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Cyclefree’s 2020 Awards – politicalbetting.com

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  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 36,001
    We're FREE !!!


  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,421
    edited December 2020

    rcs1000 said:

    RobD said:

    So they do have 4 million doses ready, it's just they haven't been verified.

    A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed that AstraZeneca "have bottled four million doses but have not gone through the safety checks for all the batches", adding: "The nuance is they do have four million ready to go, but without knowing the exact conditions the MHRA have set I don't think it is feasible to check four million doses in one go."


    And another 15 million ready to be bottled

    Mr Johnson promised that "tens of millions" of doses would be available by the end of March, and The Telegraph understands that AstraZeneca already has 15 million doses waiting to be put into vials as soon as required. That could be done in a matter of days at specialist factories in the UK and Europe.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/12/30/britain-races-roll-covid-vaccines-bid-avoid-third-lockdown/

    Phew, so the 20m figure was not complete rubbish.

    Getting to 2m vaccinations a week by mid-Feb is challenging, but achievable.
    Hope the needle manufacturers are prepared...
    As well you mentioned it, we might have missed that point.
  • not_on_firenot_on_fire Posts: 4,449

    High early youth vote in Georgia: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/georgia-runoff-youth-vote/2020/12/30/8104720c-4605-11eb-b0e4-0f182923a025_story.html

    But then we heard all that in the December 2019 UK election. Remember the 'youthquake'?

    Honestly, never heard it being mentioned in the 2019 election. Yes in the 2017 GE where it did seem to be a factor.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,421
    Scott_xP said:
    If we really wanted to sort out the schools situation, these 1500 soldiers would be much more usefully employed in a full assault on Great Smith Street.
  • This is a very powerful message from an ICU doctor with Rachel Burden on 5 live and is not emphasised enough - hands, face, space


    https://twitter.com/bbc5live/status/1344543533173190663?s=09
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 36,001
    ydoethur said:

    If we really wanted to sort out the schools situation, these 1500 soldiers would be much more usefully employed in a full assault on Great Smith Street.

    I installed a wireless network there once
  • Scott_xP said:
    Is there any minister in any government anywhere on earth more ridiculous than manchild of destiny Gavin Williamson?

  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,421
    Scott_xP said:

    ydoethur said:

    If we really wanted to sort out the schools situation, these 1500 soldiers would be much more usefully employed in a full assault on Great Smith Street.

    I installed a wireless network there once
    You should have forced them to use 5G instead. Preferably installed by Huawei...
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,421

    Scott_xP said:
    Is there any minister in any government anywhere on earth more ridiculous than manchild of destiny Gavin Williamson?

    Yes. His Number Two, Nick Gibb.
  • Scott_xP said:
    Is there any minister in any government anywhere on earth more ridiculous than manchild of destiny Gavin Williamson?

    No and I am a conservative member
  • felixfelix Posts: 15,164
    ydoethur said:

    rcs1000 said:

    RobD said:

    So they do have 4 million doses ready, it's just they haven't been verified.

    A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed that AstraZeneca "have bottled four million doses but have not gone through the safety checks for all the batches", adding: "The nuance is they do have four million ready to go, but without knowing the exact conditions the MHRA have set I don't think it is feasible to check four million doses in one go."


    And another 15 million ready to be bottled

    Mr Johnson promised that "tens of millions" of doses would be available by the end of March, and The Telegraph understands that AstraZeneca already has 15 million doses waiting to be put into vials as soon as required. That could be done in a matter of days at specialist factories in the UK and Europe.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/12/30/britain-races-roll-covid-vaccines-bid-avoid-third-lockdown/

    Phew, so the 20m figure was not complete rubbish.

    Getting to 2m vaccinations a week by mid-Feb is challenging, but achievable.
    Hope the needle manufacturers are prepared...
    As well you mentioned it, we might have missed that point.
    Please do inject some humour into this tired ol site! Feliz año nuevo a todos!
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 36,001

    Is there any minister in any government anywhere on earth more ridiculous than manchild of destiny Gavin Williamson?

    yes. BoZo
  • Some good news:

    The recovery highlights the resilience of the UK’s digital economy, which now accounts for 10 per cent of all job openings.

    Despite the impact of the pandemic, venture capital investment in UK tech firms rose to fresh highs in 2020 as Britain continues to lead the way in Europe.

    Tech companies raised $15bn (£11bn) this year, a slight increase on the $14.8bn achieved in 2019 and higher than the rest of Europe combined, according to data from Dealroom.


    https://www.cityam.com/uk-tech-jobs-bounce-backs-as-investment-hits-record-high/
  • Some good news:

    The recovery highlights the resilience of the UK’s digital economy, which now accounts for 10 per cent of all job openings.

    Despite the impact of the pandemic, venture capital investment in UK tech firms rose to fresh highs in 2020 as Britain continues to lead the way in Europe.

    Tech companies raised $15bn (£11bn) this year, a slight increase on the $14.8bn achieved in 2019 and higher than the rest of Europe combined, according to data from Dealroom.


    https://www.cityam.com/uk-tech-jobs-bounce-backs-as-investment-hits-record-high/

    Digital is Brexit-proof - as long as we get it right on immigration and data. It's definitely the area to be involved in.

  • Some good news:

    The recovery highlights the resilience of the UK’s digital economy, which now accounts for 10 per cent of all job openings.

    Despite the impact of the pandemic, venture capital investment in UK tech firms rose to fresh highs in 2020 as Britain continues to lead the way in Europe.

    Tech companies raised $15bn (£11bn) this year, a slight increase on the $14.8bn achieved in 2019 and higher than the rest of Europe combined, according to data from Dealroom.


    https://www.cityam.com/uk-tech-jobs-bounce-backs-as-investment-hits-record-high/

    Digital is Brexit-proof - as long as we get it right on immigration and data. It's definitely the area to be involved in.
    Indeed:

    https://www.cityam.com/software-startup-ondato-moves-to-london-in-post-brexit-boost/
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,421

    Some good news:

    The recovery highlights the resilience of the UK’s digital economy, which now accounts for 10 per cent of all job openings.

    Despite the impact of the pandemic, venture capital investment in UK tech firms rose to fresh highs in 2020 as Britain continues to lead the way in Europe.

    Tech companies raised $15bn (£11bn) this year, a slight increase on the $14.8bn achieved in 2019 and higher than the rest of Europe combined, according to data from Dealroom.


    https://www.cityam.com/uk-tech-jobs-bounce-backs-as-investment-hits-record-high/

    Digital is Brexit-proof - as long as we get it right on immigration and data. It's definitely the area to be involved in.

    Digital doesn't care whether we're in or out, because it's all binary.
  • This is a very powerful message from an ICU doctor with Rachel Burden on 5 live and is not emphasised enough - hands, face, space


    https://twitter.com/bbc5live/status/1344543533173190663?s=09

    No mask, no lockdown ghouls like Julia Hartley Brewer, Laurence Fox and Toby Young should hang their heads in shame.

  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,599
    felix said:

    ydoethur said:

    rcs1000 said:

    RobD said:

    So they do have 4 million doses ready, it's just they haven't been verified.

    A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed that AstraZeneca "have bottled four million doses but have not gone through the safety checks for all the batches", adding: "The nuance is they do have four million ready to go, but without knowing the exact conditions the MHRA have set I don't think it is feasible to check four million doses in one go."


    And another 15 million ready to be bottled

    Mr Johnson promised that "tens of millions" of doses would be available by the end of March, and The Telegraph understands that AstraZeneca already has 15 million doses waiting to be put into vials as soon as required. That could be done in a matter of days at specialist factories in the UK and Europe.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/12/30/britain-races-roll-covid-vaccines-bid-avoid-third-lockdown/

    Phew, so the 20m figure was not complete rubbish.

    Getting to 2m vaccinations a week by mid-Feb is challenging, but achievable.
    Hope the needle manufacturers are prepared...
    As well you mentioned it, we might have missed that point.
    Please do inject some humour into this tired ol site! Feliz año nuevo a todos!
    Feliz año Nuevo, Felix!
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,092
    edited December 2020
    RobD said:

    So they do have 4 million doses ready, it's just they haven't been verified.

    A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed that AstraZeneca "have bottled four million doses but have not gone through the safety checks for all the batches", adding: "The nuance is they do have four million ready to go, but without knowing the exact conditions the MHRA have set I don't think it is feasible to check four million doses in one go."


    And another 15 million ready to be bottled

    Mr Johnson promised that "tens of millions" of doses would be available by the end of March, and The Telegraph understands that AstraZeneca already has 15 million doses waiting to be put into vials as soon as required. That could be done in a matter of days at specialist factories in the UK and Europe.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/12/30/britain-races-roll-covid-vaccines-bid-avoid-third-lockdown/

    Matt Hancock really should have been clear with this yesterday...his statement caused a lot of confusion.

