Mr. Thompson, aye. The UK hasn't reneged on anything because the UK never backed the proposed deal in the Commons.
May, on the other hand, might have. But that's not the same thing.
But how many times has may said "Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed". So nothing is agreed until the House of Commons (and the Lords) sign up.
Tusk wasn't, I think 'getting at' May. He was, though getting at those like the ERG and DUP for whom nothing is acceptable, and who are unable to accept that in negotiations such as these 'half a loaf' is the best you are going to get.
The ERG and DUP voted to back the deal with one small change. A change that happens anyway if there's no deal.
Rather unfortunate timing for the UK to have such terrible leadership, although the EU have not exactly been playing things sensibly either.
Still think the failure to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty was the single most critical mistake. Anybody considering voting Leave but not sure will have known that a future referendum was very unlikely to be held, and this might well be the only opportunity.
Mr. Thompson, aye. The UK hasn't reneged on anything because the UK never backed the proposed deal in the Commons.
May, on the other hand, might have. But that's not the same thing.
But how many times has may said "Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed". So nothing is agreed until the House of Commons (and the Lords) sign up.
And that is, er, a little way off....
It's not as if MPs kept their loathing of the backstop a secret either. Its not as if rejection came out of the blue.
There is no backstop if there is no deal so the EU give up nothing by giving up the backstop to save the deal. Except face.
Tusks actions look part of a wider strategy to intimidate other countries who might think about leaving rather than Brexit. He's certainly not helping the Remain clause.
I would challenge you to find a remainer in the country who hasn't said far worse about the brexiteer brain trust than merely demanding eternal damnation in Yorkshire.
Yorkshire is God's own county.
If you want damnation I suggest Lancashire, Lincolnshire, or Middlesbrough.
Lancashire has some pretty bits. Lincolnshire has Lincoln, which is nice. But Middlesbrough is unrecoverable. It makes your heart cry. It's like the worse parts of Essex without the quick train to London.
Lincolnshire is the most under estimated and unvisited county in England. Much of it is pure heaven. Looks like most people plan to stay away and keep it that way. I visit as often as I can.
It does have Richard Tyndall there so make of that what you will. That said you are right, much of it is beautiful.
But a county without a motorway. And most of the A-roads are death traps. Fast cars and slow moving agricultural machinery driven by the village idiot do not make happy bedfellows. I have twice been almost an ex-poster here thanks to crazy tractor manoeuvres.
It's an agriculturally rich county what can you do?
And it's way off the A Roads you need to be in Lincolnshire, and without any sense of rush. It is huge with amazing variety, history, buildings and space. Lots of sky. Takes your mind off Brexit.
Ha! Should have noticed your user name!
Well done. Not enough people know it. Or Snarford. Or Bicker. Or Wrangle. You can write poems from lists of Lincolnshire names.
Tusk does look a bit like Liam Neeson as well. So if they need to replace Neeson in any films he has already shot perhaps they could use Donald as a body double?
Of course one of Neeson's most famous roles was playing Michael Collins - who won Ireland its freedom but in doing so made compromises which led to civil war and his ultimate death.
Caught a bit of Liam's interview yesterday in which he made it clear that revenge not race was the driver for his desire, back then, to kill a random black man.
If his friend's attacker had been Lithuanian, he stressed, he would have been motivated to seek out and terminate a Lithuanian man.
Fair enough.
If his friend's attacker had been an Irishman, presumably he would have been motivated to seek out and terminate an Irishman?
Yes and in fact his first question on being informed about the rape was to ask if the attacker was black. This was the part which concerned me. Overall I accept his explanation that he is ashamed of his actions and I'm sure there's something in the bilbe about the repentant sinner.
Tusk wasn't, I think 'getting at' May. He was, though getting at those like the ERG and DUP for whom nothing is acceptable, and who are unable to accept that in negotiations such as these 'half a loaf' is the best you are going to get.
The ERG and DUP voted to back the deal with one small change. A change that happens anyway if there's no deal.
It's clear who the hardliners are.
One impracticable change, you mean.
It's entirely practicable. Kick the can down to the end of the transition and nothing changes immediately.
If his friend's attacker had been an Irishman, presumably he would have been motivated to seek out and terminate an Irishman?
Yes, and I think he did say that. In addition to Lithuanian he mentioned Scottish and Irish as other possible ethnic groupings, a member of which he would have happily dealt a grisly death to.
There was this Lithuanian, Scotsman and Irishman in a bar, when all of a sudden Liam Neeson barges in and ... BOOM!
The BBC's oddly sexy Laura K agrees that Tusk's outburst was planned; however she reckons it will probably backfire, by hardening sentiment, even amongst the softest Brexiteers - so it was badly misjudged
Having finished a) an energetic gym session, b) an enjoyable, if short walk (since that's all I can manage at the moment and c) an excellent homemade soup and sandwich lunch I put on the TV for the ITV News and heard Donald Tusks's remarks, which, IMHO are entirely justified. The poor man, and his colleagues, are clearly totally fed up with British shilly-shallying.
The only coherent 'plan' is coherent is the right word, I have heard from Leavers is that of cutting all ties at one feel swoop and letting nature take its course thereafter.
Which is generally, or at least 86%, agreed will lead to short-term at least disaster and long term misery.
Are they? I don't recall people saying that there are places in hell for their political opponents in normal discourse.
Political opponents in normal discourse are rarely as purely evil as brexit.
I presume you are joking. Brexit is many things - reckless/foolish/misguided/stupid...... but calling it evil is pretty unhelpful and silly.
We are all in the gutter, but Leavers are looking at the gutter.
Alastair, just stop. Go home. Have a cup of tea. Your stream of tweets over the last two or three days have just been embarrassing and mortifying - for you. Last night you literally called yourself "one of society's dynamos". Today you are gleefully loathing millions of your fellow citizens, apparently because they are poorer than you.
This is just sad. You are clearly a decent chap, but maybe experiencing some turmoil? Stop it now. Take a break. Come back refreshed.
If I was spitting out comments like yours, I would hope a kindly PB-er would take me aside, and give me the same advice.
"If I was spitting out comments like yours..."
Do you genuinely erase from your memory all those time you have been, shall we say, less than temperate?
Never mind 'offer you advice', kindly PB-ers know to steer well clear. Alastair is a paragon of moderation in comparison.
