Brett-Butler

I’d take that poll with a pinch of salt as the methodology was rather flawed, but as it stands I do think it’ll be a Tory win, albeit not one as emphatic as that.

Just got my 1st vaccine. Got the AstraZenica one. I’ve got a massive craving for Battenberg, but I’ve been assured that it’s not one of the side-effects of the vaccine.

From my friends who have already got their jab since it opened to the over 30s yesterday, it seems as if most, if not all of them have been given the AstaZenica jab, which would end up with a strange situation that when they come to get their 2nd jab in July (seems to be a 10 week 2nd jab window for NI), they could be given a jab that they their age range is technically disallowed from receiving.

I’m more than likely to get the Astra vaccine on Sunday, and the stories of blot clots hasn’t given me any cause for concern ahead of the jab. The likelihood of me getting clots are so astronomically low that it’s preferable to getting COVID from non-vaccination. And nearly all my friends signed up to the jab when it opened this morning (which I admit is a small self-selecting sample), which suggests if there is any hesitancy, we haven’t reached the age group when we really see it yet.

Getting jabbed on Sunday!

Over 30s opening limited slots in Northern Ireland today from 10am. HOOK IT TO MY VEINS! (Both metaphorically and literally).

The next election for the Assembly is due to be next year, so I'm guessing the DUP are intending to have the new leader installed by the end of June to give him a few months to settle in as leader to lead the party into the 2022 elections. That's supposing that Sinn Fein don't bring down the Executive themselves in the next few months to take advantage of the situation, which I wouldn't put past them.

Northern Ireland has now moved on to the 35-39 age range. Getting agonisingly close to getting my vaccination. They better not go straight to the over 18s next and do over 30s next (although given that the AZ vaccine won’t be given to the under 30s there might not be as much overlap between the two groups).

A possible attempt by the government to scupper English teams joining the Super League - @1384027013543972864 Would be interesting to see if there’s any truth to this, the idea of a Tory government supporting something like this even a few years ago would’ve been unthinkable. Easier for the Tories to shift left on economy and all that.

Barbers and outdoor things reopen next Friday in Belfast, nonessential retail, gyms and outdoor bars/restaurants open in 30th April. I am so ready for this.

I'd argue that Suede's best known songs with the general public would be "Animal Nitrate" (#7) or "Beautiful Ones" (#8), but their biggest hits were "Stay Together" and "Trash" (both #3). The Stone Roses' signature songs include "Waterfall" (#27), "She Bangs The Drums" (#34) or "I Wanna Be Adored" (#20), but their highest charting single was the #2 hit "Love Spreads". The Kooks are best known for "Naive" (#5) and "She Moves In Her Own Way" (#7), although their highest charting single was "Always Where I Need To Be" (#3).

Northern Ireland still behind rUK in opening up (due to ROI being well behind us in its vaccination programme), click and collect for all retail restarted yesterday, as did car washes and garden centres. 26th April is when we’re predicted to get hairdressers and non-essential retail open, so fingers crossed on that. On the positive side, vaccinations are now open for 40+, so at this rate I’m likely to be offered mine in 2 weeks.

Some random observations about some of the minor parties running - TUSC have managed to get quite a lot of candidates running - they ran 100+ candidates in the 2015 General Election and didn't save a a single deposit. They more or less folded into Corbynite Labour after that, and are now active again. They seem to be quite well funded to get so many candidates in a short space of time, but I think they'll be losing a lot more deposits again, would be surprised to see them win any seats. Both the continuity Liberals and continuity SDP are running for councils. The Liberals still have a fair few councilors, the SDP do not. I can't see the SDP winning any seats despite running double the candidates, the Liberals will probably hold on to many of the seats they have; a lot of the seats they're fighting for are in Liverpool from what I can see. Will be interesting to see what appetite there is for the continuity Farage party (Reform UK) has post Farage (prediction - hardly any), and and if UKIP will lose all their remaining councilors that were elected in 2016/17 (quite likely). Will also look out for the Freedom Alliance, who are running an impressive 94 candidates for a party that's barely a year old that's essentially a single-issue anti-lockdown party. I can't see much future for a party whose raison d'etre will likely be moot come election time, or not too long after it.

Total candidates running for each party are as follows - @1380939278369316869 This doesn’t include by-elections, which is why the 13 the Loonies that are running in Kingston aren’t included in their total.

Given my usual rules about only betting on any horses that a) have music-y names, and b) refer to my name, I've stuck £5 e/w on both Chris's Dream & Acapella Bourgeois. There were no horses that matched my other requirements, c) have a Catholic-y name, or d) have a Japanese name.

More violence this evening barely a mile from where I live, in Tiger's Bay. I had hoped that Prince Phillip's passing would lead to a temporary diffusion of the rioting, but evidently not. Helicopters have been overhead for the past few hours.

It's their continuity version that kept going after the Liberal-SDP merger. They had a boost in their membership circa-2019, where a lot of "weird Catholic Twitter" ended up joining them, but the majority of them left by the end of the year due to introducing some policies that were viewed as anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic. Quite a lot of ex-Ukippers now make up the party.

There are SIXTEEN candidates running in the Hartlepool by-election, the most for a by-election in a long time I believe: SDP - David Bettney Monster Raving Loony - The Incredible Flying Brick North East - Hilton Dawson Women's Equality - Gemma Evans Green - Rachel Featherstone Independent - Adam Gaines Liberal Democrats - Andrew Hagon Freedom Alliance - Steve Jack No description - Chris Killick Independent - Sam Lee Heritage Party (UK) - Claire Martin Conservative - Jill Mortimer Reform UK - John Prescott (not that one) Independent - Thelma Walker Independent - W. Ralph Ward-Jackson Labour - Paul Williams The party with the racist acronym failed to fill in their paperwork correctly, so Thelma Walker is listed as an Independent on the ballot. Quite a few parties taking part in their first by-election, like the North East Party, Freedom Alliance (an anti-lockdown party), and the Brexit continuity party, Reform UK.

Count me in.

Thankfully Moderna is starting to be rolled out in the UK, so hopefully this can pick up a bit of the slack and be prioritised to those age groups. I’ll happily take any of the three currently rolled out once I’m offered one.

Another by-election is on the cards following the death of Conservative Cheryl Gillan, the MP for Chesham and Amersham. She had a 16,000 majority at the last election, so unlikely to see this seat change hands when the writ comes.

I'd say that I'd have no problem with vaccine passports once everyone has been offered at least one vaccination, but before then I'd be more wary about creating a two-tier system.

I find it really hard to find political figures to idolise, especially those still living. Having said that, it recent times I've been drawn to the writings of Dorothy Day, who combined her Catholic faith with her radical social activism as part of the Catholic Workers movement. Her autobiography "The Long Loneliness" makes for fascinating reading of the labour movement in the United States in the early-mid 20th Century, and her role within it. Well worth reading, even if you're not interesting in the Catholic-y bits, I imagine a lot of you will find the parts about the labour movement really eye-opening.

If it's anything like the Three Lions 2010 version with Russell Brand, I dread it won't be that good. Although it seems like this one will be credited to Baddiel, Skinner & The Lightning Seeds, which is smarter in that the original versions will be combined for chart purposes.

Helloween, now there’s a band I never thought I’d see in the iTunes chart, especially with a new song. “I Want Out” takes me back to Limewire days.