Calm down everyone, there's not going to be an election before March next year... Winter is a-coming in
I could see a November election. I agree though, if it isn't then, it won't be till March.
Both the FPTA 2011, and the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 are causing huge problems. Prior to these, you could have a (near) three week short campaign and get it over with. Now, with the 25 working days campaign (five weeks), PLUS a possible further 14 days during a VoNC, you could easily see a 7 week campaign.
Such a long length basically means most GE campaigns are now going to span two months. With our society marching on, the days of 'Christmas day is the only holiday' are long gone and people are always sodding off on short breaks, mini breaks, and focus on anything other than a GE.
Whilst its theoretically possible to have a GE on any day, I think, realistically, only March to June (and avoiding around Easter) and October are viable these days. December, January and February are too cold and crash into Christmas. July, August and September crash into the school holidays. November is a very, very outside chance, and it would be far better if it was earlier in November. But I'm not wrong in saying the earliest date, right now, for a GE if it was called would be 12th November?
The system is a mess. The 25 working day length is too long, and the 14 day VoNC is too long. It should probably be brought down to 20 and 7 resprectively.
I'm not sure arguments about exactly whose fault it is that relations between the EU27 and UK have collapsed matter much. The important thing to consider is that we are now facing a very real prospect of a drastic, semi-permanent cooling of relations. On the British side, the longer this goes on, the more radically anti-EU a certain section of the public will become. On the EU side, the longer this goes on, the more exasperated and frustrated a certain section of Brussels mandarins will become.
If we want to avoid this cooling - something that is, from a rational perspective, clearly in the interests of both sides - then something has to give to stop this ultimatum -> delay -> ultimatum cycle.
I don't think a revocation or second referendum -> Remain vote fixes this cycle, because the UK still has roughly half of its population that will continue to become more and more radically anti-EU as long as they feel that the government is not reflecting their views.
To avoid a historic split between the UK and EU27, MPs need to set aside their egos, vote for a deal, and ensure that we leave on broadly good terms that can set the groundwork for a reconstruction of the close relationship we had prior to the destructive ultimatum -> delay -> ultimatum cycle.
However, I think that setting aside their egos is impossible for this current Parliament, so I'm feeling pretty pessimistic about the whole thing.
I agree 100%.
Success is business (and life) comes through iteration. You get something in place that vaguely works and then you iterate.
Get a WA in place and iterate. Sometimes we'll be moving closer to the EU, and sometimes we'll be moving away. And that's OK. Because sometimes more cooperation will be in our interests, and sometimes more divergence will.
A sane WA should have been a possible iteration. There was no backstop in our EU membership and had the WA not had the backstop, then it would have been an entirely sensible iteration.
From where we are now a backstopless WA would be a far more sensible iteration for all parties than No Deal. But we can't make that happen and the backstop is not an iteration.
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
What part of "majority white, English speaking, countries" is it that you object to considering that every single EU27 nation that we are supposed to be so close and allied with allegedly are also majority white?
Is it just "English speaking" you have an objection to? Oh gee whiz why do I think we have more in common with English speaking nations than other ones, however will we resolve this dilemma? Yeah let's bring white into it despite all other nations you compare us with our white too! *rolleyes*
We don't need them. We want to be on good terms with them but that doesn't mean rolling over and playing dead.
Open your mind, Australia isn't far from us, its on this same small planet of ours. This is the 21st century not the 15th century. Global communications are instantaneous, global travel can be done in hours not weeks. Nowhere on this tiny planet of ours is remote from us.
Philip, I live in East Kent, 2 miles from the M20. We do need them, and badly. If Australia imposes customs checks on U.K. goods (or visa versa) it will barely be noticed here. If the EU does the same thing it may add 2 hours to my commute. I’ve seen what delays at Dover do. Australia is, in comparison to France,where I can be in 45 minutes from my front door, very fucking remote. The French government’s actions have a direct impact on my life - Australia’s do not. We even had to have a treaty with them so local radio here could work. Similarly someone in NI feels the same way vis a vis the RoI. To say Australia is in any way comparable to our near neighbours is laughable. We do need them. I see every day why we need them.
Your unhinged rant about my use of the word “white” yet again misses the point, and I think you doth protest too much. Yes, I have a problem with over reliance on other Anglophone countries, and I say that as someone married to a US citizen born and raised there. You advise us to “broaden our horizons” - my point is that liaising primarily with cultures so similar to us does not do that. It, in fact, narrows them as it deprives is from seeing difference, we end up in an Anglophone bubble. Watching a French soap at least helps me learn a language. What does watching Neighbours do for me culturally? You need to consider carefully how narrow minded your worldview is.
Labour ‘centrists’ put an option they thought couldn’t win on the ballot in order to make themselves look good. Now they can’t get out of the mess they’ve created. Must have been something in the House of Commons water in 2016
To be fair Labour aren't totally to blame.
I paid £3 and voted for JC/TW just for a laugh and with the faint hope they might actually win...never did I actually think there were so many real Labour members who also wanted Waldorf and Stadler as their leadership team.
The UK is a country on this planet of ours called Earth that can be rapidly travelled quite easily. Europe is just one tiny continent on that planet. Open your mind and broaden your horizons.
Bless you. I am off to Japan in three weeks. The 350 person business I help to run - and still retain a share in - is holding an event for more than 400 senior executives from various Asian, European and North American countries there. We did a similar one for 650 in Boston in June.
Good for you. We are not European, we are human. Asia, Europe, North America - it doesn't matter.
Closing our eyes to Asia and North America and hyperventilating about Europe alone is not progress. We are a country on earth that can be accessed SAME DAY from every other planet on earth, just like every other one.
Like I say above, customs checks in Tokyo don’t fuck up my local roads. Ones in France do. Think global, act local.
Labour ‘centrists’ put an option they thought couldn’t win on the ballot in order to make themselves look good. Now they can’t get out of the mess they’ve created. Must have been something in the House of Commons water in 2016
To be fair Labour aren't totally to blame.
I paid £3 and voted for JC/TW just for a laugh and with the faint hope they might actually win...never did I actually think there were so many real Labour members who also wanted Waldorf and Stadler as their leadership team.
But people like Ed Miliband and Margaret Beckett put Corbyn on the ballot to virtue signal their fairness, because they thought he couldn’t win but they would get plaudits for being seen letting him try. That was the original sin
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Labour ‘centrists’ put an option they thought couldn’t win on the ballot in order to make themselves look good. Now they can’t get out of the mess they’ve created. Must have been something in the House of Commons water in 2016
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
Why?
There are parts of Britain that have the Euro as their national currency, and will continue to have it post Brexit. There are overseas territories of the UK who are part of our customs area, but have no vote on whether that is the case. The people of Northern Ireland, as far as we can tell, seem to be quite keen on a dual customs structure: surely they should get first call on this, not us.
If the EU don't want us as allies and friendly neighbours then why shouldn't they be left to their own devices?
I want a deal not a cold war but if they opt to try and annex part of our country then they're big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and we need to look after ourselves. Its funny how people who seem so confident the EU is so mighty and powerful and puny Britain doesn't matter seem horrified at the idea that Britain might not defend mighty Europe anymore.
The EU will be pissing itself at this “threat”. And they are not seeking to annex part of our country. They want a customs arrangement over part of one of their member states we unlawfully annexed. Why are you so keen to piss off our closest and most forgiving allies?
The EU are not our closest allies at all, our closest allies are Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
You are 40 years out of date.
No, still very much up to date, we have never fought any wars against 3/4 of those nations and we share a Head of Stage, we have fought many wars against the EU and are currently fighting a diplomatic war with the EU now. Meanwhile the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are all offering us a trade deal as is the US president
“We have fought many wars against the EU”.
I seem to have missed these. When were these wars? Who won?
The Hundred Years War, the 7 years War, the Spanish Armada, the Napoleonic Wars, WW1 and WW2 were all fought against nations now in the EU.
All of our wars in the last 100 years were fought alongside one of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, most of the time all 4
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Philip, I live in East Kent, 2 miles from the M20. We do need them, and badly. If Australia imposes customs checks on U.K. goods (or visa versa) it will barely be noticed here. If the EU does the same thing it may add 2 hours to my commute. I’ve seen what delays at Dover do. Australia is, in comparison to France,where I can be in 45 minutes from my front door, very fucking remote. The French government’s actions have a direct impact on my life - Australia’s do not. We even had to have a treaty with them so local radio here could work. Similarly someone in NI feels the same way vis a vis the RoI. To say Australia is in any way comparable to our near neighbours is laughable. We do need them. I see every day why we need them.
Your unhinged rant about my use of the word “white” yet again misses the point, and I think you doth protest too much. Yes, I have a problem with over reliance on other Anglophone countries, and I say that as someone married to a US citizen born and raised there. You advise us to “broaden our horizons” - my point is that liaising primarily with cultures so similar to us does not do that. It, in fact, narrows them as it deprives is from seeing difference, we end up in an Anglophone bubble. Watching a French soap at least helps me learn a language. What does watching Neighbours do for me culturally? You need to consider carefully how narrow minded your worldview is.