More to the point, in a Tusk like piece of undiplomacy, you have alienated every PB pedant.
'If I were...'
Don't be too harsh on him - he normally has an editor to sort such thing out.
The BBC's oddly sexy Laura K agrees that Tusk's outburst was planned; however she reckons it will probably backfire, by hardening sentiment, even amongst the softest Brexiteers - so it was badly misjudged
The BBC's oddly sexy Laura K agrees that Tusk's outburst was planned; however she reckons it will probably backfire, by hardening sentiment, even amongst the softest Brexiteers - so it was badly misjudged
Well done. Not enough people know it. Or Snarford. Or Bicker. Or Wrangle. You can write poems from lists of Lincolnshire names.
I once had a dream that I rode on a train From Mareham-le-Fen up to Kirby on Bain, Then Tunby and Coningsby, not very far, To Tattershall, Kirkstead and then Woodhall Spa. As Martin and Timberland slowly went by The train chuffed contentedly, happy was I.
But, all of a sudden, it gathered up steam And seemed to go mad as it ruined my dream. From Braceby and Laceby to Wood Enderby, Then Humby and Mumby and Sutton-on-Sea. From Aby to Swaby and straight up to Louth, Next Old Leake and New Leake and Kime [North and South]. And so the train rushed through the Lincolnshire names, Goodbye Market Deeping and Deeping St James. Hello Potterhanworth and Thornton-le-Moor And Tattershall Thorpe - have we been here before? Oh look, there's Old Bolingbroke, can we alight? No, Holton-cum-Beckering's there on the right. Grimsthorpe and Cowbit and Gedney Drove end, The train lurched past Markby and stalled on a bend.
And I tumbled out as the train steamed and hissed, And with a faint sigh just dissolved in the mist.
The BBC's oddly sexy Laura K agrees that Tusk's outburst was planned; however she reckons it will probably backfire, by hardening sentiment, even amongst the softest Brexiteers - so it was badly misjudged
I'd rather repress that I helped her gain her seat, although it was mostly down to David Herdson's brilliance.
Could have been worse, you could have been helping get Louise Bagshawe elected in Corby, knocking up doors with a guy who’d be in prison a few months later for gun running...
The Tusk comment, however justified, was deeply unfortunate.
It offers No Deal Brexiteers encouragement - and assistance in shifting the blame for its consequences onto the unreasonable EU.
My feeling is that the Europeans are genuinely bored of Brexshit as they call it. Mr Tusk will lose no friends in Europe from his comments.
I genuinely cant see the UK surviving a hard Brexit for long and neither can the EC. Many of them prefer to watch us burn and then negotiate the truce. Ms May will no longer be there by then. The biggest impact will be pure confusion and a large drop in the £. The raft of questions will overwhelm the government and lead to paralysis. VONC and then ?
Well done. Not enough people know it. Or Snarford. Or Bicker. Or Wrangle. You can write poems from lists of Lincolnshire names.
I once had a dream that I rode on a train From Mareham-le-Fen up to Kirby on Bain, Then Tunby and Coningsby, not very far, To Tattershall, Kirkstead and then Woodhall Spa. As Martin and Timberland slowly went by The train chuffed contentedly, happy was I.
But, all of a sudden, it gathered up steam And seemed to go mad as it ruined my dream. From Braceby and Laceby to Wood Enderby, Then Humby and Mumby and Sutton-on-Sea. From Aby to Swaby and straight up to Louth, Next Old Leake and New Leake and Kime [North and South]. And so the train rushed through the Lincolnshire names, Goodbye Market Deeping and Deeping St James. Hello Potterhanworth and Thornton-le-Moor And Tattershall Thorpe - have we been here before? Oh look, there's Old Bolingbroke, can we alight? No, Holton-cum-Beckering's there on the right. Grimsthorpe and Cowbit and Gedney Drove end, The train lurched past Markby and stalled on a bend.
And I tumbled out as the train steamed and hissed, And with a faint sigh just dissolved in the mist.
The Tusk comment, however justified, was deeply unfortunate.
It offers No Deal Brexiteers encouragement - and assistance in shifting the blame for its consequences onto the unreasonable EU.
My feeling is that the Europeans are genuinely bored of Brexshit as they call it. Mr Tusk will lose no friends in Europe from his comments.
I genuinely cant see the UK surviving a hard Brexit for long and neither can the EC. Many of them prefer to watch us burn and then negotiate the truce. Ms May will no longer be there by then. The biggest impact will be pure confusion and a large drop in the £. The raft of questions will overwhelm the government and lead to paralysis. VONC and then ?
Are they really childish enough to call it Brexshit over there?
Having finished a) an energetic gym session, b) an enjoyable, if short walk (since that's all I can manage at the moment and c) an excellent homemade soup and sandwich lunch I put on the TV for the ITV News and heard Donald Tusks's remarks, which, IMHO are entirely justified. The poor man, and his colleagues, are clearly totally fed up with British shilly-shallying.
The only coherent 'plan' is coherent is the right word, I have heard from Leavers is that of cutting all ties at one feel swoop and letting nature take its course thereafter.
Which is generally, or at least 86%, agreed will lead to short-term at least disaster and long term misery.
Are they? I don't recall people saying that there are places in hell for their political opponents in normal discourse.
Political opponents in normal discourse are rarely as purely evil as brexit.
I presume you are joking. Brexit is many things - reckless/foolish/misguided/stupid...... but calling it evil is pretty unhelpful and silly.
Tusk brought hell into it. When did reckless/foolish/misguided/stupid people go to hell, especially the "special places" in it?
We're being told that Tusk is "absolutely right" by people here who clearly agree with him that Brexit is evil.
Tusk wasn't, I think 'getting at' May. He was, though getting at those like the ERG and DUP for whom nothing is acceptable, and who are unable to accept that in negotiations such as these 'half a loaf' is the best you are going to get.
Agreed - However, it was an ill judged attack on the ERG at just the time diplomacy is needed. TM is correct to call Tusk out as it will inflame many, even moderates, and it does show a lack of any form of skill in a crisis of incalculable consequences
Tusks actions look part of a wider strategy to intimidate other countries who might think about leaving rather than Brexit. He's certainly not helping the Remain clause.
I would challenge you to find a remainer in the country who hasn't said far worse about the brexiteer brain trust than merely demanding eternal damnation in Yorkshire.
