Why would it be noticed? He just hasn't been seen for 3 months. Rumours of a man in an iron mask on St Kilda are just rumours.

It can even be argued that their analysis that UK businesses are not temperamentally disposed to invest is correct, but it doesn't mean that discouraging them from taking risks in hiring is a good idea.

I'd assumed that roadmen was just an attempt to bring back an archaic slur against Travellers, so thanks for clarifying.

Ah, the joy of "It's true white working class young men are more likely to support Reform than other young men, but even then Reform's support there is basically average, with a strong age curve. The more significant trend is Greens among young women." being edited to "young men […] support Reform".

I think that means you get to operate your landlord's guillotine first?

I can't help thinking it's easier to do it anyway if it's item #8 out of 12 things people dislike about the budget, because they'll only notice the first 3 anyway.

See also the government's failure to understand that in-work poverty is not always the fault of the employer, sometimes it is just about the things the employee in poverty needs being expensive.

Boil the New York Times editor every time it writes about mutton.

I don't think it says that Goodwin is going to be a member, just the honorary president?

You have to hope it doesn't last seven seasons. You'd break your jaw trying to fit the Half Blood Prince into it.

Yeah, it's fun how about 80% of the doctrinal issues that tore Europe apart for a century are just not controversial for either side any more and most of the rest have swapped valence at least once.

Sod that, we're bringing back the Dominion of New England. I am not a crank.

Going to presume this is an Arsenal joke I don't follow football closely enough to check.

They've got a point. When did you last write a column about Doctor Who?

And rather than voting to elect directors, ballot them on which one gets ostracised?

look I'm trying to avoid a Prevent referral, I'd rather all the warnings went "missed"

Tragically it all goes wrong and Russia just ends up with bigger nukes.

I don't see what the issue would have been 500 years earlier in Europe - if you're having a weekly service, providing bread and wine isn't a great hardship.