Couple of worthwhile MSM press articles here - unusually good; and for the final one, an unusual source, too.
Drax - the papers are full of Drax at the moment as Miliband has partially caved in to the Starmer / Reeves growth-fixation. OK, he's reduced the annual amount of subsidy for the Yorkshire tree-consuming monster, but he's extending our payments to undeserving Drax by another 4 years, on spurious grounds ("TINA": well, Ed, there are better alternatives), all for the sake of keeping options open for Drax to build a 'BECCS' plant, maybe, some time in the future of its own choosing, if it gets given even more £££, no commitments made at this time. That's one helluva costly option, without any certainty of ultimate delivery. Madness.
Several of the MPs taking a broadly anti-Drax line in Parliament of late, have actually screwed up in what they've said on this fairly technical topic; and the press have not been much better. Even the FT is all-too-frequently disappointing in such BAU matters, silently and implicitly siding with, errr, BAU (and ad revenues?) This, though not 100% accurate, is many times better than usual. Oh, and quite a neat, perky little snipe from Nils Prately in the Graun, too.
Trans - also from the Graun is this, from the increasingly confident feminist pen of Sonia Sodha. Here's a flavour (my emphasis):
No woman should be forced to change her clothes in front of a male colleague... Peggie shared her account of what happened with the tribunal last week ... Dr Beth Upton, the [trans] male doctor in question, walked into the [changing] room while she was partially undressed... Upton put in a formal complaint, and Peggie was suspended for bullying and harassment... The greatest responsibility lies with Peggie’s employer, who, instead of making separate accommodations for Upton, expected female colleagues to ignore the fact he is male [sic!]... The attempted justification is that everyone must adopt the minority belief system that someone’s sex is not a scientific fact but a matter of their gender identity, or some sort of gendered soul. As a personal worldview, that’s someone’s own business, but it is wrong – and, in a work context, unprofessional – to try to force it on others in relation to single-sex spaces, services and sports...
The idea that a man who identifies as female is literally a woman, and must without fail be treated as such, has become a cherished principle for some progressives. Politicians and women’s rights activists speaking against this have been excommunicated from the left. Slowly, but surely, this is starting to change ... Abandoning basic common sense for unpopular policies that put women at risk does not go well for the left.
'Misgendering' the doctor, by name, in print! Go Sonia, Go Graun!
ND
23 comments:
"Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
I suppose DRAX was a handy way of looking 'green' and getting rid of a coal mine. The economics and greenery were and are distinctly flaky but the deed was politically convenient.
An honest assessment would get rid of the whole thing. But but cost, embarrassment, replacement choices?
To Trans. “It is a fundamental principle with English lawyers, that Parliament can do everything but make a woman a man, and a man a woman”. Matters have advanced, Parliament can now issue a chit to say that job has been done. But nobody really believes the chit is worth the paper it's written on. More impossible things to be believed before breakfast.
I think the law and parliament has made a fool of itself here. Ladies should be able to pee in private secure in the knowledge that a hulking male is not in the trap next door. Similarly with changing rooms. Managements and HR should not go far in advance of ordinary public opinion. Stick in law at least to the ordinary usages of our language. People cannot morph into multiple instances or different shapes on their own say so, silly to pretend otherwise, a place the law should keep away from.
We might look at the build up to Green and Trans and any pressure group. Get your people on obscure and irrelevant committees and organisations. Build a power base, become relevant. Schmooze vulnerable politicians and public figures. Politicians will kiss the Devil's arse if they think there is a vote in there and will do anything to avoid being named or shamed. Voila, you get what you wanted.
To quote Lord Burleigh 'that England could never be ruined but by a Parliament'.
@Jim
"To quote Lord Burleigh 'that England could never be ruined but by a Parliament'."
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Process started by the expenses scandal of 2012, then the wholesale attempt to scupper Brexit, then the wild and hysterical reaction to Covid, which killed as many as the average winter 'flu.
At least we now know that Human Right are selective.
"in a work context, unprofessional": over the years I've seen "unprofessional" reduced to meaning 'wears the wrong sort of clothes or haircut'. It'll be interesting to see whether it accumulates new meanings.
OT, but now the Guardian op-ed writers have found their voice on Trump/Ukraine I get two contradictory messages again and again in the comments.
1) Trump is a hideous boor who boasts about sexually assaulting women. He doesn't care what he says or does, his brainwashed MAGA acolytes will follow him anyway.
2) Trump is Putin's tool because Putin has the videos of him in Moscow.