Yorkshire is God's own county.
If you want damnation I suggest Lancashire, Lincolnshire, or Middlesbrough.
Lancashire has some pretty bits. Lincolnshire has Lincoln, which is nice. But Middlesbrough is unrecoverable. It makes your heart cry. It's like the worse parts of Essex without the quick train to London.
Lincolnshire is the most under estimated and unvisited county in England. Much of it is pure heaven. Looks like most people plan to stay away and keep it that way. I visit as often as I can.
It does have Richard Tyndall there so make of that what you will. That said you are right, much of it is beautiful.
But a county without a motorway. And most of the A-roads are death traps. Fast cars and slow moving agricultural machinery driven by the village idiot do not make happy bedfellows. I have twice been almost an ex-poster here thanks to crazy tractor manoeuvres.
It's an agriculturally rich county what can you do?
And it's way off the A Roads you need to be in Lincolnshire, and without any sense of rush. It is huge with amazing variety, history, buildings and space. Lots of sky. Takes your mind off Brexit.
Ha! Should have noticed your user name!
Well done. Not enough people know it. Or Snarford. Or Bicker. Or Wrangle. You can write poems from lists of Lincolnshire names.
I drive across lincolnshire to visit my mum in norfolk and I've decided if ever I were to write a novel the characters would be taken from the roadsigns I see on the way. eg Sir Quadring Eaudike.
The Tusk comment, however justified, was deeply unfortunate.
It offers No Deal Brexiteers encouragement - and assistance in shifting the blame for its consequences onto the unreasonable EU.
My feeling is that the Europeans are genuinely bored of Brexshit as they call it. Mr Tusk will lose no friends in Europe from his comments.
I genuinely cant see the UK surviving a hard Brexit for long and neither can the EC. Many of them prefer to watch us burn and then negotiate the truce. Ms May will no longer be there by then. The biggest impact will be pure confusion and a large drop in the £. The raft of questions will overwhelm the government and lead to paralysis. VONC and then ?
I can not foresee a truce being sought any time soon. If the UK is going to fold it will be before we wait. Once we are out it will both be too late and MPs will have chosen to go for it. It will take something dramatic to enforce a u-turn.
I used to sit next to her (now) husband in Maths. I don't recall him being a great Adonis, but then the word "Adonis" has been rather devalued in recent years.
Tusk is right, though, however tactless he may have been in spelling it out.
It is embarrassing watching May turn up to "negotiate" something she agreed to a few weeks ago when any likely result of such "negotiations" will be another defeat in Parliament.
The Leavers have had no realistic or realisable plan.
I was prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt, if they had a plan.
But they don't. And are now blaming everyone else for their own failure.
That I cannot forgive.
The result will almost certainly be a disastrously chaotic exit with who knows what economic, political and social consequences, long-term damage to Britain's reputation as a stable, competent polity, harm to other European countries, a Corbyn government and the likely destruction of the Tory party (which is a shame for those decent Tories - both MPs and voters - out there, if not for anyone else).
And all this despite having two options which would help us climb out of this mess - revocation of Article 50 or a further referendum to decide what we want to do now, in light of the facts as they are now, in the real world, not what people thought prior to 23 June 2016, let alone the facts inside some peoples' heads.
When you're drowning in an icy lake you take the stick proffered to you, no matter how covered in shit it may be.
Rubbish. Leavers did have a realistic and reasonable plan but May decided that being a xenophobe was more important than anything else in the negotiations. So the sensible plans were ignored and we had the ridiculous mess that May has driven us in to.
And your two 'options' are both code for Remain, however much you might delude yourself about it.
Rubbish back at you, Richard. A minority of leavers had a realistic plan. They have never been in the driving seat.
So your claim that the Leavers had no realistic plan is indeed rubbish. Qualifying that by saying they should be discounted because they were not able to put it into practice because the whole thing has been run by a xenophobic Remainer is certainly not a reasonable retort. So again you are talking rubbish.
We are all in the gutter, but Leavers are looking at the gutter.
Alastair, just stop. Go home. Have a cup of tea. Your stream of tweets over the last two or three days have just been embarrassing and mortifying - for you. Last night you literally called yourself "one of society's dynamos". Today you are gleefully loathing millions of your fellow citizens, apparently because they are poorer than you.
This is just sad. You are clearly a decent chap, but maybe experiencing some turmoil? Stop it now. Take a break. Come back refreshed.
If I was spitting out comments like yours, I would hope a kindly PB-er would take me aside, and give me the same advice.
"If I was spitting out comments like yours..."
Do you genuinely erase from your memory all those time you have been, shall we say, less than temperate?
Never mind 'offer you advice', kindly PB-ers know to steer well clear. Alastair is a paragon of moderation in comparison.
More to the point, in a Tusk like piece of undiplomacy, you have alienated every PB pedant.
'If I were...'
Don't be too harsh on him - he normally has an editor to sort such thing out.
To this day I still get "affect" and "effect" mixed up. Quite often. There should be a long German term to describe grammatical/linguistic errors that stay with you over life, despite your best efforts.
The blurring of was/were is more forgivable, I think. "Were", though theoretically correcter and righter, sometimes sounds too posh in everyday dialogue with people of less-than-standout intelligence, e.g. *Topping* of PB.
I could care less... (sic)
But 'was' represented obvious trolling of the resident pedants.
...arguably.
As for affect/effect, remembering 'effective' is an effective remedy.
We are all in the gutter, but Leavers are looking at the gutter.
Alastair, just stop. Go home. Have a cup of tea. Your stream of tweets over the last two or three days have just been embarrassing and mortifying - for you. Last night you literally called yourself "one of society's dynamos". Today you are gleefully loathing millions of your fellow citizens, apparently because they are poorer than you.
This is just sad. You are clearly a decent chap, but maybe experiencing some turmoil? Stop it now. Take a break. Come back refreshed.
If I was spitting out comments like yours, I would hope a kindly PB-er would take me aside, and give me the same advice.
"If I was spitting out comments like yours..."
Do you genuinely erase from your memory all those time you have been, shall we say, less than temperate?
Never mind 'offer you advice', kindly PB-ers know to steer well clear. Alastair is a paragon of moderation in comparison.
More to the point, in a Tusk like piece of undiplomacy, you have alienated every PB pedant.
