I know I posted this yesterday, it for me it sums up Brexit and Boris.
“I’ll tell you what happens with impossible promises. You start with far-fetched resolutions. They are then pickled into a rigid dogma, a Brexit code, and you go through the years sticking to that, out-dated, mis-placed, irrelevant to the real needs, and you end in the grotesque chaos of a Tory government – a Tory government - stuck in Brussels, negotiating about fish, ignoring the pandemic at home and forced to cancel Christmas for its own people".
Yes, it was a painfully dull post then. And it still is.
It's pathetic how some people want to make everything about Boris and Brexit.
In fact, it's worse than pathetic: it's a disease, a pathological condition. One worse that Superrona and longer lasting - with no hope of recovery.
You are infected with LongBrexit mutant strain 1.7.7.8.2. For you, there is no hope.
That just so doesn't work any longer. You sound like a junior officer on the Titanic trying to raise a laugh about the passengers having an outbreak of iceberg resentment disorder.
I am on the Suffolk coast. It is fittingly and unremittingly bleak. A howling winter gale with driving cold rain.
The midwinter “morning” is barely distinguishable from the night.
Somehow it is reassuring. It feels like the deep dark pit of the year. The lowest point in our fortunes.
And so it is. From here we head back to the sun. And warmth. And light. But it will not feel like it, for a long time. Its the same with the summer solstice, which seems to occur, emotionally, at the beginning of summer, even though darkness encroaches from June 21.
You have a wonderfully poetic turn of phrase when describing a location. Have you ever considered becoming a travel writer?
Just imagine the biggest change in trading terms for 40 years and businesses still don’t know with ten days to go what rules they will export and import under .
I find it hilarious when the government trots out its “ any responsible government” line when it talks about no deal preparations .
The government are vandalizing the UK economy and it’s not an unforeseen thing like covid but a choice they’re making . And the so called Kent entry permits for hauliers apparently won’t even be properly up and running till July 2021 !
The one area over which the UK government does have control is the ability to request an emergency extension of the transition period. Given the current chaos and unpredictability, surely even the most ardent Brexiteer would support that. Inflicting more uncertainty on ourselves at this time makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
I oppose it.
I think ending transition during shutdown is perfect timing and we need to end the uncertainty over Brexit.
JFDI applies.
This is one area where we agree. No Deal came into effect a week ago. Industry can't "negotiate up to the last minute" as they have been saying for yonks dismissed by armchair experts like your good self as "special interest groups".
The 48 hour initial period announced by the French runs up until D-8. Considering that we have Christmas in there as well realistically there's only 6 or maybe 5 normal days left to be worried about. No deal becomes de jure instead of de facto at that point anyway.
So yes, No Deal is here. I got criticised yesterday for my use of the word "blockade". Currently the border is shut. When it reopens the sheer volume of vehicles sat in queues for customs checks means it will effectively be shut. There isn't any practical difference.
You cannot run a hard border and process 20k trucks a day. As we are about to find out. It wasn't "deal or no deal" that was the issue. It was our departure from the Customs Union which practically shuts our own border. Yay us!
Someone on the Brexit side was whining on about remainers gloating. We aren't - this is a national disaster. Pointing out that project fear was just reality isn't wanting this to happen - we've NOT wanted this to happen for a long time.
So be happy like Philip is - you won! Enjoy.
Be careful what you wish for though - it may come true...
And the whole point of that statement is that the consequences are never what you expect (and usually far worse)
If it isn't the UK, my money would be on somewhere like California, where there's been a huge growth in cases. And you'd expect anything from there to arrive in London first.
Where the virus originated is irrelevant - it appears to have emerged from a seriously ill and probably immune-compromised individual who survived long enough for the virus to mutate and reinfect others.
What does matter is its identification and the (emerging, but far from complete) understanding of its properties - in this, the UK has done the world a favour.
Truly, no good deed goes unpunished.
I suspect recent "unexplained" explosions in case numbers in some European countries will find an explanation soon enough.
As to the border closures its what panicking governments not in command of the facts do - so its far from surprising.
Here are the contributions to the understanding of one of the strains:
https://nextstrain.org/groups/neherlab/ncov/S.N501?p=grid&r=country Argentina (6) Australia (329) Bahrain (13) Bangladesh (20) Belgium (1) Botswana (1) Brazil (26) Canada (60) Chile (25) China (56) Colombia (2) Czech Republic (1) Côte d'Ivoire (4) Democratic Republic of the Congo (17) Denmark (54) Ecuador (30) Egypt (5) Finland (1) France (37) Gambia (3) Georgia (1) Germany (6) Ghana (5) Greece (1) Hong Kong (9) Iceland (2) India (92) Indonesia (2) Israel (8) Italy (23) Japan (24) Jordan (1) Kenya (20) Luxembourg (3) Madagascar (1) Malaysia (1) Mexico (3) Morocco (5) Netherlands (75) New Zealand (46) Nigeria (7) North Macedonia (3) Norway (5) Oman (1) Pakistan (4) Palestine (1) Peru (125) Russia (12) Saint Barthélemy (1) Saint Martin (1) Saudi Arabia (24) Senegal (4) Sierra Leone (1) Singapore (36) Slovenia (3) South Africa (389) South Korea (6) Spain (10) Sri Lanka (5) Sweden (8) Switzerland (5) Taiwan (6) Thailand (11) Trinidad (3) Tunisia (11) USA (306) Uganda (1) United Arab Emirates (25) United Kingdom (1547) Uruguay (2) Vietnam (7)
I am on the Suffolk coast. It is fittingly and unremittingly bleak. A howling winter gale with driving cold rain.
The midwinter “morning” is barely distinguishable from the night.
Somehow it is reassuring. It feels like the deep dark pit of the year. The lowest point in our fortunes.
And so it is. From here we head back to the sun. And warmth. And light. But it will not feel like it, for a long time. Its the same with the summer solstice, which seems to occur, emotionally, at the beginning of summer, even though darkness encroaches from June 21.
You have a wonderfully poetic turn of phrase when describing a location. Have you ever considered becoming a travel writer?
As if the fact that he isn't at home, during a lockdown, isn't clue enough.
The one area over which the UK government does have control is the ability to request an emergency extension of the transition period. Given the current chaos and unpredictability, surely even the most ardent Brexiteer would support that. Inflicting more uncertainty on ourselves at this time makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Do we really want more months of this unending and entirely unproductive argument? If we don't have a deal now we have to accept that there won't be one in which case we are as well moving to the next stage and the introduction of mini deals to solve problems as they arise.
No, we need a Deal.
The anti-Brexiteers can then masturbate themselves into a frenzy with each other as they wait for the ultimate 'reckoning' of the British public, which will never come. But such efforts will be fruitless - they'll just have a very sore bell-end.
They will still chose to wander lost in the New European jungles of Papua New Barnier for the next 30 years, continuing to fight The War. That's fine. Their choice. The rest of us will just adjust and put it all behind us.
Of course, this is why they really want No Deal. They get off on constant Brexit, and want it to continue.
John Donne, writing about winter solstice. Something to cheer everyone up
A Nocturnal Upon St. Lucy’s Day, Being the Shortest Day
TIS the year's midnight, and it is the day's, Lucy's, who scarce seven hours herself unmasks; The sun is spent, and now his flasks Send forth light squibs, no constant rays; The world's whole sap is sunk; The general balm th' hydroptic earth hath drunk, Whither, as to the bed's-feet, life is shrunk, Dead and interr'd; yet all these seem to laugh, Compared with me, who am their epitaph.
Study me then, you who shall lovers be At the next world, that is, at the next spring; For I am every dead thing, In whom Love wrought new alchemy. For his art did express A quintessence even from nothingness, From dull privations, and lean emptiness; He ruin'd me, and I am re-begot Of absence, darkness, death—things which are not.
All others, from all things, draw all that's good, Life, soul, form, spirit, whence they being have; I, by Love's limbec, am the grave Of all, that's nothing. Oft a flood Have we two wept, and so Drown'd the whole world, us two; oft did we grow, To be two chaoses, when we did show Care to aught else; and often absences Withdrew our souls, and made us carcasses.
But I am by her death—which word wrongs her— Of the first nothing the elixir grown; Were I a man, that I were one I needs must know; I should prefer, If I were any beast, Some ends, some means ; yea plants, yea stones detest, And love; all, all some properties invest. If I an ordinary nothing were, As shadow, a light, and body must be here.
But I am none; nor will my sun renew. You lovers, for whose sake the lesser sun At this time to the Goat is run To fetch new lust, and give it you, Enjoy your summer all, Since she enjoys her long night's festival. Let me prepare towards her, and let me call This hour her vigil, and her eve, since this Both the year's and the day's deep midnight is.
Love that poem. Another poster used to post it about now.
Fun fact, Donne got it wrong. St Lucy's day is the 13th, not the shortest day and never has been. The J to G calendar change doesn't help.
To everyone suggesting Bojo is not up to the job - and I agree his upbeat personality is a bad fit with Black Death - they also need to suggest their desired alternative.
Quite frankly, we aren’t blessed with gritty, ballsy, smart, capable, determined, inspiring and unflinching leaders.
The best I can come up with is Jeremy Hunt, which says it all.
Perfectly fresh fruit is rare, so we'll just settle for the piece that is the most rotten and mouldy? It's a view, I suppose.
So who do you suggest? That’s my question. My best yet disappointing answer is Hunt
If Hunt is the answer we are well and truly F***ed, Corbyn would be better.
