger truth is that the hapless Ms. Truss is a symptom rather than the cause of Britain’s chronic crisis of governance, which has reduced the country — once respected around the world — to a global laughingstock. The Conservative Party chose her, remember, even though she was obviously not up to the job. You didn’t need the foresight of Nostradamus to know she would fail. For the fiasco of her premiership and the disastrous state of the country, the Conservative Party must collectively take responsibility. » | Peter Oborne * | Friday, October 21, 3022

Mr. Oborne is a British journalist, broadcaster and former political commentator for The Spectator, The Daily Telegraph and The Daily Mail.

Michael Jackson : Man in the Mirror

Views on YouTube: 13,043,473

Mis Schätzeli !

Mein Schätzlein! / Mon petit chéri ! / My little darling!
’Merci vielmals’ fürs Foto von Maury auf Pinterest.

Italie : Giorgia Meloni, dirigeante du parti d’extrême droite Fratelli d’Italia, a été officiellement chargée de former un gouvernement

LE MONDE : Matteo Salvini a été nommé ministre de l’intérieur, et le proeuropéen Antonio Tajani aux affaires étrangères.

Giorgia Meloni (Fratelli d’Italia) s’adresse à la presse au palais du Quirinal après un entretien avec le président italien, Sergio Mattarella, dans le cadre des consultations précédant la nomination d’un gouvernement, vendredi 21 octobre 2022. GREGORIO BORGIA / AP
Après la victoire historique de son parti aux législatives en septembre, Giorgia Meloni va devenir la première femme à occuper la fonction de président du conseil en Italie, vendredi 21 octobre. Cette Romaine de 45 ans, qui est parvenue à « dédiaboliser » le parti d’extrême droite Fratelli d’Italia pour arriver au pouvoir exactement un siècle après Mussolini, a été mandatée par le président de la République, Sergio Mattarella, pour former un gouvernement. Elle a présenté vendredi après-midi les membres de l’exécutif, qui prêteront serment samedi matin au palais du Quirinal. » | Le Monde avec AFP | vendredi 21 octobre 2022

Pound Sinks as UK Economic Uncertainty Rises

GETTY IMAGES
BBC: The pound fell against the dollar on Friday as new figures showed a gloomy picture for the UK economy.

Sterling slipped to $1.11, after rallying on Thursday as Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned.

It came as official figures showed government borrowing rose to its second highest September on record.

Meanwhile, people are shopping less than they did before the coronavirus pandemic, according to figures from the Office For National Statistics (ONS).

Retail sales fell by more than expected last month, dropping 1.4% and continuing their slide from August, the official figures showed.

The pound's latest slide comes after a period of volatile trading for the currency. » | Noor Nanji, Business reporter, BBC News | Friday, October 21, 2022

The pound sterling used to be held in high regard all over the world. Unfortunately, its value has gone down and down and down. This is known as managed decline. At the rate things are going for the UK economy, the pound sterling will be little better than junk currency! (Though it hurts me to say so.)

We should have dumped the pound years ago and joined the euro.

For your information, just by way of example, in 1963, the pound was worth more than twelve Swiss francs! 12,2443 to be precise. Today, as I write this, one Swiss franc (CHF) is worth £1.12. In 1963, one pound sterling was worth US$ 2.8. Today, one pound sterling is worth US$1.12. Exactly the same as the Swiss franc.

(Sources: XE.com and PACIFIC Exchange Rate Service)

Früherer Trump-Berater Steve Bannon zu vier Monaten Haft verurteilt

„MISSACHTUNG DES KONGRESSES“
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Steve Bannon, der frühere Chefstratege von Donald Trump, weigerte sich, vor dem Untersuchungsausschuss zur Kapitol-Erstürmung zu erscheinen und Dokumente zu übergeben. Jetzt wurde er zu einer Gefängnisstrafe verurteilt.