'If I were...'
Don't be too harsh on him - he normally has an editor to sort such thing out.
To this day I still get "affect" and "effect" mixed up. Quite often. There should be a long German term to describe grammatical/linguistic errors that stay with you over life, despite your best efforts.
The blurring of was/were is more forgivable, I think. "Were", though theoretically correcter and righter, sometimes sounds too posh in everyday dialogue with people of less-than-standout intelligence, e.g. *Topping* of PB.
Well done. Not enough people know it. Or Snarford. Or Bicker. Or Wrangle. You can write poems from lists of Lincolnshire names.
I once had a dream that I rode on a train From Mareham-le-Fen up to Kirby on Bain, Then Tunby and Coningsby, not very far, To Tattershall, Kirkstead and then Woodhall Spa. As Martin and Timberland slowly went by The train chuffed contentedly, happy was I.
But, all of a sudden, it gathered up steam And seemed to go mad as it ruined my dream. From Braceby and Laceby to Wood Enderby, Then Humby and Mumby and Sutton-on-Sea. From Aby to Swaby and straight up to Louth, Next Old Leake and New Leake and Kime [North and South]. And so the train rushed through the Lincolnshire names, Goodbye Market Deeping and Deeping St James. Hello Potterhanworth and Thornton-le-Moor And Tattershall Thorpe - have we been here before? Oh look, there's Old Bolingbroke, can we alight? No, Holton-cum-Beckering's there on the right. Grimsthorpe and Cowbit and Gedney Drove end, The train lurched past Markby and stalled on a bend.
And I tumbled out as the train steamed and hissed, And with a faint sigh just dissolved in the mist.
Jill Rundle
excellent
John Treherne's book 'Dangerous Precincts' on the (true) mystery of the Archdeacon Wakeford case, begins with a train journey a bit like that.
On the subject of Macron and France, it is worth noting that France and Spain are the only EU countries showing any positive economic momentum right now. Both showed strong upticks in their January PMIs, both showed pretty decent and accelerating Q4 GDP growth. (It seems to be forgotten on here that France matched the Uk at 0.6% in the last quarter of last year, and Spain managed 0.7%.)
France from a very low base though, composite PMI of 48.2 vs a preliminary reading of 47.9, it's still shockingly bad.
On Germany, the worrying part is that their economy seems to be slowing down even as industry has been stockpiling due to various factors (brexit, trade instability are the primary ones). That should have added 0.2-0.3% to Q4 growth but it seems as though there was a recession in Q3/4 despite the inventory build up.
A German recession is the inevitable consequence of having an economy with the opposite problem to ours.
They are utterly dependent on external demand, at a time when demand for capital goods out of China is being hammered. Mrs Merkel bringing austerity to the table again will only make things worse.
With their economy slipping into recession, but the government running a surplus, and savings rates being near all time highs, all they have to do is replace lost overseas demand with domestic demand.
So, increase government spending 5-6% (and, heck, make some of that on the military). And implement policies that encourage consumer spending, rather than sticking with ones that deliberately suppress it.
Do those things together, and Germany can easily ride out the recession. Really, getting 2% GDP growth shouldn't be complicated for them given their fiscal position. But of course, she will instead make things worse.
Mr. T, were/was is the difference between subjunctive (with an element of doubt 'If I were...') and indicative.
I've found that I get homophones confused sometimes, which lead to significant typos. Know I've mentioned this before, but getting caught/got confused was pretty large as errors go.
I still don't know what I meant to write by "That little western..." I'm pretty sure 'western' was similar in sound to something meant as an insult, but can't think what it could've been.
Currently proofreading. Which is pretty tiresome. Although proofreading comedy is worse, because by the time you do it all the jokes have been read a dozen times so hardly any of them seem funny.
And it's way off the A Roads you need to be in Lincolnshire, and without any sense of rush. It is huge with amazing variety, history, buildings and space. Lots of sky. Takes your mind off Brexit.
Driving north from South East London via the M11, A14 and A1, the Lincolnshire section is probably the bleakest and most unlovely part of the journey. But it does have my favourite roadsign of the entire drive, indicating the turnoff for the Honeypot Lane Industrial Estate. I can't quite articulate why, but seeing this sign always makes my day.
I agree with all the praise for Lincoln and its shire, the countryside is often surprisingly lovely and unboring, the city is a little gem, and the walk up to and inside the cathedral on a cold winter twilit, with the drizzle softly falling on wet lamplit cobbles, is one of the most sublime urban/architectural experiences in the world.
We are all in the gutter, but Leavers are looking at the gutter.
Alastair, just stop. Go home. Have a cup of tea. Your stream of tweets over the last two or three days have just been embarrassing and mortifying - for you. Last night you literally called yourself "one of society's dynamos". Today you are gleefully loathing millions of your fellow citizens, apparently because they are poorer than you.
This is just sad. You are clearly a decent chap, but maybe experiencing some turmoil? Stop it now. Take a break. Come back refreshed.
If I was spitting out comments like yours, I would hope a kindly PB-er would take me aside, and give me the same advice.
"If I was spitting out comments like yours..."
Do you genuinely erase from your memory all those time you have been, shall we say, less than temperate?
Never mind 'offer you advice', kindly PB-ers know to steer well clear. Alastair is a paragon of moderation in comparison.
More to the point, in a Tusk like piece of undiplomacy, you have alienated every PB pedant.
'If I were...'
Don't be too harsh on him - he normally has an editor to sort such thing out.
To this day I still get "affect" and "effect" mixed up. Quite often. There should be a long German term to describe grammatical/linguistic errors that stay with you over life, despite your best efforts.
The blurring of was/were is more forgivable, I think. "Were", though theoretically correcter and righter, sometimes sounds too posh in everyday dialogue with people of less-than-standout intelligence, e.g. *Topping* of PB.
I could care less... (sic)
But 'was' represented obvious trolling of the resident pedants.
...arguably.
As for affect/effect, remembering 'effective' is an effective remedy.
Ta. I'll try. But I doubt it will have an.... effect?
Can't remember if we discussed this on PB, but on Twitter the other day I learned that the phrase "you've got another thing coming" is actually and rightly "you've got another think coming". I had no idea: for some reason, since I was a kid, I have always read the idiom and understood it as "thing" (even though it makes no sense that way, on analysis).
