Politics Today

[Alistair20000]

Morning art

Will Hutton and William Keegan in the Guardian and Observer have been getting it mostly wrong for over 30 years now but I do enjoy reading their articles. Pretty sure I read that piece in the Observer yesterday.

 

[Mr Jinx]

Yes, I read this article. And the same question kept occurring to me - Tavy, Jinx, Stuffers, Ramone et al (and even my friend Alistair) will dismiss it as no more than you'd expect from the Guardian, but what factual inaccuracies could they identify in it? E.G.

Surely no sane government, entrusted with our collective wellbeing, could calmly contemplate imposing on its citizens immense trade disruption, transport chaos, shortages in medicine, fresh foods and key technologies? Then there’s the rise in unemployment created by two lockdowns and widespread bankruptcies. Even a minimalist deal, as John Major said last week, will be far more brutal than anyone expects.

Yet for what? A utopian conception of sovereignty that even in the full flush of empire never held true? Surely rationality must prevail and a deal that goes well beyond the skinny Canada-style deal with the EU – which Boris Johnson says is all he wants – will be struck?

But here we are. As I write, with days to complete negotiations and secure ratification, nobody knows whether there will be no deal – or “Canada”, which is barely better. The reasons are well rehearsed. A reckless, unfocused, Brexit-obsessed prime minister. A Tory party in thrall to its Brexiter ultras. A lapdog rightwing media. And too many of the potential countervailing forces, from the opposition through to business itself, are afraid of offering high-profile arguments for something better out of fear of being cast as undemocratic Remoaners.

Thus the obvious goes unsaid. Britain has no option but to engage extensively with the continent of which it is part. It always has. It always will. Global Britain is just another vacuous slogan. Whatever happens on 1 January is but the beginning of another chapter in Britain’s relationship with Europe. Of course we will have to strike trade bargains on everything from organic food to cars. Equally, with services, whether we’re talking trade in data or mutual recognition of audit standards, there will have to be an accommodation with the 450 million people on our doorstep. And because they are part of a bigger unit, they will get more of their way than we will ours. Only Brexit ideologues, in the same la-la land as Donald Trump in their denial of reality, could think otherwise.

I could quite easily dismiss it, but I won't. I did read this in the Guardian this morning. It might make those on the left dancing on Cummings's grave think again:

Yes, Dominic Cummings has gone. But he wasn't the only problem at No 10 | Dominic Grieve

My former Conservative colleagues: ask yourselves what Boris Johnson has achieved, and heed the damning answer, says the former attorney general Dominic Grieve

www.theguardian.com

In short, all your problems haven't now gone, far from it in fact.

But I for one will miss Dom. To me he represents anti-establishment. Just like Bannon: rip the fecker up and start again. By Cummings leaving (and I guess Trump to some degree) it's now clear the Establishment are winning over again. Things will slowly start to return as they were and that's a shame in my opinion.

 

[Alistair20000]

Morning Indo

Are you back full time or is this a fleeting visit ?

Give Johnson a bit of credit for winning the Masters Golf yesterday.

I am sure I read "Johnson recovers from Covid and storms to victory in the Masters"

 

[elginCity]

..... Tavy, Jinx, Stuffers, Ramone et al (and even my friend Alistair) will dismiss it as no more than you'd expect from the Guardian, but what factual inaccuracies could they identify in it?

Hasn't happened yet, Art. There are no factual accuracies/inaccuracies to be found in 'Project Fear', especially when you subscribe to the politics of faith. Despite all evidence to the contrary - all will be well, keep the faith.

For some it'll all be worth it, if only because they'll hear fewer Romanian voices on the bus in the morning. That is the truth of the matter.

 

[tavyred]

Factual inaccuracies?
How are doom laden predictions as to how the U.K. performs post Brexit facts?

 

[arthur]

I could quite easily dismiss it, but I won't. I did read this in the Guardian this morning. It might make those on the left dancing on Cummings's grave think again:

Yes, Dominic Cummings has gone. But he wasn't the only problem at No 10 | Dominic Grieve

My former Conservative colleagues: ask yourselves what Boris Johnson has achieved, and heed the damning answer, says the former attorney general Dominic Grieve

www.theguardian.com

In short, all your problems haven't now gone, far from it in fact.

