HS2 'Eastern Leg' to Leeds is to go ahead.

Shapps says it will cost £106 billion and could even be delivered earlier than planned.
'
There 'further work' needed on how to integrate it with plans for the 'northern powerhouse' rail system.

And funnier and more competent, even without Jeeves' invaluable assistance.

I think the past few years have shown that the controls on politicians are not fit for purpose. They are reliant on a) politicians being generally honourable ethical people who will abide by the rules and b) those shown not to be a will be voted out by a population who generally want honourable ethical people running things.

Neither a nor b seems to be true anymore.

Edited by xjx388:

<SNIP>FMF stuff redacted

Redundant post

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has married his fiancee Carrie Symonds in a secret ceremony at Westminster Cathedral, it has been reported.

The wedding was held in front of close friends and family on Saturday, according to several newspapers.

Downing Street has declined to comment.

He got married on the cheap so he didn't have to pay much is probably the thing.

If Boris marrying is Westminster Cathedral is true then, as a Catholic, I would like to know why a twice divorced adulterer was able to and my practising Catholic friend who divorced a husband who battered hell out of her had to re-marry in a registry office.

A new national flagship is to be commissioned by the government in a bid to boost British trade and industry globally, the prime minister has said.

The vessel will be the successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia, which was retired in 1997.

The government plans to build the ship in the UK, at a reported cost of £200m.

The name of the new flagship has yet to be announced, but the Daily Telegraph has suggested the ship will be named after the Duke of Edinburgh, who helped design Britannia.

The new vessel would be used to promote British interests around the world - including hosting trade fairs and diplomatic meetings - as the UK seeks to build links and boost exports following Brexit.

The tendering process for its design and construction will begin soon - with an emphasis on utilising British design expertise and the latest green technology.

Downing Street said costs for the "construction and operation" of the ship would be confirmed after the tendering process concluded.

Construction is set to start as early as next year, with the ship expected to enter service within the next four years.

The vessel, which is set to be in service for about 30 years, will be part of the Royal Navy and crewed by it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57293882

Boris said the flagship would be "the first vessel of its kind in the world" and would reflect "the UK's burgeoning status as a great, independent maritime trading nation.
Every aspect of the ship, from its build to the businesses it showcases on board, will represent and promote the best of British - a clear and powerful symbol of our commitment to be an active player on the world stage,"

I wonder if it will be as good as the Garden Bridge and his other major projects.

I reckon a few tens of millions to his mates and then they buy a second hand punt from Oxford.

He must have been really desperate for a distraction...

Surely he has to finish Boris Island and the road roundabout under the Irish Sea first?

Apparently they don't count his first two marriages as they weren't performed in Catholic Churches and the resulting decades of living in sin fathering illegitimate children, and the cheating on the women he was living in sin with, with other women and fathering more illegitimate chikdren, and paying for abortions, don't count if you're PM.

When they start cutting money to essential services, remember that they could afford a yacht.

It's not the first time he's floated that idea, he tried the same thing back in 2017, calling it a great idea if it could be funded privately.

Crewed by the RN.

That's the same RN that had to lay ships up alongside so it could use the crews to get the aircraft carrier to sea.

They haven't got a name for the new Royal Yacht so your suggestions please.

Boris Johnson said the flagship would be "the first vessel of its kind in the world" and would reflect "the UK's burgeoning status as a great, independent maritime trading nation".

"Every aspect of the ship, from its build to the businesses it showcases on board, will represent and promote the best of British - a clear and powerful symbol of our commitment to be an active player on the world stage," he said.

Lord Brexit Omnishambles Liar McLiarface *********** III

Or HMS Herd Immunity

Hey, we want our bridge from Scotland to N. Ireland first. You know, the one that goes through the weapons dump.

Only 30 guests. Shame they couldn't make an exception so all his illegitimate children could attend.

The usual Johnsonian hyperbole I guess, though I'm sure they can find some extremely minute detail to ensure that it's indeed the first of its kind in the world.

That's if it actually gets built, of course.

How can you call it a "small wedding ceremony" when it involves the maximum number of guests allowed under current rules in one of the largest cathedrals in England??

Cherie Blair was criticised for buying things from eBay, such as a 99p alarm clock.
This revealed, apparently, her ‘obsession’ with money.
Now we have a PM who doesn’t pay for his wallpaper or takeaways and his 'spokesperson' office refusing to explain who paid for his wedding.

https://twitter.com/gabrielmilland/s...340108291?s=20

“A lot of naysayers around on this new yacht business. But just imagine the reaction in important foreign capitals like Canberra, Brasilia, Beijing, Delhi, Pretoria, Berlin, Paris, Moscow etc when this majestic craft hoves into view. They'll be astonished and deeply impressed.”

Brilliant.

