politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » The Brexit day party

Given the nation remains as divided as ever over BREXIT I think “business as usual” should be the order of the day in 2019 (especially as “as usual” may be problematic from “a little bit” to “quite a lot”.). In the years to come we can reflect on whether this was one of our better ideas - and that will largely come down to the wisdom with which the U.K. is governed, rather than which trade deals we strike.

CarlottaVance said:

Given the nation remains as divided as ever over BREXIT I think “business as usual” should be the order of the day in 2019 (especially as “as usual” may be problematic from “a little bit” to “quite a lot”.). In the years to come we can reflect on whether this was one of our better ideas - and that will largely come down to the wisdom with which the U.K. is governed, rather than which trade deals we strike.

+1

Mike, this pathetic load of rubbish is not up to PB standards

Morning. Where is the party?

According to Newsnight it will be a party without sandwiches...

https://twitter.com/BBCNewsnight/status/1024048687998107648?s=19

Though a Bank holiday would be convenient for a mass demonstration for the Rejoin movement, seeing as the second anniversary of the referendum was marked by one of the biggest demonstrations of recent years. One of the more interesting outcomes of the Brexit vote was to activate a significant percentage of the population to evangelical Europhilia in a way we have not seen for decades. Of course, it would have been better if that had happened a couple of years earlier!

There are big repeat demonstrations planned for Lab and Tory ConferencesConferences, as well as for October 20th.

I predict a damp squib for Brexit Day.

CarlottaVance said:

Given the nation remains as divided as ever over BREXIT I think “business as usual” should be the order of the day in 2019 (especially as “as usual” may be problematic from “a little bit” to “quite a lot”.). In the years to come we can reflect on whether this was one of our better ideas - and that will largely come down to the wisdom with which the U.K. is governed, rather than which trade deals we strike.

Oh dear.

DavidL said:

Perhaps we could celebrate with a leadership contest as an ungrateful and unimpressed nation says cheerio to Mrs May.

https://twitter.com/ChrisGiles_/status/1016336349039923200?s=19

Off-topic:

The following was linked to int he previous thread:
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/labours-democracy-review-backs-online-voting-plan-to-give-jeremy-corbyn-supporters-new-power-over-policy-full-leak_uk_5b5f7a19e4b0de86f49a0174?6jt

Labour is going for internal e-voting.

I read the linked document, and 'security' or 'secure' was only mentioned once.: "The Labour Party should develop secure online voting systems to make it easy and cheap to hold online ballots"

That'll end well ...

I think @Corporeal raises an important issue in his amusing piece. How do we celebrate or even note an event which has been and remains so divisive? I don't think we do. It is important that we come together as a nation again after this is over and any triumphalism should be restricted to the eccentrics whom we can hopefully go back to ignoring again.

DavidL said:

I think @Corporeal raises an important issue in his amusing piece. How do we celebrate or even note an event which has been and remains so divisive? I don't think we do. It is important that we come together as a nation again after this is over and any triumphalism should be restricted to the eccentrics whom we can hopefully go back to ignoring again.

If only we could have ignored the 'eccentric' Conservative Brexiteers who helped destroy several Conservative PMs and leaders over the last few decades ...

OldKingCole said:

AlastairMeeks said:

Anyway, since the main Leave demographic was pensioners, they don’t need a bank holiday.

I enjoy a bank holiday and the opportunity to socialise with my (working) children and their children, some of whom are also working.

Given the untold number of reports of fraught Brexit Christmasses, this is not going to be a family occasion.

Good morning, everyone.

Mr. Jessop, given how feeble the grasp of the internet and other technology politicians have, it's little wonder they're besotted with the unnecessary daftness of electronic voting.

Mr. L, I think if we ended up remaining there would be both a much bigger party and more bitterness on the other side. We may find out how that goes.

A party with banners declaring May is rubbish could be a way of uniting the nation.

AlastairMeeks said:

OldKingCole said:

AlastairMeeks said:

Anyway, since the main Leave demographic was pensioners, they don’t need a bank holiday.