I think this is the 2016 Antony? Steele fraudulent allegation about him urinating on Russian whores.
Can't help thinking
a) if he liked that stuff someone in the States would have spilled the beans by now, probably for money.
b) surely a man with his alleged brass neck would be capable of saying "so what?"
With Trans, we seem to be slowly circling towards a sensible position where sex and gender are distinct properties.
Musing on it a few weeks back, I think politicians need to realize it's not "a transwoman is a woman", but "when should a transwoman be treated like a woman."
I mean, in most social cases where clothes are kept on, it's hardly onerous to anyone with an ounce of civility to do so. In medical situations, sense dictates that biology takes precedence. In psychological situations, they'd be treated as a transwoman.
Off piste but worth looking at website
https://thinpinstripedline.blogspot.com/
The bomber will not always get through the Moscow criterion in the 1990's
Ex civil servant reservist who knows what h
he is talking about
Worth looking at older posts
DGoS - fine post, there. Ukr is demonstrating vividly the need to stay nimble & innovative; & that it's possible to surprise the complacent big guys.
I'm not suggesting UK is in this mode right now ...
It looks very much like UK + Fr will need to be, though, & quite soon. And Taiwan.
Challenge is double, however: because you also need to deter, not just surprise after deterrence has failed ...
@Caeser Hēméra
Agreed. It is what used to be called "civility". Polite fictions can be maintained as long as one party doesn't start demanding obeisance from the other and screaming like a toddler having a tantrum when it isn't forthcoming.
Interesting - taking the temperature of the Guardian commentariat, they're far more worried about Russia (sorry, "Putin") than about Trump giving Israel permission to ethnically cleanse Gaza, or Israel's invasions of Lebanon and Syria, plus bombing Iran and Yemen.
Maybe dissenters are "moderated"...
I wonder what the outcome of today's talks will be. Jaw jaw is better than war war, but will Russia really settle for less than Odessa i.e. the Black Sea coast? OTOH, I'm sure they'd like to see sanctions lifted and NS1/2 restored. Denmark, almost certainly in a response to Greenland Trump, said Rosneft could start on fixing the pipes.
Meanwhile outside London
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/feb/18/staffordshire-potteries-ceramics-companies-closures-royal-stafford
"“Made in England is extremely important,” said Sjoerd Leeflang, Wedgwood’s vice-president. “But it’s tough to have UK production; costs are just very high. Since 2021, our energy prices have gone up 100% for gas and 30% for electricity … To absorb that level of cost increase is tough."
Anonymous has left a new comment on the post 'Weekend Reading: Drax / Womens Rights vs Trans':
Interesting - taking the temperature of the Guardian commentariat, they're far more worried about Russia (sorry, "Putin") than about Trump giving Israel permission to ethnically cleanse Gaza
===================================================
Reminder about Gaza
Hamas who run the place, are Islam's Nazis. They want ALL Jews everywhere slaughtered. The people of Gaza - who support this - are also
Nazis.
Killing Nazis is God's work. Hamas want genocide, and could have stopped the demolition of Gaza by releasing the hostages. Hamas don't give a shit about their people.
This is one of many polls saying the same thing...
We are dealing with barbarians.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2024/03/poll-71-of-palestinians-support-october-7-massacre-majority-wants-hamas-returned-to-power-in-gaza/
Blimey.
The thought occurs;
Russian security (military/economic) concerns - not limited to the West/NATO/EU; SE of Novosibirsk, as per decnine's comment on the other post.
Trump/Republican/US concerns; almost exclusively China. Fortress America doesn't suggest over-optimism on their part, but pessimism or sheer bloody terror. Particularly over the stance of NATO allies, who didn't sign up to a Pacific Treaty, plus would be more concerned about trade disruptions with China as market and supplier.
This would fit with the exclusive US/Russia negotiations in Saudi.
My word.
The pinstripe link was interesting and pointed to a British phenomenon - chucking money at half baked non solutions - that keep politicians employed.
The Chevaline story I had almost forgotten. Sounds like a solution and the spending pattern does not make the Treasury too miserable. Move on to Nimrod and sideways radar. Uses up scrap airframes and saves building an AWACS. But the computers of that era were a bit too crap. Move on to Smart Motorways. Saves compulsory purchase of voter's back gardens but neither the monitoring setup nor the vehicle sensors nor legal enforcement were ever up to snuff. Another crap idea.
