"The owner of Vauxhall has announced plans to close its van-making factory in Luton, putting about 1,100 jobs at risk.

There are growing concerns among car manufacturers over EV sales targets, with many ... calling for the government to do more to boost consumer demand.

In response to the announcement, the government said it while it was

"encouraging to see Stellantis investing in the future of its Ellesmere Port plant, we know this will be a concerning time for the families of employees at Luton who may be affected".

[ MAY BE AFFECTED??? ]

As part of the shift to electric, manufacturers are required to sell a certain percentage of cars and vans that emit zero emissions.

Current rules state EVs must make up 22% of a carmaker's car sales, and 10% of van sales this year.

For every sale that pushes it outside the mandate, firms must pay a £15,000 fine. There are flexibilities in the system, allowing manufacturers who cannot meet the targets to buy "credits" from those that can.

Car brands with factories in the UK have been urging the government to relax the rules, arguing that EV demand is not strong enough and more incentives are required for drivers to go fully electric.

Following the intense pressure from industry, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is expected to announce a consultation on the rules later on Tuesday."


A consultation on rules from desk-bound politicians!
Play "The Death March" for 1100 factory jobs.

BBC News Item.

"According to the most recent ONS statistics, from 2018, liver disease is consistently among the top three causes of death each year among women aged 39-45.

“Women's drinking pretty much doubled in a really short period of time… about 10 years,” Prof Fiona Measham, a leading expert in drink and drug culture from the University of Liverpool, tells me.

Her research suggests that in the 1990s and 2000s, the alcohol industry zeroed in on female drinkers, targeting them with products such as alcopops and shots - and using feminism, female empowerment and liberation as a marketing tool.

She thinks these practices established a drinking culture in a whole generation of young women that would leave a lasting legacy.

“What we're seeing now is that young people, their consumption is falling fastest, but it's still holding quite steady for people in their 30s, 40s and 50s,” she says.

The same aggressive approach persists today within the alcohol industry, believes Prof Carol Emslie, from Glasgow Caledonian University. Only now it is pushing things like prosecco, “gin o’clock” and “wine time” as a way for women to relax and practise self-care after a hard day."

What should be a collective noun for the users of Scooploop?
Any suggestions?

https://petition.parliament.uk/signatures/145458053/signed

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/motorists-set-to-see-car-costs-skyrocket-in-january-amid-ofgem-announcement-impacting-millions/ar-AA1uC8m2?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=5dfe80c7db144470b7dfe1adf5eae8c5&ei=41

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/techandscience/billion-year-old-mouse-created-in-lab-using-method-older-than-all-life-on-earth/ar-AA1us112?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=5dfe80c7db144470b7dfe1adf5eae8c5&ei=30

https://news.sky.com/story/glasgow-bannerman-high-school-criticised-over-chest-binder-fundraiser-for-transgender-pupils-13254035?authId=1*1w4p8d8*_a*d0JnX29USDdzZXpuYjJpZ19fQV9mSm9nQ0lwWkdGWUJoTnhQam9wWU1HMl9SWlNMRzRsS1ZOVDV1ZTB5XzIyZw..

As they keep all the profits from his book

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c704y326g4ro

Last week, it was revealed that a man who pleaded guilty to taking part in the disorder was previously sentenced to ten years in prison for deliberately setting fire to a mosque in Stoke-on-Trent. Back in his 2011 trial, Simon Beech – now 36 years old – said that he had been a member of both the neo-fascist British National Party (BNP) and the English Defence League (EDL).

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/31876826/moment-man-escapes-kidnap-attempt-van/amp/

This new private group has been set up by myself and Peter Andrews on Facebook for the sole purpose for all Scooploop members to share information in the event of any further disruptions to the SL service. As we all found out very recently when SL went down, none of us knew for certain what was going on? Should the same thing happen again, members can be reassured that they can remain in contact with their friends. And should SL close indefinitely later down the line? We could use this group to suggest an alternative chat forum to join, so that we can all meet up again, and carry on as per usual.🤣 Everyone, and we mean everyone regardless of our personal likes, or dislikes are very welcome to join this group and have their say without any hard feelings, or grudges whatsoever. Best regards, Albert & Peter.

