Category: Thoughts

Thoughts on various subjects

Smite, Thoughts, Video Games

Smite Meta snapshot, some thoughts

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Smite Meta snapshot, some thoughts

Safe to say this split has been rough for me. Played a decent amount of ranked first split. Started to find it difficult to climb or impossible. Found the experience rather well frustrating. Honestly going to seek out advice, hit the limits of my skill ceiling. Not sure what I need to do to close out games. Matchmaking system feels rather flawed at times. Climbing is well random to a point. Had some fun but my god the amount of egos in ranked is silly. Part of me thinks the problem is unhealthy top end of smite. Feeding into flawed ladder system, I don’t think the ladder to blame 100% more lack of players. People leave due how hard it is to get into high end smite. Got me asking why do I play?

Games can end rather quickly, average length 20-30 minutes. Pressure and burst are king at the moment. Unfortunately sustain still exists, with healers doing rather good. I not had much experience facing healers this split. Sustain however is king in solo, most common picks abuse it. Carry has an aggressive boxing style build, crit or penetration focused styles. Middle is loving penetration heavy builds with cooldown. Starter items are shaping builds across the board, limiting amount of space in builds. Support is weird the base starters are weaker compared to everybody else. Jungle can go ability based or bruiser, don’t forget some basic attack builds.

Meta snapshot

Common picks from patch 8.2

Name W.L Picked
Guan Yu 56% 24%
Aphrodite 55% 10%
Apollo 54% 25%
Chan’ge 54% 13%
Arachne 53% 7%
Nemesis 53% 19%
Cupid 53% 22%
Izanami 52% 14%
Disordia 52% 7%
Ymir 52% 21%

Guan Yu is mainly found in solo, can flex pick into support or jungle. Two healers Aphrodite, Chan’ge are mainly mid laners some play in solo. Jungle picks are Arachne, Apollo (Carry), Nemesis. Carry role is Apollo, Cupid, Izanami. Rounding out the team on average is the support Ymir, who can flex into solo or jungle. Decent pressure some sustain and above all else easy to play. Two biggest roles are carry and jungle. *Excluded couple low pick high W.L gods

Common bans from patch 8.2

Name W.L Pick Ban
Set 52% 4% 91%
Danzaburou 51% 15% 73%
Scylla 52% 18% 78%
Apollo 54% 24% 69%
Tsukuyomi 53% 17% 60%
Nemesis 52% 19% 47%
Persephone 46% 5% 49%
Cu chulainn 49% 21% 45%
Janus 47% 28% 37%
Nu Wa 51% 17% 35%

Set can be played in solo or jungle, potential to run people down. Not picked much but rather good win rate none the less. The ban rate sort of explains why he not picked much. Not easy to play but can be super deadly. 

Danzaburou is one of the best 1 vs 1 hunters in the game. Laning against him can be complete nightmare. High pressure just adds to the problem late game however his ultimate can be blocked. 

Scylla is the queen of the mid lane at the moment. Itemization favours not the strongest early game but middle of the game is one of the best. If you can play her likely to do good with her. 

Apollo another great 1 vs 1 hunter, at gold level players love to fight. Ultimate allows rotations to random fights. Boxing based builds work great on him. If you feel it can play him in jungle too. 

Tsukuyomi like set is another dive based assassin, who runs people down.  Rather popular can ability based hybrid, who works with various build paths.  

Nemesis is simple easy to play, flexible in terms of builds. Dive the carries hard and excellent at 1 vs 1. 

Persephone hardest god on the list to play. Players must find her deeply frustrating, at higher levels of play different reasons for her ban rate. Being reworked soon

Cu chulainn king of solo pressure, most players like to fight. This god wants to out box and punish you. Not that hard to play all about balance. 

Janus is weirdly popular but still hard to play. 

Nu Wa she clears, safe and difficult to punish at lower levels. 

*Excluded couple low pick high W.L gods

Based on the data the meta is about strong mid burst with sustain. Gods need to be easy enough to play but have potential to carry.  One single player can win the game with these picks. Bans highlight the same thing, don’t forget pressure winning games. Couple frustrating gods thrown into the mix. In terms of builds starter items are shaping builds, upgrading the starter. General rule of thumb from past seasons for pretty much every role remains. 

