"We can work with half the Labour Party and crush the fuckers" is the single most heartening thing I've read from a Conservative in some time! Between that and the mighty Vince taking charge of the Lib Dems, the skies look a little brighter at the moment from a pro-European point of view
"On June 9 party grandees trooped into Downing Street to tell the emotional prime minister that she had a duty to party and country to stay" is not something we knew before, is it?
chortle
so presumably they didnt do that for Cameron ?
Actually Dave resigned before anyone could persuade him otherwise, he's an honourable man, unlike Mrs May.
Mrs May isnt a man
this could explain your problems in night clubs
As my friends in The Village would tell you, the difference between a heterosexual man and a homosexual/bisexual man is six pints.
Your friends' slightly rapey overtones aside, I mentioned yesterday that everyone likes fried chicken after five pints. That sixth pint must be fairly strong.
"On June 9 party grandees trooped into Downing Street to tell the emotional prime minister that she had a duty to party and country to stay" is not something we knew before, is it?
chortle
so presumably they didnt do that for Cameron ?
Actually Dave resigned before anyone could persuade him otherwise, he's an honourable man, unlike Mrs May.
Mrs May isnt a man
this could explain your problems in night clubs
As my friends in The Village would tell you, the difference between a heterosexual man and a homosexual/bisexual man is six pints.
I believe that many people would also consider that the difference between consent and rape.
The so-called dementia tax was the main error, but there is something to what you said. The trouble with the Lynton Crosby style of politics is that it has diminishing marginal returns. It hurts the other guy more, but it also hurts you as voters are turned off by the negativity. By the time you get to your third election, you've hurt yourself three times and nobody really believes you any more.
In the next offer we need a bold, positive vision for both young people and workers.
We rarely agree, but I think that's right. A difficulty is that the media are addicted to bad news - it sells papers more than good news, they believe. Any non-trivial policy can be said to have downsides - it'll allegedly cost more, deliver less, help some at the expense of others, etc. The media will seize on them, if necessary adding words like "could", as in "new X policy could devastate many middle-class families".
Because they threw everything at Corbyn people just got the impression of a hysterical shriek without nuance, and didn't really bother with looking at any detailed criticisms. But normally it's difficult to get a positive policy across.
This is a divorce. While theoretically there might be a situation where the only available deal is so bad, it's worth giving up access to your children and losing your half share on the house, you won't get a decent outcome going into negotiations threatening to walk away. You would get a better result being responsible adults, thinking of the children and offering to help out with childcare on the weekend
It isn't like a divorce, because in a divorce there is always a court with jurisdiction over the issues. If there's a court involved there are always three routes to a settlement: either the parties settle on the advice of their lawyers, or they get fed up of dealing with lawyers and come to a deal without involving them, or as a backstop, matters go to trial and you get a judgment. There are incentives to be cooperative and sensible when courts are involved, which don't apply when there aren't. Brexit is more like negotiating a conditional surrender to end a war.
The aim of the Brexit deal is to maintain a degree of continuity.. if you go for "no deal" you get no continuity. If you go on about surrender you just irritate people. You get far more by understanding what the other side wants and offering to give it them, while politely but firmly pushing for your own very reasonable requirements to be met. A bit of charm doesn't go amiss.
Inline with TSE's Hitchiker analogy, I see Theresa as a Vogon poet...
I think she was in thrall to Nick n Fi in some sort of sinister Rasputin way. If she could not tell from one look at Timothy's beard that he was a complete and utter chump, she must have been bewitched in some way.
If you google image him, he looks rather less impressive without his beard.
HYUFD - I hope it is the start of the NHS training their own needs. I would also like the NHS to run its own agency for staff, rather than throw money away on independent agencies. Have its own tied cottage scheme for accomodation too.
Inline with TSE's Hitchiker analogy, I see Theresa as a Vogon poet...
I think she was in thrall to Nick n Fi in some sort of sinister Rasputin way. If she could not tell from one look at Timothy's beard that he was a complete and utter chump, she must have been bewitched in some way.
If you google image him, he looks rather less impressive without his beard.
