Jasper

Went to the 3 East Rugby League Cup Finals a couple of weeks ago at Hemel Hempstead. Got talking to a chap from one of the clubs about next year and what was happening. He gave me a piece of paper with what his clubs thinks will happen. A quick breakdown is Premier East LONDON CHARGERS HAMMERSMITH WEST WARRIERS LONDON SKOLARS EAST RHINOS HEMEL STAGS NORTH HERTS CRUSADERS Premier West COVENTRY LEICESTER NORTHAMPTON LEAMINGTON ST IVES BEDFORD Remaining teams to make up Division 1 East and Division 1 West St Albans Centurions Brentwood Eels Surrey Sharks Richmond Derby City Northampton A Birmingham Worcester Boston Sherwood Wolf Milton Keynes Luton Vipers Cambridge Kings Lynn Bedford A Hemel A He said it is based on what they have heard from some clubs and a bit of speculation - so who knows.

After explaining to my Tory mate how and why I though May almost lost the election (so much to choose from), he sent me this saying its the only thing that's made him smile in the last two days. I told him to laugh now, as she won't be there in a couple of months time .....

Thanks for that bbf, also just came across this, might be of interest to some - New Southern Rugby League Competition set to launch in 2018 http://www.rugby-league.com/article/40143/new-southern-rugby-league-competition-set-to-launch-in-

Re the above, just been told by a little bird that the RFL have had a meeting (today I think) about a complete reshuffle of the amateur game outside of the 'heartlands' for the 2018 season. Anyone heard anything?

On the day that Home Secretary Amber Rudd gets a 'testy response' to her speech at the Police Federation Conference, Home Secretary has clashed with rank-and-file police officers over crime rates and funding as she insisted the Tories remain the "party of law and order" you would think that the Labour shadow Home Secretary would jump at the chance to get one over on her, and what does she do? Diane Abbott gets lost on stage at the Police Federation Conference The election campaign that just keeps giving.....

Well, the business world seem to think its a foregone conclusion:- From the Financial Times - Good news for business as the FTSE 100 Index closed above 7,500 for the first time as higher than forecast confidence over Britain's prospects under a Tory government drove stocks higher. London's blue chip index reached a mid-session record of 7,533.70 points in afternoon trading, before settling at an all-time closing high of 7,522.03 - up 67.66 points or 0.9% for the day. It was a third consecutive record close for the FTSE 100, which reached 7,454.37 a day earlier. Markets were reacting positively to signs that Theresa May's Conservative Party will secure a majority in the General Election on June 8. Jasper Lawler, a senior market analyst at London Capital Group, said: "The UK stock market reached a new milestone today when the FTSE 100 hit 7,500 for the first time. Investors seem to be feeling confident about the outlook for Britain under what is expected to be the biggest Conservative Party majority since Margaret Thatcher".

Evening Standard reporting that the Labour party, this time in the shape of the shadow education secretary, has had another 'car crash interview' - Angela Rayner stumbled over her figures relating to a key education election pledge in a car-crash live radio interview. The Shadow Education Secretary floundered when asked the details of a Labour pledge to reduce the number of primary school class sizes with more than 30 children. The live interview on LBC Radio has been compared to Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott's on the same network last week, in which she stumbled over details of a Labour plan to increase police officer numbers. Ms Rayner was asked how many children across the country were taught in classes of more than 30 people. She was unable to cite the number and repeatedly told interviewer Nick Ferrari it was a “substantial” or “significant” figure.

I posted this on another thread a few days ago - Remember this headline of pre-Brexit days - "Richard Branson's Virgin Group is to help bankroll a campaign set up in secret by Blairite former ministers and advisers to derail Brexit, The Independent can reveal." Well according to a report on one of the tv channels the other day, this group is still meeting, but they are not talking about Brexit anymore, according to a 'parliamentary source', they are looking at forming a new 'centrist Labour party' if and when Corbyn gets his bottom handed to him on a plate after the election. Maybe they could call it something to reflect its newness, New Labour maybe!!!

Remember this headline of pre-Brexit days - "Richard Branson's Virgin Group is to help bankroll a campaign set up in secret by Blairite former ministers and advisers to derail Brexit, The Independent can reveal." Well according to a report on one of the tv channels the other day, this group is still meeting, but they are not talking about Brexit anymore, according to a 'parliamentary source', they are looking at forming a new 'centrist Labour party' if and when Corbyn gets his bottom handed to him on a plate after the election.

American actor Clifton James, best known for his portrayal of James Bond character Sheriff JW Pepper, has died aged 96.

(Mind you, Gordon Brown was paid a total of £962,516 in 2014 on top of his parliamentary wages, and his £100,000 for two speeches takes some beating.)

Just seen this on another website, not sure if this is true or not .....

It certainly does, but it also mentioned that Belgium, Italy, and I think Rumania all have secessionist movements of their own and have also publicly stated that they would all veto Scotland as well. Also, the last time this was discussed on here, wasn't there something about you can only apply to join the EU if you are a 'proper', stand alone, independent country, and not as Scotland wants to be - part of the UK one day and joining the EU the next. Wasn't it mentioned that it takes about three years plus of negotiating to get into the EU, from the time that Scotland would declare its independence. Could Scotland survive on its own for that long? (I don't know, just wondering).

Couple of weeks a go on Euronews, on a piece about Scotland, they were saying that Spain has said it will always veto an independent Scotland joining the EU due to the question of Catalonian independence.

From The Independent - Shadow cabinet member Shami Chakrabarti was mocked on Sunday after blaming Labour’s disastrous Copeland by-election defeat on bad weather and poor public transport suggesting Labour voters as being less likely to have a car. Following the interview on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, one Labour MP ridiculed the “pearls of wisdom from the never-having-stood-for-election wing of the Labour party”.