I was in Boston earlier this week. The expectation among most of those I spoke to was that Trump would lose the popular vote once more but win the election. I imagine they are right. America does not feel like a country that is even close to healing yet. The interesting bit will be what happens in the House and Senate votes that year. For the House the Republicans still have two more years to gerrymander and suppress. What a fine bunch they are. At some point, though, they will lose the levers of power - and when they do they may find they never get them back again.
That's precisely my point. I would expect the next Democrat controlled House and Senate to increase the number of justices on the Supreme Court for starters - and to look at what can be done about voter suppression, at least, at a federal level. Then there's impeachment ...
They are going to stuff the supreme court? And they are supposed to be the good guys...
They should redress the balance bringing the court back to where it was. They should put in high quality judges who have more integrity than, for example, Kavanaugh. They should un-gerrymander districts and take them out of the control of politicians (as in the UK with a boundary commission). Whether they do that or follow Trumps lead of win at any cost is another matter.
Based on past experience, I think that is very unlikely. And are the Democrats the ultimate arbiter of balance these days?
May has already signed up to an open-ended backstop. It is in the December declaration. And neither Foreign Secretary Johnson nor Brexit Secretary Davis demurred.
You must have forgotten. Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.
Well yes I take your point. But both sides are treating the terms of the December declaration, costs, transition period etc as though they are final and so it seems reasonable of the EU to treat the clauses on the Irish border as final as well. No cherry picking, as they say.
I was in Boston earlier this week. The expectation among most of those I spoke to was that Trump would lose the popular vote once more but win the election. I imagine they are right. America does not feel like a country that is even close to healing yet. The interesting bit will be what happens in the House and Senate votes that year. For the House the Republicans still have two more years to gerrymander and suppress. What a fine bunch they are. At some point, though, they will lose the levers of power - and when they do they may find they never get them back again.
I think it may be hard for the Republicans to lose the Senate for a long time (although, they've done their best by choosing some real horrors as candidates).
The basic problem for the Democrats is how many rural or Appalachian States have moved against them, even as the biggest cities (which count for little in Senate terms) have moved towards them.
Correction: The black-hatted Jews in Stamford Hill (and also north Manchester) are Chasidim from the shtetlach of the former Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth, they are not Sephardi. Their antecedents nearly all arrived in the UK before 1905, are UK citizens and are as integrated into the UK as they can be while still adhering to the laws concerning Kosher food and Sabbath observance.
I can't entirely agree with your last statement. They don't even generally speak English. However they have very deep roots here, at least as deep as my own, and are one of the most British things about Britain, in a loveable, eccentric kind of way.
Anyway, in some good-ish news for me, I do not need a shoulder operation, which is big relief. I have apparently badly inflamed the long head of my biceps tendon and the area around it. God knows how. Probably excessive gardening.
So rest is prescribed. And painkillers. And intensive physio to strengthen all my other arm muscles to give my poor biceps a rest. It will take time which is a bore. But at least in time it should get better.
The only trouble is I have just received a big box from JParkers today of several hundred bulbs which need planting - and the weather is just right for this. So. What to do? Dig with my left hand, I suppose - or try and bribe some nice fit young man to do this for me.
And thank you to all who sent me your good wishes yesterday. Very much appreciated.
Good news. I've just about recovered from a bad fall while hillwalking in Borrowdale.
Indeed. Good to have progressed your problem but it will require patience.
I have had real problems with my knees including referral to an orthopaedic surgeon and subseqently a physio directly reporting to him. It appears my cartilage and meniscus are not in good shape and I need a long period of physio and gentle exercise
May has already signed up to an open-ended backstop. It is in the December declaration. And neither Foreign Secretary Johnson nor Brexit Secretary Davis demurred.
You must have forgotten. Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.
Well yes I take your point. But both sides are treating the terms of the December declaration, costs, transition period etc as though they are final and so it seems reasonable of the EU to treat the clauses on the Irish border as final as well. No cherry picking, as they say.
They clearly aren't, as it didn't mention an NI-only backstop. In any case, the document itself starts with the caveat that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.
Anyway, in some good-ish news for me, I do not need a shoulder operation, which is big relief. I have apparently badly inflamed the long head of my biceps tendon and the area around it. God knows how. Probably excessive gardening.
So rest is prescribed. And painkillers. And intensive physio to strengthen all my other arm muscles to give my poor biceps a rest. It will take time which is a bore. But at least in time it should get better.
The only trouble is I have just received a big box from JParkers today of several hundred bulbs which need planting - and the weather is just right for this. So. What to do? Dig with my left hand, I suppose - or try and bribe some nice fit young man to do this for me.
And thank you to all who sent me your good wishes yesterday. Very much appreciated.
Good news. I've just about recovered from a bad fall while hillwalking in Borrowdale.
Correction: The black-hatted Jews in Stamford Hill (and also north Manchester) are Chasidim from the shtetlach of the former Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth, they are not Sephardi. Their antecedents nearly all arrived in the UK before 1905, are UK citizens and are as integrated into the UK as they can be while still adhering to the laws concerning Kosher food and Sabbath observance.
I can't entirely agree with your last statement. They don't even generally speak English. However they have very deep roots here, at least as deep as my own, and are one of the most British things about Britain, in a loveable, eccentric kind of way.
As a result of housing pressures in N London a community of Hasidic Jews has recently moved to Canvey Island. There were a couple of articles in the local Press about attempts by the locals to welcome them that didn’t go as well as hoped.
I was in Boston earlier this week. The expectation among most of those I spoke to was that Trump would lose the popular vote once more but win the election. I imagine they are right. America does not feel like a country that is even close to healing yet. The interesting bit will be what happens in the House and Senate votes that year. For the House the Republicans still have two more years to gerrymander and suppress. What a fine bunch they are. At some point, though, they will lose the levers of power - and when they do they may find they never get them back again.
That's precisely my point. I would expect the next Democrat controlled House and Senate to increase the number of justices on the Supreme Court for starters - and to look at what can be done about voter suppression, at least, at a federal level. Then there's impeachment ...
They are going to stuff the supreme court? And they are supposed to be the good guys...
They should redress the balance bringing the court back to where it was. They should put in high quality judges who have more integrity than, for example, Kavanaugh. They should un-gerrymander districts and take them out of the control of politicians (as in the UK with a boundary commission). Whether they do that or follow Trumps lead of win at any cost is another matter.
Based on past experience, I think that is very unlikely. And are the Democrats the ultimate arbiter of balance these days?
No, the Catalans are Spanish. Just as the Scots and Welsh are British. Some Catalans do not regard themselves as Spanish, but that is different. In any case, Catalans are not subjected to indiscriminate police brutality.
I'm Welsh, not British.
I think many of our Scottish contributors would describe themselves emphatically as Scottish, not British.
It's not up to you to tell the Scottish and Welsh people what they are and what they are not. They can decide for themselves,
The Catalan have an independent history, culture, language. They are a distinct people. They have a right to self-deternination. They are not Spanish. It is not up to you to tell them what they are.
A state that carries out systematic brutality against a distinct minority is not a welcoming, tolerant state.
Miss Mordaunt misthought she misheard what she missaid, but she definitely did not. OKAY?
She certainly has a way with words. From a recent speech she gave: "Our economy is innately international because it was based on ancient routes of international trade. Our modern infrastructures have continued this tradition in shipping, airlines, roads, British law and even time itself."