I enjoy a bank holiday and the opportunity to socialise with my (working) children and their children, some of whom are also working.

Given the untold number of reports of fraught Brexit Christmasses, this is not going to be a family occasion.

Well, this one wouldn’t be a fun occasion for sure, given we’re all Remainers.

Uber halts development of self-driving trucks:
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45015893

Not quite the future yet then...

Sandpit said:

JosiasJessop said:

Off-topic:

The following was linked to int he previous thread:
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/labours-democracy-review-backs-online-voting-plan-to-give-jeremy-corbyn-supporters-new-power-over-policy-full-leak_uk_5b5f7a19e4b0de86f49a0174?6jt

Labour is going for internal e-voting.

I read the linked document, and 'security' or 'secure' was only mentioned once.: "The Labour Party should develop secure online voting systems to make it easy and cheap to hold online ballots"

That'll end well ...

Remember that in their eyes the £3 voting system went really well!

[Actually, technically it was okay. They emailed you a unique link and sent an SMS with a one-time code to be input. For an organisation voting on policy (as opposed to a country electing MPs via a secret ballot) it’s probably alright - providing the leadership don’t then get a report of who voted which way].

My professional body has a system like that. And I’ve just confirmed our place on the local Electoral Register using a similar system.

Sandpit said:

JosiasJessop said:

Off-topic:

The following was linked to int he previous thread:
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/labours-democracy-review-backs-online-voting-plan-to-give-jeremy-corbyn-supporters-new-power-over-policy-full-leak_uk_5b5f7a19e4b0de86f49a0174?6jt

Labour is going for internal e-voting.

I read the linked document, and 'security' or 'secure' was only mentioned once.: "The Labour Party should develop secure online voting systems to make it easy and cheap to hold online ballots"

That'll end well ...

Remember that in their eyes the £3 voting system went really well!

[Actually, technically it was okay. They emailed you a unique link and sent an SMS with a one-time code to be input. For an organisation voting on policy (as opposed to a country electing MPs via a secret ballot) it’s probably alright - providing the leadership don’t then get a report of who voted which way].

And provided those voting are not mischievous Conservatives or Russians.

Come to think of it, with the number of online polls there are now, voodoo or not, has anything been reported of Russian respondents, or has no-one even checked? Given the importance of opinion poll results in our democracy -- they drive news coverage; might lead to a new referendum; and even mislead Oxford-educated prime ministers into calling snap general elections -- you'd surely expect them to be a prime target for the KGB. Or CIA. Or whatever the Chinese equivalent is. Just don't mention Mossad!

‘No change in party support!’ and ‘Public remain evenly divided on Brexit!’ do not make good headlines...

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/brexit/2018/07/31/new-poll-suggests-how-to-tell-when-public-opinion-has-really-changed/

Corbyn's Brexit policy likely to be challenged at Labour conference

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jul/31/corbyn-brexit-policy-likely-to-be-challenged-at-labour-conference

Carmakers not ready for Brexit, says SMMT as UK sales fall

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jul/31/carmakers-not-ready-for-brexit-says-smmt-as-uk-sales-fall

Foxy said:

JosiasJessop said:

I'd like to say I enjoyed this threader. Thanks, Corporeal.

Sometimes we need to see humour in a situation. For instance, I wouldn't normally find the topic of anti-Semitism amusing, but Jezziah's ludicrous attempts to excuse and deflect criticism about Labour's issues on the previous thread were hilarious.

While tongue in cheek, the question of what happens to Britain's view of itself is an interesting one. There has been discussion over the trade and economic effects ad nauseum, but the Brexit phenomenon is really just opening the door to much wider questions of identity and culture. We haven't even started on those yet.

John Bull returns: an insular and aggressive English nationalism with an absurd hostility to anything that smacks of Abroad.

Foxy said:

JosiasJessop said:

I'd like to say I enjoyed this threader. Thanks, Corporeal.