The expert on R4 explaining a factoid that cropped up on PB this Saturday, that the new virus strain cannot be identified by one of the tests being used - actually one of the two confirmatory tests done on each sample after the primary test, which for the new strain always comes back negative. While this isn’t affecting total case numbers identified, because of the other two tests, presumably the loss of one of the confirmatory tests makes the results a tad less reliable.
Is that the Lateral Flow Test that isn't picking it up? Because that is the one used to test end of term students returning home.
No - but its an interesting question as to whether it might affect the accuracy of that.
Just imagine the biggest change in trading terms for 40 years and businesses still don’t know with ten days to go what rules they will export and import under .
I find it hilarious when the government trots out its “ any responsible government” line when it talks about no deal preparations .
The government are vandalizing the UK economy and it’s not an unforeseen thing like covid but a choice they’re making . And the so called Kent entry permits for hauliers apparently won’t even be properly up and running till July 2021 !
To everyone suggesting Bojo is not up to the job - and I agree his upbeat personality is a bad fit with Black Death - they also need to suggest their desired alternative.
Quite frankly, we aren’t blessed with gritty, ballsy, smart, capable, determined, inspiring and unflinching leaders.
The best I can come up with is Jeremy Hunt, which says it all.
Perfectly fresh fruit is rare, so we'll just settle for the piece that is the most rotten and mouldy? It's a view, I suppose.
So who do you suggest? That’s my question. My best yet disappointing answer is Hunt
If Hunt is the answer we are well and truly F***ed, Corbyn would be better.
A nice exaggeration. Jeremy Hunt would obviously be better than Corbyn. And I write that as someone who voted Labour last year.
To everyone suggesting Bojo is not up to the job - and I agree his upbeat personality is a bad fit with Black Death - they also need to suggest their desired alternative.
Quite frankly, we aren’t blessed with gritty, ballsy, smart, capable, determined, inspiring and unflinching leaders.
The best I can come up with is Jeremy Hunt, which says it all.
Perfectly fresh fruit is rare, so we'll just settle for the piece that is the most rotten and mouldy? It's a view, I suppose.
So who do you suggest? That’s my question. My best yet disappointing answer is Hunt
Theresa May has the experience to do the job and is available. She also appears to be less prone to panicking than many other UK politicians.
We now face the possibility of blockage to UK trade with Europe that could lead to food shortages, rationing, and economic meltdown. Did it occur to anyone in the government, scientists or ministers or advisors, that this could be the results of this weekend's scary announcements? The matter has been overdramatised, at a time when the increased transmissibility of the new variant has not been proven yet. The Johnson government seems to be disintegrating before our eyes.
Christ no. TMay? The worst prime minister since Cameron.
Seriously, she’s dreadful. Her utterly moronic ‘red line’ Conference speech single handedly turned Brexit into a nightmare. Besides being ignorant, myopic, stubborn, awkward and vain, she is deeply boring in a Merkel-esque way, without any of the Teutonic competence of Merkel.
She’s probably a nice kind person and all that, and I wish her a happy retirement, but No
To everyone suggesting Bojo is not up to the job - and I agree his upbeat personality is a bad fit with Black Death - they also need to suggest their desired alternative.
Quite frankly, we aren’t blessed with gritty, ballsy, smart, capable, determined, inspiring and unflinching leaders.
The best I can come up with is Jeremy Hunt, which says it all.
Perfectly fresh fruit is rare, so we'll just settle for the piece that is the most rotten and mouldy? It's a view, I suppose.
So who do you suggest? That’s my question. My best yet disappointing answer is Hunt
Theresa May has the experience to do the job and is available. She also appears to be less prone to panicking than many other UK politicians.
We now face the possibility of blockage to UK trade with Europe that could lead to food shortages, rationing, and economic meltdown. Did it occur to anyone in the government, scientists or ministers or advisors, that this could be the results of this weekend's scary announcements? The matter has been overdramatised, at a time when the increased transmissibility of the new variant has not been proven yet. The Johnson government seems to be disintegrating before our eyes.
Would be the ultimate act of karma if Johnson were ousted and the 22 asked May to come back as acting leader for nine months.
The one area over which the UK government does have control is the ability to request an emergency extension of the transition period. Given the current chaos and unpredictability, surely even the most ardent Brexiteer would support that. Inflicting more uncertainty on ourselves at this time makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Do we really want more months of this unending and entirely unproductive argument? If we don't have a deal now we have to accept that there won't be one in which case we are as well moving to the next stage and the introduction of mini deals to solve problems as they arise.
No, we need a Deal.
The anti-Brexiteers can then masturbate themselves into a frenzy with each other as they wait for the ultimate 'reckoning' of the British public, which will never come. But such efforts will be fruitless - they'll just have a very sore bell-end.
They will still chose to wander lost in the New European jungles of Papua New Barnier for the next 30 years, continuing to fight The War. That's fine. Their choice. The rest of us will just adjust and put it all behind us.
Of course, this is why they really want No Deal. They get off on constant Brexit, and want it to continue.
FTP - I think @Nigelb posted a good article from a scientific magazine last night.
My takeaways:
(1) This virus probably is more contagious but probably not as much as it first looks (first results from raw data are often deceptive) (2) It does mutate fast (once or twice a month, in fact) but we have labs here constantly tracking it and working on that (3) It's probably out in the world already (4) Ending social interactions and having complete physical barriers will stop its spread - even if the R is 100.
So, if we do have a new lockdown it will still be effective it's just there will be different rules. Like 5m spacing. Masks on inside and outside. Full PPE for staff. Far fewer in shops etc.
To everyone suggesting Bojo is not up to the job - and I agree his upbeat personality is a bad fit with Black Death - they also need to suggest their desired alternative.
Quite frankly, we aren’t blessed with gritty, ballsy, smart, capable, determined, inspiring and unflinching leaders.
The best I can come up with is Jeremy Hunt, which says it all.
Perfectly fresh fruit is rare, so we'll just settle for the piece that is the most rotten and mouldy? It's a view, I suppose.
So who do you suggest? That’s my question. My best yet disappointing answer is Hunt
Theresa May has the experience to do the job and is available. She also appears to be less prone to panicking than many other UK politicians.
We now face the possibility of blockage to UK trade with Europe that could lead to food shortages, rationing, and economic meltdown. Did it occur to anyone in the government, scientists or ministers or advisors, that this could be the results of this weekend's scary announcements? The matter has been overdramatised, at a time when the increased transmissibility of the new variant has not been proven yet. The Johnson government seems to be disintegrating before our eyes.
Christ no. TMay? The worst prime minister since Cameron.
Seriously, she’s dreadful. Her utterly moronic ‘red line’ Conference speech single handedly turned Brexit into a nightmare. Besides being ignorant, myopic, stubborn, awkward and vain, she is deeply boring in a Merkel-esque way, without any of the Teutonic competence of Merkel.
She’s probably a nice kind person and all that, and I wish her a happy retirement, but No
I've long thought that Hague was the 'under the bus' stand in reserve leader for the Tory party. I think it still applies whilst he's a Lord
The one area over which the UK government does have control is the ability to request an emergency extension of the transition period. Given the current chaos and unpredictability, surely even the most ardent Brexiteer would support that. Inflicting more uncertainty on ourselves at this time makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Given the COVID situation - and you clearly think the French action has fuck all to do with Brexit - it makes no difference.
I am shocked that a Remainer is coming to the conclusion that we need to agree a bad deal.
We do not need to agree any deal to request an extension to the transition.
I am shocked that a Brexit loon does not understand that.
It’s sensible in two ways. It relives immediate pressure, but in a fast changing situation we can hardly be sure what kind of a deal we ultimately will need. Wont happen though, because Brexit is a religion.
Anti-Brexit is also a religion. Just as fervent. In fact, counter-revolutionaries are often worse and more debauched in their methods, which presumably is why there was a chorus of silence on here last night when some were posing the question (even hypothetically) of France and other EU countries banning vaccine carrying flights to us.
Sick. Really really sick.
The only manic person on this forum today seems to be you.
The expert on R4 explaining a factoid that cropped up on PB this Saturday, that the new virus strain cannot be identified by one of the tests being used - actually one of the two confirmatory tests done on each sample after the primary test, which for the new strain always comes back negative. While this isn’t affecting total case numbers identified, because of the other two tests, presumably the loss of one of the confirmatory tests makes the results a tad less reliable.
Is that the Lateral Flow Test that isn't picking it up? Because that is the one used to test end of term students returning home.
No - but its an interesting question as to whether it might affect the accuracy of that.
NERVTAG said they didn't know whether lateral flow tests would work.
I know I posted this yesterday, it for me it sums up Brexit and Boris.
“I’ll tell you what happens with impossible promises. You start with far-fetched resolutions. They are then pickled into a rigid dogma, a Brexit code, and you go through the years sticking to that, out-dated, mis-placed, irrelevant to the real needs, and you end in the grotesque chaos of a Tory government – a Tory government - stuck in Brussels, negotiating about fish, ignoring the pandemic at home and forced to cancel Christmas for its own people".
Yes, it was a painfully dull post then. And it still is.
It's pathetic how some people want to make everything about Boris and Brexit.
In fact, it's worse than pathetic: it's a disease, a pathological condition. One worse that Superrona and longer lasting - with no hope of recovery.
You are infected with LongBrexit mutant strain 1.7.7.8.2. For you, there is no hope.
That just so doesn't work any longer. You sound like a junior officer on the Titanic trying to raise a laugh about the passengers having an outbreak of iceberg resentment disorder.
Nope. The last 48 hours have been about Superrona.
The terminal pub bores on here want to make it about Boris and Brexit, particularly the Labour rampers who have a political agenda.
It makes me think less of them. And those who defend them.
