Gloucester Saint

Genuine question, can you show an example? No straw men involved and I’ll look with open eyes, if I think they have, I’ll say so as well. Going to bed shortly as voluntary working tmw (but off on Sunday!) so it may be tomorrow that I see it.

A more diverse range of applicants were encouraged to apply. Not the same thing having sat on panels as an outside to that sector. Same interview/assessment centres/exams. What there can be under the law is say for a neurodiverse applicant a few extra minutes or having your notes in front of you. But if you’re not neurodiverse carrying this example on, you don’t have that impairment eg memory, so it the playing field, nothing more. If you don’t have the experience, ideas and skills, you won’t be the best candidate, and if you didn’t meet the essential criteria in the first place you would never get an interview. Shared experience from someone who has done 25 years of this stuff, and PS, commercial and charitable sector does it too.

What he’s saying is a bit of a straw man. The idea that hospitals, university medical faculties or pilot training schools are going to let less capable people, by they black, female or disabled into life and death professionals into roles because of EDI policies is Pompey FC level mythology. Affirmative action it should be stated has been very different to the UK Equality Act, in America and also in South African sport it has been a lot more active previously in addressing entry barriers but less so now, so that’s driving Kirk’s comments somewhat. All organisations have done is encourage more very talented and capable people from different backgrounds to apply for those roles, and in some cases make reasonable adjustments like bursaries for people from low income families, mentoring or slightly different shift patterns for a neurodiverse person. The training standard to pass is equally high and daunting. If you can’t do it really well, 100% of the shift, you won’t qualify, whoever you are. Train driver ages for training were dropped to 18 recently but they will have still have to pass months of very difficult tests and probation same as a 21 year old would (previous minimum age). But train companies are broadening their potential recruitment pool. Another form of EDI. The principle that people need to equally skilled and qualified is fine and my own position. Let’s be clear that this isn’t Sir Keith Joseph going to UK universities in the 70s to debate free market concepts, as he did at the time inspired by positive ideas and beliefs which he thought would enhance everyone. This clip is doing something down. The racism is debatable but it’s anti ‘other’ and presumes less competence with no foundation. I’m very sorry he was murdered though and I despise the lad that did it because there is no justification for it, full stop.

They aren’t, but it doesn’t exactly challenge the wider and common perception that politicians of all stripes are in for themselves and have multiple homes and opaque financial and lifestyle arrangements which don’t fit with the rules the rest of us have to live by. It really took off with the expenses scandal cross-party annd after the financial crisis, and never really subsided. Labour and Reform are supposed to be different, Lib Dem’s too, public expects it from the Tories more.

Pre-2020 I’d have agreed, but after the insurrection attempt, looking at how Covid ran through their health system, especially in GOP states, and overturning of Roe Vs Wade it’s more subjective now on what people’s own political outlooks are. Parts of it are still in decent shape but parts of it, especially in the south, can be worse than many middle income countries around the world.

That video is quite funny. Farage has got charisma even if there’s a lot I disagree with him on. This is where Starmer loses out to the likes of Streeting and Burnham who are charismatic as well. Not that bothered by it personally but they can expect some clog, as Duck would say, given the Rayner stuff https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce845w70g0yo

I know you a theory initially that it was now a certain poster who is very active in the Lounge which I must admit I thought it was too. On reflection the grammar and syntax seems too different and whilst I didn’t agree with everything Dune said he had quite a dry sense of humour and could laugh at himself as well.