Wegen Missachtung des amerikanischen Kongresses ist der einstige Chefstratege von Ex-US-Präsident Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, zu einer viermonatigen Haftstrafe verurteilt worden. Er muss zudem eine Strafe von 6500 US-Dollar (rund 6645 Euro) zahlen, wie US-Medien am Freitag übereinstimmend aus dem Gerichtssaal eines Bundesgerichts in der Hauptstadt Washington berichteten. … » | Quelle: AFP/dpa | Freitag, 21 Oktober 2022

‘Disgrace’: World’s Press React to Truss Resignation and UK Political Turmoil

THE GUARDIAN: Commentators and politicians question how Britain has fallen so far – with Brexit singled out as a prime culprit

Liz Truss’s resignation after just 45 days in office has made waves across Europe and beyond, with commentators and politicians alike questioning how Britain could have fallen so far, so fast – and with most blaming Brexit.

“Prime minister’s departure plunges Britain into profound and unprecedented political crisis,” was the headline in Le Monde, noting that next Friday Britain “should learn the name of its third Conservative prime minister in three months”.

Even that was not guaranteed, the paper’s London correspondent said, since the Tory party, “weakened by internal divisions, an absence of ideas and a lack of fresh faces after 12 years in power” may prove incapable of agreeing on a candidate.

“Will the Conservatives, for once, manage to rise above their own partisan interests and choose a leader who will defend those of the whole country?” Cécile Ducourtieux asked. Nothing, most observers reckoned, was less certain. » | Jon Henley, Europe correspondent | Friday, October 21, 2022

"We Are a Democracy in Name Only": George Monbiot on Truss Resignation & Who Will Be Next British PM

British Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned Thursday after just 45 days in office, the shortest term in the nation's history. Her low-tax, low-regulation financial policies were widely criticized after they sent the pound plummeting, causing several senior ministers to quit. We speak to George Monbiot, British journalist at The Guardian, about her short-lived time in office, what this says about the Conservative Party, and who her likely successor will be. "You'd think we'd have a general election after all this chaos, … but that's not how it works in this country, because we are a democracy in name only," says Monbiot.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — October 21, 2022

Even a Divided Nation Can Agree on One Thing: The Return of Boris Johnson Would Be Unforgivable

THE GUARDIAN: The chaos we’re all living through has his fingerprints all over it. A new term in No 10 would be a giant middle finger to the public

Boris Johnson makes a speech outside No 10 before officially resigning on 6 September.Photograph: Victoria Jones/PA
As the Boris Johnson locomotive chugs back into the station, let us recall the timeless words of US tennis player John McEnroe: “You cannot be serious.”

Whatever features can be attributed to the modern Conservative party – greed, spite, an ample sprinkling of naked bigotry – seriousness is not one of them. And so its long, ignominious reign in government is now offering up one sordid final chapter. The same newspapers that brought you Liz Truss and cheered on her “true Tory budget” are now preparing the ground for Johnson’s return – a mere 106 days since he was practically dragged out of No 10 by his fingernails.

Perhaps this is all froth, driven by Johnson’s crude ambition and egged on by his vengeful media outriders. Itwas widely believed that the deposed prime minister would struggle to bag the support of the 100 MPs needed to make the ballot of Tory members. But with the seeming support of the likes of Ben Wallace – a politician who is sometimes touted as a “decent Tory”, a category that urgently needs retiring – he may well make it. If he does, and those largely moneyed and very rightwing southern pensioners have their say, Johnson will be swiftly reunited with his precious wallpaper. » | Owen Jones * | Friday, October 21, 2022

* Owen Jones is a Guardian columnist

Sir Ed Davey: Johnson Return Would Be 'Disaster'

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Ed Davey MP says that allowing Boris Johnson to stand for the Conservative party leadership would create "more political instability".

Sir Ed said that Johnson had "lied on an industrial scale, he broke the law, he failed to handle a sex abuse case within his own ranks" and was "an absolute disaster".


In my humble opinion, Sir Ed Davey is the man who should be prime minister. He is a very sensible, thoroughly decent politician – a rarity in political life these days. The LibDems are also pro-EU, so that's a huge plus. – © Mark Alexander

Boris Johnson 'Flying Back to Take Soundings' over Leadership Bid

A former adviser to Boris Johnson says the former prime minister is returning from holiday to consider joining the Conservative Party leadership election race.

