It's not a good situation, but I would accept preventative voting in the UK if only it would remove the current mob who have been running things for 12 years. 12 years.

nice!

The King of Comedy with another corker. PM's coal mining 'joke' no laughing matter, say MPs - BBC News

I thought I was trying it. It tasted nasty. Then I realised that what I'd got was just a craftly packaged bottle of hemp oil. Not even good for cooking. Interested in CBD though.

I'm afraid quite a few people will completely agree with what Johnson is supposed to have said here. These are the anti-lockdown brigade, and those who have been caught filming empty hospital corridors to prove it's all a conspiracy / scam. They're fine with the collateral damage [i.e. deaths]. This could actually bolster Johnson's standing.

@Alec Although we've always had 'the Liberals', libertarianism is a relatively new concept for UK politics. In the [even recent] past, the Conservatives were socially illiberal to the max. They were popularly labelled 'the nasty party' for being utter judgemental bastards. Cameron and his media pals changed this image significantly when it became apparent that this position was no longer tenable in the 21st century. Much to the displeasure of many of his party, the Conservatives embraced gay rights and same-sex marriage, among other things. And it paid off for them at the polls. As at the time of writing, they have been in power for 1,138 years. But it's all veneer.

Johnson has his first true dilemma. Doing the sensible thing right now would put him at odds with the libertarian element of his fanbase. But if he doesn't do the right thing, the fallout could be horrendous.

Why this wasn't front page news after the first death I'll leave you to guess. And it doesn't have anything to do with saving a relatively piddling amount of money. It's all about politics.

The policy is do what will be most popular, or least unpopular. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who see deaths as better option than loss of business or curtailing their social lives.

The Book of Forgotten Authors by Christopher Fowler This is excellent, but it will leave you with a very long list of [forgotten] books you can't wait to read.

Jewish Space Laser sold out with that third album though.

Boris Johnson admits it's ludicrous he's PM, says Cummings - BBC News

Romney on UFOs: 'I guess all things are possible' - YouTube

Breaking news: he's resigned. It's a pity. I'd rather Johnson was forced to take some responsibility and sack him. This is the coward's way out...for them both. p.s. I don't give a damn who he shagged. That's hardly relevant under the circumstances.

He would have resigned if he had any sense back then. I certainly wouldn't want to be in the trenches with Boris Johnson etc.

Spot on about Hancock potentially being a useful scapegoat. I wouldn't be surprised if the government's friends in the media were setting him up for just that.

Great story. I like about 70% of John Grant's stuff. Even the tracks that don't hit the mark for me tend to be interesting, at least. He has that in common with Bill.

Well, how could I resist posting this? He looks a bit different without the goatee, and I find the accent unconvincing, but still... MYSTERY WIRE - NASA Admin. Bill Nelson on UAPs - YouTube

I do hope Boris Johnson's unfortunate bride made him sign a watertight prenuptial contract.

Hi Alec -- I hope they become a safe and viable option. My partner had to give up driving 10 years ago due to a disability and is now mostly housebound. A driverless car would allow a lot more independence. I imagine there are a lot of people in the same position. What are your thoughts on them?