No, the Catalans are Spanish. Just as the Scots and Welsh are British. Some Catalans do not regard themselves as Spanish, but that is different. In any case, Catalans are not subjected to indiscriminate police brutality.
I'm Welsh, not British.
I think many of our Scottish contributors would describe themselves emphatically as Scottish, not British.
It's not up to you to tell the Scottish and Welsh people what they are and what they are not. They can decide for themselves,
The Catalan have an independent history, culture, language. They are a distinct people. They have a right to self-deternination. They are not Spanish. It is not up to you to tell them what they are.
A state that carries out systematic brutality against a distinct minority is not a welcoming, tolerant state.
Isn’t, or at least wasn’t Catalan spoken in Eastern Pyrenean France. And wasn’t there an historic Duchy or something which at some point was split between France and Spain? There’s a French Rugby League side called the Catalan Dragons.
Anyway, in some good-ish news for me, I do not need a shoulder operation, which is big relief. I have apparently badly inflamed the long head of my biceps tendon and the area around it. God knows how. Probably excessive gardening.
So rest is prescribed. And painkillers. And intensive physio to strengthen all my other arm muscles to give my poor biceps a rest. It will take time which is a bore. But at least in time it should get better.
The only trouble is I have just received a big box from JParkers today of several hundred bulbs which need planting - and the weather is just right for this. So. What to do? Dig with my left hand, I suppose - or try and bribe some nice fit young man to do this for me.
And thank you to all who sent me your good wishes yesterday. Very much appreciated.
Good news. I've just about recovered from a bad fall while hillwalking in Borrowdale.
Correction: The black-hatted Jews in Stamford Hill (and also north Manchester) are Chasidim from the shtetlach of the former Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth, they are not Sephardi. Their antecedents nearly all arrived in the UK before 1905, are UK citizens and are as integrated into the UK as they can be while still adhering to the laws concerning Kosher food and Sabbath observance.
I can't entirely agree with your last statement. They don't even generally speak English. However they have very deep roots here, at least as deep as my own, and are one of the most British things about Britain, in a loveable, eccentric kind of way.
As a result of housing pressures in N London a community of Hasidic Jews has recently moved to Canvey Island. There were a couple of articles in the local Press about attempts by the locals to welcome them that didn’t go as well as hoped.
No, the Catalans are Spanish. Just as the Scots and Welsh are British. Some Catalans do not regard themselves as Spanish, but that is different. In any case, Catalans are not subjected to indiscriminate police brutality.
I'm Welsh, not British.
I think many of our Scottish contributors would describe themselves emphatically as Scottish, not British.
It's not up to you to tell the Scottish and Welsh people what they are and what they are not. They can decide for themselves,
The Catalan have an independent history, culture, language. They are a distinct people. They have a right to self-deternination. They are not Spanish. It is not up to you to tell them what they are.
A state that carries out systematic brutality against a distinct minority is not a welcoming, tolerant state.
Not that I care about these titles myself, but I don't think you can say you are not British cos you are! What do you do when you get a drop down box that offers you British and not Welsh? You are British, you just are. You can't just decide you are Spanish for instance cos you are not.
No, the Catalans are Spanish. Just as the Scots and Welsh are British. Some Catalans do not regard themselves as Spanish, but that is different. In any case, Catalans are not subjected to indiscriminate police brutality.
I'm Welsh, not British.
I think many of our Scottish contributors would describe themselves emphatically as Scottish, not British.
It's not up to you to tell the Scottish and Welsh people what they are and what they are not. They can decide for themselves,
The Catalan have an independent history, culture, language. They are a distinct people. They have a right to self-deternination. They are not Spanish. It is not up to you to tell them what they are.
A state that carries out systematic brutality against a distinct minority is not a welcoming, tolerant state.
Isn’t, or at least wasn’t Catalan spoken in Eastern Pyrenean France. And wasn’t there an historic Duchy or something which at some point was split between France and Spain? There’s a French Rugby League side called the Catalan Dragons.
French Catalonia or Roussillon refers to the Catalan-speaking and Catalan-culture territory ceded to France by Spain through the signing of the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 in exchange of France's effective renunciation on the formal protection given to the recent founded Catalan Republic. The area corresponds exactly to the modern French département of the Pyrénées-Orientales which were historically part of Catalonia since the old County of Barcelona, and lasted during the times of the Crown of Aragon and the Principality of Catalonia until they were given to France by Spain.
The equivalent term in French, Catalogne Nord, is used nowadays, although less often than the more politically neutral Roussillon (the French word for Catalan: Rosselló). Sometimes the term French Catalonia can also be used.
No, the Catalans are Spanish. Just as the Scots and Welsh are British. Some Catalans do not regard themselves as Spanish, but that is different. In any case, Catalans are not subjected to indiscriminate police brutality.
I'm Welsh, not British.
I think many of our Scottish contributors would describe themselves emphatically as Scottish, not British.
It's not up to you to tell the Scottish and Welsh people what they are and what they are not. They can decide for themselves,
The Catalan have an independent history, culture, language. They are a distinct people. They have a right to self-deternination. They are not Spanish. It is not up to you to tell them what they are.
A state that carries out systematic brutality against a distinct minority is not a welcoming, tolerant state.
Not that I care about these titles myself, but I don't think you can say you are not British cos you are! What do you do when you get a drop down box that offers you British and not Welsh?
Do you think there might be more to the idea of nationhood than a drop down box?
I think of all his nicknames Pocahontas has been my favourite. It's a career ending monkier for Warren making her look like a fantasist, trivial and entirely unserious, all at the same time.
Trump is an appalling individual: venal, immoral, dishonest and more than a bit of a fantasist himself but he's got this politics stuff nailed. His speech about Blasey Ford's "one can of beer" and "I don't remember" was an absolutely devastating use of rhetoric, just brutal. He is always capable of self destruction but failing that he is going to be very, very hard to beat.
I think you perhaps overestimate his chances. He will hold his base, but that is not sufficient.
It is a fair point that a lot of the minorities who turned out to vote for Obama in 08 and 12 did not turn out for Hillary. In several swing states that was probably significant. The Democrats need a candidate to get out their vote where it really matters - without scaring independents. That surely means Biden. Trump's biggest challenge, though, is probably women voters. He clearly has very serious issues around women - and these are not just sexual.
Biden/Warren might have been the ideal ticket, but I think it more likely to be Warren.
No, the Catalans are Spanish. Just as the Scots and Welsh are British. Some Catalans do not regard themselves as Spanish, but that is different. In any case, Catalans are not subjected to indiscriminate police brutality.
I'm Welsh, not British.
I think many of our Scottish contributors would describe themselves emphatically as Scottish, not British.
It's not up to you to tell the Scottish and Welsh people what they are and what they are not. They can decide for themselves,
The Catalan have an independent history, culture, language. They are a distinct people. They have a right to self-deternination. They are not Spanish. It is not up to you to tell them what they are.
A state that carries out systematic brutality against a distinct minority is not a welcoming, tolerant state.
Not that I care about these titles myself, but I don't think you can say you are not British cos you are! What do you do when you get a drop down box that offers you British and not Welsh? You are British, you just are. You can't just decide you are Spanish for instance cos you are not.
There are many in Scotland and Wales that would reject your comment.
However, I am English/Welshman, my wife is a Scot, and my three children and four grandchildren have all been born in Wales.
My wife and I generally consider we are British but my children and my older grandchildren consider they are Welsh
Re Trump's bullying. If they don't already know so, it is to be hoped (and expected?) that once Trump loses the next election, politicians will know better than to resort to disparaging nicknames.