"On June 9 party grandees trooped into Downing Street to tell the emotional prime minister that she had a duty to party and country to stay" is not something we knew before, is it?
chortle
so presumably they didnt do that for Cameron ?
Actually Dave resigned before anyone could persuade him otherwise, he's an honourable man, unlike Mrs May.
Mrs May isnt a man
this could explain your problems in night clubs
As my friends in The Village would tell you, the difference between a heterosexual man and a homosexual/bisexual man is six pints.
I believe that many people would also consider that the difference between consent and rape.
A classic example of a solution in search of a problem.
As I work in the field I of course disagree, revalidation was an entirely sensible method of ensuring registrants were up to scratch and reinforced their own professional qualification. Overseas nurse numbers are actually up outside the EU once you take into account the language tests being processed. I expect nurses will also get priority visas as a result of the Brexit talks. Osborne's scrapping the bursary for nurses training did not help but if the money saved leads to more taking up training places that would be manageable, nurses like other public servants need a pay rise after years of pay freezes and pay caps and Boris has sensibly now backed that position, certainly Hammond should implement what the pay review body recommends.
HYUFD - I hope it is the start of the NHS training their own needs. I would also like the NHS to run its own agency for staff, rather than throw money away on independent agencies. Have its own tied cottage scheme for accomodation too.
The OTT criticism of this judge seems incredible. The only "dirt" that appears to be on somebody who has over 20 years experience, is he once interpreted the law to agree with a council that it was ok to rehouse somebody in a different town.
It isn't as if they have found he is a major shareholder in a cladding company etc. Where as with the child abuse inquiry, obviously we had one judge who was a regular dinner guest with an individual who had (wrongly) had a finger pointed at.
It ain't fair cos he iz like well clever and successful, so he ain't lived in a tower block so he ain't no good for the inqurizes.
A classic example of a solution in search of a problem.
As I work in the field I of course disagree, revalidation was an entirely sensible method of ensuring registrants were up to scratch and reinforced their own professional qualification. Overseas nurse numbers are actually up outside the EU once you take into account the language tests being processed. I expect nurses will also get priority visas as a result of the Brexit talks. Osborne's scrapping the bursary for nurses training did not help but if the money saved leads to more taking up training places that would be manageable, nurses like other public servants need a pay rise after years of pay freezes and pay caps and Boris has sensibly now backed that position, certainly Hammond should implement what the pay review body recommends.
If you work in such a caring field...how do you end up being a cheerleader for Trump and Brexit? Doesn't make sense.
The OTT criticism of this judge seems incredible. The only "dirt" that appears to be on somebody who has over 20 years experience, is he once interpreted the law to agree with a council that it was ok to rehouse somebody in a different town.
It isn't as if they have found he is a major shareholder in a cladding company etc. Where as with the child abuse inquiry, obviously we had one judge who was a regular dinner guest with an individual who had (wrongly) had a finger pointed at.
It ain't fair cos he iz like well clever and successful, so he ain't lived in a tower block so he ain't no good for the inqurizes.
The OTT criticism of this judge seems incredible. The only "dirt" that appears to be on somebody who has over 20 years experience, is he once interpreted the law to agree with a council that it was ok to rehouse somebody in a different town.
It isn't as if they have found he is a major shareholder in a cladding company etc. Where as with the child abuse inquiry, obviously we had one judge who was a regular dinner guest with an individual who had (wrongly) had a finger pointed at.
It ain't fair cos he iz like well clever and successful, so he ain't lived in a tower block so he ain't no good for the inqurizes.
Dey is ignorant peepil!
Well one of them believes the western media exaggerated allegations of violence committed by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi during the uprising.
Another, that Hitler was inspired by US racist laws, GW Bush’s g/father traded with Nazis, US has guilty conscience, hence support for Israel.
The OTT criticism of this judge seems incredible. The only "dirt" that appears to be on somebody who has over 20 years experience, is he once interpreted the law to agree with a council that it was ok to rehouse somebody in a different town.
It isn't as if they have found he is a major shareholder in a cladding company etc. Where as with the child abuse inquiry, obviously we had one judge who was a regular dinner guest with an individual who had (wrongly) had a finger pointed at.