Sometimes we need to see humour in a situation. For instance, I wouldn't normally find the topic of anti-Semitism amusing, but Jezziah's ludicrous attempts to excuse and deflect criticism about Labour's issues on the previous thread were hilarious.

While tongue in cheek, the question of what happens to Britain's view of itself is an interesting one. There has been discussion over the trade and economic effects ad nauseum, but the Brexit phenomenon is really just opening the door to much wider questions of identity and culture. We haven't even started on those yet.

Indeed, interesting. What will people really think of the Vassal State ? It gets us through a (entirely self made) problem but we will be stuck doing what we are told, implementing decisions that we have no say in and which increasingly run against our interests.

Talking of Tommy Robinson, I saw something the other day that was supposed to be a tattoo of the great man himself.

Unfortunately, I cannot unsee it.

Foxy said:

AlastairMeeks said:

Foxy said:

JosiasJessop said:

I'd like to say I enjoyed this threader. Thanks, Corporeal.

Sometimes we need to see humour in a situation. For instance, I wouldn't normally find the topic of anti-Semitism amusing, but Jezziah's ludicrous attempts to excuse and deflect criticism about Labour's issues on the previous thread were hilarious.

While tongue in cheek, the question of what happens to Britain's view of itself is an interesting one. There has been discussion over the trade and economic effects ad nauseum, but the Brexit phenomenon is really just opening the door to much wider questions of identity and culture. We haven't even started on those yet.

John Bull returns: an insular and aggressive English nationalism with an absurd hostility to anything that smacks of Abroad.

Certainly that would be the vision of Tommy Robinson's supporters, but there is also the Hannanite "Singapore in the Atlantic" as well as the Corbynite "Peoples Republic" and I am sure a few more.

A bit like the portfolio of fantasy Brexit options discussed, I suspect none would have support of more than 10-15% of the public. The nostalic British desire for the recent past is likely to lead to Euro-nostalgia, and more than a little Brexit boredom. We've let the genie out of the bottle, and putting the blighter back in is not going to be easy.

It will be the insular English nationalism that wins out. The absence of a unifying positive vision will mean that the most potent negative vision will win out. Already you can see Jeremy Corbyn pandering to the “British jobs for British workers” group.

FF43 said:

Foxy said:

JosiasJessop said:

I'd like to say I enjoyed this threader. Thanks, Corporeal.

Sometimes we need to see humour in a situation. For instance, I wouldn't normally find the topic of anti-Semitism amusing, but Jezziah's ludicrous attempts to excuse and deflect criticism about Labour's issues on the previous thread were hilarious.

While tongue in cheek, the question of what happens to Britain's view of itself is an interesting one. There has been discussion over the trade and economic effects ad nauseum, but the Brexit phenomenon is really just opening the door to much wider questions of identity and culture. We haven't even started on those yet.

Indeed, interesting. What will people really think of the Vassal State ? It gets us through a (entirely self made) problem but we will be stuck doing what we are told, implementing decisions that we have no say in and which increasingly run against our interests.

Even worse, it’s highly likely that our formally leaving will be followed by deliberately provocative EU legislation, such as a Financial Transaction Tax that’s been mooted for a few years and would disproportionately affect the UK.

BINO / Vassal State solves nothing, it takes away all the positives of Brexit while leaving all the negatives.

I'll be celebrating the cessation of Remainers incessant whining.

Casino_Royale said:

Fenman said:

Mike, this pathetic load of rubbish is not up to PB standards

Think you can do better?

How about you submit a thread header?

+1. It's a bit of fun.

SunnyJim said:

I'll be celebrating the cessation of Remainers incessant whining.

Which year are you expecting that? I’d say somewhere around 2027, when British rejoins the EU.

Mr. Sandpit, indeed.

If May gets a terrible deal she may well want a second referendum, and it'd fit the playbook rather well. "Do you want the status quo[ish] or to have all the downsides of memberships with none of the advantages?"