No, the Catalans are Spanish. Just as the Scots and Welsh are British. Some Catalans do not regard themselves as Spanish, but that is different. In any case, Catalans are not subjected to indiscriminate police brutality.
I'm Welsh, not British.
I think many of our Scottish contributors would describe themselves emphatically as Scottish, not British.
It's not up to you to tell the Scottish and Welsh people what they are and what they are not. They can decide for themselves,
The Catalan have an independent history, culture, language. They are a distinct people. They have a right to self-deternination. They are not Spanish. It is not up to you to tell them what they are.
A state that carries out systematic brutality against a distinct minority is not a welcoming, tolerant state.
Not that I care about these titles myself, but I don't think you can say you are not British cos you are! What do you do when you get a drop down box that offers you British and not Welsh? You are British, you just are. You can't just decide you are Spanish for instance cos you are not.
There are many in Scotland and Wales that would reject your comment.
However, I am English/Welshman, my wife is a Scot, and my three children and four grandchildren have all been born in Wales.
My wife and I generally consider we are British but my children and my older grandchildren consider they are Welsh
Big_G, you are free to choose. I respect your choice.
To be clear, some members of my family consider themselves British, but most do not.
Notice that this courtesy was removed by Southam.
He told me that the Scots and Welsh are all British and the Catalans are all Spanish.
No, the Catalans are Spanish. Just as the Scots and Welsh are British. Some Catalans do not regard themselves as Spanish, but that is different. In any case, Catalans are not subjected to indiscriminate police brutality.
I'm Welsh, not British.
I think many of our Scottish contributors would describe themselves emphatically as Scottish, not British.
It's not up to you to tell the Scottish and Welsh people what they are and what they are not. They can decide for themselves,
The Catalan have an independent history, culture, language. They are a distinct people. They have a right to self-deternination. They are not Spanish. It is not up to you to tell them what they are.
A state that carries out systematic brutality against a distinct minority is not a welcoming, tolerant state.
Not that I care about these titles myself, but I don't think you can say you are not British cos you are! What do you do when you get a drop down box that offers you British and not Welsh?
Do you think there might be more to the idea of nationhood than a drop down box?
Yes I agree. Maybe it is because it isn't important to me, but this is hurting my head. Wales is within Britain and therefore you are British by definition. Do you want Wales not to be in Britain? Is that the reason? Even if Wales was independent I'm not sure it still wouldn't be part of Britain. I'm not sure how that is defined? I'm a European but I don't live in a country called Europe. I'm very confused by this.Although it is not important to me I understand how you can be proud of being Welsh. My wife for instance is Scottish and proud of it, but she is still British. I'm very confused.
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No, the Catalans are Spanish. Just as the Scots and Welsh are British. Some Catalans do not regard themselves as Spanish, but that is different. In any case, Catalans are not subjected to indiscriminate police brutality.
I'm Welsh, not British.
I think many of our Scottish contributors would describe themselves emphatically as Scottish, not British.
It's not up to you to tell the Scottish and Welsh people what they are and what they are not. They can decide for themselves,
The Catalan have an independent history, culture, language. They are a distinct people. They have a right to self-deternination. They are not Spanish. It is not up to you to tell them what they are.
A state that carries out systematic brutality against a distinct minority is not a welcoming, tolerant state.
Not that I care about these titles myself, but I don't think you can say you are not British cos you are! What do you do when you get a drop down box that offers you British and not Welsh? You are British, you just are. You can't just decide you are Spanish for instance cos you are not.
There are many in Scotland and Wales that would reject your comment.
However, I am English/Welshman, my wife is a Scot, and my three children and four grandchildren have all been born in Wales.
My wife and I generally consider we are British but my children and my older grandchildren consider they are Welsh
I can understand that what is primarily important to them is that they are Welsh, but do they really say they are not British? And if they do they are wrong because they are. This is just weird. I'm starting to care too much about this!
I think he means that the UK agreed to a solution (the backstop arrangement in the absence of other solutions) and the challenge now is that the UK government can't get a deal implementing that solution through parliament.
I'm intrigued by this national identity issue. I am English, British, European just because of where I was born/live. Nothing more. These are a matter of fact. I don't feel any strong identity. I will support England, Britain, Europe in sport in that order, but I'm likely to flip if they are playing an underdog for instance and using gamesmanship, so I'm not that loyal if it is not deserved. My wife is similar, although from a Scottish view point. Any team playing England become honorary Scots, but her enthusiasm for anti England can wane and she has been known to support England if they look to really deserve it.
I addressed this yesterday. It is clearly not true. WTO rules do not require a 'hard' border - they just require that checks are done. The checks would be done, via declaration and via audit away from the border. Problem solved.
You addressed no such thing. You stated your fantasy outcome. Or perhaps one that will be in place in a few years (let's hope). What you most certainly didn't address is where we are today, why no one has described, or provided the plans for, or submitted the technical drawings of, or published a white paper on the technological/remote solution.
I think a goodly proportion of the western world is eagerly awaiting just such a disclosure and yet detail, other than mad Brexiters waving their hands in ignorance, has there been none.
It is not about predictions on outcome. It is about whether the ERG plan on the NI border would be in violation of WTO rules. It is not.
No of course it is not. We don't need, nor does WTO rules mandate any borders anywhere (taking back control notwithstanding). It is another WTO member that would bring the action that, under WTO rules, would require us to have one.
Read this article. It is short, sharp, and to the point.
Ah, I see your trick. You are creating a false scenario to ensure that you can convince yourself that this is a problem.
The ERG plan does not envisage 'no checks' on goods crossing the NI border. It envisages declarations on customs and regulations, plus checks that take place on a risk weighted basis away from the border.
The WTO does not specify how or where checks are carried out. It is up to the UK how it decides to conduct these checks. There is no problem.
Of course, if the WTO did have a problem with the ERG plan how come No 10 has not wheeled them out to say so in public?
I think he means that the UK agreed to a solution (the backstop arrangement in the absence of other solutions) and the challenge now is that the UK government can't get a deal implementing that solution through parliament.
Well, to be fair to May, she did not agree a NI only backstop in December so he is lying.
I addressed this yesterday. It is clearly not true. WTO rules do not require a 'hard' border - they just require that checks are done. The checks would be done, via declaration and via audit away from the border. Problem solved.
You addressed no such thing. You stated your fantasy outcome. Or perhaps one that will be in place in a few years (let's hope). What you most certainly didn't address is where we are today, why no one has described, or provided the plans for, or submitted the technical drawings of, or published a white paper on the technological/remote solution.
I think a goodly proportion of the western world is eagerly awaiting just such a disclosure and yet detail, other than mad Brexiters waving their hands in ignorance, has there been none.
It is not about predictions on outcome. It is about whether the ERG plan on the NI border would be in violation of WTO rules. It is not.
No of course it is not. We don't need, nor does WTO rules mandate any borders anywhere (taking back control notwithstanding). It is another WTO member that would bring the action that, under WTO rules, would require us to have one.
Read this article. It is short, sharp, and to the point.
Ah, I see your trick. You are creating a false scenario to ensure that you can convince yourself that this is a problem.
The ERG plan does not envisage 'no checks' on goods crossing the NI border. It envisages declarations on customs and regulations, plus checks that take place on a risk weighted basis away from the border.