  • Carry wants power, attack speed and penetration. 
  • Support role wants protections, health and cooldown. 
  • Mid role wants penetration, power. 
  • Jungle role wants power, penetration or attack speed. Hybrid items work too. 
  • Solo role wants protections, health, cooldown or attack speed. 

Popular starter items at the moment for each role?

  • Carry – Death toll 
  • Support – Watchers gift 
  • Mid – Conducit gem
  • Jungle – Bumba dagger / Eye of the jungle
  • Solo – Warriors axe / Warding sigil / Bluestone pendant / death toll

Death toll is dominance comes from sustain. Safe choice compared to weaker other starters. Don’t be fooled the others have potential to work. 

Watchers gift is weak early on, laning phase your an easy target. Both upgrade choices are viable depends what you want. 

Bumba dagger / Eye of the jungle depends if you want ability based builds or auto attack focused. Bumba is the safe option with an insane upgrade. Protector of the jungle is rather powerful inside the jungle. 

Conducit gem or sands of time, gem has better upgrades. Not that clear cut anymore but most of the time I find gem more useful. 

Solo has the most viable starter items in my mind. Warriors axe / Warding are similar with different strengths. Aggressive options are decent, magical gods however don’t have great options. 

Bluestone is an aggressive start that helps you clear quicker. Downside is lack the tanky base stats, upgrades are damage focused too. Corrupted stone has some synergy with King arthur. His passive is gain extra charge, stone gives you bonus attack speed per ability hit. Reducing the amount of time you need to charge the ultimate. Cu chulainn main strength is damage, just add more to his already strong lane pressure. Wukong is similar but way harder to lock down, soul eater build benefits from it. Tyr turns into safer version of Cu chulainn. Bunch of variance depends on the role the god, certain items work better with X role. Don’t have to upgrade items like bluestone. Death toll like bluestone has weak upgrades for solo but can make cheeky builds from it. Basically hit whatever the problem is loads and carry games. 

Journal, Politics, Thoughts

Climate change from carbon to the metal-based economy

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Climate change from carbon to the metal-based economy.

Reducing consumption is missing from the current conversation. Need to deal with current waste, recycling and reuse only gets you so far. Shifting towards making the supply chains more circle recycle and reuse focused. A finite number of resources, need to be efficient, recycle and reuse. The focus so far has been on replacing and ignore the current waste problem. The challenge ahead is massive, need to be more efficient in everything we do. Not only that but learn to recycle and reuse way more. The result is changing how we view the world around us.

Switching to a less carbon-based economy requires metal. Extracting metal is very energy-intense, processing and manufacturing cause environmental damage. Even a minor increase in demand for metals causes huge amounts of damage. An idea we can switch without consequences is nonsense. Old electrical goods are difficult to recycle. Need to redesign the manufacturing process making things easier to recycle and reprocess. Metals can be reprocessed but certain products like batteries waste resources.

Phone companies have started to avoid shipping chargers with phones to lower e-waste. This is rather backwards when they release new models every couple of months. The focus needs to be on sending old phones back, less new phones with a much longer shelf life. Battery recycling research remains rather new, impossible at the moment to get the materials back. The amount of e-waste like phones is a huge problem, nothing like the plastic problem. Elephant in the room is how the recycling industry currently works. Shipping waste around the world, sometimes it can’t even be processed.

Electric cars alone won’t save us, at some point behaviours need to change. In my own opinion, we can increase the quality of everybody life and be environmentally friendly. Need to be honest about the changes needed and the cost of doing nothing. So far nobody wants to address the consumption element. Dreaming of technology saving us from past problems and fixing future issues.

What needs to happen?

Reduce consumption

Recycle more

Reuse materials

Be more efficient

Reshaping how the world works, to stop the climate from restructuring to a new normal. Just moving from carbon to metal would be a giant mistake. Storing up future problems, never addressing the obvious solution. Nobody wants to even touch it and think we can carry on as normal. Sounds a lot like Covid, people thinking we can go back. Failing to see how we got here.