It ain't fair cos he iz like well clever and successful, so he ain't lived in a tower block so he ain't no good for the inqurizes.
Dey is ignorant peepil!
Well one of them believes the western media exaggerated allegations of violence committed by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi during the uprising.
Another, that Hitler was inspired by US racist laws, GW Bush’s g/father traded with Nazis, US has guilty conscience, hence support for Israel.
The stuff you read about ISIS is ridiculous too......
The OTT criticism of this judge seems incredible. The only "dirt" that appears to be on somebody who has over 20 years experience, is he once interpreted the law to agree with a council that it was ok to rehouse somebody in a different town.
It isn't as if they have found he is a major shareholder in a cladding company etc. Where as with the child abuse inquiry, obviously we had one judge who was a regular dinner guest with an individual who had (wrongly) had a finger pointed at.
It ain't fair cos he iz like well clever and successful, so he ain't lived in a tower block so he ain't no good for the inqurizes.
Dey is ignorant peepil!
Well one of them believes the western media exaggerated allegations of violence committed by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi during the uprising.
Another, that Hitler was inspired by US racist laws, GW Bush’s g/father traded with Nazis, US has guilty conscience, hence support for Israel.
The stuff you read about ISIS is ridiculous too......
There is going to be no deal by March 2019. Some form of delay or transistion period needs to be sorted out asap. The govt is in a mess
It's a bloody shambles.
The nutters have completely screwed up the establishment party and they're seriously damaging the country.
I want them out. And I want the formerly respectable wing of the tory party to go away, too.
Pong...things are pretty grim to be sure....I was taking to an estate agent today who was complaining about the fall in sales at the minute. Who the hell in their right minds would buy a property..today?
The Tories are fucked and Labour are living in a magic pixie land where we can pay for anything we want all paid for by Philip Green. And Brexit...what the heck were people thinking about?
The OTT criticism of this judge seems incredible. The only "dirt" that appears to be on somebody who has over 20 years experience, is he once interpreted the law to agree with a council that it was ok to rehouse somebody in a different town.
It isn't as if they have found he is a major shareholder in a cladding company etc. Where as with the child abuse inquiry, obviously we had one judge who was a regular dinner guest with an individual who had (wrongly) had a finger pointed at.
It ain't fair cos he iz like well clever and successful, so he ain't lived in a tower block so he ain't no good for the inqurizes.
Dey is ignorant peepil!
Well one of them believes the western media exaggerated allegations of violence committed by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi during the uprising.
Another, that Hitler was inspired by US racist laws, GW Bush’s g/father traded with Nazis, US has guilty conscience, hence support for Israel.
The stuff you read about ISIS is ridiculous too......
A classic example of a solution in search of a problem.
As I work in the field I of course disagree, revalidation was an entirely sensible method of ensuring registrants were up to scratch and reinforced their own professional qualification. Overseas nurse numbers are actually up outside the EU once you take into account the language tests being processed. I expect nurses will also get priority visas as a result of the Brexit talks. Osborne's scrapping the bursary for nurses training did not help but if the money saved leads to more taking up training places that would be manageable, nurses like other public servants need a pay rise after years of pay freezes and pay caps and Boris has sensibly now backed that position, certainly Hammond should implement what the pay review body recommends.
If you work in such a caring field...how do you end up being a cheerleader for Trump and Brexit? Doesn't make sense.
I work in information governance and I voted Remain
A classic example of a solution in search of a problem.
As I work in the field I of course disagree, revalidation was an entirely sensible method of ensuring registrants were up to scratch and reinforced their own professional qualification. Overseas nurse numbers are actually up outside the EU once you take into account the language tests being processed. I expect nurses will also get priority visas as a result of the Brexit talks. Osborne's scrapping the bursary for nurses training did not help but if the money saved leads to more taking up training places that would be manageable, nurses like other public servants need a pay rise after years of pay freezes and pay caps and Boris has sensibly now backed that position, certainly Hammond should implement what the pay review body recommends.
I am sure that you are free of producer interest.