And it's way off the A Roads you need to be in Lincolnshire, and without any sense of rush. It is huge with amazing variety, history, buildings and space. Lots of sky. Takes your mind off Brexit.
Driving north from South East London via the M11, A14 and A1, the Lincolnshire section is probably the bleakest and most unlovely part of the journey. But it does have my favourite roadsign of the entire drive, indicating the turnoff for the Honeypot Lane Industrial Estate. I can't quite articulate why, but seeing this sign always makes my day.
while staying in the area we decided to have a day trip into Grantham. It looked so awful we never even parked. went to Stamford instead which was a pleasant little place.
And it's way off the A Roads you need to be in Lincolnshire, and without any sense of rush. It is huge with amazing variety, history, buildings and space. Lots of sky. Takes your mind off Brexit.
Driving north from South East London via the M11, A14 and A1, the Lincolnshire section is probably the bleakest and most unlovely part of the journey. But it does have my favourite roadsign of the entire drive, indicating the turnoff for the Honeypot Lane Industrial Estate. I can't quite articulate why, but seeing this sign always makes my day.
Count yourself lucky. The A47 from Peterborough to Kings Lynn defines the phrase unremittingly bleak.
On the subject of Macron and France, it is worth noting that France and Spain are the only EU countries showing any positive economic momentum right now. Both showed strong upticks in their January PMIs, both showed pretty decent and accelerating Q4 GDP growth. (It seems to be forgotten on here that France matched the Uk at 0.6% in the last quarter of last year, and Spain managed 0.7%.)
France from a very low base though, composite PMI of 48.2 vs a preliminary reading of 47.9, it's still shockingly bad.
On Germany, the worrying part is that their economy seems to be slowing down even as industry has been stockpiling due to various factors (brexit, trade instability are the primary ones). That should have added 0.2-0.3% to Q4 growth but it seems as though there was a recession in Q3/4 despite the inventory build up.
A German recession is the inevitable consequence of having an economy with the opposite problem to ours.
They are utterly dependent on external demand, at a time when demand for capital goods out of China is being hammered. Mrs Merkel bringing austerity to the table again will only make things worse.
With their economy slipping into recession, but the government running a surplus, and savings rates being near all time highs, all they have to do is replace lost overseas demand with domestic demand.
So, increase government spending 5-6% (and, heck, make some of that on the military). And implement policies that encourage consumer spending, rather than sticking with ones that deliberately suppress it.
Do those things together, and Germany can easily ride out the recession. Really, getting 2% GDP growth shouldn't be complicated for them given their fiscal position. But of course, she will instead make things worse.
Indeed. The main economic problem in Europe is Germany running excessive surpluses, not the Greeks running deficits.
Sean's so intelligent that he voted Leave because he thought Remain were going to win, so he could feel better about himself.
Reminded me of Ma Beckett nominating Corbyn.
Not only that, if you recall that day: I was exit-polled by secret students, hired by brilliant City bankers such as yourself, so they would know the result beforehand, hence the heavy insider betting on Remain right up to the moment Leave won.
You guys literally exit-polled affluent middle aged voters in Primrose Hill borders, to see how the referendum was panning out across Britain.
I mean, I know I have a well-earned reputation as a seer and bellwether, but.... lol
We hired a reputable pollster, although it wasn’t an exit poll.
I can not foresee a truce being sought any time soon. If the UK is going to fold it will be before we wait. Once we are out it will both be too late and MPs will have chosen to go for it. It will take something dramatic to enforce a u-turn.
The EU have the advantage (in addition to all the other advantages they have) of a better clock. They do not have to decide whether to fold until after we have decided whether we are going to fold. We get first dibs on folding. It will thus take nerves of steel not to. Do we have nerves of steel? Are we, Britain, made of the Right Stuff?
Pose this question in pubs and clubs all around the nation and (if sufficient drinks have been consumed) there will be but one resounding response -
On the subject of Macron and France, it is worth noting that France and Spain are the only EU countries showing any positive economic momentum right now. Both showed strong upticks in their January PMIs, both showed pretty decent and accelerating Q4 GDP growth. (It seems to be forgotten on here that France matched the Uk at 0.6% in the last quarter of last year, and Spain managed 0.7%.)
France from a very low base though, composite PMI of 48.2 vs a preliminary reading of 47.9, it's still shockingly bad.
On Germany, the worrying part is that their economy seems to be slowing down even as industry has been stockpiling due to various factors (brexit, trade instability are the primary ones). That should have added 0.2-0.3% to Q4 growth but it seems as though there was a recession in Q3/4 despite the inventory build up.
A German recession is the inevitable consequence of having an economy with the opposite problem to ours.
They are utterly dependent on external demand, at a time when demand for capital goods out of China is being hammered. Mrs Merkel bringing austerity to the table again will only make things worse.
With their economy slipping into recession, but the government running a surplus, and savings rates being near all time highs, all they have to do is replace lost overseas demand with domestic demand.
So, increase government spending 5-6% (and, heck, make some of that on the military). And implement policies that encourage consumer spending, rather than sticking with ones that deliberately suppress it.
Do those things together, and Germany can easily ride out the recession. Really, getting 2% GDP growth shouldn't be complicated for them given their fiscal position. But of course, she will instead make things worse.
Yeah she will start banging the austerity drum, it's in her nature. It is going to be another case of paradox of thrift.
And it's way off the A Roads you need to be in Lincolnshire, and without any sense of rush. It is huge with amazing variety, history, buildings and space. Lots of sky. Takes your mind off Brexit.
Driving north from South East London via the M11, A14 and A1, the Lincolnshire section is probably the bleakest and most unlovely part of the journey. But it does have my favourite roadsign of the entire drive, indicating the turnoff for the Honeypot Lane Industrial Estate. I can't quite articulate why, but seeing this sign always makes my day.
while staying in the area we decided to have a day trip into Grantham. It looked so awful we never even parked. went to Stamford instead which was a pleasant little place.
If you want trousers with an elasticated waistband, Grantham's your place.
Tusk is right, though, however tactless he may have been in spelling it out.
It is embarrassing watching May turn up to "negotiate" something she agreed to a few weeks ago when any likely result of such "negotiations" will be another defeat in Parliament.
The Leavers have had no realistic or realisable plan.
I was prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt, if they had a plan.