They’re actually good for the natural environment if done well and a good social/outdoor exercise opportunities too. Alfred Wainwright was scathing about Haweswater in the 1930s bur the Lake District needs water. Seven new ones are planned https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-steps-in-to-build-first-major-reservoirs-in-30-years

Plenty more further back - 1960s glut - JFK, RFK, MLK, George Wallace in 1972, Harvey Milk 1978, Reagan attempt 1981. It should be instructive about gun control, but the penny never drops. As others have said, Trump can’t invoke the rule of law after what happened on Capitol Hill and bears some of the responsibility although the gunman is first and foremost. Tragic that a fella of 31 with kids is gunned down. No excuse for doing it. Horrific act. But if you have 1) free and easy access to lethal weapons 2) divisive and toxic political culture and 3) poor national mental health (this was what happened in the Wallace shooting) with constant attacking on state and federal programmes trying to mitigate that, these incidents be it political figures or even worse, schools (Columbine, Sandy Hook) will keep happening.

Favourite Mandelson story is when he allegedly went into a Hartlepool chippy when he was their MP with photographer to appear to man of the people. Cod and chips please and could I have some of the guacamole over there? (mushy peas). I don’t know if it is actually real or not but repeated a lot over the years and made me laugh at the time.

As are the far right as we know all too well here with Jo Cox and over there with JFK, RFK snr and MLK. Both extremes are dangerous and too prominent since the financial crisis.

He’s forgotten about this then https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/5581530.pompey-fan-westwood-is-facing-a-st-marys-ban/

My old man said be a Pompey fan I said fuck off, bollocks, you’re a cunt, you’re a cunt. Give this an outgoing on Sunday

Marian under heroes, was sat behind his goal in the 3-0, lovely technique and a really classy player before injuries ruined him. Oakley’s 30 yard monster in the 2005 cup game was memorable as well. Pahars artistry Oakley’s monster https://www.facebook.com/southamptonfc/videos/onthisday-oakley-stuns-pompey/496438827922422/

Similar, maybe not £100m but quite a few friends from university days who are in the tens of millions worth and more than the likes of Rupert Lowe (but way better human beings). It buys you out of some of life’s everyday stresses but does make them happy? Only if they’ve got the same balancing factors that create a happy environment/family/friends and that is very rarely ‘things’ and the expensive holidays and cars wear off. Most of them don’t flaunt it either. One of them has gone through a very expensive divorce where the lawyers have pocketed a sum that would buy you a 5 bed house even up here. His wife has lied through her teeth from spite and hence he only sees his kids on a very limited basis until their court case has its next hearing. So he’s no happier or better off than than a bloke using Fathers for Justice who grits the roads for a living.

Plod must be very confident they can maintain the bubble.

Free speech apparently and just as batshit crazy as RFK https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62z4rd87nlo

Vile. I remember Iain Baird getting death threats when signed for them from Leeds for their one and only top flight season in the 1980s, having started his career with us. He flopped though, their fans turned on him and IIRC he got injured at QPR I think was, the club got him treatment at a private hospital the club credit card account had reached its limit and payment bounced. A foretaste of 20 years or so later…plus nearly going bust late 1990s. Venables saw them coming as well.

I was there as well in my STH in Kingsland North and agree that it was a big jump from 96 and 1988 in terms of a hostile atmosphere for them. The Bates heckling really kick-started it - dreadful decision by Lowe in the first place - and was a firecracker after that. Big piece in The Times covered the sheer hostility I heard/saw and the chants coming from all four sides, executive boxes, the lot. Colleague of mine who was a Londoner and a Chelsea boy bought another colleague’s ticket after they had a family illness and he reckoned it was as tasty as any London derby he’d been to, only Hammers v Wall would beat it. Needless to say, disgusted at the Bates incident. Some older skates did write to the News and Echo in disgust tbf at it, and apologised, but it wasn’t just a few of them, it was a significant portion of their allocation. Serious noise when Beattie scored and even the Kingsland North was a mosh pit. Bates incident is probably where in my mid-20s and we’d played them so rarely that the extent and depth of the loathing hit home.

Billy called them out on Twitter about it when they celebrated ‘David Norris Day’ anniversary the following year. Would you celebrate a last minute goal at the fish shed if we’d been dropped to L1, facing yet another admin whilst our promoted rivals established themselves again in the top flight? I wouldn’t, strange bunch.