Will Walden, who worked as Mr Johnson's press secretary, said his former boss is unlikely to run unless he is sure he can get the support of the 100 MPs needed to make the second round.

Further Cuts Will Kill Off NHS Dental Services, Chancellor Told

THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: British Dental Association chief says there is ‘no more fat to trim’ amid fears for health budget

Jeremy Hunt has been told that any cuts to the health budget will in effect “kill” dental services across the UK and deny millions of patients access to a dentist on the NHS.

The chancellor has told members of the cabinet that “everything is on the table” as he seeks to find tens of billions of pounds in savings after ditching the economic plan of Liz Truss, who said on Thursday she was standing down as prime minister. Health is one key area expected to be hit.

But in an email to Hunt seen by the Guardian, the head of the British Dental Association said in plain terms that because NHS dentistry had already “faced cuts with no parallel anywhere in the health service” over the last decade, any further reduction in funding could trigger its collapse. » | Andrew Gregory, Health editor | Friday, October 21, 2022

You can thank the f*****g Tories for this! Kick the bastards out of office asap! – © Mark Alexander

Starmer Joins Calls for Truss to Decline Ex-PMs’ £115,000 Annual Grant

THE GUARDIAN: Outgoing PM urged to forgo allowance amid cost of living crisis and cuts to public services

Keir Starmer has joined calls for Liz Truss to decline the allowance of up to £115,000 a year she will be entitled to as a former prime minister.

The Labour leader told ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Friday: “She should turn it down. I think that’s the right thing to do. She’s done 44 days in office, she’s not really entitled to it, she should turn it down and not take it.”

The Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, also said she should turn down the allowance.

The political leaders’ remarks come after a trade union representing civil servants hit out at the entitlement to the perk amid a mounting squeeze on public services and the cost of living crisis.

Mark Serwotka, the general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, said: “At a time when one in five civil servants are using food banks and 35% have skipped meals because they have no food, it’s grotesque that Liz Truss can walk away with what is effectively a £115,000 bonus. » | Ben Quinn and Jamie Grierson | Friday, October 21, 2022

F*** up your country’s economy, spend 44/45 days doing it, and end up with a lifelong pension that most people could only dream of. And the clown that held office before her will be receiving the same pension for ruining this country’s economic future by backing Brexshit. Wow! If you receive that much for f*****g up, how much will you receive for doing a good job of being prime minister, I wonder? – © Mark Alexander

Italia Squisita : French Croissant vs Italian Cornetto with Michael Bartocetti and Rocco Cannavino

They are the food par excellence of French and Italian breakfast. They are two small, leavened products as similar in preparation as they are different when consumed. But they are also a reflection of the style and blend of two of the greatest European gastronomic cultures.

Michael Bartocetti, Four Seasons George V's Pastry chef in Paris, and Rocco Cannavino, owner of Zio Rocco Lab Store in Naples, tell the story, the differences and the techniques hidden between the soft layers of the Italian cornetto and the French croissant.

An unprecedented comparison to understand the great pastry without prejudices and boundaries, thanks to the two most famous leavened products in the world.

Send in the Clowns!

A friend has just sent me this. It’s brilliant!

Woran Truss scheiterte: Die Tories wissen nicht, was aus Brexit-Britannien werden soll

KOMMENTAR
NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Immerhin: Die Konservative Partei kann in der Not rasch und unsentimental handeln. Nach dem Debakel mit den Premierministern Johnson und Truss bietet sich nun ein erfahrener, pragmatischer Nachfolger an. Das Grundproblem der Partei dürfte aber bleiben.

Liz Truss anerkennt die Realitäten und tritt nach 45 irrwitzigen Tagen an der Spitze der britischen Regierung ab. Der Rücktritt ist spektakulär, aber unvermeidlich. Truss hatte Grossbritannien ein gut gemeintes, radikales Reformprogramm zum falschen Zeitpunkt mit den falschen Mitteln aufzuzwingen versucht. Dafür hatte sie weder im Parlament noch in der Bevölkerung oder in der Wirtschaft den nötigen Rückhalt. Die konservative Fraktion im Unterhaus hat sie brüsk gestoppt und den Fehler ihrer Wahl zur Parteivorsitzenden in Rekordzeit korrigiert. So viel Handlungsfähigkeit wünscht man sich von einer Volksvertretung.