But they don't. And are now blaming everyone else for their own failure.
That I cannot forgive.
The result will almost certainly be a disastrously chaotic exit with who knows what economic, political and social consequences, long-term damage to Britain's reputation as a stable, competent polity, harm to other European countries, a Corbyn government and the likely destruction of the Tory party (which is a shame for those decent Tories - both MPs and voters - out there, if not for anyone else).
And all this despite having two options which would help us climb out of this mess - revocation of Article 50 or a further referendum to decide what we want to do now, in light of the facts as they are now, in the real world, not what people thought prior to 23 June 2016, let alone the facts inside some peoples' heads.
When you're drowning in an icy lake you take the stick proffered to you, no matter how covered in shit it may be.
Rubbish. Leavers did have a realistic and reasonable plan but May decided that being a xenophobe was more important than anything else in the negotiations. So the sensible plans were ignored and we had the ridiculous mess that May has driven us in to.
And your two 'options' are both code for Remain, however much you might delude yourself about it.
Rubbish back at you, Richard. A minority of leavers had a realistic plan. They have never been in the driving seat.
So your claim that the Leavers had no realistic plan is indeed rubbish. Qualifying that by saying they should be discounted because they were not able to put it into practice because the whole thing has been run by a xenophobic Remainer is certainly not a reasonable retort. So again you are talking rubbish.
And it's way off the A Roads you need to be in Lincolnshire, and without any sense of rush. It is huge with amazing variety, history, buildings and space. Lots of sky. Takes your mind off Brexit.
Driving north from South East London via the M11, A14 and A1, the Lincolnshire section is probably the bleakest and most unlovely part of the journey. But it does have my favourite roadsign of the entire drive, indicating the turnoff for the Honeypot Lane Industrial Estate. I can't quite articulate why, but seeing this sign always makes my day.
Count yourself lucky. The A47 from Peterborough to Kings Lynn defines the phrase unremittingly bleak.
There is a particularly bleak downmarket sex shop in a disused petrol station somewhere between Thorney and Wisbech.
Lincs is very patchy. There is the magnificent Gainsborough Old Hall in this town for example. I can vouch for the accuracy of the description!
And it's way off the A Roads you need to be in Lincolnshire, and without any sense of rush. It is huge with amazing variety, history, buildings and space. Lots of sky. Takes your mind off Brexit.
Driving north from South East London via the M11, A14 and A1, the Lincolnshire section is probably the bleakest and most unlovely part of the journey. But it does have my favourite roadsign of the entire drive, indicating the turnoff for the Honeypot Lane Industrial Estate. I can't quite articulate why, but seeing this sign always makes my day.
while staying in the area we decided to have a day trip into Grantham. It looked so awful we never even parked. went to Stamford instead which was a pleasant little place.
I think you have to get well off the (admittedly quite desolate) main roads in Lincolnshire. There are some beautiful corners, lovely villages, rambling castles .... and super-spooky towers.
e.g. this place, which featured in a Tom Knox thriller, is one of the only places I have been where I have ever wondered about the possible presence of ghosts, or some kind of horrible supernatural menace. There are literally bones in the brickwork, and weird medieval apotropaic graffiti (marks to ward off evil) all over the walls.
It didn't help that the cold dank grey winter day I was there, as I was exploring, in the dying light, I heard the most fiendish inhuman wailing outside: it literally made my flesh creep and my heart race. When I shiveringly opened the door, I saw that they were exercising the local pack of foxhounds. The howl they make, if you don't know what is making it, is quite horrifying.
And it's way off the A Roads you need to be in Lincolnshire, and without any sense of rush. It is huge with amazing variety, history, buildings and space. Lots of sky. Takes your mind off Brexit.
Driving north from South East London via the M11, A14 and A1, the Lincolnshire section is probably the bleakest and most unlovely part of the journey. But it does have my favourite roadsign of the entire drive, indicating the turnoff for the Honeypot Lane Industrial Estate. I can't quite articulate why, but seeing this sign always makes my day.
while staying in the area we decided to have a day trip into Grantham. It looked so awful we never even parked. went to Stamford instead which was a pleasant little place.
I think you have to get well off the (admittedly quite desolate) main roads in Lincolnshire. There are some beautiful corners, lovely villages, rambling castles .... and super-spooky towers.
e.g. this place, which featured in a Tom Knox thriller, is one of the only places I have been where I have ever wondered about the possible presence of ghosts, or some kind of horrible supernatural menace. There are literally bones in the brickwork, and weird medieval apotropaic graffiti (marks to ward off evil) all over the walls.
It didn't help that the cold dank grey winter day I was there, as I was exploring, in the dying light, I heard the most fiendish inhuman wailing outside: it literally made my flesh creep and my heart race. When I shiveringly opened the door, I saw that they were exercising the local pack of foxhounds. The howl they make, if you don't know what is making it, is quite horrifying.
Looks great. surprised it's not signposted from the A17.
Mr. T, were/was is the difference between subjunctive (with an element of doubt 'If I were...') and indicative.
I've found that I get homophones confused sometimes, which lead to significant typos. Know I've mentioned this before, but getting caught/got confused was pretty large as errors go.
I still don't know what I meant to write by "That little western..." I'm pretty sure 'western' was similar in sound to something meant as an insult, but can't think what it could've been.
Currently proofreading. Which is pretty tiresome. Although proofreading comedy is worse, because by the time you do it all the jokes have been read a dozen times so hardly any of them seem funny.
Eeeek. Tell me about it. I'm just finishing my new Tremayne thriller and I am down to the last tiresome polish (which is probably why I am lurking so much on here). Then comes the copy edit and the proof edit, yuk, like eating your own puke, as someone once said. And then at the end you almost inevitably produce a book which doesn't live up to your expectations, and publication induces a significant depression...
If you were to produce a book which fully lived up to your expectations, you might quit writing altogether, though, and spend the rest of your days surfing.
And it's way off the A Roads you need to be in Lincolnshire, and without any sense of rush. It is huge with amazing variety, history, buildings and space. Lots of sky. Takes your mind off Brexit.
Driving north from South East London via the M11, A14 and A1, the Lincolnshire section is probably the bleakest and most unlovely part of the journey. But it does have my favourite roadsign of the entire drive, indicating the turnoff for the Honeypot Lane Industrial Estate. I can't quite articulate why, but seeing this sign always makes my day.
while staying in the area we decided to have a day trip into Grantham. It looked so awful we never even parked. went to Stamford instead which was a pleasant little place.
