Politics aside....

[Lua]

... this debacle with A levels despite all the warnings is making me feel even more concerned about the competence of this government to sort brexit out. All their reassurances about handling corona virus and their constant U turns sounds very much like their reassurances about negotiating alternative deals with other countries, etc. However a U turn might not be possible. AIBU?

Boris et al won’t do a u turn. Ideologically he’s really invested in brexit
So unfortunately looks like we will leave EU

We HAVE left the EU. We’re in a transition period where we’re supposed to be negotiating our new trading relationship with the EU. Nobody in a position to do this seems to be placing any importance on doing it, though, and we’re running out of time before we fall off the cliff without a deal on 31 December. We can’t stay now even if we want to. Disaster looms.

I know we have left,we are trying to execute a trade deal.so there are outstanding unresolved issues

what I mean is there are all kinds of ideological ideas out there, and then there is competency. I do not want to discuss the merits of the decision... but this government jsut does not seem competent enough to handle such a huge task.

I'm very concerned.

The merits of the ideology and compency are inextricably linked

They weren't competent when David Cameron blindly offered a referendum he felt sure would shove a big fat middle finger up at the Leave group. They weren't competent when they handed that poison chalice over to that droid bumhole Theresa May. They weren't competent when David Davis turned up to negotiate our exit from the EU without even a pen or notepad. They weren't competent when the blancmange-faced Boris rocked up with an "oven ready deal".

How, and I say this as politely as is possible, have you only just come to the conclusion they're not competent? Tories go hand in hand with incompetence like Ted Hastings goes with sucking diesel.

You are absolutely right about the lack of competency in government.

But it won't matter. We'll crash and burn, the government will say it was those big meanies in the EU and that'll be how it goes. Badly, with the gov taking no responsibility. And they'll get away with it.

Fudge - I was never in any doubt that they were generally incompetent, but you always think that there is someone, somewhere, making sure the car doesn't crash.... I have just lost my hope with this whole A level debacle.

You see, I am aware that there is much more going on that I am aware of (or at least I hope so), but in the case of the A level grades, I know that plenty of people predicted and warned the government. They sticked to their mad decision; making me think, perhaps they know something else, or they have some reasons... but no, apparently not! They just spetacularly f*ed up for no good rwson...

Yep, I totally agree there - you always want to have hope that there's one of them with a conscience, a heart, a sense of right and wrong. Sorry if that came across salty.

According to reports today Gavin Williamson was advised 6 weeks ago that the A Level results algorithm wasn't up to the job. 6 weeks they had to proactively implement something to ensure that this years students didn't get shat upon. It speaks volumes that they chose to sit back and watch (whilst Boris mysteriously now quietly emulates Bear Grylls drinking piss wrung from socks in a tent in Scotland).

I think the EU exit is proceeding exactly as Bozo and cohorts wish it to and never had plans for anything different. I hope they all follow their good mate Steve Bannon into the law courts. Doubt it though. Thanks Leavers. Enjoy.

longwayoff - I agree that crashing was the plan from the begining. I just had some hope that given pandemic, perhaps changes in the white house that they would "adjust" their plan, if there was any evidence....or that perhaps they have been using this year wisely to plan and let people know that it will be tough but at least there were plans!

is emotionally exhausting not being able to trust people that holds your future....

David Frost, the UK's Chief Negotiator with the EU is doing an excellent job and I trust him to do what's best for the UK.

No, if anything the pandemic has come at a perfect time for Bozo and his single-policy government to blame it for diverting their attention away from negotiating. Oops - no deal... yeah, sorry about that.

They are doing their best. But their best just isn’t good enough.
So, yes, they are incompetent.

They do seem to be making quite the fudge of everything so why should Brexit be any different - just on a much bigger scale

The merits of the ideology and compency are inextricably linked

Beautifully put.

@Lua

what I mean is there are all kinds of ideological ideas out there, and then there is competency. I do not want to discuss the merits of the decision... but this government jsut does not seem competent enough to handle such a huge task.

I'm very concerned.

There is nothing incorrect here.

They are clearly incompetent.

@HoneysuckIejasmine

You are absolutely right about the lack of competency in government.

But it won't matter. We'll crash and burn, the government will say it was those big meanies in the EU and that'll be how it goes. Badly, with the gov taking no responsibility. And they'll get away with it.

That's exactly what will happen.

sooty - the question is why? I mean at some point there seemed to be some money to be made from the crash.... but are these opportunities still out there in the current climate? Is it still self-dealing, or just an inability to be an adult and re-evaluate given evidence?

They weren't competent when David Davis turned up to negotiate our exit from the EU without even a pen or notepad.
You mean when he kept his confidential papers in his ministerial box until after the posed photograph had been taken?

@DdraigGoch

They weren't competent when David Davis turned up to negotiate our exit from the EU without even a pen or notepad. You mean when he kept his confidential papers in his ministerial box until after the posed photograph had been taken?

According to reports from within the negotiations he rocked up unprepared and ill-equipped to perform. Which seems standard for the Tory party generally; we have an Education Secretary who was informed 6 weeks ago that the algorithm wasn't a workable solution and who buried his head, promised no u-turns then performed the most ridiculous of all u-turns.

It would be lovely if we held them to a higher standard, tbh. This perpetual crying of "they're trying their best" is grand when they're children who actually are trying their best but not quite getting there. When they're grown adults governing a nation? It's ok to admit their best is a shower of shit and to hold them accountable.

It’s the way all our politicians seem to treat things as a game isn’t it. The focus is all on being able to exchange witty remarks or the biggest put-downs in PMQ, or get the biggest stories into the papers and bury the poor ones. Ask them about the nitty gritty details of actual day-to-day administration (boring details quite frankly, most of day to day admin is) and they just seem to think they’re above it all. None of them seem to recognise it as non-sexy essential plain bloody work. We still have no plan for Brecit and the scrambling now to try and put some infrastructure in place to deal with customs is farcical. It should have been planned in 4 years ago!