Sandpit said:

FF43 said:

Foxy said:

JosiasJessop said:

I'd like to say I enjoyed this threader. Thanks, Corporeal.

Sometimes we need to see humour in a situation. For instance, I wouldn't normally find the topic of anti-Semitism amusing, but Jezziah's ludicrous attempts to excuse and deflect criticism about Labour's issues on the previous thread were hilarious.

While tongue in cheek, the question of what happens to Britain's view of itself is an interesting one. There has been discussion over the trade and economic effects ad nauseum, but the Brexit phenomenon is really just opening the door to much wider questions of identity and culture. We haven't even started on those yet.

Indeed, interesting. What will people really think of the Vassal State ? It gets us through a (entirely self made) problem but we will be stuck doing what we are told, implementing decisions that we have no say in and which increasingly run against our interests.

Even worse, it’s highly likely that our formally leaving will be followed by deliberately provocative EU legislation, such as a Financial Transaction Tax that’s been mooted for a few years and would disproportionately affect the UK.

BINO / Vassal State solves nothing, it takes away all the positives of Brexit while leaving all the negatives.

I’m not sure the EU are interested in provocation for its own sake... but it’s easy to see our voluntary surrender of influence being seen as a green light for all those projects that we previously opposed as a disproportionate disadvantage fell on the UK. FTT probably falls in that category in principle but there was enough opposition from other states (particularly Netherlands I think) that it looks unlikely still.

Sandpit said:

FF43 said:

Foxy said:

JosiasJessop said:

I'd like to say I enjoyed this threader. Thanks, Corporeal.

Sometimes we need to see humour in a situation. For instance, I wouldn't normally find the topic of anti-Semitism amusing, but Jezziah's ludicrous attempts to excuse and deflect criticism about Labour's issues on the previous thread were hilarious.

While tongue in cheek, the question of what happens to Britain's view of itself is an interesting one. There has been discussion over the trade and economic effects ad nauseum, but the Brexit phenomenon is really just opening the door to much wider questions of identity and culture. We haven't even started on those yet.

Indeed, interesting. What will people really think of the Vassal State ? It gets us through a (entirely self made) problem but we will be stuck doing what we are told, implementing decisions that we have no say in and which increasingly run against our interests.

Even worse, it’s highly likely that our formally leaving will be followed by deliberately provocative EU legislation, such as a Financial Transaction Tax that’s been mooted for a few years and would disproportionately affect the UK.

Possible, but most unlikely. They are trying at the moment to get financial institutions to relocate. Would that be achieved by increasing taxes, which the UK might accidentally forget to implement?

One of the more puzzling aspects about the heat and light over the ECJ is that we shouldn't allow the EU to be judge and jury in its own case, or make British residents subject to the whims of a foreign (and less than trusted) court. This is a fair point.

However, against this in the real world (not the one Commission members see through their rum bottle) we're talking about the ECJ whom nobody pays the slightest attention to. We're ignoring it over votes for prisoners. The French ignored it over our beef ban. The ECB is ignoring it over the Stability Pact.

So all we would have to do in that case is stall for a couple of years, or set up a system of taxation designed to be easy to avoid (maybe hire Juncker as a consultant) and bingo! No financial institutions left in the EU at all.

It would be the most imposing act of national self-destruction since the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and missed all the aircraft carriers.

But it would also be quite funny.

matt said:

DavidL said:

I think @Corporeal raises an important issue in his amusing piece. How do we celebrate or even note an event which has been and remains so divisive? I don't think we do. It is important that we come together as a nation again after this is over and any triumphalism should be restricted to the eccentrics whom we can hopefully go back to ignoring again.

Why do you think we will “come together”? I am apparantly, depending on the intellectual starting point of the speaker, a bigoted Conservative, someone who hates Britain, a traitor, someone who would be better in the Liberal Democrats, someone who wishes to stamp on the faces of the poor, someone who wishes Arabs exterminated and so on. Hate is the defining feature of conversation.