Journal, Thoughts

Covid 19 – Global pandemic

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Back in January, I started searching for a job. Economy was not great at the time you could tell. Slowly stories started to appear back in february about some new virus from China.  Barely news for most people, world changed for good back in march. Covid 19 virus was spreading rapidly, europe becoming the centre. Mixed messaging from Boris Johnson with nobody paying attention.

What started in far off land was now close to home. I was concerned, details about this new threat flooded in. Italian doctors began warning others about the dangers, experts around the world called for action. During march I was deeply worried, remember changing my own habits. Everything I knew about it caused me great concern.

Vast majority of UK population was unaware until it was to late. History is full of pandemics, reshape the world. We currently have another happening pandemic HIV/AIDs virus. This was now global, pandemic which gripped the world. Covid 19 lacks any treatment, world is rushing to some solution.

UK has failed the best case scenario, second wave is likely. Unsure we have learnt any lessons from the first wave.

I don’t trust the government here at all that worries me.

Journal, Politics, Thoughts

Climate change hidden problem

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Climate change hidden problem

Longest period climate change, unspoken problem facing the world. Only in recent years has the issue had some attention. Problem facing the whole world, not just changing weather. Issues surrounding the impact, resources to economic growth. The world overusing total number of resources. Pollution damaging the remaining ones or caused permanent damage. Global mismanagement of resources have caused further problems. Facing a perfect storm, world reshaping after the effects of climate change. Certain areas running out of key resources. Water supplies even in rich nations are under threat.  Made worse by environmental pollution damaging what remains. Plastics have been causing sea pollution. Already evidence fish stocks now contain plastics. Solution we need to use less per person, reducing the impact. In practice that means using less water, eating less meat, recycling waste better. Longest period of time politics has avoided taking difficult decisions. Behavior needs to change, not enough to use electric cars. That means changing how we do everything. Upgrading smart phones less often, making products last longer. Electric cars use rare metals which face a shortage. Replacing all the petrol cars could end up repeating the same mistakes of the past. Many workers commute to work, that changes habits. Action is required now that changes how we live. Promise of technology could solve it in the future is hog wash.  No simple solutions or easy ones time we face up that fact.

Brexit, Politics, Thoughts

Why I can’t support withdrawal agreement

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Why I can’t support withdrawal agreement

