MalcolmW

This was the hotel that Chelsea stayed in in 2005 the night before their CL match at Anfield 3 days after their first league title for 50 years was clinched at the Reebok. (Think they trained at Blackburn's facilities the previous day, having stayed in the NW. It seems to have gone down some way in under 20 years.

While I was impressed by his oversight of the vaccines rollout I have always harboured doubts because of his association with Jeffrey Archer. He must surely rue the day he accepted the post of Chancellor, which enabled HMRC to pursue him more vigourously.

I've seen many well-intentioned changes in the last fifty-odd years which have had unintended consequences. Until the seventies pension rights ceased when you left an employer (or in some cases an industry). So people over about 40 felt pension tied. Maybe allowing frozen pension was proper. Maybe protecting them from inflation was proper, but the effect was to significantly increase the liabilities of company pension funds. In the eighties Mrs T thought the pension funds were too large and passive investors, so her government introduced 'pension freedoms' which enabled millions to opt out of company/industry schemes (subsidised by employers). Many of these were ill-advised and mis-sold, not least to those who chose to pay nothing other than diverting part of their NI contribution. So now those with the largest state pensions tend to have large private pensions as well, and the poorest -totally without private provision - only qualify for a percentage of the full state pension. Averages may look good but the distribution is unsatisfactory. As life expectancy has been growing steadily the pension age has been increased and is planned to continue to do so. But rest assured, if the after effects of covid and the breakdown in adequate GP and A&E services lead to a fall in life expectancy, no government would dare to risk reducing pension age.

He's agreed to pay "several millions" to HMRC following investigation. Meanwhile Brewster scored freely at Swansea (one for every two games), but has only scored 5 at Blades in two and a half seasons.

Two sets AND 5-2 down!

The main reason we have dodged a technical recession is that the World Cup was delayed to November & December.

Yes.

Only one club has beaten all other 91 members of the top four tiers ... (and it's not BWFC).

Latest prediction is not only a Labour landslide but 3% votes for Faragistas (all from Conservatives) could gift over 20 additional seats to Labour.

Always expect the unexpected.

She was always very witty as Shadow Leader of the House, running rings around Young, Lansley, Hague and Grayling.

PNE, Birmingham, Sunderland, Hibs, Alty. The MUu21s drew at Fleetwood (but losing the shootout)and beat Carlisle and Barrow. Then they beat Wolves u21s in a shootout.

I think nurses are employed by the fairly local NHS Trusts. A majority vote in a sufficiently large turnout is required at Trust level to endorse a strike decision. By striking in some but not all eligible areas, patients of hospitals not in a position to strike feel concerned that they may be next. Failure to vote is a choice of apathy, certainly not an indication of a wish to strike. In fact, abstaining helps keep the turnout down and so is more effective than voting against strike action.

IF Harry had any feel for politics there is a very different line he could have taken. The late Queen was both monarch and Head of the Commonwealth. She made it known that she wished Charles to take on both roles and the Commonwealth nations obliged by choosing him. If over the next decade or more H&M could have lived in Canada and frequently visited Caribbean Commonwealth countries, they could have built a case for William inheriting the Crown but Harry being elected head of the Commonwealth. Maybe his grade D in A Level Geography or just his lack of nous prevented this.

My understanding (which might be wrong) is that almost half of the NHS Trusts did not have a large enough turnout to validate a strike. That is why only a quarter of the English Trusts are involved on Thursday. Next week another quarter can be out on Tuesday. This obscures the fact that the other half do not have a legal mandate to strike. They could escalate action from a a quarter to half (or so) but cannot actually call all Trusts out, whereas they can in Wales and already have in Nor'n Ireland.

It is worth remembering the circumstances of Southgate's appointment. I think, as was mentioned several pages back, that the development of St George's Park was a major factor in strengthening all England teams (age groups and sexes). My own preference is that penalties in the match should not be taken by a player who has been fouled leading to the award. Also no player should take a second penalty within a match (unless we get more than five!). (The more so when facing his own club captain, who knows his technique pretty well. HK got the first one in his favoured spot when Lloris thought he would go the other way. For the second HK thought it better to place in on his favoured side, but higher.)

I've got BBC Shropshire on, although reception isn't great. The other half of their double header was supposed to be Chorley v Telford, which is going to be replaced by post-match "analysis" plus pre match drivel about the England match.

Oh dear.

IF it's held BBC is forecasting +2 degrees during the match. A 3pm KO would be freezing again by the end. And the ref is a red card man from Surrey.

After they lost the deciding match in 1950 at home against Uruguay (which wasn't actually a Final, just the deciding match in a group-winners group) Brazil dropped their white national kit and adopted the Norwich type thing. JSL

As previously stated?

Don't forget you will need photoID to vote, unless you mustava postal vote.

SNP splitting into Krankie and Not-quite-so-krankie factions?

If Brook hadn't got out on 87 the declaration would probably not been made for a few more overs, and they may well have not had time to clinch the win.