Revalidation is now 7 years old for doctors, and no discernable safety benefit. Nursing even more so.It is a classic bureaucratic tick box solution to a genuine issue.
A classic example of a solution in search of a problem.
As I work in the field I of course disagree, revalidation was an entirely sensible method of ensuring registrants were up to scratch and reinforced their own professional qualification. Overseas nurse numbers are actually up outside the EU once you take into account the language tests being processed. I expect nurses will also get priority visas as a result of the Brexit talks. Osborne's scrapping the bursary for nurses training did not help but if the money saved leads to more taking up training places that would be manageable, nurses like other public servants need a pay rise after years of pay freezes and pay caps and Boris has sensibly now backed that position, certainly Hammond should implement what the pay review body recommends.
I am sure that you are free of producer interest.
Revalidation is now 7 years old for doctors, and no discernable safety benefit. Nursing even more so.It is a classic bureaucratic tick box solution to a genuine issue.
No revalidation was a recommendation of the Francis report after Mid Staffs and is a vital means of restoring confidence that nurses are accredited and up to the job, with input from patients themselves
Thinking about it. No deal is better than a bad deal could make sense if you mean walking away from Brexit itself rather than a truly crappy deal. Otherwise, no.
Dave's answer on austerity is why he won the election in 2015. It is a real answer to a serious question, not a throwaway line about magic money trees. I hope he comes back to the front line.
Dave's answer on austerity is why he won the election in 2015. It is a real answer to a serious question, not a throwaway line about magic money trees. I hope he comes back to the front line.
Dave won in 2015 with a giveaway manifesto and in 2010 he promised austerity would have ended by 2016, people are weary of austerity and Boris moving away from it reflects that mood
A classic example of a solution in search of a problem.
As I work in the field I of course disagree, revalidation was an entirely sensible method of ensuring registrants were up to scratch and reinforced their own professional qualification. Overseas nurse numbers are actually up outside the EU once you take into account the language tests being processed. I expect nurses will also get priority visas as a result of the Brexit talks. Osborne's scrapping the bursary for nurses training did not help but if the money saved leads to more taking up training places that would be manageable, nurses like other public servants need a pay rise after years of pay freezes and pay caps and Boris has sensibly now backed that position, certainly Hammond should implement what the pay review body recommends.
I am sure that you are free of producer interest.
Revalidation is now 7 years old for doctors, and no discernable safety benefit. Nursing even more so.It is a classic bureaucratic tick box solution to a genuine issue.
No revalidation was a recommendation of the Francis report after Mid Staffs and is a vital means of restoring confidence that nurses are accredited and up to the job, with input from patients themselves
I haven't met a Nurse or Doctor yet who thinks that Revalidation meets any of its claimed benefits. I meet loads who consider it a pointless tick box exercise.
"May’s challenge is to overcome damage already done by the low-level diplomatic vandalism inherent in Brexit. The political genesis of the decision to quit the EU may have been different from that of Trump’s election, but it belongs to the same historical disruption. They are the terrible twins, born in ballot-box insurgency in 2016. And here’s the thing: both were feared, at first, by fellow democracies as symptoms of a dangerous and contagious new populism. Now both look more like horrible accidents of circumstance – ballot-box mutations that earn pity for the nations that produced them."
"Buried too are the Brexit promises – not just extra money for the NHS, but the myth of a sovereign renaissance. The leavers’ tone, once so expansive, has shrivelled, now pinched and defensive. Eurosceptics still chant that Brexit must be done, come what may, but now they struggle to make it sound an exciting act of destiny. Brexit is shrinking. The options are fewer, the horizon is narrowing. And the prime minister will feel it in Hamburg, where she will be welcomed as the leader of a great country that has chosen to make itself smaller. And so the west is doubly diminished."
Thinking about it. No deal is better than a bad deal could make sense if you mean walking away from Brexit itself rather than a truly crappy deal. Otherwise, no.
I think that has to be wrong, logically and mathematically.