Leaving the European union, means to an end. Conventional wisdom mainstream, would developed a plan. Forging a cross party consensus, letting civil servants work. Listening to experts finding a pragmatic solution. Opposite happened no coherent plan, weak consensus based on the end. Article 50 triggered with two years to complete stage one. With full opposition parties support, similar red lines, blaming each other. Not obvious is what the British want, European diplomats are puzzled. Westminster is consumed around British viewpoint ignoring everything else.A task of leaving is not easy, complicated work requires massive amounts of resources. Based on research 760 international agreements need renegotiations completed. So much for quick and easy, ignorance not a defence. Leaving is like riding a unicycle juggling cats plus writing a speech prize winning novel within 30 minutes. Journalists focus on the bubble, failing to explain or inform. Overly focused on the backstop rest of legislation ignored. Blame is shared across the establishment.
Purpose of the backstop insurance against running out of time. Negotiations over the future need to be solved by 2021. Not designed to keep Britain in the EU by the backdoor. Both sides had to agree to the backstop, consent was given. British politics lacks a clear idea what comes next after the withdrawal agreement. Impossible to craft policy based on lies. With many demanding EU membership, no costs or responsibility. Cheerleaders of an exit, saying current offer is worse compared to membership. Certain critics have offered weak excuses saying they would have to support it. Means to an end, without a real plan. Whatever option is picked, downgrade on the current membership. Brexiteers demands influence over regulation, claiming UK had no influence inside but would outside. Further claims made by the Brexiteers, Europe adds barriers to trade. India on record saying UK blocked European trade agreements over migration. Citizens could enjoy freedom of movement with restrictions on everybody else. Short sighted deep rooted highly complacent arrogant disregard. Rude awakenings to happen towards the complacency showed by the British.
Leaving the European Union going to cause red tape for British business. UK needs to build new regulator bodies. Often claimed regulation cripples business, nobody knows which ones. Common complaint is working time directive, workers to 48 hours a week unless they opt out. Labour market already has very weak enforcement. Heard complaints about environmental regulation, again no single piece is named. What regulation do people disagree with nobody knows or why? Important to understand UK can veto any regulation changes under EU membership. UK civil servants at every stage help craft each EU law. Claimed UK lacks influence within the EU but can have more influence outside. Which one is it over regulation, no voice or has a voice? Impossible paradox which underlines the debate, hidden in plain sight like some other uncomfortable truths.
Worse all sides within the debate ignore the consequences. Dishonest to dismiss each warning, claiming sabotage. Adding barriers makes trading harder that a fact. Condescending to say voters understood, with the establishment not understanding the basics. Politicians claim to be against something they want. A framework around regulations is required, food safety exist for a reason. Business facing higher regulation burden to export or import would cost jobs. Companies are already moving jobs and planning less investment. Result in smaller tax base and economy, not difficult to understand barriers cause problems. Willing to gamble everything, risking the economy and people own livelihoods. The prime minster claims the referendum was about freedom of movement. Ending freedom of movement means removing British citizens right to travel and work. European Union necessary but not perfect, not immune to criticism. British politics is experiencing paralysis, caused by the referendum. Unable to pass the withdrawal agreement, unclear what anybody wants. Both mainstream parties desire similar things based on the red lines.
Incapable to defend freedom of movement. Others claim the mantle was in the name of ducks. Referendum acted as a lighting rod against everything people disliked in general. Will of the people defence, just series of mini majorities. Appropriate term is minority views, purely absolute majority is people don’t want to be poorer but richer. Everybody dreams about being a billionaire, money to buy gold houses. European Union does not stop the Government from dealing with why people claim they voted leave. Leaving does not automatic put right burning injustices. The longest period of time ignored why do people suddenly think things would change.
Conventional wisdom has so far been proved wrong. Cheerleaders have been dismissive, ignoring criticism or reality. European Union referendum was meant to settle internal party disputes. Everything was meant to get better but things going to get worse. Issues are never settled by a lone vote. Undemocratic to permanently lock something never to be touched again. Shocking decisions caused by internal politics within the conservative party made it worse. Decided to refer to just the bad decisions from the last three years. Crafting a political crisis that slowly tearing into the unwritten constitutional rules.

1. David Cameron calls a second referendum.
2. Blocking civil servants planning against all outcomes
3. Trigging article 50 before the UK was prepared
4. Blocking legal advice over article 50
5. MPs votes to trigger article 50
6. MPs is supporting the exit regulations.
7. Not seeking cross party support
8. Red lines over FoM
9. Announcing a general election,
10. No solution for the Irish border

We right now experience a period of uncertainty with decades worth of negotiations. No time to deal with legitimate grievances or problems. No extra money to provide for things people wants. Plague on both houses which nobody really wanted. Watch the excuses appear blaming everything including Europe. All resources directed towards limiting the self-harm. I can’t support the project of leaving understanding the exorbitant costs. I held my nose voting remain, because of David Cameron. Hard to appreciate the chaos voting to leave would cause. Never precisely grasped all the issues, but undertook research trying to inform myself. Frank honestly Northern Ireland was at the back of my mind. Like many viewing Ireland as settled, same view of complacency that union holds. A general messaging by leaves caused deep-seated mistrust my right to travel and work was at grave risk. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Admitting bad decisions, initial step to correcting it. In any other line of employment would see you sacked. Making people poorer, adding barriers and removing rights. Undemocratic to allow such appeasement to go unchallenged. Complacency is how we got here more it, not the answer.

What happens next nobody knows, political crisis with constitutional system working.  I fear parliament has failed in it duty. Revoke looks like the only option but political toxic.

Thoughts, Video Games

Smite S6 ranked road to platinum

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Smite S6 ranked road to platinum

Smite at the moment for split one requires every player to do qualifying matches. Designed to put you within the right range. Low number of players play rank, each split is shorter compared to past seasons. Required to do 10 games before getting a placement. After placement long climb up the ladder, designers have increased the amount of points per win. Qualifying matches mixed bag could get players already placed. System caused much frustration for everybody. Design team already said this system is going away next split.