The WTO does not specify how or where checks are carried out. It is up to the UK how it decides to conduct these checks. There is no problem.
Of course, if the WTO did have a problem with the ERG plan how come No 10 has not wheeled them out to say so in public?
SO WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR IT!!??
You keep saying this away from the border thing but I have seen no detail about it. The ERG hasn't presented it, the Government hasn't presented it, you haven't presented it, and nor has anyone else for that matter presented it. Please can you post the link to it.
In theory it sounds great but how does it work in practice. Have you not read The Republic?
No, the Catalans are Spanish. Just as the Scots and Welsh are British. Some Catalans do not regard themselves as Spanish, but that is different. In any case, Catalans are not subjected to indiscriminate police brutality.
I'm Welsh, not British.
I think many of our Scottish contributors would describe themselves emphatically as Scottish, not British.
It's not up to you to tell the Scottish and Welsh people what they are and what they are not. They can decide for themselves,
The Catalan have an independent history, culture, language. They are a distinct people. They have a right to self-deternination. They are not Spanish. It is not up to you to tell them what they are.
A state that carries out systematic brutality against a distinct minority is not a welcoming, tolerant state.
Not that I care about these titles myself, but I don't think you can say you are not British cos you are! What do you do when you get a drop down box that offers you British and not Welsh? You are British, you just are. You can't just decide you are Spanish for instance cos you are not.
There are many in Scotland and Wales that would reject your comment.
However, I am English/Welshman, my wife is a Scot, and my three children and four grandchildren have all been born in Wales.
My wife and I generally consider we are British but my children and my older grandchildren consider they are Welsh
Well, at least you didn't say that you all consider yourself European
Not necessarily. Parliament could pass legislation compressing the election timetable - before FTPA an election could be held in as little as three weeks from announcement to polling day.
May has already signed up to an open-ended backstop. It is in the December declaration. And neither Foreign Secretary Johnson nor Brexit Secretary Davis demurred.
You must have forgotten. Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.
It even says that on page 1 of the December agreement.
Looking further at the text, where is the NI-only backstop mentioned? I only see a passage stating that the whole UK would remain in alignment, and that there would be no additional regulatory border between GB and NI.
I think the translation into French must have said something different...
Listening to Junckers and Tusk you just despair. They are incompetent beyond belief and how they hold any office is unbelievable
Junckers interferring in Italy saying Italy is Italy. If he thinks he can rule on the economic decisions of a sovereign Country he is inviting insurrection
He can rule on the economic decisions of a sovereign Country. That is what the treaties allow him to do.
I think of all his nicknames Pocahontas has been my favourite. It's a career ending monkier for Warren making her look like a fantasist, trivial and entirely unserious, all at the same time.
Trump is an appalling individual: venal, immoral, dishonest and more than a bit of a fantasist himself but he's got this politics stuff nailed. His speech about Blasey Ford's "one can of beer" and "I don't remember" was an absolutely devastating use of rhetoric, just brutal. He is always capable of self destruction but failing that he is going to be very, very hard to beat.
I think you perhaps overestimate his chances. He will hold his base, but that is not sufficient.
It is a fair point that a lot of the minorities who turned out to vote for Obama in 08 and 12 did not turn out for Hillary. In several swing states that was probably significant. The Democrats need a candidate to get out their vote where it really matters - without scaring independents. That surely means Biden. Trump's biggest challenge, though, is probably women voters. He clearly has very serious issues around women - and these are not just sexual.
Biden/Warren might have been the ideal ticket, but I think it more likely to be Warren.
Did I really write that ?!?
I meant Harris, not Warren. (Asleep at the keyboard today.)
I addressed this yesterday. It is clearly not true. WTO rules do not require a 'hard' border - they just require that checks are done. The checks would be done, via declaration and via audit away from the border. Problem solved.
You addressed no such thing. You stated your fantasy outcome. Or perhaps one that will be in place in a few years (let's hope). What you most certainly didn't address is where we are today, why no one has described, or provided the plans for, or submitted the technical drawings of, or published a white paper on the technological/remote solution.
I think a goodly proportion of the western world is eagerly awaiting just such a disclosure and yet detail, other than mad Brexiters waving their hands in ignorance, has there been none.
It is not about predictions on outcome. It is about whether the ERG plan on the NI border would be in violation of WTO rules. It is not.
No of course it is not. We don't need, nor does WTO rules mandate any borders anywhere (taking back control notwithstanding). It is another WTO member that would bring the action that, under WTO rules, would require us to have one.
Read this article. It is short, sharp, and to the point.
Ah, I see your trick. You are creating a false scenario to ensure that you can convince yourself that this is a problem.
The ERG plan does not envisage 'no checks' on goods crossing the NI border. It envisages declarations on customs and regulations, plus checks that take place on a risk weighted basis away from the border.
The WTO does not specify how or where checks are carried out. It is up to the UK how it decides to conduct these checks. There is no problem.
Of course, if the WTO did have a problem with the ERG plan how come No 10 has not wheeled them out to say so in public?
SO WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR IT!!??
You keep saying this away from the border thing but I have seen no detail about it. The ERG hasn't presented it, the Government hasn't presented it, you haven't presented it, and nor has anyone else for that matter presented it. Please can you post the link to it.
In theory it sounds great but how does it work in practice. Have you not read The Republic?
A quick read of the comments suggests there are a lot of EU zealots about on the Guardian website. Those unwilling to accept compromise on Brexit will be those who end up with nothing to smile about.
I think he means that the UK agreed to a solution (the backstop arrangement in the absence of other solutions) and the challenge now is that the UK government can't get a deal implementing that solution through parliament.
Well, to be fair to May, she did not agree a NI only backstop in December so he is lying.
She agreed to maintain full regulatory alignment in the absence of agreed solutions. She doesn't want to accept the NI concession offered by the EU - fair enough, it has impacts on the UK she doesn't like - but she can still meet the condition by delivering unilateral alignment.
It is all in the above doc. Including checks away from the border area.
The Lars Karlsson solution seems to involve a lot of computer systems that are conveniently available from Lars Karlsson's company. Who's paying for them?
It is not about predictions on outcome. It is about whether the ERG plan on the NI border would be in violation of WTO rules. It is not.
No of course it is not. We don't need, nor does WTO rules mandate any borders anywhere (taking back control notwithstanding). It is another WTO member that would bring the action that, under WTO rules, would require us to have one.
Read this article. It is short, sharp, and to the point.
Ah, I see your trick. You are creating a false scenario to ensure that you can convince yourself that this is a problem.
The ERG plan does not envisage 'no checks' on goods crossing the NI border. It envisages declarations on customs and regulations, plus checks that take place on a risk weighted basis away from the border.
The WTO does not specify how or where checks are carried out. It is up to the UK how it decides to conduct these checks. There is no problem.
Of course, if the WTO did have a problem with the ERG plan how come No 10 has not wheeled them out to say so in public?
SO WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR IT!!??
You keep saying this away from the border thing but I have seen no detail about it. The ERG hasn't presented it, the Government hasn't presented it, you haven't presented it, and nor has anyone else for that matter presented it. Please can you post the link to it.
In theory it sounds great but how does it work in practice. Have you not read The Republic?
It is all in the above doc. Including checks away from the border area.
And, just to complete the discussion on this particular red herring, from the WTO (GATT 1994):
"A WTO Member is allowed to take any action which is considers necessary for the protection of its essential security interests or in pursuance of its obligations under the United Nations Charter for the maintenance of international peace and security."