It's the perfect avatar for the modern day UK. Showy, useless, slow and harking back to the days of empire.

It's going to leak oil, then.

A million tenants may be facing eviction with 400,000 households having already been served notice but the papers again lead with day 2 of the twice divorced man who got married again on the front pages.

Canberra. Miles inland, no major waterways reach it. Brasilia. Miles inland. No major waterways reaches it. Beijing. Miles inland, no major waterways reach it. Delhi. Miles inland... you get the picture. Good to know his Geography is as good as his Politics and his grasp of Economics.

Did you hear a whoosh! way above your head as you typed that? :D

https://i.imgur.com/utzTCyo.png

Sorry my bad. I thought that was a genuine Johnson quote. I'll read more carefully in the future.

According to the Sun Carrie Johnson is to "Host world's most powerful spouses at the G7 Summit as her first job in her new role as the First Lady."

She should get the designers in to do up the flat if she wants to make a good impression.

First lady?

I think the Queen might have something to say about that!

Tory Party declares donations from companies that don't exist.


https://www.businessinsider.com/urge...t-firms-2021-6

So might two previous Mrs Johnsons & four known Miss Right-Nows.

G7 leader :" So how did you and boris johnson meet"
Carrie :" we met at work, I was shagging him while his wife had cancer'
G7 leader :" so are you that American woman"
Carrie :"no, she slept with him for the money"

And if I understand it correctly, the reasoning for him being allowed a Catholic wedding despite his previous marriages is that, since Uni(?), he'd denied his Catholic faith therefore those marriages 'weren't real'.

Cognitive dissonance in religion is such a blessing....

Idea for horror movie.
A rainy old island ravaged by plague finds their government is run by Boris Johnson.

Won't work - too fantastical.

Oh dear, government can't do its sums!

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...s-catch-up-row

The person they put in place to deal with the catch up for education said it would need 15 billion, government has said 1.4 billion!

He was confirmed in the C of E while at Eton, and his previous marriages were done in that particular branch, and thus under (Catholic) canon law, they weren't considered valid marriages for the purpose of divorces.

However, someone pointed out that in order to have a Catholic wedding, Johnson would have to be in a stage of grace, ie. he'd have confess his sins and obtain absolution*. Pity the priest who had to sit through that ordeal...

* As an adherent to the C of D, I have no idea if that's the case or not.

When my mam and dad got married in the 60s he was Catholic and she was C of E.

The Catholic Church wouldn't even consider marrying them. It was done in the C of E church.

The only thing more corrupt and self serving than Boris Johnson is the Roman Catholic church.

WAs someone commented concerning the marriage.

"She's definitely not the first lady, and she won't be the last!"

My first wife was nominally Catholic but we got married in a CoE church. My second wife Catholic and wanted an RC wedding to make her parents happy. The Catholic priest made inquiries and because my first wife did not get approval from her parish priest the first marriage was not recognized by the Catholic church. I was at no point asked to attend confession. Nor would I have done so.



We were asked to attend some sort of series of courses where an old celibate priest was telling us how it was ok to enjoy sex and how the rhythm method worked. "Do you understand?" At which point I'd had enough so "Oh yes, you're relying on postovulatory phase consistency and....." He shut up and moved on and we were told we probably didn't need that course. My wife thought it was hilarious.

John Bercow a Tory MP appointed as Speaker by a Tory government was punished for not being partisan by the Tories when they withheld a peerage from him so that he could not sit in the House of Lords
He was the first speaker of the house in 230 years to not be automatically given one.

Meanwhile the son of a Russian oligarch and Tory party donor was given a title.

Major design flaws have been identified in the Army's new fleet of armoured vehicles.

An internal leaked government report also raises serious doubts as to whether the £5.5bn Ajax Armoured Vehicle programme will be delivered on time and within budget.

Problems include excessive vibration and noise.
An investigation by the government's Infrastructure and Projects Authority says the "successful delivery of the programme to time, cost and quality appears to be unachievable".

There have been reports of yet more problems with the turret and gun of the main Ajax vehicle. The Infrastructure and Projects Authority criticises the current contract for focusing on "schedule and milestone payments over quality".

The M.O.D. halted trials for four months following complaints that crews were suffering from temporary hearing loss and aching joints.
The M.O.D. says the trials resumed in March. But the leaked report says crews are still having to observe strict health and safety restrictions, including "limiting time in the platform to one hour 30 before a crew change or speed restrictions of 20mph" - which is less than half its top speed.

The report also notes the "vehicle cannot reverse over an obstacle more than 20cm high". Defence experts say many of the problems stem from additional armour protection being put on the original hull, which has seen an increase in weight from 19 to more than 40 tonnes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57348573

Question is, will they get the Germans to fix it like the rifle or just abandon it like the Nimrod?