[galpinos]

Why do you think they’re pushing to leave things like the ECHR?

FYI, it looks like Raab's bonkers British Bill of Rights is getting canned so the ECHR might survive. On a similar note, as sickening as it is to see Dorries get sent to Lords, it might well save CH4 so swings and roundabouts.

[galpinos]

Judging by today’s jungle drums and Dit telegraph; she’s put a massive dent in her serving/veteran support base (a huge chunk of the enlisted grouping and not a few Officers); by give Johnny the boot. His wife has opinions about her too. I quite like the image of Truss as “Beaker” from the Muppets.

I think Mercer comes across as a total twat but his commitment to veterans interests can't be questioned. Enjoying his wife's tweeting of conversations that he had with Truss.

[galpinos]

Rees Mogg in charge of energy and industrial strategy was the big gut punch for me.

As awful as this appointment is, Graham Stuart is the Minister for Climate (and in the cabinet) and he's no climate denier* so there is some hope.

*His opinions in other policy areas however.....

[Will Hunt]

Enjoying his wife's tweeting of conversations that he had with Truss.

Links please.


An amusing Kit Malthouse story that popped up on my social media (apparently we used to go to the same school so it was shared in the alumni Facebook group):

"Story from scout camp when Kit came back as a leader after a number of years away...
He was keen to introduce himself to the other leaders and clearly living in London had had an influence on him.
He approached one guy sitting by the fire drinking a beer. With outstretched hand he said, "Hi! Kit; accountant; London."
The reply: "Hi. Dan; truck driver; Wigan."

 

[teestub]

Enjoying his wife's tweeting of conversations that he had with Truss.

Links please.

https://twitter.com/mercer_felicity/status/1567229997881987078

[petejh]

Investing in coal is a fucking terrible idea because Climate Change. That's it. End of story.

Today coal is essential, the world needs it to progress to a world that doesn't require it. As the world makes progress we'll hopefully need less and less of it. In the meantime, price of an essential commodity is skyrocketing due to there not being enough supply to meet current high demand - that isn't investing in future coal it's making profits from demand for current coal.

Some realities below about steelmaking and decarbonising the process, about current coal use, the maths of a circular economy. WoodMac is good for getting a view of good-news pieces to do with various elements of the energy transition, recycling, green hydrogen, lower-carbon steelmaking, growth of battery storage for renewables. It's all moving forward, we aren't there yet but will get there eventually.

https://www.woodmac.com/news/opinion/sustainable-smelting-how-green-can-it-go/
https://www.woodmac.com/news/opinion/green-steel-three-milestones-on-the-road-to-lower-carbon-emissions/
https://www.teck.com/media/Understanding-Global-Demand-for-Steelmaking-Coal.pdf
https://yellowlablifecapital.substack.com/p/the-idea-of-a-circular-economy-for

[galpinos]

https://www.woodmac.com/news/opinion/green-steel-three-milestones-on-the-road-to-lower-carbon-emissions/

I'm interested in milestone 3, the company I work for are bidding on this:

https://www.h2greensteel.com/

but as I'm on the "Europe's greenest battery" project I think I'll miss out.

[galpinos]

The new foreign secretary likes painting Warhammer figurines.

https://twitter.com/cinemashoebox/status/1567436199907807232

We are being ruled by the likes of Fiend!

(Sorry Fiend couldn’t resist.)

Doing damage to "coolness" Henry Cavill had brought to painting tiny figurines.....

[Will Hunt]

I'm on the "Europe's greenest battery" project

This sounds like it belongs in the Wednesday 8pm slot on BBC1.

[Fiend]

Doing damage to "coolness" Henry Cavill Fiend had brought to painting tiny figurines.....

AHEM 

[petejh]

but as I'm on the "Europe's greenest battery" project I think I'll miss out.

I remember you mentioned you work on Northvolt. I'm invested in various suppliers to Northvolt - I used to be invested in Vale, who refine and supply nickel to Northvolt, which they get from the Voisey's Bay nickel mine where I'm invested in Altius Minerals and Anglo Pacific who each have a royalty on Voisey's nickel stream.

Have they announced where they've chosen to source their cobalt from yet?