If the French seek to blockade us then we should either retaliate or adjust accordingly, while holding out an olive branch to encourage them not to do so. The French blockade Kent whenever they have a fit over anything that's bothering them and it has nothing to do with Brexit.
Last time I took a Ferry to France it took us many hours waiting in Kent to get aboard the Ferry because the French were striking . . . because the French love to strike . . . and it was nothing to do with Brexit.
You may live near the M20. I live near the M6. It can make my life irritating too, I spent an hour doing a five minute journey on Friday because of the madness an accident on the M6 had caused and not for the first time. None of this is a reason to surrender a part of our United Kingdom's customs arrangements.
As for white, I only mentioned it (briefly) because you did. If you didn't mean to make that remark then an apology would suffice rather than calling my rebuttal of your bullshit an unhinged rant.
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
We don't occupy Northern Ireland.
Fermanagh and Tyrone had an overall Nationalist majority at the 1918 election.
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
We don't occupy Northern Ireland.
Tell that to 48% of its population and rising.
OK.
When its a majority let them vote. Otherwise the 48% can shut up and respect democracy.
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Northern Ireland is a gerrymandered entity. The island of Ireland is the proper historical unit.
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Europe is our country.
No, Europe is our continent, the UK is our country
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
We don't occupy Northern Ireland.
Tell that to 48% of its population and rising.
OK.
When its a majority let them vote. Otherwise the 48% can shut up and respect democracy.
If the EU don't want us as allies and friendly neighbours then why shouldn't they be left to their own devices?
I want a deal not a cold war but if they opt to try and annex part of our country then they're big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and we need to look after ourselves. Its funny how people who seem so confident the EU is so mighty and powerful and puny Britain doesn't matter seem horrified at the idea that Britain might not defend mighty Europe anymore.
The EU will be pissing itself at this “threat”. And they are not seeking to annex part of our country. They want a customs arrangement over part of one of their member states we unlawfully annexed. Why are you so keen to piss off our closest and most forgiving allies?
The EU are not our closest allies at all, our closest allies are Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
You are 40 years out of date.
No, still very much up to date, we have never fought any wars against 3/4 of those nations and we share a Head of Stage, we have fought many wars against the EU and are currently fighting a diplomatic war with the EU now. Meanwhile the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are all offering us a trade deal as is the US president
“We have fought many wars against the EU”.
I seem to have missed these. When were these wars? Who won?
The Hundred Years War, the 7 years War, the Spanish Armada, the Napoleonic Wars, WW1 and WW2 were all fought against nations now in the EU.
All of our wars in the last 100 years were fought alongside one of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, most of the time all 4
Every single one of those "wars" (The Spanish Armada was not a war) was also fought alongside countries that are now in the EU. One of them -- the Hundred Years' War -- was fought with England and Scotland on opposite sides.
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Northern Ireland is a gerrymandered entity. The island of Ireland is the proper historical unit.
Northern Ireland respects the Protestant and Unionist majority across the counties it comprises to be part of the UK rather than the Republic
If the EU don't want us as allies and friendly neighbours then why shouldn't they be left to their own devices?
I want a deal not a cold war but if they opt to try and annex part of our country then they're big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and we need to look after ourselves. Its funny how people who seem so confident the EU is so mighty and powerful and puny Britain doesn't matter seem horrified at the idea that Britain might not defend mighty Europe anymore.
The EU will be pissing itself at this “threat”. And they are not seeking to annex part of our country. They want a customs arrangement over part of one of their member states we unlawfully annexed. Why are you so keen to piss off our closest and most forgiving allies?
The EU are not our closest allies at all, our closest allies are Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
You are 40 years out of date.
No, still very much up to date, we have never fought any wars against 3/4 of those nations and we share a Head of Stage, we have fought many wars against the EU and are currently fighting a diplomatic war with the EU now. Meanwhile the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are all offering us a trade deal as is the US president
“We have fought many wars against the EU”.
I seem to have missed these. When were these wars? Who won?
The Hundred Years War, the 7 years War, the Spanish Armada, the Napoleonic Wars, WW1 and WW2 were all fought against nations now in the EU.
All of our wars in the last 100 years were fought alongside one of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, most of the time all 4
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
Why?
There are parts of Britain that have the Euro as their national currency, and will continue to have it post Brexit. There are overseas territories of the UK who are part of our customs area, but have no vote on whether that is the case. The people of Northern Ireland, as far as we can tell, seem to be quite keen on a dual customs structure: surely they should get first call on this, not us.
The MPs elected by the people of NI are, as far as we can tell, not keen on the EU's proposals but Johnson made reasonable suggestions to allow NI's representatives to consent to special arrangements and even a principle of consent seems to cause angst amongst our EU "partners". When consent is being refused to be taken seriously it is time to end the conversation.
Are British Overseas Territories "parts of Britain"? They are not a part of the United Kingdom unlike Northern Ireland.
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Europe is our country.
No, Europe is our continent, the UK is our country
The UK is several countries. Oh, what a tangled web.
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Fermanagh and Tyrone were Catholic majority in 1918.
ut we don't need to pay for it. And if we don't, they will have no choice but to pick up the slack. It is realpolitik.
Does Europe need our assistance? If yes, be our allies, agree a respectful deal. If no, so long!
The UK is going to be responsible for defending western Europe regardless of relations with the EU via NATO membership. Also modern defence projects are so expensive and the supporting industries are so heavily integrated (Type 31: Danish hull, Dutch CMS, German CODAD) that isolation is impossible.
If the EU don't want us as allies and friendly neighbours then why shouldn't they be left to their own devices?
I want a deal not a cold war but if they opt to try and annex part of our country then they're big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and we need to look after ourselves. Its funny how people who seem so confident the EU is so mighty and powerful and puny Britain doesn't matter seem horrified at the idea that Britain might not defend mighty Europe anymore.
The EU will be pissing itself at this “threat”. And they are not seeking to annex part of our country. They want a customs arrangement over part of one of their member states we unlawfully annexed. Why are you so keen to piss off our closest and most forgiving allies?
The EU are not our closest allies at all, our closest allies are Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
You are 40 years out of date.
No, still very much up to date, we have never fought any wars against 3/4 of those nations and we share a Head of Stage, we have fought many wars against the EU and are currently fighting a diplomatic war with the EU now. Meanwhile the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are all offering us a trade deal as is the US president
“We have fought many wars against the EU”.
I seem to have missed these. When were these wars? Who won?
The Hundred Years War, the 7 years War, the Spanish Armada, the Napoleonic Wars, WW1 and WW2 were all fought against nations now in the EU.
All of our wars in the last 100 years were fought alongside one of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, most of the time all 4
Every single one of those "wars" (The Spanish Armada was not a war) was also fought alongside countries that are now in the EU. One of them -- the Hundred Years' War -- was fought with England and Scotland on opposite sides.
Bar Portugal we have been at war (or Cold War) with every EU nation at least once in the last 500 years
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Fermanagh and Tyrone were Catholic majority in 1918.
Good, they can join the Republic then and increase the Protestant and Unionist majority in the remainder of Northern Ireland
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Northern Ireland is a gerrymandered entity. The island of Ireland is the proper historical unit.
There are no "proper historical units", the borders of Europe have changed consistently for thousands of years and that principle only ended many decades after the formation of the Republic.
Do a timelapse graphical video of the map of Europe with different colours for different nations and tell me which mythical date please Europe settled into "proper historical units".
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Europe is our country.
No, Europe is our continent, the UK is our country
The UK is several countries. Oh, what a tangled web.
If the EU don't want us as allies and friendly neighbours then why shouldn't they be left to their own devices?
I want a deal not a cold war but if they opt to try and annex part of our country then they're big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and we need to look after ourselves. Its funny how people who seem so confident the EU is so mighty and powerful and puny Britain doesn't matter seem horrified at the idea that Britain might not defend mighty Europe anymore.
The EU will be pissing itself at this “threat”. And they are not seeking to annex part of our country. They want a customs arrangement over part of one of their member states we unlawfully annexed. Why are you so keen to piss off our closest and most forgiving allies?
The EU are not our closest allies at all, our closest allies are Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
You are 40 years out of date.
No, still very much up to date, we have never fought any wars against 3/4 of those nations and we share a Head of Stage, we have fought many wars against the EU and are currently fighting a diplomatic war with the EU now. Meanwhile the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are all offering us a trade deal as is the US president
“We have fought many wars against the EU”.
I seem to have missed these. When were these wars? Who won?
The Hundred Years War, the 7 years War, the Spanish Armada, the Napoleonic Wars, WW1 and WW2 were all fought against nations now in the EU.