    But it is good news, now juat have to hope the logistics of vaccinating 2 million people a week will come to pass.
  • FeersumEnjineeyaFeersumEnjineeya Posts: 4,429
    edited December 2020
    I expect we'll see a lot of this in the future: the EU making laws, which the UK then mirrors because it makes no sense (for manufacturers) not to do so:

    Drone users face new rules across Europe and UK

    As of 11pm tonight, we will become rule takers instead of rule makers.
  • This is a very powerful message from an ICU doctor with Rachel Burden on 5 live and is not emphasised enough - hands, face, space


    https://twitter.com/bbc5live/status/1344543533173190663?s=09

    No mask, no lockdown ghouls like Julia Hartley Brewer, Laurence Fox and Toby Young should hang their heads in shame.

    Indeed and it should be compulsory listening for everyone.

    The scary thing is the age group in his care that are not the 80 plus but largely middle aged and including him losing a pregnant woman last night
  • Some good news:

    The recovery highlights the resilience of the UK’s digital economy, which now accounts for 10 per cent of all job openings.

    Despite the impact of the pandemic, venture capital investment in UK tech firms rose to fresh highs in 2020 as Britain continues to lead the way in Europe.

    Tech companies raised $15bn (£11bn) this year, a slight increase on the $14.8bn achieved in 2019 and higher than the rest of Europe combined, according to data from Dealroom.


    https://www.cityam.com/uk-tech-jobs-bounce-backs-as-investment-hits-record-high/

    Digital is Brexit-proof - as long as we get it right on immigration and data. It's definitely the area to be involved in.
    Indeed:

    https://www.cityam.com/software-startup-ondato-moves-to-london-in-post-brexit-boost/

    The crucial thing is that companies can quickly and easily fill vacancies they have, and can rely on a free flow of data between the EU and the UK. If we get both of those, there is absolutely no reason not to build digital businesses in the UK - and plenty of good reasons to actively do so.

  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 36,001

    As of 11pm tonight, we will become rule takers instead of rule makers.

    FREEDOM !!!
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 36,001

    If we get both of those, there is absolutely no reason not to build digital businesses in the UK

    Save a reactionary Government intent on dismantling the rule of law...
  • Some good news:

    The recovery highlights the resilience of the UK’s digital economy, which now accounts for 10 per cent of all job openings.

    Despite the impact of the pandemic, venture capital investment in UK tech firms rose to fresh highs in 2020 as Britain continues to lead the way in Europe.

    Tech companies raised $15bn (£11bn) this year, a slight increase on the $14.8bn achieved in 2019 and higher than the rest of Europe combined, according to data from Dealroom.


    https://www.cityam.com/uk-tech-jobs-bounce-backs-as-investment-hits-record-high/

    Digital is Brexit-proof - as long as we get it right on immigration and data. It's definitely the area to be involved in.
    Indeed:

    https://www.cityam.com/software-startup-ondato-moves-to-london-in-post-brexit-boost/

    The crucial thing is that companies can quickly and easily fill vacancies they have, and can rely on a free flow of data between the EU and the UK. If we get both of those, there is absolutely no reason not to build digital businesses in the UK - and plenty of good reasons to actively do so.

    They shouldn't have much difficulty meeting the immigration salary threshold:

    Salaries in the tech industry are considerably higher than the national average at £53,318, up four per cent on 2019 figures despite low inflation.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 19,914

    Congratulations to Sir Roger Deakins, sometime Dartmouth resident (well, Kingswear on the other side of the river actually) and remarkable cinematographer.

    Fantastic. His work with both the Coen brothers and Denis Villeneuve has been just fabulous. Some films you can watch just to see his amazing cinematography.
    Nominated for 15 Oscars - that tells you his work is solidly wonderful. The Shawshank Redemption, Fargo, A Beautiful Mind, Skyfall, Sicario, Blade Runner 2049, and 1917 - that's a hell of a body of work right there.
    ...and perhaps the best of the lot 'The Assassination of Jesse James....'
  • Good balanced fact based video on impact of Brexit on EPL...

    https://youtu.be/ioa9wW7wMwo
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,599
    edited December 2020

    This is a very powerful message from an ICU doctor with Rachel Burden on 5 live and is not emphasised enough - hands, face, space


    https://twitter.com/bbc5live/status/1344543533173190663?s=09

    No mask, no lockdown ghouls like Julia Hartley Brewer, Laurence Fox and Toby Young should hang their heads in shame.

    As should the media companies who continue to indulge them.

    In a pandemic, we need more facts and fewer opinions.
  • rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Charles said:

    Foxy said:

    Leon said:

    IanB2 said:

    Leon said:

    Yes of course, one of the prime movers of the Single Market would be delighted we have fucked business, blown up our FDI chances and erected customs barriers.
    Recently released papers make it clear Thatcher was becoming seriously eurosceptic as early as the late 80s. She was, for instance, absolutely bang on about the euro, and how it was a madcap idea which would do grave damage.


    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/dec/27/margaret-thatcher-said-plan-for-the-euro-was-a-rush-of-blood-archives-reveal
    Those of us around at the time also recall the deterioration in her mental state at the same time
    This is simultaneously mendacious, insulting and borderline libellous (if one could libel the dead). Margaret Thatcher in the late 80s was in her prime. She might have let the power go to her head occasionally ("we are a grandmother") but there was absolutely no sign of her later, melancholy decline into dementia. That came a full decade later.

    Be a gent. Desist and retract. It's a truly nasty thing to impute.
    This is Maggie in 1988, talking about Europe:

    "Action to get rid of the barriers. Action to make it possible for insurance companies to do business throughout the Community. Action to let people practice their trades and professions freely throughout the Community. Action to remove the customs barriers and formalities so that goods can circulate [end p10] freely and without time-consuming delays. Action to make sure that any company could sell its goods and services without let or hindrance. Action to secure free movement of capital throughout the Community."

    And:

    "Today's conference is not just a one-off event. That is why we have set ourselves a target of ensuring that over 90%; of British firms are aware of the 1992 commitment by the end of this year. It must be the start of a sustained national effort to ensure that everyone in business, in industry, in the service [end p19] sector, is aware of the challenge.

    And not just in business and industry. We are putting the European Community to work for ordinary people: for cheaper air fares, for more and better services, for consumer choice and product safety."

    From:

    https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/107219
    Shame the free market in services never happened then
    Most services - whether inside the EU or not - are completely free from tariffs or regulation. PR, application development, virtual assistants, call centres, etc., all happily get sold around the world without supranational bodies getting involved.

    Where there is regulation that restricts cross border trade it tends to be in specific professional services, particularly law.

    But then again, we don't really have a single market in lawyers in the UK either, as - AFIUI, and I could be wrong - Scottish Advocates and English Barristers are not able perform each others' roles.
    There isn't a free market in gaming.
    Betting?

    A Frenchman can bet with Ladbrokes in the UK, no?
    Betting is a good example of the UKs failure to prosper in EU structures. We had the best companies globally by the 2000s, several years ahead IT wise and better regulated than most. EU courts repeatedly found national govts not complying with EU law and protecting their own companies, often state run, but no effective enforcement action was ever taken. We did not use our influence to make it happen, nor made a political push for mutual recognition or harmonisation of standards and licensing. We just left our industry to struggle on.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,599
    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    Some good news:

    The recovery highlights the resilience of the UK’s digital economy, which now accounts for 10 per cent of all job openings.

    Despite the impact of the pandemic, venture capital investment in UK tech firms rose to fresh highs in 2020 as Britain continues to lead the way in Europe.

    Tech companies raised $15bn (£11bn) this year, a slight increase on the $14.8bn achieved in 2019 and higher than the rest of Europe combined, according to data from Dealroom.


    https://www.cityam.com/uk-tech-jobs-bounce-backs-as-investment-hits-record-high/

    Digital is Brexit-proof - as long as we get it right on immigration and data. It's definitely the area to be involved in.

    Digital doesn't care whether we're in or out, because it's all binary.
    I got Southam Observer, Philip Thompson and Sandpit to like the same post. I think I'll quit while I'm ahead!

    Have a good morning.
    There are 10 types of people: those who understand binary, and those who don’t.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 19,914
    kle4 said:

    Makes sense. I'm a little surprised he has accepted it, he could make a powerful message rejecting it.
    Like not giving tax dodgers knighthoods because it sets a bad example?
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,868
    Williamson slowly sinking on R4
  • This is a very powerful message from an ICU doctor with Rachel Burden on 5 live and is not emphasised enough - hands, face, space


    https://twitter.com/bbc5live/status/1344543533173190663?s=09

    No mask, no lockdown ghouls like Julia Hartley Brewer, Laurence Fox and Toby Young should hang their heads in shame.

