UK Politics: Winter of Discontent

[Derfel Cadarn]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42434802

 

Green's quit.  

[Which Tyler]

NB: he's quit as a cabinet member, not as an MP - can't risk that minority/majority after all.

 

I wonder what promises he extracted to "resign" rather than calling David Davis's bluff...

[Maltaran]

Proving again that it's not the crime that gets you, it's the cover up.

[BigFatCoward]

10 hours ago, Maltaran said:

Proving again that it's not the crime that gets you, it's the cover up.

I tell all my new PC's exactly this, 'if you punch someone in the face 15 times because you were terrified for your life, write that in your notes'.

[Which Tyler]

I see Green's quitting has become Green's firing; and that David Davis has once again decided that he was lying to parliament when he said he'd resign in protest.

[mormont]

The 'return' of blue passports:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42443253

This story is indeed symbolic, but not in the way lots of people in the media seem to think. The fact is, nobody under 30 - and pretty much nobody under 40 - has ever had a blue passport and nobody that age regards them as 'iconic' at all. 

This whole story is baby boomers rambling to themselves about pointless nostalgia that half the population don't share or comprehend. Nothing could be more symbolic of Brexit than that.

[lessthanluke]

30 minutes ago, mormont said:

The 'return' of blue passports:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42443253

This story is indeed symbolic, but not in the way lots of people in the media seem to think. The fact is, nobody under 30 - and pretty much nobody under 40 - has ever had a blue passport and nobody that age regards them as 'iconic' at all. 

This whole story is baby boomers rambling to themselves about pointless nostalgia that half the population don't share or comprehend. Nothing could be more symbolic of Brexit than that.

Yeah today was the first time I have heard of blue passports.

[Eggegg]

47 minutes ago, mormont said:

The 'return' of blue passports:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42443253

This story is indeed symbolic, but not in the way lots of people in the media seem to think. The fact is, nobody under 30 - and pretty much nobody under 40 - has ever had a blue passport and nobody that age regards them as 'iconic' at all. 

This whole story is baby boomers rambling to themselves about pointless nostalgia that half the population don't share or comprehend. Nothing could be more symbolic of Brexit than that.

Its a total non story, I'm not sure why anyone even cares. I'm more worried about what queue I need to join when I go on holiday at passport control! 

Having said that, my Passport runs out in 2019, so I'm wondering if I can get it renewed just before the blue ones come in, does that mean I keep the burgundy version for another 10 years?

[Derfel Cadarn]

1 hour ago, mormont said:

The 'return' of blue passports:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42443253

This story is indeed symbolic, but not in the way lots of people in the media seem to think. The fact is, nobody under 30 - and pretty much nobody under 40 - has ever had a blue passport and nobody that age regards them as 'iconic' at all. 

This whole story is baby boomers rambling to themselves about pointless nostalgia that half the population don't share or comprehend. Nothing could be more symbolic of Brexit than that.

I've visions of standing in the designated UK queue manned by the slowest most non-motivated customs official employed.

[Eggegg]

7 minutes ago, Derfel Cadarn said:

I've visions of standing in the designated UK queue manned by the slowest most non-motivated customs official employed.

How is that different to now?

[Derfel Cadarn]

10 minutes ago, Eggegg said:

How is that different to now?

EU queu is usually ok (compared to my time in Chile and Morocco.  In Marrakesh airport they downed tools for 2 hours leaving us all standing there)

[Eggegg]

6 minutes ago, Derfel Cadarn said:

EU queu is usually ok (compared to my time in Chile and Morocco.  In Marrakesh airport they downed tools for 2 hours leaving us all standing there)

Depends where in the EU you are I guess, but I've been in France, Spain, Lithuania, Romania, Greece, Finland... and disinterested borderline suicidal looks on the faces of the staff is the norm. 

I will say that Spain and Greece were the worst by far.

[Which Tyler]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/dec/21/civil-service-reports-brexit-criticised-padding-plagiarism

 

The Guardian has undertaken a review of the Brexit analysis, and they've posted 10 summary points from the documents, now it's possible, and only possible, they're taking the piss a bit:

“The food chain includes agriculture”
“The demand for air travel drives the demand for aircraft”
“In coastal communities fishing brings employment and economic activity”
“As an island nation, the UK has been dependent on the sea … throughout history”
“Banks are found all over the UK, largely in proportion to population”
“[Industry] is characterised by some very large firms … and a large number of small firms”
“Short crossing(s) tend to be favoured for time-critical cargoes”
“The higher education sector has different economic characteristics to manufacturing”
“Agricultural output is characterised by fluctuations due to weather”
“A well-known exchange is the London Stock Exchange, where companies obtain a listing for newly issued equities (eg UK company shares) and where those shares are subsequently traded.”