All of our wars in the last 100 years were fought alongside one of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, most of the time all 4
Every single one of those "wars" (The Spanish Armada was not a war) was also fought alongside countries that are now in the EU. One of them -- the Hundred Years' War -- was fought with England and Scotland on opposite sides.
Bar Portugal we have been at war (or Cold War) with every EU nation at least once in the last 500 years
"I've fought everyone in my local pub, that proves what a rotten bunch they are"
If the EU don't want us as allies and friendly neighbours then why shouldn't they be left to their own devices?
I want a deal not a cold war but if they opt to try and annex part of our country then they're big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and we need to look after ourselves. Its funny how people who seem so confident the EU is so mighty and powerful and puny Britain doesn't matter seem horrified at the idea that Britain might not defend mighty Europe anymore.
The EU will be pissing itself at this “threat”. And they are not seeking to annex part of our country. They want a customs arrangement over part of one of their member states we unlawfully annexed. Why are you so keen to piss off our closest and most forgiving allies?
The EU are not our closest allies at all, our closest allies are Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
You are 40 years out of date.
No, still very much up to date, we have never fought any wars against 3/4 of those nations and we share a Head of Stage, we have fought many wars against the EU and are currently fighting a diplomatic war with the EU now. Meanwhile the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are all offering us a trade deal as is the US president
“We have fought many wars against the EU”.
I seem to have missed these. When were these wars? Who won?
The Hundred Years War, the 7 years War, the Spanish Armada, the Napoleonic Wars, WW1 and WW2 were all fought against nations now in the EU.
All of our wars in the last 100 years were fought alongside one of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, most of the time all 4
Every single one of those "wars" (The Spanish Armada was not a war) was also fought alongside countries that are now in the EU. One of them -- the Hundred Years' War -- was fought with England and Scotland on opposite sides.
Bar Portugal we have been at war (or Cold War) with every EU nation at least once in the last 500 years
If the EU don't want us as allies and friendly neighbours then why shouldn't they be left to their own devices?
I want a deal not a cold war but if they opt to try and annex part of our country then they're big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and we need to look after ourselves. Its funny how people who seem so confident the EU is so mighty and powerful and puny Britain doesn't matter seem horrified at the idea that Britain might not defend mighty Europe anymore.
The EU will be pissing itself at this “threat”. And they are not seeking to annex part of our country. They want a customs arrangement over part of one of their member states we unlawfully annexed. Why are you so keen to piss off our closest and most forgiving allies?
The EU are not our closest allies at all, our closest allies are Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
You are 40 years out of date.
No, still very much up to date, we have never fought any wars against 3/4 of those nations and we share a Head of Stage, we have fought many wars against the EU and are currently fighting a diplomatic war with the EU now. Meanwhile the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are all offering us a trade deal as is the US president
“We have fought many wars against the EU”.
I seem to have missed these. When were these wars? Who won?
The Hundred Years War, the 7 years War, the Spanish Armada, the Napoleonic Wars, WW1 and WW2 were all fought against nations now in the EU.
All of our wars in the last 100 years were fought alongside one of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, most of the time all 4
Every single one of those "wars" (The Spanish Armada was not a war) was also fought alongside countries that are now in the EU. One of them -- the Hundred Years' War -- was fought with England and Scotland on opposite sides.
Bar Portugal we have been at war (or Cold War) with every EU nation at least once in the last 500 years
How many UK nations have we been at war with?
None in the last 250 years, unlike most of the current EU nations
If the French seek to blockade us then we should either retaliate or adjust accordingly, while holding out an olive branch to encourage them not to do so. The French blockade Kent whenever they have a fit over anything that's bothering them and it has nothing to do with Brexit.
Last time I took a Ferry to France it took us many hours waiting in Kent to get aboard the Ferry because the French were striking . . . because the French love to strike . . . and it was nothing to do with Brexit.
You may live near the M20. I live near the M6. It can make my life irritating too, I spent an hour doing a five minute journey on Friday because of the madness an accident on the M6 had caused and not for the first time. None of this is a reason to surrender a part of our United Kingdom's customs arrangements.
As for white, I only mentioned it (briefly) because you did. If you didn't mean to make that remark then an apology would suffice rather than calling my rebuttal of your bullshit an unhinged rant.
Disingenuous bollocks. I’m not talking about a blockade I’m talking about customs checks both sides of the Channel. I’m talking about the fact it is palpable bollocks to suggest the actions of Australia can have any meaningful impact on our lives. Australia is a 24 hour flight. It is comparatively remote. We are a European nation, not an Asia-Pacific one. A car accident on the M6 will be cleared in a day. These idiotic customs checks at Dover on trips to our compatriots in Europe may snarly things up round here forever.
It’s all about war and retaliation for you reactionaries isn’t it. Never about cooperation and understanding what the other side want. That’s why you prefer English speaking countries. You love to make threats. Too lazy or fearful to understand what the rest of the world is saying if they don’t speak our language. It’s very sad.
If the EU don't want us as allies and friendly neighbours then why shouldn't they be left to their own devices?
I want a deal not a cold war but if they opt to try and annex part of our country then they're big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and we need to look after ourselves. Its funny how people who seem so confident the EU is so mighty and powerful and puny Britain doesn't matter seem horrified at the idea that Britain might not defend mighty Europe anymore.
The EU will be pissing itself at this “threat”. And they are not seeking to annex part of our country. They want a customs arrangement over part of one of their member states we unlawfully annexed. Why are you so keen to piss off our closest and most forgiving allies?
The EU are not our closest allies at all, our closest allies are Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
You are 40 years out of date.
No, still very much up to date, we have never fought any wars against 3/4 of those nations and we share a Head of Stage, we have fought many wars against the EU and are currently fighting a diplomatic war with the EU now. Meanwhile the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are all offering us a trade deal as is the US president
“We have fought many wars against the EU”.
I seem to have missed these. When were these wars? Who won?
The Hundred Years War, the 7 years War, the Spanish Armada, the Napoleonic Wars, WW1 and WW2 were all fought against nations now in the EU.
All of our wars in the last 100 years were fought alongside one of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, most of the time all 4
Every single one of those "wars" (The Spanish Armada was not a war) was also fought alongside countries that are now in the EU. One of them -- the Hundred Years' War -- was fought with England and Scotland on opposite sides.
Bar Portugal we have been at war (or Cold War) with every EU nation at least once in the last 500 years
How many UK nations have we been at war with?
None in the last 250 years, unlike most of the current EU nations
We have had the same number of wars with Germany as we have with the US (two).
If the EU don't want us as allies and friendly neighbours then why shouldn't they be left to their own devices?
I want a deal not a cold war but if they opt to try and annex part of our country then they're big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and we need to look after ourselves. Its funny how people who seem so confident the EU is so mighty and powerful and puny Britain doesn't matter seem horrified at the idea that Britain might not defend mighty Europe anymore.
The EU will be pissing itself at this “threat”. And they are not seeking to annex part of our country. They want a customs arrangement over part of one of their member states we unlawfully annexed. Why are you so keen to piss off our closest and most forgiving allies?
The EU are not our closest allies at all, our closest allies are Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
You are 40 years out of date.
No, still very much up to date, we have never fought any wars against 3/4 of those nations and we share a Head of Stage, we have fought many wars against the EU and are currently fighting a diplomatic war with the EU now. Meanwhile the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are all offering us a trade deal as is the US president
“We have fought many wars against the EU”.
I seem to have missed these. When were these wars? Who won?
The Hundred Years War, the 7 years War, the Spanish Armada, the Napoleonic Wars, WW1 and WW2 were all fought against nations now in the EU.
All of our wars in the last 100 years were fought alongside one of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, most of the time all 4
Every single one of those "wars" (The Spanish Armada was not a war) was also fought alongside countries that are now in the EU. One of them -- the Hundred Years' War -- was fought with England and Scotland on opposite sides.
Bar Portugal we have been at war (or Cold War) with every EU nation at least once in the last 500 years
How many UK nations have we been at war with?
None in the last 250 years, unlike most of the current EU nations
If the EU don't want us as allies and friendly neighbours then why shouldn't they be left to their own devices?
I want a deal not a cold war but if they opt to try and annex part of our country then they're big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and we need to look after ourselves. Its funny how people who seem so confident the EU is so mighty and powerful and puny Britain doesn't matter seem horrified at the idea that Britain might not defend mighty Europe anymore.
The EU will be pissing itself at this “threat”. And they are not seeking to annex part of our country. They want a customs arrangement over part of one of their member states we unlawfully annexed. Why are you so keen to piss off our closest and most forgiving allies?
The EU are not our closest allies at all, our closest allies are Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
You are 40 years out of date.
No, still very much up to date, we have never fought any wars against 3/4 of those nations and we share a Head of Stage, we have fought many wars against the EU and are currently fighting a diplomatic war with the EU now. Meanwhile the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are all offering us a trade deal as is the US president
“We have fought many wars against the EU”.
I seem to have missed these. When were these wars? Who won?
