Peter Henry

So there we have it #brexit was a disaster It has taken a long time for #labour to admit it https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy0ypx859x8o#:~:text=According%20to%20Rachel%20Reeves%2C%20the%20Brexit%20deal,hit%20relative%20to%20remaining%20in%20the%20EU

Holiday plans ruined by #Iran war. After #chagosIslands trip ruined, #Farage now stranded alone at #mar_a_lago resort. Billionaire Christopher Harborne offers derisory Weatherspoons token in compensation for wasted trip https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/nigel-farage-mar-a-lago-visit-donald-trump-chagos-islands-403835/

Plugging the stupidly cheap imports #tax loop hole ending the “de minimis” rules.

The UK government plans to end the tax break on imports of goods worth less than £135, making them subject to customs duty, with the changes to take effect in March 2029 at the latest.

USA (already in place) and EU plan similar measures.

The delays are more to do with "collection" details than any political obstacles. Given that it is usually impossible to guess the value/price of goods, this looks more like trying to restrain money laundering with trade licences than just trying to collect revenue

I am 6' 2" - asking my grandson to lean forward so I can pat his head is getting embarrassing

It took about 3 million troop and 14 divisions for Germany to invade about 60% of France. Iran is three times larger. .

One in 7 shops in UK has turned cashless in the past year. Not surprising - UK banknotes are not fit for purpose. You cannot get £5 notes and slippery £20 notes will not fit in a wallet even if they did buy much.

UK bank bosses will hold their first meeting to establish a national alternative to Visa and Mastercard - let's hope they get their finger out before #Trump turns off shopping.

Back in the 70s Nixon threatened to cut off grain supplies. Now, Qatar LNG is the wrong side of the straits of Hormuz, Trump US LNG is vital for the UK. If the war doesn't stop soon, Europe will run out. While we all love jolly jokey #Polanski and his new lovely assistant promising no more sleaze, I am still a bit frightened of past claims he can increase women’s breast sizes with his mind. The only #greenparty policy I can really get behind is rejoining the #EU - that way we might get a few grown ups running the show #energySecurity

Iran crisis: Israel and US launch strikes as Trump confirms 'major combat operations.

It would have been good if the person that invented the "Caps Lock" key had also invented the "I Didn't Mean It" key

Greatest time wasters of the modern era

• CAPS LOCK KEY
• Accept cookies
• Windows boot time
• Spam

Obviously offering to be a Lord on your board of directors was part of our heroes charitable volunteer work - not at all for personal gain #mandelson #epstein

Mandelson BREAKING NEWS https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cew8jde9pxqt

Enough abuse - time to file for a divorce The #EU has "anti-coercion" procedures in place for countries using unfair trade measures (like the USA new #tariffs) but getting getting rogue member states (like Hungary) is going to be a challenge. UK #Starmer is plans to use the remains of the "special relationship" and mumbled diplomacy. Pakistan -outrageous flattery. #Russia has done well with #kompromat - and so on In short - it's a shambles. What is clear is that everybody from the poor consumer to the richest investor is motivated to avoid anything with a #USA label

I think Steve Frozenberg wants to come home - his edgy posts are getting a little critical #russia #putin https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gj20xzw39o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

UK #NationalLottery has web site has gone silent - is it time to launch the nukes?

#supremeCourt rules #trump #tariff under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) are illegal in peacetime - so all he has got to do is go war - give him a #nobelprize - quick!

Looks just like a 1959 advert for a "space age" car - complete with high heels

France and Germany’s plan to build a fighter jet of the future, planned to come with a swarm of drones and a “combat communications cloud”, is collapsing. France want a way of deploying Nukes; Germany doesn't!

The armchair warriors have clearly decided that drones are a good thing too!

Nobody can face the idea that "boys toys" ships, planes, tanks, nukes and guns are obsolete in the face of cheap, intelligent unmanned drones . Don't confuse AI Large Language Model capability to answer daft questions with
Experiential Reinforcement Learning agents - the next generation of drones will target regime leaders rather than bombing OAP

#AI

Formerly known as Prince

#epstein You have to be careful with spelling but the "redaction" leaves the UK company number 06040428 of GMI Productions intact and hence to Ms Audry Raimbault - Epstein and Andrew girlfriend. This has got to be deliberate See alt text

Pam Bondi says evil Dow Jones was involved with Epstein shock.