From my experience qualifying matches mixed bag. Split one season 6 record 3 wins and 7 losses. Not a fun experience full of toxic players, couple disconnects with trolls. High level players being the worse by far. Played around 40 games of ranked so far, able to reach platinum 5. Increase in points gained has made the climb easier, last season I would still be gold 1. Longest period of time my goal has always been hit platinum. When first started out I was silver 4, reaching silver 1 hitting gold 1. Played more ranked at this point compared to past seasons.

After much grinding finally hit platinum 5. So now what I guess platinum 3 before 1. Maybe heading towards diamond, who knows what comes next. Meta at the moment is burst, hybrid items are found for every role. Duo lane is aggressive hyper snowball. Middle lane is about burst, jungle about mobility. Solo lane is about aggressive snowball or team focused gods. Pure tank builds are quite weak at the moment. Front line gods feel soft and easy to kill. Making the early game super difficult against certain gods.  Conquest meta right now is burst heavy, aggressive snowball focused. Noticed little different climbing from bronze to platinum.

Music has made climbing the ladder more enjoyable. Communication is important for ranked nobody on EU PS4 uses a mic. Forced to use the VGS to communicate with people. Experience on the whole has been rather fun. Part of me wants to go to the next level. Scrimming with teams improving my communication. As a player I generally focus on farming and do better with teamwork minded focus. Found it best to focus on you when playing ranked over your teammates. Follow and listen to calls even if they are terrible. Worst role is ADC just dislike the heavy snowball focused duo lane.

Going to keep on climbing, improving at every stage. Looking forward to split two and no more qualifying.

Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking

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Stephen Hawking

Simple title for not so simple man.

Stephen Hawking has passed away, I remember hearing about him growing up. The world lacks public disabled role models Stephen was the most mainstream.  An unlikely icon who appeared in various walks of pop culture. Only a handful of scientists have become household names. Stephen with his colleagues pretty much an army helped shaped physics as we know it. One of my regrets won’t get the chance to meet him asking how his day is going. Remember hearing about Stephen Hawking during my teenage years. Looking back school was teaching me how to pass exams barely learning the basics. Part of me would always want to ask more. Whole school process was deeply painful for a little Dyslexia boy. Growing up with the internet spent hours researching theories which were above what schools were teaching.  Remember having chats about black holes, at the same time would revise history dates and faces.

A brief history of time is a wonderful read which is easy to understand. Lets readers dip their toes into the concepts which Stephen and co-worked on for decades. Should have picked up the book back when I was a teenager. It was only couple years that finally got around to reading it. Ended up reading the book during a series of long bus rides.  Almost missed my stop couple times due to that book. Tonight I plan on re-reading A brief history of time to inspire myself once again. Thank you, Stephen Hawking and everybody who ever worked with you. Without knowing your story my school years would be much worse. Just wished I had the opportunity to ask how your day was going.

 

 

Journal, Snow

Storm Emma – Snow

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Storm Emma – Snow

Storm emma has given me a opportunity to write about snow. Normally I don’t get the chance to write about snow. Can only remember it snowing four times in total. Amount of snow which one can expected is tiny.  Looking at 4 inches on average.  Storm emma provided over 10 inches worth of snow over last two days. Freezing rain added to the snow creating a strange texture to the snow. Frozen ice with a soft bedding of snow, feeling different to just snow. Crunchy very brittle but overall soft. Not much planning goes into preparing for snow. Only happens every 10 years so why invest in planning for it. Storm Emma has provided me with couple memories. Drivers sliding around the corners or bright white sky.

Temperatures are warming up with that the snow is melting away. Goodbye winter wonderland hello flash flooding. Just can’t win with weather sometimes.

 

Brexit, Journal, Politics, Thoughts

Minority driving policy – Brexit talks

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Minority driving policy – Brexit talks

The United Kingdom owes the European Union money. Parliament signed into law the commitment of these funds.  Including future commitments, example pension payments. Some MPs have claimed that the UK should not honour any contributions it signed.  Citing lack of membership as the reason. Commitments disappear overnight that view is wild oversimplifaction that inaccuarate. Wiping any commitments is a act of bad faith. Why should the Europeans trust us not to rescind any future agreemeants. Not a good way to start negotiations.