The Hundred Years War, the 7 years War, the Spanish Armada, the Napoleonic Wars, WW1 and WW2 were all fought against nations now in the EU.
All of our wars in the last 100 years were fought alongside one of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, most of the time all 4
Every single one of those "wars" (The Spanish Armada was not a war) was also fought alongside countries that are now in the EU. One of them -- the Hundred Years' War -- was fought with England and Scotland on opposite sides.
Bar Portugal we have been at war (or Cold War) with every EU nation at least once in the last 500 years
How many UK nations have we been at war with?
None in the last 250 years, unlike most of the current EU nations
We have had the same number of wars with Germany as we have with the US (two).
Not to be a pedant but it's one versus the US, the other was against the colonies
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Northern Ireland is a gerrymandered entity. The island of Ireland is the proper historical unit.
There are no "proper historical units", the borders of Europe have changed consistently for thousands of years and that principle only ended many decades after the formation of the Republic.
Do a timelapse graphical video of the map of Europe with different colours for different nations and tell me which mythical date please Europe settled into "proper historical units".
We carved out a chunk of their country without consent. As we did to much of the world, leaving nearly half the population of that entity resenting it. England has had its current borders since the 12th century. As has Scotland. Denmark, more or less, even longer. There is no justification for the continuing occupation of the Six Counties. If we came home it would also make your precious and failing Brexit easier too.
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Fermanagh and Tyrone were Catholic majority in 1918.
Good, they can join the Republic then and increase the Protestant and Unionist majority in the remainder of Northern Ireland
Derry and Armagh have since then also become Catholic majority.
If the EU don't want us as allies and friendly neighbours then why shouldn't they be left to their own devices?
I want a deal not a cold war but if they opt to try and annex part of our country then they're big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and we need to look after ourselves. Its funny how people who seem so confident the EU is so mighty and powerful and puny Britain doesn't matter seem horrified at the idea that Britain might not defend mighty Europe anymore.
The EU will be pissing itself at this “threat”. And they are not seeking to annex part of our country. They want a customs arrangement over part of one of their member states we unlawfully annexed. Why are you so keen to piss off our closest and most forgiving allies?
The EU are not our closest allies at all, our closest allies are Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
You are 40 years out of date.
No, still very much up to date, we have never fought any wars against 3/4 of those nations and we share a Head of Stage, we have fought many wars against the EU and are currently fighting a diplomatic war with the EU now. Meanwhile the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are all offering us a trade deal as is the US president
“We have fought many wars against the EU”.
I seem to have missed these. When were these wars? Who won?
The Hundred Years War, the 7 years War, the Spanish Armada, the Napoleonic Wars, WW1 and WW2 were all fought against nations now in the EU.
All of our wars in the last 100 years were fought alongside one of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, most of the time all 4
Every single one of those "wars" (The Spanish Armada was not a war) was also fought alongside countries that are now in the EU. One of them -- the Hundred Years' War -- was fought with England and Scotland on opposite sides.
Bar Portugal we have been at war (or Cold War) with every EU nation at least once in the last 500 years
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Northern Ireland is a gerrymandered entity. The island of Ireland is the proper historical unit.
There are no "proper historical units", the borders of Europe have changed consistently for thousands of years and that principle only ended many decades after the formation of the Republic.
Do a timelapse graphical video of the map of Europe with different colours for different nations and tell me which mythical date please Europe settled into "proper historical units".
You're making an argument in favour of the EU, right? If there are no "proper historical units" then an overarching political framework that means it matters less and less which side of a given border you live on is a priceless asset.
If the EU don't want us as allies and friendly neighbours then why shouldn't they be left to their own devices?
I want a deal not a cold war but if they opt to try and annex part of our country then they're big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and we need to look after ourselves. Its funny how people who seem so confident the EU is so mighty and powerful and puny Britain doesn't matter seem horrified at the idea that Britain might not defend mighty Europe anymore.
The EU will be pissing itself at this “threat”. And they are not seeking to annex part of our country. They want a customs arrangement over part of one of their member states we unlawfully annexed. Why are you so keen to piss off our closest and most forgiving allies?
The EU are not our closest allies at all, our closest allies are Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
You are 40 years out of date.
No, still very much up to date, we have never fought any wars against 3/4 of those nations and we share a Head of Stage, we have fought many wars against the EU and are currently fighting a diplomatic war with the EU now. Meanwhile the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are all offering us a trade deal as is the US president
“We have fought many wars against the EU”.
I seem to have missed these. When were these wars? Who won?
The Hundred Years War, the 7 years War, the Spanish Armada, the Napoleonic Wars, WW1 and WW2 were all fought against nations now in the EU.
All of our wars in the last 100 years were fought alongside one of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, most of the time all 4
Every single one of those "wars" (The Spanish Armada was not a war) was also fought alongside countries that are now in the EU. One of them -- the Hundred Years' War -- was fought with England and Scotland on opposite sides.
Bar Portugal we have been at war (or Cold War) with every EU nation at least once in the last 500 years
How many UK nations have we been at war with?
None in the last 250 years, unlike most of the current EU nations
The Irish War of Independence waves hello
That was a terrorist campaign rather than a war and then developed into the Irish Civil War
Northern Ireland is a gerrymandered entity. The island of Ireland is the proper historical unit.
There are no "proper historical units", the borders of Europe have changed consistently for thousands of years and that principle only ended many decades after the formation of the Republic.
Do a timelapse graphical video of the map of Europe with different colours for different nations and tell me which mythical date please Europe settled into "proper historical units".
We carved out a chunk of their country without consent. As we did to much of the world, leaving nearly half the population of that entity resenting it. England has had its current borders since the 12th century. As has Scotland. Denmark, more or less, even longer. There is no justification for the continuing occupation of the Six Counties. If we came home it would also make your precious and failing Brexit easier too.
It wasn't their country! When did it become "their" country?
It was all part of our country. A part of our country left without the rest of it. So be it. The borders of an independent country called "Ireland" have very rarely been consistent at all over the last thousand years.
We can't "come home" from a part of our country. It is home. Unless the voters there wish to leave us, they are as they remain as they've been for centuries a part of us.
If the EU don't want us as allies and friendly neighbours then why shouldn't they be left to their own devices?
I want a deal not a cold war but if they opt to try and annex part of our country then they're big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and we need to look after ourselves. Its funny how people who seem so confident the EU is so mighty and powerful and puny Britain doesn't matter seem horrified at the idea that Britain might not defend mighty Europe anymore.
The EU will be pissing itself at this “threat”. And they are not seeking to annex part of our country. They want a customs arrangement over part of one of their member states we unlawfully annexed. Why are you so keen to piss off our closest and most forgiving allies?
The EU are not our closest allies at all, our closest allies are Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
You are 40 years out of date.
No, still very much up to date, we have never fought any wars against 3/4 of those nations and we share a Head of Stage, we have fought many wars against the EU and are currently fighting a diplomatic war with the EU now. Meanwhile the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are all offering us a trade deal as is the US president
“We have fought many wars against the EU”.
I seem to have missed these. When were these wars? Who won?
The Hundred Years War, the 7 years War, the Spanish Armada, the Napoleonic Wars, WW1 and WW2 were all fought against nations now in the EU.
All of our wars in the last 100 years were fought alongside one of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, most of the time all 4
Every single one of those "wars" (The Spanish Armada was not a war) was also fought alongside countries that are now in the EU. One of them -- the Hundred Years' War -- was fought with England and Scotland on opposite sides.
Bar Portugal we have been at war (or Cold War) with every EU nation at least once in the last 500 years
How many UK nations have we been at war with?
None in the last 250 years, unlike most of the current EU nations
We have had the same number of wars with Germany as we have with the US (two).
We fought Prussia in the Austrian War of Succession too
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Fermanagh and Tyrone were Catholic majority in 1918.
Good, they can join the Republic then and increase the Protestant and Unionist majority in the remainder of Northern Ireland
Derry and Armagh have since then also become Catholic majority.
Good get rid of them too and ratchet up the Protestant and Unionist majority in NI even more
If the EU don't want us as allies and friendly neighbours then why shouldn't they be left to their own devices?
I want a deal not a cold war but if they opt to try and annex part of our country then they're big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and we need to look after ourselves. Its funny how people who seem so confident the EU is so mighty and powerful and puny Britain doesn't matter seem horrified at the idea that Britain might not defend mighty Europe anymore.
The EU will be pissing itself at this “threat”. And they are not seeking to annex part of our country. They want a customs arrangement over part of one of their member states we unlawfully annexed. Why are you so keen to piss off our closest and most forgiving allies?
The EU are not our closest allies at all, our closest allies are Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
You are 40 years out of date.
No, still very much up to date, we have never fought any wars against 3/4 of those nations and we share a Head of Stage, we have fought many wars against the EU and are currently fighting a diplomatic war with the EU now. Meanwhile the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are all offering us a trade deal as is the US president
“We have fought many wars against the EU”.
I seem to have missed these. When were these wars? Who won?