Der erste Schritt ist damit geschafft. Der schwierigere zweite soll in den nächsten sieben Tagen folgen: Wer kann die zerstrittene Partei hinter sich vereinen und das Land rasch wieder auf sicheren wirtschaftspolitischen Grund führen? Rishi Sunak ist Favorit – aber keiner der Kandidaten ist ideal » | Peter Rásonyi | Donnerstag, 10. Oktober 2022

This Is Wonderful! Politics at Its Very Best!

Australian MP proposes to partner during same-sex marriage debate in parliament

Mark Drakeford: 'The Conservative Party Is Ungovernable'

First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford has said the Conservative Party is "ungovernable" and has called for a general election.

He also spoke about Boris Johnson's chances of a comeback and said "anyone who thinks Boris Johnson returning is a get out of jail card must have some of the shortest memories in political history."


FFS! Keep BoJo the Clown well away from the levers of power! We’ve only just managed to get rid of that idiot. – © Mark Alexander

Britain hangs by a thread. Give the end to Boris Johnson and we’ll unravel: This must be the moment to root out the C-listers and crackpots who have dominated the Tory party ever since Brexit »

Liz Truss tritt zurück, Boris Johnson erwägt offenbar Comeback | ZDFheute live

Gescheiterte Steuersenkungen und Konflikte mit den Parteikollegen: Nach nur 45 Tagen hat die britische Premierministerin Liz Truss ihren Rücktritt angekündigt. «Ich habe mit dem König gesprochen, um ihm mitzuteilen, dass ich als Chefin der Konservativen Partei zurücktrete», sagte die konservative Politikerin in der Londoner Downing Street. Rund 24 Stunden vor ihrem Rücktritt hatte sie noch im britischen Unterhaus beteuert, nicht aufgeben zu wollen und „eine Kämpferin“ zu sein. Nun wies sie zwar auf die schwierigen ökonomischen Zeiten und die politische Instabilität auf dem ganzen Kontinent hin, räumte aber auch ein, unter den aktuellen Bedingungen ihre Vision des radikalen Wirtschaftswachstums nicht mehr umsetzen zu können. Die Amtszeit von Truss war von Beginn an kritisch bis hämisch begleitet worden. Die Boulevardzeitung "Daily Star" hatte seit Freitag ein Livevideo laufen, in dem gefragt wurde, wer länger durchhalte: ein Salatkopf oder Liz Truss.

Als Premierministerin will sie noch im Amt bleiben, bis klar sei, wer ihr nachfolge. Die konservative Fraktion kündigte an, dass ein Nachfolger oder eine Nachfolgerin bis Ende Oktober ins Amt gehoben werde. Damit wäre Truss mit höchstens 55 Tagen die Regierungschefin mit der kürzesten Amtszeit in der britischen Geschichte.

Berichten von “Times” und “Telegraph” zufolge, soll der skandalgeplagte britische Ex-Premierminister Boris Johnson eine erneute Kandidatur als Premierminister planen. Johnson, der ach der «Partygate»-Affäre und vielen weiteren Skandalen Anfang Juli zum Rücktritt gezwungen wurde, hat noch immer in Teilen der Partei eine loyale Unterstützerbasis. In Umfragen unter Parteimitgliedern schnitt er zuletzt wieder gut ab.

Was erwartet Großbritannien nun? Geht das Chaos nach Liz Truss weiter? Wie stehen die Chancen auf eine Neuwahl, wie sie die Oppositionsparteien fordern? ZDFheute live spricht mit dem britischen Labour-Abgeordneten und ehemaligen BBC-Journalisten Ben Bradshaw, mit Politikwissenschaftler Anthony Glees und ZDF-Korrespondent Andreas Stamm über die ungewisse Zukunft des Landes.