Theresa May

Thanks from me, too, Jess. I agree with you, Maizie, the comments are interesting. They appear to be from people of a number of different nationalities, so give a wide perspective. What a shambles!

Jen was listening to the comments about the report on NHS 7 day working yesterday and all I could think is it was so simple and obvious why did we get to this point and why did we need a report. Madness.

I use the "quick wash" on most occasions on my machine too. In these days of changing clothes and bedding, etc., regularly and showering daily or almost daily I can't see the need for the longer cycles unless you have been doing a messy job or sport. I am fairly sure my DIL uses a cold wash and that it is common in Australia - they are certainly very aware of water use and electricity, etc. She also makes her own washing powder - very green lady.

My SIL who lives in the middle of France uses a cold wash nearly all the time as do both my cousins who live in Australia. I think you use special detergent that is hard to obtain in the UK. My dishwasher has a 30 minute programme which is very useful for everyday.

Not just the NHS.
This benefit cap, and housing benefit cut starts in November.

speye.wordpress.com/2016/08/24/the-benefit-cap-in-leeds-a-93k-per-day-added-cost-to-the-council/

Bloody hell!
I am sure it will be just as bad in the North East for families on benefits.
Can't imagine Theresa May all that worried, though. She voted for it, as did many labour MPs. Not Corbyn or McDonnell, though. Even a couple of Tory MPs didn't.

It's certainly descending into farce when the only concrete examples of EU interference with their lives Brexiters are offering are lower wattage electrical appliances and low energy light bulbs.

Of course, the fact that using these appliances uses less enrgy and costs the user less money is irrelevant; it's the attachment of the letters 'EU' which seems to demonise the whole exercise. But let's not forget that the introduction of energy efficient appliances is as much a result of powerful lobbying by 'green' groups in the respective EU countries as it is of a dictat from those faceless unelected Brussels demons bureaucrats. It's certainly not in the interests of the energy producers to be cutting consumption.

For what it's worth, I've been using the fluorescent type low energy light bulbs for about 20 years, both for internal and external lighting. They were a bit naff initially but they have got better and better over time and the high initial cost is more than compensated for by the fact that they last for years. The one over my front door is on from dusk to daylight every night. I recently put in the third replacement bulb in 15 years...I have never, ever, known them to flicker.

For anyone who's interested, a government briefing paper from 2014 on low energy appliances
tinyurl.com/j4rzvw8

A European Army doesn't sound madly attractive! I wonder who will be running that?!!!!! or will all the countries of the EU be in charge collectively?! Thank goodness we won't be involved as pigs ear comes to mind!!

There is no European army, niggly. There is NATO. Do you have problems with that?
The EU being criticised for wanting a European army, but Corbyn being criticised for not wanting a Nato army?
Doesn't make sense, does it?

Maizie, when I had a guest house, I was really grateful for those bulbs. They saved a lot of money on my electricity bills.
As soon as we moved in we changed them, keeping the old ones just in case. We had the guest house for over ten years and rarely changed a bulb.
I have had similar bulbs in this house, been in for over six years and changed two bulbs.
Personally, I like them.

The prospect of a European Army has been raised between Mrs Merkel, President Hollande and the the Italian P.M whose name escapes me as a realistic concept for the future to run alongside NATO. They are said to be keen on the idea.

fullfact.org/europe/hunt-eu-army/

Merkel and Hollande will be gone after the next elections.

Does Corbyn want any kind of army?

No smoke without fire, dj who knows what the future will bring, and Nick Clegg has a habit of making wild statements that turn out to be baseless!! Yes Hollande will certainly/hopefully be gone next year, not so sure about Merkel. I don't think JC wants any armies anywhere in the world which is a fab idea but unrealistic, think Russia, North Korea, China,Middle East and so on. A forlorn hope indeed.

Who started the fire, though, niggly?
If you read the fullfact link, you will find that there cannot be an EU army unless every country agrees, and they all have a veto.

Well who knows! It wouldn't affect us and that's all that really matters.

I'm wondering how many people ended up in hospital changing all those non-efficient light bulbs over the years.

Sorry - I'm thinking falls off chairs

I have heard of people falling off steps/stools when cutting hedges, pruning shrubs, decorating (that was me ), hanging curtains, but not changing a lightbulb.

Is there a joke about how many men does it take to change a lightbulb eg
Q: How many men does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: Only one, but you have to nag him for a fortnight first.

Ooh - I was thinking rather lewd thoughts until you gave the answer, Jalima...

Can't wait for Theresa May to explain this.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/aug/27/may-must-explain-tory-donors-links-to-russia-says-labour-mp

Which party has links to Russia?

sable.madmimi.com/c/50737?id=261869.1283.1.914230d2fdf20796e156e754cb85b4b1

A letter to Skidmore and May from Make Votes Matter, about PR.

Not that they'll take any notice, but it'll fill up their inboxes.

DJ 13.04

Having put a link up to the Guardian and the question re Russian Donors, intimating there is something to be explained or could be something 'shady' going on (or have I misread your tone), do you believe it is only the Tory Party who may have Russian Donors or donors with Russian connections?

I imagine that Labour has links to Russia as well.

nigglynellie

There have been many occasions when the 'prospect' of a European Army has been debated/spoken of within the European Union Council/Parliament. With the distinct possibility the UK will leave the European Union this will be a 'trigger' for the other 27 countries left in the EU to maybe put an EU Army into place as it has been the UK government over the years who has been most sceptcal of it's conception.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37196802

Czechs and Hungarians call for EU Army. 26/08/16
---
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/european-leaders-push-angela-merkel-for-joint-eu-army-a7211861.html

Warsaw meeting 26/08/16
----

'Article 42 of the Treaty on European Union provides for substantial military integration within the institutional framework of the union.[2] Complete integration is an option that requires unanimity in the European Council of heads of state or government. For now it remains politically gridlocked considering the critical stance of the United Kingdom in particular. Article 42 does also provide for a permanent structured cooperation between the armed forces of a subset of member states. As of 2015 this option has not been used, despite calls by prominent leaders such as former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt for a common defence for the Union.[3][4][5] However the debate has intensified by the standoff between the EU and Russia over Ukraine. With new calls for an EU military by EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and by other European leaders and policy makers like the head of the German parliament’s foreign policy committee Norbert Röttgen, saying an EU army was “a European vision whose time has come”.[6][7] Article 42 was invoked for the first time by French President François Hollande, following the November 2015 Paris attacks. Speaking in front of a joint session of parliament in Versailles, Hollande described the terrorist attack as an attack against Europe as a whole.[8][9]'

Does it matter?
This is one that has been found out, and has links to Russian banks and the Panama papers.
A £400,000 donation to the Tory party from this man needs to be explained, don't you think?