To everyone suggesting Bojo is not up to the job - and I agree his upbeat personality is a bad fit with Black Death - they also need to suggest their desired alternative.
Quite frankly, we aren’t blessed with gritty, ballsy, smart, capable, determined, inspiring and unflinching leaders.
The best I can come up with is Jeremy Hunt, which says it all.
Perfectly fresh fruit is rare, so we'll just settle for the piece that is the most rotten and mouldy? It's a view, I suppose.
So who do you suggest? That’s my question. My best yet disappointing answer is Hunt
Theresa May has the experience to do the job and is available. She also appears to be less prone to panicking than many other UK politicians.
We now face the possibility of blockage to UK trade with Europe that could lead to food shortages, rationing, and economic meltdown. Did it occur to anyone in the government, scientists or ministers or advisors, that this could be the results of this weekend's scary announcements? The matter has been overdramatised, at a time when the increased transmissibility of the new variant has not been proven yet. The Johnson government seems to be disintegrating before our eyes.
Christ no. TMay? The worst prime minister since Cameron.
Seriously, she’s dreadful. Her utterly moronic ‘red line’ Conference speech single handedly turned Brexit into a nightmare. Besides being ignorant, myopic, stubborn, awkward and vain, she is deeply boring in a Merkel-esque way, without any of the Teutonic competence of Merkel.
She’s probably a nice kind person and all that, and I wish her a happy retirement, but No
Surely you mean the second worst prime minister since Cameron.
The one area over which the UK government does have control is the ability to request an emergency extension of the transition period. Given the current chaos and unpredictability, surely even the most ardent Brexiteer would support that. Inflicting more uncertainty on ourselves at this time makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Given the COVID situation - and you clearly think the French action has fuck all to do with Brexit - it makes no difference.
I am shocked that a Remainer is coming to the conclusion that we need to agree a bad deal.
We do not need to agree any deal to request an extension to the transition.
I am shocked that a Brexit loon does not understand that.
It’s sensible in two ways. It relives immediate pressure, but in a fast changing situation we can hardly be sure what kind of a deal we ultimately will need. Wont happen though, because Brexit is a religion.
Anti-Brexit is also a religion. Just as fervent. In fact, counter-revolutionaries are often worse and more debauched in their methods, which presumably is why there was a chorus of silence on here last night when some were posing the question (even hypothetically) of France and other EU countries banning vaccine carrying flights to us.
Sick. Really really sick.
Blimey that’s a bit much, I am no fan of the ideological mess Brexit has become, but I don’t think there is something sick from wondering whether it is entirely wise in trying to rush to negotiate and execute the biggest change in our economy in a few days at the height of a global pandemic,
John Donne, writing about winter solstice. Something to cheer everyone up
A Nocturnal Upon St. Lucy’s Day, Being the Shortest Day
TIS the year's midnight, and it is the day's, Lucy's, who scarce seven hours herself unmasks; The sun is spent, and now his flasks Send forth light squibs, no constant rays; The world's whole sap is sunk; The general balm th' hydroptic earth hath drunk, Whither, as to the bed's-feet, life is shrunk, Dead and interr'd; yet all these seem to laugh, Compared with me, who am their epitaph.
Study me then, you who shall lovers be At the next world, that is, at the next spring; For I am every dead thing, In whom Love wrought new alchemy. For his art did express A quintessence even from nothingness, From dull privations, and lean emptiness; He ruin'd me, and I am re-begot Of absence, darkness, death—things which are not.
All others, from all things, draw all that's good, Life, soul, form, spirit, whence they being have; I, by Love's limbec, am the grave Of all, that's nothing. Oft a flood Have we two wept, and so Drown'd the whole world, us two; oft did we grow, To be two chaoses, when we did show Care to aught else; and often absences Withdrew our souls, and made us carcasses.
But I am by her death—which word wrongs her— Of the first nothing the elixir grown; Were I a man, that I were one I needs must know; I should prefer, If I were any beast, Some ends, some means ; yea plants, yea stones detest, And love; all, all some properties invest. If I an ordinary nothing were, As shadow, a light, and body must be here.
But I am none; nor will my sun renew. You lovers, for whose sake the lesser sun At this time to the Goat is run To fetch new lust, and give it you, Enjoy your summer all, Since she enjoys her long night's festival. Let me prepare towards her, and let me call This hour her vigil, and her eve, since this Both the year's and the day's deep midnight is.
Love that poem. Another poster used to post it about now.
Fun fact, Donne got it wrong. St Lucy's day is the 13th, not the shortest day and never has been. The J to G calendar change doesn't help.
A challenging poet, Donne. Complex, thorny, deep, sometimes utterly incomprehensible - yet he produced some of the best lines of English verse ever written.
Each man's death diminishes me, For I am involved in mankind. Therefore, send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee.
The ending of that midwinter poem is classic Donne. Its meaning is always slightly evasive, yet the words have a magic: they manage to be sad, haunting and eerily uplifting all at once
To everyone suggesting Bojo is not up to the job - and I agree his upbeat personality is a bad fit with Black Death - they also need to suggest their desired alternative.
Quite frankly, we aren’t blessed with gritty, ballsy, smart, capable, determined, inspiring and unflinching leaders.
The best I can come up with is Jeremy Hunt, which says it all.
Perfectly fresh fruit is rare, so we'll just settle for the piece that is the most rotten and mouldy? It's a view, I suppose.
So who do you suggest? That’s my question. My best yet disappointing answer is Hunt
Theresa May has the experience to do the job and is available. She also appears to be less prone to panicking than many other UK politicians.
We now face the possibility of blockage to UK trade with Europe that could lead to food shortages, rationing, and economic meltdown. Did it occur to anyone in the government, scientists or ministers or advisors, that this could be the results of this weekend's scary announcements? The matter has been overdramatised, at a time when the increased transmissibility of the new variant has not been proven yet. The Johnson government seems to be disintegrating before our eyes.
Christ no. TMay? The worst prime minister since Cameron.
Seriously, she’s dreadful. Her utterly moronic ‘red line’ Conference speech single handedly turned Brexit into a nightmare. Besides being ignorant, myopic, stubborn, awkward and vain, she is deeply boring in a Merkel-esque way, without any of the Teutonic competence of Merkel.
She’s probably a nice kind person and all that, and I wish her a happy retirement, but No
Surely you mean the second worst prime minister since Cameron.
I’m still hesitating over Johnson or Goderich for worst PM of all time.
Johnson’s still got time to turn it round. But if he doesn’t, I think he shades it.
The one area over which the UK government does have control is the ability to request an emergency extension of the transition period. Given the current chaos and unpredictability, surely even the most ardent Brexiteer would support that. Inflicting more uncertainty on ourselves at this time makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Do we really want more months of this unending and entirely unproductive argument? If we don't have a deal now we have to accept that there won't be one in which case we are as well moving to the next stage and the introduction of mini deals to solve problems as they arise.
No, we need a Deal.
The anti-Brexiteers can then masturbate themselves into a frenzy with each other as they wait for the ultimate 'reckoning' of the British public, which will never come. But such efforts will be fruitless - they'll just have a very sore bell-end.
They will still chose to wander lost in the New European jungles of Papua New Barnier for the next 30 years, continuing to fight The War. That's fine. Their choice. The rest of us will just adjust and put it all behind us.
Of course, this is why they really want No Deal. They get off on constant Brexit, and want it to continue.
Oh no. You're having one of your days.
Nope, not really. I'm just calling out the lifelong condition of those on here (there are at least a dozen) who fall into this category. I have better things to do today - like work.
The expert on R4 explaining a factoid that cropped up on PB this Saturday, that the new virus strain cannot be identified by one of the tests being used - actually one of the two confirmatory tests done on each sample after the primary test, which for the new strain always comes back negative. While this isn’t affecting total case numbers identified, because of the other two tests, presumably the loss of one of the confirmatory tests makes the results a tad less reliable.
Is that the Lateral Flow Test that isn't picking it up? Because that is the one used to test end of term students returning home.
No - but its an interesting question as to whether it might affect the accuracy of that.
As an aside - did you see the Liverpool trial results? Seemed like very poor performance from Innova test in missing half of positive cases. Which is strange because I think the Abbott and SD Biosensor ones have performed well in similar situations...
The one area over which the UK government does have control is the ability to request an emergency extension of the transition period. Given the current chaos and unpredictability, surely even the most ardent Brexiteer would support that. Inflicting more uncertainty on ourselves at this time makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Given the COVID situation - and you clearly think the French action has fuck all to do with Brexit - it makes no difference.
I am shocked that a Remainer is coming to the conclusion that we need to agree a bad deal.
These are old battles. There is no deal. We don't need to worry about what we sign as there isn't one to sign. What is now absolutely clear is that the border arrangement doesn't work. Your "bad deal" or even a "good deal" will in all practical senses have the same impact as no deal - gridlock.
When negotiations resume it will be the UK asking for a new deal because we will want to find an arrangement that lets the border function again.
Brexit boosters have told us it will be fine, because human ingenuity will find a way to solve the problems of borders. Perhaps their youthfulness means they don't recognise that the Single Market and Customs Union were ingenious solutions to the problems of borders.
The one area over which the UK government does have control is the ability to request an emergency extension of the transition period. Given the current chaos and unpredictability, surely even the most ardent Brexiteer would support that. Inflicting more uncertainty on ourselves at this time makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
I oppose it.
I think ending transition during shutdown is perfect timing and we need to end the uncertainty over Brexit.
JFDI applies.
This is one area where we agree. No Deal came into effect a week ago. Industry can't "negotiate up to the last minute" as they have been saying for yonks dismissed by armchair experts like your good self as "special interest groups".
