In the news

There's a great story about the Poles who flew with the RAF: They got news that the Germans were in the air but because of heavy fog the RAF was grounded, and the Germans would probably have turn back once they flew into it anyway. The Poles didn't care, climbed into their Spitfires or Hurricanes and went off to meet them.
They DESPISED the Germans in a way that we couldn't comprehend at the time, and with good reason.

I was in Krakow a few months ago and encountered some of the friendliest people I've ever met anywhere.

Ironic, Churchill wanted to introduce conscription in NI because these wonderful loyal Brits wouldn't volunteer in WW2. Got talked out of it because civil war with the Free State wouldn't have helped the war effort.

If you visit Schindler's factory there's a plaque just outside to a Lancaster crew who crashed nearby. Canadians, I think.

Because weather... #sorry #nothelping

It was more about trying to combat xenophobia. By the Shankill of all places, a loyalist stronghold. So it IS possible if there is a will.

If you want to take a dump on NI/the loyalist areas, we could be here all day ;)

'Fake Sheikh' Mazher Mahmood and the Daniel Morgan Murder suspects:

What a lame attempt a point scoring- not sure even you know what the hell you were on about.

It can take a while to be famous, I suppose.

No, I'm sure thanks. I don't think it's that complicated, but I'm happy to explain.

@The_Kindness_of_Trees posted:

It isn't inherently racist to want to regulate immigration

I replied:

But it's a pretty reliable barometer

So, I agree with him/her that it's not inherently racist (I'm sure there are some people who want to regulate immigration who aren't racist - he/she may be one of them) but, in my opinion, it's often a pretty good indication - no more than that, not always, not perfect. But whereas, in the past, people used to hide their racism behind a stance on immigration, the tone of the debates around the Mayor of London and leaving the EU seems to have legitimised the racism in many people's minds and it's come to the fore. The two are more closely aligned now, which I guess is unfortunate for those who believe there are very good reasons to regulate immigration and who are genuinely not racist.

He/she replied:

Do you actually want to give anybody who wants it the right to come and live here?

Which I thought was a massive leap from my post, it's no way implicit in what I said, and then:

You suggested that a desire to regulate immigration more often than not masks a racist agenda

and I took issue with the word agenda. I think it's more subtle and more casual than that, I don't think the majority of people's racism is part of an agenda.

At that point @The_Kindness_of_Trees seemed to think I was back-tracking on my original point and threw in the football hooligan analogy. I guess that's where the point-scoring started, for which I hold my hands up.

I hope it's clearer now :)

Great page.

Has that seen large scale population movements from the (relatively) poorer south to the wealthier north? I think we all know the answer is no.

Or maybe it's yes?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36854272

Well this is entirely unsurprising. Fracking given the go-ahead http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-37567866

:(

Steven Woolfe (potential UKIP leader) hospitalised after collapsing after being punched by a colleague http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/06/ukip-leadership-favourite-steven-woolfe--in-serious-condition-af/

Twitter naming the puncher as, and I kid you not, Mike Hookem, MEP.

He's also UKIP's Defence spokesperson.

It's also Steven Woolfe's birthday today.

:(

Brain injuries are NOT good...

Hopefully the doctors in Strasbourg tell him to fuck off home for treatment.

'Shouldn't laugh.

Trying not to

Classy:

https://youtu.be/iSqCG9CkJzk

"Steven picked a fight with one of them, and came off worse."

Also: "Reports that UKIP MEP who punched MEP Steven Woolfe is Mike Hookem, UKIP's defence spokesman, say he is now on the run from French police"

https://twitter.com/DaveKeating/status/784017638007697408

WTAFIGO???

WTF.

Some people think you can just punch someone in the head and nothing will happen, like they do in films. You can seriously fuck someone up permanently with surprisingly little. Head injuries are not cool. Hope he enjoys French prison.

Seems Woolfe is now conscious.

Someone's just sent me this.

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