But I for one will miss Dom. To me he represents anti-establishment. Just like Bannon: rip the fecker up and start again. By Cummings leaving (and I guess Trump to some degree) it's now clear the Establishment are winning over again. Things will slowly start to return as they were and that's a shame in my opinion.

I read that article too. I thought it said "what has Johnson achieved ", the implication being that the answer is Precisely Nothing. I suppose that for paid up nihilists like you and Tavy this is a cause for celebration

 

[Mr Jinx]

For some it'll all be worth it, if only because they'll hear fewer Romanian voices on the bus in the morning. That is the truth of the matter.

Funny you should mention that. Not voices on the bus as such, but in my recent job search which has just come to an end, one thing that did come to light was the whole EU thing.

With most jobs I applied for recently there was a big fuss around UK work status (much more than normal). Agents I did talk to were saying that they were seeing applicants without British Citizenship fall to the bottom of the very large CV pile, rarely making the cut regardless of how good they were. With things changing in Jan there's a whole question mark around those without a British passport and so companies wanting to avoid the unknown and associated hassles are taking the easy route, for now. It's not like there's not a shed load of good British born workers out there currently on the sausage roll.

So for all those work-seeking Brexit voters, there's at least some vindication to be had there. It certainly worked in my favour: I found the market to be surprisingly good despite all the doom and gloom.

 

[tavyred]

Only in the head of a remain voter would someone describe wanting your country to be out of the EU as nihilism. Grow up art.

 

[IndoMike]

Morning Indo

Are you back full time or is this a fleeting visit ?

Give Johnson a bit of credit for winning the Masters Golf yesterday.

I am sure I read "Johnson recovers from Covid and storms to victory in the Masters"

Good evening. Perhaps we should call Johnson Magic Johnson, cos he can make a pig's ear out of a bar of gold.
Here's the latest :
No10 Downing Street is facing questions over its claim to be a 'Covid-secure workplace' after photos showed MPs including Lee Anderson without wearing masks - and some stood less than two metres from the PM". Needless to say Boris was not wearing a mask. Never mind : another 2 weeks off for Johnson - hiding away from all the problems he has created, no doubt.
Been extremely busy recently but it's always good for a laugh to pop in and read the delusional tripe from Pinky and Perky : must be awful to be so wrong and not be able to admit it.
Anyway, with the Johnson Govt in disarray, Carrie ruling the roost, Cummings sharpening the knives, Gove caught in the headlights, our Chancellor waiting to pounce, plus the oncoming Brexit disaster - the nation totally unprepared for it - things are looking very interesting. Just waiting to see how Johnson will explain away NO DEAL or PRETEND DEAL. Poor chap is cornerered.
Thank God we still have people like Marcus Rashford and millions of others who hopefully will save the motherland from the shower that we have in Govt. While the UK burns Johnson fiddles

 

[elginCity]

Funny you should mention that. Not voices on the bus as such, but in my recent job search which has just come to an end, one thing that did come to light was the whole EU thing.

With most jobs I applied for recently there was a big fuss around UK work status (much more than normal). Agents I did talk to were saying that they were seeing applicants without British Citizenship fall to the bottom of the very large CV pile, rarely making the cut regardless of how good they were. With things changing in Jan there's a whole question mark around those without a British passport and so companies wanting to avoid the unknown and associated hassles are taking the easy route, for now. It's not like there's not a shed load of good British born workers out there currently on the sausage roll.

So for all those work-seeking Brexit voters, there's at least some vindication to be had there. It certainly worked in my favour: I found the market to be surprisingly good despite all the doom and gloom.

Seriously, good for you on a personal level, Jinxy. Once again though, you're ignoring the bigger and longer term picture. The situation you've described above is being replicated within the EU, cold shouldering cuts both ways. For example, the Irish law society (after pressure from other EU jurisdictions) has only recently blocked 4,000 English & Welsh lawyers who had previously subscribed to the Irish roll of solicitors in order to preserve EU access. The direction of travel is now clear.

'Huge disappointment' as Irish law society blocks bid by English lawyers to preserve EU access

Law Society of Ireland announces that dual-qualified lawyers must be based in Ireland to gain practising certificates

www.globallegalpost.com