The 48 hour initial period announced by the French runs up until D-8. Considering that we have Christmas in there as well realistically there's only 6 or maybe 5 normal days left to be worried about. No deal becomes de jure instead of de facto at that point anyway.
So yes, No Deal is here. I got criticised yesterday for my use of the word "blockade". Currently the border is shut. When it reopens the sheer volume of vehicles sat in queues for customs checks means it will effectively be shut. There isn't any practical difference.
You cannot run a hard border and process 20k trucks a day. As we are about to find out. It wasn't "deal or no deal" that was the issue. It was our departure from the Customs Union which practically shuts our own border. Yay us!
Someone on the Brexit side was whining on about remainers gloating. We aren't - this is a national disaster. Pointing out that project fear was just reality isn't wanting this to happen - we've NOT wanted this to happen for a long time.
So be happy like Philip is - you won! Enjoy.
Be careful what you wish for though - it may come true...
And the whole point of that statement is that the consequences are never what you expect (and usually far worse)
1. We don't need to wish for it. Its already here 2. Consequences of leaving the single market and especially customs union will be exactly what trade and logistics professionals said they would be 3. Don't forget. The EU will blink first
John Donne, writing about winter solstice. Something to cheer everyone up
A Nocturnal Upon St. Lucy’s Day, Being the Shortest Day
TIS the year's midnight, and it is the day's, Lucy's, who scarce seven hours herself unmasks; The sun is spent, and now his flasks Send forth light squibs, no constant rays; The world's whole sap is sunk; The general balm th' hydroptic earth hath drunk, Whither, as to the bed's-feet, life is shrunk, Dead and interr'd; yet all these seem to laugh, Compared with me, who am their epitaph.
Study me then, you who shall lovers be At the next world, that is, at the next spring; For I am every dead thing, In whom Love wrought new alchemy. For his art did express A quintessence even from nothingness, From dull privations, and lean emptiness; He ruin'd me, and I am re-begot Of absence, darkness, death—things which are not.
All others, from all things, draw all that's good, Life, soul, form, spirit, whence they being have; I, by Love's limbec, am the grave Of all, that's nothing. Oft a flood Have we two wept, and so Drown'd the whole world, us two; oft did we grow, To be two chaoses, when we did show Care to aught else; and often absences Withdrew our souls, and made us carcasses.
But I am by her death—which word wrongs her— Of the first nothing the elixir grown; Were I a man, that I were one I needs must know; I should prefer, If I were any beast, Some ends, some means ; yea plants, yea stones detest, And love; all, all some properties invest. If I an ordinary nothing were, As shadow, a light, and body must be here.
But I am none; nor will my sun renew. You lovers, for whose sake the lesser sun At this time to the Goat is run To fetch new lust, and give it you, Enjoy your summer all, Since she enjoys her long night's festival. Let me prepare towards her, and let me call This hour her vigil, and her eve, since this Both the year's and the day's deep midnight is.
Love that poem. Another poster used to post it about now.
Fun fact, Donne got it wrong. St Lucy's day is the 13th, not the shortest day and never has been. The J to G calendar change doesn't help.
A challenging poet, Donne. Complex, thorny, deep, sometimes utterly incomprehensible - yet he produced some of the best lines of English verse ever written.
Each man's death diminishes me, For I am involved in mankind. Therefore, send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee.
The ending of that midwinter poem is classic Donne. Its meaning is always slightly evasive, yet the words have a magic: they manage to be sad, haunting and eerily uplifting all at once
Since I am coming to that holy room, Where, with thy choir of saints for evermore, I shall be made thy music; as I come I tune the instrument here at the door, And what I must do then, think here before.
FTP - I think @Nigelb posted a good article from a scientific magazine last night.
My takeaways:
(1) This virus probably is more contagious but probably not as much as it first looks (first results from raw data are often deceptive) (2) It does mutate fast (once or twice a month, in fact) but we have labs here constantly tracking it and working on that (3) It's probably out in the world already (4) Ending social interactions and having complete physical barriers will stop its spread - even if the R is 100.
So, if we do have a new lockdown it will still be effective it's just there will be different rules. Like 5m spacing. Masks on inside and outside. Full PPE for staff. Far fewer in shops etc.
Surprised to see blue tick journalists pick this up so quickly.
Doesn't change a damn thing though except all countries should shut all borders to non essential travel and maybe all of Europe should be looking at lockdowns regrettably. What a horrid situation.
Those saying it's already bolted is the same insanity of people saying summer holidays in Spain weren't risky since the UK already had Covid.
The one area over which the UK government does have control is the ability to request an emergency extension of the transition period. Given the current chaos and unpredictability, surely even the most ardent Brexiteer would support that. Inflicting more uncertainty on ourselves at this time makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
I oppose it.
I think ending transition during shutdown is perfect timing and we need to end the uncertainty over Brexit.
JFDI applies.
This is one area where we agree. No Deal came into effect a week ago. Industry can't "negotiate up to the last minute" as they have been saying for yonks dismissed by armchair experts like your good self as "special interest groups".
The 48 hour initial period announced by the French runs up until D-8. Considering that we have Christmas in there as well realistically there's only 6 or maybe 5 normal days left to be worried about. No deal becomes de jure instead of de facto at that point anyway.
So yes, No Deal is here. I got criticised yesterday for my use of the word "blockade". Currently the border is shut. When it reopens the sheer volume of vehicles sat in queues for customs checks means it will effectively be shut. There isn't any practical difference.
You cannot run a hard border and process 20k trucks a day. As we are about to find out. It wasn't "deal or no deal" that was the issue. It was our departure from the Customs Union which practically shuts our own border. Yay us!
Someone on the Brexit side was whining on about remainers gloating. We aren't - this is a national disaster. Pointing out that project fear was just reality isn't wanting this to happen - we've NOT wanted this to happen for a long time.
OT. I've now listened to 3 audiobooks by -in order-Hillary Clinton Michelle Obama and Barack Obama. First thing to say is that audio books are an excellent way of multitasking during lockdowns and if read by the authors possibly more insightful than reading the books yourself.
Hillary Clinton's was good but bitter. She was robbed and doesn't hide it! She hates Trump and doesn't hide that either though the real blame for the robbery goes much deeper.
Michelle Obama's is very listentoable but maybe a little too personal and soggy for a political audience like us. A useful read though for those who decry BLM and a great insight for the less sensitive into WHY it matters.
The real star though is her husband's. His observations from the early 2000's onwards are fascinating. He holds little back on those he respected and those he didn't. His separation of the charlatans from the brightest (those like Merkel and even Brown) are astute. And reading about the politics of the PB years is compelling. The sadness for me is realizing in even brighter neon our historical mistake in leaving the EU
The one area over which the UK government does have control is the ability to request an emergency extension of the transition period. Given the current chaos and unpredictability, surely even the most ardent Brexiteer would support that. Inflicting more uncertainty on ourselves at this time makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Given the COVID situation - and you clearly think the French action has fuck all to do with Brexit - it makes no difference.
I am shocked that a Remainer is coming to the conclusion that we need to agree a bad deal.
These are old battles. There is no deal. We don't need to worry about what we sign as there isn't one to sign. What is now absolutely clear is that the border arrangement doesn't work. Your "bad deal" or even a "good deal" will in all practical senses have the same impact as no deal - gridlock.
When negotiations resume it will be the UK asking for a new deal because we will want to find an arrangement that lets the border function again.
Brexit boosters have told us it will be fine, because human ingenuity will find a way to solve the problems of borders. Perhaps their youthfulness means they don't recognise that the Single Market and Customs Union were ingenious solutions to the problems of borders.
And those of us who didn't deal much with Europe just had to go swivel, did we?
I know I posted this yesterday, it for me it sums up Brexit and Boris.
“I’ll tell you what happens with impossible promises. You start with far-fetched resolutions. They are then pickled into a rigid dogma, a Brexit code, and you go through the years sticking to that, out-dated, mis-placed, irrelevant to the real needs, and you end in the grotesque chaos of a Tory government – a Tory government - stuck in Brussels, negotiating about fish, ignoring the pandemic at home and forced to cancel Christmas for its own people".
Yes, it was a painfully dull post then. And it still is.
It's pathetic how some people want to make everything about Boris and Brexit.
In fact, it's worse than pathetic: it's a disease, a pathological condition. One worse that Superrona and longer lasting - with no hope of recovery.
You are infected with LongBrexit mutant strain 1.7.7.8.2. For you, there is no hope.
That just so doesn't work any longer. You sound like a junior officer on the Titanic trying to raise a laugh about the passengers having an outbreak of iceberg resentment disorder.
Nope. The last 48 hours have been about Superrona.
The terminal pub bores on here want to make it about Boris and Brexit, particularly the Labour rampers who have a political agenda.
It makes me think less of them. And those who defend them.
Closing the border has absolutely been about the Boris Bug - its a direct response to London's pox outbreak. Once again its EU countries closing their borders which Brexiteers said they couldn't do and the UK not closing its borders despite sovereignty.
The impact though is literally Brexit. Logistics have gone onto turbo power to try and pull stuff into the UK whilst they still can. Once 1st January comes the blockade won't be the French government closing the border, it'll be the realities of trying to process 20k trucks a day with a new process that takes closer to an hour per truck than the 2 minutes we're used to.
Surprised to see blue tick journalists pick this up so quickly.
Doesn't change a damn thing though except all countries should shut all borders to non essential travel and maybe all of Europe should be looking at lockdowns regrettably. What a horrid situation.
Those saying it's already bolted is the same insanity of people saying summer holidays in Spain weren't risky since the UK already had Covid.
