Dugin's 1997 description of the UK as a 'strategic floating base' of the USA that needs to be cut off from the EU keeps popping in my mind.

The fact that his wildest dreams have come to pass since then, and the USA is now a Russian ally, is really starting to make this island feel unsafe.

Why not restore county council police committees?

Talk’s cheap and not much is cheaper than Badenoch and Farage

You really don’t get it do you? Humans will always find some things difficult. Dealing with difficulties causes stress learning to cope with stress is therefore important. Pretending you can eliminate it is counterproductive and stupid.

I don’t think so. I’m close to 80 and I started life in a 2 up 2 down. I survived disease, education, work, family, a mortgage at 15% and much else. My parents coped with WW2 and my grandparents WW1. That’s three generations of various stresses. My children have families and demanding jobs.

As a leader, Starmer’s main job should be to do what’s best for the UK. Lead. Not run scared of polls, hostile media, the next election. The surest way to lose the next election will be by continuing to muddle along, and pretending the British people are too stupid to notice.

I’m sorry that’s fanciful nonsense stress doesn’t reduce, it changes, and letting people feel that stress is abnormal doesn’t help. Stress is commonplace constant stress is not good and opportunities for relaxation have been treasured for millennia. Getting the balance is key.

Life can be stressful for all sorts of reasons. I had a very stressful job at times as do many others. Stress is a fact of life so learning sensible stress management strategies makes sense for those not naturally “resilient “ Much better than creating mental patients.

Interesting comment this morning that a stressful life is not an illness. That’s true but if stress tolerance is low it can cause illness so we need to get people used to dealing with stress through school and work.