Starmer's vision quest

[C R]

Is it? I thought it was a play on "Colin from accounts" which itself is a play on accountants being good but boring. (See also Colin the emotional vampire in What We Do in the Shadows).

It may be a play on Colin from Accounts, but as I explained further up, it seems to have been sparked by a smear attempt from the far right press. Up until yesterday I had only heard it used by far right shït stirrers.

 

[icowden]

It may be a play on Colin from Accounts, but as I explained further up, it seems to have been sparked by a smear attempt from the far right press. Up until yesterday I had only heard it used by far right shït stirrers.

Fair point.

 

[Psamathe]

Yes. Quite simply, we don't know how many illegal immigrants are in the UK.
There may be far more or far less.

We do know that there were 99,790 people who had claimed asylum in the UK in the year ending September 2024

You raise an important point and one that I am continually finding frustrating. Too many people confuse immigration and asylum. People are called immigrants when they are refugees. We need to distinguish as there is a big difference and I don't regard the terms as interchangeable at least not in the current attitude cilmate in the UK.

Ian

 

[Psamathe]

Did we have 'Kwasi from Accounts' when he crashed the economy?
...

No, because the nickname implies average, uninspired, etc. whereas others have been more notable, more disasterous.

Rachel Reeves is the first female Chancellor. The 'Rachel from accounts' is a sex-based pejorative term, aimed at belittling her, in part, for being a woman in this role.

Nothing to do with her being a woman. The only female aspect to the nickname is caused by the "Rachel" and that's her name being used to identify her and it's mostly a female's name. It is pejorative because that's the intent, same as if I said about her bad policies, the comment would be pejorative. Just because she is the first female chancellor her gender should not exempt her from criticism.

So the nickname is nothing to do with her being a woman in the role.

eg Somebody regularly pays too much for some service and somebody comments "Susan is daft with her finances" is that belittling her because she is a woman? Just because it includes her name which identifies her as female.

(Sorry, I said I wouldn't keep discussing this as there are for more significant thigs to discuss and I've broken that already, just like I have a few timed ended-up feeding our troll).

Ian

 

[Psamathe]

Re: Bats & Newts
Increasingly over the last few weeks I've been rather annoyed about Starmer/Reeve's using the HS2 £100m bat tunnerl requirement as an excuse to start attacks of environmental protections. They are repeatedly misleading people about the tunnelsuggesting such ludicrous expenditure was required to protect bats.

Truth is that Natural England never required this bat protection tunnel, never advised on design nor on costs. It was HS2's own environmental survey that identified the bat populations and HS2 who proposed the tunnel and designed the tunnel. HS2 then submitted their plans to Natural England asking only if their plans would provide adequate protection, which it did. There are many ways to protect wildlife and HS2 chose a rather mad way and now politicians are using that HS2 madness to justify removing environmental protections.

eg

Natural England has not required HS2 Ltd to build the reported structure, or any other structure, nor advised on the design or costs. The need for the structure was identified by HS2 Ltd more than 10 years ago, following extensive surveying of bat populations by its own ecologists in the vicinity of Sheephouse Wood.
(from the Government's own website https://naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2024/11/08/natural-england-role-in-high-speed-2/)

Ian

 

[multitool]

Is it? I thought it was a play on "Colin from accounts" which itself is a play on accountants being good but boring. (See also Colin the emotional vampire in What We Do in the Shadows).

Did we ever say <insert name of any chancellor> from accounts?

 

[icowden]

Did we ever say <insert name of any chancellor> from accounts?

Well, no but it wasn't in the zeitgeist due to a hit Australian sitcom...

 

[Psamathe]

Did we ever say <insert name of any chancellor> from accounts?

You can ask that question about any nickname. Nicknames are related to individuals eg "But how many Prime Ministers are known as 'Keith'" (derogatory). or PM partners <insert name> Antoinette. what about "Leaky Sue" one could be asking <insert name> Sue and it becomes in part, for being a woman because Sue is generally a female name.

Some might argue that achieving a nickname that is in widespread use it makes her significant and recognises her high profile position. And as nicknames go it doesn't seem patrticularly terrible (certainly not compared to some).

Ian

 

[Ian H]

Pedants' corner is over there >>
........Somewhere...

 

[The Crofted Crest]

It is belittling because she is not Rachel from accounts, but the Right Honourable Rachel Reeves MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

 

[CXRAndy]

It is belittling because she is not Rachel from accounts, but the Right Honourable Rachel Reeves MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Who got found out on her résumé


She has not shown to anyone that she has got an understanding of economics of a country's finances

She will be forever known as Rachel from accounts

Just wait a few more months, she will very likely be raising yours and my tax burden again

 

[BoldonLad]

It is belittling because she is not Rachel from accounts, but the Right Honourable Rachel Reeves MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

What about Spreadsheet Phil, wasn’t he similarly titled?

 

[BoldonLad]

Spin off benefit from individual investment choices and not part of UK Government growth plans.

I was originally talking about Labour's plans (or lack of plans) for growth. Income from overseas investments income is beyond UK Gov's control.

Also, it's a complex analysis I have no idea about. Do people with Stocks & Shares ISAs tend to take the income to spend or do they tend to leave it in the ISA given that left in the ISA it is compound interest tax free (when they do finally take it). I have no idea. I'm maybe different but my cash ISAs have always had interest left in-place to compound and raiding savings comes from other accounts.

Ian

I cannot speak for EVERY stocks and shares ISA Holder, but, it is/was part of my retirement planning. As self employed software developer, I had no Corporate or Zpublic Sector Pension provider, and, not wishing to put all of my eggs in one basket, I split my pension savings provision between stock and shares ISAs and conventional Pension Fund. I am now living off the proceeds. 😊

 

[icowden]

She has not shown to anyone that she has got an understanding of economics of a country's finances

Well, she hasn't showed that she *hasn't*. See Truss and Kwarteng for that approach.

Just wait a few more months, she will very likely be raising yours and my tax burden again

Possibly. It's almost as if some absolute morons were running the country for too long and cost us loads of money. Sadly they are not the ones who have to suffer to pay it back.

 

[matticus]

As I said above, the nickname seems in widespread use

So basically, you wouldn't have had the balls for this name-calling, if it wasn't for the bigger boys using it too.
This isn't a very good look.

I suppose if "shoot-skin Sunak" was in common use, that would be OK?