I think it's more like people saying the government didn't need to know about the concerns regarding the new strain to change the Christmas plans. That's probably fair.
Irrespective of whether the new strain is well established in many parts of Europe, I think they should stop people traveling around without very good reason.
The rest of us will just adjust and put it all behind us.
European integration has been a source of Weltschmerz right across the political perineum for that past 50 years. Why is it suddenly going to stop now?
There's going to be a highly motivated and mainly young Rejoin movement (Greens + LD).
There will be a pro business contingent (Labour, CBI, Unions) who want to move back into the single market.
There will be a surfeit of tory and Reform Party shitbags who will have the sensation of centipedes in the rectum over any accommodation at all with the EU including sectoral mini deals and facial recognition for pigs between the 26 and 6 counties.
The only people who will like the post 2021 settlement would that small cohort of M&S blazer tories who haven't got the balls to cheer on No Deal everyone else is going to be scrapping for something else.
Apparently, there have been cases of the new strain of the virus in several European countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands and Italy. If it is more transmissible than other strains then it should become established in these countries surely?
It seems that this has not happened yet, and while this continues it could be evidence that the new strain is not more transmissible than earlier strains. Or, it could mean that the other countries are not doing much genetic testing. Hopefully, we will know the position soon.
The one area over which the UK government does have control is the ability to request an emergency extension of the transition period. Given the current chaos and unpredictability, surely even the most ardent Brexiteer would support that. Inflicting more uncertainty on ourselves at this time makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Do we really want more months of this unending and entirely unproductive argument? If we don't have a deal now we have to accept that there won't be one in which case we are as well moving to the next stage and the introduction of mini deals to solve problems as they arise.
No, we need a Deal.
The anti-Brexiteers can then masturbate themselves into a frenzy with each other as they wait for the ultimate 'reckoning' of the British public, which will never come. But such efforts will be fruitless - they'll just have a very sore bell-end.
They will still chose to wander lost in the New European jungles of Papua New Barnier for the next 30 years, continuing to fight The War. That's fine. Their choice. The rest of us will just adjust and put it all behind us.
Of course, this is why they really want No Deal. They get off on constant Brexit, and want it to continue.
Oh no. You're having one of your days.
Nope, not really. I'm just calling out the lifelong condition of those on here (there are at least a dozen) who fall into this category. I have better things to do today - like work.
OT. I've now listened to 3 audiobooks by -in order-Hillary Clinton Michelle Obama and Barack Obama. First thing to say is that audio books are excellent ways of multitasking during lockdowns and if read by the authors possibly more insightful than reading the books yourself.
Hillary Clinton's was good but bitter. She was robbed and doesn't hide it! She hates Trump and doesn't hide that either though the real blame for the robbery goes much deeper.
Michelle Obama's is very listentoable but maybe a little too personal and soggy for a political audience like us. A useful read though for those who decry BLM and a great insight for the less sensitive into WHY it matters.
The real star though is her husband's. His observations from the early 2000's onwards are fascinating. He holds little back on those he respected and those he didn't. His separation of the charlatans from the brightest (those like Merkel and even Brown) are astute. And reading about the politics of the PB year's is compelling. The sadness for me is realizing in even brighter neon our historical mistake in leaving the EU
Thanks for tbe recommendation. I've been thinking about getting Barack's book - good to hear it's not just being sunshine and rainbows to everyone.
John Donne, writing about winter solstice. Something to cheer everyone up
A Nocturnal Upon St. Lucy’s Day, Being the Shortest Day
TIS the year's midnight, and it is the day's, Lucy's, who scarce seven hours herself unmasks; The sun is spent, and now his flasks Send forth light squibs, no constant rays; The world's whole sap is sunk; The general balm th' hydroptic earth hath drunk, Whither, as to the bed's-feet, life is shrunk, Dead and interr'd; yet all these seem to laugh, Compared with me, who am their epitaph.
Study me then, you who shall lovers be At the next world, that is, at the next spring; For I am every dead thing, In whom Love wrought new alchemy. For his art did express A quintessence even from nothingness, From dull privations, and lean emptiness; He ruin'd me, and I am re-begot Of absence, darkness, death—things which are not.
All others, from all things, draw all that's good, Life, soul, form, spirit, whence they being have; I, by Love's limbec, am the grave Of all, that's nothing. Oft a flood Have we two wept, and so Drown'd the whole world, us two; oft did we grow, To be two chaoses, when we did show Care to aught else; and often absences Withdrew our souls, and made us carcasses.
But I am by her death—which word wrongs her— Of the first nothing the elixir grown; Were I a man, that I were one I needs must know; I should prefer, If I were any beast, Some ends, some means ; yea plants, yea stones detest, And love; all, all some properties invest. If I an ordinary nothing were, As shadow, a light, and body must be here.
But I am none; nor will my sun renew. You lovers, for whose sake the lesser sun At this time to the Goat is run To fetch new lust, and give it you, Enjoy your summer all, Since she enjoys her long night's festival. Let me prepare towards her, and let me call This hour her vigil, and her eve, since this Both the year's and the day's deep midnight is.
Love that poem. Another poster used to post it about now.
Fun fact, Donne got it wrong. St Lucy's day is the 13th, not the shortest day and never has been. The J to G calendar change doesn't help.
A challenging poet, Donne. Complex, thorny, deep, sometimes utterly incomprehensible - yet he produced some of the best lines of English verse ever written.
Each man's death diminishes me, For I am involved in mankind. Therefore, send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee.
The ending of that midwinter poem is classic Donne. Its meaning is always slightly evasive, yet the words have a magic: they manage to be sad, haunting and eerily uplifting all at once
Yes, a great poet. Partly English and partly Welsh, IIRC. On a par with Clare and Byron, in my book.
Apparently, there have been cases of the new strain of the virus in several European countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands and Italy. If it is more transmissible than other strains then it should become established in these countries surely?
It seems that this has not happened yet, and while this continues it could be evidence that the new strain is not more transmissible than earlier strains. Or, it could mean that the other countries are not doing much genetic testing. Hopefully, we will know the position soon.
I'm sure we will know pretty soon. My guess would be it's more likely it's everywhere already unfortunately.
The one area over which the UK government does have control is the ability to request an emergency extension of the transition period. Given the current chaos and unpredictability, surely even the most ardent Brexiteer would support that. Inflicting more uncertainty on ourselves at this time makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Do we really want more months of this unending and entirely unproductive argument? If we don't have a deal now we have to accept that there won't be one in which case we are as well moving to the next stage and the introduction of mini deals to solve problems as they arise.
No, we need a Deal.
The anti-Brexiteers can then masturbate themselves into a frenzy with each other as they wait for the ultimate 'reckoning' of the British public, which will never come. But such efforts will be fruitless - they'll just have a very sore bell-end.
They will still chose to wander lost in the New European jungles of Papua New Barnier for the next 30 years, continuing to fight The War. That's fine. Their choice. The rest of us will just adjust and put it all behind us.
Of course, this is why they really want No Deal. They get off on constant Brexit, and want it to continue.
It's not anti-Brexiteers. It's just adults who have had four years to get cumulatively more bored of adolescent narcissists. You have lost this argument.
The one area over which the UK government does have control is the ability to request an emergency extension of the transition period. Given the current chaos and unpredictability, surely even the most ardent Brexiteer would support that. Inflicting more uncertainty on ourselves at this time makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Given the COVID situation - and you clearly think the French action has fuck all to do with Brexit - it makes no difference.
I am shocked that a Remainer is coming to the conclusion that we need to agree a bad deal.
We do not need to agree any deal to request an extension to the transition.
I am shocked that a Brexit loon does not understand that.
It’s sensible in two ways. It relives immediate pressure, but in a fast changing situation we can hardly be sure what kind of a deal we ultimately will need. Wont happen though, because Brexit is a religion.
Anti-Brexit is also a religion. Just as fervent. In fact, counter-revolutionaries are often worse and more debauched in their methods, which presumably is why there was a chorus of silence on here last night when some were posing the question (even hypothetically) of France and other EU countries banning vaccine carrying flights to us.
Sick. Really really sick.
What a load of cack, Casino.
As I pointed out earlier, that was a rash of have you stopped beating your wife stuff from @TrèsDifficile . It is not to your credit that you are going along with it.
Apparently, there have been cases of the new strain of the virus in several European countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands and Italy. If it is more transmissible than other strains then it should become established in these countries surely?
It seems that this has not happened yet, and while this continues it could be evidence that the new strain is not more transmissible than earlier strains. Or, it could mean that the other countries are not doing much genetic testing. Hopefully, we will know the position soon.
As with our decision about Christmas, it doesn't really matter. Are cases going up a lot? If so, think about taking further action.
Apparently, there have been cases of the new strain of the virus in several European countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands and Italy. If it is more transmissible than other strains then it should become established in these countries surely?
It seems that this has not happened yet, and while this continues it could be evidence that the new strain is not more transmissible than earlier strains. Or, it could mean that the other countries are not doing much genetic testing. Hopefully, we will know the position soon.
I would be using your last sentence first - given that it's been found in Australia it must be already in the EU...
To everyone suggesting Bojo is not up to the job - and I agree his upbeat personality is a bad fit with Black Death - they also need to suggest their desired alternative.
Quite frankly, we aren’t blessed with gritty, ballsy, smart, capable, determined, inspiring and unflinching leaders.
The best I can come up with is Jeremy Hunt, which says it all.
Perfectly fresh fruit is rare, so we'll just settle for the piece that is the most rotten and mouldy? It's a view, I suppose.