The Hundred Years War, the 7 years War, the Spanish Armada, the Napoleonic Wars, WW1 and WW2 were all fought against nations now in the EU.
Every single one of those "wars" (The Spanish Armada was not a war) was also fought alongside countries that are now in the EU. One of them -- the Hundred Years' War -- was fought with England and Scotland on opposite sides.
Bar Portugal we have been at war (or Cold War) with every EU nation at least once in the last 500 years
How many UK nations have we been at war with?
None in the last 250 years, unlike most of the current EU nations
The Irish War of Independence waves hello
That was a terrorist campaign rather than a war and then developed into the Irish Civil War
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Northern Ireland is a gerrymandered entity. The island of Ireland is the proper historical unit.
There are no "proper historical units", the borders of Europe have changed consistently for thousands of years and that principle only ended many decades after the formation of the Republic.
Do a timelapse graphical video of the map of Europe with different colours for different nations and tell me which mythical date please Europe settled into "proper historical units".
You're making an argument in favour of the EU, right? If there are no "proper historical units" then an overarching political framework that means it matters less and less which side of a given border you live on is a priceless asset.
No. I'm making an argument in favour of NATO, the rule of law, modern nation states and modern economics.
The EU is second-rate to all of that and is an outcome of that and not what triggered it.
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Northern Ireland is a gerrymandered entity. The island of Ireland is the proper historical unit.
There are no "proper historical units", the borders of Europe have changed consistently for thousands of years and that principle only ended many decades after the formation of the Republic.
Do a timelapse graphical video of the map of Europe with different colours for different nations and tell me which mythical date please Europe settled into "proper historical units".
We carved out a chunk of their country without consent. As we did to much of the world, leaving nearly half the population of that entity resenting it. England has had its current borders since the 12th century. As has Scotland. Denmark, more or less, even longer. There is no justification for the continuing occupation of the Six Counties. If we came home it would also make your precious and failing Brexit easier too.
The majority of DUP constituencies in Northern Ireland voted Leave
If the EU don't want us as allies and friendly neighbours then why shouldn't they be left to their own devices?
I want a deal not a cold war but if they opt to try and annex part of our country then they're big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and we need to look after ourselves. Its funny how people who seem so confident the EU is so mighty and powerful and puny Britain doesn't matter seem horrified at the idea that Britain might not defend mighty Europe anymore.
The EU will be pissing itself at this “threat”. And they are not seeking to annex part of our country. They want a customs arrangement over part of one of their member states we unlawfully annexed. Why are you so keen to piss off our closest and most forgiving allies?
The EU are not our closest allies at all, our closest allies are Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
You are 40 years out of date.
No, still very much up to date, we have never fought any wars against 3/4 of those nations and we share a Head of Stage, we have fought many wars against the EU and are currently fighting a diplomatic war with the EU now. Meanwhile the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are all offering us a trade deal as is the US president
“We have fought many wars against the EU”.
I seem to have missed these. When were these wars? Who won?
The Hundred Years War, the 7 years War, the Spanish Armada, the Napoleonic Wars, WW1 and WW2 were all fought against nations now in the EU.
All of our wars in the last 100 years were fought alongside one of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, most of the time all 4
Every single one of those "wars" (The Spanish Armada was not a war) was also fought alongside countries that are now in the EU. One of them -- the Hundred Years' War -- was fought with England and Scotland on opposite sides.
Bar Portugal we have been at war (or Cold War) with every EU nation at least once in the last 500 years
How many UK nations have we been at war with?
None in the last 250 years, unlike most of the current EU nations
We have had the same number of wars with Germany as we have with the US (two).
We fought Prussia in the Austrian War of Succession too
If the French seek to blockade us then we should either retaliate or adjust accordingly, while holding out an olive branch to encourage them not to do so. The French blockade Kent whenever they have a fit over anything that's bothering them and it has nothing to do with Brexit.
Last time I took a Ferry to France it took us many hours waiting in Kent to get aboard the Ferry because the French were striking . . . because the French love to strike . . . and it was nothing to do with Brexit.
You may live near the M20. I live near the M6. It can make my life irritating too, I spent an hour doing a five minute journey on Friday because of the madness an accident on the M6 had caused and not for the first time. None of this is a reason to surrender a part of our United Kingdom's customs arrangements.
As for white, I only mentioned it (briefly) because you did. If you didn't mean to make that remark then an apology would suffice rather than calling my rebuttal of your bullshit an unhinged rant.
Disingenuous bollocks. I’m not talking about a blockade I’m talking about customs checks both sides of the Channel. I’m talking about the fact it is palpable bollocks to suggest the actions of Australia can have any meaningful impact on our lives. Australia is a 24 hour flight. It is comparatively remote. We are a European nation, not an Asia-Pacific one. A car accident on the M6 will be cleared in a day. These idiotic customs checks at Dover on trips to our compatriots in Europe may snarly things up round here forever.
It’s all about war and retaliation for you reactionaries isn’t it. Never about cooperation and understanding what the other side want. That’s why you prefer English speaking countries. You love to make threats. Too lazy or fearful to understand what the rest of the world is saying if they don’t speak our language. It’s very sad.
Customs checks won't snag things up forever. Worst case scenario more customs infrastructure and new roads need improving in Kent. Things get snarled up for days, weeks, months or years while an adjustment is made but eventually people will be used to it. And that's assuming a mutually-agreeable deal is not reached in the mean time.
Except that the SNP is doing better in Scotland than that, and therefore it will be touch and go whether the Conservatives get a majority.
On UNS there would be no Tory majority. The poll implies 20 gains from Labour - of which 13 enjoy first term incumbency - offset by 12 losses to LDS and circa 10 to SNP - leaving the Tories with 316 seats. Without allowing for first term incumbency and the retirement of Simon Hughes and Greg Mulholland , Labour would end up on 231 with the LDs on 30.
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Northern Ireland is a gerrymandered entity. The island of Ireland is the proper historical unit.
There are no "proper historical units", the borders of Europe have changed consistently for thousands of years and that principle only ended many decades after the formation of the Republic.
Do a timelapse graphical video of the map of Europe with different colours for different nations and tell me which mythical date please Europe settled into "proper historical units".
We carved out a chunk of their country without consent. As we did to much of the world, leaving nearly half the population of that entity resenting it. England has had its current borders since the 12th century. As has Scotland. Denmark, more or less, even longer. There is no justification for the continuing occupation of the Six Counties. If we came home it would also make your precious and failing Brexit easier too.
The majority of DUP constituencies in Northern Ireland voted Leave
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Fermanagh and Tyrone were Catholic majority in 1918.
Good, they can join the Republic then and increase the Protestant and Unionist majority in the remainder of Northern Ireland
Derry and Armagh have since then also become Catholic majority.
Good get rid of them too and ratchet up the Protestant and Unionist majority in NI even more
So how small a statelet does your pure Protestant Norn Iron have to get before even you admit it’s unviable? The Shankill Road?
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Fermanagh and Tyrone were Catholic majority in 1918.
Good, they can join the Republic then and increase the Protestant and Unionist majority in the remainder of Northern Ireland
Derry and Armagh have since then also become Catholic majority.
Good get rid of them too and ratchet up the Protestant and Unionist majority in NI even more
So how small a statelet does your pure Protestant Norn Iron have to get before even you admit it’s unviable? The Shankill Road?
The majority of the Northern Ireland population live in Protestant and Unionist majority Counties Antrim and Down and as part of the UK they would never be unviable
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Northern Ireland is a gerrymandered entity. The island of Ireland is the proper historical unit.
There are no "proper historical units", the borders of Europe have changed consistently for thousands of years and that principle only ended many decades after the formation of the Republic.
Do a timelapse graphical video of the map of Europe with different colours for different nations and tell me which mythical date please Europe settled into "proper historical units".
You're making an argument in favour of the EU, right? If there are no "proper historical units" then an overarching political framework that means it matters less and less which side of a given border you live on is a priceless asset.
No. I'm making an argument in favour of NATO, the rule of law, modern nation states and modern economics.
The EU is second-rate to all of that and is an outcome of that and not what triggered it.
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Northern Ireland is a gerrymandered entity. The island of Ireland is the proper historical unit.
There are no "proper historical units", the borders of Europe have changed consistently for thousands of years and that principle only ended many decades after the formation of the Republic.
Do a timelapse graphical video of the map of Europe with different colours for different nations and tell me which mythical date please Europe settled into "proper historical units".
You're making an argument in favour of the EU, right? If there are no "proper historical units" then an overarching political framework that means it matters less and less which side of a given border you live on is a priceless asset.
No. I'm making an argument in favour of NATO, the rule of law, modern nation states and modern economics.
The EU is second-rate to all of that and is an outcome of that and not what triggered it.
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Fermanagh and Tyrone were Catholic majority in 1918.
Good, they can join the Republic then and increase the Protestant and Unionist majority in the remainder of Northern Ireland
Derry and Armagh have since then also become Catholic majority.