I think we cam safely say that checks away from the border in NI are going to be just fine.
A quick read of the comments suggests there are a lot of EU zealots about on the Guardian website. Those unwilling to accept compromise on Brexit will be those who end up with nothing to smile about.
You should see the comments on David Allan Green's FT article arguing that the EU may have been mistaken on stuffing the 'backstop' into the WA........'Wickerman' springs to mind....
It is all in the above doc. Including checks away from the border area.
The Lars Karlsson solution seems to involve a lot of computer systems that are conveniently available from Lars Karlsson's company. Who's paying for them?
The taxpayer of course. We are paying for the new super duper customs system that is being implemented now. I believe IBM are prime contractor so Trump should be happy. But the the part that does the analysis on what loads to check are from UK software companies.
Elizabeth Warren is toast, surely. Lord only knows what she was trying to achieve with that DNA test, but whatever it was, it has backfired big-time. It has just served to make Trump look right, and make her look petulant, silly, defensive and probably dishonest.
In any case she's the wrong candidate to appeal to the key voters the Dems need to win back, in places like Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The Dems need to focus entirely on electability in the key states. They are going to lose again if they indulge themselves with a candidate whose appeal lies mostly in California and the north-east.
I think he means that the UK agreed to a solution (the backstop arrangement in the absence of other solutions) and the challenge now is that the UK government can't get a deal implementing that solution through parliament.
Well, to be fair to May, she did not agree a NI only backstop in December so he is lying.
She agreed to maintain full regulatory alignment in the absence of agreed solutions. She doesn't want to accept the NI concession offered by the EU - fair enough, it has impacts on the UK she doesn't like - but she can still meet the condition by delivering unilateral alignment.
She can. But let's be clear - the EU are not offering that; in fact they expressly refuse to allow it.
The EU are saying that even if there was (later) a UK wide Customs Union, there would have to be a regulatory barrier in the Irish Sea because the EU will not accept the UK remaining in 'full alignment' since they consider this cherry picking.
Which is ruling out exactly what was agreed.
But this is still May's fault for agreeing the concept of a backstop in the first place.
Only resolution to this crisis seems to be to oust May, say the backstop is dead and do they want to talk or not. If they don't we have a few months to prepare for no deal. If they do we can get a deal.
Had an interesting incident on my way to work this morning. Those of you who travel on the Waterloo and City line at Waterloo will know how the queues snake around during busy periods. This guy, fully booted and suited casually jumped the really long queue and refused to adhere to the requests of the TfL staff to get tot he back of the queue. The sheer arrogance of the guy astounded me - I went up to him suggesting what he had done was wrong and yes I did call him a "tall tw*t".
For my troubles I got a size 12 boot up my spine which made me collapse to the floor, bruises and all. A big shout-out to the couple of lovely ladies who helped me up. The guy nonchalantly carried on and boarded the train. I was going to leave the matter but the two ladies told me to report this to the Police (they had photos on their phone etc.). I got off at Bank and sneakily followed him to his workplace - with that knowledge I returned to Bank station and reported the incident to BTP. Luckily the ladies had also called in as witnesses to the event. Let's see what happens but definitely an interesting commute into work today!!
Only resolution to this crisis seems to be to oust May, say the backstop is dead and do they want to talk or not. If they don't we have a few months to prepare for no deal. If they do we can get a deal.
May has failed.
Indeed. She now appears to be utterly clueless about how to proceed.
I think he means that the UK agreed to a solution (the backstop arrangement in the absence of other solutions) and the challenge now is that the UK government can't get a deal implementing that solution through parliament.
Well, to be fair to May, she did not agree a NI only backstop in December so he is lying.
She agreed to maintain full regulatory alignment in the absence of agreed solutions. She doesn't want to accept the NI concession offered by the EU - fair enough, it has impacts on the UK she doesn't like - but she can still meet the condition by delivering unilateral alignment.
She can. But let's be clear - the EU are not offering that; in fact they expressly refuse to allow it.
The EU are saying that even if there was (later) a UK wide Customs Union, there would have to be a regulatory barrier in the Irish Sea because the EU will not accept the UK remaining in 'full alignment' since they consider this cherry picking.
Which is ruling out exactly what was agreed.
But this is still May's fault for agreeing the concept of a backstop in the first place.
I keep seeing this asserted but have struggled to find any statement to that effect (there have been a lot of statements. I might have missed one). The EU will allow the UK to remain in full alignment because that's a UK matter. The UK can commit to aligning to whatever rules it likes. It gets no benefit, it just becomes a rule taker. It has to make the commitment to not diverge until agreed solutions are found.
The problem with Chequers in this respect was reserving the right to diverge in due course.
What the EU offered was to allow this requirement to be met by NI remaining in SM and CU without having all the normal obligations of a member. It has refused to extend this concessionary offer to the whole UK.
Have I got this right, or has the EU said that the UK voluntarily and unilaterally maintaining full alignment doesn't constitute a backstop?
Listening to Junckers and Tusk you just despair. They are incompetent beyond belief and how they hold any office is unbelievable
Junckers interferring in Italy saying Italy is Italy. If he thinks he can rule on the economic decisions of a sovereign Country he is inviting insurrection
I'm in france at the moment and I'm sure you'll be amazed to know that no one here seems to think our lot are the brightest cards in the pack
Only resolution to this crisis seems to be to oust May, say the backstop is dead and do they want to talk or not. If they don't we have a few months to prepare for no deal. If they do we can get a deal.
May has failed.
I honestly think they'd be overjoyed. If the Tories send her to the farm to be put down, a caretaker leader (say David Davis) could do a deal with Corbyn, transition quickly to EEA+CU, and then have all the time in the world to negotiate Canada Plus Infinity.
It really isn't THAT hard. But it can't happen until somebody shoots May.
Had an interesting incident on my way to work this morning. Those of you who travel on the Waterloo and City line at Waterloo will know how the queues snake around during busy periods. This guy, fully booted and suited casually jumped the really long queue and refused to adhere to the requests of the TfL staff to get tot he back of the queue. The sheer arrogance of the guy astounded me - I went up to him suggesting what he had done was wrong and yes I did call him a "tall tw*t".
For my troubles I got a size 12 boot up my spine which made me collapse to the floor, bruises and all. A big shout-out to the couple of lovely ladies who helped me up. The guy nonchalantly carried on and boarded the train. I was going to leave the matter but the two ladies told me to report this to the Police (they had photos on their phone etc.). I got off at Bank and sneakily followed him to his workplace - with that knowledge I returned to Bank station and reported the incident to BTP. Luckily the ladies had also called in as witnesses to the event. Let's see what happens but definitely an interesting commute into work today!!
Hope you're not hurt & there's no lasting damage - and you press charges - sounds like a pretty straightforward common assault. The publicity will do him much more damage than any Magistrates fine. There will very likely be CCTV too.
Had an interesting incident on my way to work this morning. Those of you who travel on the Waterloo and City line at Waterloo will know how the queues snake around during busy periods. This guy, fully booted and suited casually jumped the really long queue and refused to adhere to the requests of the TfL staff to get tot he back of the queue. The sheer arrogance of the guy astounded me - I went up to him suggesting what he had done was wrong and yes I did call him a "tall tw*t".
