Current Affairs 2024

[Mervyn and Trish]

But no one told him....

[oldbluefox]

What a shambles. You couldn’t make it up

BBCNews - Starmer rebukes minister over P&O ‘boycott’ call
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0r82pjd8gpo

[towny44]

What a shambles. You couldn’t make it up

BBCNews - Starmer rebukes minister over P&O ‘boycott’ call
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0r82pjd8gpo

The new govt are having to re-learn the basics of business diplomacy, and beginning to realise that some decisions will not be popular with their left wing union paymasters.

[david63]

And how long will it be before those who cannot/do not read things start on about P&O cruises again?

Although what I did find interesting, and did not previously know, is that DP World who own P&O Ferries also own Southampton Port

[oldbluefox]

I think some of these people Starmer has elevated to ministerial positions need to remember they are no longer in opposition and whatever they say can now have consequences which are detrimental to the nation. All well and good the likes of Haigh and Rayner spouting their left wing views but maybe they should engage brain before opening mouth and jeopardising discussions for investment before they have even got off the ground.

[david63]

maybe they should engage brain before opening mouth

You are making an assumption that they actually have a brain to engage - not an attribute that many MPs appear to have!

[Onelife]

I’ll just say this then sit this one out, while I agree Ministers shouldn’t allow personal views to interfere with business investment opportunities, I also think there is a fine line between the government turning a blind eye to how foreign owned companies can treat UK workers while allowing cheap foreign labour to work out of British ports.

[towny44]

I’ll just say this then sit this one out, while I agree Ministers shouldn’t allow personal views to interfere with business investment opportunities, I also think there is a fine line between the government turning a blind eye to how foreign owned companies can treat UK workers while allowing cheap foreign labour to work out of British ports.

But if continuing to pay higher wages than the competition will lead to going bust, what else do you expect a company to do?

[oldbluefox]

I am not sure that cruise/shipping/ferry lines are bound by UK laws on minimum pay. We may not agree with it but different rules apply. Correct me if I am wrong.

Haigh needs to remember she is no longer a shop steward in the Unite union.

[Ranchi]

Dragged this out of today’s paper

‘In April we booked a trip to New York, sailing over on Cunard’s Queen Mary  2 to celebrate my 80th birthday. Sadly, my wife and I, along with several others, were left on the dockside at Southampton because we didn’t have ESTA visa-waiver permits.’

We did Aurora to NY & Canada a few years ago and I was amazed at the queues at the library for people getting the IT technician to make their application for ESTAs as we made the westward voyage. There were so many that the poor IT technician worked overtime helping them complete their applications. I imagine they had to buy internet access ( only available on library machines at the time.)
I accept the article is about Cunard but it does seem a bit severe, or have things changed in the intervening time?
Another possibility is that Aurora’s voyage was a Soton -Soton round trip (although everyone had to disembark at NY -our first US port) and QM2’s voyage was a line voyage.
Clearly in both cases there was a breakdown in communications between shipping Co & passengers. We were certainly advised often enough by P&O that we needed ESTAs.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I think these days neither will allow you to set sail without the relevant paperwork. What happens if halfway across the Atlantic a passenger's application is rejected?

And I'm sorry but to my mind the passengers have no-one but themselves to blame.

[david63]

I would also add that P&O, and all other cruise lines, state quite clearly that it is the passenger's responsibility to ensure that they have the necessary visas and vaccinations for the cruise. The cruise line cannot specify the requirements for each individual passenger as the requirements vary depending on, amongst other things, their nationality/passport.

[allatc]

maybe they should engage brain before opening mouth

You are making an assumption that they actually have a brain to engage - not an attribute that many MPs appear to have!

I think it's obligatory when you become an MP to have your brain removed.

[Stephen]

That’s providing you can find one.

[towny44]

Poland suspends right to asylum in challenge to EU.

The Polish PM is now Donald Tusk, wasn't he the President of the EU when we were negotiating our escape from that organisation, and didn't he demand that we had to follow their rules of disengagement, if we wanted a nice clean break?
Now that he is in charge of a real country rather than some bureaucratic organisation that just eats money, he seems to have shifted his position, somewhat.

[david63]

Am I missing something here?

Israel attacking a UN base. Netanyahu telling the UN to get out of Lebanon - just who does he think he is?

As a side note it is reported today by the Hamas-run health ministry that over 42k (mainly women and children) have been killed in the last 12 months - now whilst I can accept that those are not verifiable figures that is still a lot of unnecessary deaths.

The more I read and hear about all of this I am coming to the conclusion that Netanyahu deliberately ignored all the warnings as to what was about to happen 12 months ago in order to have an excuse to start this war and he does not care less about the hostages, if any of them are still alive. At some point I hope he is held accountable for the war crimes that he has committed.

[Onelife]

Am I missing something here?

Israel attacking a UN base. Netanyahu telling the UN to get out of Lebanon - just who does he think he is?

As a side note it is reported today by the Hamas-run health ministry that over 42k (mainly women and children) have been killed in the last 12 months - now whilst I can accept that those are not verifiable figures that is still a lot of unnecessary deaths.

The more I read and hear about all of this I am coming to the conclusion that Netanyahu deliberately ignored all the warnings as to what was about to happen 12 months ago in order to have an excuse to start this war and he does not care less about the hostages, if any of them are still alive. At some point I hope he is held accountable for the war crimes that he has committed.