Suppose by some fiendish calculation we can assess the value to us of a particular state of the world. Plenty of subjectivity involved in this (not just how to value non-financial items, but differences in assessment exist over e.g. future global growth and trade patterns - there is considerable uncertainty, deal or no-deal or even if we stayed in the EU) but let's ignore the complications and roll with it. Let X be the value to us of a proposed deal. Let Y be the value to us of the state of the world if the deal-making fails.
Most people agree that Y will be some mindbogglingly horrible negative number.
If X is an even more mindbogglingly horrible negative number than Y, the proposed deal is even worse than no deal, so it is a bad deal and should be rejected even at the cost of going over the cliff-edge. Because the cost of the bad deal is more. That's why it is indisputably a bad deal. It is worse than no deal. I might be going mad here, but that makes sense to me. On the other hand, if X is a better-looking number than Y, then it would be better to take the deal than not. That doesn't necessarily make it a great deal, but you wouldn't want to walk away from it when the clock runs out.
If you are saying "no deal is better than a bad deal does not make sense", what exactly does that mean? I suppose it could mean "even if one weighs up the costs and benefits of a proposed deal against no-deal, and concludes that the proposed deal is actually worse than no-deal, one should sign the deal anyway". But the only way I can see that being rational,is if some other factor lurks behind the decision-making, something you feel was excluded from the cost-benefit analysis. But in that case, you should include that factor in your analysis, revalue X and Y, and do the comparison again. If, after including every factor you see fit, X is still worse than Y, then it is a bad deal and it worse than no deal, and so you should choose no deal. This logic seems inescapable to me, it's verging on the tautological.
The only other thing I think you could mean is "there are no circumstances in which a deal could be worse than no deal".
You may think Y is going to be a terrible number, and X a less-terrible number, so X (deal) will almost certainly be better than Y (no-deal). But it remains theoretically possible for X to be worse than Y. In fact there is a very plausible mechanism for it, one that @RichardNabavi keeps pointing out: if the EU overestimates its position, and charges too much for the divorce bill. Suppose you expect X to be better than Y by some margin D. You may be expecting D to be an overwhelming number. But if the EU were to overplay their hand and add an extra D+1 (discounted to present value) to the divorce bill, then X gets worse by D+1, and now Y is better than X, so you face a deal so bad you would prefer no-deal.
Now there are plenty of other issues worthy of discussion. Is it better to play the constructive partner, gloss over the possibility of a deal not being reached, and focus on cooperation? Or is it possible to get a better deal by demonstrating strength from the outset and making it clear that walking away is an option? Does being up front about the possibility of "no deal" reduce the probability of going over the cliff-edge, because it warns the other side not to miscalculate, or does it make it more likely by poisoning the atmosphere of negotiation? What impact does all this posturing have on e.g. international investment during the negotiation period? But these form a separate discussion. Even if you think that "no deal is better than a bad deal" is a stupid catchphrase and the government would do our economy and the negotiation process a power of good by shutting up about it, one can nevertheless believe that some deals are so bad they would be worse than no deal, and that the government should not commit itself to sign any such deal.
We need to wait for Brexit to fully bed in, so people realise the truth about what they voted for. Its only really starting now, so it was essentially a 1 year delayed reaction. The hung parliament accellerated this process.
It was always going to be a very difficult 10+ year transition phase. However, a lot of people were misled in to thinking that it would be easy which is why they voted for it. They aren't ready for the hardship and aren't willing to sacrifice anything to achieve what they were promised.
As far as I can see, we will be diminished if we stay in the EU, and diminished if we leave.
I used to feel very proud to be British, now I just feel embarrassed. We don't hear very much from the flag waving Brexiteers these days. Where have they gone?
Yet another proof, if one was needed, that the BBC is full of Tories.
Yet more proof that the BBC is not the answer! May needs a very tough, thick skinned, politically astute and media savvy head of Communications 'who gets the PCP, the wider Conservative membership and knows how to attract that wider centre ground of voters on both sides of Brexit'...
I don't know how much the Evening Standard is paying George Osborne? But if the Conservative Party's natural survival and election winning instincts are still in place, then they need to dig deep to find a salary package that matches his Evening salary to tempt him away...