For my troubles I got a size 12 boot up my spine which made me collapse to the floor, bruises and all. A big shout-out to the couple of lovely ladies who helped me up. The guy nonchalantly carried on and boarded the train. I was going to leave the matter but the two ladies told me to report this to the Police (they had photos on their phone etc.). I got off at Bank and sneakily followed him to his workplace - with that knowledge I returned to Bank station and reported the incident to BTP. Luckily the ladies had also called in as witnesses to the event. Let's see what happens but definitely an interesting commute into work today!!
Good on you. I wouldn't have done that and would have been annoyed at myself for being a coward.
Had an interesting incident on my way to work this morning. Those of you who travel on the Waterloo and City line at Waterloo will know how the queues snake around during busy periods. This guy, fully booted and suited casually jumped the really long queue and refused to adhere to the requests of the TfL staff to get tot he back of the queue. The sheer arrogance of the guy astounded me - I went up to him suggesting what he had done was wrong and yes I did call him a "tall tw*t".
For my troubles I got a size 12 boot up my spine which made me collapse to the floor, bruises and all. A big shout-out to the couple of lovely ladies who helped me up. The guy nonchalantly carried on and boarded the train. I was going to leave the matter but the two ladies told me to report this to the Police (they had photos on their phone etc.). I got off at Bank and sneakily followed him to his workplace - with that knowledge I returned to Bank station and reported the incident to BTP. Luckily the ladies had also called in as witnesses to the event. Let's see what happens but definitely an interesting commute into work today!!
Been there done that. I ended up having to take a day off work and when the defendant admitted the offence got £280 in damages.
Given that I earn slightly more than £280 a day it really wasn't worth the stress and hassle..
Had an interesting incident on my way to work this morning. Those of you who travel on the Waterloo and City line at Waterloo will know how the queues snake around during busy periods. This guy, fully booted and suited casually jumped the really long queue and refused to adhere to the requests of the TfL staff to get tot he back of the queue. The sheer arrogance of the guy astounded me - I went up to him suggesting what he had done was wrong and yes I did call him a "tall tw*t".
For my troubles I got a size 12 boot up my spine which made me collapse to the floor, bruises and all. A big shout-out to the couple of lovely ladies who helped me up. The guy nonchalantly carried on and boarded the train. I was going to leave the matter but the two ladies told me to report this to the Police (they had photos on their phone etc.). I got off at Bank and sneakily followed him to his workplace - with that knowledge I returned to Bank station and reported the incident to BTP. Luckily the ladies had also called in as witnesses to the event. Let's see what happens but definitely an interesting commute into work today!!
Not necessarily. Parliament could pass legislation compressing the election timetable - before FTPA an election could be held in as little as three weeks from announcement to polling day.
Not necessarily. Parliament could pass legislation compressing the election timetable - before FTPA an election could be held in as little as three weeks from announcement to polling day.
Because compressing the timeline to minimise the discussion on a post-Brexit negotiations fuck-up election is going to play so well with the voters....
Elizabeth Warren is toast, surely. Lord only knows what she was trying to achieve with that DNA test, but whatever it was, it has backfired big-time. It has just served to make Trump look right, and make her look petulant, silly, defensive and probably dishonest.
In any case she's the wrong candidate to appeal to the key voters the Dems need to win back, in places like Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The Dems need to focus entirely on electability in the key states. They are going to lose again if they indulge themselves with a candidate whose appeal lies mostly in California and the north-east.
Against a brazen liar, likely fraudster, and shill for mass murderers.
She is a fraud - she has claimed for years that her mother and father had to elope to get married because her mother was part Cherokee and part Delaware. The DNA result questions - to put it mildly - that assertion. She has also used this minority claim for years to move her career forward. So Trump calling her Pocahontas struck a chord.
Had an interesting incident on my way to work this morning. Those of you who travel on the Waterloo and City line at Waterloo will know how the queues snake around during busy periods. This guy, fully booted and suited casually jumped the really long queue and refused to adhere to the requests of the TfL staff to get tot he back of the queue. The sheer arrogance of the guy astounded me - I went up to him suggesting what he had done was wrong and yes I did call him a "tall tw*t".
For my troubles I got a size 12 boot up my spine which made me collapse to the floor, bruises and all. A big shout-out to the couple of lovely ladies who helped me up. The guy nonchalantly carried on and boarded the train. I was going to leave the matter but the two ladies told me to report this to the Police (they had photos on their phone etc.). I got off at Bank and sneakily followed him to his workplace - with that knowledge I returned to Bank station and reported the incident to BTP. Luckily the ladies had also called in as witnesses to the event. Let's see what happens but definitely an interesting commute into work today!!
Hope you're not hurt & there's no lasting damage - and you press charges - sounds like a pretty straightforward common assault. The publicity will do him much more damage than any Magistrates fine.
Thanks Carlotta - just some light bruising (though the Police did say I should take some photos later on in the evening when the bruises darken!). The Mrs was a little bit less sympathetic, telling me off for calling him the T word. Notes for next time I guess!
Only resolution to this crisis seems to be to oust May, say the backstop is dead and do they want to talk or not. If they don't we have a few months to prepare for no deal. If they do we can get a deal.
May has failed.
I honestly think they'd be overjoyed. If the Tories send her to the farm to be put down, a caretaker leader (say David Davis) could do a deal with Corbyn, transition quickly to EEA+CU, and then have all the time in the world to negotiate Canada Plus Infinity.
It really isn't THAT hard. But it can't happen until somebody shoots May.
So David Davies, who thinks we need to totally get out of EEA and CU and attacking May for keeping us in the CU would....keep up in the CU?
Not necessarily. Parliament could pass legislation compressing the election timetable - before FTPA an election could be held in as little as three weeks from announcement to polling day.
Can it if there's been a vote of no confidence?
Would have to check to be sure, but there's a 14-day period in which a VONC can be rescinded - presumably there is no bar on the House undertaking other business, including passing legislation in that time (in fact I guess it's used for the normal wash-up of outstanding bills before dissolution, so must be possible).
No, the Catalans are Spanish. Just as the Scots and Welsh are British. Some Catalans do not regard themselves as Spanish, but that is different. In any case, Catalans are not subjected to indiscriminate police brutality.
I'm Welsh, not British.
I think many of our Scottish contributors would describe themselves emphatically as Scottish, not British.
It's not up to you to tell the Scottish and Welsh people what they are and what they are not. They can decide for themselves,
The Catalan have an independent history, culture, language. They are a distinct people. They have a right to self-deternination. They are not Spanish. It is not up to you to tell them what they are.
A state that carries out systematic brutality against a distinct minority is not a welcoming, tolerant state.
There is no systematic brutality in Catalonia, where around half the population consider themselves Spanish and half do not. All travel on Spanish passports and have Spanish citizenship.
Catalonia does not have an independent history. It has never been an independent country. It certainly has a distinct language - one it shares with Valencia, the Balearic Islands, parts of Murcia, Andorra and Rousillon in France. Catalonia is also home to many cultures. I lived there for five years and go back frequently. How long did you live there?
Only resolution to this crisis seems to be to oust May, say the backstop is dead and do they want to talk or not. If they don't we have a few months to prepare for no deal. If they do we can get a deal.
May has failed.
I honestly think they'd be overjoyed. If the Tories send her to the farm to be put down, a caretaker leader (say David Davis) could do a deal with Corbyn, transition quickly to EEA+CU, and then have all the time in the world to negotiate Canada Plus Infinity.
It really isn't THAT hard. But it can't happen until somebody shoots May.
