teamonkey

Its reputation for impartiality is also working as expected.

The government do appear to have a hand in picking board members and executives though, and it’s regulated by the govt-appointed body Ofcom.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64383742

(And yes, I’m aware of the irony of posting a BBC news link)

AV+ was not a PR method and only offered minor benefits above FPTP. It would still lead to a concentration of power between the two main parties, but it would increase the overall number of seats gained by a centrist party.

AV+ suited the Tories (and Labour) only slightly less well than FPTP, but Lib Dems would have been a much bigger spare leg if it had gone through. For the Tories, it was a win-win result.

In other words, the LDs allowed themselves to make another compromise, being tempted with another minor power grab, and in doing so allowed themselves to be outplayed again, and didn’t even gain us the minor democratic benefits AV+ had to offer.

As for AV+ being a short leap to PR, I have doubts, even though I voted in favour of it. PR would be less beneficial than AV+ to the three main parties now, so why would the LDs try to push it through? Also the referendum would have been used as a weapon - “the people voted so we can’t change it” - just as has been done for election reform, the Scottish Referendum and Brexit since.

Doctors

The costs are high. Finance regulations force the banks to investigate high-profile clients for any conflicts of interest or reasons where a bank may be facilitating something illegal or sanctioned. It is literally illegal for the bank not to perform these checks. They can’t just put on blinkers and claim ignorance.

It would be at least negligent to shareholders, and possibly outright illegal, not to act on that information if there were significant risk.

Brown coal output 12.2021: 10100 GWh Black coal output 12.2021: 5391 GWh

Of course comparing August 2021 - August 2023 there’s less of a difference, but still a noticeable drop.

Lua crew represent

Shout out to the 5% of UKIPpers who voted to remain

I think it’s making sure that they can’t record their voice in a single session and have it synthesised forevermore.

It doesn’t make sense to think of it in terms of how much of the Sun’s energy it uses because solar energy is essentially free and unlimited, it comes from an outside system, we don’t need to mine it or carry it or anything and we can’t ‘waste’ it in the same way we can other fuels. All it tells us is the maximum theoretical limit.

10% more energy from solar means a rooftop array could generate an extra 300-500W which is a genuinely useful amount of energy.