    Ive not seen anyone in a shop without a mask for a couple of months now, is not wearing masks still an issue?
  • IanB2 said:

    Williamson slowly sinking on R4

    Improving then, he normally quickly drowns.
  • IanB2 said:

    Williamson slowly sinking on R4

    Doing better than usual then ;-)
  • Sandpit said:

    This is a very powerful message from an ICU doctor with Rachel Burden on 5 live and is not emphasised enough - hands, face, space


    https://twitter.com/bbc5live/status/1344543533173190663?s=09

    No mask, no lockdown ghouls like Julia Hartley Brewer, Laurence Fox and Toby Young should hang their heads in shame.

    As should the media companies who continue to indulge them.

    In a pandemic, we need more facts and fewer opinions.
    The wave of cases that will hit in next few days is down to Johnson and his downright dangerous 'saving xmas' policy of briefing journalists for weeks in late autumn/early December that they 'would do anything to save xmas' and that 'one more lockdown would be enough to save xmas' and so on and on.

  • MysticroseMysticrose Posts: 4,688
    ydoethur said:

    Toms said:

    ydoethur said:

    Toms said:

    I know it's a "how long is a piece of string" kind of query, but roughly what percentage of Georgia votes has already been cast? What's left to fight for?

    2.5 million as of yesterday;
    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/30/us/politics/georgia-senate-early-voting.html

    That’s just over a third of registered voters (7.2 million) but about half of the 59% overall turnout in November.

    And as before, it’s the Dems who are voting early. Turnout is down in Trump strongholds. However, that may correct itself on the day.

    The Dems are the value, but the the Republicans are the likelier winners.
    Interesting. Thanks.
    May Biden's special Phoenix talisman see him through!
    I just want to see Ossoff duffing up Mitch McConnell on the floor of the Senate.
    Me too. He's a strong performer.

    250/1 available for the 2024 Presidency with Ladbrokes. Yep I know it's ridiculous but I've had a fun flutter.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,713

    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Charles said:

    Foxy said:

    Leon said:

    IanB2 said:

    Leon said:

    Yes of course, one of the prime movers of the Single Market would be delighted we have fucked business, blown up our FDI chances and erected customs barriers.
    Recently released papers make it clear Thatcher was becoming seriously eurosceptic as early as the late 80s. She was, for instance, absolutely bang on about the euro, and how it was a madcap idea which would do grave damage.


    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/dec/27/margaret-thatcher-said-plan-for-the-euro-was-a-rush-of-blood-archives-reveal
    Those of us around at the time also recall the deterioration in her mental state at the same time
    This is simultaneously mendacious, insulting and borderline libellous (if one could libel the dead). Margaret Thatcher in the late 80s was in her prime. She might have let the power go to her head occasionally ("we are a grandmother") but there was absolutely no sign of her later, melancholy decline into dementia. That came a full decade later.

    Be a gent. Desist and retract. It's a truly nasty thing to impute.
    This is Maggie in 1988, talking about Europe:

    "Action to get rid of the barriers. Action to make it possible for insurance companies to do business throughout the Community. Action to let people practice their trades and professions freely throughout the Community. Action to remove the customs barriers and formalities so that goods can circulate [end p10] freely and without time-consuming delays. Action to make sure that any company could sell its goods and services without let or hindrance. Action to secure free movement of capital throughout the Community."

    And:

    "Today's conference is not just a one-off event. That is why we have set ourselves a target of ensuring that over 90%; of British firms are aware of the 1992 commitment by the end of this year. It must be the start of a sustained national effort to ensure that everyone in business, in industry, in the service [end p19] sector, is aware of the challenge.

    And not just in business and industry. We are putting the European Community to work for ordinary people: for cheaper air fares, for more and better services, for consumer choice and product safety."

    From:

    https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/107219
    Shame the free market in services never happened then
    Most services - whether inside the EU or not - are completely free from tariffs or regulation. PR, application development, virtual assistants, call centres, etc., all happily get sold around the world without supranational bodies getting involved.

    Where there is regulation that restricts cross border trade it tends to be in specific professional services, particularly law.

    But then again, we don't really have a single market in lawyers in the UK either, as - AFIUI, and I could be wrong - Scottish Advocates and English Barristers are not able perform each others' roles.
    There isn't a free market in gaming.
    Betting?

    A Frenchman can bet with Ladbrokes in the UK, no?
    Betting is a good example of the UKs failure to prosper in EU structures. We had the best companies globally by the 2000s, several years ahead IT wise and better regulated than most. EU courts repeatedly found national govts not complying with EU law and protecting their own companies, often state run, but no effective enforcement action was ever taken. We did not use our influence to make it happen, nor made a political push for mutual recognition or harmonisation of standards and licensing. We just left our industry to struggle on.
    I too have been frustrated trying to place a bet while abroad. Gambling regulation is a national competence though.

    So, how is that access to be improved by Brexit? What opportunities do our bookies have now that they didn't have before?
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 21,675

    Some good news:

    The recovery highlights the resilience of the UK’s digital economy, which now accounts for 10 per cent of all job openings.

    Despite the impact of the pandemic, venture capital investment in UK tech firms rose to fresh highs in 2020 as Britain continues to lead the way in Europe.

    Tech companies raised $15bn (£11bn) this year, a slight increase on the $14.8bn achieved in 2019 and higher than the rest of Europe combined, according to data from Dealroom.


    https://www.cityam.com/uk-tech-jobs-bounce-backs-as-investment-hits-record-high/

    Digital is Brexit-proof - as long as we get it right on immigration and data. It's definitely the area to be involved in.
    Indeed:

    https://www.cityam.com/software-startup-ondato-moves-to-london-in-post-brexit-boost/

    The crucial thing is that companies can quickly and easily fill vacancies they have, and can rely on a free flow of data between the EU and the UK. If we get both of those, there is absolutely no reason not to build digital businesses in the UK - and plenty of good reasons to actively do so.

    My firm is moving digital work out of the UK due to cost.
  • Foxy said:

    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Charles said:

    Foxy said:

    Leon said:

    IanB2 said:

    Leon said:

    Yes of course, one of the prime movers of the Single Market would be delighted we have fucked business, blown up our FDI chances and erected customs barriers.
    Recently released papers make it clear Thatcher was becoming seriously eurosceptic as early as the late 80s. She was, for instance, absolutely bang on about the euro, and how it was a madcap idea which would do grave damage.


    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/dec/27/margaret-thatcher-said-plan-for-the-euro-was-a-rush-of-blood-archives-reveal
    Those of us around at the time also recall the deterioration in her mental state at the same time
    This is simultaneously mendacious, insulting and borderline libellous (if one could libel the dead). Margaret Thatcher in the late 80s was in her prime. She might have let the power go to her head occasionally ("we are a grandmother") but there was absolutely no sign of her later, melancholy decline into dementia. That came a full decade later.

    Be a gent. Desist and retract. It's a truly nasty thing to impute.
    This is Maggie in 1988, talking about Europe:

    "Action to get rid of the barriers. Action to make it possible for insurance companies to do business throughout the Community. Action to let people practice their trades and professions freely throughout the Community. Action to remove the customs barriers and formalities so that goods can circulate [end p10] freely and without time-consuming delays. Action to make sure that any company could sell its goods and services without let or hindrance. Action to secure free movement of capital throughout the Community."

    And:

    "Today's conference is not just a one-off event. That is why we have set ourselves a target of ensuring that over 90%; of British firms are aware of the 1992 commitment by the end of this year. It must be the start of a sustained national effort to ensure that everyone in business, in industry, in the service [end p19] sector, is aware of the challenge.

    And not just in business and industry. We are putting the European Community to work for ordinary people: for cheaper air fares, for more and better services, for consumer choice and product safety."

    From:

    https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/107219
    Shame the free market in services never happened then
    Most services - whether inside the EU or not - are completely free from tariffs or regulation. PR, application development, virtual assistants, call centres, etc., all happily get sold around the world without supranational bodies getting involved.

    Where there is regulation that restricts cross border trade it tends to be in specific professional services, particularly law.

    But then again, we don't really have a single market in lawyers in the UK either, as - AFIUI, and I could be wrong - Scottish Advocates and English Barristers are not able perform each others' roles.
    There isn't a free market in gaming.
    Betting?

