UK Politics: Royal Weddings and Referendums

[Lordsteve666]

1 hour ago, Werthead said:

Two more people poisoned by the same nerve agent used against the Russian defector in March.

Current theory is that these two people came into contact with the agent in a place the authorities hadn't previously cleaned up. They are now in hospital.

Obviously massively concerning that the agent can still be so toxic four months after its original use, and the fear must be there's more pockets of it lurking in the area.

I have this strange feeling the house they lived in is the key here. Seemingly they only moved in recently, so is it possible that house was used as the prep area for the attack? Did those responsible mess up and not cover their track as well as they think they did?

[mormont]

13 hours ago, Werthead said:

Esther McVey somehow still in her job despite either 1) knowingly lying to Parliament or 2) failing to read - twice! - reports from the National Audit Office to her and making some shit up off the top of her own head. Both are breaches of the Parliamentary Code.

If only the Prime Minister had the power to sack ministers. But, she doesn't.

[Werthead]

10 hours ago, Lordsteve666 said:

I have this strange feeling the house they lived in is the key here. Seemingly they only moved in recently, so is it possible that house was used as the prep area for the attack? Did those responsible mess up and not cover their track as well as they think they did?

Apparently the two people are allegedly known drug users in the town and had been in Salisbury a day or two earlier, so the theory is that they found the delivery instrument (possibly a syringe) for the Skripal attack which the attacker had dumped in a park or other public place.

All supposition at present, of course.

[mormont]

Oh, by the way: remember Christopher Chope? 

https://www.tuc.org.uk/blogs/first-he-blocked-law-against-upskirting-–-now-tory-mp-coming-your-rights-work#.Wz03fg-XXiU.twitter

Quote

Today we learned that the Tory MP who single-handedly blocked legislation to make ‘upskirting’ a specific criminal offence is now trying to use his own private member’s bill to attack workers’ rights.  Last month, Sir Christopher Chope provoked outrage across the political spectrum for objecting to the second reading of the Voyeurism (Offences) Bill, which would have made it illegal to take intrusive photos of someone without their knowledge or consent.  Amid the furore, it was reported that Sir Christopher objected to private member’s bills on a point of principle as a bad way to reform the law.  Yet just two weeks later it appears that the very same MP has tabled his own private member’s bill in a bid to scrap the Working Time Directive (WTD) – the EU law that underpins UK workers’ rights to reasonable hours, breaks and holidays.

Yeah, I don't want to ever hear another word about how this fraud has a 'principled objection' to Private Members' Bills. It wasn't true then and it isn't true now. 

[Which Tyler]

3 hours ago, La Albearceleste said:

If only the Prime Minister had competence. But, she doesn't.

FTFY

[Which Tyler]

Oh yes, as I've now worked out what day it is...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY THE NHS!

Bit of a mid-life crisis going on, but should be able to pull through and go on stronger for the next 70.

 

[A Horse Named Stranger]

Anyway, I want to point out how the Tories are mathematically better than Labour on Brexit.

See, Labour has just one unrealistic porposal with one regards to the future relationships. It's still the old a customs union, but not the customs union. That was the takeaway message from Corbyn, which got lost on the Cameron is a twat controversy. He said that later on.

The Tories on the other hand have now their unworkable Max Facs solution, their bonkers customs partnership (if it's still not the dead in the water), and May's new freedom of goods, but not for the other freedoms proposal. Which is equally unacceptable for the EU. 

So Labour has just one unrealistic have our cake and eat it proposal, while the Tories have three of those floating around. Three is a bigger number than one, so the Tories are better at bungling Brexit.

[Derfel Cadarn]

1 hour ago, Which Tyler said:

Oh yes, as I've now worked out what day it is...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY THE NHS!

Bit of a mid-life crisis going on, but should be able to pull through and go on stronger for the next 70.

 

If the government would stop trying to shoot it like a crippled horse

[Which Tyler]

1 hour ago, Derfel Cadarn said:

If the government would stop trying to shoot it like a crippled horse

Hey. Leave off.

They've promised it a massive dividend from The Magic Brexit Tree! They'll be upping the payment by almost as much as they decreased it over the previous 6 years - like an inverted DFS "Sale"

[Maltaran]

I just read on Twitter that apparently a free Tommy Robinson protest has been cancelled because it clashes with England’s World Cup match. Obviously “free speech” isn’t really that important 

[Which Tyler]

3 hours ago, Maltarinho said:

I just read on Twitter that apparently a free Tommy Robinson protest has been cancelled because it clashes with England’s World Cup match. Obviously “free speech” isn’t really that important 

I believe the Free Tony Robinson (Baldrick, Time Team) fake petition has more signatures than the Tommy Robinson (Racist In Chief) one.

https://m.facebook.com/Free-Tony-Robinson-590777874628514/

Long Live Great Britain (unless it's fake news, of course)

[Which Tyler]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-44732754
 

Quote

 

Plans to fly a giant inflatable figure depicting Donald Trump as a baby over London during the US president's visit have been approved.

Mr Trump is due to meet Theresa May at 10 Downing Street on 13 July.

Campaigners raised almost £18,000 for the helium-filled six-metre high figure, which they said reflects Mr Trump's character as an "angry baby with a fragile ego and tiny hands".

London Mayor Sadiq Khan gave permission for the balloon to fly.

The White House has been approached for comment.