Netanyahu/Israel has every right in telling the UN to get out of Lebanon... if it means their lives will be saved. If the UN chooses to ignore then they only have themselves to blame. Hezbollah like Hamas use innocent civilians/UN forces, hospitals, schools etc to hide behind and as a result are responsible for many of the unnecessary deaths to that which you are referring to.

Any country which feels it needs an Iron Dome Defence System to thwart indiscriminate rocket launches into its country has every right to defend itself, imo.

While I accept that your last paragraph is an opinion, I do not accept that Oct 7th was allowed in order to start this conflict. As for saying he doesn’t care about the hostages is quite frankly absurd.

Sadly, I do think you are right about the hostages not returning home to their grieving families…. Which leaves you wondering how many terrorists will face war crimes?

[Mervyn and Trish]

No-one has the right to order the UN to do anything. Especially not in a country which is not their own.

[Mervyn and Trish]

So the thug killed by the police marksman who has just been found not guilty of murder was not the sweet innocent his family and friends pretend. So nothing to do with racism or police brutality.

"Police shooting victim Chris Kaba was a “core member” of one of London’s most dangerous gangs and would have stood trial for attempted murder over a nightclub shooting if he had not been killed, it can be now reported.

Metropolitan Police marksman Martyn Blake was yesterday acquitted of murdering the 24-year-old driver who tried to ram his way out of a police stop in Streatham, south east London, on 5 September 2022.

It can now be revealed that Mr Kaba shot a man twice in the legs in an attack linked to gang rivalry just six days earlier.

Shocking CCTV shown to a jury shows the father to be discharging the gun on a packed dancefloor at the Oval Space nightclub in Hackney on 30 August, wounding rival Brandon Malutshi in the thigh.

He then pursued the victim outside the venue, firing at a wounded Malutshi, injuring him yet again in the other leg."

So why the hell, knowing all that, did the CPS decide to prosecute the cop? It's only thanks to the jury with that he is not now rotting in jail.

[Onelife]

So the thug killed by the police marksman who has just been found not guilty of murder was not the sweet innocent his family and friends pretend. So nothing to do with racism or police brutality.

"Police shooting victim Chris Kaba was a “core member” of one of London’s most dangerous gangs and would have stood trial for attempted murder over a nightclub shooting if he had not been killed, it can be now reported.

Metropolitan Police marksman Martyn Blake was yesterday acquitted of murdering the 24-year-old driver who tried to ram his way out of a police stop in Streatham, south east London, on 5 September 2022.

It can now be revealed that Mr Kaba shot a man twice in the legs in an attack linked to gang rivalry just six days earlier.

Shocking CCTV shown to a jury shows the father to be discharging the gun on a packed dancefloor at the Oval Space nightclub in Hackney on 30 August, wounding rival Brandon Malutshi in the thigh.

He then pursued the victim outside the venue, firing at a wounded Malutshi, injuring him yet again in the other leg."

So why the hell, knowing all that, did the CPS decide to prosecute the cop? It's only thanks to the jury with that he is not now rotting in jail.

I don’t know Sir Merv, but I rather suspect its “Due Process” as opposed to “Rough Justice. A nightmare for the Officer and his family but Justice was done…in more ways than one.

[Mervyn and Trish]

The CPS have a duty to ensure cases taken to court have a reasonable chance of success and are in the public interest. They were fully aware of all the evidence and if they had half a brain would have known this case was neither. If this poor sod had been found guilty would have that been any sort of justice?

Of course I make the assumption anyone at the CPS has a brain. As well as this fine decision they also let off Savile and Fayed.

[Onelife]

The CPS have a duty to ensure cases taken to court have a reasonable chance of success and are in the public interest. They were fully aware of all the evidence and if they had half a brain would have known this case was neither. If this poor sod had been found guilty would have that been any sort of justice?

Of course I make the assumption anyone at the CPS has a brain. As well as this fine decision they also let off Savile and Fayed.

Clearly not knowing what has come to light and the fact that he has been found not guilty, however, one must presume the CPS are not brain dead and must have had sufficient reasons why this case went to court…. thankfully in this case the jury decided against those reasons.

[Slapstick]

The CPS have a duty to ensure cases taken to court have a reasonable chance of success and are in the public interest. They were fully aware of all the evidence and if they had half a brain would have known this case was neither. If this poor sod had been found guilty would have that been any sort of justice?

Of course I make the assumption anyone at the CPS has a brain. As well as this fine decision they also let off Savile and Fayed.

Clearly not knowing what has come to light and the fact that he has been found not guilty, however, one must presume the CPS are not brain dead and must have had sufficient reasons why this case went to court…. thankfully in this case the jury decided against those reasons.

So the officer has now got a 10k bounty on his head from the law abiding gangsters, he's also still subject to an internal disciplinary investigation in which he could still lose his job, house etc.

Although like you I'm thankful and really pleased he was found not guilty, unfortunately for him it's just the beginning and he and his families lives are changed forever.

Is it any wonder officers are leaving in their droves.

[Stephen]

Protection program and safe house might be in order. I nominate Keith’s gaf

[Mervyn and Trish]

..........one must presume the CPS are not brain dead and must have had sufficient reasons why this case went to court…. thankfully in this case the jury decided against those reasons.

Sadly I don't share your presumption. We have enough examples to demonstrate some of them ARE brain dead!