    A Frenchman can bet with Ladbrokes in the UK, no?
    Betting is a good example of the UKs failure to prosper in EU structures. We had the best companies globally by the 2000s, several years ahead IT wise and better regulated than most. EU courts repeatedly found national govts not complying with EU law and protecting their own companies, often state run, but no effective enforcement action was ever taken. We did not use our influence to make it happen, nor made a political push for mutual recognition or harmonisation of standards and licensing. We just left our industry to struggle on.
    I too have been frustrated trying to place a bet while abroad. Gambling regulation is a national competence though.

    So, how is that access to be improved by Brexit? What opportunities do our bookies have now that they didn't have before?
    I was not making a case for Brexit, but a criticism of our govts (all flavours) mismanagement of our membership of the EU.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,713

    This is a very powerful message from an ICU doctor with Rachel Burden on 5 live and is not emphasised enough - hands, face, space


    https://twitter.com/bbc5live/status/1344543533173190663?s=09

    No mask, no lockdown ghouls like Julia Hartley Brewer, Laurence Fox and Toby Young should hang their heads in shame.

    Ive not seen anyone in a shop without a mask for a couple of months now, is not wearing masks still an issue?
    Quite a few maskless in Leicester when I was running errands on Monday.
  • Jonathan said:

    Some good news:

    The recovery highlights the resilience of the UK’s digital economy, which now accounts for 10 per cent of all job openings.

    Despite the impact of the pandemic, venture capital investment in UK tech firms rose to fresh highs in 2020 as Britain continues to lead the way in Europe.

    Tech companies raised $15bn (£11bn) this year, a slight increase on the $14.8bn achieved in 2019 and higher than the rest of Europe combined, according to data from Dealroom.


    https://www.cityam.com/uk-tech-jobs-bounce-backs-as-investment-hits-record-high/

    Digital is Brexit-proof - as long as we get it right on immigration and data. It's definitely the area to be involved in.
    Indeed:

    https://www.cityam.com/software-startup-ondato-moves-to-london-in-post-brexit-boost/

    The crucial thing is that companies can quickly and easily fill vacancies they have, and can rely on a free flow of data between the EU and the UK. If we get both of those, there is absolutely no reason not to build digital businesses in the UK - and plenty of good reasons to actively do so.

    My firm is moving digital work out of the UK due to cost.
    To where?
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,600
    Scott_xP said:

    Is there any minister in any government anywhere on earth more ridiculous than manchild of destiny Gavin Williamson?

    yes. BoZo
    Is there any commentator on any government anywhere on earth more ridiculous than retweeter Scott_xP?

    "BoZo". You pillock....
  • Scott_xP said:
    Indeed. As I pointed out last night on the thread Johnson never ever learns. It is quite incredible that after repeatedly making promises on timescales and delivery that turn out to be bombastic rubbish he does it yet again.

    It's like the pony only has one trick.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,713

    Foxy said:

    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Charles said:

    Foxy said:

    Leon said:

    IanB2 said:

    Leon said:

    Yes of course, one of the prime movers of the Single Market would be delighted we have fucked business, blown up our FDI chances and erected customs barriers.
    Recently released papers make it clear Thatcher was becoming seriously eurosceptic as early as the late 80s. She was, for instance, absolutely bang on about the euro, and how it was a madcap idea which would do grave damage.


    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/dec/27/margaret-thatcher-said-plan-for-the-euro-was-a-rush-of-blood-archives-reveal
    Those of us around at the time also recall the deterioration in her mental state at the same time
    This is simultaneously mendacious, insulting and borderline libellous (if one could libel the dead). Margaret Thatcher in the late 80s was in her prime. She might have let the power go to her head occasionally ("we are a grandmother") but there was absolutely no sign of her later, melancholy decline into dementia. That came a full decade later.

    Be a gent. Desist and retract. It's a truly nasty thing to impute.
    This is Maggie in 1988, talking about Europe:

    "Action to get rid of the barriers. Action to make it possible for insurance companies to do business throughout the Community. Action to let people practice their trades and professions freely throughout the Community. Action to remove the customs barriers and formalities so that goods can circulate [end p10] freely and without time-consuming delays. Action to make sure that any company could sell its goods and services without let or hindrance. Action to secure free movement of capital throughout the Community."

    And:

    "Today's conference is not just a one-off event. That is why we have set ourselves a target of ensuring that over 90%; of British firms are aware of the 1992 commitment by the end of this year. It must be the start of a sustained national effort to ensure that everyone in business, in industry, in the service [end p19] sector, is aware of the challenge.

    And not just in business and industry. We are putting the European Community to work for ordinary people: for cheaper air fares, for more and better services, for consumer choice and product safety."

    From:

    https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/107219
    Shame the free market in services never happened then
    Most services - whether inside the EU or not - are completely free from tariffs or regulation. PR, application development, virtual assistants, call centres, etc., all happily get sold around the world without supranational bodies getting involved.

    Where there is regulation that restricts cross border trade it tends to be in specific professional services, particularly law.

    But then again, we don't really have a single market in lawyers in the UK either, as - AFIUI, and I could be wrong - Scottish Advocates and English Barristers are not able perform each others' roles.
    There isn't a free market in gaming.
    Betting?

    A Frenchman can bet with Ladbrokes in the UK, no?
    Betting is a good example of the UKs failure to prosper in EU structures. We had the best companies globally by the 2000s, several years ahead IT wise and better regulated than most. EU courts repeatedly found national govts not complying with EU law and protecting their own companies, often state run, but no effective enforcement action was ever taken. We did not use our influence to make it happen, nor made a political push for mutual recognition or harmonisation of standards and licensing. We just left our industry to struggle on.
    I too have been frustrated trying to place a bet while abroad. Gambling regulation is a national competence though.

    So, how is that access to be improved by Brexit? What opportunities do our bookies have now that they didn't have before?
    I was not making a case for Brexit, but a criticism of our govts (all flavours) mismanagement of our membership of the EU.
    Sure. But there is no chance at all of influencing those rules now is there?
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,868
    IanB2 said:

    Williamson slowly sinking on R4

    He must be some sort of AI experiment. This is how I would expect Robopolitician to be responding to questioning, going on the radio pre-programmed with a small selection of platitudes.
  • Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Charles said:

    Foxy said:

    Leon said:

    IanB2 said:

    Leon said:

    Yes of course, one of the prime movers of the Single Market would be delighted we have fucked business, blown up our FDI chances and erected customs barriers.
    Recently released papers make it clear Thatcher was becoming seriously eurosceptic as early as the late 80s. She was, for instance, absolutely bang on about the euro, and how it was a madcap idea which would do grave damage.


    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/dec/27/margaret-thatcher-said-plan-for-the-euro-was-a-rush-of-blood-archives-reveal
    Those of us around at the time also recall the deterioration in her mental state at the same time
    This is simultaneously mendacious, insulting and borderline libellous (if one could libel the dead). Margaret Thatcher in the late 80s was in her prime. She might have let the power go to her head occasionally ("we are a grandmother") but there was absolutely no sign of her later, melancholy decline into dementia. That came a full decade later.

    Be a gent. Desist and retract. It's a truly nasty thing to impute.
    This is Maggie in 1988, talking about Europe:

    "Action to get rid of the barriers. Action to make it possible for insurance companies to do business throughout the Community. Action to let people practice their trades and professions freely throughout the Community. Action to remove the customs barriers and formalities so that goods can circulate [end p10] freely and without time-consuming delays. Action to make sure that any company could sell its goods and services without let or hindrance. Action to secure free movement of capital throughout the Community."

    And:

    "Today's conference is not just a one-off event. That is why we have set ourselves a target of ensuring that over 90%; of British firms are aware of the 1992 commitment by the end of this year. It must be the start of a sustained national effort to ensure that everyone in business, in industry, in the service [end p19] sector, is aware of the challenge.

    And not just in business and industry. We are putting the European Community to work for ordinary people: for cheaper air fares, for more and better services, for consumer choice and product safety."

    From:

    https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/107219
    Shame the free market in services never happened then
    Most services - whether inside the EU or not - are completely free from tariffs or regulation. PR, application development, virtual assistants, call centres, etc., all happily get sold around the world without supranational bodies getting involved.

    Where there is regulation that restricts cross border trade it tends to be in specific professional services, particularly law.

    But then again, we don't really have a single market in lawyers in the UK either, as - AFIUI, and I could be wrong - Scottish Advocates and English Barristers are not able perform each others' roles.
    There isn't a free market in gaming.
    Betting?

    A Frenchman can bet with Ladbrokes in the UK, no?
    Betting is a good example of the UKs failure to prosper in EU structures. We had the best companies globally by the 2000s, several years ahead IT wise and better regulated than most. EU courts repeatedly found national govts not complying with EU law and protecting their own companies, often state run, but no effective enforcement action was ever taken. We did not use our influence to make it happen, nor made a political push for mutual recognition or harmonisation of standards and licensing. We just left our industry to struggle on.
    I too have been frustrated trying to place a bet while abroad. Gambling regulation is a national competence though.