Good get rid of them too and ratchet up the Protestant and Unionist majority in NI even more
So how small a statelet does your pure Protestant Norn Iron have to get before even you admit it’s unviable? The Shankill Road?
The majority of the Northern Ireland population live in Protestant and Unionist majority Counties Antrim and Down and as part of the UK they would never be unviable
South Down, West Belfast and the Glens of Antrim are Catholic majority.
Comres has the SNP even lower than YouGov, down to just 32% in Scotland now though with Labour the beneficiaries rather than the LDs.
68% of Tories and 66% of Brexit Party voters say Boris would not be to blame for the UK not leaving the EU on 31st October, 82% of Labour voters and 87% of LDs say he would
From what I can see the poll has the SNP on 39% Lab 20% Con 16% LD 16%
There are no "proper historical units", the borders of Europe have changed consistently for thousands of years and that principle only ended many decades after the formation of the Republic.
Do a timelapse graphical video of the map of Europe with different colours for different nations and tell me which mythical date please Europe settled into "proper historical units".
You're making an argument in favour of the EU, right? If there are no "proper historical units" then an overarching political framework that means it matters less and less which side of a given border you live on is a priceless asset.
No. I'm making an argument in favour of NATO, the rule of law, modern nation states and modern economics.
The EU is second-rate to all of that and is an outcome of that and not what triggered it.
NATO does nothing to dissolve borders.
Who's talking about dissolving borders? Not me.
You're the one arguing that there is no correct position for national borders in Europe.
Labour ‘centrists’ put an option they thought couldn’t win on the ballot in order to make themselves look good. Now they can’t get out of the mess they’ve created. Must have been something in the House of Commons water in 2016
I blame Sarah Wollaston, they did an open primary and she won it and she was pretty good and everybody thought, see, you can put stuff straight to the voters, they won't do anything retarded
Calm down everyone, there's not going to be an election before March next year... Winter is a-coming in
I could see a November election. I agree though, if it isn't then, it won't be till March.
Both the FPTA 2011, and the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 are causing huge problems. Prior to these, you could have a (near) three week short campaign and get it over with. Now, with the 25 working days campaign (five weeks), PLUS a possible further 14 days during a VoNC, you could easily see a 7 week campaign.
Such a long length basically means most GE campaigns are now going to span two months. With our society marching on, the days of 'Christmas day is the only holiday' are long gone and people are always sodding off on short breaks, mini breaks, and focus on anything other than a GE.
Whilst its theoretically possible to have a GE on any day, I think, realistically, only March to June (and avoiding around Easter) and October are viable these days. December, January and February are too cold and crash into Christmas. July, August and September crash into the school holidays. November is a very, very outside chance, and it would be far better if it was earlier in November. But I'm not wrong in saying the earliest date, right now, for a GE if it was called would be 12th November?
The system is a mess. The 25 working day length is too long, and the 14 day VoNC is too long. It should probably be brought down to 20 and 7 resprectively.
We had an election in February 1974 and February 1950. On both occasions , turnout was very high - even without the readily available Postal Vote option we have today.
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Fermanagh and Tyrone were Catholic majority in 1918.
Good, they can join the Republic then and increase the Protestant and Unionist majority in the remainder of Northern Ireland
Derry and Armagh have since then also become Catholic majority.
Good get rid of them too and ratchet up the Protestant and Unionist majority in NI even more
So how small a statelet does your pure Protestant Norn Iron have to get before even you admit it’s unviable? The Shankill Road?
The majority of the Northern Ireland population live in Protestant and Unionist majority Counties Antrim and Down and as part of the UK they would never be unviable
South Down, West Belfast and the Glens of Antrim are Catholic majority.
Antrim is over 70% Protestant, Down over 60% Protestant.
Their position as part of the UK can and will be defended no matter what the cost
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or,
I think you'll find Europe have been making threats for the last three years. I'm quite calm, but I'm also quite prepared to put our country first.
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Fermanagh and Tyrone were Catholic majority in 1918.
Good, they can join the Republic then and increase the Protestant and Unionist majority in the remainder of Northern Ireland
Derry and Armagh have since then also become Catholic majority.
Good get rid of them too and ratchet up the Protestant and Unionist majority in NI even more
So how small a statelet does your pure Protestant Norn Iron have to get before even you admit it’s unviable? The Shankill Road?
The majority of the Northern Ireland population live in Protestant and Unionist majority Counties Antrim and Down and as part of the UK they would never be unviable
South Down, West Belfast and the Glens of Antrim are Catholic majority.
Antrim is over 70% Protestant, Down over 60% Protestant.
Their position as part of the UK can and will be defended no matter what the cost
South Down is 75% Nationalist (2017). West Belfast is 74% Nationalist (2017). The Antrim Glens (represented by the former Moyle District Council) were 60% Catholic in 2011.
Good, they can join the Republic then and increase the Protestant and Unionist majority in the remainder of Northern Ireland
Derry and Armagh have since then also become Catholic majority.
Good get rid of them too and ratchet up the Protestant and Unionist majority in NI even more
So how small a statelet does your pure Protestant Norn Iron have to get before even you admit it’s unviable? The Shankill Road?
The majority of the Northern Ireland population live in Protestant and Unionist majority Counties Antrim and Down and as part of the UK they would never be unviable
South Down, West Belfast and the Glens of Antrim are Catholic majority.
Antrim is over 70% Protestant, Down over 60% Protestant.
Their position as part of the UK can and will be defended no matter what the cost
You could get rid of Scotland and London too if you want to ratchet up the Brexiteer majority.
There are no "proper historical units", the borders of Europe have changed consistently for thousands of years and that principle only ended many decades after the formation of the Republic.
Do a timelapse graphical video of the map of Europe with different colours for different nations and tell me which mythical date please Europe settled into "proper historical units".
You're making an argument in favour of the EU, right? If there are no "proper historical units" then an overarching political framework that means it matters less and less which side of a given border you live on is a priceless asset.
No. I'm making an argument in favour of NATO, the rule of law, modern nation states and modern economics.
The EU is second-rate to all of that and is an outcome of that and not what triggered it.
NATO does nothing to dissolve borders.
Who's talking about dissolving borders? Not me.
You're the one arguing that there is no correct position for national borders in Europe.
That's got nothing to do with dissolving them.
We agreed decades ago, but decades after the independence of the Republic of Ireland to lock down borders as they happened to exist then. There was nothing historically perfect about borders as they were then, but to prevent wars we chose to stop changing borders. The idea that Irish independence violates laws that didn't exist until decades afterwards is ludicrous.
So the plan is to fight Islamic extremis by scaling back on security cooperation with European countries. Brave.
Only if Europe doesn't want to cooperate with us as allies. Which would be brave.
Why wouldn't Europe want us as allies?
We’re making the threats, Philip. Or, more accurately, Cummings is. But not even Johnson is going to put UK citizens in danger by refusing to cooperate with other European countries in the fight against terrorism. Go to bed mate. You need to calm down. Night!
I think you'll find European
Our country? I thought you were from the Republic of Bellendia?
I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
We occupy Northern Ireland. It’s time we accepted that Ireland has a right to at least a say in its governance. We should leave tomorrow in truth.
No we don't, most Northern Ireland seats are held by Unionist parties
Fermanagh and Tyrone were Catholic majority in 1918.
Good, they can join the Republic then and increase the Protestant and Unionist majority in the remainder of Northern Ireland
Derry and Armagh have since then also become Catholic majority.
Good get rid of them too and ratchet up the Protestant and Unionist majority in NI even more
So how small a statelet does your pure Protestant Norn Iron have to get before even you admit it’s unviable? The Shankill Road?
The majority of the Northern Ireland population live in Protestant and Unionist majority Counties Antrim and Down and as part of the UK they would never be unviable
South Down, West Belfast and the Glens of Antrim are Catholic majority.
Antrim is over 70% Protestant, Down over 60% Protestant.
Their position as part of the UK can and will be defended no matter what the cost
Have you been to NI yet or is that later in the month iirc?
If the EU don't want us as allies and friendly neighbours then why shouldn't they be left to their own devices?
I want a deal not a cold war but if they opt to try and annex part of our country then they're big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and we need to look after ourselves. Its funny how people who seem so confident the EU is so mighty and powerful and puny Britain doesn't matter seem horrified at the idea that Britain might not defend mighty Europe anymore.
It doesn’t really matter what you say because we’ll continue to work with European countries for defence purposes regardless of what empty threats the Government comes out with because we benefit from them.
Its as simple as that.
That's what was said about America too and European countries insisting America will pay for their defence still because they benefit from it.
Sure we benefit from a free Europe, but we don't need to pay for it. And if we don't, they will have no choice but to pick up the slack. It is realpolitik.
Does Europe need our assistance? If yes, be our allies, agree a respectful deal. If no, so long!