There is no question that Brexit has been divisive. Nearly half the population feel that a serious mistake has been made. They think people were conned into voting to Leave by "xenophobic lies" and other such rubbish. Conversely, some on the leave side are of the view that those who seem to delight in supporting the EU, criticising every step our own government takes and forecasting gloom and despondency at every turn are not much short of traitors.

This creates a lot of sound and fury but I think in the middle there will remain a substantial majority who just want to get on with their lives. As we stumble into a softish Brexit there will be irritations and issues. I for one don't believe that the relationship with the EU will be static. We will move closer and further away in different areas and this will form a significant part of our ongoing debate in this country. The wailing on both sides will no doubt continue. But I am hopeful that the noises off will gradually diminish in significance and we will just get on with it. A lot will depend on the quality of leadership we get and that is obviously a concern.

Nice post. Suspect the thing to do is to switch off the news, watch a movie and forget about it.

AlastairMeeks said:

SunnyJim said:

AlastairMeeks said:

SunnyJim said:

I'll be celebrating the cessation of Remainers incessant whining.

Which year are you expecting that? I’d say somewhere around 2027, when British rejoins the EU.

It's the hope that kills you.

Let it go Meeks...the rotting pustulating corpse of the EU will be no more than a malodorous waft over the Channel in 2027.

I’m happy to bet a sporting fiver at evens that the EU still exists in 2027.

You give it a 50/50 chance eh?

A ringing endorsement from the biggest EU-fanboy on the site!

SunnyJim said:

AlastairMeeks said:

SunnyJim said:

AlastairMeeks said:

SunnyJim said:

I'll be celebrating the cessation of Remainers incessant whining.

Which year are you expecting that? I’d say somewhere around 2027, when British rejoins the EU.

It's the hope that kills you.

Let it go Meeks...the rotting pustulating corpse of the EU will be no more than a malodorous waft over the Channel in 2027.

I’m happy to bet a sporting fiver at evens that the EU still exists in 2027.

You give it a 50/50 chance eh?

A ringing endorsement from the biggest EU-fanboy on the site!

You profess to be certain. But it seems in reality it’s your hope that’s going to kill you.

Jonathan said:

Nice post. Suspect the thing to do is to switch off the news, watch a movie and forget about it.

that's what most of us are doing, irrespective of Brexit.

AlastairMeeks said:

SunnyJim said:

AlastairMeeks said:

SunnyJim said:

AlastairMeeks said:

SunnyJim said:

I'll be celebrating the cessation of Remainers incessant whining.

Which year are you expecting that? I’d say somewhere around 2027, when British rejoins the EU.

It's the hope that kills you.

Let it go Meeks...the rotting pustulating corpse of the EU will be no more than a malodorous waft over the Channel in 2027.

I’m happy to bet a sporting fiver at evens that the EU still exists in 2027.

You give it a 50/50 chance eh?

A ringing endorsement from the biggest EU-fanboy on the site!

You profess to be certain. But it seems in reality it’s your hope that’s going to kill you.

I think you, me and everybody else who reads this site knows the UK leaving is eating you up 24/7.

I'm trying to help you because you seem to be stuck somewhere between Stage 1 and 2 when the vast majority of rational Remainers are well in to Stage 4/5.

MattW said:

PB get-together celebrating the French wine which is going to completely vanish from the country at midnight because it has all turned into pumpkins?

We'll be drinking pumpkin juice?

I can live with the thought of us all being wizards...

Thinking a bit more about what I said: if May does negotiate an utter capitulation deal, she may well see that as a way of getting a second referendum, which even many who voted to leave may support (as it's miles worse than the status quo).

However, in such circumstances the EU itself may not want the UK to remain, and revocation of Article 50, I think, requires the EU to consent.

If May wants us to remain, she needs a deal so bad even many leavers won't want it, but not so wonderful for the EU they won't prefer it to the status quo.

If we ended up leaving with the worst deal since Jovian's capitulation to the Persians, that would have profoundly negative consequences for the UK's immediate future.