The common theme is political embarrassment, the Treasury and a plethora of academics and consultants who will say 'this is a bonza idea, our fee schedule is in the post'.
Now we have some fuss over Mr Putin. Woo Woo, he will have our guts for garters. But why would Mr Putin attack a cold broke island crammed with old people and old stuff and some of the best property bargains on the planet? Buck House soon up for grabs, still nicely furnished. Far better to cast an eye on Germany or perhaps Romania. Neither the Yanks nor the Brits would lift a finger and the industry and resources have not yet been frittered away.
No need for any rough stuff either. Flexible morality and politicians and business persons abound. With a little skill the common people can keep their national brand name and illusions. But the economic effort can be steered in another direction - simples.
Anyway, relax, the Orange One and Musk are doing their best to destroy themselves. Only another 3 years and 8 months to go.
I can easily see some form of coup / impeachment against Trump, but not until Netanyahu has done what he likes/wants in the ME. His policy re Russia is complete volte face compared with the Biden regime. But meanwhile the EU are doubling down with yet more sanctions, which TTK will implement here too. Interesting times.
When Zelenskyy was still a legitimately elected ruler of Ukraine he passed a law making it illegal to negotiate with a Putin-led Russia. Now, illegally occupying the Presidency (and thus with no legitimacy to actually agree to anything) and with just 4% approval rating he is whining that Ukraine hasn't been invited to the Russia/USA summit in Saudi Arabia. He really is a comedian isn't he?
“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/18/heat-pump-sales-in-europe-fall-23-to-pre-ukraine-war-levels
"Heat pump sales fell 23% in Europe last year, industry data shows, reverting to the level they were at before the war in Ukraine and slowing the shift away from gas-burning boilers. Demand for clean heating devices fell by about half in Belgium and Germany, and by 39% in France, according to data for 13 countries that cover 85% of the European heat pump market. The only country to buck the trend was the UK, where sales rose 63% between 2023 and 2024. Heat pumps, which warm rooms using the same technology that fridges use to chill food, are seen as key tools to reduce reliance on foreign gas and stop global heating. "
The UK bucked the trend by government dictat. Cheers Boris, we have so much to be grateful to you for. Just think, Donbass and Luhansk could still have been part of Ukraine if you hadn't persuaded them to keep fighting!
just think, Donbass and Luhansk could still have been part of Ukraine if you hadn't persuaded them to keep fighting!
Sorry, anon, but jokey exclamation mark notwithstanding, that's inane. Just check the daye of this supposed intervention by Boris, and the extent of Russia's presence in Ukr at that time. Yes, Mariupol hadn't yet been taken. But the northern incursion was deep (suburbs of Kyiv, two major prongs) and extensive east of Kharkiv, and they had taken Kherson (city), both banks, and they were more than half-way to Odessa with the Dnipr crossing in hand. Freeze the front line at that point and you've conceded a classic Soviet gambit: penetrate far and fast wherever possible, then freeze, consolidate and join the dots later.
ND - I thought the agreement reached, regardless of where the front line was, was for Russia and Ukraine to withdraw forces in exchange for Donbass and Luhansk having autonomy inside Ukraine and anti-Russian stuff like compulsory education in Ukrainian scrapped. Obviously no NATO for Ukraine, but they could join the EU. Crimea to stay Russian. I remember thinking what a remarkably generous offer it was.
@Wildgoose - his ratings are actually 48%, not 4%, the 4% was a Trump invention.
And Ukraine can't have elections until martial law is lifted, under their own constitution, so if Trump and Putin want new Ukrainian elections badly, simple really, Russia can leave Ukrainian territory. Martial law can be lifted, and the people can have their say.
My mistake, it's 57% - it's Trump running at 48%
"if Trump and Putin want new Ukrainian elections badly, simple really, Russia can leave Ukrainian territory"
But didn't the oblasts vote to become Russian territory, just like Kosovo did after NATO bombed the Serbian electricity and water supplies? So there are no Russian troops outside Russia.
Kosovo set a very bad precedent, but apparently that was OK.
Dr Upton or "Beth" as he likes to be known thought he'd have Peggie thrown out of her blemish free thirty year nursing career because she wouldn't share a changing room with him/undress in front of him. There's a name (or two) for men like that. As her lawyer suggested, NHSFife is demanding women indulge in "immersive role play" with men who pretend to be women. They have a legal obligation to provide single sex changing areas. How they love to waste our money and demoralise what's left of good staff! How can you trust a doctor who says that sex is a vague and wooly concept?
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