On Twitter former UKIP leader Nigel Farage said the plan was "the biggest insult to a sitting US President ever".

...

 

 

[Werthead]

19 minutes ago, Which Tyler said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-44732754

10-1 the visit will now be called off.

[mormont]

9 hours ago, Which Tyler said:

On Twitter former UKIP leader Nigel Farage said the plan was "the biggest insult to a sitting US President ever".

Farage, of course, called Obama 'that Obama creature, loathsome individual' live on TV. Insulting sitting US Presidents is apparently one more thing that's OK when he does it.

[A Horse Named Stranger]

6 hours ago, La Albearceleste said:

Farage, of course, called Obama 'that Obama creature, loathsome individual' live on TV. Insulting sitting US Presidents is apparently one more thing that's OK when he does it.

Don't forget London Trump (aka BoJo the Bozo) saying something along the line, that Obama dislikes the UK, because of his African heritage and Britain's colonial history. Of course that was back on the campaign trail, when Obama said something like Brexit not being a particularly good idea.

 

Anyway, I know most boarders know all this, and that I have beaten that dead horse back to life and to the grave again. However, I think our pro-Corbyn left Brexit arrival @mankytoes might want to cease the opportunity to read up, what the single markets means for the car industry in Britain, and how Brexits is going to affect them (and as a result the workers in that sector).

 

[mankytoes]

3 hours ago, Notone said:

Anyway, I know most boarders know all this, and that I have beaten that dead horse back to life and to the grave again. However, I think our pro-Corbyn left Brexit arrival @mankytoes might want to cease the opportunity to read up, what the single markets means for the car industry in Britain, and how Brexits is going to affect them (and as a result the workers in that sector).

I'm not really that pro-Corbyn (I guess you don't know many of my views outside of the Europe issue), but if that's a handy box for you to put me in, so be it. 

It seems like the car industry is one where we have a strong joint incentive to come up with a system that allows smooth trade and shipping. I guess I could be accused of dead horse flogging as well, but there are two sides to this negotiation, and their industries need this trade as well. And yes, that article is quite gloomy about those prospects, but it's from a very strongly pro EU source, so there's a strong bias. 

[Werthead]

48 minutes ago, mankytoes said:

I'm not really that pro-Corbyn (I guess you don't know many of my views outside of the Europe issue), but if that's a handy box for you to put me in, so be it. 

It seems like the car industry is one where we have a strong joint incentive to come up with a system that allows smooth trade and shipping. I guess I could be accused of dead horse flogging as well, but there are two sides to this negotiation, and their industries need this trade as well. And yes, that article is quite gloomy about those prospects, but it's from a very strongly pro EU source, so there's a strong bias. 

The article is gloomy about the prospects because it is taking a realistic view of what is happening.

If the article was an opinion piece by a Guardian writer, sure, the bias thing would play into it, but this article is rooted in the realities of the supply chain and logistics, as was Airbus's report. As the car, freight and aviation industry experts have been saying, the government doesn't actually seem to understand what will happen in the event of a no-deal Brexit and, even worse, not understand what will happen even if a realistic deal is reached, which will still add massive logistical hurdles and expenses to these industries.

[Pebble thats Stubby]

The Dragon engine is built in Bridgend.  Phase 1 is done. work was going to start on Phase 2  (basically a copy of Phase 1 so we can make twice as many engines.)  Phase 2 was put on hold after the Brexit vote.  Its now been said Phase 2 will not be coming to Bridgend.  Job losses have allready happened.  there are very credible rumours that plans are now in place to make the Dragon in Turkey, Its already being made in India, China, Russia, Brazil and Mexico.

In Dagenham we were lucky, the Panther engine was mostly fully installed before the referendum.  This has bought us time  before we need any more new investment.  Its also helpful we in Dagenham make some of the highest quality diesel engines in Europe.  Fords want to carry on making engines in Dagenham so we might just be able to limp on though the transition.   The Bridgend plant needs investment now.  If it doesn't get any within the next 2 years you can bet it will be closed in 10.

What could really hurt Dagenham is Trump.  the majority of our Lion Engines get shipped to the US for the F150.  extra Tariffs are likely to kill the Lion then we will only have the Panther Engine being made in Dagenham.  (ok so we still have the Puma, but that is 20 years old and ending this year.  we are about to start stripping out some of the machining lines for the Puma in a couple of weeks.

 

 

The point of the above  - a very big company is not making any new investments in the UK until they know what Brexit really means.  The risks are just not worth it.

[polishgenius]

I am consistently amazed, baffled and frightened by the amount of people who appear to genuinely believe that companies making negative predictions and preparing for negative outcomes are doing so to try to sabotage Brexit rather than trying to save themselves as much damage as possible from such an outcome.

[mankytoes]

10 hours ago, Fellaining Da Bruyne said:

I am consistently amazed, baffled and frightened by the amount of people who appear to genuinely believe that companies making negative predictions and preparing for negative outcomes are doing so to try to sabotage Brexit rather than trying to save themselves as much damage as possible from such an outcome.

It's interesting you see those two things as mutually exclusive. I mean, I don't think people are claiming they want to "sabotage" Brexit for the evulz, they are doing it because of self interest. Do you really trust these companies to put the people before their profit? Their primary concern is their bottom line, not the overall financial strength of the nation and the people, and only a hardcore neo-lib would think those two things are necessarily the same.