Various recent projects in the nickel/cobalt/lithium mining are aimed at manufacturers such as Northvolt and others needing to meet the US and Euro traceability/ESG regulations. Obvs now increased focus on supply chain security since Ukraine/Russia. PNRL, Talon, PMET, CTM (Vale have already agreed offtake with CTM's Jaguar project) all are aimed at supplying the European and N.American battery manufacturers. Tesla did a small deal to offtake nickel directly from Talon's mine in N.America. Other carmakers who manufacture their own batteries looking to source minerals direct from miners. Will be interesting seeing which commercial model works out with EV's and their fuel source - carmakers manufacturing their own batteries through purchasing battery tech companies (possibility of Northvolt being bought by VW for e.g.?) or carmakers buying batteries from independent battery specialists..

[TobyD]

Judging by today’s jungle drums and Dit telegraph; she’s put a massive dent in her serving/veteran support base (a huge chunk of the enlisted grouping and not a few Officers); by give Johnny the boot. His wife has opinions about her too. I quite like the image of Truss as “Beaker” from the Muppets.

I think Mercer comes across as a total twat but his commitment to veterans interests can't be questioned. Enjoying his wife's tweeting of conversations that he had with Truss.

In the media he may do, however I listened to an interview with him on Politico's Westminster Insider podcast in which he comes across as genuine and a thoroughly nice person with a strong commitment both to veterans, Afghan refugees and his constituents.

[spidermonkey09]

 I dunno, I'd second the view that he comes across like a total twat regardless. The definition of a man with a hammer to whom everything is a nail. Agree that he made nice sounding noises about Afghan refugees but that was all it amounted to.

[TobyD]

I dunno, I'd second the view that he comes across like a total twat regardless. The definition of a man with a hammer to whom everything is a nail. Agree that he made nice sounding noises about Afghan refugees but that was all it amounted to.

He personally got several Afghan refugees out of the country and helped them to get here, he now employs one in his constituency office,  he also got the mans family out, and found them housing etc.  Not just noise.

[mrjonathanr]

:He was quoted in the Guardian as saying

he was “disappointed” but accepted that the PM is “entitled to reward her supporters”.

Is it just me who finds it genuinely shocking that a departing minister would apparently regard that as a totally normal thing to say?

The whole population is affected by the actions of the Secretaries of State - they « should » be chosen for their ability, not their friendship group. Low standards and expectations are getting more and more normalised.

Felicity Mercer, however, rather exceeded expectations: Beaker for PM

[SA Chris]

Agree cabinet positions should be on ability, not loyalty. Have any of those who left in "the great quitting" been appointed to cabinet? I can't remember the full quitter list.

[TobyD]

Agree cabinet positions should be on ability, not loyalty. Have any of those who left in "the great quitting" been appointed to cabinet? I can't remember the full quitter list.

Loyalty is always going to play a pretty big part, they are after all, supposed to be able to work as a team.
It is remarkable how little experience is represented in the cabinet though. The Conservative party is full of hugely experienced ministers, whether you like them or not, the likes of Jeremy Hunt, Theresa May, David Davis, Andrew Mitchell, Sajid Javid etc etc must have a lot of knowledge about their previous briefs. It seems ridiculous that all this is effectively wasted.

[seankenny]

Totally agree with Toby on the waste of talent.

Interesting sketch of the new chancellor:

https://archive.ph/2022.09.07-171235/https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/09/07/kwasi-kwarteng-is-bold-brainy-and-weird

He is clearly intellectually gifted at the very least, and spent his time getting there.

[Rocksteady]

Totally agree with Toby on the waste of talent.

Interesting sketch of the new chancellor:

https://archive.ph/2022.09.07-171235/https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/09/07/kwasi-kwarteng-is-bold-brainy-and-weird

He is clearly intellectually gifted at the very least, and spent his time getting there.

I felt vaguely hopeful after reading that. Clearly not someone who has spent most of his time and energy politicking his way to the top. Maybe a man of more substance than most of the current crop (going back for a long time). We'll see.

[edshakey]

24 hours as PM and Truss has already killed the queen. Not the start she'd have been hoping for.

[Wellsy]

Yeah she's deffo gone isn't she

[SamT]

Looks like operation london bridge is in full swing.

[teestub]

Looks like operation london bridge is in full swing.

Hadn’t heard of this before, some mad stuff in there like being worried that people would get upset if flags weren’t lowered fast enough

https://www.politico.eu/article/queen-elizabeth-death-plan-britain-operation-london-bridge/amp/

[seankenny]

I live under the flight path between central London and Brize Norton. Whenever there is a big gathering of statesmen/women from around the world we always see lots of large helicopters flying overhead in one direction or the other. Anyhow earlier this afternoon a brace of them flew over heading west… someone clearly going somewhere in a hurry.

[SA Chris]

Heading to Heathrow to get private plane to Dyce? Too late it would seem. RIP.