@steve green excellent response covers it and he is also right around inflation and interest rates which I can remember hitting double digits including early 1990s. I prefer the music and football from the 1970s and 80s, you lot have actually seen us win a major trophy in 1976. I enjoyed the JPT but not the same…. Major and Blair kept on with lower income (direct tax) levels but VAT had already doubled in 1979. Infamous thing was top rate of tax in 1970s 83% off earned and 98% on unearned but there are caveats even within that in this very interesting article https://taxpolicy.org.uk/2025/05/08/tax-rich-1970s-loopholes/#:~:text=People associate the 1970s with,investment income) was 98%.&text=83% income tax plus 15% investment income surcharge.

Third of my degree was economics from a top UK University so that’s a third more than you then and handle six figure operational budgets at work and brought in tens of millions of income for the last decade bar the lockdowns. Postgrad in a relevant area too. Had my own business for years before that. So yeah, I know a lot more about this topic than you guessed at. Some people will have a different opinion, which is fine. It’s called a democracy….but this passed you by. Many posters on here do have different politics and views but the difference is they can debate them in a civilised way with some manners. Even Chat GPT is more articulate than this. Let’s hope you never need A&E or an ambulance so those nurses and doctors stealing a living have to waste time treating you. Don’t bother responding directly, I won’t see it, you’ve joined another abusive poster called Guided Missile on ignore. I hope you are both happy together. If I wanted to read this type of post, there’s plenty of them on the Lounge, but I come on the main board for SFC and football, not to see the lunatic rants of a poundshop Patrick Minford (you might need to look up who he is).

He pissed on the seats at the league cup game in 03 and was banned for the PL game at Xmas. I remember singing ‘Ding Dong Ding Dong, where’s your Bell gone’? at their section. Then tried to go to the England v Kosovo qualifier wearing a Pompey shirt (idiot) and wasn’t let in. Just add some more bitterness and mythology from them. If he’s in the bubble next Sunday morning and they’re banning alcohol on board he will have the shakes like crazy.

No, because he isn’t a politician. All in favour of deporting him but Hayling Island is actually quite a nice place. How about those forts in the middle of the Solent if the fans of both clubs have a whip-round? Their fans like him as much as we do. Hopefully wouldn’t hear his bell from there either. Petersfield would smell more pleasant too.

Yes, I did comment on it because I know the mentality of the people who do that sort of thing. I grew up and moved on my life, some people don’t or can’t. Yes, they are right wing nutters same as anyone signing about Boris at SMS when he was PM would be branded a loony leftie understandably. It’s abnormal. 99.9% of people want to watch a game. If I wanted to hear political signing, I’d go to a Conservative, Liberal or Working Man’s club. God forbid, even that dump of a pub Reform bought in Blackpool if I wanted a pint of Carling from filthy pipes. Governments don’t tend to be very popular in power. Maggie wasn’t popular at all 1979-82 and 1988-90. Maggie recovered with the Falklands, Cameron won in 2015 but only by promising the referendum. Blair did maintain good ratings, Boris started spectacularly and plummeted. Major started well but never recovered from the ERM. Oh, and what part of ‘I’m a Liberal Democrat voter’ was difficult to comprehend? Summary: Russell Martin is asked to comment on whether he’s met Rishi at a midweek game. Says he hasn’t and their politics are different. Gets hammered from the right-wingers for being out of his lane and apparently is disrespectful. A few hundred National Front sing about a centre-left Prime Minister at a nothing and dire England game - that’s Ok apparently. No need to correspond further on the topic. There’s loads of people at other England sports with a divergence of views and rugby/cricket is Conservative with a small c. But people there have manners, education and keep things in a decent place focused on the sport. Also, our Barmy Army hasn’t smashed up town centres or racially abused people. England football fans or a segment of them have been doing it since the early 70s.