The fact that Theresa May would have to eat humble pie after her sacking of George Osborne is a given, and it also means that George might also be placed in a powerful position that might help him decide who her successor is before the next GE. What is not to like?
A classic example of a solution in search of a problem.
As I work in the field I of course disagree, revalidation was an entirely sensible method of ensuring registrants were up to scratch and reinforced their own professional qualification. Overseas nurse numbers are actually up outside the EU once you take into account the language tests being processed. I expect nurses will also get priority visas as a result of the Brexit talks. Osborne's scrapping the bursary for nurses training did not help but if the money saved leads to more taking up training places that would be manageable, nurses like other public servants need a pay rise after years of pay freezes and pay caps and Boris has sensibly now backed that position, certainly Hammond should implement what the pay review body recommends.
If you work in such a caring field...how do you end up being a cheerleader for Trump and Brexit? Doesn't make sense.
I work in information governance and I voted Remain
Its striking how many Remoaners think that Remainers who respect democracy must be Leavers.....
A classic example of a solution in search of a problem.
As I work in the field I of course disagree, revalidation was an entirely sensible method of ensuring registrants were up to scratch and reinforced their own professional qualification. Overseas nurse numbers are actually up outside the EU once you take into account the language tests being processed. I expect nurses will also get priority visas as a result of the Brexit talks. Osborne's scrapping the bursary for nurses training did not help but if the money saved leads to more taking up training places that would be manageable, nurses like other public servants need a pay rise after years of pay freezes and pay caps and Boris has sensibly now backed that position, certainly Hammond should implement what the pay review body recommends.
If you work in such a caring field...how do you end up being a cheerleader for Trump and Brexit? Doesn't make sense.
I work in information governance and I voted Remain
Its striking how many Remoaners think that Remainers who respect democracy must be Leavers.....
Within Conservative circles those terms are now passé.
Comments
*Not a bet or prediction, just hyperbole, or is it, you never know with Mrs May, the Tories lost Canterbury on her watch.
https://twitter.com/Sunil_P2/status/752644694140719104
More precisely 'Overseas nurses who can speak English needed here'
Because they threw everything at Corbyn people just got the impression of a hysterical shriek without nuance, and didn't really bother with looking at any detailed criticisms. But normally it's difficult to get a positive policy across.
Actually I think, like in medicine, nursing revalidation is a big driver to leave the profession. Perhaps the biggest.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/10554500/Nurses-face-three-year-competency-checks.html
A classic example of a solution in search of a problem.
It isn't as if they have found he is a major shareholder in a cladding company etc. Where as with the child abuse inquiry, obviously we had one judge who was a regular dinner guest with an individual who had (wrongly) had a finger pointed at.
It ain't fair cos he iz like well clever and successful, so he ain't lived in a tower block so he ain't no good for the inqurizes.
Another, that Hitler was inspired by US racist laws, GW Bush’s g/father traded with Nazis, US has guilty conscience, hence support for Israel.
The nutters have completely screwed up the establishment party and they're seriously damaging the country.
I want them out. And I want the formerly respectable wing of the tory party, out, as well.
The d*cks in power are actively working against the national interest.
The Tories are fucked and Labour are living in a magic pixie land where we can pay for anything we want all paid for by Philip Green. And Brexit...what the heck were people thinking about?
Revalidation is now 7 years old for doctors, and no discernable safety benefit. Nursing even more so.It is a classic bureaucratic tick box solution to a genuine issue.
"Buried too are the Brexit promises – not just extra money for the NHS, but the myth of a sovereign renaissance. The leavers’ tone, once so expansive, has shrivelled, now pinched and defensive. Eurosceptics still chant that Brexit must be done, come what may, but now they struggle to make it sound an exciting act of destiny. Brexit is shrinking. The options are fewer, the horizon is narrowing. And the prime minister will feel it in Hamburg, where she will be welcomed as the leader of a great country that has chosen to make itself smaller. And so the west is doubly diminished."