Edited extra bit: on a lighter note, I see Newsnight was wibbling about sandwiches last night. Just as well we won't have any, given we'll run out of butter too.

matt said:

Casino_Royale said:

JosiasJessop said:

DavidL said:

I think @Corporeal raises an important issue in his amusing piece. How do we celebrate or even note an event which has been and remains so divisive? I don't think we do. It is important that we come together as a nation again after this is over and any triumphalism should be restricted to the eccentrics whom we can hopefully go back to ignoring again.

If only we could have ignored the 'eccentric' Conservative Brexiteers who helped destroy several Conservative PMs and leaders over the last few decades ...

We’d probably be in the euro now with no opt-outs.

I thought the story was that if we’d been in the Euro in 2008 we’d have pulled it down. So better we were not. Still whatever fiction makes you happy.

Pressure from eurosceptics within the Conservative Party from the late 1980s onwards helped win opt-outs from monetary union in Maastricht, drove national opposition to the euro, pressured the Government on offering a referendum on the EU constitution and minor opt-outs on Lisbon and to Cameron’s renegotiation.

It’s hard to see how the absence of any politically eurosceptic wing at a national level would have led to anything other than British membership of the euro.

Casino_Royale said:

matt said:

Casino_Royale said:

JosiasJessop said:

DavidL said:

I think @Corporeal raises an important issue in his amusing piece. How do we celebrate or even note an event which has been and remains so divisive? I don't think we do. It is important that we come together as a nation again after this is over and any triumphalism should be restricted to the eccentrics whom we can hopefully go back to ignoring again.

If only we could have ignored the 'eccentric' Conservative Brexiteers who helped destroy several Conservative PMs and leaders over the last few decades ...

We’d probably be in the euro now with no opt-outs.

I thought the story was that if we’d been in the Euro in 2008 we’d have pulled it down. So better we were not. Still whatever fiction makes you happy.

Pressure from eurosceptics within the Conservative Party from the late 1980s onwards helped win opt-outs from monetary union in Maastricht, drove national opposition to the euro, pressured the Government on offering a referendum on the EU constitution and minor opt-outs on Lisbon and to Cameron’s renegotiation.

It’s hard to see how the absence of any politically eurosceptic wing at a national level would have led to anything other than British membership of the euro.

And they helped thoroughly destroy the Conservative Party in parliament, and replaced it with a Labour Party who had a leader who quite liked the Euro ...

SunnyJim said:

AlastairMeeks said:

SunnyJim said:

AlastairMeeks said:

SunnyJim said:

I'll be celebrating the cessation of Remainers incessant whining.

Which year are you expecting that? I’d say somewhere around 2027, when British rejoins the EU.

It's the hope that kills you.

Let it go Meeks...the rotting pustulating corpse of the EU will be no more than a malodorous waft over the Channel in 2027.

I’m happy to bet a sporting fiver at evens that the EU still exists in 2027.

You give it a 50/50 chance eh?

A ringing endorsement from the biggest EU-fanboy on the site!

Oh, I think WilliamGlen would want to fight him for that title.....

DavidL said:

matt said:

DavidL said:

I think @Corporeal raises an important issue in his amusing piece. How do we celebrate or even note an event which has been and remains so divisive? I don't think we do. It is important that we come together as a nation again after this is over and any triumphalism should be restricted to the eccentrics whom we can hopefully go back to ignoring again.

Why do you think we will “come together”? I am apparantly, depending on the intellectual starting point of the speaker, a bigoted Conservative, someone who hates Britain, a traitor, someone who would be better in the Liberal Democrats, someone who wishes to stamp on the faces of the poor, someone who wishes Arabs exterminated and so on. Hate is the defining feature of conversation.

There is no question that Brexit has been divisive. Nearly half the population feel that a serious mistake has been made. They think people were conned into voting to Leave by "xenophobic lies" and other such rubbish. Conversely, some on the leave side are of the view that those who seem to delight in supporting the EU, criticising every step our own government takes and forecasting gloom and despondency at every turn are not much short of traitors.