So who do you suggest? That’s my question. My best yet disappointing answer is Hunt
Theresa May has the experience to do the job and is available. She also appears to be less prone to panicking than many other UK politicians.
It would be a very 2020 thing to happen. And TM undoubtedly has the sense of duty to wade through the sewage of leading Britain in 2021.
More importantly, it highlights the damage that BoJo did to the Conservative Party in his 2019 purge.
Rory Stewart obviously. But if you look at the list of those who walked/were pushed, you've got a group who would probably be a more competent Cabinet than the current lot. That's before you add those in exile on the backbenches...
Mrs Eek needed to go to Tescos Catterick this morning to get some Milk. Some soldiers are panic buying...
It's so strange. I remember working in Asda before Christmas and seeing a family buying two full trolleys of food when the shops were shut for only two days. We tended to diagnose yuletide madness rather than panic buying.
To everyone suggesting Bojo is not up to the job - and I agree his upbeat personality is a bad fit with Black Death - they also need to suggest their desired alternative.
Quite frankly, we aren’t blessed with gritty, ballsy, smart, capable, determined, inspiring and unflinching leaders.
The best I can come up with is Jeremy Hunt, which says it all.
Perfectly fresh fruit is rare, so we'll just settle for the piece that is the most rotten and mouldy? It's a view, I suppose.
So who do you suggest? That’s my question. My best yet disappointing answer is Hunt
Theresa May has the experience to do the job and is available. She also appears to be less prone to panicking than many other UK politicians.
It would be a very 2020 thing to happen. And TM undoubtedly has the sense of duty to wade through the sewage of leading Britain in 2021.
More importantly, it highlights the damage that BoJo did to the Conservative Party in his 2019 purge.
Rory Stewart obviously. But if you look at the list of those who walked/were pushed, you've got a group who would probably be a more competent Cabinet than the current lot. That's before you add those in exile on the backbenches...
Codswallop.
The current cabinet is far superior than May'sand Hammond was undeniably the worst Chancellor since Brown. His failure to pay for No Deal preparations while we were negotiating with the EU was absolute insanity and left us in a horrid mess.
To everyone suggesting Bojo is not up to the job - and I agree his upbeat personality is a bad fit with Black Death - they also need to suggest their desired alternative.
Quite frankly, we aren’t blessed with gritty, ballsy, smart, capable, determined, inspiring and unflinching leaders.
The best I can come up with is Jeremy Hunt, which says it all.
Perfectly fresh fruit is rare, so we'll just settle for the piece that is the most rotten and mouldy? It's a view, I suppose.
So who do you suggest? That’s my question. My best yet disappointing answer is Hunt
Theresa May has the experience to do the job and is available. She also appears to be less prone to panicking than many other UK politicians.
It would be a very 2020 thing to happen. And TM undoubtedly has the sense of duty to wade through the sewage of leading Britain in 2021.
More importantly, it highlights the damage that BoJo did to the Conservative Party in his 2019 purge.
Rory Stewart obviously. But if you look at the list of those who walked/were pushed, you've got a group who would probably be a more competent Cabinet than the current lot. That's before you add those in exile on the backbenches...
Rory Stewart is someone who could definitely help us in this situation. Starmer and Miliband would do a better job than Johnson too.
FTP - I think @Nigelb posted a good article from a scientific magazine last night.
My takeaways:
(1) This virus probably is more contagious but probably not as much as it first looks (first results from raw data are often deceptive) (2) It does mutate fast (once or twice a month, in fact) but we have labs here constantly tracking it and working on that (3) It's probably out in the world already (4) Ending social interactions and having complete physical barriers will stop its spread - even if the R is 100.
So, if we do have a new lockdown it will still be effective it's just there will be different rules. Like 5m spacing. Masks on inside and outside. Full PPE for staff. Far fewer in shops etc.
To add to that is the unknown virulence of this mutated strain. I think I`m correct in saying that the jury is still out on this, though there is expectation in some quarters that that the mutation will prove less virulent that the original. Anyone been following this?
Oh I see Casino_Royale is back to his condescending posting style, I'll wait until he's left the building
Ah right because there's no condescending from the circlejerk of die hard anti-Brexiteers is there? Motes and beams and all that.
Your posts are so utterly tiring.
You have this weird obsession with everyone you don't agree with wanting to stop Brexit. Brexit can't be stopped, we left.
But pointing out things going wrong is okay, I know in your fantasy dream world everything is rainbows nothing ever goes wrong and we wake up each day saying a prayer over our shrines of Margaret Thatcher but back in the real world things do and they are going wrong.
The problem with you is that you don't present the same outlook on anything that doesn't agree with your point of view, which really makes your posts fairly useless for anything other than figuring out what the Tory PR line is.
I am just the same, my posts have limited use. But I don't pretend they do, you do.
I am going back to ignoring you, waste of my time. I'm out guys, have a good one.
On topic of course today's headlines are going to be poor for Boris and he undoubtedly is not the politician for this crisis.
I doubt Starmer or May would have been any better though I would think that Hunt would be
However, the talk of replacing Boris in reality is hope over expectation unless he resigns and I see very little likelihood of that happening
The news that the impasse on HGVs is on the way to being resolved is good news
The European markets have slumped and more than the UK due to the expectation the mutant virus is across Europe, so lots to worry policymakers today
Neither Starmer or May would have spent Wednesday's PMQs joking about things that then became true 3 days later.
Both would have enough sense to see that that could play out very badly.
Prior to the NERVTAG report that changed everything.
And the PMQs hasn't changed anything. You love to bang on about it but it makes no difference. If Starmer is going to spend every damn PMQs trying to score points off Boris then inevitably Boris is going to respond. It is the Punch and Judy nature of PMQs that always happens.
The expert on R4 explaining a factoid that cropped up on PB this Saturday, that the new virus strain cannot be identified by one of the tests being used - actually one of the two confirmatory tests done on each sample after the primary test, which for the new strain always comes back negative. While this isn’t affecting total case numbers identified, because of the other two tests, presumably the loss of one of the confirmatory tests makes the results a tad less reliable.
Is that the Lateral Flow Test that isn't picking it up? Because that is the one used to test end of term students returning home.
No - but its an interesting question as to whether it might affect the accuracy of that.
NERVTAG said they didn't know whether lateral flow tests would work.
They should be able to check that fairly quickly. But a bit awkward in the meantime...
The good news today is that that vaccine roll out is going very well. From the nurses I know that are involved in its delivery there have been allergic reactions at all. The world will be a different place in 2 months
Oh I see Casino_Royale is back to his condescending posting style, I'll wait until he's left the building
Ah right because there's no condescending from the circlejerk of die hard anti-Brexiteers is there? Motes and beams and all that.
Your posts are so utterly tiring.
You have this weird obsession with everyone you don't agree with wanting to stop Brexit. Brexit can't be stopped, we left.
But pointing out things going wrong is okay, I know in your fantasy dream world everything is rainbows nothing ever goes wrong and we wake up each day saying a prayer over our shrines of Margaret Thatcher but back in the real world things do and they are going wrong.
The problem with you is that you don't present the same outlook on anything that doesn't agree with your point of view, which really makes your posts fairly useless for anything other than figuring out what the Tory PR line is.
I am just the same, my posts have limited use. But I don't pretend they do, you do.
I am going back to ignoring you, waste of my time. I'm out guys, have a good one.
I don't know why you have this weird obsession that I post the Tory PR line, I routinely oppose the Tory PR line as you know. So why you say that is beyond me.
My opinions are nothing other than my opinions. No more, no less. I don't pretend otherwise so I don't know why you do. You think more of me than I do it appears.
FTP - I think @Nigelb posted a good article from a scientific magazine last night.
My takeaways:
(1) This virus probably is more contagious but probably not as much as it first looks (first results from raw data are often deceptive) (2) It does mutate fast (once or twice a month, in fact) but we have labs here constantly tracking it and working on that (3) It's probably out in the world already (4) Ending social interactions and having complete physical barriers will stop its spread - even if the R is 100.
So, if we do have a new lockdown it will still be effective it's just there will be different rules. Like 5m spacing. Masks on inside and outside. Full PPE for staff. Far fewer in shops etc.
To add to that is the unknown virulence of this mutated strain. I think I`m correct in saying that the jury is still out on this, though there is expectation in some quarters that that the mutation will prove less virulent that the original. Anyone been following this?
This is what I was wondering last night on here. The proportion of cases to deaths looks slightly odd so far, even considering the lag time.
Shapps has presided over one of the UK's most egregious COVID policy failures - its complete failure to mount any sort of effective border control/quarantine.
On topic of course today's headlines are going to be poor for Boris and he undoubtedly is not the politician for this crisis.
I doubt Starmer or May would have been any better though I would think that Hunt would be
However, the talk of replacing Boris in reality is hope over expectation unless he resigns and I see very little likelihood of that happening
The news that the impasse on HGVs is on the way to being resolved is good news
The European markets have slumped and more than the UK due to the expectation the mutant virus is across Europe, so lots to worry policymakers today
Neither Starmer or May would have spent Wednesday's PMQs joking about things that then became true 3 days later.
Both would have enough sense to see that that could play out very badly.
Prior to the NERVTAG report that changed everything.
And the PMQs hasn't changed anything. You love to bang on about it but it makes no difference. If Starmer is going to spend every damn PMQs trying to score points off Boris then inevitably Boris is going to respond. It is the Punch and Judy nature of PMQs that always happens.
If NERVTAG is so important I will refer you to the fact the new mutation was explicitly referenced on Monday as London was sent (outside of normal timetable) into tier 3.
That only shows that the issue was known to be very serious.
