Paul

Following LUFC since 1990 and member of the Griffin Leeds United Supporters Club and Leeds United Supporters Trust.

Widow of Bielsa.

[Ben Kentish @BenKentish]

To put the £2.8 million Jodrell Bank budget in context, £7.2 million is currently allocated for “bespoke stationery” for MPs.

[Paul @LoftyHerman]

@SeedsGalore Same here in North Yorkshire, it's the middle of June and I can count on one hand the number of bees I've seen this year. No hoverflies either, the hedgerows and fields are silent. #bees

[Paul @LoftyHerman]

@SaintsExtra @gibbet @sfcawaynumbers Hope they used a credit card! @MartinSLewis

[Paul @LoftyHerman]

@GrahamSmyth @LeeSobotYEP He's letting the board know he wants to, and believes he can, take the team further but they either commit or he retains his option to move somewhere that will back him. His stock is pretty high at the moment so why not.

[Clean Up Britain @cleanupbritain]

This roadside verge reveals:
A total absence of personal responsibility
A rejection of the notion of community pride
A failure of legal enforcement against criminals
A complete embarrassment for Britain
It cannot go on. @benonwine

[Andrew Neil @afneil]

My monologue from today’s The Times at One with Andrew Neil @TimesRadio

ROYAL NAVY RIP

While US destroyers duke it out with Iranian navy fast boats over the Strait of Hormuz, we learned yesterday that the Royal Navy’s HMS Iron Duke, a Type 23 frigate, was being withdrawn from active service, despite a recent £100m five-year refit, which suggests that was largely a waste of money. 

More important, it underlines the stark reality that we no longer have a functioning navy. 

That’s right. The country of Rule Britannia, which once had the most powerful navy in the world, capable of protecting an empire which covered a quarter of the globe, no longer has a navy worthy of the name.  

For the factual basis of what I’m about to say, I am indebted to Britsky, who posts important naval data on X and has become the reliable go-to source for information on our disappearing Navy. 

HMS Iron Duke joins another ageing Type 23, HMS Richmond, in retirement. Leaving the Royal Navy with just five frigates to monitor Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic and other Russian activity in the Channel. 

Even that doesn’t reveal the full, desperate picture. Of the five frigates still supposedly available for service, one, HMS Kent, has been almost 750 days in refit and is not available for service. HMS Portland and HMS St Albans have also been laid up for some time. 

Only HMS Somerset is currently deployed and HMS Sutherland could be, pretty quickly. So the Royal Navy can call on the immediate services of only two of the five frigates we have, all dating from the 1990s. 

What about the more powerful Type 45 destroyers? Sad to relate the picture is even bleaker. There are only six. One, HMS Dragon, has been deployed to the East Mediterranean to protect Cyprus, though that took some time. 

Another, HMS Daring, has been in refit for 3,260 days and still not available for duty. HMS Defender has been out of action for over 1,000 days, HMS Diamond for just under 700 days. HMS Dauntless is in maintenance. Other than Dragon, out of our six destroyers, only HMS Duncan could be deployed quickly. 

What about our hugely expensive, powerful Astute class submarines? Better you don’t ask. We have only five — and only one, HMS Anson, is on active service somewhere in the Indian Ocean. 

The other four — Astute, Ambush, Artful and Audacious — have been laid up for a total of 4,000 days. That’s right 4,000 days. HMS Ambush alone has been inactive for 1,400 days. It’s currently laid up on the River Clyde. 

So the currently deployable, conventional Royal Navy, excluding the ancient, creaking subs carrying our nuclear deterrent, amounts to two frigates, two destroyers and one sub. That’s not a navy for a maritime nation. That’s a joke. 

Yes, we have two big aircraft carriers too. They also seem to spend a lot of time in maintenance, which is where they are at the moment. But both could currently be deployed pretty quickly, which is an improvement. But we don’t have the frigates or destroyers to form a carrier fleet. So they can only be used in concert with better equipped allies. 