So David Davies, who thinks we need to totally get out of EEA and CU and attacking May for keeping us in the CU would....keep up in the CU?
Only resolution to this crisis seems to be to oust May, say the backstop is dead and do they want to talk or not. If they don't we have a few months to prepare for no deal. If they do we can get a deal.
May has failed.
Yes, we have to clear the air. The Tories need to give Barnier Theresa's head on a pike. Thereafter, get someone with transparent intentions who isn't always desperate to ride two horses. Someone from either side of the Brexit divide will do - A Boris or a Ken Clarke. Nothing succeeds like clarity itself.
Only resolution to this crisis seems to be to oust May, say the backstop is dead and do they want to talk or not. If they don't we have a few months to prepare for no deal. If they do we can get a deal.
May has failed.
Yes, we have to clear the air. The Tories need to give Barnier Theresa's head on a pike. Thereafter, get someone with transparent intentions who isn't always desperate to ride two horses. Someone from either side of the Brexit divide will do - A Boris or a Ken Clarke. Nothing succeeds like clarity itself.
Isn't there a risk that Boris (all on his own) is from 'either side' given the 2-letter strategy? Might not provide the hoped-for clarity.
Only resolution to this crisis seems to be to oust May, say the backstop is dead and do they want to talk or not. If they don't we have a few months to prepare for no deal. If they do we can get a deal.
May has failed.
I honestly think they'd be overjoyed. If the Tories send her to the farm to be put down, a caretaker leader (say David Davis) could do a deal with Corbyn, transition quickly to EEA+CU, and then have all the time in the world to negotiate Canada Plus Infinity.
It really isn't THAT hard. But it can't happen until somebody shoots May.
So David Davies, who thinks we need to totally get out of EEA and CU and attacking May for keeping us in the CU would....keep up in the CU?
Errr ok??
It would have to be somebody like him. He'd be one of the few people who'd have the appropriate trust from the ERG wing of the party to pull it off. And you could get Corbyn on board by promising him an early (though not immediate) election and some vague wording about workers rights.
If May said "we're moving to EEA+CU so we can negotiate Canada+ at our leisure" then JRM would be like "tinkle the other one it doth have teeny little bells 'pon it", but if Davis said it, I think the ERG would *believe* him.
Only resolution to this crisis seems to be to oust May, say the backstop is dead and do they want to talk or not. If they don't we have a few months to prepare for no deal. If they do we can get a deal.
May has failed.
Yes, we have to clear the air. The Tories need to give Barnier Theresa's head on a pike. Thereafter, get someone with transparent intentions who isn't always desperate to ride two horses. Someone from either side of the Brexit divide will do - A Boris or a Ken Clarke. Nothing succeeds like clarity itself.
It's time for the Buccaneering Brexiteers to deliver on that promised easiest trade deal in the world with all the upsides of being in the EU and none of the downsides. Clearly, given how simple it is going to be it will be all done by Christmas.
Hickenlooper is too centrist for current Democratic primary voters, Warren, Sanders or Harris look the most likely nominee at the moment. Biden would be the best general election candidate but he will find it a challenge to win once the field narrows down after the first few primaries and caucuses and his main opponent is a left liberal populist
Only resolution to this crisis seems to be to oust May, say the backstop is dead and do they want to talk or not. If they don't we have a few months to prepare for no deal. If they do we can get a deal.
May has failed.
I honestly think they'd be overjoyed. If the Tories send her to the farm to be put down, a caretaker leader (say David Davis) could do a deal with Corbyn, transition quickly to EEA+CU, and then have all the time in the world to negotiate Canada Plus Infinity.
It really isn't THAT hard. But it can't happen until somebody shoots May.
EEA+CU indefinitely is exactly what May is heading towards now anyway
Elizabeth Warren is toast, surely. Lord only knows what she was trying to achieve with that DNA test, but whatever it was, it has backfired big-time. It has just served to make Trump look right, and make her look petulant, silly, defensive and probably dishonest.
In any case she's the wrong candidate to appeal to the key voters the Dems need to win back, in places like Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The Dems need to focus entirely on electability in the key states. They are going to lose again if they indulge themselves with a candidate whose appeal lies mostly in California and the north-east.
Against a brazen liar, likely fraudster, and shill for mass murderers.
She is a fraud - she has claimed for years that her mother and father had to elope to get married because her mother was part Cherokee and part Delaware. The DNA result questions - to put it mildly - that assertion. She has also used this minority claim for years to move her career forward. So Trump calling her Pocahontas struck a chord.
Totally. It is enjoyable watching the entire fraud that is identity politics and how people who have power in every other way manage to acquire some kind of victimhood that gives them a preference/grievance. In the case of the person in question she used her 'heritage' to get her promoted at her work place.
We see this total demolition happening across the Atlantic while we are the busy process of implementing it here. We keep going and a Trump will emerge here as well.
Only resolution to this crisis seems to be to oust May, say the backstop is dead and do they want to talk or not. If they don't we have a few months to prepare for no deal. If they do we can get a deal.
May has failed.
I honestly think they'd be overjoyed. If the Tories send her to the farm to be put down, a caretaker leader (say David Davis) could do a deal with Corbyn, transition quickly to EEA+CU, and then have all the time in the world to negotiate Canada Plus Infinity.
It really isn't THAT hard. But it can't happen until somebody shoots May.
So David Davies, who thinks we need to totally get out of EEA and CU and attacking May for keeping us in the CU would....keep up in the CU?
Errr ok??
It would have to be somebody like him. He'd be one of the few people who'd have the appropriate trust from the ERG wing of the party to pull it off. And you could get Corbyn on board by promising him an early (though not immediate) election and some vague wording about workers rights.
If May said "we're moving to EEA+CU so we can negotiate Canada+ at our leisure" then JRM would be like "tinkle the other one it doth have teeny little bells 'pon it", but if Davis said it, I think the ERG would *believe* him.
Yes, but Theresa was held in similar esteem early on. She was going to go to war with Spain over Gibraltar remember. I'm sure DD would suffer a similar fate - from Churchill to collaborator in the blink of an eye. The ERG types give you no wriggle room whatsoever.
Only resolution to this crisis seems to be to oust May, say the backstop is dead and do they want to talk or not. If they don't we have a few months to prepare for no deal. If they do we can get a deal.
May has failed.
Why should May accept that? She would put a SM and CU backstop for NI to the Commons well before the ERG could muster the numbers to oust her and it would likely pass rendering a No confidence vote pointless
Only resolution to this crisis seems to be to oust May, say the backstop is dead and do they want to talk or not. If they don't we have a few months to prepare for no deal. If they do we can get a deal.
May has failed.
Yes, we have to clear the air. The Tories need to give Barnier Theresa's head on a pike. Thereafter, get someone with transparent intentions who isn't always desperate to ride two horses. Someone from either side of the Brexit divide will do - A Boris or a Ken Clarke. Nothing succeeds like clarity itself.
It's time for the Buccaneering Brexiteers to deliver on that promised easiest trade deal in the world with all the upsides of being in the EU and none of the downsides. Clearly, given how simple it is going to be it will be all done by Christmas.
Pretty sure we've moved on past that. We are where we are.
It is worth remembering that the remainers on here like myself are generally coming at this debate with the point of view that the EU is a genuine point of political debate. So if we can make a good enough case we can win over leavers, or at least reduce their enthusiasm. The leavers likewise advance arguments to try and make it clear that their way is the better one. There's enough common ground for the discussion to continue for some considerable time.