    So, how is that access to be improved by Brexit? What opportunities do our bookies have now that they didn't have before?
    I was not making a case for Brexit, but a criticism of our govts (all flavours) mismanagement of our membership of the EU.
    Sure. But there is no chance at all of influencing those rules now is there?
    None.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 36,001

    Indeed. As I pointed out last night on the thread Johnson never ever learns. It is quite incredible that after repeatedly making promises on timescales and delivery that turn out to be bombastic rubbish he does it yet again.

    It's like the pony only has one trick.

    If the same numpties clap every time he does it, why change the act?
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,599
    Foxy said:

    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Charles said:

    Foxy said:

    Leon said:

    IanB2 said:

    Leon said:

    Yes of course, one of the prime movers of the Single Market would be delighted we have fucked business, blown up our FDI chances and erected customs barriers.
    Recently released papers make it clear Thatcher was becoming seriously eurosceptic as early as the late 80s. She was, for instance, absolutely bang on about the euro, and how it was a madcap idea which would do grave damage.


    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/dec/27/margaret-thatcher-said-plan-for-the-euro-was-a-rush-of-blood-archives-reveal
    Those of us around at the time also recall the deterioration in her mental state at the same time
    This is simultaneously mendacious, insulting and borderline libellous (if one could libel the dead). Margaret Thatcher in the late 80s was in her prime. She might have let the power go to her head occasionally ("we are a grandmother") but there was absolutely no sign of her later, melancholy decline into dementia. That came a full decade later.

    Be a gent. Desist and retract. It's a truly nasty thing to impute.
    This is Maggie in 1988, talking about Europe:

    "Action to get rid of the barriers. Action to make it possible for insurance companies to do business throughout the Community. Action to let people practice their trades and professions freely throughout the Community. Action to remove the customs barriers and formalities so that goods can circulate [end p10] freely and without time-consuming delays. Action to make sure that any company could sell its goods and services without let or hindrance. Action to secure free movement of capital throughout the Community."

    And:

    "Today's conference is not just a one-off event. That is why we have set ourselves a target of ensuring that over 90%; of British firms are aware of the 1992 commitment by the end of this year. It must be the start of a sustained national effort to ensure that everyone in business, in industry, in the service [end p19] sector, is aware of the challenge.

    And not just in business and industry. We are putting the European Community to work for ordinary people: for cheaper air fares, for more and better services, for consumer choice and product safety."

    From:

    https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/107219
    Shame the free market in services never happened then
    Most services - whether inside the EU or not - are completely free from tariffs or regulation. PR, application development, virtual assistants, call centres, etc., all happily get sold around the world without supranational bodies getting involved.

    Where there is regulation that restricts cross border trade it tends to be in specific professional services, particularly law.

    But then again, we don't really have a single market in lawyers in the UK either, as - AFIUI, and I could be wrong - Scottish Advocates and English Barristers are not able perform each others' roles.
    There isn't a free market in gaming.
    Betting?

    A Frenchman can bet with Ladbrokes in the UK, no?
    Betting is a good example of the UKs failure to prosper in EU structures. We had the best companies globally by the 2000s, several years ahead IT wise and better regulated than most. EU courts repeatedly found national govts not complying with EU law and protecting their own companies, often state run, but no effective enforcement action was ever taken. We did not use our influence to make it happen, nor made a political push for mutual recognition or harmonisation of standards and licensing. We just left our industry to struggle on.
    I too have been frustrated trying to place a bet while abroad. Gambling regulation is a national competence though.

    So, how is that access to be improved by Brexit? What opportunities do our bookies have now that they didn't have before?
    Wait until you actually live abroad and try to place bets. At times I’ve resorted to having a mate in the U.K. pass by a bookies’ shop.

    Everyone but Betfair has shut me down online, and they’ve now started blocking IPs and asking more KYC questions.
  • felixfelix Posts: 15,164

    This is a very powerful message from an ICU doctor with Rachel Burden on 5 live and is not emphasised enough - hands, face, space


    https://twitter.com/bbc5live/status/1344543533173190663?s=09

    No mask, no lockdown ghouls like Julia Hartley Brewer, Laurence Fox and Toby Young should hang their heads in shame.

    Not to mention Piers Corbyn.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,092
    edited December 2020
    When it comes to gambling, most European countries have ballsed up their regulations with total misunderstanding of situations e.g. poker, France, Spain, Italy all decided to ring fence games within their own countries without realising you need liquidity to keep games going. Also the way they taxed the games made games incredibly difficult to win in, which forced all the high volume players to leave those countries, further eroding the liquidity.

    The UK made sensible decision to regulate, tax in a fair way and kept rest of the world access to ensure liquidity.

    Brexit or no Brexit is irrelevant to all of this, as gambling is decided on a national level.
  • Some good news:

    The recovery highlights the resilience of the UK’s digital economy, which now accounts for 10 per cent of all job openings.

    Despite the impact of the pandemic, venture capital investment in UK tech firms rose to fresh highs in 2020 as Britain continues to lead the way in Europe.

    Tech companies raised $15bn (£11bn) this year, a slight increase on the $14.8bn achieved in 2019 and higher than the rest of Europe combined, according to data from Dealroom.


    https://www.cityam.com/uk-tech-jobs-bounce-backs-as-investment-hits-record-high/

    Digital is Brexit-proof - as long as we get it right on immigration and data. It's definitely the area to be involved in.
    Indeed:

    https://www.cityam.com/software-startup-ondato-moves-to-london-in-post-brexit-boost/

    The crucial thing is that companies can quickly and easily fill vacancies they have, and can rely on a free flow of data between the EU and the UK. If we get both of those, there is absolutely no reason not to build digital businesses in the UK - and plenty of good reasons to actively do so.

    They shouldn't have much difficulty meeting the immigration salary threshold:

    Salaries in the tech industry are considerably higher than the national average at £53,318, up four per cent on 2019 figures despite low inflation.

    Yep, salary should not be an issue. Speed is the challenge. Up to now, any ambitious programmer, engineer or developer from the EU could turn up in London and get work almost immediately. We can't lose that, as momentum is so important when you are building a company.

  • felixfelix Posts: 15,164

    Good balanced fact based video on impact of Brexit on EPL...

    https://youtu.be/ioa9wW7wMwo

    If Brexit destroys the Premier league that would be an unexpected bonus.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,599
    felix said:

    This is a very powerful message from an ICU doctor with Rachel Burden on 5 live and is not emphasised enough - hands, face, space


    https://twitter.com/bbc5live/status/1344543533173190663?s=09

    No mask, no lockdown ghouls like Julia Hartley Brewer, Laurence Fox and Toby Young should hang their heads in shame.

    Not to mention Piers Corbyn.
    He’s had at least three £10k fines so far, for organising events in breach of restrictions. What’s his source of income, that he has £30k spare?
  • Sandpit said:

    Foxy said:

    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Charles said:

    Foxy said:

    Leon said:

    IanB2 said:

    Leon said:

    Yes of course, one of the prime movers of the Single Market would be delighted we have fucked business, blown up our FDI chances and erected customs barriers.
    Recently released papers make it clear Thatcher was becoming seriously eurosceptic as early as the late 80s. She was, for instance, absolutely bang on about the euro, and how it was a madcap idea which would do grave damage.


    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/dec/27/margaret-thatcher-said-plan-for-the-euro-was-a-rush-of-blood-archives-reveal
    Those of us around at the time also recall the deterioration in her mental state at the same time
    This is simultaneously mendacious, insulting and borderline libellous (if one could libel the dead). Margaret Thatcher in the late 80s was in her prime. She might have let the power go to her head occasionally ("we are a grandmother") but there was absolutely no sign of her later, melancholy decline into dementia. That came a full decade later.

    Be a gent. Desist and retract. It's a truly nasty thing to impute.
    This is Maggie in 1988, talking about Europe:

    "Action to get rid of the barriers. Action to make it possible for insurance companies to do business throughout the Community. Action to let people practice their trades and professions freely throughout the Community. Action to remove the customs barriers and formalities so that goods can circulate [end p10] freely and without time-consuming delays. Action to make sure that any company could sell its goods and services without let or hindrance. Action to secure free movement of capital throughout the Community."

    And:

    "Today's conference is not just a one-off event. That is why we have set ourselves a target of ensuring that over 90%; of British firms are aware of the 1992 commitment by the end of this year. It must be the start of a sustained national effort to ensure that everyone in business, in industry, in the service [end p19] sector, is aware of the challenge.