If you want trousers with an elasticated waistband, Grantham's your place.
I haven't reached that stage yet. Hopefully never will until I'm too doolally to care.
Can you not see that the man is about to prostrate himself before Theresa May and beg to be allowed to renegotiate the Withdrawal Agreement? The signs are all there.
And it's way off the A Roads you need to be in Lincolnshire, and without any sense of rush. It is huge with amazing variety, history, buildings and space. Lots of sky. Takes your mind off Brexit.
Driving north from South East London via the M11, A14 and A1, the Lincolnshire section is probably the bleakest and most unlovely part of the journey. But it does have my favourite roadsign of the entire drive, indicating the turnoff for the Honeypot Lane Industrial Estate. I can't quite articulate why, but seeing this sign always makes my day.
while staying in the area we decided to have a day trip into Grantham. It looked so awful we never even parked. went to Stamford instead which was a pleasant little place.
I think you have to get well off the (admittedly quite desolate) main roads in Lincolnshire. There are some beautiful corners, lovely villages, rambling castles .... and super-spooky towers.
e.g. this place, which featured in a Tom Knox thriller, is one of the only places I have been where I have ever wondered about the possible presence of ghosts, or some kind of horrible supernatural menace. There are literally bones in the brickwork, and weird medieval apotropaic graffiti (marks to ward off evil) all over the walls.
It didn't help that the cold dank grey winter day I was there, as I was exploring, in the dying light, I heard the most fiendish inhuman wailing outside: it literally made my flesh creep and my heart race. When I shiveringly opened the door, I saw that they were exercising the local pack of foxhounds. The howl they make, if you don't know what is making it, is quite horrifying.
The local hunt keeps its foxhounds about half a mile away, over the hill. Not normally heard until there is some north in the wind. But on those days then, yes, even if you know what is making it, is still a sound that triggers primeval fears.....
And it's way off the A Roads you need to be in Lincolnshire, and without any sense of rush. It is huge with amazing variety, history, buildings and space. Lots of sky. Takes your mind off Brexit.
Driving north from South East London via the M11, A14 and A1, the Lincolnshire section is probably the bleakest and most unlovely part of the journey. But it does have my favourite roadsign of the entire drive, indicating the turnoff for the Honeypot Lane Industrial Estate. I can't quite articulate why, but seeing this sign always makes my day.
while staying in the area we decided to have a day trip into Grantham. It looked so awful we never even parked. went to Stamford instead which was a pleasant little place.
I think you have to get well off the (admittedly quite desolate) main roads in Lincolnshire. There are some beautiful corners, lovely villages, rambling castles .... and super-spooky towers.
e.g. this place, which featured in a Tom Knox thriller, is one of the only places I have been where I have ever wondered about the possible presence of ghosts, or some kind of horrible supernatural menace. There are literally bones in the brickwork, and weird medieval apotropaic graffiti (marks to ward off evil) all over the walls.
It didn't help that the cold dank grey winter day I was there, as I was exploring, in the dying light, I heard the most fiendish inhuman wailing outside: it literally made my flesh creep and my heart race. When I shiveringly opened the door, I saw that they were exercising the local pack of foxhounds. The howl they make, if you don't know what is making it, is quite horrifying.
Bloodhounds, dolt.
Are you OK? You seem quite irritable and dyspeptic, old man. In the spirit of kindness that I showed to Alastair you should know that irritability is a significant early symptom of Alzheimers. And it's not like you lack the other symptoms, either.
I'm puzzled that people are still promoting a People's Vote; I would imagine the EU have secured defeat for Remain over the last week. It will be interesting to see what impact Tusk's comments (and the ensuing media fest) will have on support for 'No deal' in the polls.
Can we have a referendum on the mainland on Irish re-unification please. I'd happily vote (and probably campaign) to tell Arlene and her horrible lot they're not wanted here.
I'm puzzled that people are still promoting a People's Vote; I would imagine the EU have secured defeat for Remain over the last week. It will be interesting to see what impact Tusk's comments (and the ensuing media fest) will have on support for 'No deal' in the polls.
And it's way off the A Roads you need to be in Lincolnshire, and without any sense of rush. It is huge with amazing variety, history, buildings and space. Lots of sky. Takes your mind off Brexit.
Driving north from South East London via the M11, A14 and A1, the Lincolnshire section is probably the bleakest and most unlovely part of the journey. But it does have my favourite roadsign of the entire drive, indicating the turnoff for the Honeypot Lane Industrial Estate. I can't quite articulate why, but seeing this sign always makes my day.
while staying in the area we decided to have a day trip into Grantham. It looked so awful we never even parked. went to Stamford instead which was a pleasant little place.
I think you have to get well off the (admittedly quite desolate) main roads in Lincolnshire. There are some beautiful corners, lovely villages, rambling castles .... and super-spooky towers.
e.g. this place, which featured in a Tom Knox thriller, is one of the only places I have been where I have ever wondered about the possible presence of ghosts, or some kind of horrible supernatural menace. There are literally bones in the brickwork, and weird medieval apotropaic graffiti (marks to ward off evil) all over the walls.
It didn't help that the cold dank grey winter day I was there, as I was exploring, in the dying light, I heard the most fiendish inhuman wailing outside: it literally made my flesh creep and my heart race. When I shiveringly opened the door, I saw that they were exercising the local pack of foxhounds. The howl they make, if you don't know what is making it, is quite horrifying.
Bloodhounds, dolt.
Are you OK? You seem quite irritable and dyspeptic, old man. In the spirit of kindness that I showed to Alastair you should know that irritability is a significant early symptom of Alzheimers. And it's not like you lack the other symptoms, either.
Tusk's comments today reveal the EU's insufferable arrogance, he even thinks he decides who goes to hell now. I suspect that quietly there will be many people of faith who find it revolting that he should such language about politicians he disagrees with.
And it's way off the A Roads you need to be in Lincolnshire, and without any sense of rush. It is huge with amazing variety, history, buildings and space. Lots of sky. Takes your mind off Brexit.