I love the Ford Capri 3.0 Litre (round headlights) in Small Prophets. I wrecked one back in the day - it was fine in a straight line not so good around ∟∟ https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/feb/09/small-prophets-review-mackenzie-crooks-magical-new-comedy-is-pure-pure-pleasure

#ElPaso shut down ?? https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_2233

Entry-Exit System (EES) at #EU Border causing chaos - three hour delays.

#brexit disaster will boost calls for closer UK integration. Sad

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0k699pxwzo

Nobody has the heart for any of this! EU postpones full biometric 'border rollout to September 2026.

The saddest thing about the #Starmer defenestration is the steady drift towards the #EU will come to shuddering stop

"full biometric" is like "full monty" but less fun

https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-02-02/gb/eu-postpones-full-biometric-border-rollout-to-september-2026-easing-immediate-pressure-on-uk-summer-travellers/

Breaking UK PM Starmer's communications director Tim Allan follows Morgan McSweeney out the door. Lack of action. I guess Tim's lobby company 'conflict of interest' links now look link poor judgement from the PM too https://www.strandpartners.com/

#Starmer didn't need shared intelligence from the #CIA - everybody in the entire country knew of #epstein #mandelson links

What is chilling about the #Epstein files is how the US DOJ is collecting irrelevant "key word in context" dialogue e.g. Farage+jeevacation@gmail.com This process is going on well into 2025! https{colon}//www.justice.gov/epstein The #DOJ website is cleverly designed to defeat search engines (random prompt timeouts) so it will take some time to design keyboard emulators to grab the lot and properly index it. Longer to understand timelines and reject daft Royal family gaffs etc. that have been deliberately left in unredacted plain text.

In 1994 #ukraine gave up its #nuclear weapons in return for security guarantees from the West - didn't work out well Ironic that #UK is trying to cosy up to #SAFE https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-defence-industry/safe-security-action-europe_en

Are we really supposed to believe #Trump nomination of Kevin Warsh (A former Fed governor) to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve caused slump in #gold price? It's unlikely, trending algorithm just said take the profit (Gold touched the upper band on the Bollinger curve) - there are plenty of other alternative "safe haven" assets.

Guardian commentators maintain we have an some sort of moral obligation to support our failing high streets - use it or lose it. Who needs all these pubs with sticky tables? I am very fortunate to live close to a thriving high street - doctors - dentist are nearby - more cafes restaurants pubs than you could visit in a lifetime. A train station at one end and a sandy beach at the other. It's the extra disposable cash from day-trippers and students that keeps it going. In the days of internet buying and easy free parking shopping malls other models do not work. The expense of employment costs, rates and rent are now impossible. Hollowed out streets get taken over by shop lifters and worse. It's time for radical planning reform including the compulsory purchase of gap sites and subsidised residential investment. In the meantime, dead town centres are fuelling a feeling of deprivation and votes for the far right. It's called flogging a dead horse #retail #politics

Mar-a-Lago and a packet of crisps please with apologies to Splodgenessabounds https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/25802860.donald-trump-psychological-state-alarms-european-ally/

Scraping the bottom of the "landmark deal" barrel

@ukscone@cupoftea.social Back in the 80s it was steamed baked white bread for the Brits and Vegemite for the Aussies. Today, you can get anything on Temu

#Starmer continues ascent of #Trump nose with #China visit https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/28/china-pitches-itself-as-a-reliable-partner-as-trump-alienates-us-allies?traffic_source=rss

France gives up on US conference video apps. Europe seeks #software independence from the USA

Alongside the trend to reclaim ownership(and trust) in ubiquitous software applications, is a better understanding of the need of security and safety.

#microsoft Word is not a great document interchange tool and #Adobe PDF is not much better. Time for a reset

#bloatware

https://cyberinsider.com/france-to-replace-zoom-and-teams-with-sovereign-platform-visio/