In todays news...

[Bigjawa]

Will anyone actually notice that Nadine Dorries has also buggered off? How big will the tory loss by for that seat?

She had hinted that she was going to, so that she could accept a peerage.

Except she's not getting one.

I suppose a career in reality tv beckons.

[Horse]

So the Messiah is a Crocodile?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-65834167

If they don't call it Jesus they're missing a trick.

Parthenogenesis happens in some reptile species. It’s not “news” at all.

Wasn't it a plot element of Jurassic Park? The males and females were kept apart to prevent breeding.

[Count Steer]

Pension funds are for the long term, not a quick profit and I hope you're a couple of years from dipping into them.

Hah

I retire next Friday - so most of the investments have been moved into the 'safer' investments - and it's a year before the state pension kicks in. I've put the private pots on hold in the hope that gilts improve.

Luckily, I have some years in a final salary scheme and Filly will continue working for another year.

In a similar boat here. Got a company pot that I thought I'd leave where it is, tucked up in 'low risk' bonds and cash funds. It absolutely stoofed....and there's not much sign of a real bounce either.

[JackyJoll]

It seems that the bonds which are usually considered to be a low risk investment, were what the Truss business damaged.

[Ant]

It seems that the bonds which are usually considered to be a low risk investment, were what the Truss business damaged.

The thing with Truss, is that the BoE made their changes to interest rates (because of what the BoE have done to bonds) two days before the budget was announced. The BoE have fucked up, yet someone else gets the blame, again.

[Cousin Jack]

It seems that the bonds which are usually considered to be a low risk investment, were what the Truss business damaged.

The whole financial industry appears to have the memory span of a gnat. 'Low risk' bonds have 2 risks, default - that is a low risk, and pricing - which was only low risk as long as interest rates stayed low. Interest rates for the last few years have been silly low, but for the few hundred years before that were often much higher. I expected them to go up at some time, the entire industry apparently missed that.

[Horse]

The whole financial industry appears to have the memory span of a gnat. 'Low risk' bonds have 2 risks, default - that is a low risk, and pricing - which was only low risk as long as interest rates stayed low. Interest rates for the last few years have been silly low, but for the few hundred years before that were often much higher. I expected them to go up at some time, the entire industry apparently missed that.

We remortgaged in 2014, when rates were really low. I expected them to rise, albeit sooner.

I did a 2 year fix on gas and electricity, just over 2 years ago, on a similar expectation that that prices wouldn't drop and were unlikely to remain static.

But I don't claim any sort of insight and had no idea of implications as you describe. Instead, trusting that those in charge of determining where money was invested would have a reasonable idea.

Of course, the financial providers previously presided over the massive clusterfuck of seeming to notice/ignore the gradually aging population and effect on pensions.

I thought that I was doing ok by saving diligently, maximum into company pension and a bit more elsewhere.

[Cousin Jack]

I am no expert, but the ultra low rates could not last forever. Some clever bods had built an entire industry out of conning pension funds that the price/value of a govt bond paying 2% would never drop. When you can get 5% somewhere else at low risk it does drop, like a stone!

Truss just lobbed the stone.

[Potter]

Instead, trusting that those in charge of determining where money was invested would have a reasonable idea.

Unfortunately 50% of everyone is below average intelligence, and the rest couldn't give a monkeys if you die of starvation during retirement.

[Saga Lout]

Unfortunately 50% of everyone is below average intelligence...

That's unacceptable, the government should fix it. Pass a law or something.

[Horse]

Unfortunately 50% of everyone is below average intelligence...

That's unacceptable, the government should fix it. Pass a law or something.

Several years ago, OFSTED changed from 5 to 4 grades for schools, removing the middle tier.

A spokesperson was interviewed:
"That means over 50% of schools are now below average!"

Not repeated in later interviews and, sadly, didn't make it into print.

[Horse]

you die of starvation during retirement.

Well, I'm lucky that I won't.

[Cousin Jack]

Several years ago, OFSTED changed from 5 to 4 grades for schools, removing the middle tier.

A spokesperson was interviewed:
"That means over 50% of schools are now below average!"

Not repeated in later interviews and, sadly, didn't make it into print.

They didnt repeat it because it is just plain wrong. OFSTED grades (and virtually all education stuff) have abandoned the normsl distribution. All schools can be judged outstanding if they are.

[Yambo]

Didn't OFSTED change the grading (and the meaning of words) to something like a school that was deemed 'acceptable', wasn't?

It was a while back so might have been adequate or some other word.

[Cousin Jack]

Yes, Adequate disapeared, the next down from Good was Requires Improvement.

[Mussels]

Unfortunately 50% of everyone is below average intelligence...

That's unacceptable, the government should fix it. Pass a law or something.

Several years ago, OFSTED changed from 5 to 4 grades for schools, removing the middle tier.

A spokesperson was interviewed:
"That means over 50% of schools are now below average!"

Not repeated in later interviews and, sadly, didn't make it into print.

That statement could be mathematically correct if a little vague but I can understand why they wouldn't want to publish it.

[Lutin]

Three by-elections in the offing - Third by-election for Tories as Boris Johnson ally quits

An ally of Boris Johnson has resigned "with immediate effect", triggering a third by-election for the Tories.

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty, has stood down but did not say why. It comes after Mr Johnson quit ahead of the Partygate report. Nadine Dorries resigned earlier on Friday.

Anymore for anymore?

[Horse]

That's unacceptable, the government should fix it. Pass a law or something.

Several years ago, OFSTED changed from 5 to 4 grades for schools, removing the middle tier.

A spokesperson was interviewed:
"That means over 50% of schools are now below average!"

Not repeated in later interviews and, sadly, didn't make it into print.

That statement could be mathematically correct if a little vague but I can understand why they wouldn't want to publish it.

Indeed; mean mode median

But that wasn't how it sounded

[Horse]

Several years ago, OFSTED changed from 5 to 4 grades for schools, removing the middle tier.

A spokesperson was interviewed:
"That means over 50% of schools are now below average!"

Not repeated in later interviews and, sadly, didn't make it into print.

They didnt repeat it because it is just plain wrong. OFSTED grades (and virtually all education stuff) have abandoned the normsl distribution. All schools can be judged outstanding if they are.

I get to hear a lot of stuff that's not made public. OFSTED as an organisation is self-serving, biased ... and much more ... relying (and miss-quoting*) on very limited research to substantiate decisions ...

* to the extent that several authors have gone public saying that OFSTED have seriously got it wrong.

[Cousin Jack]

I an not a fan either.