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#1
Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...
Last post by Sheilbh - Today at 07:50:05 PMOne interesting from the Colville piece is he mentions this joint paper by the Centre for Policy Studies and a Labour think tank. CPS was literally the think tank founded by Thatcher and Keith Joseph in 1974 (the year before Thatcher's leadership challenge against Heath).
What's particularly interesting is it's not the first time where we've seen this type of think tanks uniting. Just before the budget the CPS joined with the Institute of Public Policy Research (set up by Blair but then became a Corbyn-aligned think tank), the New Economics Foundation (Corbyn-aligned) and Bright Blue (Tory think tank) among others.
It's kind of interesting - and feels quite unusual - to see the partisan think tanks able to align like that. But whether on the right or left, while they may have different details in how to do it they are broadly agreed: we're far too centralised, planning is too restrictive and the tax system is too complicated. But it's pretty unusual to see groups like the CPS and NEF, say, issuing joint papers. Unfortunately while the partisan policy wonks may be providing ideas - the main parties seem to find it too difficult politically/don't have the skills to pull it off.
What's particularly interesting is it's not the first time where we've seen this type of think tanks uniting. Just before the budget the CPS joined with the Institute of Public Policy Research (set up by Blair but then became a Corbyn-aligned think tank), the New Economics Foundation (Corbyn-aligned) and Bright Blue (Tory think tank) among others.
It's kind of interesting - and feels quite unusual - to see the partisan think tanks able to align like that. But whether on the right or left, while they may have different details in how to do it they are broadly agreed: we're far too centralised, planning is too restrictive and the tax system is too complicated. But it's pretty unusual to see groups like the CPS and NEF, say, issuing joint papers. Unfortunately while the partisan policy wonks may be providing ideas - the main parties seem to find it too difficult politically/don't have the skills to pull it off.
#2
Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...
Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 07:39:20 PMSheilbh, another example from here to support your point is our local governments can levy a tax on car fuels to help pay for the construction of roads, transit etc. without that additional access to revenue not much infrastructure would get built by local governments.
#3
Off the Record / Re: Dead Pool 2025
Last post by Sheilbh - Today at 07:22:21 PMMarked appropriately by Bob Mortimer 
RIP 
RIP Quotebob mortimer
@RealBobMortimer
So so sad.A lovely brilliant funny giant of a bloke. Oh Man....RIP Chris .. Boro legend forever. Love to family and friends.
#4
Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...
Last post by mongers - Today at 07:17:42 PMQuote from: Sophie Scholl on Today at 06:30:05 PMI mean, her brother is in prison for raping a child, so... maybe she has a soft spot for paedo rapists?
Additionally maybe the turning point gig is the only crowd she can now attract?
#5
Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...
Last post by Sophie Scholl - Today at 06:30:05 PMI mean, her brother is in prison for raping a child, so... maybe she has a soft spot for paedo rapists?
#6
Off the Record / Re: Dead Pool 2025
Last post by grumbler - Today at 06:23:26 PMThat was the greatest game show ever.
#7
Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic
Last post by mongers - Today at 05:51:42 PMQuote from: Sheilbh on Today at 05:10:24 PMSeparately this is wild - a sinkhole basically drained a canal in Shropshire. I didn't know we had sinkholes (in my head they happen in Florida
I think everyone's safe which is good.
It's not a sinkhole, what happened was one side of the canal embankment collapse and so the canal rapidly drained into the adjoining fields.
This is a problem that's only going to get worse, as some of the assumptions the Georgians/Victorians built canals and railways on no longer hold; for instance that clays often used in their construction wouldn't be subject to more increasingly hot/dry and then waterlogged conditions.
The flipside of the above was railway lines having to be repaired this Autumn, because the underlying clay used in the embankments had dried out, as happened with the London mainline from Exeter to Sherborne.
This infrastructure was built in a largely consistently damp climate, the one we used to have.
#8
Gaming HQ / Re: What are you playing? (Red...
Last post by The Minsky Moment - Today at 05:12:03 PMQuote from: celedhring on October 15, 2025, 05:46:45 AMeven Franco himself as guest star that makes me really uncomfortable at times.
Yeah, he should still be dead.
#9
Gaming HQ / Re: What are you playing? (Red...
Last post by The Minsky Moment - Today at 05:10:51 PMQuote from: frunk on Today at 10:08:54 AMTactical Breach Wizards - Neat X-Com style combat with a bit of character development and a pretty extensive story. I'll definitely be getting back to this one, as there's more to see with 5.2 hours played. However I got distracted by...
That was a Steam Next Fest (demo) star from early in the year.
#10
Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic
Last post by Sheilbh - Today at 05:10:24 PMSeparately this is wild - a sinkhole basically drained a canal in Shropshire. I didn't know we had sinkholes (in my head they happen in Florida ) but also just the scale:
I think everyone's safe which is good.
) but also just the scale:I think everyone's safe which is good.