Dabberchap

Economics | History | Science | Politics - all of these things interest me. But not as much as a bottle of claret and a cheeseboard.

[Dabberchap @dabberchap]

@FranK19771264 @JMPSimor The majority of people on Twitter are male (over 60%); the majority of people who are keen on football are male (about 2/3rds). Ergo...

[Dabberchap @dabberchap]

@MildMay90257222 @CanaryAndy @roy_atkin @Baldy_Baldy_ @trussliz Harsh, but not wrong.

[Dabberchap @dabberchap]

@fakehistoryhunt @cubeyterra Never mind that. As I child I was taken by family friends to the Efteling. For a long time after I was convinced that Dutch people had extendable necks as means to avoid drowning (and rubbish bins can talk). I wonder if those things are still there....

[Dabberchap @dabberchap]

@jessphillips It's true that football has a higher proportion of players from a working class background than Rugby, Cricket & many other sports. It's also true that - until recent welcome events perhaps - England has been relatively shit at it. Was that the point you were trying to make?

[Dabberchap @dabberchap]

@timmstweets @jessphillips I'll take that as a genuine question. Historically at least it is because aristocratic families don't want their family name to be lost; so if they only have female descendants they 'double-barrel' it with the family name of the husband.

[Dabberchap @dabberchap]

@angelamrobe @reydegolf @RodJone75746225 @karlhenry08 You are trying very hard to make a weak argument. How would you practically organise a singing competition in which all school children took part?

My experience of school concerts suggests that the truly and obviously untalented don't suffer much from public exposure.

[Dabberchap @dabberchap]

@angelamrobe @reydegolf @RodJone75746225 @karlhenry08 Maths is hardly a spectator sport. However, many schools have prizes for academic achievement and 'prize days' to celebrate the winners of those which parents etc. attend.

[Dabberchap @dabberchap]

@opaqueentity @mark_mtyler @GuidoFawkes If the BBC was comfortable with the idea that people who don't want to watch the BBC don't have to pay for it, they would embrace the idea of it becoming a subscription service. Oddly enough, I do not think this is their position.

[Dabberchap @dabberchap]

@JimmyHSands @AndrewB5sully @georgegalloway @KhaledElawadi @KirkleesCouncil @UKLabour @xyzlaw_ His stated aim was a Labour defeat, not a victory for his own party, so yes.

Apparently the Tories asked for sample checks but not a recount. If nothing else that implies they think the chance of a miscount was v low and didn't want to risk the PR downside of asking for one.

[Dabberchap @dabberchap]

@Diane_walks @IainDale "til were all protected" is the problem. There will always be some people who can't or won't be vaccinated. At some point - at a population level - the marginal utility of wearing masks becomes trivial vs a high level of vaccination.

[Dabberchap @dabberchap]

@RantyToo @Holbornlolz Sure, but those offices are likely separate corporate entities. You cannot easily work for company X (which is in country A) whilst living in country B and being paid by company Y, even if Y is a sub of X. And if you are paid by Company X, that risks creating a PE situation.

[Dabberchap @dabberchap]

@AndrewB5sully @georgegalloway @JimmyHSands @KhaledElawadi @KirkleesCouncil @UKLabour @xyzlaw_ As I understand, it is the law to recount on any reasonable request. GG can't make a reasonable request because 22% doesn't cut it. The Tories did not request a recount. Effectively GG wanted a recount on behalf of the Tories (bless him).

[Dabberchap @dabberchap]

@Mr_McKeever @AlStewartOBE @NHSuk @Conservatives @UKLabour Current long term gilt rate is around 1.2% so a £1.7b pay increase means £142b in additional debt.

£37b of debt = £0.4b of additional annual spending, equivalent to 1.3% pay rise.

Also, £37b hasn't been spent: https://t.co/6KALPHMCxM

[Dabberchap @dabberchap]

@heatherlinzee1 @Holbornlolz If you earn/have a lot of money then there are places where you can have a better lifestyle than the UK, essentially because you will pay a lot less tax.
If you don't earn a lot of money, moving to the UK, with goodish / free public services and better prospects makes sense.

[Dabberchap @dabberchap]

@RantyToo @Holbornlolz Yes, that is a real problem. If you are working overseas you could be deemed to be creating a permanent establishment for your company, meaning they are tax resident in the country you work. Many companies don't want to administrate tax in multiple jurisdictions.

[Dabberchap @dabberchap]

@Simon_Dodd That's me out then....I'm from the NW but speak with what is basically an RP accent!

My personal bugbear is the lack of career / life diversity we have in the HoC. Where are the engineers, factory workers, shopkeepers, etc? Too many lawyers and professional politicians.

[Dabberchap @dabberchap]

@Simon_Dodd @BBCPolitics @DPJHodges Me too - which is why I said I "half agree". I wonder if there are any stats for what proportion of MPs are local....I may have a bit of a google later. I certainly think it would be good if they were in the majority and parachuting was only for the real 'stars'.

[Dabberchap @dabberchap]

@Simon_Dodd @BBCPolitics @DPJHodges Half agree. But what do you do with talented people if their local constituency already has a good MP? (This used to be a rationale advanced for keeping for 'rotten boroughs'...though I am not sure I would go that far!).