    And not just in business and industry. We are putting the European Community to work for ordinary people: for cheaper air fares, for more and better services, for consumer choice and product safety."

    From:

    https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/107219
    Shame the free market in services never happened then
    Most services - whether inside the EU or not - are completely free from tariffs or regulation. PR, application development, virtual assistants, call centres, etc., all happily get sold around the world without supranational bodies getting involved.

    Where there is regulation that restricts cross border trade it tends to be in specific professional services, particularly law.

    But then again, we don't really have a single market in lawyers in the UK either, as - AFIUI, and I could be wrong - Scottish Advocates and English Barristers are not able perform each others' roles.
    There isn't a free market in gaming.
    Betting?

    A Frenchman can bet with Ladbrokes in the UK, no?
    Betting is a good example of the UKs failure to prosper in EU structures. We had the best companies globally by the 2000s, several years ahead IT wise and better regulated than most. EU courts repeatedly found national govts not complying with EU law and protecting their own companies, often state run, but no effective enforcement action was ever taken. We did not use our influence to make it happen, nor made a political push for mutual recognition or harmonisation of standards and licensing. We just left our industry to struggle on.
    I too have been frustrated trying to place a bet while abroad. Gambling regulation is a national competence though.

    So, how is that access to be improved by Brexit? What opportunities do our bookies have now that they didn't have before?
    Wait until you actually live abroad and try to place bets. At times I’ve resorted to having a mate in the U.K. pass by a bookies’ shop.

    Everyone but Betfair has shut me down online, and they’ve now started blocking IPs and asking more KYC questions.
    Are you not concerned by betting from your location at all?
  • Sandpit said:

    felix said:

    This is a very powerful message from an ICU doctor with Rachel Burden on 5 live and is not emphasised enough - hands, face, space


    https://twitter.com/bbc5live/status/1344543533173190663?s=09

    No mask, no lockdown ghouls like Julia Hartley Brewer, Laurence Fox and Toby Young should hang their heads in shame.

    Not to mention Piers Corbyn.
    He’s had at least three £10k fines so far, for organising events in breach of restrictions. What’s his source of income, that he has £30k spare?
    Iran?
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,713
    IanB2 said:

    IanB2 said:

    Williamson slowly sinking on R4

    He must be some sort of AI experiment. This is how I would expect Robopolitician to be responding to questioning, going on the radio pre-programmed with a small selection of platitudes.
    At least Williamson, Hancock and Schapps are willing to appear for questioning.

    If there is a second thing that I want to see the back of in 2021 its "We asked the government to respond but no minister was available". There is real contempt for the public when they do that.

  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,599

    Sandpit said:

    Foxy said:

    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Charles said:

    Foxy said:

    Leon said:

    IanB2 said:

    Leon said:

    Yes of course, one of the prime movers of the Single Market would be delighted we have fucked business, blown up our FDI chances and erected customs barriers.
    Recently released papers make it clear Thatcher was becoming seriously eurosceptic as early as the late 80s. She was, for instance, absolutely bang on about the euro, and how it was a madcap idea which would do grave damage.


    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/dec/27/margaret-thatcher-said-plan-for-the-euro-was-a-rush-of-blood-archives-reveal
    Those of us around at the time also recall the deterioration in her mental state at the same time
    This is simultaneously mendacious, insulting and borderline libellous (if one could libel the dead). Margaret Thatcher in the late 80s was in her prime. She might have let the power go to her head occasionally ("we are a grandmother") but there was absolutely no sign of her later, melancholy decline into dementia. That came a full decade later.

    Be a gent. Desist and retract. It's a truly nasty thing to impute.
    This is Maggie in 1988, talking about Europe:

    "Action to get rid of the barriers. Action to make it possible for insurance companies to do business throughout the Community. Action to let people practice their trades and professions freely throughout the Community. Action to remove the customs barriers and formalities so that goods can circulate [end p10] freely and without time-consuming delays. Action to make sure that any company could sell its goods and services without let or hindrance. Action to secure free movement of capital throughout the Community."

    And:

    "Today's conference is not just a one-off event. That is why we have set ourselves a target of ensuring that over 90%; of British firms are aware of the 1992 commitment by the end of this year. It must be the start of a sustained national effort to ensure that everyone in business, in industry, in the service [end p19] sector, is aware of the challenge.

    And not just in business and industry. We are putting the European Community to work for ordinary people: for cheaper air fares, for more and better services, for consumer choice and product safety."

    From:

    https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/107219
    Shame the free market in services never happened then
    Most services - whether inside the EU or not - are completely free from tariffs or regulation. PR, application development, virtual assistants, call centres, etc., all happily get sold around the world without supranational bodies getting involved.

    Where there is regulation that restricts cross border trade it tends to be in specific professional services, particularly law.

    But then again, we don't really have a single market in lawyers in the UK either, as - AFIUI, and I could be wrong - Scottish Advocates and English Barristers are not able perform each others' roles.
    There isn't a free market in gaming.
    Betting?

    A Frenchman can bet with Ladbrokes in the UK, no?
    Betting is a good example of the UKs failure to prosper in EU structures. We had the best companies globally by the 2000s, several years ahead IT wise and better regulated than most. EU courts repeatedly found national govts not complying with EU law and protecting their own companies, often state run, but no effective enforcement action was ever taken. We did not use our influence to make it happen, nor made a political push for mutual recognition or harmonisation of standards and licensing. We just left our industry to struggle on.
    I too have been frustrated trying to place a bet while abroad. Gambling regulation is a national competence though.

    So, how is that access to be improved by Brexit? What opportunities do our bookies have now that they didn't have before?
    Wait until you actually live abroad and try to place bets. At times I’ve resorted to having a mate in the U.K. pass by a bookies’ shop.

    Everyone but Betfair has shut me down online, and they’ve now started blocking IPs and asking more KYC questions.
    Are you not concerned by betting from your location at all?
    The local ISPs used to block U.K. bookies’ websites, but they don’t any more for reasons I don’t know. It’s not as if there are any local bookies or casinos, although there are state-run liquour stores that the locals are banned from entering, and at least three hotels that have built function rooms that can be converted into casinos within days, if the law was to change to allow them.
  • felixfelix Posts: 15,164
    Sandpit said:

    felix said:

    This is a very powerful message from an ICU doctor with Rachel Burden on 5 live and is not emphasised enough - hands, face, space


    https://twitter.com/bbc5live/status/1344543533173190663?s=09

    No mask, no lockdown ghouls like Julia Hartley Brewer, Laurence Fox and Toby Young should hang their heads in shame.

    Not to mention Piers Corbyn.
    He’s had at least three £10k fines so far, for organising events in breach of restrictions. What’s his source of income, that he has £30k spare?
    Luvvies rarely lack cash.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 36,001
    Foxy said:

    At least Williamson, Hancock and Schapps are willing to appear for questioning.

    If there is a second thing that I want to see the back of in 2021 its "We asked the government to respond but no minister was available". There is real contempt for the public when they do that.

    I think it's the other way round.

    Appearing on TV to lie blatantly is more contemptuous than saying nothing
  • eekeek Posts: 28,398
    Sandpit said:

    Foxy said:

    rcs1000 said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Charles said:

    Foxy said:

    Leon said:

    IanB2 said:

    Leon said:

    Yes of course, one of the prime movers of the Single Market would be delighted we have fucked business, blown up our FDI chances and erected customs barriers.
    Recently released papers make it clear Thatcher was becoming seriously eurosceptic as early as the late 80s. She was, for instance, absolutely bang on about the euro, and how it was a madcap idea which would do grave damage.


    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/dec/27/margaret-thatcher-said-plan-for-the-euro-was-a-rush-of-blood-archives-reveal
    Those of us around at the time also recall the deterioration in her mental state at the same time
    This is simultaneously mendacious, insulting and borderline libellous (if one could libel the dead). Margaret Thatcher in the late 80s was in her prime. She might have let the power go to her head occasionally ("we are a grandmother") but there was absolutely no sign of her later, melancholy decline into dementia. That came a full decade later.

    Be a gent. Desist and retract. It's a truly nasty thing to impute.
    This is Maggie in 1988, talking about Europe:

    "Action to get rid of the barriers. Action to make it possible for insurance companies to do business throughout the Community. Action to let people practice their trades and professions freely throughout the Community. Action to remove the customs barriers and formalities so that goods can circulate [end p10] freely and without time-consuming delays. Action to make sure that any company could sell its goods and services without let or hindrance. Action to secure free movement of capital throughout the Community."

    And:

    "Today's conference is not just a one-off event. That is why we have set ourselves a target of ensuring that over 90%; of British firms are aware of the 1992 commitment by the end of this year. It must be the start of a sustained national effort to ensure that everyone in business, in industry, in the service [end p19] sector, is aware of the challenge.

