moonraker

What Pony, CASD is an ongoing cost, yes it has some years that have higher costs than others, but it is still an annual cost. Most senior military people would like to get rid of it provided the savings were spent on conventional forces. Cameron changed the rules on funding to the detriment of the rest of the armed forces, essentially a con to appear to be maintaining defence spending. So while the total spent through the defence budget appears stable, the fact that circa £3 bn pa is now channelled to CASD means our conventional forces have suffered, not least the RN and the number of SSN’s and escorts, where overstretch is causing severe pain. This on top of this the support for armed forces is continually being eroded by funding cuts to DE&S. To be clear I support CASD, in an uncertain world it is sensible to have such a capability even when it is impossible to prove it works. It is one of the key LD's, Greens and Labour policies I disagree. The Greens in particular are at best very naive when it comes to defence, at worst they are negligent. The LD’s Deterrent light is neither fish nor fowl, it does at least demonstrate they acknowledge a need. The history of Prime Ministers and CASD is interesting, all since Harold Wilson in 1964, fully understand its strategic significance and fully support it once they take up office. Writing the so called ‘letters of last resort’ focuses the mind.

I know the Bath constituency very well, and the Tory partyrecognise the risks in stong remian areas, what are you basing your arrogance on!

Generally agree, however the LD's will also gain from the Tories, remember Richmond, centre right Tory seat, same here in Bath Ben Howlett is toast, and the Tories themselves have identified 30 plus of their seats that are highly vulnerable to tactical remain votes going to the LD's. Also while Labour are in a mess they still have circa 180 – 200 cast iron seats. Big risk, as we have seen polls are not what they once were. I also think remain voters are more likely to vote and vote tactically. UKIP will struggle to mobilise, they are in a mess and effectively bankrupt. The distribution of parliamentary seats means a GE is a very different situation to the referendum and the much beloved FPTP system may just favour tactical voting. If May has called to increase her majority I think she is going to be disappointed, it could even result in another coalition admittedly with the Tories the biggest party but NOM.

Generally agree, however the LD's will also gain from the Tories, remember Richmond, centre right Tory seat, same here in Bath Ben Howlett is toast, and the Tories themselves have identified 30 plus of their seats that are highly vulnerable to tactical remain votes going to the LD's. Also while Labour are in a mess they still have circa 180 – 200 cast iron seats. Big risk, as we have seen polls are not what they once were. I also think remain voters are more likely to vote and vote tactically. UKIP will struggle to mobilise, they are in a mess and effectively bankrupt. The distribution of parliamentary seats means a GE is a very different situation to the referendum and the much beloved FPTP system may just favour tactical voting. If May has called to increase her majority I think she is going to be disappointed, it could even result in another coalition admittedly with the Tories the biggest party but NOM.

25000 a week! Be lucky to get 25, and then only if it had a wet fish counter.

While I welcome the intervention as a proportionate response to Assad's evil, I continue to worry about Trumps and his apparent instability his flip/flop approach is not a good feature of the POUS.

Great win last night, this season was always going to be a big challenge to improve, league wise any where from 8th up will be a good achievement. It has been a season of contrast a Cup Final (we was robbed) to our poor performance in Europe, being the two extremes. What last nights performance like many this season demonstrated is that we play good football, we lacked one major component, a top class finisher, Gabbi came in and addressed that in part, but with no back up we are back to good football with no end product. I have 2 priorities for the close season, keep VVD and get another proven goal scorer.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

The quitters wouldn’t know bias if it bit them on the arse, their real gripe is that a world renowned broadcaster will not demean itself by following the rabid right wing press in demonising everything EU. Wes’s demand for optimism in their reporting is nothing more than a simple demand for bias in favour of the quitters charter. No news media is 100% reliable or accurate but to claim some institutional bias because there articles do not spout quitters propaganda is yet another example the quitters myopic view of the world. Most quitters posts are just a load of old pony from a bunch of snowflakes who favour autocracy over democratic debate.

The UK and NI is only a sovereign nation so long as the peoples of constituent parts want it to be. The UN charter specifically addresses self determination, whilst its is not clear cut, the right to self determination for the peoples of Scotland and NI even Wales cannot be dismissed and the UN would have little problem in recognising them either as new sovereign states or in the case of NI as new territory of the Republic of Ireland. The fact that as of today the UN recognise a single sovereign is merely a transient point in history, they used to recognise Yugoslavia, the USSR where are they today. Antrimsaint is correct quitters are swapping membership of a multi national beneficial union for the break up of our historical union and the regression of England to a bit part player on the international stage. The so called Conservative and Unionist party are complicit in this tragedy, behaving more like a Colonial than Sovereign Nation government. Sadly many of those who voted for this act of national harm will not be around pick up the pieces, I am sure our future generations will be ever grateful for their vission!,

Responses to Antrimsaint, what the f**k has his being NI and supporting saints got to do with anything, illustrates only to well the small mindedness of rabid brexiteers. Do you all shop in a Local Shop for Local people! I am sure he is in far better position to assess the mood in NI than most of us on here.