PS: Please be assured none of your personal information is obtained by the admin when joining this group.The only requirement (so we can initially identify who you are) is that when you join the group, please let us know your Scooploop user name. Thanks! Hopefully Scooploop will be still around for many, many more years to come. But should the worst happen, this new group will be a good place for everyone to meet up. If you would like to join the group? Please use the following link...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1292781951908444/?ref=share

What a scum bag

https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2024-11-22/mothers-partner-guilty-of-murdering-two-year-old-girl

I would love him to be killed as a superb Christmas present to everybody.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/russia-sends-new-nuclear-war-warning-and-names-priority-target-in-europe-for-destruction/ar-AA1uxT5c?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=f4c0173e161c4188ea958108bad54c5f&ei=17

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gxy2qxxpzo

Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have issued arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and former defence minister, as well as Hamas's military commander.

A statement said a pre-trial chamber had rejected Israel’s challenges to the court’s jurisdiction and issued warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.

A warrant was also issued for Mohammed Deif, although the Israeli military has said he was killed in an air strike in Gaza in July.

The judges found “reasonable grounds” that the three men bore "criminal responsibility" for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war between Israel and Hamas. Both Israel and Hamas have rejected the allegations.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly2exvx944o

Attacks by under 18 year olds seem to be becoming more frequent

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ygzw7579xo.amp

At the moment details of those arrested and even found guilty cannot be named ‘due to their age’

Do you think this rule, policy or law should be changed ?

https://metro.co.uk/2024/11/20/mps-clogged-7-000-toilets-last-two-years-22028796/

Biden authorises Ukraine to use US long-range missiles to strike Russia - reportspublished at 18:45
18:45Breaking

US President Joe Biden has given the green light for Ukraine to use long-range missiles supplied by the US to strike Russia, according to US media reports.

There is no formal confirmation by the White House or the Pentagon of the move which would be a major change of US policy.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has been urging for months for these restrictions on long-range missiles to be lifted, allowing Ukraine to target locations inside Russia.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/31868070/met-police-lose-officers-budget-cuts/

https://news.sky.com/story/cambridge-dictionary-reveals-manifest-as-word-of-the-year-after-use-by-celebrities-and-on-social-media-13257067#:~:text=Science%2C%20Climate%20%26%20Tech-,Cambridge%20Dictionary%20reveals%20'manifest'%20as%20word%20of%20the%20year%20after,has%20changed%20over%20the%20years.&text=%22Manifest%22%20has%20been%20picked%20as,of%20the%20year%20for%202024.

Really 🤔

My fixed contract ends January, yesterday I got an email offering early tariff switch and no exit fees from my current tariff.
I agreed but now they have taken £150 from my account.
I have emailed, texted and WhatsApped but so far no responses.

Due to an adverse price cap change, energy prices will increase on January 1st.
Question ?
Is it beneficial to go for a fixed tariff now, so that our energy (gas and electricity) prices will remain fixed at today's level for 18 months.

Have mums

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGdYHrvsg/

https://x.com/Jjulian6412/status/1858042068578210206?t=uFfRQ_TpeYrn4PgGU5_2yw&s=08

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0mzxe4dvw3o.amp

Farmer had people turning up at his gate repeatedly after his address was being given out

I wasn’t aware of the 3.7 million promised to ex servicemen and women by this government for housing until this evening when an MP who was a serviceman of 20 years talked about it on channel 4 tonight .

https://www.cobseo.org.uk/government-delivers-more-homes-for-heroes/

If this happens it’ll make a great difference for so many people

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c86qy500545o

He rated a 15 year old girl and got her pregnant after being given leave to remain
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/31796260/asylum-seeker-deportation-blocked-cabin-crew-jailed-rape-teen/

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/11/03/health/rfk-jr-fluoride-science

