The big Brexit thread - news, updates and discussion

[Streathamite]

Fucking atrociously written Guardian article. Quite entertaining in parts but when it pretends to report what Brandon Lewis (NI secretary) actually said in Parliament it just makes shit up. Fine if they interspersed it with actual quotes but it's useless for actual information. I hate it when they do this - some of their articles are filled with supposedly funny 'ironic' writing that is just a waste of reading time.

Brandon Lewis breaks cardinal law for MPs and tells the half-truth | John Crace

Briefed to bluff, the Northern Ireland secretary failed to defend his boss’s Brexit U-turn

www.theguardian.com

tbf, it's the parliamentary sketch. Traditionally, sketch-writers have always been allowed fairly broad latitude on things like truth. It's not meant to be straight reportage.

 

[two sheds]

ok fair play - all they needed to do though was to throw in a couple of actual quotes.. Show what they were lampooning.

 

[existentialist]

ok fair play - all they needed to do though was to throw in a couple of actual quotes.. Show what they were lampooning.

I generally use John Crace's column as a steer to the more relevant Parliamentary stoties. And for the biting wit.

 

[krtek a houby]

Not any more we're going to flog it all to the japs

Actually, we prefer the word "Japanese".

 

[andysays]

Not any more we're going to flog it all to the japs

The problem with that is straightforward, we're not Canada, they're three thousand miles away on the other side of a whopping great ocean whereas we are next doors. The nature of the trade is different as well, a lot of Canada's is raw materials and foodstuffs whereas ours is services and much of our manufacturing is tightly integrated with the EU's. The EU doesn't want the UK to become a source of much cheapness on the doorstep undercutting them. That's why they're insisting on a level(ish) playing field whereas the Etoncracy (I love that word) would be quite happy to turn us all into coolies.
The EU wants to avoid a No Deal Brexit (it will cost them billions) but not at the cost of undermining the free market which is one of their fundamental principles. Whereas we seem to have a Govt that enjoys playing chicken despite the fact they have a Mini and the EU has a 40 ton truck.
The EU is negotiating in what it perceives is its best interest and they appear to be better at it than our Govt is. I still can't get my head around the Japan Deal, You can sell us cars tariff-free if you buy some fucking cheese. My grandson is three and a half and he is better at negotiating than these tossers.

It's like the government gave the contract for the negotiations to these two

 

[teqniq]

The reaction from accross the pond is not favourable:

 

[two sheds]

Ah of course, the americans see the GFA as one of their major diplomatic triumphs, I was wondering why they'd be bothered by Johnson telling the EU to do one.

 

[Winot]

Ah of course, the americans see the GFA as one of their major diplomatic triumphs, I was wondering why they'd be bothered by Johnson telling the EU to do one.

Pelosi has said that if the GFA is threatened then the Democrats will block any US-UK trade deal (assuming they still control the House).

This latest development is nuts. I can only imagine the thinking is similar to the illegal prorogation of Parliament - to be able to claim that BJ/Cummings 'stood up to' the EU but were prevented from doing so by the metropolitan liberal elite (aka the House of Lords).

 

[krtek a houby]

The reaction from accross the pond is not favourable:

View attachment 229676

Quite right, too. We're grateful for the US input in bringing peace (or at least, a version of peace) to Ireland. Won't be a good look for the British government if they piss all over it.

 

[MickiQ]

The Scottish Govt has said it won't consent to this bill, being very interesting to see where that leads. Holyrood can't override Westminster but it does have real legal authority where devolved matters are concerned. This could turn out to be BoZo and Blind Dominic picking yet another pointless fucking fight.

 

[Kaka Tim]

we are not actually any further along then when theresa may was grimmly shuttling back and forth between the EU and parliament and getting nowhere. its no deal or a shit deal and it always has been since the ending of free movement was made a cornerstone of the UK's position.
We will be back to escalating panic at the prospect of a "no deal" crunch - then the uk will blink and engineer another fucking extension.

 

[Winot]

we are not actually any further along then when theresa may was grimmly shuttling back and forth between the EU and parliament and getting nowhere. its no deal or a shit deal and it always has been since the ending of free movement was made a cornerstone of the UK's position.
We will be back to escalating panic at the prospect of a "no deal" crunch - then the uk will blink and engineer another fucking extension.

Very very difficult to extend at this point as I understand it.

 

[Kaka Tim]

Very very difficult to extend at this point as I understand it.