Although there is the worrying thought that whilst they might be taking the piss a little this is the actual analysis, so the joke in all senses is well and truly at our expense

[A Horse Named Stranger]

Not sure if Eton or Elementary school grads put this analysis together.

However, at this point I am convinced, that you could easily replace David Davis with SpongeBob SquarePants. Well, I guess it kinda speaks volumes for sheer depth of quality the Tories have at their disposal, that Davis has not been dismissed.

[Werthead]

2 hours ago, Derfel Cadarn said:

I've visions of standing in the designated UK queue manned by the slowest most non-motivated customs official employed.

The documentary series on the Channel Tunnel that's on at the moment is very interesting. The people manning the Channel Tunnel quite cheerfully said that doing visa checks on goods and people entering the UK via the Tunnel is utterly impossible. They haven't got the resources for it, they haven't got the time or the staff for it, trying to do it would effectively render the Tunnel inoperable and they haven't been consulted on how to do it or advised on what procedures the government are thinking about.

They also said that the Tunnel is now operating far beyond capacity and they really need to build another one to handle demand (and given how fast capacity has been reached, more like another two), but for some reason the British and French governments won't even talk about it.

[williamjm]

10 hours ago, mormont said:

The 'return' of blue passports:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42443253

This story is indeed symbolic, but not in the way lots of people in the media seem to think. The fact is, nobody under 30 - and pretty much nobody under 40 - has ever had a blue passport and nobody that age regards them as 'iconic' at all. 

This whole story is baby boomers rambling to themselves about pointless nostalgia that half the population don't share or comprehend. Nothing could be more symbolic of Brexit than that.

I don't remember them being blue. Looking at the dates on there, we must have had blue passports for the first few family holidays but I didn't really pay much attention to that at the time.

I just had a random thought looking at the picture - if Scotland does become independent does the passport have to get redesigned again to remove our unicorn from it?

[Maltaran]

1 hour ago, williamjm said:

I don't remember them being blue. Looking at the dates on there, we must have had blue passports for the first few family holidays but I didn't really pay much attention to that at the time.

I just had a random thought looking at the picture - if Scotland does become independent does the passport have to get redesigned again to remove our unicorn from it?

Depends if you go republic or not, it's the royal arms so if you keep the monarchy there's no need to change it.

[Which Tyler]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42458062

Quote

Theresa May has insisted she is more than "Madame Brexit," having been given the title by Poland's prime minister.

She said there were "other things" she wanted to achieve apart from delivering a successful exit from the EU - such as improvements to education and training.

And she insisted she was "in it for the long-term", shrugging off suggestions she had had a bad year.

The prime minister was speaking to reporters during a visit to UK troops stationed in Cyprus.

 

Oh Theresa. You are so much less than Madame Brexit, and whilst you may have other things you want to do, you won't be doing them unless your handlers let you, and you really, really aren't going to be around for the long term.

You have had a bad year - this one I'll give you, you have had the bad year to end all bad years... and it has already ended your own career, you are now the dead woman walking who's just there to take the poisoned chalice before being quietly disposed of.

[Eggegg]

9 hours ago, Which Tyler said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42458062

 

Oh Theresa. You are so much less than Madame Brexit, and whilst you may have other things you want to do, you won't be doing them unless your handlers let you, and you really, really aren't going to be around for the long term.

You have had a bad year - this one I'll give you, you have had the bad year to end all bad years... and it has already ended your own career, you are now the dead woman walking who's just there to take the poisoned chalice before being quietly disposed of.

She shouldn’t be rememebered as madam Brexit, she should be remembered as the leader who completely ballsed up the easiest election in years, and has made Brexit even more complex and disheartening than we ever imagined 

[A Horse Named Stranger]

12 hours ago, Which Tyler said:

Oh Theresa. You are so much less than Madame Brexit, and whilst you may have other things you want to do, you won't be doing them unless your handlers let you, and you really, really aren't going to be around for the long term.

You have had a bad year - this one I'll give you, you have had the bad year to end all bad years... and it has already ended your own career, you are now the dead woman walking who's just there to take the poisoned chalice before being quietly disposed of.

Ah, c'mon. That's a bit harsh. She had to play tate crappy hand she was dealt by Cameron, Johnson and Farage. The only real thing you can actually blame her for was that snap election and the resulting DUP deal.

Otherwise yes, her career has been effectively over, when she took over as PM to deliver the undeliverable Brexit. But I think she might actually last longer than one thinks. The Tories still have to sort out who will succeed her. Johnson and Davis both look so incredibly incompetent, and they are sort of the favorites on the Brexiteers site. Hammond and Rudd on the remain side of the Tories don't have enough power to usurp her. So I can see her staying, simply because there's no heir apparent around.