Lineker

There needs to be a clear line of what the rules are so that he and the BBC can decide if they can work together. Most industries impose conditions that high profile colleagues don’t wade into controversy and the BBC is no different. He was in breach of their guidelines.
As for what he said, I think it was idiotic.

Apparently the fuss that has been kicked up could help legitimise his defence of the £5million tax bill HMRC are trying to impose on him.

There is a bleep bleep cee where GL is saying that "If I have a 1% doubt about a tweet I won't send it".

He knows his influence value and the effect of his words. Unlikely they will can him, he will just bugger off and get MORE dosh somewhere else he is too marketable a character so the bleep bleep cee "Talking to him" is a toothless gesture which will hurt them more.

I actually think that the fuss created since what he said enforces his point perfectly. Our government is an embarrassment and needs to get in the bin ASAP. I write this as a lifelong Conservative voter.

It's over. Go, and go quickly.

I couldn’t really give a toss as I never watch it but I do think so long as the BBC is publicly funded it should do more to bring in new talent. It’s the same with much of their programming, diversity of opinion could also be an ambition.

I am wondering whether to run as some sort of truth & decency independent candidate at the next election. Our MP is Nadhim Zahawi, so it should be an easy battle to win, even in a previously cast iron safe Tory seat as this.

I think everyone is so totally done with being lied to that they might just be prepared to give it a try. Or any alternative. Do not underestimate the visceral hatred felt towards this government by previously loyal Conservative voters.

They’re good questions but make the common mistake that the electorate think candidates are standing on issues that they want to implement for the betterment of society. The candidates are standing on issues that will continue or start their term in office so the “difficult” ones go into the last red box.

We could just give up and let the WEF decide our future. That seems to be the way it's going if we believe some commentators.

I honestly these days think I'm ok and me and Mrs WW can always flit to Thailand so let the great British public vote for whichever awful bunch they want and they can live with the consequences.

Or as my dad always said "We need a revolution."

I'm sure I said back on the old forum after coming back from Kazakhstan that there's a shift going on and as a part of it living standards in the UK and wider west are going to have to fall. The various fiddles, confidence tricks and ponzi schemes can only work for so long before something real has to change. I don't believe that complete collapse or anything like it has to be the case but I do believe that our current ruling class have no answers other than to carry on with the schemes, kick the can down the road and hope nothing too seismic happens during their time at the helm.

1. What is a woman? - whatever the answer media loving MPs will be hard pushed to make a definitive statement on this.
1.1 who should have access to single sex spaces?
2 Is net zero achievable? admitting this is not possible without significant societal changes which will occur in the UK whilst other countries do not make those changes is not going to appear in any manifesto. To demonstrate this fear the BBC has pulled an Attenborough documentary for fear of upsetting the sensibilities of viewers that don't want to be reminded that changes are required, who are very likely voters of some kind.
2.1 how are we going to generate the power we need?
3 Does illegal immigration need to be stopped?This is partially achievable by the introduction of compulsory ID to gain access to the employment and benefit markets. Didn’t go well last time but the infrastructure and roll-out plan is still in place
3.1 at what figure is immigration to high? No one can produce a figure when immigration fills roles that the local population will not fill even when there are no immigrants or any other opportunities. Which results in a huge degradation of the social security offering to make the local population fill roles they wouldn’t do otherwise. Not really going to appear in a manifesto.
4 the uk is over a million short on homes, equally divided that’s roughly 1,600 per constituency, where will you build them in yours? This is a largely rural or dormitory suburb concern. The constituency we live in and the neighbouring ones have smashed that figure several times over in my lifetime. Given the voting demographic of rural and dormitory suburbs one side won’t force this argument for fear of alienating its existing voters and the other won’t as it seeks to swing their vote.
5 does the NHS need money or reform? Reform is seen as evil theft and money is more tax. One side is already a pariah and the other has to be very wary of putting realities in its manifesto because its existing voter base will crucify them.
5.1 how much more money does it need?


I still can’t see these issues being addressed head on by politicians of the current ilk. It would be suicide to ignore them, yes, but to actually make detailed statements of intent and action plans would also be.

In homes of multiple occupancy, temporary accommodation and, in most cases, with their parents.

The larger problem is that we cannot build those million homes. We don't have the labour force for a start and regardless of the argument about house prices being too high, one factor preventing them reducing is that the cost of building new homes is rocketing due to lack of supply of labour and materials not to mention the regulations surrounding how you build new homes to ensure they are green (and it of course won't be long before they can no longer install gas boilers in them).

Then of course you have utilities and local amenities. Around our way the number of new homes going up with little improvement to schooling and medical provision has put massive strain on local services. We also dont have enough power for these homes. A number of areas of West London have had to shelve house building plans as the recent construction of several large data centres has taken up all the availability of the power network in that area. More capacity can be added of course but that takes time and, again, the cost has increased significantly due to material and labour.

This then feeds into a lack of availability of family homes as those who no longer need them struggle to find houses with more living space and less bedrooms and if they do move end up with a big stamp duty bill. Between them my wife's parents and grandmother and my parents and grandmother have 12 spare bedrooms. I don't begrudge them this of course and my parents get to have the luxury of a guest bedroom, sewing room and model railway room to enjoy but it does leave a big family home out of a market that is crying out for them.

Its the cost of clearing the brownfield sites which causes them to be ignored. Given that profits to be made from building and selling houses are being squeezed, adding in the cost of clearing old industrial pollutants or several tons of buried asbestos before you even start doesn't make for an attractive site.