I think political necessity will deliver another dollop of fudge. Although the EU may just finally fuck the uk off; resulting in a period of chaos brought about by economic pain, shortages and gridlocked bureaucracy and a step by step , piecemeal deal emerging. It will still be shit.
May well end johnsons premiership at the point that all the bluster and self delusion hits reality and the cunt chokes on his "oven ready" bullshit.

 

[Pickman's model]

The post-brexit trade deal is predicated on there being trade post-brexit which seems a mistaken assumption

 

[TopCat]

The pound is losing value quite quickly and I think will continue to fall. At what value will interest rates have to rise?

 

[Pickman's model]

The pound is losing value quite quickly and I think will continue to fall. At what value will interest rates have to rise?

And then we'll see things properly go to shit

 

[Sprocket.]

Actually, we prefer the words “Lactose intolerant Japanese".

Fify.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Ah of course, the americans see the GFA as one of their major diplomatic triumphs, I was wondering why they'd be bothered by Johnson telling the EU to do one.

They have so few...

 

[Pickman's model]

Ah of course, the americans see the GFA as one of their major diplomatic triumphs, I was wondering why they'd be bothered by Johnson telling the EU to do one.

Being as they're a guarantor of the agreement the nefandous Johnson leaves them little option. They don't claim it as one of their major DTs.

 

[Pickman's model]

.

 

[andysays]

Being as they're a guarantor of the agreement the nefandous Johnson leaves them little option. They don't claim it as one of their major DTs.

you can say that again...

 

[Pickman's model]

you can say that again...

That

 

[steeplejack]

The Scottish Govt has said it won't consent to this bill, being very interesting to see where that leads. Holyrood can't override Westminster but it does have real legal authority where devolved matters are concerned. This could turn out to be BoZo and Blind Dominic picking yet another pointless fucking fight.

They don't care. At all.

They are also intent on undermining devolution and rendering it largely meaningless next year through what's being called "the UK internal market".

 

[Streathamite]

Ah of course, the americans see the GFA as one of their major diplomatic triumphs, I was wondering why they'd be bothered by Johnson telling the EU to do one.

Not just that; there's a huge number of Americans with Irish roots, plus those of Catholic faith, adds up to a powerful lobby

 

[Streathamite]

They don't care. At all.

They are also intent on undermining devolution and rendering it largely meaningless next year through what's being called "the UK internal market".

yep. I really hope Nicola & co find a way of sticking it to them

 

[philosophical]

It is less important whose triumph the Good Friday/Belfast is, than it happened at all.
For a huge part of my life the Irish troubles loomed large, then the GFA has hugely improved the situation.
Very very few groups have said the GFA has been a bad or undesirable thing.
Any that have done are at the extremes of opinion.
That you can (could) bowl along the highways and byways in Ireland like bowling along between Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire has to my mind been a great thing.
I think the sensitivities and caution are very justified.

 

[Pickman's model]

It is less important whose triumph the Good Friday/Belfast is, than it happened at all.
For a huge part of my life the Irish troubles loomed large, then the GFA has hugely improved the situation.
Very very few groups have said the GFA has been a bad or undesirable thing.
Any that have done are at the extremes of opinion.
That you can (could) bowl along the highways and byways in Ireland like bowling along between Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire has to my mind been a great thing.
I think the sensitivities and caution are very justified.

How has it improved the situation? Has it removed the cause of conflict, the border? Many years ago I saw Bernadette McAliskey talk at the London Irish centre. She said any peace deal would have to remove the causes of conflict or else in years to come things would kick off again. And I think they will, in a few years time, unless something's done to prevent that

 

[Raheem]

They are also intent on undermining devolution and rendering it largely meaningless next year through what's being called "the UK internal market".

We all know "internal" is just a fancypants way of saying "indoor".

 

[two sheds]

while bringing to mind 'car boot sale'

 

[philosophical]

How has it improved the situation? Has it removed the cause of conflict, the border? Many years ago I saw Bernadette McAliskey talk at the London Irish centre. She said any peace deal would have to remove the causes of conflict or else in years to come things would kick off again. And I think they will, in a few years time, unless something's done to prevent that

It has improved the situation because there is less violence, I haven't said it has solved the problem.

I am conflicted because I believe Irish nationalism is valid in order to loosen the grip of perfidious Albion, but I am not a fan of nationalism as such, as in my opinion the concept sails too close to the winds of racism.

Conflicted as I say, but first things first, and the GFA was a decent step in a good direction.