Suppose by some fiendish calculation we can assess the value to us of a particular state of the world. Plenty of subjectivity involved in this (not just how to value non-financial items, but differences in assessment exist over e.g. future global growth and trade patterns - there is considerable uncertainty, deal or no-deal or even if we stayed in the EU) but let's ignore the complications and roll with it. Let X be the value to us of a proposed deal. Let Y be the value to us of the state of the world if the deal-making fails.
Most people agree that Y will be some mindbogglingly horrible negative number.
If X is an even more mindbogglingly horrible negative number than Y, the proposed deal is even worse than no deal, so it is a bad deal and should be rejected even at the cost of going over the cliff-edge. Because the cost of the bad deal is more. That's why it is indisputably a bad deal. It is worse than no deal. I might be going mad here, but that makes sense to me. On the other hand, if X is a better-looking number than Y, then it would be better to take the deal than not. That doesn't necessarily make it a great deal, but you wouldn't want to walk away from it when the clock runs out.
If you are saying "no deal is better than a bad deal does not make sense", what exactly does that mean? I suppose it could mean "even if one weighs up the costs and benefits of a proposed deal against no-deal, and concludes that the proposed deal is actually worse than no-deal, one should sign the deal anyway". But the only way I can see that being rational,is if some other factor lurks behind the decision-making, something you feel was excluded from the cost-benefit analysis. But in that case, you should include that factor in your analysis, revalue X and Y, and do the comparison again. If, after including every factor you see fit, X is still worse than Y, then it is a bad deal and it worse than no deal, and so you should choose no deal. This logic seems inescapable to me, it's verging on the tautological.
The only other thing I think you could mean is "there are no circumstances in which a deal could be worse than no deal".
You may think Y is going to be a terrible number, and X a less-terrible number, so X (deal) will almost certainly be better than Y (no-deal). But it remains theoretically possible for X to be worse than Y. In fact there is a very plausible mechanism for it, one that @RichardNabavi keeps pointing out: if the EU overestimates its position, and charges too much for the divorce bill. Suppose you expect X to be better than Y by some margin D. You may be expecting D to be an overwhelming number. But if the EU were to overplay their hand and add an extra D+1 (discounted to present value) to the divorce bill, then X gets worse by D+1, and now Y is better than X, so you face a deal so bad you would prefer no-deal.
Now there are plenty of other issues worthy of discussion. Is it better to play the constructive partner, gloss over the possibility of a deal not being reached, and focus on cooperation? Or is it possible to get a better deal by demonstrating strength from the outset and making it clear that walking away is an option? Does being up front about the possibility of "no deal" reduce the probability of going over the cliff-edge, because it warns the other side not to miscalculate, or does it make it more likely by poisoning the atmosphere of negotiation? What impact does all this posturing have on e.g. international investment during the negotiation period? But these form a separate discussion. Even if you think that "no deal is better than a bad deal" is a stupid catchphrase and the government would do our economy and the negotiation process a power of good by shutting up about it, one can nevertheless believe that some deals are so bad they would be worse than no deal, and that the government should not commit itself to sign any such deal.
Yet another proof, if one was needed, that the BBC is full of Tories.
It was always going to be a very difficult 10+ year transition phase. However, a lot of people were misled in to thinking that it would be easy which is why they voted for it. They aren't ready for the hardship and aren't willing to sacrifice anything to achieve what they were promised.
As far as I can see, we will be diminished if we stay in the EU, and diminished if we leave.
I used to feel very proud to be British, now I just feel embarrassed. We don't hear very much from the flag waving Brexiteers these days. Where have they gone?
I don't know how much the Evening Standard is paying George Osborne? But if the Conservative Party's natural survival and election winning instincts are still in place, then they need to dig deep to find a salary package that matches his Evening salary to tempt him away...
The fact that Theresa May would have to eat humble pie after her sacking of George Osborne is a given, and it also means that George might also be placed in a powerful position that might help him decide who her successor is before the next GE. What is not to like?
http://hastheresamayresignedyet.com
Must be frustrating for the editor of a Russian owned free-sheet
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/brexit-may-be-a-disaster-for-ireland-but-solutions-can-be-found-to-minimise-damage-from-its-impact-35892334.html
https://twitter.com/trillingual/status/882244258794754053