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c86q5yqz0q2o

It is just a shame the film is only being shown on Apple TV

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2l4eynl4zo.amp

Merry Christmas from the Poison Dwarf.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/russia-threatens-uk-with-nuclear-war-by-christmas-in-chilling-ww3-warning/ar-AA1uiWW4?ocid=BingNewsSerp

School has closed since

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0rgx7lzdreo

Only in America could this happen.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/cruise-line-offers-four-year-trip-for-americans-wishing-to-skip-trump-s-second-term/ar-AA1uff6u?ocid=BingNewsSerp

The uproar over the budget changes to NIC and recent reports have generated some more arithmetic.
We have a rate rise from 13.8% to 15% and a threshold fall of £9,100 to£5,000, so if you Take an employee on the UK average wage of £39,452 the employers NIC is increased by £966 pa, and per head.
In the case of our premier retailers this cost amounts, Asda £100 million, Sainsbury £140 million, M&S £120 million and Morrisons £70 million, and only the Lord knows what Tesco will be.
Now it must be obvious ,to even the least commercially informed among us, that no business can absorb these sums out of profits, alone therefore it means either price increases or cuts in costs. Now in retailing one of the biggest cost is staff wages and that is also the easiest to reduce by redundancy or lower salaries. The other easy option is higher prices.
Whichever option that you choose, who ends up paying the bill?, so much for governing for "working people".
This is lying hypocrisy of the highest order.

The son of a farmer who took his own life has spoken about the financial pressures currently facing people working in agriculture.

Cattle farmer John Charlesworth, 78, who was known as Philip, was found dead last week at Broad Close Farm, near Barnsley, which has been run by the family since 1957.

Jonathan Charlesworth, 46, said the Silkstone farm's annual profit was only £15,000 and that income had mainly come from diversifying its operations by opening a campsite and activity centre.

"Farms are asset rich, but there isn't any cash in the system. What little bit we make, we live off," he said.

"It was his life and seeing that passed to the next generation, that was the aim," Mr Charlesworth said of his father.

Mr Charlesworth said his father had also been full-time carer for his wife, who has advanced dementia, which had added to his financial worries.

The most recent figures from the Office for National Statistics showed 36 farmers across the UK took their own lives in 2021.

In the government's recent Budget, it was announced that a 20% inheritance tax would apply to agricultural assets worth more than £1m from April 2026.

Previously, agricultural property tax relief allowed family farms, including land, buildings, and housing, to pass between generations tax-free.

Paying tribute to his father, Mr Charlesworth said: "In any other job you would have compassionate leave, but on a farm you're just working twice as hard."

The government said it was unable to comment on this specific case, but offered its condolences to Mr Charlesworth's family and friends.

Would you want your son or daughter out there?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4grg0m085po

Not a great advert for recruitment

https://amp.theguardian.com/sport/2024/nov/16/jake-paul-vs-mike-tyson-boxing-fight-arlington-texas-report-result

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c74lw8j38k5o

The only way to build Britain back up is to rebuild relationships with the EU

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr5m7mp96l8o.amp

With controversial figures such as Musk and Kennedy .

https://news.sky.com/story/amp/rfk-jr-chosen-as-donald-trumps-health-secretary-13254320

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ym7g5dx50o.amp

I can’t imagine what these young lads went through being hacked with 16 inch knives

Ukraine back to the Stone Age.

https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/world/ukraine-starts-preparing-to-build-a-nuclear-bomb/ar-AA1u1yLg?ocid=BingNewsSerp

From "The Scotsman".

"It is the second time in three months the Royal Navy and RAF have detected Russian ships and aircraft within a week of each other".

How can a trainee teacher who shared videos of babies being raped not be a danger? Our country is a joke
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/31724864/trainee-teacher-videos-newborn-babies-raped-court/

“The UK has been regulating for risk, but not regulating for growth,” - Rachel Reeves, Chancellor.

Is the Dawn breaking...

Discussion please.

The Welsh government want them banned from public spaces as "some cultures" don't like them. Which cultures? Certainly not African or Asian where dogs are free to roam and respected.
https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/dog-free-zones-needed-countryside-tackle-racism-welsh-government/