Driving north from South East London via the M11, A14 and A1, the Lincolnshire section is probably the bleakest and most unlovely part of the journey. But it does have my favourite roadsign of the entire drive, indicating the turnoff for the Honeypot Lane Industrial Estate. I can't quite articulate why, but seeing this sign always makes my day.
while staying in the area we decided to have a day trip into Grantham. It looked so awful we never even parked. went to Stamford instead which was a pleasant little place.
I think you have to get well off the (admittedly quite desolate) main roads in Lincolnshire. There are some beautiful corners, lovely villages, rambling castles .... and super-spooky towers.
e.g. this place, which featured in a Tom Knox thriller, is one of the only places I have been where I have ever wondered about the possible presence of ghosts, or some kind of horrible supernatural menace. There are literally bones in the brickwork, and weird medieval apotropaic graffiti (marks to ward off evil) all over the walls.
It didn't help that the cold dank grey winter day I was there, as I was exploring, in the dying light, I heard the most fiendish inhuman wailing outside: it literally made my flesh creep and my heart race. When I shiveringly opened the door, I saw that they were exercising the local pack of foxhounds. The howl they make, if you don't know what is making it, is quite horrifying.
Looks great. surprised it's not signposted from the A17.
It is fabulous. Go on the nastiest, coldest, drizzliest day of winter. And get yourself properly spooked.
can't see my wife being up for that but I may have to detour on a solo trip back from mum's, thanks.
Comments
And that is, er, a little way off....
Rather unfortunate timing for the UK to have such terrible leadership, although the EU have not exactly been playing things sensibly either.
Still think the failure to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty was the single most critical mistake. Anybody considering voting Leave but not sure will have known that a future referendum was very unlikely to be held, and this might well be the only opportunity.
There is no backstop if there is no deal so the EU give up nothing by giving up the backstop to save the deal. Except face.
There was this Lithuanian, Scotsman and Irishman in a bar, when all of a sudden Liam Neeson barges in and ... BOOM!
You cannot hope to bribe or twist
Thank God, the British Journalist
But when you see what he will do
Unbribed
There's no occasion to!
From Mareham-le-Fen up to Kirby on Bain,
Then Tunby and Coningsby, not very far,
To Tattershall, Kirkstead and then Woodhall Spa.
As Martin and Timberland slowly went by
The train chuffed contentedly, happy was I.
But, all of a sudden, it gathered up steam
And seemed to go mad as it ruined my dream.
From Braceby and Laceby to Wood Enderby,
Then Humby and Mumby and Sutton-on-Sea.
From Aby to Swaby and straight up to Louth,
Next Old Leake and New Leake and Kime [North and South].
And so the train rushed through the Lincolnshire names,
Goodbye Market Deeping and Deeping St James.
Hello Potterhanworth and Thornton-le-Moor
And Tattershall Thorpe - have we been here before?
Oh look, there's Old Bolingbroke, can we alight?
No, Holton-cum-Beckering's there on the right.
Grimsthorpe and Cowbit and Gedney Drove end,
The train lurched past Markby and stalled on a bend.
And I tumbled out as the train steamed and hissed,
And with a faint sigh just dissolved in the mist.
Jill Rundle
Unilaterally we can leave or remain. But a deal depends upon everyone agreeing.
I genuinely cant see the UK surviving a hard Brexit for long and neither can the EC. Many of them prefer to watch us burn and then negotiate the truce. Ms May will no longer be there by then. The biggest impact will be pure confusion and a large drop in the £. The raft of questions will overwhelm the government and lead to paralysis. VONC and then ?
We're being told that Tusk is "absolutely right" by people here who clearly agree with him that Brexit is evil.
You are right. That would teach those Eurocrats a lesson that we're not taking any nonsense from Jonny foreigner.
"I saw Tusk rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy."
But 'was' represented obvious trolling of the resident pedants.
...arguably.
As for affect/effect, remembering 'effective' is an effective remedy.
They are utterly dependent on external demand, at a time when demand for capital goods out of China is being hammered. Mrs Merkel bringing austerity to the table again will only make things worse.
With their economy slipping into recession, but the government running a surplus, and savings rates being near all time highs, all they have to do is replace lost overseas demand with domestic demand.
So, increase government spending 5-6% (and, heck, make some of that on the military). And implement policies that encourage consumer spending, rather than sticking with ones that deliberately suppress it.
Do those things together, and Germany can easily ride out the recession. Really, getting 2% GDP growth shouldn't be complicated for them given their fiscal position. But of course, she will instead make things worse.
I've found that I get homophones confused sometimes, which lead to significant typos. Know I've mentioned this before, but getting caught/got confused was pretty large as errors go.
I still don't know what I meant to write by "That little western..." I'm pretty sure 'western' was similar in sound to something meant as an insult, but can't think what it could've been.
Currently proofreading. Which is pretty tiresome. Although proofreading comedy is worse, because by the time you do it all the jokes have been read a dozen times so hardly any of them seem funny.
That's because you have.
Reminded me of Ma Beckett nominating Corbyn.
Mind you PB is frequented by people who think pineapple is an acceptable topping on pizza.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-47144891
Pose this question in pubs and clubs all around the nation and (if sufficient drinks have been consumed) there will be but one resounding response -
DAMN RIGHT WE ARE!
https://www.conservativehome.com/parliament/2018/07/exclusive-the-alternative-brexit-white-paper-a-draft-from-dexeu-1-mutual-recognition-not-ongoing-harmonisation.html
Lincs is very patchy. There is the magnificent Gainsborough Old Hall in this town for example. I can vouch for the accuracy of the description!
https://www.ilivehere.co.uk/gainsborough.html
And on your head be it, Juncker......
The only snag is:
GE - political suicide.
https://twitter.com/paulwaugh/status/1093169551288741888
(I still actually want a deal but am resigned to it not happening)
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/west-ham-launch-investigation-over-15789145
It’s all a master strategy.
After a few weeks of No Deal we’ll be begging to rejoin the EU, single currency and Schengen etc.
Tusk is right, the voters were promised one thing and were given another.
We all know how that ends, cf the Lib Dems and tuition fees.
Less painful than blaming the one they voted for...
Brexiteers = Xenophobes / little Englanders / thickos (all three cohorts share one thing - no plan worth the paper it's written on).
"Nothing has changed" - we are still heading for a calamitous Tory hard Brexit. Strap yourselves in suckers!
Maréchal Wade?