Political toxic given the self improsed fiscal constraints.  Narrative was born this was paying for future deal not past commitments.  Reality it paying for past and future commitments after we leave. Rather toxic to be giving away billions. Politicians have created this problem from past decisions. European Union wanted past/future commitments sorted first and trade next. UK goverment wanted to talk about trade first.  Clear deadlock has been caused by UK politicians.  Incomplete internal negotiations within conservative party are now public.  Appears to be three negotiations ongoing.  Conservative party internal ones,  ones towards media by the politicians. Don’t forget the formal most important ones with the Europeans.

Conservative goverment has to make a choice, time is running out. Europeans want this sorted have already moved on.  Threats to rescind make extension agreements even harder to pull off. Leaving has consequences, dishonest to say it won’t. Politicians have been unwilling to admit it has consequences at all. Choice has to be made and presented towards the house of commons.

Leaving without a deal UK is forced into negotiations over WTO membership.  Hundreads of nations with vested interests don’t all share the same goals.  Politicians have ignored this truth which would cause damage and push up prices.  UK would become a 3rd world country subject to delays for any trade. Many politicians instead talk up the idea that it would be a good thing.  Media has been silent on the reality that dropping out on WTO terms would cause.  Little to no discussion about how UK membership is subjuct to negotiations.  Some have been dishonest claiming it would give the UK freedom to do whatever it wants.  UK would become a rule taker over rule maker once leaving.

Three recent examples of rule taking, chlorine-rinsed chicken, Northern Ireland border checks after brexit and Bombardier tariffs.  Only the start of things to come.  Media has failed to explain what taking these rules mean.  Plain english it means can’t trade with other nations who don’t share the same rules. Impossible for Britain to be great free trade leader without ditching every rule and letting cheap imports flood Britain.  Once voters find out makes them poorer the Brexit dream turns to a nightmare.

Whole situation can’t be ignored, wishful thinking won’t make things better.

 

 

Politics, Thoughts

Theresa May reformer or authoritarian?

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Theresa May party conference speech showed conservative party from reformer to iron grip authoritarian. Seeking to answer Corbyn by repeating what it believes in not why it good for you. Overall failing to answer general election result from 2017. Unable to answer clearly or provide solutions to problems. Both parties have been unable to answer real grievances.  Decided to retreat back into the comfort zone. The population has the same desires yet values are massively different. Once you lost control of the narrative rather hard to gain it back. Conservatives were ruthless painting certain leaders as weak and incompetent.  Many view Theresa May as weak, the party have avoided the incompetent label so far. Conservatives have been unable to remove Theresa May or unable to find a replacement. Many view Theresa May as weak, the party have avoided the incompetent label so far. Attacking Corbyn plan to reversal most of the reforms made by the party. Spending the next 5 minutes doing a small reversal. Theresa May best moments have been reforming. At the home

Attacking Corbyn plan to reversal most of the reforms made by the party. Spending the next 5 minutes doing a small reversal. Theresa May best moments have been reforming. At the home office, she took on police racism focus on stop and searches. These bright moments of reform helped the party win power. The liberal side of the party learnt to accept liberal cultural attitudes. Authoritarian language in recent years took it away. Liberals within the party appear to have lost control. Brexit makes the problem even worse. Winners of the debate unable to answer what Brexit means.

Theresa May reformer or authoritarian?

Some ways she a reformer who understands Britain has problems. Understands that markets are required yet rules with the state keeping an eye on things is required. Another hand she rather authoritarian in getting some things done. She was in control of the home office when the immigration vans existed. Impossible to tell what the real Theresa May believes in. Old fashioned conservative with the desire to reform. Forced to be authoritarian to gain favour to win the leadership.
Do wonder what she could have done if her party had not limited her. If she not made so many missteps. Premiership at the moment shows the tragedy of Britain liberal values. Outsiders are attacking social and economic liberalism with no reply from the mainstream. Voters have not changed just want the same as before. The current system is unable to provide that. Centre ground is made up of two groups both have radically different values.

Hope one day we find out what Theresa May believes in.  History going to judge her as a mediocre reformer.