And this time project fear wont work, if the Scots can have a 2nd referendum then whose to say the UK wont, politicians are oppertuinists if the tide turns they will as well. There is long way to go and if as seems likely costs to joe public keep rising and tory infighting spills onto the streets May will be done for. Leave support will dwindle until only the swivel eyed loons will be left parroting their inane chants.

That graph can not be correct it shows that the highest period of taxation was under a Tory Governemnt led by Saint Maggie, its fake i tells you!

Are you for real? The House of Lords has not and cannot usurp the Commons, what it has done is to act in a mature, reflective way and advised the commons that might want to think again on the substance most significant piece of legislation in my lifetime. Whilst I to believe that the House of Lords has its faults, however I am not convinced that being unelected is one of them, more party apparatchiks just following the party Whip will not improve what we have.

It’s a bit rich hearing a Tory complain about the Lords. The Lords are performing their duty as part of a Sovereign Government within our Parliamentary Democracy, something Quitters campaigned for, they are a revising chamber protecting us from ill conceived or poorly drafted legislation, and the EU Bill like the referendum Bill was poorly drafted. They are a crucial check on the power of the executive and do not have to do as they are told by Dictator May. It’s a good job the Tory policy didn’t prevail on Lords reform and retain their legion of hereditary peers, you know those freeloaders who only had a seat because some distant ancestor serviced a royal or two, and just obeyed the party whip due their inability to have any independent thought or opinion. They still have 48 hereditary peers more than all other groups put together.

Or the surge in key EU countries economies, prior of course to the EU disintigrating!

You can choose not to have a television receiver.

Anyone who has witnessed TV in countries where there is no centrally funded Public Service Broadcaster should recognise that the licence fee (not a Tax) is a small price to pay, whether you choose to use the service or not, it is very good value. If you really don't watch listen to or access the BBC services and don't like paying it you have the choice to view on-line subscription only channels. The BBC is for me an important part of our nations infrastructure, not beyond criticism or improvement, but still one of the best broadcasters in the world. As has been pointed out above the objectors tend to be right wingers, you know them, the ones that don't like paying for anything from which others might benefit, they also claim custodianship of Britisheness and think the rabid right wing press is the source of all truth.

Stand fast the result, what would have been a great day was a good day. Went with my 15 year old son, his 2nd Wembly final and he loved the atmosphere, we were in the top tier and stood for most of the game. While our repertoire may have been limited all fans know the words and don't feel any embarrassment at singing it, many families are put off by the over use of swearing and hate in songs. Sat next to us was Japanese father and his young son (8 -9 ish) they were loving it, fully kitted out in SFC colours. I am sure some on here will vilify such tourist fans but I am chuffed and proud that our club is attracting them, the other road leads to skatevile, full of insular inbred morons, we all did our club proud because we did it as individuals but all with common cause. I found the United effort at doing something special before kick off amusing, the cards they had placed on the seats to spell out their name, when the time came not enough of the complacent entitled ****s were in their seats and half the letters were unrecognisalble.

Putting aside political leanings and whether you are Labour, Conservative, LD, Green or anything else, Jeremy Corbyn is a disaster for UK democracy. He has no leadership qualities, he has no interest in what people actually think it is all about his outdated version of socialism. He claims they need to do better in getting the (his) message across, Jeremy that is not the issue apart from your myopic devotees in the party the majority of the electorate do understand your message and they don't like it or want what it offers. We are living through a very sad time for our democracy where polar opposites are dominating the political dialogue and to many lily livered elected politicians are failing to stand up to the extremes. If people thought they were being ignored and left behind by politicians before, they are going to be doubly dissapointed if the leaders of the two largest parties continue down the roads they are currently on.

Don't worry once the Quitters have ruined our country these dammed johnny foreigners will have no reason to come.

Why heterosexual whites, surely it discriminates against all heterosexuals colour is irrelevant.

Booked very generous of HBFC

If the media are such a bunch of *****s why do you keep posting links to the media?

I will be driving up from Bath and have a couple of spare seats if anyone is interested. Intend to park at Rayners Lane and then tube.