We might be short of fighting ships. But we’re not short of admirals. We currently have around 30 rear admirals or above, which works out around four per deployable ship. That’s admirals. Not captains. 

None, of course, of this bloated top brass has been held accountable for the near disappearance of our naval power. Nor have any Tory politicians who for 14 years presided over our navy’s degradation. Nor is the current Labour government in any apparent hurry to put matters right.

Our airforce and army are in no great shapes either. But it is the state of our non-navy, an integral, vital part of our island history, which is the real national scandal. 

And, as is so often the case in modern Britain, nobody is held to account. Nobody forced to carry the can. Nobody making it their mission to put it right. And that is the real national disgrace.

[Chris Rose @ArchRose90]

The Green Party has complained about this cartoon of Zack Polanski by the The Times.

They’re deeply unhappy with it. Whatever you do, do not repost!

[Politics UK @PolitlcsUK]

🚨 WATCH: Labour has released its banned party political broadcast containing quotes from Reform UK politicians

[E-Leeds United @e_LeedsUnited]

This upgrade isn’t spoken about enough…

#LUFC

[Paul @LoftyHerman]

@henrywinter The incredible thing here is that 25% still support it I think.

[WarMonitor🇺🇦🇬🇧 @WarMonitor3]

Britains military is completely degraded from years of chronic underfunding and is a shadow of even its Cold War Power:
-Army just 72,000 personnel
-Just 14 destroyers or frigates
-Only 200 MBT and even less artillery
-Only 2.3 percent GDP spending

[Fembot Fellarina @AlreetPets]

@rusembassynl

[John Nichol ✈ @JohnNicholRAF]

Long ramble:
I have been mulling if I should comment on President Trump's inane comments about NATO involvement in Afghanistan. Although 35 years ago, during the US-led first Gulf War, I was lying, handcuffed & blindfolded - literally 'shoulder to shoulder' - with a US colleague on a concrete floor in an Iraqi interrogation bunker, I rather feel it should be the current generation who express any anger at the President's ludicrous, demonstrably false utterings. Which is why I earlier shared some posts from others.
But perhaps I will reflect like this - I watched Trump's press conference in the wake of the terrible tragedy when a US helicopter collided with a civilian airliner last January in disbelief. 64 people lost their lives but it seemed to be about him - his expertise, his knowledge, what he thought had happened. Much of what he said was incorrect.
So I realised back then that it was going to be pointless trying to analyse any upcoming word-salads. Everything is clearly about him; his expertise in every subject, his grasp of all situations. His need to say something, anything, to show he is the best, the cleverest, the smartest, the most knowledgeable kid on the block.
The pub-bore, the braggart, the know-it-all, pontificates on anything and everything in the hope of bolstering their own, clearly very low, self-esteem.
I wonder that, in the President's mind, that it doesn't matter if what he says is factually correct? I wonder if he knows, understands, even cares, what is true? He is saying some words, which in his mind, seems to suggest that he's important and people will admire him, laud him. The fact that everyone around him then applauds this character trait, thanking him for his 'leadership' at every turn, just amplifies his desire, his need to continue. He's got want he wants - in his mind - attention, praise, admiration.
So to sum up, trying to analyse Trump's ramblings is like trying to play chess with a pigeon. Somewhat interesting at first, but ultimately, truly pointless and rather frustrating.
To those he has hurt, insulted, vilified, I send you my deepest condolences for your loss, and gratitude for your service.

[Paul @LoftyHerman]

@TPExpressTrains It was 1715 from mcv to Newcastle. B.

[Paul @LoftyHerman]

@TPExpressTrains why don't your seat reservation systems work properly? Train from mcv has no reservations showing again!

[Paul @LoftyHerman]

@TPExpressTrains No announcements.

[Paul @LoftyHerman]

@TPExpressTrains And again tonight, same train same problem.

[Paul @LoftyHerman]

@TPExpressTrains It was the 1715hrs to Newcastle

[NATO @NATO]

Retweet to join us in celebrating our Ally 🇵🇱 Poland on their Independence Day!

#WeAreNATO 🤝 @PLinNATO