The good news today is that that vaccine roll out is going very well. From the nurses I know that are involved in its delivery there have been allergic reactions at all. The world will be a different place in 2 months
Another reason not to rush through Brexit right now. Do it properly in three months.
On topic of course today's headlines are going to be poor for Boris and he undoubtedly is not the politician for this crisis.
I doubt Starmer or May would have been any better though I would think that Hunt would be
However, the talk of replacing Boris in reality is hope over expectation unless he resigns and I see very little likelihood of that happening
The news that the impasse on HGVs is on the way to being resolved is good news
The European markets have slumped and more than the UK due to the expectation the mutant virus is across Europe, so lots to worry policymakers today
Neither Starmer or May would have spent Wednesday's PMQs joking about things that then became true 3 days later.
Both would have enough sense to see that that could play out very badly.
Prior to the NERVTAG report that changed everything.
And the PMQs hasn't changed anything. You love to bang on about it but it makes no difference. If Starmer is going to spend every damn PMQs trying to score points off Boris then inevitably Boris is going to respond. It is the Punch and Judy nature of PMQs that always happens.
NERVTAG is such a ludicrous name. Sort of thing you’d find in a first, silly draft of a 1970s Doctor Who script. I thoroughly approve
Shapps has presided over one of the UK's most egregious COVID policy failures - its complete failure to mount any sort of effective border control/quarantine.
Now, hang on, Carlotta. Dan Hodges is right. Grant Shapps should be moved to comms as fast as possible, if only to get him off transport.
OT. I've now listened to 3 audiobooks by -in order-Hillary Clinton Michelle Obama and Barack Obama. First thing to say is that audio books are excellent ways of multitasking during lockdowns and if read by the authors possibly more insightful than reading the books yourself.
Hillary Clinton's was good but bitter. She was robbed and doesn't hide it! She hates Trump and doesn't hide that either though the real blame for the robbery goes much deeper.
Michelle Obama's is very listentoable but maybe a little too personal and soggy for a political audience like us. A useful read though for those who decry BLM and a great insight for the less sensitive into WHY it matters.
The real star though is her husband's. His observations from the early 2000's onwards are fascinating. He holds little back on those he respected and those he didn't. His separation of the charlatans from the brightest (those like Merkel and even Brown) are astute. And reading about the politics of the PB year's is compelling. The sadness for me is realizing in even brighter neon our historical mistake in leaving the EU
Thanks for tbe recommendation. I've been thinking about getting Barack's book - good to hear it's not just being sunshine and rainbows to everyone.
There are extracts on Radio 4 (BBC sounds) as they serialised Barack reading it
My guess, based on the information provided, is that we are somewhere near half way what the death toll is going to be from this pernicious virus before vaccination gives enough of us protection.
Only if the level of lockdown our society can tolerate is sufficient to control the new variant, and of course the vaccine still works. So I'd take your guess just now.
Shapps has presided over one of the UK's most egregious COVID policy failures - its complete failure to mount any sort of effective border control/quarantine.
On topic of course today's headlines are going to be poor for Boris and he undoubtedly is not the politician for this crisis.
I doubt Starmer or May would have been any better though I would think that Hunt would be
However, the talk of replacing Boris in reality is hope over expectation unless he resigns and I see very little likelihood of that happening
The news that the impasse on HGVs is on the way to being resolved is good news
The European markets have slumped and more than the UK due to the expectation the mutant virus is across Europe, so lots to worry policymakers today
Neither Starmer or May would have spent Wednesday's PMQs joking about things that then became true 3 days later.
Both would have enough sense to see that that could play out very badly.
Prior to the NERVTAG report that changed everything.
And the PMQs hasn't changed anything. You love to bang on about it but it makes no difference. If Starmer is going to spend every damn PMQs trying to score points off Boris then inevitably Boris is going to respond. It is the Punch and Judy nature of PMQs that always happens.
If NERVTAG is so important I will refer you to the fact the new mutation was explicitly referenced on Monday as London was sent (outside of normal timetable) into tier 3.
That only shows that the issue was known to be very serious.
Serious enough to justify Tier 3 yes.
Not known to be serious enough to justify Tier 4 and worldwide panic.
The good news today is that that vaccine roll out is going very well. From the nurses I know that are involved in its delivery there have been allergic reactions at all. The world will be a different place in 2 months
Another reason not to rush through Brexit right now. Do it properly in three months.
How do you define "do it properly".
Its already done. We've either got a deal or we haven't, it is time to move on.
The good news today is that that vaccine roll out is going very well. From the nurses I know that are involved in its delivery there have been allergic reactions at all. The world will be a different place in 2 months
Another reason not to rush through Brexit right now. Do it properly in three months.
FTP - I think @Nigelb posted a good article from a scientific magazine last night.
My takeaways:
(1) This virus probably is more contagious but probably not as much as it first looks (first results from raw data are often deceptive) (2) It does mutate fast (once or twice a month, in fact) but we have labs here constantly tracking it and working on that (3) It's probably out in the world already (4) Ending social interactions and having complete physical barriers will stop its spread - even if the R is 100.
So, if we do have a new lockdown it will still be effective it's just there will be different rules. Like 5m spacing. Masks on inside and outside. Full PPE for staff. Far fewer in shops etc.
To add to that is the unknown virulence of this mutated strain. I think I`m correct in saying that the jury is still out on this, though there is expectation in some quarters that that the mutation will prove less virulent that the original. Anyone been following this?
This is what I was wondering last night on here. The proportion of cases to deaths looks slightly odd so far, even considering the lag time.
Ah - sorry I wasn`t on here last night - I`ll look back but was there any mention of the possibility that those with the mutation will have some immunity against both variants for a while? We`ve gone into full-scale panic mode and I`m wondering whether on reflection the mutation could prove a (slightly) positive development rather than one to panic about. The hospitalisation rate of the mutation victims will reveal this I guess.
FFS, Sky News interview with Shapps was literally should we panic buy, no, but should we, no, but should we, no...so what you are saying people shouldn't buy that extra amount they normally get in for Christmas...no...but should we....no.
The good news today is that that vaccine roll out is going very well. From the nurses I know that are involved in its delivery there have been allergic reactions at all. The world will be a different place in 2 months
Another reason not to rush through Brexit right now. Do it properly in three months.
The good news today is that that vaccine roll out is going very well. From the nurses I know that are involved in its delivery there have been allergic reactions at all. The world will be a different place in 2 months
On topic of course today's headlines are going to be poor for Boris and he undoubtedly is not the politician for this crisis.
I doubt Starmer or May would have been any better though I would think that Hunt would be
However, the talk of replacing Boris in reality is hope over expectation unless he resigns and I see very little likelihood of that happening
The news that the impasse on HGVs is on the way to being resolved is good news
The European markets have slumped and more than the UK due to the expectation the mutant virus is across Europe, so lots to worry policymakers today
Neither Starmer or May would have spent Wednesday's PMQs joking about things that then became true 3 days later.
Both would have enough sense to see that that could play out very badly.
Prior to the NERVTAG report that changed everything.
And the PMQs hasn't changed anything. You love to bang on about it but it makes no difference. If Starmer is going to spend every damn PMQs trying to score points off Boris then inevitably Boris is going to respond. It is the Punch and Judy nature of PMQs that always happens.
If NERVTAG is so important I will refer you to the fact the new mutation was explicitly referenced on Monday as London was sent (outside of normal timetable) into tier 3.
That only shows that the issue was known to be very serious.
Serious enough to justify Tier 3 yes.
Not known to be serious enough to justify Tier 4 and worldwide panic.
Yes, there seems to be a precaution principle response - may be fair enough I guess.
Someone in the Patel mold needs to be stuck in charge of transport. Not a time for the jolly japes of Shapps, need someone who relishes keeping others out.
Shapps has presided over one of the UK's most egregious COVID policy failures - its complete failure to mount any sort of effective border control/quarantine.
TBF I listened to him on R4 this morning and, unusually for me (and for him), thought that he did OK
To everyone suggesting Bojo is not up to the job - and I agree his upbeat personality is a bad fit with Black Death - they also need to suggest their desired alternative.
Quite frankly, we aren’t blessed with gritty, ballsy, smart, capable, determined, inspiring and unflinching leaders.
The best I can come up with is Jeremy Hunt, which says it all.
Perfectly fresh fruit is rare, so we'll just settle for the piece that is the most rotten and mouldy? It's a view, I suppose.
So who do you suggest? That’s my question. My best yet disappointing answer is Hunt
Theresa May has the experience to do the job and is available. She also appears to be less prone to panicking than many other UK politicians.
We now face the possibility of blockage to UK trade with Europe that could lead to food shortages, rationing, and economic meltdown. Did it occur to anyone in the government, scientists or ministers or advisors, that this could be the results of this weekend's scary announcements? The matter has been overdramatised, at a time when the increased transmissibility of the new variant has not been proven yet. The Johnson government seems to be disintegrating before our eyes.
Christ no. TMay? The worst prime minister since Cameron.
Seriously, she’s dreadful. Her utterly moronic ‘red line’ Conference speech single handedly turned Brexit into a nightmare. Besides being ignorant, myopic, stubborn, awkward and vain, she is deeply boring in a Merkel-esque way, without any of the Teutonic competence of Merkel.
She’s probably a nice kind person and all that, and I wish her a happy retirement, but No
I've long thought that Hague was the 'under the bus' stand in reserve leader for the Tory party. I think it still applies whilst he's a Lord
Comments
I find it hilarious when the government trots out its “ any responsible government” line when it talks about no deal preparations .
The government are vandalizing the UK economy and it’s not an unforeseen thing like covid but a choice they’re making . And the so called Kent entry permits for hauliers apparently won’t even be properly up and running till July 2021 !