Realpolitik would be recognising where the power balance lies between 1 country vs 27 countries and whether it is more productive to co-operate or wave around empty threats. The answer is blindingly obvious.
Yes and when it comes to agility the 1 country can easily be more powerful than the 27.
I'm all up for co-operation so long as it is mutual.
Why do you prefer alliances with distant and (with all due respect) militarily lightweight countries like NZ and Aus? Any idiot can see that our security interests are in our own region, Europe with our closest neighbours and friends. The Australians and the Kiwis have China to worry about, we have Russia. They are different threats.
Australia and NZ will, over time, become more and more culturally distant from us but we will never leave Europe. You may not like it but we are stuck with them and this idiotic posturing is alienating countries we need help from far more than those on the other side of the planet.
We will always be culturally closer to Australia and NZ than Europe, even if their Asian population grows so is ours too anyway
We use the word differently to Australia
The Australians use the American sense of the word "Asian" - people from South-East Asia, so Chinese, Malay, Thai etc.
We use the British sense of "Asian" - people from Pakistan, India, etc
If that was Pence's "Next President" price I'd invest, but it's his price for winning the 2020 election. I don't think Trump would stand up to the pressure of an impeachment trial - he'd completely kook out and have to be 25thed out of office. He wouldn't be able to sit there and answer questions without calling the person putting the question fake and corrupt, asking "Are you talking to me?", or demanding that he be asked a different question; and if called to order - "Mr Trump, please answer the question that you were asked" - the indications are that he couldn't handle it. He might get 25thed even before reaching that stage. Pence's probability of being the next president is way higher than 2.3%. But winning a presidential election? Ford didn't.
BF prices: * Trump won't be impeached in 1st term: 3.35; * Trump leaves office before end of 1st term: 4.9. That's about evens that what WON'T happen is that he gets impeached and stays in office. Value.
"Judy is in cinemas this week and so is Joker and if you have to choose between the two, then it’s Judy every time. I would even add: step away from Joker. Step away, and step away now, if you know what’s good for you. It may be a masterpiece or it may be irresponsible trash — there is some controversy here — but either way it is so bleak and so dark and so upsetting the words ‘bleak’ and ‘dark’ and ‘upsetting’ don’t really cover it, and you may never be able to sleep again. Strange as it may be, the film about the wounded Hollywood chanteuse driven to an early and tragic death is, in fact, the far sunnier proposition."
Except that the SNP is doing better in Scotland than that, and therefore it will be touch and go whether the Conservatives get a majority.
On UNS there would be no Tory majority. The poll implies 20 gains from Labour - of which 13 enjoy first term incumbency - offset by 12 losses to LDS and circa 10 to SNP - leaving the Tories with 316 seats. Without allowing for first term incumbency and the retirement of Simon Hughes and Greg Mulholland , Labour would end up on 231 with the LDs on 30.
In an age where our MPs are viewed as something lower than a snake turd, there is no "first term incumbency"......
"You said you'd implement Brexit. You lied to us. Now piss off...."
The next thirteen months in US politics are going to be an absolute sh!t-show, and social media and advertising companies are going to be right at the centre of it on a daily basis. Specifically Facebook, Twitter and Google.
No matter what the eventual outcome of the elections, there’s going to be a severe change in regulatory environment for these companies in the coming years.
But maybe this is jumping to the next stage of some 'move fast, break things' shpiel.
I think it's interesting that one part of this statement very clearly defines the question of approval/disapproval of a (possible) extension request as "(hostile) interference in domestic politics", while the statement as a whole is a public declaration of the firm intent to trade off considerable assets (money in any form, trade advantages, informations, security/defence cooperation) for, literally, "interference in domestic politics".
By some (narrow?) definition this on its own might constitute an act of treason, in some people's mind.
Some people might come to the view that this might constitute, in the light of the Benn Act, prophylactically frustrating the intent of said act, before that ominous, fateful letter is sent, instead of frustrating the intended effect of said letter after sending it, as had previously been suggested.
Some people might even come to the view that the Cummings/Johnson team would not find it all that inconvenient if it were to be percieved by the wider - and slightly underinformed - public as 'being held back from delivering the coveted Brexit' by the judiciary, one pillar of the 'establishment', in infamous collusion with that other central pillar, the insubordinate, and therefor 'discredited' parliament, because that might be quite a good starting point to first winning public favour in the impending elections and then, as a welcome side effect, after having prepared the ground, finding it easier to move the balance of power between government, parliament and courts in favour of the executive.
Events certainly look much too chaotic to presume they are part of a prewritten playbook, rather an improvisation of sorts, but where we are now, intensive wargaming might suggest to the protagonists that brazen, relentless provocation of the truculent adversaries, until the dam breaks, is the most promising way forward.
"Judy is in cinemas this week and so is Joker and if you have to choose between the two, then it’s Judy every time. I would even add: step away from Joker. Step away, and step away now, if you know what’s good for you. It may be a masterpiece or it may be irresponsible trash — there is some controversy here — but either way it is so bleak and so dark and so upsetting the words ‘bleak’ and ‘dark’ and ‘upsetting’ don’t really cover it, and you may never be able to sleep again. Strange as it may be, the film about the wounded Hollywood chanteuse driven to an early and tragic death is, in fact, the far sunnier proposition."
The police should be sending sniffer dogs into Number 10, judging by that statement.
Betfair have opened a second GE market with just four options. Oct, Nov,Dec, 2020 or later. If you think it will be 2020 or later the new market is currently offering slightly better odds than the first one.
The police should be sending sniffer dogs into Number 10, judging by that statement.
Betfair have opened a second GE market with just four options. Oct, Nov,Dec, 2020 or later. If you think it will be 2020 or later the new market is currently offering slightly better odds than the first one.
That is the remnants of a month-by-month market. I’m waiting for December to shorten further before laying it.
NB that mad statement is internally inconsistent. “We’ve got a cunning plan to defeat the Benn Act that we can’t talk about but in any case there will be an election shortly after 31 October which we will win gloriously and impose a no-deal Brexit with”.
If the EU don't want us as allies and friendly neighbours then why shouldn't they be left to their own devices?
I want a deal not a cold war but if they opt to try and annex part of our country then they're big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and we need to look after ourselves. Its funny how people who seem so confident the EU is so mighty and powerful and puny Britain doesn't matter seem horrified at the idea that Britain might not defend mighty Europe anymore.
The EU will be pissing itself at this “threat”. And they are not seeking to annex part of our country. They want a customs arrangement over part of one of their member states we unlawfully annexed. Why are you so keen to piss off our closest and most forgiving allies?
The EU are not our closest allies at all, our closest allies are Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
You are 40 years out of date.
No, still very much up to date, we have never fought any wars against 3/4 of those nations and we share a Head of Stage, we have fought many wars against the EU and are currently fighting a diplomatic war with the EU now. Meanwhile the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are all offering us a trade deal as is the US president
“We have fought many wars against the EU”.
I seem to have missed these. When were these wars? Who won?
The Hundred Years War, the 7 years War, the Spanish Armada, the Napoleonic Wars, WW1 and WW2 were all fought against nations now in the EU.
All of our wars in the last 100 years were fought alongside one of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, most of the time all 4
Every single one of those "wars" (The Spanish Armada was not a war) was also fought alongside countries that are now in the EU. One of them -- the Hundred Years' War -- was fought with England and Scotland on opposite sides.
Bar Portugal we have been at war (or Cold War) with every EU nation at least once in the last 500 years
Including Switzerland and the Scandinavian coutries?
If the EU don't want us as allies and friendly neighbours then why shouldn't they be left to their own devices?
I want a deal not a cold war but if they opt to try and annex part of our country then they're big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and we need to look after ourselves. Its funny how people who seem so confident the EU is so mighty and powerful and puny Britain doesn't matter seem horrified at the idea that Britain might not defend mighty Europe anymore.
The EU will be pissing itself at this “threat”. And they are not seeking to annex part of our country. They want a customs arrangement over part of one of their member states we unlawfully annexed. Why are you so keen to piss off our closest and most forgiving allies?
The EU are not our closest allies at all, our closest allies are Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
You are 40 years out of date.
No, still very much up to date, we have never fought any wars against 3/4 of those nations and we share a Head of Stage, we have fought many wars against the EU and are currently fighting a diplomatic war with the EU now. Meanwhile the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are all offering us a trade deal as is the US president
“We have fought many wars against the EU”.
I seem to have missed these. When were these wars? Who won?
The Hundred Years War, the 7 years War, the Spanish Armada, the Napoleonic Wars, WW1 and WW2 were all fought against nations now in the EU.
All of our wars in the last 100 years were fought alongside one of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, most of the time all 4
Every single one of those "wars" (The Spanish Armada was not a war) was also fought alongside countries that are now in the EU. One of them -- the Hundred Years' War -- was fought with England and Scotland on opposite sides.
Bar Portugal we have been at war (or Cold War) with every EU nation at least once in the last 500 years
Including Switzerland and the Scandinavian coutries?