    And not just in business and industry. We are putting the European Community to work for ordinary people: for cheaper air fares, for more and better services, for consumer choice and product safety."

    From:

    https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/107219
    Shame the free market in services never happened then
    Most services - whether inside the EU or not - are completely free from tariffs or regulation. PR, application development, virtual assistants, call centres, etc., all happily get sold around the world without supranational bodies getting involved.

    Where there is regulation that restricts cross border trade it tends to be in specific professional services, particularly law.

    But then again, we don't really have a single market in lawyers in the UK either, as - AFIUI, and I could be wrong - Scottish Advocates and English Barristers are not able perform each others' roles.
    There isn't a free market in gaming.
    Betting?

    A Frenchman can bet with Ladbrokes in the UK, no?
    Betting is a good example of the UKs failure to prosper in EU structures. We had the best companies globally by the 2000s, several years ahead IT wise and better regulated than most. EU courts repeatedly found national govts not complying with EU law and protecting their own companies, often state run, but no effective enforcement action was ever taken. We did not use our influence to make it happen, nor made a political push for mutual recognition or harmonisation of standards and licensing. We just left our industry to struggle on.
    I too have been frustrated trying to place a bet while abroad. Gambling regulation is a national competence though.

    So, how is that access to be improved by Brexit? What opportunities do our bookies have now that they didn't have before?
    Wait until you actually live abroad and try to place bets. At times I’ve resorted to having a mate in the U.K. pass by a bookies’ shop.

    Everyone but Betfair has shut me down online, and they’ve now started blocking IPs and asking more KYC questions.
    2017 election I was in India and couldn't even get to this site let alone place a bet.
  • one of today's hostages to fortune:

    "The NHS has a clear vaccine delivery plan and will roll it out far and wide across the UK, as quickly as we receive it; " : Hancock (Telegraph)
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,092
    edited December 2020
    Sandpit said:

    felix said:

    This is a very powerful message from an ICU doctor with Rachel Burden on 5 live and is not emphasised enough - hands, face, space


    https://twitter.com/bbc5live/status/1344543533173190663?s=09

    No mask, no lockdown ghouls like Julia Hartley Brewer, Laurence Fox and Toby Young should hang their heads in shame.

    Not to mention Piers Corbyn.
    He’s had at least three £10k fines so far, for organising events in breach of restrictions. What’s his source of income, that he has £30k spare?
    I don't believe he paid them. He has fought at least one of them in court and the decision was that he broke the rules but spent 12hrs in custody and that was enough of a punishment.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-55162041

    Advantage of being rich and being able to afford good legal representation....
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,462
    edited December 2020

    one of today's hostages to fortune:

    "The NHS has a clear vaccine delivery plan and will roll it out far and wide across the UK, as quickly as we receive it; " : Hancock (Telegraph)

    Is that the plan or the vaccine?

    And Good Morning everybody. Although it isn't, really.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,599

    one of today's hostages to fortune:

    "The NHS has a clear vaccine delivery plan and will roll it out far and wide across the UK, as quickly as we receive it; " : Hancock (Telegraph)

    To be fair to him, with the military, civil service and an unlimited budget behind the rollout, as well as the likes of Tesco asking if they can also help out, a lack of vaccine supply is much more likely to be the sticking point than a lack of infrastructure and logistics.
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    one of today's hostages to fortune:

    "The NHS has a clear vaccine delivery plan and will roll it out far and wide across the UK, as quickly as we receive it; " : Hancock (Telegraph)

    Is that the plan or the vaccine?

    And Good Morning everybody. Although it isn't, really.
    Snow day on Dartmoor.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,599

    one of today's hostages to fortune:

    "The NHS has a clear vaccine delivery plan and will roll it out far and wide across the UK, as quickly as we receive it; " : Hancock (Telegraph)

    Is that the plan or the vaccine?

    And Good Morning everybody. Although it isn't, really.
    Good afternoon from four hours in the future!
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 21,675

    Jonathan said:

    Some good news:

    The recovery highlights the resilience of the UK’s digital economy, which now accounts for 10 per cent of all job openings.

    Despite the impact of the pandemic, venture capital investment in UK tech firms rose to fresh highs in 2020 as Britain continues to lead the way in Europe.

    Tech companies raised $15bn (£11bn) this year, a slight increase on the $14.8bn achieved in 2019 and higher than the rest of Europe combined, according to data from Dealroom.


    https://www.cityam.com/uk-tech-jobs-bounce-backs-as-investment-hits-record-high/

    Digital is Brexit-proof - as long as we get it right on immigration and data. It's definitely the area to be involved in.
    Indeed:

    https://www.cityam.com/software-startup-ondato-moves-to-london-in-post-brexit-boost/

    The crucial thing is that companies can quickly and easily fill vacancies they have, and can rely on a free flow of data between the EU and the UK. If we get both of those, there is absolutely no reason not to build digital businesses in the UK - and plenty of good reasons to actively do so.

    My firm is moving digital work out of the UK due to cost.
    To where?
    Berlin and Lisbon.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 36,001
    Sandpit said:

    To be fair to him, with the military, civil service and an unlimited budget behind the rollout, as well as the likes of Tesco asking if they can also help out, a lack of vaccine supply is much more likely to be the sticking point than a lack of infrastructure and logistics.

    Yesterday the government tried to publish a list of schools that would be closed.

    Took them 2 attempts...

    Logistics is not their strong suit
  • When it comes to gambling, most European countries have ballsed up their regulations with total misunderstanding of situations e.g. poker, France, Spain, Italy all decided to ring fence games within their own countries without realising you need liquidity to keep games going. Also the way they taxed the games made games incredibly difficult to win in, which forced all the high volume players to leave those countries, further eroding the liquidity.

    The UK made sensible decision to regulate, tax in a fair way and kept rest of the world access to ensure liquidity.

    Brexit or no Brexit is irrelevant to all of this, as gambling is decided on a national level.

    The relevance is that 1) the national regulations have to be applied fairly to companies from different countries, and 2) it didnt have to be that way.

    A member state is allowed to say we dont do gambling, or its for over 25s, or cant be on football etc. It is not allowed to arbitrarily discriminate to help their own national companies against those of a different member state. In country after country the ECJ found this to be happening and ordered govts to comply, but it has never been enforced.

    The ECJ was also flirting with the single market provisions overriding national competence for gambling in the 2003 Gambelli case. If the dominant players in the gambling market were French or German instead of from the UK, then their govts would have pressed hard and effectively to leverage that decision. We did little if anything.

    It would have made a real difference to our EU trade deficit, conservatively if there had been a single market across the EU, the UK companies would have been bringing in another £5bn a year from the betting industry, probably more.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,599
    edited December 2020

    Some good news:

    The recovery highlights the resilience of the UK’s digital economy, which now accounts for 10 per cent of all job openings.

    Despite the impact of the pandemic, venture capital investment in UK tech firms rose to fresh highs in 2020 as Britain continues to lead the way in Europe.

    Tech companies raised $15bn (£11bn) this year, a slight increase on the $14.8bn achieved in 2019 and higher than the rest of Europe combined, according to data from Dealroom.


    https://www.cityam.com/uk-tech-jobs-bounce-backs-as-investment-hits-record-high/

    Digital is Brexit-proof - as long as we get it right on immigration and data. It's definitely the area to be involved in.
    Indeed:

    https://www.cityam.com/software-startup-ondato-moves-to-london-in-post-brexit-boost/

    The crucial thing is that companies can quickly and easily fill vacancies they have, and can rely on a free flow of data between the EU and the UK. If we get both of those, there is absolutely no reason not to build digital businesses in the UK - and plenty of good reasons to actively do so.

    They shouldn't have much difficulty meeting the immigration salary threshold:

    Salaries in the tech industry are considerably higher than the national average at £53,318, up four per cent on 2019 figures despite low inflation.

    Yep, salary should not be an issue. Speed is the challenge. Up to now, any ambitious programmer, engineer or developer from the EU could turn up in London and get work almost immediately. We can't lose that, as momentum is so important when you are building a company.

    Yes, a real test of the new immigration system will be the speed of processing work visas. It needs to allow people on tourist visas or passport stamps to quickly transfer to a work visa, with a job offer meeting the immigration requirements.

    As a reference, in the UAE this process takes a week or two maximium to process a visa for a worker for a specific employer or someone from abroad setting up a new business.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,462
    Sandpit said:

    one of today's hostages to fortune:

    "The NHS has a clear vaccine delivery plan and will roll it out far and wide across the UK, as quickly as we receive it; " : Hancock (Telegraph)

    Is that the plan or the vaccine?