I have similar exchanges with my friends and older members of my family. But when I talk to my children, it isn't like that at all. They don't regard the EU as something that you choose to leave. It is simply the way it is and the way it must be. They don't understand why anyone would want to leave, and are deeply suspicious of anyone who does. It is so far removed from their worldview you might as well be talking about sending small boys back up chimneys or re-establishing the empire.
It is worth remembering this. It isn't just a possibility that we will be rejoining. It is an absolute inevitability.
Comments
The basic problem for the Democrats is how many rural or Appalachian States have moved against them, even as the biggest cities (which count for little in Senate terms) have moved towards them.
I have had real problems with my knees including referral to an orthopaedic surgeon and subseqently a physio directly reporting to him. It appears my cartilage and meniscus are not in good shape and I need a long period of physio and gentle exercise
*innocent face*
I think many of our Scottish contributors would describe themselves emphatically as Scottish, not British.
It's not up to you to tell the Scottish and Welsh people what they are and what they are not. They can decide for themselves,
The Catalan have an independent history, culture, language. They are a distinct people. They have a right to self-deternination. They are not Spanish. It is not up to you to tell them what they are.
A state that carries out systematic brutality against a distinct minority is not a welcoming, tolerant state.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Harrison
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_chronometer
You are spinning.
He is gerrymandering
We are performing a fair redistrict.
They are to blame.
There’s a French Rugby League side called the Catalan Dragons.
You are British, you just are. You can't just decide you are Spanish for instance cos you are not.
French Catalonia or Roussillon refers to the Catalan-speaking and Catalan-culture territory ceded to France by Spain through the signing of the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 in exchange of France's effective renunciation on the formal protection given to the recent founded Catalan Republic. The area corresponds exactly to the modern French département of the Pyrénées-Orientales which were historically part of Catalonia since the old County of Barcelona, and lasted during the times of the Crown of Aragon and the Principality of Catalonia until they were given to France by Spain.
The equivalent term in French, Catalogne Nord, is used nowadays, although less often than the more politically neutral Roussillon (the French word for Catalan: Rosselló). Sometimes the term French Catalonia can also be used.
However, I am English/Welshman, my wife is a Scot, and my three children and four grandchildren have all been born in Wales.
My wife and I generally consider we are British but my children and my older grandchildren consider they are Welsh
To be clear, some members of my family consider themselves British, but most do not.
Notice that this courtesy was removed by Southam.
He told me that the Scots and Welsh are all British and the Catalans are all Spanish.
guaranteed free of any native american content, sense of humor, sense of reality, or sense of the absurd. Your mileage may vary. Actual highway mileage will probably be less. No parts ingestible by small children. Not recommended for children over 12. This product has less native american content than the Jeep Cherokee.
The ERG plan does not envisage 'no checks' on goods crossing the NI border. It envisages declarations on customs and regulations, plus checks that take place on a risk weighted basis away from the border.
The WTO does not specify how or where checks are carried out. It is up to the UK how it decides to conduct these checks. There is no problem.
Of course, if the WTO did have a problem with the ERG plan how come No 10 has not wheeled them out to say so in public?
You keep saying this away from the border thing but I have seen no detail about it. The ERG hasn't presented it, the Government hasn't presented it, you haven't presented it, and nor has anyone else for that matter presented it. Please can you post the link to it.
In theory it sounds great but how does it work in practice. Have you not read The Republic?
Good job we are leaving.
I meant Harris, not Warren.
(Asleep at the keyboard today.)
Harris has been reading up on working family tax credit...
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/10/lefts-trump-sized-tax-plans/573328/
It is all in the above doc. Including checks away from the border area.
"A WTO Member is allowed to take any action which is considers necessary for the protection of its essential security interests or in pursuance of its obligations under the United Nations Charter for the maintenance of international peace and security."
I think we cam safely say that checks away from the border in NI are going to be just fine.
But the the part that does the analysis on what loads to check are from UK software companies.
Not so much because she's dishonest - I think that is unfair, as this article suggests:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/10/18/just-about-everything-youve-read-warren-dna-test-is-wrong/
- but because she can't even win a news cycle she instigated.
Against a brazen liar, likely fraudster, and shill for mass murderers.
The EU are saying that even if there was (later) a UK wide Customs Union, there would have to be a regulatory barrier in the Irish Sea because the EU will not accept the UK remaining in 'full alignment' since they consider this cherry picking.
Which is ruling out exactly what was agreed.
But this is still May's fault for agreeing the concept of a backstop in the first place.
May has failed.
Presumably she forgot to tell herself what she asked for.
https://order-order.com/2018/10/18/eu-unity-latest/
Had an interesting incident on my way to work this morning. Those of you who travel on the Waterloo and City line at Waterloo will know how the queues snake around during busy periods. This guy, fully booted and suited casually jumped the really long queue and refused to adhere to the requests of the TfL staff to get tot he back of the queue. The sheer arrogance of the guy astounded me - I went up to him suggesting what he had done was wrong and yes I did call him a "tall tw*t".
For my troubles I got a size 12 boot up my spine which made me collapse to the floor, bruises and all. A big shout-out to the couple of lovely ladies who helped me up. The guy nonchalantly carried on and boarded the train. I was going to leave the matter but the two ladies told me to report this to the Police (they had photos on their phone etc.). I got off at Bank and sneakily followed him to his workplace - with that knowledge I returned to Bank station and reported the incident to BTP. Luckily the ladies had also called in as witnesses to the event. Let's see what happens but definitely an interesting commute into work today!!
The problem with Chequers in this respect was reserving the right to diverge in due course.
What the EU offered was to allow this requirement to be met by NI remaining in SM and CU without having all the normal obligations of a member. It has refused to extend this concessionary offer to the whole UK.
Have I got this right, or has the EU said that the UK voluntarily and unilaterally maintaining full alignment doesn't constitute a backstop?
It really isn't THAT hard. But it can't happen until somebody shoots May.
Given that I earn slightly more than £280 a day it really wasn't worth the stress and hassle..
Errr ok??
Catalonia does not have an independent history. It has never been an independent country. It certainly has a distinct language - one it shares with Valencia, the Balearic Islands, parts of Murcia, Andorra and Rousillon in France. Catalonia is also home to many cultures. I lived there for five years and go back frequently. How long did you live there?
If May said "we're moving to EEA+CU so we can negotiate Canada+ at our leisure" then JRM would be like "tinkle the other one it doth have teeny little bells 'pon it", but if Davis said it, I think the ERG would *believe* him.
We see this total demolition happening across the Atlantic while we are the busy process of implementing it here. We keep going and a Trump will emerge here as well.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/18/young-people-brexit-peoples-vote-future
It is worth remembering that the remainers on here like myself are generally coming at this debate with the point of view that the EU is a genuine point of political debate. So if we can make a good enough case we can win over leavers, or at least reduce their enthusiasm. The leavers likewise advance arguments to try and make it clear that their way is the better one. There's enough common ground for the discussion to continue for some considerable time.
I have similar exchanges with my friends and older members of my family. But when I talk to my children, it isn't like that at all. They don't regard the EU as something that you choose to leave. It is simply the way it is and the way it must be. They don't understand why anyone would want to leave, and are deeply suspicious of anyone who does. It is so far removed from their worldview you might as well be talking about sending small boys back up chimneys or re-establishing the empire.
It is worth remembering this. It isn't just a possibility that we will be rejoining. It is an absolute inevitability.