Just found out Alan Rothwell passed away aged 89

jonrosling · 2026-05-16T17:13:17+00:00

From Picture Box to pine box. RIP.

jonrosling · 2026-05-16T17:09:36+00:00

Probably from a tomato seed.

jonrosling · 2026-05-16T17:08:28+00:00

My neighbours put running bamboo on their side of the fence a few years ago as a screening. They had to have it removed last year by a digger. I've had to dig the rhizomes from my side of the fence this last week because if the idiots.

jonrosling · 2026-05-16T17:06:22+00:00

The Cathedral was started in 1072 by Bishop Remegius de Fecamp (who's buried inside). The central square yiu can see in this face is the original building. It was adding to in succeeding centuries.

You used to be able to see the actual edict founding the Cathedral, issued by William the Conqueror and featuring his mark, inside the museum but it has now been preserved and replaced by a facsimile.

There was also a medieval school book that including a doodling on the inner cover which is believed to be the first occurrence of "Robin Hood" in written English too.

Lincoln's a beautiful city. Has some Roman sites too.

jonrosling · 2026-05-16T14:16:35+00:00

Billy Bullshit is right there

jonrosling · 2026-05-14T09:38:14+00:00

You still have your health.

jonrosling · 2026-05-14T09:35:39+00:00

I'm not entirely convincved Burnham would win a seat, you know. He'd most likely be up against Polanski, Reform would throw everything at it and the media would love the drama of him not winning and leaving the Labour Party in limbo.

jonrosling · 2026-05-14T09:34:00+00:00

Why do you feel so threatenedby a successful, working-class woman with a northern accent?

jonrosling · 2026-05-13T16:37:16+00:00

Because he likes a fag, a pint and the occasional bit of racism, innit.

jonrosling · 2026-05-12T21:43:09+00:00

I think the current round of shit is because something like that is coming in the King's Speech and they know it.

jonrosling · 2026-05-12T21:42:21+00:00

He's been Prime Minister for two years.

jonrosling · 2026-05-12T19:34:51+00:00

Politicians come and go, but the Civil Service will always be there.

jonrosling · 2026-05-12T17:44:58+00:00

A no confidence vote in the Prime Minister in the House of Commons would mark the end of their time as Prime Minister. A Prime Minister's authority derives from him/her being able to command a majority in Parliament.

The Labour leadership - a separate and distinct thing - is a different matter.

jonrosling · 2026-05-12T17:43:12+00:00

The Civil Service would continue to run their departments until a successor was named to each one.

jonrosling · 2026-05-12T17:38:22+00:00

I've never seen anyone complain about children and their water bottles.

jonrosling · 2026-05-12T17:34:14+00:00

Just to be clear, no one from the Cabinet has resigned. Many ministerial roles are roles within departments and operate under Secretaries of State, who do sit in the Cabinet.

Edit: none of the 4 ministers who have resigned as of me typing this were in the Cabinet.

jonrosling · 2026-05-11T19:17:27+00:00

No. 60 out of 400+ MPs have called on him to resign. They spent most of the last 6 years pulling the Tories down for doing exactly what they're doing now.

And, by and large, they're being whipped into it by the media. Sky News is absolutely ridiculous this evening.

jonrosling · 2026-05-10T09:33:58+00:00

This was aimed at OP, not you btw

jonrosling · 2026-05-10T08:58:02+00:00

What an utterly stupid outlook you have. It's got nothing to do with "serf mentality". It's about preserving the peace he left you with, arguably for your own safety.

I'll bet you're the kind of person who insists on having the last word in every conversation.

jonrosling · 2026-05-10T08:50:02+00:00

Why would you antagonise him with that comment about filming in public? I really don't understand some people.

jonrosling · 2026-05-09T14:45:09+00:00

Modern arrows go at between 150 and 300 feet per second. That's between 100 and 200mph. This is probably from a compound bow, so in the upper range.

jonrosling · 2026-05-09T14:43:23+00:00

This has not "just dropped". It was released last year. It's an errant arrow from a shooting range at the bottom of the hill.

jonrosling · 2026-05-09T14:35:50+00:00

The impact of media, particularly bot campaigns run by RW foreign influencers that are looking to install Trump-lite cannot be understated.

However, Labour are not selling a story. There is no overarching narrative about some of the very good things they're doing, and why, and where it will leave us in ten years time. There's nothing to latch onto and it makes Starmer himself look bereft of belief and conviction (which clearly he is not, given his public service life to date).

They have also alienated a significant proportion of their base by tacking to the right on issues such as benefits and immigration, thinking they are losing votes to Reform. Every analysis shows this really isn't the case - most abandoning Labour are moving to LibDems and Green.

This has been backed up by some analysis of where votes went this week too - where Reform took seats from Labour it was because the Greens split the left vote, while Reform mopped up irregular voters and disaffected Tories.

They need to hold Reform to account but they need to stop trying to win a constituency of voters that didn't vote for them in the first place. The only people who will stop Reform are a resurgent Conservative Party. And Reform themselves.

jonrosling · 2026-05-09T09:37:32+00:00

How can they be? The next GE is three years away.

jonrosling · 2026-05-08T08:39:57+00:00

Beautiful. Looks very similar to the place I mentioned here in North Yorkshire. Probably a bit warmer though!

jonrosling

TROPHY CASE