And the whole point of that statement is that the consequences are never what you expect (and usually far worse)
What does matter is its identification and the (emerging, but far from complete) understanding of its properties - in this, the UK has done the world a favour.
Truly, no good deed goes unpunished.
I suspect recent "unexplained" explosions in case numbers in some European countries will find an explanation soon enough.
As to the border closures its what panicking governments not in command of the facts do - so its far from surprising.
Here are the contributions to the understanding of one of the strains:
https://nextstrain.org/groups/neherlab/ncov/S.N501?p=grid&r=country
Argentina (6)
Australia (329)
Bahrain (13)
Bangladesh (20)
Belgium (1)
Botswana (1)
Brazil (26)
Canada (60)
Chile (25)
China (56)
Colombia (2)
Czech Republic (1)
Côte d'Ivoire (4)
Democratic Republic of the Congo (17)
Denmark (54)
Ecuador (30)
Egypt (5)
Finland (1)
France (37)
Gambia (3)
Georgia (1)
Germany (6)
Ghana (5)
Greece (1)
Hong Kong (9)
Iceland (2)
India (92)
Indonesia (2)
Israel (8)
Italy (23)
Japan (24)
Jordan (1)
Kenya (20)
Luxembourg (3)
Madagascar (1)
Malaysia (1)
Mexico (3)
Morocco (5)
Netherlands (75)
New Zealand (46)
Nigeria (7)
North Macedonia (3)
Norway (5)
Oman (1)
Pakistan (4)
Palestine (1)
Peru (125)
Russia (12)
Saint Barthélemy (1)
Saint Martin (1)
Saudi Arabia (24)
Senegal (4)
Sierra Leone (1)
Singapore (36)
Slovenia (3)
South Africa (389)
South Korea (6)
Spain (10)
Sri Lanka (5)
Sweden (8)
Switzerland (5)
Taiwan (6)
Thailand (11)
Trinidad (3)
Tunisia (11)
USA (306)
Uganda (1)
United Arab Emirates (25)
United Kingdom (1547)
Uruguay (2)
Vietnam (7)
As if the fact that he isn't at home, during a lockdown, isn't clue enough.
The anti-Brexiteers can then masturbate themselves into a frenzy with each other as they wait for the ultimate 'reckoning' of the British public, which will never come. But such efforts will be fruitless - they'll just have a very sore bell-end.
They will still chose to wander lost in the New European jungles of Papua New Barnier for the next 30 years, continuing to fight The War. That's fine. Their choice. The rest of us will just adjust and put it all behind us.
Of course, this is why they really want No Deal. They get off on constant Brexit, and want it to continue.
Fun fact, Donne got it wrong. St Lucy's day is the 13th, not the shortest day and never has been. The J to G calendar change doesn't help.
Seriously, she’s dreadful. Her utterly moronic ‘red line’ Conference speech single handedly turned Brexit into a nightmare. Besides being ignorant, myopic, stubborn, awkward and vain, she is deeply boring in a Merkel-esque way, without any of the Teutonic competence of Merkel.
She’s probably a nice kind person and all that, and I wish her a happy retirement, but No
My takeaways:
(1) This virus probably is more contagious but probably not as much as it first looks (first results from raw data are often deceptive)
(2) It does mutate fast (once or twice a month, in fact) but we have labs here constantly tracking it and working on that
(3) It's probably out in the world already
(4) Ending social interactions and having complete physical barriers will stop its spread - even if the R is 100.
So, if we do have a new lockdown it will still be effective it's just there will be different rules. Like 5m spacing. Masks on inside and outside. Full PPE for staff. Far fewer in shops etc.
Because otherwise, it means it’s going to get worse when he does.
You really are behaving rather oddly.
The terminal pub bores on here want to make it about Boris and Brexit, particularly the Labour rampers who have a political agenda.
It makes me think less of them. And those who defend them.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
The ending of that midwinter poem is classic Donne. Its meaning is always slightly evasive, yet the words have a magic: they manage to be sad, haunting and eerily uplifting all at once
It was and still is the best available version of Brexit, all things considered.
It just wasn't politically good enough for the nutjobs.
Johnson’s still got time to turn it round. But if he doesn’t, I think he shades it.
I'll leave you all to your happy circlejerk.
Good day.
Which is strange because I think the Abbott and SD Biosensor ones have performed well in similar situations...
Perhaps their youthfulness means they don't recognise that the Single Market and Customs Union were ingenious solutions to the problems of borders.
2. Consequences of leaving the single market and especially customs union will be exactly what trade and logistics professionals said they would be
3. Don't forget. The EU will blink first
Where, with thy choir of saints for evermore,
I shall be made thy music; as I come
I tune the instrument here at the door,
And what I must do then, think here before.
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/12/mutant-coronavirus-united-kingdom-sets-alarms-its-importance-remains-unclear
Doesn't change a damn thing though except all countries should shut all borders to non essential travel and maybe all of Europe should be looking at lockdowns regrettably. What a horrid situation.
Those saying it's already bolted is the same insanity of people saying summer holidays in Spain weren't risky since the UK already had Covid.
Hillary Clinton's was good but bitter. She was robbed and doesn't hide it! She hates Trump and doesn't hide that either though the real blame for the robbery goes much deeper.
Michelle Obama's is very listentoable but maybe a little too personal and soggy for a political audience like us. A useful read though for those who decry BLM and a great insight for the less sensitive into WHY it matters.
The real star though is her husband's. His observations from the early 2000's onwards are fascinating. He holds little back on those he respected and those he didn't. His separation of the charlatans from the brightest (those like Merkel and even Brown) are astute. And reading about the politics of the PB years is compelling. The sadness for me is realizing in even brighter neon our historical mistake in leaving the EU
The impact though is literally Brexit. Logistics have gone onto turbo power to try and pull stuff into the UK whilst they still can. Once 1st January comes the blockade won't be the French government closing the border, it'll be the realities of trying to process 20k trucks a day with a new process that takes closer to an hour per truck than the 2 minutes we're used to.
Irrespective of whether the new strain is well established in many parts of Europe, I think they should stop people traveling around without very good reason.
There's going to be a highly motivated and mainly young Rejoin movement (Greens + LD).
There will be a pro business contingent (Labour, CBI, Unions) who want to move back into the single market.
There will be a surfeit of tory and Reform Party shitbags who will have the sensation of centipedes in the rectum over any accommodation at all with the EU including sectoral mini deals and facial recognition for pigs between the 26 and 6 counties.
The only people who will like the post 2021 settlement would that small cohort of M&S blazer tories who haven't got the balls to cheer on No Deal everyone else is going to be scrapping for something else.
It seems that this has not happened yet, and while this continues it could be evidence that the new strain is not more transmissible than earlier strains. Or, it could mean that the other countries are not doing much genetic testing. Hopefully, we will know the position soon.
I doubt Starmer or May would have been any better though I would think that Hunt would be
However, the talk of replacing Boris in reality is hope over expectation unless he resigns and I see very little likelihood of that happening
The news that the impasse on HGVs is on the way to being resolved is good news
The European markets have slumped and more than the UK due to the expectation the mutant virus is across Europe, so lots to worry policymakers today
As I pointed out earlier, that was a rash of have you stopped beating your wife stuff from @TrèsDifficile .
It is not to your credit that you are going along with it.
More importantly, it highlights the damage that BoJo did to the Conservative Party in his 2019 purge.
Rory Stewart obviously. But if you look at the list of those who walked/were pushed, you've got a group who would probably be a more competent Cabinet than the current lot. That's before you add those in exile on the backbenches...
Patently obvious that Starmer would have been better - several times he's suggested acting earlier and been proved right.
May and Hunt would have done the work and turned up to COBRA back in Feb/March too. My guess is that would have been beneficial.
Both would have enough sense to see that that could play out very badly.
The current cabinet is far superior than May'sand Hammond was undeniably the worst Chancellor since Brown. His failure to pay for No Deal preparations while we were negotiating with the EU was absolute insanity and left us in a horrid mess.
You have this weird obsession with everyone you don't agree with wanting to stop Brexit. Brexit can't be stopped, we left.
But pointing out things going wrong is okay, I know in your fantasy dream world everything is rainbows nothing ever goes wrong and we wake up each day saying a prayer over our shrines of Margaret Thatcher but back in the real world things do and they are going wrong.
The problem with you is that you don't present the same outlook on anything that doesn't agree with your point of view, which really makes your posts fairly useless for anything other than figuring out what the Tory PR line is.
I am just the same, my posts have limited use. But I don't pretend they do, you do.
I am going back to ignoring you, waste of my time. I'm out guys, have a good one.
And the PMQs hasn't changed anything. You love to bang on about it but it makes no difference. If Starmer is going to spend every damn PMQs trying to score points off Boris then inevitably Boris is going to respond. It is the Punch and Judy nature of PMQs that always happens.
But a bit awkward in the meantime...
The world will be a different place in 2 months
My opinions are nothing other than my opinions. No more, no less. I don't pretend otherwise so I don't know why you do. You think more of me than I do it appears.
https://twitter.com/DPJHodges/status/1340946810706276353?s=20
Shapps has presided over one of the UK's most egregious COVID policy failures - its complete failure to mount any sort of effective border control/quarantine.
That only shows that the issue was known to be very serious.
https://twitter.com/grantshapps/status/1337684787897774081
https://twitter.com/grantshapps/status/1334444796799299586
Not known to be serious enough to justify Tier 4 and worldwide panic.
Its already done. We've either got a deal or we haven't, it is time to move on.
Had we not been encouraging a week in Spain during a bloody global pandemic we might have avoided this.