If the EU don't want us as allies and friendly neighbours then why shouldn't they be left to their own devices?
I want a deal not a cold war but if they opt to try and annex part of our country then they're big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves and we need to look after ourselves. Its funny how people who seem so confident the EU is so mighty and powerful and puny Britain doesn't matter seem horrified at the idea that Britain might not defend mighty Europe anymore.
The EU will be pissing itself at this “threat”. And they are not seeking to annex part of our country. They want a customs arrangement over part of one of their member states we unlawfully annexed. Why are you so keen to piss off our closest and most forgiving allies?
The EU are not our closest allies at all, our closest allies are Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.
You are 40 years out of date.
No, still very much up to date, we have never fought any wars against 3/4 of those nations and we share a Head of Stage, we have fought many wars against the EU and are currently fighting a diplomatic war with the EU now. Meanwhile the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are all offering us a trade deal as is the US president
“We have fought many wars against the EU”.
I seem to have missed these. When were these wars? Who won?
The Hundred Years War, the 7 years War, the Spanish Armada, the Napoleonic Wars, WW1 and WW2 were all fought against nations now in the EU.
All of our wars in the last 100 years were fought alongside one of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, most of the time all 4
Every single one of those "wars" (The Spanish Armada was not a war) was also fought alongside countries that are now in the EU. One of them -- the Hundred Years' War -- was fought with England and Scotland on opposite sides.
Bar Portugal we have been at war (or Cold War) with every EU nation at least once in the last 500 years
Including Switzerland and the Scandinavian coutries?
Comments
Both the FPTA 2011, and the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 are causing huge problems. Prior to these, you could have a (near) three week short campaign and get it over with. Now, with the 25 working days campaign (five weeks), PLUS a possible further 14 days during a VoNC, you could easily see a 7 week campaign.
Such a long length basically means most GE campaigns are now going to span two months. With our society marching on, the days of 'Christmas day is the only holiday' are long gone and people are always sodding off on short breaks, mini breaks, and focus on anything other than a GE.
Whilst its theoretically possible to have a GE on any day, I think, realistically, only March to June (and avoiding around Easter) and October are viable these days.
December, January and February are too cold and crash into Christmas. July, August and September crash into the school holidays.
November is a very, very outside chance, and it would be far better if it was earlier in November.
But I'm not wrong in saying the earliest date, right now, for a GE if it was called would be 12th November?
The system is a mess. The 25 working day length is too long, and the 14 day VoNC is too long. It should probably be brought down to 20 and 7 resprectively.
From where we are now a backstopless WA would be a far more sensible iteration for all parties than No Deal. But we can't make that happen and the backstop is not an iteration.
4 week averages (latest poll from each firm):
Con 33.3%
Lab 25.6%
LD 19.2%
BRX 12.0%
Grn 3.8%
2 week averages (latest poll from each firm):
Con 33.0%
Lab 24.8%
LD 19.2%
BRX 12.6%
Grn 3.8%
Your unhinged rant about my use of the word “white” yet again misses the point, and I think you doth protest too much. Yes, I have a problem with over reliance on other Anglophone countries, and I say that as someone married to a US citizen born and raised there. You advise us to “broaden our horizons” - my point is that liaising primarily with cultures so similar to us does not do that. It, in fact, narrows them as it deprives is from seeing difference, we end up in an Anglophone bubble. Watching a French soap at least helps me learn a language. What does watching Neighbours do for me culturally? You need to consider carefully how narrow minded your worldview is.
I paid £3 and voted for JC/TW just for a laugh and with the faint hope they might actually win...never did I actually think there were so many real Labour members who also wanted Waldorf and Stadler as their leadership team.
And I expect when we leave us to control all customs for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and not a fraction of it.
I'd try very hard to persuade the Welsh to stay though.
There are parts of Britain that have the Euro as their national currency, and will continue to have it post Brexit. There are overseas territories of the UK who are part of our customs area, but have no vote on whether that is the case. The people of Northern Ireland, as far as we can tell, seem to be quite keen on a dual customs structure: surely they should get first call on this, not us.
All of our wars in the last 100 years were fought alongside one of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, most of the time all 4
Last time I took a Ferry to France it took us many hours waiting in Kent to get aboard the Ferry because the French were striking . . . because the French love to strike . . . and it was nothing to do with Brexit.
You may live near the M20. I live near the M6. It can make my life irritating too, I spent an hour doing a five minute journey on Friday because of the madness an accident on the M6 had caused and not for the first time. None of this is a reason to surrender a part of our United Kingdom's customs arrangements.
As for white, I only mentioned it (briefly) because you did. If you didn't mean to make that remark then an apology would suffice rather than calling my rebuttal of your bullshit an unhinged rant.
When its a majority let them vote. Otherwise the 48% can shut up and respect democracy.
https://youtu.be/PA5ryowAyLk?t=169
EDIT: Oops - wrong 48%!
One of them -- the Hundred Years' War -- was fought with England and Scotland on opposite sides.
Are British Overseas Territories "parts of Britain"? They are not a part of the United Kingdom unlike Northern Ireland.
Do a timelapse graphical video of the map of Europe with different colours for different nations and tell me which mythical date please Europe settled into "proper historical units".
It’s all about war and retaliation for you reactionaries isn’t it. Never about cooperation and understanding what the other side want. That’s why you prefer English speaking countries. You love to make threats. Too lazy or fearful to understand what the rest of the world is saying if they don’t speak our language. It’s very sad.
It was all part of our country. A part of our country left without the rest of it. So be it. The borders of an independent country called "Ireland" have very rarely been consistent at all over the last thousand years.
We can't "come home" from a part of our country. It is home. Unless the voters there wish to leave us, they are as they remain as they've been for centuries a part of us.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_War_of_Independence
The EU is second-rate to all of that and is an outcome of that and not what triggered it.
Here's a UK government minister -- from the Northern Ireland Office no less -- referring to the "Irish War of Independence"
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/dr-murrison-address-to-ww1-ancestors-memories-event
Their position as part of the UK can and will be defended no matter what the cost
We agreed decades ago, but decades after the independence of the Republic of Ireland to lock down borders as they happened to exist then. There was nothing historically perfect about borders as they were then, but to prevent wars we chose to stop changing borders. The idea that Irish independence violates laws that didn't exist until decades afterwards is ludicrous.
https://twitter.com/ewarren/status/1181348866744098816?s=21
The Australians use the American sense of the word "Asian" - people from South-East Asia, so Chinese, Malay, Thai etc.
We use the British sense of "Asian" - people from Pakistan, India, etc
https://fullfact.org/europe/how-many-uk-citizens-live-other-eu-countries/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-36299682
BF prices:
* Trump won't be impeached in 1st term: 3.35;
* Trump leaves office before end of 1st term: 4.9.
That's about evens that what WON'T happen is that he gets impeached and stays in office. Value.
A: "Can you lend me £20?"
B: "Sure, here you go."
A: "You vile person, interfering in my life like that!"
https://www.spectator.co.uk/2019/10/if-you-ever-want-to-sleep-again-step-away-from-joker/
"You said you'd implement Brexit. You lied to us. Now piss off...."
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/10/07/10m-brexit-50p-coins-minted-october-31-three-times-previously/
No matter what the eventual outcome of the elections, there’s going to be a severe change in regulatory environment for these companies in the coming years.
But maybe this is jumping to the next stage of some 'move fast, break things' shpiel.
I think it's interesting that one part of this statement very clearly defines the question of approval/disapproval of a (possible) extension request as "(hostile) interference in domestic politics", while the statement as a whole is a public declaration of the firm intent to trade off considerable assets (money in any form, trade advantages, informations, security/defence cooperation) for, literally, "interference in domestic politics".
By some (narrow?) definition this on its own might constitute an act of treason, in some people's mind.
Some people might come to the view that this might constitute, in the light of the Benn Act, prophylactically frustrating the intent of said act, before that ominous, fateful letter is sent, instead of frustrating the intended effect of said letter after sending it, as had previously been suggested.
Some people might even come to the view that the Cummings/Johnson team would not find it all that inconvenient if it were to be percieved by the wider - and slightly underinformed - public as 'being held back from delivering the coveted Brexit' by the judiciary, one pillar of the 'establishment', in infamous collusion with that other central pillar, the insubordinate, and therefor 'discredited' parliament, because that might be quite a good starting point to first winning public favour in the impending elections and then, as a welcome side effect, after having prepared the ground, finding it easier to move the balance of power between government, parliament and courts in favour of the executive.
Events certainly look much too chaotic to presume they are part of a prewritten playbook, rather an improvisation of sorts, but where we are now, intensive wargaming might suggest to the protagonists that brazen, relentless provocation of the truculent adversaries, until the dam breaks, is the most promising way forward.
Enough already Joker PR department, I'm already sold on the idea of watching the film!
https://twitter.com/chrisgiles_/status/1181443140143779840?s=21