This creates a lot of sound and fury but I think in the middle there will remain a substantial majority who just want to get on with their lives. As we stumble into a softish Brexit there will be irritations and issues. I for one don't believe that the relationship with the EU will be static. We will move closer and further away in different areas and this will form a significant part of our ongoing debate in this country. The wailing on both sides will no doubt continue. But I am hopeful that the noises off will gradually diminish in significance and we will just get on with it. A lot will depend on the quality of leadership we get and that is obviously a concern.

Agreed.

It will be fascinating to see who moves on and who continues to act as if the referendum campaign is still ongoing.

The 90s/00s saw the Tories still reliving the Thatcher glories, and the late 00s/early 10s saw the Blairites, without a cause or a leader, pining for something else no longer extant. Who will still be pining for our past membership by 2025?

AlastairMeeks said:

SunnyJim said:

AlastairMeeks said:

SunnyJim said:

AlastairMeeks said:

SunnyJim said:

AlastairMeeks said:

SunnyJim said:

I'll be celebrating the cessation of Remainers incessant whining.

Which year are you expecting that? I’d say somewhere around 2027, when British rejoins the EU.

It's the hope that kills you.

Let it go Meeks...the rotting pustulating corpse of the EU will be no more than a malodorous waft over the Channel in 2027.

I’m happy to bet a sporting fiver at evens that the EU still exists in 2027.

You give it a 50/50 chance eh?

A ringing endorsement from the biggest EU-fanboy on the site!

You profess to be certain. But it seems in reality it’s your hope that’s going to kill you.

I think you, me and everybody else who reads this site knows the UK leaving is eating you up 24/7.

I'm trying to help you because you seem to be stuck somewhere between Stage 1 and 2 when the vast majority of rational Remainers are well in to Stage 4/5.

I’m sorry you can’t read polls. The most recent one, yesterday, showed that the public backs a fresh referendum and would vote to remain. You shouldn’t extrapolate from your own hopes.

'You shouldn't extrapolate from your own hopes'...whilst grabbing hold of a small sample poll.

I couldn't have created a better example of 'irony'.

rkrkrk said:

Nigelb said:

As for Uber, I don’t think it’s really in the self-driving race; its expertise is rather on the customer and fleet management side.

Their expertise seems to be in convincing silicon valley investors to allow them to lose money.

Their whole business model is predicated on getting self-driving cars working and accepted by the public before their money runs out.

It’s not going to happen, as anyone who’s ever designed something complex will say 10% of the effort solves 90% of the problem, the other 90% of the effort is required to solve the final 10%. Their cars are still killing pedestrians, they’ve got an awful long way to go.

Even if the technology gets working, the acceptance of it by all the lawmakers they’ve upset over the years with their taxi service business practices is even further away.

https://twitter.com/GoodwinMJ/status/1024194107378413573

JosiasJessop said:

rkrkrk said:

Uber halts development of self-driving trucks:
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45015893

Not quite the future yet then...

SeanT will be disappointed.

And in other AI news:
"IBM Watson Recommends Unsafe Cancer Treatments"
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/274453-ibm-watson-recommends-unsafe-cancer-treatments

But only for Brexit voters

Mortimer said:

Incidentally, apologies to Nick P for not responding to his surprise at a cultural attachment to the Pound.

I honestly didn’t expect that to be controversial.

Would be interesting to see some polling. Not on a proxy, but on the actual cultural attachment to it.

I was being mildly contrarian, and it's nice of you to take it so affably. You're probably right that quite a few would take it as a somewhat disturbing loss of identity. Beyond that, I think in reality that as with decimalisation, most people are mildly, and in some cases strongly, attached to what they're used to, but would generally adjust, as people on the Continent have. Quite a lot of people travel in Europe every year and would be pleased not to be stung by the outrageous exchange fees that banks and especially airp[orts charge. Whether it would be economically beneficial is debatable, but we excluded that aspect.