    And Good Morning everybody. Although it isn't, really.
    Good afternoon from four hours in the future!
    Does the future work? Must say that my son, who lives in Thailand, which is even nearer tomorrow, seems considerably better off, in terms of being able to ;live his life, than we are.
  • OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 33,462
    Scott_xP said:
    Is this what Williamson means by taking the battle to the virus?
  • Burnley takeover: ALK Capital completes deal by buying 84% controlling stake - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55495853

    Sean Dyche might now be able to sign more than just his autograph...
  • RogerRoger Posts: 19,914

    Good balanced fact based video on impact of Brexit on EPL...

    https://youtu.be/ioa9wW7wMwo

    Bit patronising isn't it? You can't go to Hollywood until you've served your apprenticeship at Cleethorpes Rep. Maybe works for you maybe not. Just more sidelining of the UK. Something we'll have to get used to
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,092
    edited December 2020
    Roger said:

    Good balanced fact based video on impact of Brexit on EPL...

    https://youtu.be/ioa9wW7wMwo

    Bit patronising isn't it? You can't go to Hollywood until you've served your apprenticeship at Cleethorpes Rep. Maybe works for you maybe not. Just more sidelining of the UK. Something we'll have to get used to
    Hmmm who do I trust on football, Rog, wrong on everything, Tifo Football, known as one of the best and most informed sources of football out there.....
  • Scott_xP said:
    The reshuffle can't come quick enough.
  • GardenwalkerGardenwalker Posts: 21,298
    Digital (my sector) has benefited immensely from easy migration from Europe.

    Finding talent has always been a challenge, this has got harder and will get even harder. Yes, salaries are high but a lot of work is often temporary / project based so you don’t necessarily want to hire.

    Having said that, I think the slack will be picked up by hiring workers remotely. Although it was already widespread, the pandemic has shown that it is possible on an industrial scale.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 36,001

    I struggle to understand your objection to 'Bozo'. It seems well within the bounds of normal political name-calling to me.

    It is short and snappy, links with Johnson's (affected) name, and conveys a clear message:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bozo_the_Clown

    Did you similarly object to 'Jezbollah'? Do you object to Captain Hindsight?

    It's the same reason other religious faiths proscribe mocking their prophets...
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,682
    Scott_xP said:

    "I have..." ...delusions of grandeur.
  • I expect we'll see a lot of this in the future: the EU making laws, which the UK then mirrors because it makes no sense (for manufacturers) not to do so:

    Drone users face new rules across Europe and UK

    As of 11pm tonight, we will become rule takers instead of rule makers.

    A right old vassal state.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,599

    Sandpit said:

    one of today's hostages to fortune:

    "The NHS has a clear vaccine delivery plan and will roll it out far and wide across the UK, as quickly as we receive it; " : Hancock (Telegraph)

    Is that the plan or the vaccine?

    And Good Morning everybody. Although it isn't, really.
    Good afternoon from four hours in the future!
    Does the future work? Must say that my son, who lives in Thailand, which is even nearer tomorrow, seems considerably better off, in terms of being able to ;live his life, than we are.
    Looks good from here to be honest. I’ve taken the day off today and will shortly start on the case of sparking we have in the fridge; and next week/year is looking up in terms of work.

    Day-to-day life is pretty much normal here, they have a U.K.-equivalent of around 6,000 cases/day and few deaths thanks to a young population. Bars, cinemas and salons are open with distancing rules. It’s like Level 1 in the U.K.

    The biggest downside is that thousands of British tourists have turned up, many of whom don’t understand how to behave, so I’m avoiding the touristy areas and staying home tonight, where we should get a view of the fireworks from the balcony if the weather behaves (we are around 10 miles from the Burj Khalifa, in direct line of sight).

    Sadly it looks like Europe and North America are in big trouble at the moment, and the vaccines can’t come soon enough. Fingers crossed that 2m a week happens quickly, and the Western world can start getting back to normal by Easter.
  • GallowgateGallowgate Posts: 19,468
    Sandpit said:

    Some good news:

    The recovery highlights the resilience of the UK’s digital economy, which now accounts for 10 per cent of all job openings.

    Despite the impact of the pandemic, venture capital investment in UK tech firms rose to fresh highs in 2020 as Britain continues to lead the way in Europe.

    Tech companies raised $15bn (£11bn) this year, a slight increase on the $14.8bn achieved in 2019 and higher than the rest of Europe combined, according to data from Dealroom.


    https://www.cityam.com/uk-tech-jobs-bounce-backs-as-investment-hits-record-high/

    Digital is Brexit-proof - as long as we get it right on immigration and data. It's definitely the area to be involved in.
    Indeed:

    https://www.cityam.com/software-startup-ondato-moves-to-london-in-post-brexit-boost/

    The crucial thing is that companies can quickly and easily fill vacancies they have, and can rely on a free flow of data between the EU and the UK. If we get both of those, there is absolutely no reason not to build digital businesses in the UK - and plenty of good reasons to actively do so.

    They shouldn't have much difficulty meeting the immigration salary threshold:

    Salaries in the tech industry are considerably higher than the national average at £53,318, up four per cent on 2019 figures despite low inflation.

    Yep, salary should not be an issue. Speed is the challenge. Up to now, any ambitious programmer, engineer or developer from the EU could turn up in London and get work almost immediately. We can't lose that, as momentum is so important when you are building a company.

    Yes, a real test of the new immigration system will be the speed of processing work visas. It needs to allow people on tourist visas or passport stamps to quickly transfer to a work visa, with a job offer meeting the immigration requirements.

    As a reference, in the UAE this process takes a week or two maximium to process a visa for a worker for a specific employer or someone from abroad setting up a new business.
    Are you allowed to look for work on a tourist visa?
  • I expect we'll see a lot of this in the future: the EU making laws, which the UK then mirrors because it makes no sense (for manufacturers) not to do so:

    Drone users face new rules across Europe and UK

    As of 11pm tonight, we will become rule takers instead of rule makers.

    More complete rubbish from you. These have been the rules in the UK for ages. The fact that the EU has decided to copy them is their affair not ours but it makes no difference to drone users here at all.

    Whether people are actually following the rules is a completely different matter.
  • Scott_xP said:
    ‘Combat medics’

    I bet he got an erection when he said that.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,682
    Scott_xP said:

    I struggle to understand your objection to 'Bozo'. It seems well within the bounds of normal political name-calling to me.

    It is short and snappy, links with Johnson's (affected) name, and conveys a clear message:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bozo_the_Clown

    Did you similarly object to 'Jezbollah'? Do you object to Captain Hindsight?

    It's the same reason other religious faiths proscribe mocking their prophets...
    Indeed.

    Ironically, no one punctures Johnson's gravitas and credibility more than he does himself.

    (Of course, BoZo himself would never resort to name-calling, oh no...)
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 13,677

    Scott_xP said:

    Is there any minister in any government anywhere on earth more ridiculous than manchild of destiny Gavin Williamson?

    yes. BoZo
    Is there any commentator on any government anywhere on earth more ridiculous than retweeter Scott_xP?

    "BoZo". You pillock....
    I struggle to understand your objection to 'Bozo'; it seems well within the bounds of normal political name-calling to me. It's short and snappy, links with Johnson's (affected) name, and conveys a clear message:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bozo_the_Clown

    Did you similarly object to 'Jezbollah'? Do you object to Captain Hindsight?
    It's homophonically close to 'bossu' as well so it's got that going for it.

    The swelling is gone and I can type again. I'm back.
  • Dura_Ace said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Is there any minister in any government anywhere on earth more ridiculous than manchild of destiny Gavin Williamson?

    yes. BoZo
    Is there any commentator on any government anywhere on earth more ridiculous than retweeter Scott_xP?

    "BoZo". You pillock....
    I struggle to understand your objection to 'Bozo'; it seems well within the bounds of normal political name-calling to me. It's short and snappy, links with Johnson's (affected) name, and conveys a clear message:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bozo_the_Clown

    Did you similarly object to 'Jezbollah'? Do you object to Captain Hindsight?
    It's homophonically close to 'bossu' as well so it's got that going for it.

    The swelling is gone and I can type again. I'm back.
    Welcome back sir. I may not agree with much of what you post, in fact you can be bloody infuriating, but it is good to see you well enough to post again properly.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 53,858
    Scott_xP said:
    So its not really sending out the troops, its making use of what is left of the Army medical corps. Which makes perfect sense. All hands to the pump.

    If 250 medical teams can do 750k a week surely the NHS can do 10x that number? A day's delay roughly equals 500 lives now. The apparently desultory progress on the continent is baffling.
This discussion has been closed.